Ch. 641..650

Chapter 641: Regain Honor

Doing what they were genuinely interested in, and dedicating their days to perfecting their culinary skills, they rarely had any interaction with people like Edward Lopez.

Even when part of the same circle and experiencing various intersections, they had never tangled with Edward Lopez.

Yellen Brooks nodded and said, “Then I’m not going either.”

Larry Bennett, on the other hand, was interested in giving it a try to see if he could seize an opportunity.

However, with everyone else not going, it would seem a bit too eager for him to go alone.

So Larry Bennett remained silent as well.

Edward Lopez’s assistant was furious upon seeing this, “Are none of you going?”

“No.” Aiden Huxley coldly said, “What a joke! Acting all high and mighty in front of us.”

If he couldn’t manage this affair, Edward Lopez would definitely scold him later.

Edward Lopez’s assistant then asked Cindy Clarke, “Cindy, what about you? Aren’t you going either?”

Larry Bennett and Yellen Brooks were too timid to go.

The 10 people under Pingla Academy seemed to have background support and were fearless, so they also didn’t go.

However, Cindy was just an ordinary food blogger. Could she afford not to care?

Especially when it comes to being an internet celebrity, having some connection with Edward Lopez and meeting him should also be beneficial for her.

Without any hesitation, Cindy said, “No.”

“You! All of you! All right!” Edward Lopez’s assistant nodded incessantly.

These people truly acted like a bunch of tyrants!

Irritated, the assistant turned around and left. When he returned to Edward Lopez’s side, he told him everything they had just said.

Edward Lopez suddenly felt humiliated, especially since it had all happened in front of Ella Doone and Wendy Clarke.

He had sounded so impressive bragging in front of Wendy Clarke earlier, but now those contestants didn’t seem to care about him at all.

Edward Lopez tried to recall the names of those contestants and suddenly said, “The one named Parker Honi, I know of a certain Honi Family. He couldn’t possibly be from their family, could he?”

The assistant immediately said, “The others, such as the Hudson Family, Xenos Family, Joy Family, Vahn Family, and so on, seem to match those of the 10 people from Pingla Academy right now.”

With this, the assistant managed to save face for Edward Lopez.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, they had to be.

Only this could explain why they turned a blind eye to Edward Lopez.

At least they were somewhat similar to the C Family, with no one needing to give face to another.

It wouldn’t be humiliating for Edward Lopez to be rejected.

Edward Lopez chuckled, “If they truly are sons and daughters of those families, then I can understand their arrogance. It’s just that those families seem quite open-minded, allowing their children to come out and study cooking to be chefs. If it were those families, would they be willing to do this? Or is Parker Honi just bragging?”

“It’s hard to say. Should I investigate?” The assistant immediately asked.

Edward Lopez agreed, “All right, you go ahead and check. I want to see if their arrogance is truly justified.”

Cindy and the others remained in the lounge, and Bartholomew Bailey asked, “What does Edward Lopez want to do?”

“No matter what he wants to do, we’re not afraid,” Jasmine Hudson replied. “Not to mention that we don’t care about what Edward Lopez offers. Even for Cindy, with Adrian Zhekova’s support, do you think she’d be interested in Edward Lopez’s benefits?”

“Exactly,” Aiden Huxley nodded. “Both Larry Bennett and Yellen Brooks, you two should think carefully. Edward Lopez is not a good person. Don’t assume that just because you don’t have anything he can covet, you can go ahead and give it a try. If anything goes wrong and he screws you over, there’ll be no place to turn for redress.”

The few of them had a positive impression of Yellen Brooks. Yellen Brooks was a very clear-headed person.

They had mixed feelings about Larry Bennett.

Although Larry Bennett didn’t cause any trouble, he was quite scheming.

He was someone who knew how to act according to circumstances.

However, since he hadn’t caused any trouble, Aiden Huxley included him in the friendly reminder.

If the two didn’t heed the warning and got into trouble, he wouldn’t be responsible.

After all, it was their choice.

“Edward Lopez has screwed over a lot of people over the years,” Gladys Joy added.

“I got it,” Yellen Brooks immediately replied.

She didn’t have many notable strengths, but there was one thing: she listened to other people’s advice.

When she couldn’t make a judgment on her own, she was willing to believe and go along with the wisdom of others.

The people from Pingla Academy wouldn’t harm her, and they had no reason to do so.

There wasn’t anything on her that was worth plotting against or setting her up.

It wasn’t clear what Larry Bennett was thinking, but at any rate, his reply was slower by half a beat, and finally, he nodded, indicating that he understood the warning and would be careful.

As for Edward Lopez, Wendy Clarke noticed that he had lost face, so she said, “Mr. Lopez, could you do me a favor?”

Edward Lopez turned his head and replied, “Tell me.”

Wendy Clarke said, “When Cindy left, she didn’t leave any contact information. I don’t know her mobile phone number or where she lives. She must have a file when she participated in the Cooking Competition, and it should have her phone number and address. I wonder if you can help me get them?”

“I can’t do it on my own,” Wendy Clarke feigned weakness, looking pitiful and helpless.

Usually in front of Edward Lopez, she gave the impression of being resourceful and capable.

Suddenly showing weakness revealed a different side of her.

This stirred some interest in Edward Lopez.

Having just lost face, Edward Lopez immediately agreed upon hearing Wendy Clarke’s request, “That’s a small matter. I’ll take care of it.”

He then turned to his assistant and asked, “Did you hear that?”

The assistant nodded right away, “Yes, I heard everything.”

Edward Lopez coldly said, “You better handle this matter well. You messed up earlier, and if you mess up again, there’s no use in me keeping you.”

The assistant hurriedly replied, “Don’t worry, Young Master Lopez. I will definitely handle it.”

Wendy Clarke didn’t intend to go backstage to find Cindy.

After all, with so many people around, if she went there and Cindy exposed her past plotting and scheming against her, it wouldn’t be good for Wendy Clarke either.

Even if Cindy had indeed suffered at Mr. Lopez’s hands back then, given Cindy’s eloquence at distorting the truth, it would be just like what she told Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos before; she would deny having any relationship with Mr. Lopez and claim that she was framed by Wendy Clarke.

In front of so many people, if it came to that, even if Wendy Clarke wanted to explain and point out the relationship between Cindy and Mr. Lopez, no one would believe her.

That’s why Wendy Clarke planned to meet with Cindy alone.

As for Edward Lopez’s little episode, Cindy didn’t take it to heart.

She never thought that Edward Lopez might have come for her.

Mainly because Cindy never had a clear understanding of her own beauty.

She knew she was pretty, but she wasn’t so narcissistic as to think that anyone who saw her would fall in love.

So when the matter was over, she put it behind her, not taking it seriously.

Chapter 642: Why have you only just arrived?

She hadn’t told Adrian Zhekova either.

Because the top 10 contestants of the Pingla Competition had already been decided, and as Wesley Gordon had said before, the 2nd to 6th place contestants in the final competition would receive the qualification to participate in the International Culinary Competition.

The first place winner would directly get a spot on the official team.

In other words, the participants in the International Culinary Competition, and one of the official team members, would be chosen from these 10 contestants.

Therefore, a banquet was held in Belfard.

Although only the top 6 contestants would eventually get the qualification to participate in the International Culinary Competition, it was already very rare for the current top 10 contestants to be so talented.

It was hard to guarantee that someone among them would not stand out and defeat the official members.

Or participate in the competition for official members and eventually become an official member.

Anyway, those who made it to the top 10 were all elites.

This banquet also served as a disguised reward for the top 10 contestants, presenting them with awards and prize money.

Originally, the officials of the competition had said that the winner would receive a prize of 1 million.

And there would be a spot in the International Culinary Competition.

These were the visible rewards, while there were also invisible rewards, such as the fact that the winner would definitely receive more attention and have a greater reputation.

On their resume, it would also look more impressive, offering a chance to work in higher-end restaurants or open their own restaurant and create their own brand.

Because the fame was already well-established and a good foundation was laid, the road ahead would be much easier.

The winner of the Pingla Culinary Competition itself was a great brand, and these were all invisible rewards.

As for the top 10 contestants, they were very well-regarded every year.

It just so happened that this year coincided with the International Culinary Competition also being held, making the top 6 students even more well-regarded.

If it were in previous years, the top 10 contestants would already be outstanding.

Therefore, following the usual practice, Belfard still held a banquet to celebrate the top 10 contestants.

Unfortunately, on the night of the banquet, Adrian Zhekova also had a meeting to attend.

After the meeting, there was another social engagement that he could not get out of.

So that day, when Adrian Zhekova went to the company, he told Cindy Clarke before he left: “I’ll try my best to finish early and meet up with you there.”

“You don’t have to hurry, after all, we have so many people, and there are people from Pingla Academy, they are all very nice, and they help each other in any matter. Besides, those people have high backgrounds, and ordinary people can’t afford to provoke them.”

“That’s true.” Adrian Zhekova agreed with this point, “Apart from a very small number of students in Pingla Academy who are exceptionally talented in cooking and are admitted by Pingla Academy as exceptions, given scholarships and tuition fee reductions as rewards. The families of the other students are quite extraordinary.”

“Because the tuition fees of Pingla Academy are really too high, and they can’t be afforded by ordinary families. Students who can come to study at Pingla Academy can’t have a bad family background.” Adrian Zhekova said.

“Like Jetaime Academy?” Cindy Clarke recalled and asked.

Adrian Zhekova nodded: “Almost, but the requirements of Jetaime Academy are even higher. Each year they grant a certain number of places to various families, and only families to a certain extent have the qualification to enter. Money alone is not enough.”

“But Jetaime Academy is only for kindergarten to high school. Above high school, there is no more. Pingla Culinary Academy, on the other hand, focuses more on specific professional levels. The family backgrounds of Parker Honi and the others are also extraordinary, so I can be sure they won’t be afraid of anyone. I am actually quite relieved to have you with them.”

Adrian Zhekova said, “But I will still hurry over as soon as possible.”

Cindy Clarke warned, “Don’t rush to drive fast on the road just to get there as soon as possible to accompany me, as this can be dangerous. You can wait for the banquet to be over and pick me up, or if you can’t even make it in time to pick me up, let Cleave Roland pick me up. There are so many people there, so you don’t have to worry.”

Adrian Zhekova agreed for the time being, but in his heart, he still wanted to meet up with Cindy Clarke as soon as possible.

Even if the people from Pingla Academy were there, he couldn’t be completely at ease as long as he wasn’t there.

So Adrian Zhekova left first, and Morgan Zhekova left a little later, but it wasn’t long before she was picked up by Cleave Roland.

At around 5 pm, Morgan Zhekova had already returned home from the nursery.

Since Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova would not be home at night, Aunt Jenkins was specially called to accompany Morgan Zhekova.

Cindy Clarke took the car driven by Cleave Roland to the banquet venue.

It happened to be held at the restaurant.

By now, Cindy Clarke was quite familiar with the restaurant.

Cleave Roland parked the car at the entrance of the restaurant, originally wanting to escort Cindy Clarke in, but she didn’t let him.

As Cindy Clarke got out of the car and approached the entrance, the staff of the restaurant also recognized her.

After all, on the occasion of Charlotte York and Walter Wells’ wedding last time, Adrian Zhekova had also taken the opportunity to show off their marriage.

Bertrand York specially instructed the staff to recognize Cindy Clarke in the future.

That would be Mrs. Zhekova.

So the staff at the restaurant really couldn’t pretend not to recognize Cindy Clarke even if they wanted to.

The manager hurried over to greet her, and Cindy Clarke asked about the banquet hall where the event was being held.

The manager said, “I’ll take you there.”

So Cindy Clarke followed the manager, and just after walking for a while, someone called her, “Cindy Clarke!”

Cindy Clarke turned around and saw Cynthia Florine, Jasmine Hudson, and Gladys Joy.

Yelin Brown was eliminated from the top 10 in the previous round, so she didn’t come this time.

Cindy Clarke stopped and waited for the three of them to come over, smiling and asking, “Did you three come together? Where are the others?”

Gladys Joy said, “The three of us went for a beauty treatment, makeup, and manicure, so we came a bit late. The men don’t have so much to groom for, so they arrived early.”

So Cindy Clarke went into the banquet hall with them.

Quite a few city leaders attended this time, as well as people from the broadcasting, culture, and catering industries, including some entrepreneurs and investors.

When Parker Honi and the others saw Cindy Clarke and the others coming in, they greeted them, “Why are you just arriving now?”

Cynthia Florine said, “We didn’t arrive late, it’s good to be on time. Have the others arrived yet?”

“I don’t know how many people they invited, but according to the experience passed down by other contestants in previous years, I guess they’ve all arrived.”

Aside from the nine people from Pingla Academy, the other people present did not know that Cindy Clarke was now Adrian Zhekova’s wife.

The leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors were all talking to each other. Although the awards were being presented to them tonight, the real focus of the evening was not on them.

Rather, it was about these leaders and entrepreneurs, investors using tonight’s opportunity to get to know each other, and expand new markets and business dealings.

Parker Honi and the others didn’t even bother to find waitstaff to guide them. They came a little earlier.

Chapter 643: Neglected

Having found the table they were assigned to earlier, they went directly to it with Cindy Clarke and the others.

Their name tags were placed on the table, and all ten of them were conveniently sitting together.

It saved them from some awkward silence with strangers.

At this point, some leaders of the dinner’s organizers came over with a few well-known entrepreneurs and investors in the catering industry, introducing them to Parker Honi and others.

“You are all outstanding talents and rising stars!” one of them said.

“I can’t say I watch every episode of your live broadcast, but I’ve seen most of them. Sometimes I couldn’t watch the live broadcast due to some time constraints, and I ended up watching the replays instead,” another person said.

“Your cooking in the competition was truly amazing. It’s really admirable that such young people have such talent and strength.”

“Yes,” another person laughed, “if my son were as talented and capable as you guys, and could perform so well in the industry, I wouldn’t have to worry about anything.”

“Oh, Parker Honi, I remember I have a business partner who also has the last name Honi. His youngest son seems to be called Parker Honi, right? It’s such a unique name that I remember it quite clearly. Is that you?”

Parker Honi nodded and said, “If your partner is Kendrick Honi, and their family is in the livestock business, then that’s my family.”

“Hahaha! I talked to your dad about this before, and he mentioned that you were studying cooking. I thought that was quite a special ambition. I never expected you to be a student under Pingla Academy. That’s quite extraordinary.”

“Of course.” Parker Honi didn’t show any modesty, “When my dad told me to choose a major, he said it had to be related to our family business, even if it’s just a little bit related. I happened to be interested in cooking, and our family also deals with food, so I enrolled in Pingla Academy, which also has connections to our family.”

Another person recalled the last names of the others and asked, “Aiden Huxley, the Xenos family, is it the Huxley Foods that’s famous for its dumplings, glutinous rice balls, and instant bird’s nest?”

Aiden Huxley nodded and said, “Yes, that’s our family business.”

“Gladys Joy, with such a unique last name, could it be Joyful Delight Foods?”

Gladys Joy nodded and said, “You are right.”

With three of them having such special backgrounds, the others must be no exception.

So, they asked each of them in turn and found out that their families were all quite remarkable.

Some of the people who did not originally join the conversation came over after hearing this news.

It turns out that the people from Pingla Academy are not ordinary people, so it’s worth getting to know them.

And they could even collaborate with their respective family businesses.

Suddenly, Parker Honi and the others became the center of attention.

Many people started talking to them.

Quite a few of them indeed had potential for collaboration.

But since Parker Honi and the others were not focused on business, they didn’t know much about it, so they just muddled through the conversations.

At this time, someone noticed the unobtrusive Cindy Clarke, who was standing aside and hadn’t said anything. They asked, “This must be Cindy Clarke, right?”

The person recalled Cindy’s name and said, “Your performance was quite eye-catching.”

“Of course.” Parker Honi didn’t like to see people looking down on others, and he immediately answered on behalf of Cindy, “She’s my strongest competitor. I was very confident before entering the competition that I would be the undisputed winner.”

Parker’s words instantly drew eye rolls from Jasmine Hudson and others.

He really dared to say that!

Of course, he was indeed full of confidence, but the others did not think so.

Only Parker believed that he was invincible and could easily win the first place.

Others were also eager to compete, thinking they were on par with Parker.

Parker continued, “I didn’t expect to encounter Cindy in this major competition, she’s so strong. With her presence, I’m not sure I can secure the first place anymore.”

“This is really rare!” Daniel Vahn said, “It’s rare that you, Parker, have such self-awareness.”

Parker Honi snorted and said, “But I could still crush you easily.”

So, someone else looked at Cindy with a smile, “Miss Clarke, what about your family?”

Cindy Clarke smiled calmly and said, “My family is just an ordinary family. I am on my own in Belfard. When I saw the auditions for the Pingla Culinary Competition open to the public, I signed up to try.”

The crowd lost interest upon hearing that Cindy was just an ordinary person.

Someone still insisted and asked, “Aren’t you a student of Pingla Academy?”

This person obviously didn’t watch the competition; otherwise, they would have known Cindy.

Cindy smiled and said, “No, I am just an ordinary person.”

Upon hearing this, everyone completely lost interest in her.

But it was actually because of the comparison.

Initially, they thought the students from Pingla were just ordinary people, but when they asked around, they turned out to be quite special.

As a result, after asking a bunch of people and discovering that they all had notable backgrounds, it gave the illusion that Cindy Clarke would also have a special background.

But when they asked Cindy, she said she was just an ordinary person.

The contrast was too great, and people instantly lost interest in Cindy.

For a while, Cindy was left out, and everyone’s attention was on Parker Honi and the others, chatting with them about their families, parents, and company situations.

They asked about their cooking skills, professional matters, and so on.

All of them acted like amiable elders.

If it weren’t for the fact that they purposefully ignored Cindy, this scene would actually be quite heartwarming.

Perhaps it’s not deliberate neglect on their part, but more of an unconscious behavior due to their belief that there’s no need to befriend her. It might be because they are profit-oriented and shrewd as businessmen.

However, Cindy didn’t care about it at all. When those people didn’t pay attention to her, she just stood on the sidelines, feeling quite content on her own.

Finally, when everyone dispersed, only the ten contestants were left at the table.

Parker Honi let out a sigh of relief, “I don’t know how my dad and older brother can put up with this. They have to smile and say polite words all the time. It’s so tiring. It’s much better to just quietly cook.”

Aiden Huxley sneered, “Did you see anyone paying attention to us at the beginning when we were here? Wasn’t it because they heard that our family backgrounds are not ordinary that they came over? These people are very snobbish. It’s a pity they don’t know that the biggest background here is actually Cindy Clarke. If they knew she was (企业)wife’s assistant, they would have surrounded her, making it impossible for her to escape.”

Earlier, those people were busy talking to Parker Honi and the others but left Cindy Clarke out in the cold.

Chapter 644: Sisters Meet

However, Cindy Clarke seemed indifferent. Instead, she worried that people might try to gain some advantage by exploiting her relationship with Adrian Zhekova.

Although she was certain nothing could be gained from her, she still felt bothered.

The main awards given out tonight were trophies and cash prizes.

The cash prizes for the top 10 contestants were all the same, with no distinction between higher or lower ranks, and so were the trophies.

This was a benefit and encouragement provided by Belfard’s city government specifically for the top 10 contestants of the Cooking Competition, considering that there would be a final ranking in the end for the major competition.

Ultimately, only the champion could win a cash prize.

This was inevitably somewhat cruel, so the Belfard city government had organized such a banquet.

At the same time, it served as an opportunity for mutual cooperation between the contestants and various companies in the catering industry.

In addition to the awards presented tonight, the organizers had also invited some literary and artistic performers to put on shows.

These were not popular stars, but rather actors from theater troupes, unknown comedians, and crosstalk artists, among others.

Since they were not famous, they were affordable and would not leave the banquet dull.

This annual banquet was not organized by the Pingla Culinary Competition, including Gale Enterprises, but was independently organized by the Belfard city government.

So, no one from Pingla Group attended, nor did anyone from the Pingla Culinary Competition.

Although it was an awards ceremony for 10 people, it would be quite dull if all 10 of them finished their awards and had nothing to do afterwards.

So every year, each of the 10 contestants received an award with a different title.

“I’d like to go to the restroom,” Gladys Joy whispered. There were a total of four girls, including Cindy Clarke.

Gladys Joy asked, “Do you want to go too?”

Cynthia Florine immediately nodded, “Sure, sure.”

She loved going to the restroom as a group, even if she didn’t need to freshen up, she enjoyed going together.

Jasmine Hudson nodded indifferently.

She didn’t have a need but could wait for them outside.

So, Gladys Joy looked at Cindy Clarke, and since everyone was going, Cindy said, “I’ll go with you guys.”

Thus, the four of them left the banquet hall together.

They walked down the corridor for a while before reaching the restroom.

Only Gladys Joy and Cynthia Florine needed to go in.

Jasmine Hudson waited outside.

Gladys Joy asked Cindy Clarke again, to which she replied, “I won’t go in either, I’ll wait for you outside.”

“Don’t you want to touch up your makeup?”

Cindy turned on the front camera of her mobile phone, looked at herself, and said, “My makeup is fine, no need to touch up.”

So, she and Jasmine Hudson waited outside for them.

Girls usually take longer to freshen up, and considering both of them are wearing short evening gowns, it would also take some effort to get dressed, touch up their makeup, look in the mirror, and be a little vain. They probably won’t be out anytime soon.

Cindy and Jasmine were prepared for a longer wait outside.

Just a short while after Cynthia Florine and Gladys Joy had just entered, Cindy suddenly heard someone call her name: “Cindy!”

The voice was a mixture of confusion, surprise, and astonishment. It was hard to believe that such a simple set of emotions could be conveyed so intricately with just these two syllables.

Cindy thought that Wendy Clarke would be a waste not to be an actress. An actor who could express such complex emotions with just two words would surely win the audience’s approval.

Who wouldn’t praise her acting skills?

Yes, the person calling Cindy was Wendy Clarke.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other for five years and hadn’t heard Wendy’s voice during that time, Cindy recognized her voice immediately from these two words.

Of course, it wasn’t just because Cindy had a deep memory of Wendy’s voice, but also because Adrian Zhekova had reminded her that Wendy had come to Belfard.

Adrian Zhekova could have stopped Wendy, but he had other plans.

Instead of constantly guarding against her, it would be better to deal with Wendy sooner rather than later.

Wendy came to Belfard not only to find Cindy but also to target Edward Lopez.

And even without Edward Lopez, there were still Edward Lopez and Edward Carter.

Wendy’s ambition to marry into a wealthy family was firm and far-reaching.

So, Adrian Zhekova did not stop Wendy but let her come in for a try, also allowing Cindy to be mentally prepared.

Cindy also agreed with Adrian’s approach.

She was bound to confront Wendy sooner or later. She couldn’t hide for the rest of her life.

Besides, she was now Adrian’s wife and a daughter-in-law of the Zhekova Family. Did she have to be a shrinking turtle and hide from Wendy?

That would be a disgrace to Adrian and the Zhekova Family.

As a member of the Zhekova Family, she could not avoid problems.

So, when she heard Wendy’s voice, Cindy was not surprised at all.

She just calmly turned around and saw Wendy walk out of the ladies’ restroom.

Immediately, Wendy grabbed Cindy’s arm, fearing she would run away. “How come you’re here? It’s such a coincidence that I can meet you here.”

Cindy nodded and replied coldly, “Indeed, it’s a coincidence. I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

Wendy continued, “Actually, it’s not so much a coincidence. Isn’t there an awards banquet for the top 10 contestants of your Cooking Competition today? I was also among the invited guests, so I came over. However, I was delayed by some matters and arrived late, just now. I thought you might be one of the top 10 contestants and might attend the banquet, so I came to try my luck.”

Wendy smiled and asked, “Did I miss your time on stage?”

Cindy, coldly trying to pull her arm away from Wendy’s grasp, was unsuccessful.

She frowned slightly, “Sister, you’re hurting me.”

Wendy’s smile stiffened for a moment before she let go and hurriedly said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was just too excited to see you and couldn’t control my strength.”

Wendy thought coldly in her heart, five years have passed, and Cindy has indeed grown more cunning.

She even learned to pretend to be weak and act innocent, just like a white flower, disgusting to watch.

After gaining her freedom, Cindy asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t I say it? I’m here to watch your award ceremony,” Wendy laughed.

Cindy clarified, “I mean, why did you come to Belfard?”

“I saw you on the live broadcast of the Cooking Competition, so I came to check. Remember when our parents visited you last time? They told me that your life here was not very good, so I couldn’t help but worry. Also, I have some friends here, so I thought I’d come and see them, too.”

As Wendy spoke, she finally turned to Jasmine Hudson, “I’ve seen you in the live broadcast, too.”

“Hello,” Jasmine had no prejudice against Wendy.

She didn’t know Wendy at all, and Cindy hadn’t shared her past experiences with them.

So, Jasmine didn’t know anything about Wendy.

However, seeing Cindy’s rather cold response to Wendy, she couldn’t help but wonder what had happened between the two sisters.

Chapter 645: So It Was Him

Jasmine Hudson didn’t know Wendy Clarke, but she had a good relationship with Cindy Clarke, so she instinctively sided with Cindy first.

So her attitude towards Wendy was lukewarm.

Wendy looked at Jasmine Hudson, “Miss Hudson, can I borrow Cindy for a while? We sisters haven’t seen each other for many years, and I have so much to talk to her about.”

Jasmine Hudson was about to agree, as there was no reason to prevent the sisters from talking alone.

Unexpectedly, Cindy spoke before Jasmine Hudson, “I have plans to wait for my friends here. We can talk about whatever it is later.”

Cindy couldn’t let Wendy take the initiative and set the pace.

Wendy’s smile stiffened for a moment, then she took a small step closer to Cindy and whispered, “It’s better for us to talk privately about some things. I’m afraid it’s not good for you if I say it in front of everyone, especially if some things about you come to light, your reputation will be ruined.”

Cindy raised her eyebrows, not bothering to lower her voice like Wendy.

She spoke at a normal volume, “I don’t know what it is that would come to light and damage my reputation. I’ve always been upright and have never done anything disgraceful. If you think there’s something that would hurt my reputation and make me feel threatened by it, you’re probably mistaken about me.”

Jasmine Hudson couldn’t help but look surprised at Wendy and Cindy.

Wendy really didn’t expect that Cindy could not only pretend to be innocent but also play the brazen hussy.

Turns out she was impervious to soft and hard tactics.

As Wendy’s thoughts raced in her head on how to deal with Cindy, Gladys Joy and Cynthia Florine had already come out.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Gladys Joy said with a smile.

Approaching, she noticed there was an extra person and asked in surprise, “Who is this?”

Wendy then turned back to Cindy and said, “So can we go now?”

With that, Wendy grabbed Cindy’s wrist without another word.

Cindy snorted ironically, “You don’t have to hold me like that, I won’t run off.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Wendy retorted, “Back when we were both at home, you could slip away to Belfard without a word, who knows if you’ll run off somewhere else now.”

“Why I ran away, shouldn’t you be clear about that?” Cindy said coldly.

“I know, of course I know,” Wendy replied, “I also know that if you run away this time, it won’t be just you.”

The two talked as if they were using coded language, leaving Cynthia Florine and the others looking puzzled.

Cindy hesitated for a moment, thinking that Wendy might be referring to Morgan Zhekova.

When Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos visited previously, Cindy had deliberately concealed any trace of a child at home.

She was afraid that Christy would use Morgan as a bargaining chip, but later Cindy realized that she had made a mistake doing so.

This actually made things more suspicious and seemed overly deliberate.

In her early videos, there were glimpses of a child, though no faces were shown, but it was definitely a young child.

Moreover, her loyal fans all knew she had a son.

If Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke had indeed searched through her old videos, they would still be able to see it.

The more Cindy tried to hide it, the more Christy and Wendy would become suspicious and notice Morgan.

Sure enough, Wendy had brought it up now.

However, the two obviously had different thoughts in mind.

Wendy thought Morgan was Mr. Lopez’s son, and revealing Morgan’s identity would certainly be a disgrace for Cindy.

By that time, Cindy would have no choice but to flee with Morgan.

On the other hand, Cindy thought that even if Wendy didn’t know Morgan was Adrian Zhekova’s son, she would still want to use Morgan to achieve her goals.

Of course, although their thoughts were different, they both tacitly understood Wendy’s unscrupulous nature.

As they spoke, they unknowingly entered the banquet hall.

They happened to run into Edward Lopez, who was walking out.

Wendy exclaimed with surprise, “Young Master Lopez, where are you going?”

Edward Lopez smiled, “I just wanted to go out for some fresh air and a smoke. I was getting a bit bored inside.”

Edward Lopez somehow managed to attend this banquet through his connections.

Originally, this banquet had nothing to do with him, but he insisted on being the guest to present the award to Cindy tonight.

Wendy knew this, but Cindy didn’t.

This was the first time Cindy had seen Edward Lopez, and Wendy introduced him, “Cindy, let me introduce you. This is Edward Lopez, Young Master Lopez.”

“Young Master Lopez, this is my sister, Cindy Clarke.”

Cindy vaguely felt that the name Edward Lopez seemed familiar but couldn’t remember where she had heard it before.

Behind her, Cynthia Florine suddenly said, “Edward Lopez? Isn’t he the one who sent an assistant backstage to meet us after the competition ended last time?”

Cindy finally remembered, and also recalled the incident.

No wonder the name sounded familiar – it was him.

From the moment he saw Cindy, Edward Lopez had been paying attention to her reactions.

In particular, his eyes seemed to be glued to her face, finding it hard to look away.

Previously, he had only seen Cindy through the live stream camera and had once watched her compete in person.

However, even from the VIP seats, there was a distance from the stage, and it was impossible to see her clearly as if face-to-face.

And the screen always distorted the image somewhat.

Now Edward Lopez could really take a close look at Cindy.

He found that up close, Cindy was even more beautiful than when seen from afar on stage or through the screen.

Her features were delicate, and her complexion fair.

Edward Lopez couldn’t help but let his gaze slowly move downwards from her face, admiring Cindy’s figure.

Today, Cindy was wearing a short evening dress which wasn’t revealing, but it still accentuated her curves.

This allowed Edward Lopez to clearly see Cindy’s figure – where it needed to be full, it was, and her waist was particularly slender, barely a handful.

Her legs, exposed beneath the hem of her skirt, were slender and straight, their whiteness almost glowing.

Cindy’s entire body seemed to exude refinement, unlike an ordinary girl and more like someone who had been carefully nurtured in a wealthy family.

Her demeanor was vastly different from Wendy’s.

For Wendy, her disposition could be seen as the result of her own efforts, giving her a somewhat unnatural air.

But for Cindy, even though she was Wendy’s sister, her aura was completely different – natural and seemingly nurtured by someone’s care, giving her this unique demeanor.

She was bold, yet slightly delicate.

Now seeing Cindy face-to-face, Edward Lopez found her even more attractive, and he couldn’t let her go.

So far, he had never had this feeling for any other girl.

Perhaps it would be better after he had her.

Chapter 646: My Mobile Phone is out of Battery

Upon hearing Wendy introduce him, Edward Lopez looked for Cindy Clarke’s reaction.

But to his surprise, Cindy looked like she didn’t recognize him and had never heard of his name before.

Edward snorted internally, thinking that Cindy was really good at pretending.

Even if she couldn’t remember him from the competition day, he was a celebrity who often appeared on hot topics, so it would be really difficult not to know him.

Then he heard Cynthia Florine mentioning that she had sent an assistant to find them backstage that day.

Only then did Cindy show a sudden realization expression.

This truly angered Edward. Did he really have such a weak presence that people couldn’t remember him?

It seemed that Wendy’s sister was much more cunning than Wendy herself.

Edward chuckled twice and said, “Cindy, you sure have a big reputation, huh!”

“I just wanted to meet you, but I couldn’t even get that.”

Cindy asked, puzzled, “I remember that day backstage, your assistant said he wanted to see all of us. How did it become just me?”

Upon hearing this, the people behind Cindy finally understood.

It turned out that Edward’s intentions that day were not really about wine, but about Cindy.

He had called them all out, but his actual target was Cindy.

Edward laughed lightly, pretended to be handsome by slightly lowering his head. He pinched his right wrist with his left hand and said, “Cindy, there’s no point in playing dumb now.”

He directly took out his mobile phone: “Shall we add each other on Whatsapp? If we have time, let’s have a good chat later.”

“Sorry, my phone is out of battery,” Cindy replied.

But as soon as Cindy finished speaking, her phone rang.

Cindy: “…”

Everyone: “…”

Edward: “…”

Edward was even somewhat angered out of embarrassment.

To be honest, he had never pursued a girl before.

It was always girls who took the initiative to pursue him.

As soon as he set his sights on someone, just one look from him would make the other party take the initiative.

In Edward’s view, this would not be an exception with Cindy.

But Cindy actually rejected him.

Using the lame excuse of her phone being out of battery.

Now that everyone carries a mobile phone, it’s so important.

Who would let their phone run out of battery?

This excuse sounded like a casual lie, but also particularly insincere.

What did this mean?

It meant that Cindy didn’t take him seriously at all.

So even the excuse for rejection was so perfunctory.

“Hmph!” Edward couldn’t help but sneer.

Was Cindy deliberately trying to arouse his interest?

He had seen such tactics many times before.

Even Wendy had used them.

So, in his view, Cindy’s little trick was really nothing.

However, since it had damaged his pride, Edward wasn’t very happy.

Edward looked at Cindy sarcastically, wondering how she would cover up this lie.

But he didn’t expect that Cindy had no intention of covering it up at all.

He saw Cindy directly take out her phone from her evening bag under everyone’s gaze.

She nodded apologetically and said, “Excuse me, I need to take this call.”

After speaking, Cindy took her phone and went to the corner by the door.

Edward: “…”

Well done!

Very well done!

Cindy really had no intention of covering up the lie!

She just openly and confidently told him that she did it on purpose.

She simply didn’t want to give him her contact information.

“Hmph!” Edward couldn’t help but sneer again.

He had never been treated with such disregard before.

Cindy was becoming more and more interesting to him.

By now, Edward’s feelings towards Cindy were not just simple admiration, but a desire to possess her and conquer her.

Seeing Cindy playing hard-to-get and deliberately dangling him, he wanted to see what other tricks she would use later.

Unaware that Edward had already set a character for her in his mind, Cindy took her phone to the corner outside the banquet hall.

The phone screen displayed “Mr. Zhekova,” which was a call from Adrian Zhekova.

The reason for saving Adrian’s number as Mr. Zhekova was not because of unfamiliarity or embarrassment.

Their current relationship was far from unfamiliar or embarrassing.

It was simply because Adrian had set her phone number as Mrs. Zhekova.

When Cindy saw this, she decided to make it a matching pair with Adrian’s name, and so she wrote Mr. Zhekova for him.

As for Adrian previously wanting to save Cindy’s name as “baby” or “darling,” Cindy firmly refused.

That would be too cheesy. She couldn’t even accept it herself, so it would be better to keep it normal.

Cindy quickly answered the call.

“Mr. Zhekova,” Cindy joked.

Originally, Cindy didn’t usually call him this way.

She usually just called him Adrian. But seeing his call now, she suddenly recalled the reason for this name, so she played along with the joke.

On the other end of the phone, Adrian raised his brow slightly and, playing along with Cindy’s joke, chuckled and said, “Mrs. Zhekova, I just finished here. I’m coming to find you now.”

Cindy nodded, “Don’t rush, I still have plenty of time here.”

Adrian agreed and asked, “How about your side? Is anyone bullying you?”

Cindy originally wanted to tell him about Wendy and Edward’s situation, but she thought that if she did, Adrian would probably rush over in a hurry.

That will be too dangerous, and she really couldn’t rest assured.

So she hesitated for a moment and said, “No, there are people from Pingla Academy here, and they are taking good care of me.”

Of course, Adrian didn’t miss the slight pause in Cindy’s speech. But he didn’t ask further.

Obviously, Cindy didn’t want to talk about it, and he probably wouldn’t get a clear answer over the phone.

Anyway, he would go there soon. He would ask about it when he arrived.

Cindy wouldn’t be able to hide it from him for long.

So Adrian hung up and headed towards the banquet.

After ending the call, Cindy came back, and Edward immediately asked impolitely, “Didn’t you say your phone was out of battery?”

Cindy raised her eyebrow, a gesture very similar to Adrian’s, equally disdainful, as if looking down from above, not taking people seriously.

Edward was truly annoyed by Cindy’s expression.

Where does such a small girl get such a big aura?

He seemed to have seen this expression somewhere before, but for a moment, he couldn’t remember where. However, Edward was certain that it definitely wasn’t from Cindy.

What Edward didn’t know was that Cindy, who spent all day with Adrian, would be influenced by him.

Whether it was the huge difference in temperament between her and Wendy, which seemed natural and refined,

Or her current aura, and some inadvertent small gestures, they were all influenced by Adrian.

Even with all her efforts to imitate and learn, Wendy was still not quite the same.

She didn’t have someone like Adrian who could be with her all the time and influence her.

Moreover, Cindy’s circle wasn’t just Adrian, but the entire Zhekova Family.

Chapter 647: Narcissism

That was a prestigious family at the top of Hearth Nation’s pyramid, truly the descendants of the royal family.

Living with the Zhekova family every day, how could Cindy not be influenced by them?

Yet when it came to their acquired temperament due to their respective experiences, Wendy couldn’t even catch up with Cindy if she was on a rocket.

It was obvious that Edward Lopez wouldn’t be patient either; he was just short of tearing his face with Cindy.

Cindy would naturally not tolerate him.

It was a joke; why should she tolerate Edward Lopez?

Did she need to tolerate Edward Lopez?

This would be an embarrassment to Adrian Zhekova and the Zhekova family.

So Cindy said, “You should understand what I mean, why do you have to dig deep to ask?”

Edward Lopez’s face immediately fell.

Gladys Joy, standing behind Cindy, laughed directly and wasn’t afraid to make things worse.

She gave a thumbs-up gesture to Cynthia Florine.

Cindy was awesome and straightforward!

Cynthia Florine nodded, “That’s why I like her; she suits my temper.”

Jasmine Hudson also said, “She’s just to my taste.”

Edward Lopez heard their words and was about to go crazy.

The three people, Cynthia Florine, each had their own family behind them, so he indeed didn’t have to provoke enemies and cause trouble for his family.

So even if he was angry, he pretended not to hear their words.

Edward Lopez, with fury turning to laughter, suddenly leaned closer to Cindy and whispered, “Little girl, if this is your trick to push and pull, I have to tell you that I have seen a lot of these tricks. I have also encountered many different kinds of women who want to attract my attention.”

“What you are doing is not even worth mentioning to me. However, I have to say, you are quite smart, knowing that things that come too easily are not worth cherishing, so you can create some difficulties for me.”

“Unfortunately, I saw through all of these at a glance.”

Cindy: “…”

Behind Cindy, Cynthia Florine and the others couldn’t hear clearly what Edward Lopez was whispering because of the distance.

However, seeing Edward Lopez’s smug and complacent expression, they could probably sense that what he said might not be something Cindy would like to hear.

“But, doing this is not completely useless.” Edward Lopez raised one corner of his lips.

He thought his smile was charming, but in Cindy’s eyes, it was greasy, raising one corner of the lips, very few people could pull it off without being disgusting.

Anyway, Adrian Zhekova had never done it.

Now seeing Edward Lopez’s expression, Cindy almost felt nauseous.

Edward Lopez continued, “At least you have made me remember you more deeply and, although your little tricks are a bit too childish, I appreciate the effort you want to put in to attract my attention.”

Cindy: “…”

She hadn’t encountered such a narcissistic person in a long time.

Adrian Zhekova and Morgan Zhekova were narcissistic, but at least they were narcissistic about the right things and had the qualifications to be narcissistic.

Although people often found Adrian and Morgan’s narcissism speechless, they couldn’t find a single point to refute, and at most, they would say they were not humble enough.

Edward Lopez’s self-perception was just unreasonable.

“Mr. Lopez.” Cindy tried to suppress her nausea, wanting to tell Edward Lopez about her marriage and their child, “I’m sorry, I…”

Before she finished speaking, a staff member from the dinner party organizer came over, “You are all here, great, we are about to go on stage for the awards ceremony, please return to your seats as soon as possible.”

Cindy still wanted to finish speaking, but she was pushed back to her seat by the staff member.

Cindy sighed, thinking she would have to find another time to explain it clearly to Edward Lopez.

She had just returned to her seat when she was reminded that she was the next one to receive an award.

Cindy prepared herself, and when the host called her, she went on stage to wait.

Who knew, the host then said, “Now, let’s invite Edward Lopez, Mr. Lopez, to present the award to Cindy.”

Cindy: “…”

Even Cynthia Florine and the others who were still sitting in the audience were stunned.

Gladys Joy muttered, “What kind of bad karma is this?”

Jasmine Hudson sneered, “Edward Lopez is just asking to die quicker, huh?”

Aiden Huxley hurriedly asked, “What happened? What happened?”

The gossip fire blazed in Aiden Huxley’s eyes.

They hadn’t had a chance to tell Parker Honi about the situation at the door.

Yannick O’Brian said, “I just saw you guys stop by the door, not knowing what you were talking about.”

“Oh! I know, let me tell you all.” Cynthia Florine, who loved gossiping the most, quickly gave a brief account of Edward Lopez’s narcissistic and somewhat stupid behavior at the door to Parker Honi and the others.

Cynthia Florine’s explanation was simple and fast because she couldn’t pay much attention to gossiping and wanted to hurry back to watch the stage.

Now, the stage was also full of gossip!

“Damn it!” Daniel Vahn almost slapped the table, “This Edward Lopez has a problem!”

Gladys Joy sneered again, “Because I’ve never had much interaction with him, I usually only hear what people in the circle say, but what they say is only about his love for playing, I didn’t expect him to be such an idiot.”

“Quick, look at the stage.” Cynthia Florine hurriedly reminded them.

At this point, Edward Lopez took the stage, got the trophy from the etiquette girl.

He walked in front of Cindy and once again gave a greasy smile, “Didn’t expect it, huh? I’m the one giving you the award.”

Cindy forced a disdainful cold smile and also whispered, “I didn’t get a chance to tell you at the door, and then I was called away by the staff.”

Edward Lopez raised an eyebrow, wondering what Cindy wanted to tell him here.

He gave an interested smile and said, “You want to say it here? Then say it.”

Not wanting to waste any more time, Cindy quickly said, “I’m married and have a child, so Mr. Lopez, thank you for your misguided affection, but I won’t have any thoughts about you and don’t want to develop any kind of relationship with you.”

Edward Lopez never expected Cindy to tell him about this.

At this moment, he was frozen in place, not knowing how to react.

He stared at Cindy intensely, what did you say?

Cindy impatiently pursed her lips and said again, “I said, I’m already married, I’m not interested in you, Mr. Lopez.”

After finishing her sentence, Cindy didn’t wait for Edward Lopez’s reaction, turned around and went down the stage to return to their table.

Edward Lopez lost his composure for a moment before the organizers noticed something was wrong and signaled the etiquette girl to discreetly prompt Edward Lopez to leave the stage.

However, before the etiquette girl could come over, Edward Lopez had already come to his senses and left the stage first.

But instead of returning to his seat, he came again to Cindy’s table.

Cindy turned her head and looked at Edward Lopez in surprise.

Chapter 648: Deceiving Yourself and Others

Edward Lopez sneered, “Cindy Clarke, how dare you insult me like this? First, you lied to me about your mobile phone being out of battery, and now you’re telling me you’re married with a child? Do you think I’d believe such lies?”

“If you don’t like me, just say it straight. There’s no need to insult me with such lame lies.”

Of course, Edward Lopez felt that Cindy’s not liking him was a form of insult in itself.

Just because of who she was, she dared not to like him?

Cindy had no right!

“Insult you? What makes you worthy of her insulting?”

A male voice suddenly rang out.

There was mocking and undisguised anger in it towards Edward Lopez.

Everyone turned their heads towards the source of the voice, and Cindy was the first to react.

She recognized it right away and saw Adrian Zhekova arriving.

He was standing beside the table with one hand on his chair. Delighted, Cindy stood up and hugged Adrian’s arm.

Originally, Edward Lopez thought that Cindy had no right not to like him.

In Edward Lopez’s view, she had no rights at all.

Whether she liked it or not, she only had the right to be picked by him.

This was the luckiest thing that ever happened to Cindy.

She was being ungrateful.

But now, someone was saying that, in fact, it was the other way around. Edward wasn’t even worthy of being insulted by her.

This was the most ridiculous thing he had heard in years.

Edward Lopez sneered and turned to see who was so bold and arrogant.

As if helping Cindy was not enough, he even said such pathetic words.

But when Edward saw who it was, he almost pissed himself.

Once standing beside Cindy’s seat, his knees began to wobble, almost collapsing.

He quickly grabbed the back of a chair to avoid an embarrassing fall.

Even so, his reaction was utterly humiliating.

“Zhe… Zhe… Zhekova…” Edward stammered for a while in disbelief, before quickly changing his tone: “Master Adrian!”

He then noticed Cindy’s hand on Adrian’s arm.

Their intimacy suggested an extraordinary relationship.

But hadn’t Cindy said she was married and had a son?

She said that she wouldn’t have feelings for him because she was married, but she could have feelings for Adrian Zhekova?

No wonder Cindy acted so aloof in front of him. It turned out that she had hooked up with Adrian Zhekova, which is why she looked down on Edward!

However, after figuring this out, Edward’s mood didn’t improve a bit.

Although he had no real shot against Adrian Zhekova, he was still despised and rejected by Cindy.

Losing to Adrian wasn’t shameful, but being despised by Cindy was utterly humiliating.

But he couldn’t understand what Adrian saw in Cindy.

Edward only had a fleeting interest in her, just something to play around with.

For him, it was just a fling. Even knowing she was married, he didn’t mind giving it a shot, cuckolding her husband in the process.

However, with Adrian’s status, he could have any woman he wanted. Why bother with a married woman, risking scandal and damage to his reputation?

Everyone knew that The Big Eight families had strict rules and would not tolerate any scandals.

But Adrian seemed not to care at all, blatantly appearing in front of everyone, defending Cindy, and hugging her arm in public.

Wasn’t Adrian afraid of gossip?

Or did he really love Cindy so deeply, that he didn’t care she was married? Love truly conquers all, it seemed.

Edward found it hard to believe.

Adrian Zhekova could have any woman he wanted, yet he was fixated on Cindy?

Although not everyone here tonight was a high-profile figure, there were still many well-known faces here.

It wouldn’t take long for news of Adrian’s and Cindy’s relationship to spread.

Wasn’t Adrian worried that the Zhekova family would disapprove?

It was strange, even though Cindy and Adrian were so close now, Edward still couldn’t – and didn’t want to – entertain the idea that Adrian was the man she married.

Despite appearances, he still believed their relationship was nothing more than an affair. He hardly considered the possibility of a legitimate bond.

“Master Adrian, what brings you here?” Edward immediately backed off.

His demeanor had completely changed from the confident and triumphant attitude he had arrived with. Now, he was far more submissive.

“I’m here to pick up my wife,” said Adrian coldly.

Edward, still in shock from Adrian’s sudden appearance, didn’t process his words for a moment, and failed to realize that Cindy was Adrian’s wife.

Wendy Clarke was just as surprised as Edward, having never considered the possibility that her sister would marry into the Zhekova family.

Could Cindy really be married to Adrian?

Was it that easy to marry into the Zhekova family? If so, countless women would be desperate to join.

Many people had tried and failed. Why would Cindy succeed?

Mechanically repeating Adrian’s words, Adrian’s face turned even colder: “You just said that my wife insulted you. How did she insult you?”

Edward’s gaze shifted to Cindy’s face, and he started shaking.

Each word seemed to confirm that Cindy was, indeed, Adrian’s wife.

Edward seemed to think that if he didn’t believe it, it couldn’t be true.

Then he wouldn’t be punished by Adrian for offending Cindy.

The thought of his attempt to seduce Adrian Zhekova’s wife earlier sent a chill down his spine.

Nevertheless, Adrian didn’t intend to let Edward off the hook.

There was no way he would let Edward go so easily.

Even though he was already terrified, Adrian would show no mercy.

“Why don’t you tell us what happened with the mobile phone and the empty battery?” Adrian asked.

Edward’s legs trembled.

Regardless of whether Adrian and Cindy were married or not…

Chapter 649: I Just Want to Argue with You

Anyway, with Adrian Zhekova defending Cindy Clarke, even if Cindy was just Adrian’s lover, just for thinking about taking Adrian’s woman, Edward Lopez was screwed.

Edward Lopez struggled to say, “No, no, Master Adrian, it was all a misunderstanding, just a little misunderstanding.”

Yannick O’Brian wasn’t afraid to offend Edward Lopez and directly approached him, saying, “I know what happened.”

Although he wasn’t present when the situation happened at the door, he heard about it from Cynthia Florine, so Yannick O’Brian was able to recount the story.

“This guy just presented an award to Cindy Clarke onstage. Cindy got annoyed by his harassment, so she told him that she was already married and had children. Edward Lopez didn’t believe her, thinking that Cindy was lying to him. So, he claimed that Cindy first insulted him by using her mobile phone running out of battery as an excuse, and now she was using marriage as an excuse to insult him.”

Parker Honi twitched the corner of his eyes. Yannick O’Brian, you are also a trust-fund baby.

Such a bootlicker, so embarrassing!

“So that’s how it is.” Adrian Zhekova didn’t care about Edward Lopez and turned to Cindy Clarke, “So when you called me earlier, your speech hesitated because you originally wanted to tell me, but then you changed your mind?”

Cindy didn’t expect Adrian to be so attentive and notice even that small detail.

Cindy nodded and said, “Weren’t you rushing over here? Since you were already anxious, I was afraid that telling you would make you even more anxious.”

After all, it was her who was being harassed by Edward Lopez here, and with Wendy Clarke present, it was a double threat. It would be strange if Adrian Zhekova didn’t worry.

Adrian Zhekova looked at her disapprovingly and said, “But I still heard it, and I didn’t know what was going on. Knowing that something was wrong, but not knowing what it was, made me even more anxious.”

Cindy thought about it and agreed, she said apologetically, “Next time something happens, I’ll make sure you know right away.”

Adrian Zhekova was pleased and smiled, nodding his head, “That’s a deal.”

Cindy nodded and said, “Yes.”

The two of them spoke as if no one else was around, seemingly forgetting Edward Lopez’s existence.

Edward Lopez’s heart was pounding, wondering if that meant this matter would just pass as it was.

But Adrian Zhekova had not forgotten at all; he now focused his attention on Edward Lopez.

“Edward Lopez, right?” Adrian Zhekova said coldly, “I’ll remember you.”

Edward Lopez almost knelt down: “Master… Master Adrian!”

Adrian Zhekova didn’t listen to his explanation: “Cindy Clarke is my wife, and you dare to have designs on my wife. I haven’t seen such a daring person in a long time, you have a bright future.”

“I… I… I was just out of my mind,” Edward Lopez quickly said.

At this point, he couldn’t care about keeping up his appearance or his dignity.

As long as Adrian Zhekova didn’t hold a grudge against him and didn’t go against the Lopez Family because of this, he would even kneel down to Adrian Zhekova now.

As for how Cindy managed to marry Adrian Zhekova and become Mrs. Zhekova, Edward Lopez had no time to think about it.

Wendy Clarke, who was next to them, was completely stunned. She looked at Cindy Clarke incredulously.

How could it be that Adrian Zhekova said Cindy was his wife? Impossible!

How could Cindy have such a good fortune!

When she first arrived in Belfard penniless, she became a famous internet celebrity blogger, and then, as a small-time internet celebrity blogger, she successfully married into one of the Big Eight families, the Zhekova Family, one of the top families in Hearth Nation.

Wendy was about to go crazy!

She couldn’t understand why it was so difficult for her to gain a foothold in the ultra-rich circle of Belfard, even with her goal of marrying into a wealthy family. She couldn’t even dream of a family with such a deep heritage, let alone the Big Eight families.

In her heart, marrying into an ordinary wealthy family was enough, but even that was quite difficult.

But Wendy just found out that what she didn’t dare to dream of, Cindy had achieved!

At this moment, Wendy’s facial features were twisted.

Her face was full of jealousy and hatred as she stared at Cindy, relying on Edward Lopez to shield her from being seen by Cindy and Adrian Zhekova.

Thinking about it, Wendy’s heart was filled with even more hatred.

She couldn’t even let Adrian Zhekova and Cindy see her hatred.

How stifled she was living now!

Not only Edward Lopez and Wendy Clarke, but everyone present was stunned.

Adrian Zhekova was actually married!

And his wife was none other than Cindy Clarke!

Some people thought of more things, remembering that before the competition, both Zoe Silverstone and Iris Doone had mentioned Cindy having some background and connections.

But no one thought that Cindy’s background was so big, and her relationship with Adrian Zhekova was not an ordinary one, but they were husband and wife!

The entrepreneurs and investors present were all shocked and regretful.

Just now, they had been introduced to talk with the top ten contestants tonight, but they had focused their attention on the people of Pingla Academy.

No one cared about Cindy.

They thought that Cindy had no background, an ordinary upbringing, and nothing worth getting to know. There were no interests on her that they needed to worry about.

So they ignored her.

Such disregard was even quite impolite.

Who would have thought that the person they neglected was Mrs. Zhekova!

They were now truly regretful, very regretful!

If only time could turn back, they would not neglect Cindy, they would be particularly polite.

Unfortunately, time could not be turned back, and it was too late to regret what they had done now.

Now they couldn’t even make up for it and greet and chat with Cindy, because they simply couldn’t get past

And they had just offended her. If they suddenly changed now, it would be even more unpalatable and would backfire.

Adrian Zhekova held onto Cindy’s hand and said to Edward Lopez, “You’d better go home and inform your father in advance, so that if something happens to your family’s company, he won’t be caught off guard.”

Then he asked Cindy, “Are you done with handing out the awards here?”

Yannick O’Brian had just mentioned that Edward Lopez had given an award to Cindy, which disgusted Adrian Zhekova.

He should have come earlier, so that Cindy wouldn’t even have to be upset when receiving the award.

Edward Lopez’s face was pale as a sheet, not caring about being embarrassed or not at this point, with a trembling voice, he said, “Master Adrian, I was wrong, I failed to recognize a great person like you. Please be big-hearted and don’t hold it against me, don’t stoop to my level.”

Adrian Zhekova didn’t care about his spiel. He didn’t need a face when dealing with people. He said coldly, “Don’t you know? When it comes to holding grudges, I’m a petty person. I don’t want to let you go; I just want to stoop to your level.”

“Master Adrian, I was wrong, I was really wrong. I didn’t know that Cindy… ” As Edward Lopez spoke, he suddenly turned and glared at Wendy Clarke with venom.

Chapter 650: Awe-inspiring at First Sight

“Aren’t you Cindy’s sister? You don’t even know this?”

Wendy almost laughed out of anger, but still said weakly, “I just moved to Belfard. You were born and raised here. If you don’t know, how could I possibly know? Cindy… she never told me.”

If only she’d known, she would have come up with a different plan.

Now, with Adrian Zhekova’s emergence, Cindy has transformed into his wife, which completely disrupted her plans.

Wendy glanced at Adrian, her heart filled with envy.

Why couldn’t this kind of good fortune fall on her?

Why did it benefit Cindy!

Cindy had always been lucky since childhood, gifted, and trained by Joshua Clarke as his successor.

Even when she schemed against her, to the point of getting married with a child to Adrian Zhekova.

How could Adrian have thought of this?

With so many women at his disposal, why did he set his sights on Cindy?

Cindy had nothing remarkable about her, yet she had a child, and the Zhekova family still agreed to it.

Wendy clenched her teeth in anger, only to hear Edward Lopez say, “Wendy, aren’t you Cindy’s sister? You can talk to her, right? Don’t let her hold it against me anymore.”

Seeing that he couldn’t reason with Adrian, Edward sought out Cindy, “Cindy, I was a fool, I didn’t know any better. Just treat me like a fool, my head isn’t working right, my eyes aren’t working right either, don’t hold it against me, I’m just a nobody.”

At this moment, Wendy’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Before this, Edward had always been an elusive figure in her mind.

She had worked so hard to pique Edward’s interest, wishing to truly engage with him.

Even if she couldn’t marry him in the end, at least she could have a long-lasting and stable relationship.

Her demands were already this low, and to her, Edward already seemed like an impressive person.

However, she didn’t expect Edward to appear so submissive in front of Adrian, begging desperately, even wanting to kneel down, without dignity, being a nobody.

Let alone being high and mighty or invigorated, now he probably can’t even keep up with a random passerby on the street.

Wendy felt a sudden disgust.

The man she had her eyes on turned out to be such a disgrace in the face of real power.

Edward was nothing more than a paper tiger; perhaps he seemed impressive to ordinary people, but in reality, he was nothing.

Cindy wasn’t experiencing someone asking for her help for the first time because Adrian stood up for her. She had grown accustomed to it.

So, to Edward’s plea, Cindy remained very calm, without a trace of surprise or panic, even appearing cold and heartless.

“Do you think I’m an easily softened woman with no brains, so if you beg me a couple of times, I’ll forgive you?”

“If my husband wasn’t Adrian Zhekova, and if I rejected you too, you might not be satisfied and would do even more to harm me, or even use some dirty tricks?”

“Because in your opinion, I have no background or abilities, and it’s an honor for me to be noticed by you and yet I’m so ungrateful. At that point, would begging you do any good? You flaunt your wealth and power, disregarding people’s feelings. I was just bullied by you, is begging you any use?”

“Now it’s just that our situation has changed. Since it’s useless to beg you, it’s also useless to beg me. My husband is sticking up for me, so why should I beg for you in return?”

Adrian was extremely satisfied, even his demeanor became more upright.

Cindy was really good at this; as long as it was something he would do for her, regardless of the reason, whether it was for revenge or something else, Cindy would support him unconditionally.

She actually had every right to decide whether or not she wanted Adrian to do this, but as long as he went ahead, Cindy never interfered.

He felt greatly honored, and it truly made their Zhekova family proud.

Little Cindy was really in sync with him.

Edward turned to Wendy and urged her, “Wendy, aren’t you going to say something to your sister? Are you just going to watch me suffer like this?”

If Adrian intervened, it might not bankrupt their family.

But everyone knows that Adrian is dissatisfied with their family, and if he took action against them, other people would weigh their options and reconsider before dealing with them. This invisible loss is incalculable.

He made a huge mess!

Now Edward is in deep trouble, unsure of how to explain the situation to his family members when he returns.

How would Wendy know the extent of her grievances with Cindy?

It seems that Cindy took her for an enemy a long time ago.

Initially, she wasn’t too worried, thinking that her schemes wouldn’t be a problem against Cindy’s retaliation.

At that time, wouldn’t she have treated Cindy’s couple with warmth and affection?

But now, after witnessing Adrian, how could Wendy dare to think like this?

Edward was still counting on her to help, but she can’t even save herself now.

However, even though Edward appeared meek in front of Adrian, he was still someone she couldn’t afford to provoke.

So Wendy had no choice but to make a symbolic gesture to Cindy, “Cindy, show some mercy where you can. Nothing damaging happened, right? Why not just let it go?”

“I think Young Master Lopez…Edward realized by now that he will never mess with you again.”

Meanwhile, Wendy was also shocked by Adrian’s power.

Everyone in the nation knew about the Big Eight families, and Wendy was no exception.

However, since she had never had any contact with them, their existence was too distant, so Wendy hadn’t had a very concrete understanding of them.

Until tonight, when she saw Edward’s fear of Adrian, their attitudes differed greatly.

Wendy was astonished; did the people of the Big Eight families really have such high status?

When they make an appearance, they immediately instill awe.

With just a sentence, they can make others kneel.

Wendy was dumbfounded, as if she had discovered a new world.

The targets she originally had in her heart had quietly shifted.

Cindy didn’t care about Edward at all, letting go of Adrian’s hand, “I’ve collected all my rewards here. There’s nothing else to do here, so why don’t we head back?”

If it hadn’t been for these setbacks, Cindy would have been happy to give the Belfard organizers the courtesy to stay from beginning to end.

But now that things have gone this way, there’s no point in staying any longer, she just gave Edward and Wendy an opportunity to bother her further.

As for Adrian, he was too lazy to deal with the people there anymore. Seeing the guests eager and ready to move, Adrian felt a headache coming on.

So he nodded, “Alright, let’s go.”