Ch. 151..160

Chapter 151

Chapter 151 Maybe It Is Just A Coincidence

Theodore said indifferently, “I know Curtis well. He won’t stand up for just anyone. Thus, he must be somewhat attracted to you, Ms. Garland. If you truly intend to keep your feelings to yourself, sign this.”

As he spoke, he uncapped a pen and placed it next to the document, adding, “I need absolute assurance from you.”

Rayna knew she could come up with a million excuses, and still, he would accept none of them.

Uncle Curtis… also has feelings for me?

That thought sent her heart racing. I must be crazy for entertaining such a possibility!

Theodore tapped on the document. His voice was cold as he uttered, “Ms. Garland.”

“Huh?” Rayna raised her head to meet his sharp gaze that seemed to be able to see right through her. It felt impossible to hide all her thoughts from him. Subconsciously, she began to twiddle with her fingers on her knees.

Her subtle movements did not escape Theodore’s notice. “Ms. Garland, you can still be yourself after signing this document. I will not interfere with any part of your life. After Curtis gets married, this contract will be annulled, and I will not retract any of the houses, cars, or shares stated on it,” he explained.

All of the possessions stated in the contract were valued at a total of nearly one hundred million.

Rayna did not doubt the strength of the friendship between Theodore and Curtis. However, she was certain that the man before her was mainly doing such a thing in Jasmine’s interest.

Curiosity bubbled up inside her, and she wondered what had happened to them and why they had broken up.

Rayna stared in contemplation at the contract in front of her for a full minute. Eventually, she picked up the pen and signed on the dotted line. Her countenance remained calm, betraying none of her true emotions.

Once she was done, she closed the document and pushed it back toward Theodore. A small smile played about her lips.

“This is such a good deal. Of course, I’ll take it.”

Theodore pressed his lips tightly together. His entire demeanor changed, becoming colder and harder. He kept the signed contract away and stood up, towering over Rayna. “Ms. Garland, I hope you’ll remember what you have promised.”

“See yourself out, Mr. Xavier.”

Rayna watched him head out of the restaurant. The second he was out of her line of sight, she pressed a hand to her chest and heaved a sigh of relief.

Theodore was a difficult man to deal with. Every conversation with him felt like an interrogation. There was no room for negotiation with him at all. He was extremely unreasonable in that way.

“How can a person like that even have an ex-girlfriend…” Rayna muttered. Just as she reached for her glass of water, she realized Carl was still next to her. His entire body was pressed against the glass window as he stared at the view outside of the restaurant.

Rayna leaned over to him. “Hey, kid, what’re you up to?”

“Ms. Rayna, who was that?” Carl pulled off his mask. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was physically a replica of Theodore. “Did you not realize that we look exactly alike?”

Nodding, she replied, “I realized that on my second meeting with you.”

“T-Then, do you think he’s my father?” Carl asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

“I’m not sure about that.” Rayna had also speculated about the relationship between Theodore and Carl before but ended up dismissing the thought. “Didn’t you say that your father is a soldier and is a very busy man? Those descriptions do not fit him.”

Disappointed welled up in the boy’s eyes. “You’re right. He said no when I asked him earlier if he has a wife, so he definitely won’t have a son. But we look very alike!”

Rayna stroked his head and smiled, saying, “Maybe it’s just a coincidence that the two of you look alike. There are cases of unrelated people who’re the spitting images of each other out there in the world.”

Carl nodded in understanding, but he still turned to look out of the window.

Even though Theodore had long driven off, he could still recall the moments of their earlier encounter.

I’ll have to wait till the holidays to meet Daddy! That’s too long!

Rayna had planned to drop Carl home before returning to the company. The second the two of them left the restaurant, the boy received a call from his mother. Then, he told Rayna that his mother would pick him up and urged her to go on without him.

“Okay, then I’ll leave first. Message me on WhatsApp if you need anything,” Rayna exhorted.

She remembered she had some tasks to handle at the office, so she could not wait with Carl until his mother came to pick him up. As she strode out of the door, a woman passed by her. If Rayna had walked a little slower and lifted her head, she would have recognized that woman as Jasmine.

Faymon Group’s shares continued on its freefall. Negative news popped up endlessly. Even the employees of the corporation were beginning to panic.

Through insider information, many employees knew that the shareholders were selling their original issue shares. Every one of them presumed that Faymon Group would go bankrupt soon, so they resigned as soon as they received a new job offer.

The HR department received at least a dozen resignation letters daily. When Naomi learned of it, she reported the situation to Rayna.

However, Rayna was not alarmed by the report. While reviewing the documents speedily, she said, “With Faymon Group in such a state, of course, the employees would lose faith. It’s natural that they would be resigning in droves. Have every department take note of this—inform the employees that they can’t work in the same industry for half a year after their resignation. Send out subsidies.”

“Yes.”

Naomi gathered up the files and quickly exited the office.

Rayna’s head began spinning from the long hours of reading. After calling for someone to send in a cup of coffee through the internal landline, she leaned back against her chair and massaged her temples with her fingers.

Other than learning that Chester and Sienna had secretly been in contact with the shareholders to acquire the original issue shares some time ago, she had not been to find out what he was up to at the moment. Chester seemed to have fallen off the radar.

“What exactly are they waiting for…” Rayna murmured in puzzlement.

Because she had signed the contract with Theodore, she took pains to keep a distance from Curtis, no longer sending any WhatsApp messages to him, even when it came to work-related matters. Instead, she directed all her questions to Wyatt and the others.

While Rayna was lost in her thoughts, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a man’s flirty voice. “Here’s your coffee, Ms. Garland.”

Reflexively, she looked up and saw Wyatt standing at the door. Dressed in trendy clothes, he looked every bit like a fashion guru. Yet, he had a cup of coffee in his hand. One had to say that he stood out like a sore thumb in their solemn corporate office.

Rayna stared at him for a moment, stunned. “Mr. Lopez, what are you doing here?”

“I came over to visit you because I’m worried about you,” Wyatt said playfully and placed the cup of coffee beside her hand. “A darling like you shouldn’t be drinking so much coffee.”

His term of endearment for her gave her goosebumps.

He really is so flirty and skittish!

Rayna rubbed her arms and said in disgust, “Mr. Lopez, please don’t think you can get away with such crazy behavior just because you’re good-looking. Women hate men like you the most.”

“Oh, you’re breaking my heart!” Wyatt wailed, clutching at his chest in mock pain. “I treat you this way because I consider you a friend! Everyone else just gets a cold look from me.”

“Just why are you here, Mr. Lopez?” Rayna took in a deep breath. She could not banter with him. He was too good at the game, for he had no shame. “Well, if you’re here to check in on me, you can go

now since I’m fine.”

“Wow! Aren’t you a cold woman? Won’t you at least thank me for bringing you your coffee?”

Rayna stared at Wyatt, speechless.

Seeing that he was sitting on her desk with one side of his body, she tried to ignore his frivolous posture but to no avail. In the end, she used a pen to forcefully poke his backside, saying, “Well, thank you! Now, off you go!”

Fortunately, Wyatt had quick reflexes, hopping off the table when he saw her pen nearing him.

Aware that he could not lean against the desk anymore, he pulled out a chair and settled into it. “I do have a reason for coming here. Curtis has been in a foul mood lately. He’s driven away all the housekeepers in his mansion.”

Rayna’s heart skipped a bit at the mention of Curtis, yet she asked casually, “Why is he in such a foul mood?”

Wyatt crossed his arms across his chest, sighed, and replied, “It seems that the doctor who did the follow-up on him let it slip that his leg was necrotic and that there was no hope of recovery. That angered him.”

 

Chapter 152

Chapter 152 Avoiding Curtis

“What kind of terrible doctor would say such a thing?” Rayna frowned. She unlocked her phone, pulled up a doctor’s contact card, and slid her phone over to Wyatt. “Call up this doctor instead. Get him to attend to Mr. Faymon from now on.”

Wyatt glanced at the screen. Then, he leaned forward conspiratorially and asked in a teasing tone, “Ms. Garland, you seem to care a lot about Curtis’ wellbeing. Why is that so?”

Although Curtis did dismiss some of his housekeepers, it was merely because he wanted some peace and quiet. In fact, he was, doing perfectly fine in his mansion. Wyatt, on the other hand, was feeling bored, so he was up to mischief. He had always noticed that Curtis accorded special treatment to Rayna, which was why he swung by to sound her out.

Well, well, well. This is getting more and more fun!

Rayna pursed her lips and replied in a calm voice, “You’re overthinking it, Mr. Lopez. After all, Mr. Faymon is my boss. It is in my best interest that he pulls himself together so that I can be relieved of my responsibility.”

Wyatt laughed. “In that case, you’re a very dedicated employee indeed. Anyone who isn’t aware that you are working for him would think that you are his lover.”

She was stunned speechless by his audacity.

I knew I shouldn’t have entertained his shameless banter!

Rubbing her brows, she tried to make him leave again. “Mr. Lopez, I’m very busy. Please see yourself out!”

“Come on. Don’t be like this. I’m being serious here. Curtis is in bad shape,” Wyatt insisted. “Do you want to come with me to go check on him?”

“No, I don’t have the time. I’m busy.”

“Ms. Garland, are you avoiding Curtis?” he asked curiously.

Before Rayna had the chance to reply, Wyatt stroked his chin in mock contemplation and continued, “Every time I bring up Curtis when you contact me, you would reply to me perfunctorily. Has he done something terrible to you?”

“No.”

“Then why are you making excuses?” He raised his eyebrows at her. “Is it because you’ve fallen in love with Curtis and want to put some distance between the two of you after learning that he and Ms. Sanders are engaged?”

Rayna had not expected Wyatt to guess her hidden feelings. Daily New Chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com Her hand trembled, and she drew a long line across the document she was reviewing.

Witnessing her reaction, Wyatt purposely drawled, “Oh….”

“Fine, I’ll come with you!” Rayna took in a deep breath to suppress her panic and annoyance. Her face turned slightly cold as she continued, “But I’m just going to extend my regards to him as the representative of Faymon Group and also take the chance to report work matters to him.”

Wyatt saw right through her, but he merely said, “I understand. Shall we go then? My car is parked right outside the building.”

While she was hesitating, a knock sounded at the door. The next second, Jessica came in carrying several boxes of fresh fruits.

“Oh, Nana, you’re here! Why didn’t you answer my call?” the woman asked loudly as soon as she walked through the door. “Didn’t you say that you have a sore throat? I bought some fruit for you. They’re rich in vitamins! You should have some.”

After rambling on for a long while, Jessica finally noticed a man sitting in the chair across from Rayna. Stunned, she took a few moments to recover. “Oh, you have a visitor! Well, I’ll place the fruits here for you and leave you two to it then.”

“No, no, there’s no need for you to leave!” Wyatt had been staring at Jessica unblinkingly. When he saw that she was about to leave, he quickly got up from his seat. “I’m not any special guest. I’m Rayna’s friend. Please don’t mind my presence here.”

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that the woman he had been searching for so long was so close to him all the while.

Wyatt pushed his hair away from his forehead and flashed her his most charming smile. “I didn’t know you were a friend of Rayna’s! It’s a pleasure to meet you properly! We’ve met before this, at the hospital entrance, remember?”

The corner of Rayna’s lips twitched as she watched the exchange.

It seems that among all of Uncle Curtis’ friends, Jeremy is the more normal one.

“Oh, have we?” Jessica was not wearing her glasses, so Wyatt’s face was a blur to her. Standing on tiptoes, she leaned forward to peer at him, which made Wyatt nervous.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heart was racing.

As a matter of fact, Wyatt cycled through a bevy of girlfriends each year. His taste varied, and his ex- girlfriends ranged from business mavens to models, then to politicians’ daughters. Yet, the woman standing in front of him managed to fluster him.

She’s so petite and soft. How adorable! She even smells faintly of oranges.

Wyatt inhaled deeply.

The citrusy scent smelled better than any perfume he had ever whiffed.

After taking a clear look at his face, Jessica exclaimed in surprise, “Oh, it’s you! You’re dressed like a flamboyant peacock today! That’s so different from the last time.”

Wyatt maintained a smile on his face. “Do I? I don’t think so… This coat costs eighty thousand!”

“Oh, wow, that’s a very nice coat,” she replied amiably, but her expression betrayed the fact that she was not impressed. It seemed as though she felt that the coat still made him look like a peacock, even if it cost him a bomb.

Wyatt cleared his throat and discreetly removed his coat. “My name is Wyatt Lopez. What’s yours?”

“Jessica Marsh.”

“What a pretty name for a cute lady,” he praised. “The milkshake that you bought the last time was delicious. I really liked it. Shall we have it again together sometime?”

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Jessica was quick to catch on.

“Yes, since you are Rayna’s friend, that makes you my friend as well,” Wyatt replied with a straight face. “Besides, the Mr. Faymon whom you speak of is one of my closest friends! I should treat his employees well on his behalf.”

“Since when have we become friends, Mr. Lopez?” Rayna retorted with a fake smile. “You suck at flirting. Even I’m embarrassed for you!”

“I’m not flirting. I really do think of Jessica as a friend!” he insisted in a serious tone.

That had her staring at him in silent disbelief.

Then, Wyatt approached Jessica and said, “Nana is going to visit Curtis with me. Since you are also an employee of Faymon Group, let’s all go together. I’ll drive!”

However, Jessica did not feel like going with them. “I don’t know Mr. Faymon very well, and besides, I have things to do.”

“Ah, there are always things to do! You’ll never be done with work!” Wyatt sighed. “You do know that Curtis’ leg is in bad shape now, and he’s all alone in his mansion. He will surely be delighted if a few of his employees swing by to visit him.”

“I’ll pass. Why don’t you send him a fruit basket on my behalf?”

“Come on! Let’s go together. I’ll thank you in advance on Curtis’ behalf!” Wyatt did not allow Jessica to protest anymore, pushing her toward the door directly. Rayna was all but forgotten.

Filled with annoyance, Rayna rolled her eyes at his antics.

Before, Wyatt kept his distance and treated her like a stranger while speaking to her. Yet, once Jessica came into the picture, his eyes gleamed with delight, and he acted as if they were close friends.

A man’s word can never be trusted!

It was then she recalled that she had played matchmaker, intending to pair off Jessica with James. Romance had not blossomed between those two yet, so she could not allow Wyatt to steal Jessica

away. With that in mind, she quickly took her bag and chased after them.

Upon exiting the building, Rayna caught sight of a car by the side of the road. The make, model, and color of the vehicle were very familiar.

“That car…”

“This is Curtis’ Pagani.” In one quick movement, Wyatt appeared next to her and stuffed the car keys in her hand. “It’s a limited edition, and it’s amazing. Go on! Get in and experience it for yourself.”

Rayna’s memory jogged at his words.

Once, she got drunk on a night out with Jessica and accidentally phoned Curtis. The Pagani before her eyes was what he used to drive her home. She even vomited in there and compensated him for it.

“I’m not driving it. You drive.”

The memory embarrassed Rayna so much that she pushed the keys back to Wyatt.

“Come on, darling, don’t be like this,” he said to her in a low voice. “I admit that I’m interested in Jessica. I’ll definitely remember the part you have to play once I win her heart. You’ll have my thanks!”

“Mr. Lopez, you’ve only known Jessie for a few days, and you’re already trying to get your hands on her? Besides, she’ll be my future sister-in-law. She won’t be yours!” Rayna retorted in exasperation.

 

Chapter 153

Chapter 153 Never Found You A Disturbance

“Wow. She’s so adorable, and her nickname, Jessie, is as cute as she is! It’s befitting her!” Wyatt grinned. “I promise I’ll help your brother find a prettier woman!”

Rayna retorted, “Why don’t you find one for yourself?”

“Because I’m a devoted person. It was love at first sight with Jessie for me! I’m attracted to her.”

Giving him the once-over, she snorted. “How many women have you told that to? Is this the sixtieth?”

“What do you mean by that? Do I look like a playboy to you?” he grumbled before opening the door to the driver’s seat and pushing her in. “Darling, the car is yours to drive now!”

Rayna furrowed her brows in displeasure. “Don’t be so disgusting! I’m going to vomit!”

Wyatt was a shameless man, so there was no way she could win in the squabble against him. As a result, she could only be the driver while he sat in the back seat, chatting excitedly with Jessica to learn about her likes and dislikes.

Even when they arrived at Curtis’ mansion, Wyatt was still talking nonstop. Once he found out Jessica was a fan of a particular clothing brand, he instantly responded that he would get two tickets to the fashion show from his friend.

Rayna pulled open the car door. With a smile that did not reach her eyes, she said, “Mr. Lopez, can you be even more shameless than this?”

“I’m chatting with Jessica. How is this shameless?”

“I don’t think he’s shameless. In fact, I think he’s quite sociable!” Jessica had never dated before, so she was blinded by Wyatt’s sweet words. “Though he’s dressed like a flamboyant peacock,” she added a beat later.

At that instant, Wyatt decided he would not wear another piece of clothing from that brand anymore.

Rayna had not returned the access card to Curtis since the last time she came over to take care of him. However, she was afraid of causing a misunderstanding, so she trailed behind Wyatt with the bag of supplements and let him unlock the door.

There was a faint scent of sandalwood in the living room. Curtis did not appear to be present, despite the pleasant aroma.

Noticing that Wyatt was still sticking to Jessica, Rayna rolled her eyes and changed out of her shoes. Just as she was about to place the supplements down, she heard people conversing.

At that discovery, she walked toward the bar, where she found two housekeepers chatting while leaning against the counter. It seemed like they did not spot Rayna. “Say, is Mr. Faymon’s leg really beyond saving?” one asked.

“Yeah,” the other whispered. “From what I’ve heard, he won’t be able to walk anymore. How pitiful. He’s still so young, yet he will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.”

“I know! What’s the point in having a lot of money if you can’t walk?”

“I’m guessing the daughter of the Sanders family will break off the engagement with Mr. Faymon sooner or later. After all, no one would want to marry a disabled person.”

The two housekeepers gossiped unscrupulously, their harsh words piercing Rayna’s heart like a knife.

Uncle Curtis would be devastated if he heard this. Hasn’t he suffered enough?

An inexplicable sense of rage surged up within Rayna, and she placed the bag of supplements heavily on the bar.

The loud noise caused the two housekeepers to turn around, and they jumped in fright at the sight of Rayna.

They had watched the news, so naturally, they knew Rayna was the current acting CEO of Faymon Group.

Trembling, they said fearfully, “M-Ms. Garland—”

Rayna sneered. “I wouldn’t dare to be called such. You may address me as Ms. Garland, but who knows what you’re talking about me behind my back?”

The faces of the two housekeepers turned ghastly pale.

Rayna continued frostily, “You two are fired. Pack your things and leave!”

One of the housekeepers immediately begged for mercy in a panic. “M-Ms. Garland, we know what we did wrong. Please forgive us. We promise never to do that again.”

“I don’t want to repeat my words. No matter how capable you are, it’s not of interest to me. I hate people who gossip behind other people’s backs,” Rayna replied unceremoniously, her countenance turning cold.

Wyatt walked over and asked curiously, “What did they do to anger you so much?”

“They didn’t anger me. They were gossiping about Mr. Faymon,” she explained the situation to him briefly. “Tell them to get out of here. I’ll hire more housekeepers for Mr. Faymon myself.”

“Oh, my. How repulsive it is to talk behind your boss’ back,” Wyatt replied indignantly. However, he shot the housekeepers a meaningful look when Rayna was not paying attention and demanded, “Pack your things and scram!”

The two housekeepers dared not say anything else, scurrying off to pack their things.

Rayna, who was tidying the bar, shot Wyatt a disdainful look. “Mr. Lopez, please change your bad habit of only looking at appearances. Those with pretty faces can be evil.”

“I didn’t choose them. It’s Jeremy!” he exclaimed, pushing the blame onto Jeremy.

Rayna scoffed. Evidently, she did not believe him. “I know Mr. York’s character. He would never do something stupid like this.”

“You’re placing your trust in him blindly!” Wyatt reproached. The second he caught sight of Jessica from the corner of his eyes, he ran over to her and complained, “Jessie, look. Rayna’s bullying me. Help me out here.”

“What were you guys talking about?” Jessica asked. She had been touring the extravagant mansion the moment she entered. As she peeled the orange in her hands, she continued, “Wow. This orange is so sweet. It’s super delicious.”

“Really? Let me have a taste too.” Wyatt opened his mouth.

Seeing that, Jessica put two segments of the orange into his mouth.

To be honest, he did not find the orange sweet. However, it was personally fed to him by her, so he was elated. “It is delicious! Let’s take some with us when we leave.”

Jessica whispered, “Is that appropriate? Will Mr. Faymon allow us to do that?”

“It’s only a few oranges! It’s fine!”

Rayna watched the whole exchange with an expressionless face. Should I say that Jessica is too gullible or that Wyatt’s methods are simply too superb? He managed to get along with her so well in just a few hours. From the looks of it, James may lose out.

“Why are you guys here?”

Curtis, who heard their commotion from upstairs, finally came out of the room. Standing at the landing, he saw that Wyatt, Rayna, as well as Jessica were chatting noisily in the living room.

His gaze fell on Rayna.

The woman had not contacted him for quite some time, which led him to wonder if she was avoiding him on purpose. Her visit on that day was undoubtedly beyond his expectations.

“Curtis!” Wyatt waved at Curtis with a grin plastered to his face. “I went to the office to look for Rayna today. She told me she has some work matters to discuss with you, so I brought her here. Also, Jessica is here too.”

Jessica immediately extended a greeting. “Hello, Mr. Faymon.”

Curtis grunted softly in acknowledgment before going downstairs using the stair lift.

Rayna found it hard to breathe as she watched the man in a comfortable set of loungewear travel down the staircase with a gentle expression on his face. All of a sudden, she did not know how to face him, so she headed to the kitchen to wash some fruit.

An idea popped up in Wyatt’s mind, and he immediately put his arm over Jessica’s shoulders. “Jessie, let’s go. I’ll take you to see the garden. You can pluck some rare roses to grow at home.”

“Really?” As a matter of fact, she saw the garden ages ago and thus was well aware of its variety of rare plant species. However, she was embarrassed to head over there herself. Since Wyatt had brought it up, she accepted the invitation eagerly and hurried him into taking her there.

Soon, Curtis was the only one left in the spacious living room.

With a press of a button on the wheelchair, he slowly glided into the kitchen. There, he stared at Rayna, who had her back toward him.

“Why haven’t you contacted me on WhatsApp these days?” he asked.

“There’s nothing much going on in the office,” Rayna replied without turning around. “Moreover, I can ask Mr. Lopez if I have any queries. You can get a good rest without me disturbing you.”

“I’ve never found you a disturbance.”

Instantly, her ears reddened. The apple slipped from her hands and fell into the sink. She swiftly reached for it and gave it another wash.

Curtis placed both hands on his lap and waited patiently.

Ten minutes later, she still showed no signs of turning around to look at him. At that, he parted his lips. “Rayna, I thought you came here to visit me? Do you intend to wash fruit all day with your back toward me?”

Chapter 154

Chapter 154 Do The Same To Kristie

Seeing that she could no longer avoid Curtis anymore, Rayna turned to look at him with a stiff smile.

“Mr. Faymon, do you want to eat an apple?”

“Yes.”

His frank reply took her by surprise, so she had no choice but to start peeling the apple with a fruit knife.

This is so awkward! I wouldn’t have agreed to come here if I had known how difficult spending time with Mr. Faymon would be.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was tense. It was quiet until Curtis broke the silence by asking, “Rayna, are you avoiding me because of what happened the other day?”

The period of time when Rayna was not in touch with him made him feel quite uneasy. He missed having her nag at him by his side.

However, he could not head to the office to see her because of his condition.

The second he brought it up, Rayna immediately thought of the kiss they had shared in the restroom. It made her feel even more embarrassed. “No, that’s not the case. Things have been very hectic in the office. Also, I’m curious to know what Chester is up to, considering that he hasn’t taken any action for a long time.”

After the apple was peeled, she cut half of it and tossed it to Curtis while changing the subject. “I came here to discuss this matter with you. What do you think he’s waiting for?”

Curtis took the apple and replied calmly, “He’s waiting for the best time to strike. You have around the same original issue shares as him. However, in reality, he doesn’t have many since my father has the majority.”

His words were rather profound, so Rayna had to ruminate on it for a while before she understood him.

“Everyone knows how ambitious he is. There’s no way Old Mr. Faymon would give Chester his shares,” she stated.

With that, she thought of something, and her expression became anxious. “If Chester is put in a tough spot, would he do something bad to Old Mr. Faymon?”

“He may think about it, but he wouldn’t dare to do it,” Curtis replied flatly. However, murderous intent brimmed in his eyes. “If anyone in the Faymon family has the audacity to lay a finger on my father, I’ll destroy the whole family!”

Rayna knew he was as good as his word.

Curtis was adopted and brought up by Alfred, so he had long considered the latter as his father.

However, Rayna could not fathom one thing. Why would Uncle Curtis’ birth parents be so cruel as to abandon a healthy and exceptional person like him? Who knows what might have happened to him if he hadn’t met Old Mr. Faymon?

At that thought, she glanced at Curtis’ side profile, and her heart ached for him. A moment later, she faked a cough and changed the topic. “Mr. Faymon, do you have plans, then? Could you let me know?”

“No, I have no plans.”

Rayna was stunned. “What? You don’t have any?”

“That’s right. I’ll just counter his every move.” When Curtis noticed her shocked expression, a hint of joy flitted across his eyes. “Besides, you have become totally comfortable with your role as the CEO and can think on your feet very well. Even if something were to happen to me, I’m confident that you’ll be able to deal with it. When I lost consciousness due to the car accident, weren’t you the one who helped to solve everything in the company at its most difficult times?”

From tricking Rayna into going to Tyrandas to having her become the manager of the Department of Regulators, as well as her performance as the acting CEO of Faymon Group, he had seen everything and witnessed all of her changes.

She’s like a pearl buried under the sand. Once someone brushes off the sand, she will be able to shine brightly.

Curtis was different from Jefferson.

The latter liked to keep her hidden, preferring to have her enjoy a pampered life in a cage and keep her away from all hardships. On the other hand, Curtis was keen on giving her the freedom to pursue her interests so that she could unleash her potential.

Rather than relying on someone’s protection, he wished for Rayna to succeed and make her way in life.

Whilst he could not deny that he used Rayna to deceive the Faymons, he had, nevertheless, put a lot of effort into training her, and she did not let him down.

“Mr. Faymon, stop saying such ominous things.” Rayna disliked hearing those words. “Don’t listen to what other people are blabbering about. Your leg is fine. You only need more rest. The doctor Mr. Lopez hired for you is too unreliable. I’ll find someone for you. You should take a stroll outside often. It’s not good to stay at home all day…”

Curtis fell silent as the woman started nagging. There was no end to her words.

Nonetheless, he did not find it annoying. With small bites, he ate the apple leisurely while listening to her nagging. Never had he felt so at ease.

I much like it when she’s like this, not avoiding me.

Only when she was done talking did Curtis speak. “If you still feel worried, you can move in here.”

“What?”

“I think the food you make is delicious.”

“No, no. I have too many things to do.” After snapping back to reality, Rayna hurriedly rejected him. “I promise to find you a cook who’s even more skilled than a chef at the world’s famous restaurant.”

Curtis knew she was avoiding him again. That realization caused him to frown slightly in displeasure. “I’m not picky with food. I don’t need it to be fancy as long as it suits my palate.”

At that, she failed to stifle a laugh. “How can you claim that you’re not picky when you don’t even eat pork and fish? How is this ‘not picky’? If I hadn’t phoned my mom to ask her how to remove the stench from the pork, that meat would have gone to waste.”

He stared at her. “So, you lied to me at that time?”

“B-But you still ate it anyway.” Rayna grinned sheepishly.

“It’s fine if you’re unwilling to move in. I won’t force you.” Since she had rejected him, he did not pressure her into agreeing and went out of the kitchen in his wheelchair.

However, she felt uneasy.

I don’t think Uncle Curtis has ever asked me for anything. Am I being too cruel for rejecting him like this?

Alas, she could do nothing because of the contract she had signed with Theodore.

Her moving into the mansion to take care of Curtis would be equivalent to breaching the contract. Theodore would never let her off should he find out about it.

Rayna stayed in the kitchen for a long time. Then, she took out her phone and found Jasmine’s contact, which she had saved long ago.

If someone had to take care of Curtis, she reckoned it should be Jasmine.

Rayna typed many words but ended up deleting them all until two sentences were left. In her message, she politely asked Jasmine to visit Curtis in the mansion in her free time. Just as she kept her phone away, intending to leave the kitchen, she noticed Wyatt returning from the garden.

Wyatt was conversing with Curtis. “Theodore told me to let you know he and Jeremy had gone to Norham to settle some matters. So, I’ll be taking care of you in the meantime. If you need anything, you can look for me.”

Curtis’ tone was cold. “You should leave soon. You flirted with my employee and took her to my garden. In fact, you should be thankful that I didn’t beat you up for even trying to steal my flowers.”

“Curtis, we are best buddies!” Wyatt placed his arm around the other man’s shoulders and chuckled. “Are your roses more important than my happiness?”

Curtis snorted. “You’re happy almost every single day.”

Wyatt leaned in and whispered into his ears. “That’s mean, Curtis. Look at how much I care about you. I went through all the trouble to get Ms. Garland here so that you can see her. Furthermore, Jessie is friends with Rayna, and they live together. If I get together with Jessie, it will also benefit you and Rayna.”

“You’re overthinking.” Curtis swatted his hand away coldly.

Wyatt chuckled. “Curtis, don’t tell me that you kissed Rayna at the club on the spur of the moment. If so, why can’t you do the same to Kristie?”

“Are you insane?”

“Yes, I am. Can you treat me?”

Curtis was rendered speechless.

Their voices became very soft at the end of their conversation, so Rayna could not hear them clearly.

She walked over and asked Wyatt, “Mr. Xavier and Mr. York have gone back to Norham?”

Wyatt rose to his feet and asked with mock excitement, “Yes. They have some matters to settle. Judging from your response, could it be that you’ve fallen for Theodore?”

Chapter 155

Chapter 155 Take Our Relationship To The Next Step

Rayna was at a loss for words. “I was just asking. Stop overthinking.”

Wyatt arched his brow. “If you really like Theodore, you should tell us. Although Theodore is a little older, he doesn’t have any bad habits. He used to be a soldier, so his background is impeccable.”

“Soldier?” She was slightly shocked and thought of something. “Are you saying that Mr. Xavier used to be a soldier before he started dabbling in business?” she then asked for verification from him.

Wyatt was startled by her reaction at first, but he soon smirked. “Wow. Do you have to be so surprised to learn that Theodore was a soldier? Do you have a uniform fetish, Ms. Garland?”

Rayna was bemused.

Oh, my goodness. Theodore used to be a soldier. Then, doesn’t this match Carl’s description of his father perfectly? In that case, doesn’t it mean there’s a possibility that Carl is Theodore’s son? Who is Carl’s mother, then? Is it Jasmine? If that’s true…

At that point, she glanced at Curtis. Her emotions were so complicated beyond description.

Curtis doesn’t know about this. If he marries Jasmine, doesn’t that mean he will have a son right away? No, no. Theodore and Curtis are best friends, so wouldn’t Curtis be raising Theodore’s son for him?

“Hello? Ms. Garland, are you okay?” Wyatt waved his hand before Rayna’s face. “Why do you keep staring at Curtis? Are you debating on whether Curtis or Theodore is better?”

As she did not really hear what he was saying, she instinctively nodded.

In an instant, Curtis’ expression darkened, and he grasped the wheelchair’s armrest tightly. “There’s no need to think so much. You’re not Theodore’s type,” he blurted out coldly.

Wyatt subconsciously shot a glance at him. “Really? How come I’m not aware of that…” he muttered in confusion.

His remark evoked a murderous glare from Curtis. “Wyatt, you’d better bring your roses and Ms. Marsh out of here before I lose my temper.”

“All right. Thank you for the roses!” Wyatt scurried off and yelled in the direction of the garden, “Jessie, you can pluck whatever flower that you like! Curtis said so!”

“Really? Mr. Faymon is such a generous man!”

Massaging his temples, Curtis had the urge to uproot all the plants in the garden in a fit of anger.

Rayna did not understand why he got angry out of nowhere. Although she wanted to say something, his grim expression deterred her from doing so.

Before she left, she remarked, “Mr. Faymon, the housekeepers I hired for you will be here tomorro—”

“No need.” Curtis closed the door on her mercilessly.

A gust of cold breeze brushed across Rayna’s face. It was slightly painful. Till then, she still could not fathom his irrational rage. Even if he’s angry because Wyatt plucked his roses, he should lash out at him instead. Why is he directing his anger at me?

Halfway on the trip back home, Wyatt accompanied Jessica to the florist to purchase some large pots and soil for the roses. He even offered to find her another residence that came with a garden if her current place was not suitable for growing plants.

When the car arrived at the two women’s house, Wyatt wanted to help Jessica move the roses into the condominium but was rejected by her.

“Wyatt, your friend is too kind. I’ll treat you to three milkshakes when you’re free next time. You can drink your fill!” Jessica held his hand and thanked him gratefully.

Wyatt was touched. “Can we take our relationship to the next step?”

“What are you referring to?”

“Well…” While touching his nose, he explained, “Do you have a boyfriend? If you don’t—”

“No.” Before Wyatt could rejoice, Jessica continued, “However, Nana said she’s going to introduce her younger brother to me. We’re going to watch the movies during the weekend. I’ll have a boyfriend then!”

Looking at the drastic change in Wyatt’s expression, Rayna could not help but guffaw.

Weren’t you extremely confident? You’ve made quite a fool of yourself now!

“Are you all right?” Jessica asked. When she saw Wyatt shake his head, she started carrying the pots into the condominium.

Rayna walked over to him and patted his shoulders. “Mr. Lopez, you will meet someone better. I’ll thank you on my younger brother’s behalf.”

Wyatt smiled wryly. “This is my first time being rejected by a girl despite my handsome face.”

“Oh. I offer you my condolences,” she said, gloating over his misfortune. “You can try and get a few more rejections from girls so that you won’t feel so sad anymore.”

That left him at a loss for words.

Since returning to the condominium, Jessica had been busy on the balcony. After she planted the roses, she took photographs of them with her phone, planning to search for fertilizers suitable for them.

Her jaw dropped in shock when she saw the species of those roses.

“N-Nana!” Jessica ran over to where Rayna was and passed her the phone with shaking hands. “Oh, my gosh! These roses are a rare species originating from Pollerton. One costs e-eight hundred thousand!”

The latter was so startled that she spat out a mouthful of water.

Rayna took a tissue and wiped her mouth before inhaling sharply. “It’s not a flower if it’s eight hundred thousand. It’s a treasure! Even the flowers Mr. Faymon grows are extraordinary.”

Jessica nodded. “No wonder Mr. Faymon’s expression was so grim when we left. I took all three stalks of the roses, which means he lost two million and four hundred thousand.”

Rayna’s lips twitched. “Did you really do that?”

“I didn’t know then! You can bring two stalks back when you visit him the next time.”

Rayna pursed her lips and asked Jessica, “I hired some housekeepers for Mr. Faymon. However, I’m afraid they wouldn’t take good care of him and gossip behind his back. Say, should I move in to take care of him?”

“Why? You don’t owe him anything,” Jessica queried. However, she quickly came to a realization. “Actually, you already have an answer in your heart. You’re just hesitating.”

Rayna had an unnatural expression on her face. “Should I go?”

She was truly worried that the housekeepers would fail to take good care of Curtis. Also, with Theodore in Norham, it should be fine since he would not find out. However, she hesitated because she felt that she should not overly concern herself with him.

“Just go if you want to!” Jessica shrugged nonchalantly. “I can’t help but feel worn out for you when you always consider so many things and have everything hidden in your heart.”

After a brief pause, she continued, “Can’t you tell that Jasmine isn’t interested in Mr. Faymon? They’re most likely engaged for their own agendas. The way she looks at Mr. Faymon is utterly different from how you look at him.”

Rayna felt awkward to hear that from her. “Is my gaze so obvious?”

Jessica nodded with certainty. “Yes!”

“You’re so observant,” Rayna commented as a smile spread across her face. “What about Wyatt? Can’t you tell that he’s interested in you?”

“I can. That’s why I rejected him.” Jessica pushed her glasses up and analyzed the situation in a serious manner. “He has a playboy appearance, and playboys are known to be amorous and unreliable.”

Rayna felt her head aching, so she turned to walk into the kitchen. “What do you want to eat?”

“Oh? Are you cooking for me? Are you not packing your things to prepare a nutritious meal for your dear Mr. Faymon?”

“Shut your trap!”

After a night of hemming and hawing, Rayna opted to stay at Curtis’ mansion as she still did not feel comfortable with the housekeepers. Even if it were just for a few days, it would still be good since she

could help lift his mood.

With that, she requested Naomi to reschedule all her appointments for the day before gathering her belongings and traveling to the mansion.

By then, it was merely seven in the morning. Assuming that Curtis was still sleeping upstairs, she used the access card to enter the mansion without hesitation.

When she was changing her shoes, she heard someone ask, “So early?”

Rayna replied subconsciously, “Yes. Cooking stew requires time.”

Chapter 156

Chapter 156 Not The Flesh

Rayna felt something was amiss as soon as the words left her lips, so she instinctively turned around.

The man in a wheelchair quickly came into her line of sight. While holding a cup of steaming hot coffee in his hand, he regarded her curiously with his brows quirked.

“T-The door…” She attempted to talk her way out of the situation by pointing out that the door was not locked, but her plan was foiled, for the access card was right in her hand. “All right, I unlocked the door myself.”

Curtis chuckled, unfazed by the situation. “Didn’t you say you hired housekeepers for me?” he asked.

“The housekeepers weren’t adequately trained during their time in their company, so I was afraid they wouldn’t be able to take good care of you, Mr. Faymon.” She then brought over the ingredients and the two stalks of roses.

“Oh right, here’s your one million— Blah. I mean, your roses, Mr. Faymon,” said Rayna, correcting herself immediately. “The place we’re staying at is too small, so Jessie asked me to return two of the roses to you.”

“They’re just roses. There’s no need to return them to me.”

Curtis’ nonchalant attitude infuriated Rayna.

These aren’t ordinary roses! They’re money!

Yet, she was not gutsy enough to utter those thoughts aloud nor tell him that the roses were a waste of money. After all, the man was worth hundreds of billion. Thus, Rayna sped toward the kitchen to

prepare breakfast, but not before telling the man, “Mr. Faymon, you shouldn’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. I’ll be making stew for you as breakfast.”

Curtis said nothing in response as his gaze landed on the cup of coffee in his hand, and for the first time in forever, he did just as he was told and set the cup down.

Soon, the metallic smell of blood wafted up his nose. The curious man wheeled himself toward the kitchen to investigate the unpleasant scent.

He could not quite control his expression when he noticed Rayna was dealing with some animal innards.

“What’s that?”

“Pork bung!” the woman responded without turning back, thus missing the change in his expression. “I got it from the market just now, so it’s super fresh. I’ll make it into a stew for you.”

Curtis took a deep breath. “Didn’t I tell you I don’t eat pork?”

“But it’s pork bung, not pig’s flesh,” Rayna retorted. She then brought it to the front of his face. “Does it look like flesh to you?”

“Ms. Garland, this is still a part of a pig,” said the man, his tone laced with disdain. He then moved backward, putting some distance between himself and the pork bung.

At that point, she was utterly infuriated.

Have I lost my mind? Why did I move here to take care of him? He’s way too f*cking picky for his age! Does he have fancy delicacies every day? Why isn’t he sick of them yet?

A loud smack sounded when Rayna tossed the pork bung into the basin. Feeling a surge of courage, she straightened her back and bellowed at him, “It’s up to you whether you want to eat it or not. If you don’t want to, then I’ll order takeout. In that way, I won’t have to waste my time too!”

Curtis gazed up at her, his obsidian eyes boring into hers. At that moment, her courage fled her.

Oh, no! He’s not angry, is he?

Just as she was about to bite the bullet and utter an apology, he spun his wheelchair around and exited the kitchen.

At that, Rayna patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

What Curtis needed most at the moment was nutrition, so she made sure to get fresh ingredients from the market. The night before, she even called Linda and asked the latter for nutritious recipes.

Rayna continued prepping the rest of the ingredients she purchased and put them in the fridge once she was done. Upon noticing the water was boiling, she placed the marinated pork innards into the pot, along with some fresh vegetables. She then stirred it and allowed it to cook on the stove.

A moment later, Rayna turned off the gas and garnished the stew. Its mouth-watering aroma permeated the room at once.

She put on some oven mitts and brought the pot over to the dining table. Seeing that Curtis was in midst of reading the papers, she called out to him, “It’s time for breakfast, Mr. Faymon.”

He took his time to get himself to the kitchen. When he finally arrived, he fixed his gaze on the bowl of stew that Rayna had served him and remained unmoving.

Curtis did not enjoy fancy delicacies on a daily basis, but his everyday meals were comprised of exquisite dishes. None of his housekeepers dared to go against his wishes. Rayna was the only one

who would make him have food that he disliked time and again.

One time, she made pork patties and lied about them being beef patties. That time around, she straight-up served him pork innards.

Even so, Curtis held it in.

He turned to look at her, noticing she had no qualms about savoring and enjoying the dish, let alone eating it, and at long last, he gave in.

The stew was tasteless at first bite, but when he savored it along with the marinated pork innards, its distinct taste instantly permeated his mouth, spreading to every single one of his tastebuds. The delicious stew warmed up his stomach with each bite.

Curtis raised a brow and commented, “Not bad.”

He had never tried something quite like that before, and it was much more delicious than he expected it to be. Moreover, Rayna was a skilled cook.

A smug grin spread across her face when she heard his praises. “Of course! I practiced—”

Halfway through her sentence, she came to an abrupt halt. Wait, why am I telling him this? What if he thinks I’m trying to garner sympathy? At that thought, she did not utter another word and hung her head as she ate the rest of her stew.

With his curiosity piqued, Curtis queried, “What did you practice?”

“It’s nothing. Dig in, Mr. Faymon. It won’t taste as good when it gets cold.”

The man was sharp to notice the tiny blisters on her middle finger. He grabbed her hand and took a closer look at it. The blisters were swollen, and they appeared to be a result of scalding.

Upon recalling how she was hesitant to speak earlier, he instantly connected the dots and felt his heart clench at the realization.

Did she want to make sure I’d enjoy a good bowl of stew, so she practiced making the dish at home for a long time and accidentally scalded herself in the process?

Curtis’ move caught Rayna off guard, and the heat of his palm sent a blush to her face. Fortunately, the phone rang just in time, rescuing her from the awkward situation.

“I-I’m going to pick up this call, Mr. Faymon.” She pulled her hand away and swiftly got out of her seat.

It was a call from Naomi.

A few of the executives wanted to discuss the sale of some businesses under Faymon Group and also the branch offices. As such, they hoped Rayna would put what she was doing on hold and head over to meet them.

When Rayna heard Naomi’s report, she glanced in the direction of the kitchen.

As of then, Curtis looked lonely and helpless in her eyes, so she did not want him to stay in the mansion all by himself. Moreover, all the ingredients in the fridge would go bad if they did not finish them on the day itself.

Rayna clenched her teeth and said to Naomi, “I’m busy, so I can’t make it to the office. Why don’t we schedule a virtual meeting instead?”

“The executives said it’d be better to meet in person. Some things can’t be discussed over a virtual meeting.”

In other words, they wanted her there no matter what.

Rayna gave it a thought and returned to the kitchen. She then asked Curtis, “Mr. Faymon, a couple of executives are looking for me. Could I ask them to come here for the meeting? If not, I’ll—”

“Sure,” he agreed without hesitation. “There’s a soundproof conference room upstairs.”

“You’re the best, Mr. Faymon!” she exclaimed, visibly touched by his approval.

“You’re overthinking. I was just afraid you might not make it back by lunchtime, and there would be no one to cook for me.”

Instantly, Rayna was bereft of words.

Under Naomi’s lead, the executives arrived at the mansion at ten in the morning.

The mansion was Curtis’ private residence, so apart from Naomi, who frequently drove him around, no one knew of that fact. The executives even assumed it was Rayna’s residence.

After their arrival, Rayna brought them to the conference room, and following that, the door to the room remained shut for the rest of the morning.

Curtis hardly came out of his bedroom either. Once his call with Theodore ended, he shut his laptop, only to notice it was already half past twelve, yet Rayna had not called him for lunch.

He wheeled himself out of the room, bumping into Naomi, who had just returned.

“Mr. Faymon,” she greeted.

Curtis nodded in acknowledgment. At that moment, the secretary’s hands were filled with bags. “The meeting hasn’t ended yet?” he asked when he could seem to whiff the scent of food.

“Yes, Ms. Garland has plenty of matters to discuss with the executives, and there are also matters regarding the branch offices,” responded Naomi. “I was afraid they’d be hungry, so I went out to get

some lunch. Would you like to dine with us?”

“No need. You all can go ahead.”

Chapter 157

Chapter 157 Heartache

Seeing that Naomi was making her way toward the conference room, Curtis trailed behind her. However, he did not go in and only caught a glimpse of Rayna through the half-open door. She was standing before the desk, pointing at the screen behind her as she spoke.

He observed the slender figure in silence.

The woman was wearing a flax-colored knitted dress that day, and her hair was tied neatly into a ponytail, making her look professional. Moreover, she had exquisite facial features and exuded a cold, elegant aura that commanded respect.

Unlike her previous mild-mannered self, she carried herself with confidence and pride as of then.

That was the result of his training.

Looking at the all-powerful Rayna, Curtis felt a sense of indescribable satisfaction. A hint of joy surfaced in his eyes, and after observing her for a little longer, he left the place quietly.

It ended up being a long meeting that lasted well past seven o’clock at night. All of the executives looked exhausted as they emerged from the conference room.

“Oh my goodness, how could the meeting last all day? I’m so tired!”

“Me too.”

“Did you guys notice that Ms. Garland is far scarier than Mr. Faymon during meetings? She seems to have absolutely no concept of time.”

The executives chattered among themselves while making their way downstairs. Soon enough, they had the shock of their lives when they noticed the subject of their discussion—Curtis—was sitting in the living room.

Why is Mr. Faymon here? Could it be that he has some sort of relationship with Ms. Garland?

They began speculating as soon as they saw Curtis, but none of them dared to utter their thoughts aloud. Wearing smiles, the executives greeted him and got out of the mansion right away.

About five minutes later, Rayna finally came downstairs, rubbing her shoulders as she went down the steps.

“Being a CEO is much more tiring than being an employee,” she mumbled. Only when she saw Curtis in the living room did she recall that she was in his mansion.

Rayna smacked her forehead, frustration written all over her face. “I’m sorry, Mr. Faymon. The meeting ran longer than I expected. I’ll go cook right away.”

“No need. Let’s just order takeout.” His heart ached at the sight of her weary expression.

“It’s all right. I can cook up a quick meal.” As she spoke, she was already dashing into the kitchen. Standing from a distance, she began to fill him in on the contents of their meeting that day.

Meanwhile, Curtis poured some milk into a cup, thinking of heating it for Rayna so that she could have a good night’s sleep later.

Right then, a dull thud sounded in his ears.

He scanned his surroundings and noticed a person lying on the ground when his gaze landed on the kitchen. A cloud passed over his face, and he instantly went to the kitchen in his wheelchair. At the same time, he dialed the doctor’s number with his other hand.

“Rayna!”

Curtis mustered his strength to bend over and gently tapped Rayna’s face to wake her up. At that moment, he was overwhelmed with anxiety.

Alas, the woman showed no response.

Seeing that her face still had some color, he placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. Rayna was not running a fever. It appeared that she had fallen asleep, as indicated by her steady breathing.

Curtis’ gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, after which he finally heaved a sigh of relief.

The doctor, who had hurried over, gave Rayna a checkup and found that there was nothing wrong with her. She had merely overworked herself.

Nonetheless, the doctor advised, “She’s probably under great stress, so it’s best if she doesn’t stay up late and sleep earlier instead. If she continues overworking herself, it may affect her menstrual cycle.”

Curtis nodded in understanding. “Thank you.”

Once he sent the doctor away, he opened a bottle of liquid medicine and poured some of its content into a spoon before feeding it to Rayna.

The medicine emanated a pungent smell and was bitter to taste. Thus, she spat it out right after he fed her, and a frown formed on her beautiful face.

Curtis was helpless. How can she recover if she refuses to take her medicine?

He gave it another try, and that time around, the spoon was almost knocked to the ground. Left with no other choice, he could only resort to his previous method. Curtis held the medicine in his mouth and

brought his lips toward hers, forcing her to drink it.

He could smell the faint scent of coffee in her mouth and assumed she must have had plenty during the meeting. It was a bittersweet taste.

Unable to help himself, Curtis deepened the kiss and only let her go after a long while.

The brownish medicine dripped from the corner of her lips, and he wiped it off with his thumb. Watching the fast-asleep Rayna, he felt his heart soften and ache for her.

The next day, Rayna woke up feeling invigorated. A puzzled expression crossed her face when she noticed she was sleeping on the bed while wearing the same outfit as the previous day. She could not remember how she got there, so she asked Curtis about it when she bumped into him downstairs.

“You fainted in the kitchen, so I carried you upstairs.”

“Really?” Stunned, Rayna did not quite know what to say. “Y-You could’ve just given me a blanket, Mr. Faymon. You didn’t have to…”

Her voice trailed off as she imagined Curtis lifting her up and bringing her upstairs. How awkward!

“You’re not that heavy. Quite similar to Kristie, actually.” Curtis lifted the newspaper and began reading through it casually. “It’s just that you knocked your head on the handrail a few times as I brought you up the stairs.”

“Will that make me stupid?” Shocked, Rayna instinctively touched her head.

Curtis stared at her at length before covering his lips with his hand, hiding the delighted smile underneath.

She believes just about anything that she’s heard.

“You’re so mean, Mr. Faymon!” Eventually, Rayna figured out he was only teasing her. With her brows furrowed, she stormed into the kitchen and began preparing food.

Her plan for the day was to head to the office after breakfast and return by noon once she was done taking care of some matters.

After all, it would disturb Curtis’ rest if she constantly had people over at the mansion.

However, Curtis insisted that it was unnecessary, for Naomi would take care of the remaining matters. “You’re the CEO. If you need to take care of every single thing, then what’s the use of the secretarial department?”

“The situation is different this time,” retorted Rayna. It concerned Faymon Group’s survival, after all. Before Chester made his next move, she dared not let others handle too many affairs.

“Leave it to them. You need to rest,” said Curtis in a tone that left no room for argument.

After a moment of hesitation, she finally relented. “All right.”

Despite her response, Rayna certainly did not plan on keeping her word, intending to handle some things on the down-low. However, Naomi did not answer her calls, and there were no emails in her inbox either. Curtis was determined to make her rest for a few days.

As such, after busying herself for over half a month, Rayna could finally relax.

Her daily routine consisted of watering the flowers, cooking, and sunbathing in the garden when the weather was just right. Occasionally, she would deal with some documents she had previously compiled.

The reason Rayna promised Curtis she would be the manager of the Department of Regulators was to uncover the truth behind Jonathan’s death. A long time had passed since then, but she had yet to obtain a single clue.

Is Mr. Lawson’s death really a coincidence?

Just then, her phone vibrated. It was a WhatsApp message from Curtis that read: Can we have ravioli today?

Rayna could not stop a smile from spreading across her face. It was hard to imagine him messaging her a question in such a humble tone.

Rayna: Okay. I’ll decide the stuffing!

Although Curtis was not repulsed by the stew of pork innards, he still would not consume much of the dishes that contained pork. According to his words, pork was not nutritious, so it was best to eat less of it.

Oh, please! How dare you dislike pork when it has fed so many families?

At that thought, Rayna decided to serve pork ravioli with mushrooms.

When she was about to make the dish, she noticed there was barely any flour left. Thus, she ordered it through her phone while adjusting the fire. At the same time, she blasted some music through the Bluetooth speaker in the living room.

“Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they’re not shining…” she sang.

Taking advantage of the fact that she was alone downstairs, Rayna began to dance as she kneaded the dough. Her movements were exaggerated as she sang off-tune to the music.

Nonetheless, she looked extremely happy at the moment. In fact, she even failed to notice that Curtis had made his way downstairs.

Her voice was raspy from belting out the song. When she turned around to grab something, she caught a glimpse of a silhouette from the corner of her eye. It gave her such a great shock that she almost hurled the dough into the air.

“Did I interrupt your singing?” asked Curtis in amusement.

Indeed, he heard everything.

 

Chapter 158

Chapter 158 What Linda Addressed Him As

Embarrassment was written all over Rayna’s face as she chuckled dryly. She then whirled around, finding herself unable to face the man, and scolded herself in her mind. I just can’t do anything right, can I? This isn’t my own place, so why did I behave like that?

When Curtis noticed her phone on the coffee table was ringing, he stopped the music and said, “Rayna, it’s your phone.”

“It’s probably the delivery man.” It was far too awkward for her to face him at the moment. “Why don’t you answer it, Mr. Faymon?”

He arched his brow as the caller ID showed that it was not the delivery man but her mother.

Nevertheless, Curtis decided to answer the call anyway since Rayna was busy kneading the dough with her hands covered in flour. “Hello?” he voiced after putting the call on loudspeaker.

“Oh, it’s my son-in-law!” Linda recognized his voice right away. “Where’s Honey?”

Oh, my gosh!

Rayna nearly burst a vessel when she heard her mother addressing Curtis as her son-in-law. At the speed of lightning, she dashed toward him and snatched her phone away, changing the audio output.

“Mom! Why did you say that?” she uttered through gritted teeth while stealing a glance at Curtis.

He did not seem shocked, considering that his expression was as calm as the sea.

“Isn’t that my son-in-law’s voice?”

“Yes— No, he’s not your son-in-law!” Rayna corrected. At that moment, she had a strong urge to run into a wall to escape from reality. “Anyway, why are you calling me?”

“You and your brother haven’t come home in a while, so I just wanted to see how you’re doing,” explained Linda. “When are you coming back for a meal? Also, I’ve made two bottles of wine. Why don’t you take some with you?”

After telling her mother she would visit her the next day, Rayna ended the call speedily.

Meanwhile, Curtis approached her in his wheelchair. “Why did your mother address me as her son-in- law earlier?”

He did not think his voice bore any resemblance to Julian’s.

“Ah! A-About that…” Under the man’s questioning gaze, Rayna’s mind went blank for a second, and she stammered an excuse, “M-My mom’s hearing isn’t the best, so she thought you were Julian.”

Her words caused Curtis’ expression to darken.

Instantly, she felt a chill running down her spine, and she wondered what put him in a foul mood. Even so, she steeled herself and continued explaining, “Although my relationship with Julian was rocky, my mother likes him quite a bit.”

Feeling an inexplicable surge of anger within him, he sneered. “What a ‘nice’ mother she is, liking a son-in-law who constantly cheats on and mistreats her own daughter!”

“Besides his cheating, Julian isn’t a bad person.”

Besides, I’m at fault, too.

“That’s enough. I have no interest in listening to your explanations.” Curtis’ tone was ice-cold. After saying that, he wheeled himself out, leaving a confused Rayna alone in the kitchen.

Did I say something wrong?

For some unknown reason, she felt Curtis was mad at her. He wore a gloomy expression for the entire day and refused to acknowledge her. Furthermore, he went as far as to place his fork down as soon as he noticed she had made pork ravioli. Rayna was blazing with fury at that point.

She wanted to snap at him, but after casting a glance at the wheelchair-bound man, she tamped down her anger, drove out to get some fresh beef, and made a small portion of beef ravioli.

The next day, Curtis was still upset with her and largely ignored her presence.

Rayna went out after making breakfast and gave James a call as she drove to her mother’s house.

However, a woman answered the call.

“Are you insane? Why are you calling at this hour? You’re disrupting my sleep!”

Rayna was startled.

Before she could return to her senses, the foul-mouthed woman’s voice was gone and replaced by James’ slightly husky voice. “What’s the matter, Rayna?”

“Are you not at school? I’m picking you up to have lunch at Mom’s place.”

“I’m on a break for a few days, so I’m out. Wait for me at our usual place. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Rayna grunted a response, but she could not hold her tongue any longer. “Who’s that woman earlier? She has quite a temper, doesn’t she?”

“Nobody. I’ll go wash up.”

Afraid his sister would bombard him with questions, James hung up as soon as those words fell from his lips.

Afterward, he stormed back into the bedroom and pulled Kristie out of bed. “Ms. Winton, didn’t I tell you not to touch my things?” he questioned, visibly enraged by the woman’s action.

“Well, it disrupted my sleep,” Kristie mumbled as she kept her eyes closed and tried to lean her head on his chest.

Thinking of the multi-million dollar debt he owed her, James had no choice but to put up with her.

Nonetheless, he did not allow her to lean on him and merely threw her on the bed before heading to the bathroom.

Every bit of drowsiness left Kristie following his action. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned as she made her way to the bathroom. With her mouth open, she waited for James to squeeze the toothpaste on her toothbrush for her.

Once he put her toothbrush in her mouth, she brushed her teeth, asking, “What are we eating today?”

“You can order takeout. I have something to do, so I’m going out.” James’ movements were quick. It only took him a couple of minutes to get ready.

Upon hearing that, Kristie turned around and shot him a glare. “No! Is Curt looking for you? You can just make Cillian go in your stead! Anyway, I will not have takeout!”

The veins on his forehead bulged. “It’s just one meal.”

“I don’t care!”

He was bereft of words.

“I don’t want to order takeout. It’s unhygienic and not tasty at all!” added Kristie with a pitiful pout. “I want to eat something you cooked. I don’t mind eating late, either.”

Truth be told, James hated whenever she tried to be coy with him. It was more unbearable than her tantrums. Unfortunately for him, he did not have a choice. “I’m having lunch at my mom’s place. In that case, I’ll pack some for you.”

“Your mom lives in Norwal City as well? I thought she lived far from you,” she remarked, utterly fascinated.

“Take it or leave it.”

“Why don’t I go with you?” Kristie suggested as she grabbed his arm. It did not sound like she was kidding at all. “I don’t have much to do this morning, so it’s a perfect time for me to greet your mom.”

“She doesn’t like being disturbed by outsiders.” James slapped her hand away and placed her toothbrush back into her mouth. “It’s either you order takeout, or I pack a portion for you. Make your choice.”

The woman pouted and replied incoherently, “Pack.”

At that, he turned around and left.

After brushing her teeth, Kristie dashed out of the bathroom and watched the man’s every move, not bothering to wash her face. Once he left the house, she quickly put on some clothes and followed him.

She flagged down a taxi and ordered the driver to trail James. However, instead of heading straight to his mother’s house, he went to a junction, much to her surprise.

A BC car was parked at the junction. James opened the car door and got into it.

Kristie craned her neck to get a closer look at the car. It was then she caught a glimpse of Rayna in the driver’s seat. The latter was laughing while saying something to James and even helped him with the seatbelt. The two of them looked extremely affectionate with one another.

Fuming, Kristie cursed, “That d*mned vixen!”

Is she my mortal enemy from my previous life or something? She stole Curt away from me and caused me to lose his favor. Still, she didn’t stop at that and even took my bodyguard from me. How evil of her!

As the BC drove away, Kristie ordered the driver, “Quick! Follow that car!”

“Huh? Aren’t you—” The driver thought she resembled a celebrity, but he dared not probe further and merely did as he was told since Kristie was grumpy.

In reality, James knew she was trailing him, but he kept mum about it.

Casting a glance at the rearview mirror, he noticed that taxi was still on his trail, so he told Rayna to take another road. They took a turn at every intersection they encountered until they managed to shake off the taxi.

Rayna also noticed something amiss. She hesitated for a moment before finally asking her brother, “Did you not pay her enough? The women there aren’t easy to deal with. You didn’t leave her your number or anything, right?”

As soon as he realized what she was thinking, James’ lips twitched. “I didn’t do anything of that sort, Rayna.”

“It’s all right. You’re all grown up, so it’s good that you’re educating yourself on those matters. A word of advice, you should always use protection. It’s also for your own safety—”

 

Chapter 159

Chapter 159 Sexual Orientation

“Stop,” James interrupted. “You’re overthinking, Rayna.”

“Who’s the girl who answered the phone?”

Rayna refused to let the matter go. James massaged his temples and came up with a lie. “It wasn’t a girl. It was one of my buddies. His voice’s a little delicate, that’s all.”

Shocked by the revelation, Rayna stepped on the brake, causing the car to come to an abrupt halt. A hint of surprise surfaced in her eyes as she looked at her brother. “You’re… gay?”

James’ expression darkened at once. “No!”

Rayna, however, thought he was trying to conceal his sexual orientation. As naturally as she could, she said, “It’s fine. Our society has developed and become much more accepting, but let’s not tell Mom for now, all right? We’ll find another time.”

James was bereft of words, and for the rest of the journey, the atmosphere was awkward.

Rayna knew that homosexuals tend to feel less confident about themselves. They were afraid that they would be shunned by society.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind as long as you’re happy. Plenty of countries are legalizing gay marriage now. Society is very accepting of you, and I’m the same. Besides, you guys wouldn’t have to worry about children. That’s great, isn’t it?” Rayna attempted to console her brother, stammering through her words as she did so.

James said nothing in response and stared out the window, his face devoid of expression.

The siblings arrived at Linda’s house just in time for lunch. She had prepared numerous dishes for them and didn’t forget to nag about their sister, Roxanne, who only thought of work and didn’t bother coming home before heading overseas for her movie shoot.

Linda placed some food on James’ plate. Her tone was much gentler when she asked him, “James, how’s school?”

Rayna arched her brow and chimed in, “Mom, don’t you know how he is? He’s always been an obedient child. When did he ever let you down in terms of studies?”

“That’s good, then.” Linda nodded. After a moment of hesitation, she added, “I’ve been working at the library these days and noticed that many youngsters have a significant other. If you’ve met a girl you like, you can get to know her better. I’m fine with that as long as you don’t neglect your studies.”

Rayna choked on a mouthful of soup and started coughing.

“Are you okay?” Linda asked while pouring her a cup of water.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Rayna gulped down the water and cast a guilty glance at her mother. Your son has a significant other, but it’s not a girlfriend.

“Mom, don’t worry about that. James is all grown up. He knows what he’s doing,” she added before switching the topic. “Also, I bought a house. You should move there when it’s ready.”

“I’m perfectly fine here. Why did you waste money on another house?”

“This house is old and humid. Besides, you’re not well. I don’t think you should continue living here.”

“Sell that house off, Rayna.” After leaving the sales department that day, James had been following Kristie to her movie shoot. He had been so busy that he had forgotten to tell his sister about the house he had bought. “I bought one too.”

Taken aback, Rayna asked, “Which one?”

“The one we went to view.”

“The one that costs almost ten million?” Rayna gasped upon recalling the events of that day in question. “I was wondering how the house was sold by the time I came back from the restroom. So it was you who bought it! Where did you get that much money?”

“I have a bit of money saved up, so I placed a down payment. As for the remainder, I’ll pay it off in monthly installments.”

“I’ll think of a way to cancel the purchase.” Since the real estate company was under Faymon Group, Rayna figured she’d be able to cancel the purchase after talking to Curtis about it.

“Why? Don’t you like that house?” James didn’t agree with his sister. “I can afford monthly payments of tens of thousands.”

It’s just that I’m paying Kristie instead.

Rayna didn’t want him to shoulder too much of a burden, but he thought the house was best and insisted on keeping it. Meanwhile, Linda cared about the money, but the siblings wouldn’t listen to her at all.

After the meal, Rayna pulled James aside and whispered, “Tell me, did you borrow money from your… lover to buy the house?”

His school was notorious for being a cheapskate and constantly trying to make money from their students. There was no way they’d give their students monetary handouts.

James didn’t want to continue correcting her about his sexual orientation. After all, he knew his sister would ignore him no matter how many times he insisted he was straight. He merely said, “I took out a

loan to purchase the house. You and Mom can just move in without worrying about anything.”

After a moment of silence, Rayna patted him on the shoulder. “All right. Thank you, James.”

James was so creeped out that goosebumps spread all over him.

He couldn’t help but feel that her words were implying something else.

When they were about to leave in the evening, Linda gave them some side dishes and wine to bring home. Once again, she nagged at the siblings before letting them go.

Rayna dropped James off. On the way back, she was gloomy and depressed.

How can my adorable brother turn out to be gay?

She wasn’t against homosexuals, but she couldn’t help feeling a complicated mix of emotions when one of her family members turned out to be homosexual. Linda was a traditionalist. If she found out about James’ sexual orientation, she’d be devastated.

Rayna basked in the warm and comforting evening sun as she made her way into the mansion with the bottles of wine in her hands. From a distance, she could already see the man’s silhouette. He was looking down, and there was a book on his lap.

Rayna washed some fruits and brought it to the garden.

“Mr. Faymon”—she pulled a chair over, sat next to Curtis, and handed him the plate of fruits—”have some fruits.”

Curtis didn’t spare her a glance.

A day had passed, but the air around him was still so cold and solemn. Rayna was entirely stumped, for she couldn’t understand why he was mad at her.

Why is he mad at me? Is it because… of the call yesterday?

After mulling over the situation, she uttered through gritted teeth, “My mom didn’t mistake you for Julian.”

Curtis finally gave her a glance upon hearing that.

Indeed, the call was the cause of it all.

Looking awkward, Rayna mumbled, “You got drunk on your birthday, and Ms. Gardner asked me to pick you up. You didn’t want to go home, so I took you out to celebrate, and we went back to my place.”

After a brief pause, she added, “I figured it was your birthday, so you should at least enjoy a birthday meal. I had my mom cook something for you, but you were drunk and couldn’t think straight. You addressed my mom exactly the same way I did, so my mom thought you were my new boyfriend.”

Rayna grew more embarrassed the longer the story went on, and by the end of it, she was practically whispering to herself. Despite that, Curtis finally understood the situation, and the crease between his brows vanished.

Her hearing wasn’t bad. Rayna was lying to me.

Curtis remained expressionless as he asked, “Where did you take me? Why don’t I remember?”

“We just went on a stroll.” Rayna laughed dryly.

Fortunately, the man wouldn’t remember what had happened every time he got drunk. Otherwise, things would be awkward between them. If he knew the stupid things he did back then, I’m sure his expression would be far more interesting than mine.

However, Curtis was somewhat dubious.

“Have some fruits, Uncle Curtis. They’re fresh.” Rayna pushed the plate toward him once more. “You’re not mad anymore, are you? In that case, can I ask you a couple of questions?”

“Go on.” It had been a while since she had addressed him as “Uncle Curtis.”

Seeing that he was reaching for the orange, she grabbed it first and peeled it for him while asking, “Do you have… those sorts of friends?”

“What sort of friends?”

Rayna was slightly embarrassed, but she forced herself to continue, “You know… homo…”

It took a while for Curtis to understand her. When realization dawned upon him, he gave her the once- over and questioned, “Why are you asking me that?”

The man’s gaze darkened, and his throat tightened. “You’re not bisexual, are you?”

“No, no! I’m straight,” Rayna said while waving a hand. A blush quickly rose to her face.

Curtis heaved a sigh of relief. He almost got the shock of his life. “I’ve interacted with a few. Why?”

“Really?” Rayna pulled her chair closer to his, landing her inquisitive gaze on him. “In that case, what do they often do, and where do they like to go?”

 

Chapter 160

Chapter 160 Kiss Me Again

“It’s just the same as other people.” Curtis began to realize Rayna’s intentions, so he asked, “Are you curious whether there are any signs when their sexual orientation changes?”

“Yes, that’s right!” Rayna slapped her thigh. “Uncle Curtis, you’re so smart!”

“There aren’t really any signs.”

His answer took her by surprise.

Curtis glanced at her and continued, “They’re no different from straight people. When they first meet someone that they’re interested in, they’ll also try to find out if they match well. It’s just that their preference for their partner’s gender is unlike ours.”

“Oh, I see…” Rayna mumbled in a daze.

No wonder I didn’t notice anything off about James, even when I’ve lived with him for so many years.

“Why are you asking about this?” Curtis queried.

Upon hearing his question, she felt like bursting into tears. Her face fell as she groaned, “You know what? I thought my younger brother, whom I’ve grown up with for nearly two decades, was straight. Yet, it turns out that…”

Her voice trailed off as she was too embarrassed to continue.

Curtis remained calm, even throwing a segment of orange in his mouth. “It seems like you can’t accept it, huh?”

“Of course, I can. He’s my brother, so his happiness is all that matters. It’s just that my mother…” At the thought of the conservative Linda, Rayna twiddled with her hair in distress. “If she finds out that James likes men, she might have a heart attack from shock.”

He had to suppress his urge to laugh when he saw her disheveled hair and troubled expression.

Smoothening her hair with his fingers, he uttered in a deep voice, “That is your brother’s problem, so it’s up to him to solve it. You stressing about it won’t help. Stop pulling at your hair. You don’t have much in the first place.”

Rayna slapped his hand away in disgust and moved backward. “Mr. Faymon, don’t touch me. You just held the oranges, so your fingers are sticky now. My hair is stained.”

The corner of Curtis’ lips twitched when he heard her impudent words.

Meanwhile, James had no idea that the fib he told his sister had labeled him as a homosexual.

He returned to the condominium with the packed food in his hands.

The moment he opened the door, he was greeted with a huge mess. The clean and tidy apartment he walked out of in the morning was then littered with scripts, snacks, and stuffed toys.

Kristie lay on the couch lazily in her velvet pajamas, looking like a typical couch potato.

James could not help but feel impressed by her drastic transformation. In the morning, she left the house all dolled up to trail after him. Yet, in just a few hours, she had removed her makeup and lay sprawled on the couch.

“Eat your lunch.” He cleared away the snacks and placed the lunch he brought on the table, reminding her, “You should cut out these junk foods. They’re unhealthy.”

Kristie scowled and buried her face in the pillow. “I’m not eating. Take it away!”

“I’ll throw it then.” James knew she was throwing a tantrum again, but he did not indulge her. Instead, he picked up the food and headed to the kitchen.

“Ugh, you’re so mean, Gray Wolf!” She sat up from the couch in a huff and threw the pillow at him. “I treat you so well and even bought you a house. What did you do in return?”

Thinking that she was upset about what happened in the morning, James argued, “I told you that you could order takeout if you don’t want to wait. Why are you taking it out on me now?”

I’m a bodyguard, not a punching bag!

Kristie stormed toward him barefoot, her face flushing with anger. “I’m not mad about that! Are you blind? Is she the only woman left in this world? She’s cheating on you! Don’t you know that?”

She got more riled up as she spoke. I’m so unlucky. Not only did I lose Curt, but even my bodyguard was taken away from me! The worst is, it’s the doings of the same woman!

Jabbing James in his chest, she scolded, “You’re such a blind fool! Can’t you just tell me if you need anything? Huh? Why won’t you break up with her when she’s so terrible? Are you going to spend the rest of your life with her? Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you also planning to let that despicable woman live in the house I bought for you?”

Words burst out of her mouth nonstop like bullets shooting out of a machine gun. He lowered his head to stare at her.

How come she has such powerful lungs in that petite body of hers? Not only that, but her voice is so loud. Ow, my ears hurt.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said at last.

“You do! My eyes aren’t here for nothing. I saw her! You clearly do not want to break up with her!” Kristie yelled.

“That’s not true.”

“You’re lying. I saw everything— Mmh!”

Annoyed by her endless rambling, James grabbed the back of her head and sealed her lips with his own. Finally, silence.

He was about to release her, but the sweet taste of milk filled his mouth at that instant. She must’ve had lots of milk-flavored candies just now. Instinctively, he held her closer and deepened the kiss.

Indeed, a girl’s lips are the sweetest.

After a long time, he finally let go of her and only snapped back to his senses when he saw Kristie’s dazed expression. At the realization of what he had just done, he had the urge to slap himself.

What in the world did I just do? How could I do this to Mr. Faymon’s woman?

Feeling embarrassed, James cleared his throat and muttered awkwardly, “I’m going to clean the kitchen.”

Kristie remained in her spot, touching her lips. The recollection of the earlier scene brought a blush to her cheeks.

Although it had been years since she entered the entertainment industry, she always used body doubles or utilized camera angles for her kiss scenes. As someone who had never been kissed, she was surprised to find out how amazing it felt.

Kristie followed James into the kitchen. The moment he turned around, she crashed into his arms and hugged his waist tightly. “Kiss me again!”

“Ms. Winton, please let go.” James tried to yank her off, but she surprisingly held on despite her slim figure.

“No!” She pouted at him and whined, “I like you and also your kiss. Kiss me again.”

It just occurred to Kristie that her feelings toward James differed from how she felt when she was with Curtis. She admired Curtis a lot, but that was it. James was the one who could make her heart flutter with a kiss.

She finally understood why she was so upset about James having a girlfriend. It was because she had fallen for him.

Kristie looked up at James, her eyes sparkling. “I really like you a lot. If you don’t believe me, you can feel it.” She then took his hand and placed it over her chest. “It’s beating so fast because of you.”

James had never been so intimate with a girl. His body was already stiff from the hug that had been going on for way too long, so when he felt her soft chest, he grew even more flustered.

Feeling short of breath, he uttered through gritted teeth, “Let go of me first!”

“Didn’t you say that you don’t have a girlfriend? I have decided. I’ll be your girlfriend! You’re not allowed to reject me.” In an attempt to kiss him, Kristie stood on her tiptoes and ended up stepping on his slippers.

Without any hesitation, James covered her mouth mercilessly.

“Ms. Winton, stop messing around.”

The next second, he turned as still as a stone. Kristie was blowing on his palm softly, and he could even feel light licks from time to time.

He immediately yanked her off in a swift and forceful motion before glaring at her.

To his surprise, Kristie took the chance to jump on him and wrap her legs around his waist. She smiled smugly and said, “I don’t care. You kissed me without my permission earlier, so you have to return a kiss to me now.”

Then, she grabbed his face and smashed her lips against his.

As she failed to control her strength, her teeth accidentally clashed against his lower lips, which brought a grimace to his face. Flashing him a sheepish smile, she apologized, “Oops, sorry! I missed the target. Let me do it again!”