Ch. 191..200

Chapter 191

Chapter 191 Do Not Apologize

After the woman had stalked off in a huff, Jefferson took a glass of champagne for Rayna and remarked, “You were still too impulsive. You’ll fail in business if you can’t remain calm. Didn’t Curtis teach you that?”

Snatching the champagne from him, Rayna retorted with a harrumph, “I was just irritated by her hoity- toity attitude.”

On second thought, regret crept into her. “I seem to have gone a bit overboard just now. Is she someone important? Will it affect your business? And why didn’t you stop me?”

She shot a barrage of questions at the man.

Chuckling softly, Jefferson drawled airily, “It’s her honor to have an opportunity to speak to us. You may say and do whatever you want with me by your side, for I’ll back you up.”

Rayna sensed her face burning up. She hastily took a gulp of champagne and averted her gaze.

There were many people who knew Jefferson, and they all came up to greet the man. Rayna kept smiling to the point that she could feel that her face had gone stiff. When she could finally take a breather and have a seat, the auction started.

More than thirty items were to be auctioned, and they were all donated by elites or celebrities. No matter the price they ended up fetching, all proceeds would be used to establish charity schools, mobile health vehicles, and the like.

Some would even fork out an exorbitant sum to win a bid for the sake of their reputations. The atmosphere right then was exceedingly lively.

“The next item to be auctioned is a yellow diamond necklace donated by Mr. Charlie Landry!”

The auctioneer opened the box, revealing a yellow diamond necklace lying on top-notch velvet, shimmering brightly.

Feminine gasps rang out all around the banquet hall.

When Rayna cast a glance at the necklace, she could understand their feelings.

Yellow diamonds were common, but those on that particular necklace were of high purity and large in size. If one were to wear it to a dinner or the like, it would be incredibly riveting.

Noticing that she was staring at the necklace, Jefferson asked, “Do you like it?”

“I’m not all that interested in jewelry. Besides, its starting price must be sky-high, considering the size of the yellow diamonds,” Rayna replied. She found it pretty, but she wasn’t really enamored by it.

At that precise moment, the auctioneer announced, “The starting price of this necklace, Passionate, is thirty million!”

Rayna spluttered, almost spewing the champagne she had just drunk. She wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue. “I find the charity dinner tonight no different from an auction. They both aim for money.”

No sooner had she said that than Jefferson lifted his hand, his voice steady and commanding. “Fifty million.”

Immediately, Rayna swung her gaze at him. “Have you lost your mind?”

“It’s just fifty million.” Jefferson chuckled lightly.

“I’ve told you that I don’t want it!”

“I’m not forcing you to take it either. Just smash it for fun if you don’t want it, lest it annoys me to see someone else wearing it.”

That had Rayna dumbfounded.

Out of the blue, a deep male voice drifted over from the right. “Sixty million.”

The familiar voice had her stiffening. Jefferson, on the other hand, frowned.

A few seconds passed before Rayna cast her eyes to the right.

Her gaze bypassed everyone, alighting on the man under the spotlight, who had austere features and crimson lips. He sat there in a wheelchair quietly with a thin blanket on his lap, looking entirely indifferent.

Why is he here?

She saw quite a number of people sitting around Curtis, and they were seemingly whispering about his participation in the bidding. On instinct, she made to stand up and go over, only to see a thin and slender woman sitting beside him. The woman seemed to be leaning very close to him as though saying something to him.

It was none other than Jasmine.

Sitting back down, Rayna suppressed the discomfiture within her.

Jefferson noted that subtle movement of hers. When he placed a bid again, his voice was low and cold. “Seventy million.”

Likewise, Curtis followed suit. “Eighty million.”

“This is too boring.” Jefferson shot a look in Curtis’ direction with a smirk on his lips before stating, “A hundred million.”

By then, the auctioneer’s hands were shaking.

This is just a charity dinner, yet a single necklace reached such an exorbitant price!

“Mr. Hamilton is offering a hundred million. Are you bidding further, Mr. Faymon?” He trained his gaze on Curtis.

“No,” Curtis answered.

“Passionate is hereby sold for a hundred million! Congratulations, Mr. Hamilton!”

As it was a charity dinner, there weren’t all that many complex procedures. Soon, the necklace was delivered to Jefferson.

“I’ll put it on for you.” Jefferson unfastened the clasp of the necklace.

However, Rayna shook her head. “I really don’t like it, Jefferson. Just keep it.”

“So, you’d prefer to smash it?”

Rayna could tell that the man didn’t seem to be joking. He might really have someone bring a hammer over if I were to decline again.

Deflating, she turned around and allowed him to put the necklace on for her.

Jefferson took off the diamond pendant hanging on her neck and tossed it away as though it was a piece of trash. Grinning, he gently put on the yellow diamond necklace for her.

She deserves the best!

Two and a half hours later, everything had been auctioned off. The lightning turned flashy, and music started drifting through the air.

It was then the final dance segment.

Pulling Rayna into the center of the dance floor, Jefferson placed his hand on her waist and stared at her greedily. It was as though he couldn’t get tired of looking at her. The two of them swayed slowly to the music.

“Stop looking at me like this. Dance properly.” Verily, Rayna couldn’t stand his scorching gaze.

“Will you remember tonight?”

Rayna said nothing.

Chortling softly, Jefferson continued, “I will. I’ll remember these seven days, every second we were together, and the places we’ve been. In fact, I’ll even draw them out.”

Subsequently, he rested his forehead against hers, sounding a touch servile. “Belle, can you forgive me?”

Memories of all those events flooded Rayna, and she inexorably stiffened.

“I’m sorry.”

He hurt me too much. I’ve tried my hardest for such a long time, but still, I couldn’t forget the pain he inflicted on me.

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Jefferson murmured.

I’m in no hurry, for there’s still time. There’s definitely still time. When I ask her this question again, she’ll forgive me.

A sudden stabbing pain in his chest robbed him of all air.

Sensing that his arms were trembling, Rayna hurriedly inquired, “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

Jefferson shook his head and fibbed, “I just remembered that there’s something I forgot to handle.”

Pulling her away from the dance floor, he removed the camellia from his suit jacket and placed it into her hand solemnly. “I’ve got to leave first. Wait here, and someone will come to pick you up.”

“Hey! Hey, Jefferson!”

At the sight of him hastening away, Rayna followed stumblingly. Just when she had arrived downstairs after much difficulty, she saw him bending and climbing into a car. In the next second, the car sped away.

A strange feeling welled within her.

It felt as though they wouldn’t have an opportunity to meet again after parting ways this time.

When she was about to head back to the hotel, she bumped into Curtis, who was on his way out. Jasmine wasn’t with him.

Curtis wheeled himself out in the wheelchair, his expression as dark as thunder. “Why didn’t you tell me about it, Rayna? Do you think Jefferson could stir up a storm just because he got his hands on Faymon Group’s shares?”

Crap! So he already found out about it.

Pursing her lips, Rayna replied in feigned nonchalance, “It’s nothing. We’re considered friends, so it’s great that I can get the shares back just by going on a vacation with him.”

“I don’t need you to use such a method to regain Faymon Group’s shares! You’d better not get involved with him. Otherwise, no one would be able to save you if something were to happen.” Curtis’ tone was hard and unyielding.

Rayna’s temper spiked at his beratement. “Was I supposed to sit around and wait for Faymon Group to go bankrupt without doing anything? Do you think I wanted this crappy job? I’d long since grown sick of it!”

She had been haunted by guilt because he took the fatal blow for her, thereby crippling his legs. For that reason, she hoped that he and Faymon Group could be well at all times.

If I’d known that feeling guilty would be so exhausting, I’d rather he hadn’t protected me!

 

Chapter 192

Chapter 192 It Will Not Be The Same

Massaging his temples, Curtis uttered, “Forget it. I’ll send you back.”

Recalling the scenes she witnessed in the banquet hall, Rayna grew irate, her voice tinged with a hint of envy. “No, thanks! I wish you and Ms. Sanders a blissful honeymoon!”

“What honeymoon? I can’t walk, so I had her send me to Hallsbay. What were you thinking?” Curtis shot her a look, the expression on his face strange.

Huh?

Mortification swept over Rayna at that instance.

So, he only wanted someone to accompany him because of his limited mobility? It was all because of Kristie’s claim that I misunderstood!

Nonetheless, she stated blasely, “Oh well, I was merely saying that since the two of you are engaged. So, why did you come here?”

Crossing both hands on his lap, Curtis regarded her with a smirk. “Why else, if not because someone did something foolish behind my back? I was afraid that something would happen to her, so I came.”

“I didn’t do anything foolish!” Rayna retorted. No longer in the mood to speak to him, she stalked down the stairs and climbed into the car parked at the entrance.

Meanwhile, Curtis remained on the stairs. “Aren’t you going to help me?”

“Get moving yourself!”

Curtis merely stared at her expressionlessly.

Only when Rayna had finished saying that did she remember that the man was in a wheelchair and couldn’t get moving by himself. Stifling her laughter, she got out of the car and retraced her steps to lend him a hand.

As she scrutinized his physique, she had the urge to try and lift him. “How about I carry you?”

I bet he hasn’t gained any weight since he’s just been sitting in the wheelchair all day.

“I’d like to retain some dignity. If you dare do so, Rayna, you’ll be dead.” Curtis clutched at the armrests, fearful that she would scoop him up. His voice was as cold as ice.

At that, Rayna curled her lips.

After expending much effort, she finally settled the man into the car. She then told the driver to drive them back to Bulgari Hotel. Finding the diamonds on her neck too cumbersome, she wanted to remove the necklace.

Unexpectedly, the clasp was too intricate that she couldn’t unfasten it even after trying for a long while.

Left with no other choice, she could only seek help from Curtis. “Please help me for a bit, Mr. Faymon. I can’t unfasten it.”

Curtis found the yellow diamond necklace exceedingly irritating, so his face was blanketed with a layer of frost when he moved to unclasp it. “How generous of Jefferson to buy this necklace for a hundred million!”

“It wasn’t that he was generous. Instead, you two had nothing better to do and jacked the price up! This necklace is only worth fifty million or so at most, yet both of you just had to bid on it. It’s a blessing if half of the money goes to those who really need it!” Rayna scoffed.

That was a hundred million!

Her heart ached at the mere thought of it.

I could’ve bought a sizeable mansion and reared a cat or a dog with that much money. Yet, Jefferson purchased this necklace, telling me to smash it if I disliked it. Well, I suppose money is just paper in the hands of a wealthy heir!

Curtis’ eyes narrowed into slits, and he pinched the back of her neck with moderate strength. Clapping a hand over her neck, Rayna promptly snapped her head back and glared at him. “Why did you pinch me?”

“My hands slipped while unfastening the necklace. I thought you liked that diamond pendant a lot. Why aren’t you wearing it?” Curtis questioned airily, handing her the yellow diamond necklace.

“Jefferson took it off just now.” While saying that, Rayna rummaged in her bag, presuming that Jefferson placed it there. Alas, she couldn’t find it even after turning everything inside out. “Huh? Why isn’t it here?”

At once, Curtis remembered seeing Jefferson throwing something away earlier. Well, I suppose it was the diamond pendant.

“Forget it if you lost it,” he sneered.

Rayna almost went unhinged. “You’re all insane! That necklace was a customized piece by Van Cleef & Arpels, at the very least! That’s money! I’m going to lose my mind sooner or later to mix with the lot of you so much!”

She had the driver return to the hotel.

Seeing her in such a panic, Curtis felt inexplicably relieved, and his knitted brows relaxed. “You like it that much?”

“I care about the money!”

When the car arrived back at the hotel, Rayna hurriedly climbed out of the car. By the time she made her way to the banquet hall, all the guests had left, and seven to eight janitors were cleaning the place.

Crap!

Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to find the diamond pendant, she went to the manager on duty and explained the situation, asking to check the surveillance footage.

From the surveillance footage, they saw that a janitor happened to sweep the diamond pendant with the trash while cleaning and threw it into a large trash bag. Then, the trash bag which was filled to the brim was dragged out by another janitor.

When Rayna and the manager on duty went to the back of the hotel, the trash in the trash can had been taken away by the garbage truck.

Just then, Curtis, who had waited an eternity for her to return, showed up.

“Forget it since it’s already taken to the dumping ground. I’ll have another necklace customized for you,” Curtis coaxed. He was no longer angry after discerning that she really cherished the necklace he gave her.

However, Rayna shook her head. “It won’t be the same.”

She ordered the driver to send Curtis back to the hotel first while she went to the dumping ground with the manager on duty.

Unbeknownst to her, her inadvertent words had an indescribable emotion pervading Curtis. He didn’t return to the hotel but had the driver tail the two of them instead.

Before reaching the dumping ground, the various rotten stench wafting in the air triggered the urge to heave from afar.

There were too many black trash bags at the dumping ground. Putting on a mask, Rayna and the manager on duty alighted from the car and split up to search. She was lucky, for she successfully secured the location of the trash that had been delivered a while ago.

Ripping the trash bags open, she rummaged through innumerable rubbish, the pungent stink penetrating through the mask. She had never expected her first visit to a dumping site to be in search of a necklace.

Needless to say, it meant a lot to her.

It was a gift from Curtis before disaster struck them. If it weren’t for the necklace supporting her and encouraging her, she would probably still be timid, unable to take the position of acting CEO of Faymon Group.

“Found it!”

At long last, Rayna whipped out the necklace from a mound of cream frosting. Although it was filthy, the diamond still sparkled under the light.

Curtis remained more than ten meters away from her.

He had mild germaphobia, so he really couldn’t believe that he actually came to such a place. His brows were creased so deeply that they might leave permanent marks. But seeing the bright smile on her face as she gazed at the diamond pendant she had recovered, he found everything bearable.

While the diamond pendant had been found, it was too dirty. After rinsing it with water, Rayna wrapped it in a piece of tissue before taking a taxi back to Bulgari Hotel with Curtis.

She went up to the reception desk and booked a room for him.

“Which room are you in?” Curtis queried casually.

“The presidential suite.”

“In that case, there’s no need to book another room. I’ll stay with you. It’s just a night anyway,” Curtis suggested.

“Wouldn’t that be inappropriate? I prepared it for Jefferson, after all.” In order to cheer Jefferson up during the seven-day vacation, Rayna begrudgingly spent a fortune and reserved the presidential suite. If she were to move out, it would be too much of a waste.

“Can he occupy all the rooms when there are so many? Besides, I have limited mobility. You’re asking me to stay alone?” Not only was Curtis unfazed by her remark, but he even flaunted his legs on purpose.

“You can ask Ms. Sanders—”

Curtis cut her off right away, his tone disgruntled. “She said she isn’t free!”

That left Rayna without any further arguments.

Fine, then.

Hence, she told the receptionist that she had changed her mind and kept her card before wheeling Curtis away.

She hadn’t gone far when the two receptionists’ gossiping voices drifted into her ears.

“Wow, this lady is really voracious! Where does she find such handsome men? I wonder what tactics she pulled.”

“Well, she’s truly ravenous to even make a move against someone in a wheelchair!”

“I don’t mind the wheelchair if I’ve got such a handsome boyfriend. I can do all the work while he relaxes!”

What the h*ll?

The conversation between the two receptionists was just too filthy that Rayna couldn’t stand it anymore. She stormed back and slammed her purse onto the reception desk, giving the duo such a shock that they stared at her blankly.

Chapter 193 Heartless Woman

With a half smile on her face, Rayna said, “Excuse me, ladies. If you want to gossip, could you have at least waited for me to enter the elevator before doing that? Or are you intentionally saying it for me to hear?”

“S-Sorry,” one of the receptionists stammered.

“I have already noted down your employee numbers!” Rayna glanced at their name tags before letting out a cold snort and turning to leave.

She was going to file a complaint about their behavior after she went up.

Upon returning to the presidential suite, Rayna ignored Curtis and started washing her diamond pendant with soap. She only wore it back on after making sure that there was no more odd smell. Then, she carefully put the yellow diamond necklace aside, intending to return it to Jefferson when she had the chance.

When Curtis came over to look for the woman, he cast a glance at the diamond pendant that was hanging on her neck before asking, “Which room is mine?”

“Choose whichever room you like!” Rayna said before continuing, “It’s the last day anyway. There’s no problem even if you want to switch rooms every hour.”

“I don’t like sleeping in other people’s room.”

Only then did Rayna realize that the man was afraid that he might end up picking Jefferson’s room. Feeling amused, she said, “You can check every room to see if his belongings are there.”

As she spoke, she pushed open the door to Jefferson’s room.

Rayna froze at what she saw. The room was extremely clean and neat. Not only were there no clothes hung on the rack, but there was also nothing on the desk as well. It was as if no one had been staying there. “Why…”

This is unmistakenly Jefferson’s room. Why are his belongings all gone?

Is he not intending to come back?

Curtis said placidly, “Didn’t you guys agree on seven days? It’s not surprising that he had left.”

“How did you know about that?” Rayna turned to look at the man.

The seven-day agreement between Rayna and Jefferson was made privately between just the both of them. Curtis was not supposed to know about it.

“He was the one who picked up when I called you previously,” Curtis said. “He told me that the two of you were going to tour Hallsbay for seven days. I know your character very well. I came over because I guessed that you did that to get back Faymon Group’s shares.”

Rayna immediately checked her call log but was unable to find any records of the call from Curtis that day. Most likely, Jefferson had deleted it.

“Why did he leave without a word?” Rayna frowned. “He hasn’t given me Faymon Group’s shares yet.”

“That’s fine. It wouldn’t affect Faymon Group in any way.”

Rayna shook her head and replied, “No. Jefferson is a man of his word. If he promised to give me the shares, he would definitely do it. He must have left because something urgent cropped up.”

Curtis’ expression darkened before he replied, “If you understand him so well, why were you still hurt by him?”

Rayna twitched her lips, realizing that she might not know Jefferson that well after all.

“I’m going to bed now,” Curtis said coldly before walking into the room next door.

Rayna let out a sigh and was about to return to her room when she heard a dull thud coming from Curtis’ room.

She knocked on the door immediately while asking, “Uncle… Mr. Faymon, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

From the tone of Curtis’ voice, it was obvious that he was trying to suppress something. Given that the man had just entered the room, Rayna assumed that he had not showered yet. As such, she pushed open the door, and immediately, she saw him sprawling on the floor, his wheelchair overturned next to him.

It was a rather miserable sight to behold.

Rayna rushed forward to help Curtis up at once. That was the first time she saw him fall. “How did you fall?”

“How would I know?” the man replied in a frosty tone.

As Curtis was theoretically a patient, Rayna did not want to bicker with him. By the looks of the situation, it seemed as if the man was on his way to the bathroom. Hence, Rayna said, “The bathroom here is not the same as the one in your house. Should I get an attendant to help you?”

“No need!”

“All right, all right, if you insist.” Rayna rolled her eyes and continued petulantly, “I’ll wheel you over then. You can handle the rest yourself. If you need help, just give me a shout.”

What a prideful man!

Rayna felt Curtis’ muscular biceps while helping him back into his wheelchair. However, noticing his slender frame, she suddenly remembered her earlier thought.

The woman moved her hand toward Curtis’ back and said smilingly, “Mr. Faymon, I’ll just carry you to the bathroom. It’s faster that way.”

1The man’s expression changed when he heard that.

Before Curtis could object, Rayna had already bent forward and picked him up. However, he was much heavier than Rayna expected. As such, before she could take a step forward, she lost her balance and fell.

Both of them ended up toppling over on the carpet.

“Why are you so heavy?” Rayna could feel her hand aching from the fall as she propped herself up with much effort and climbed off Curtis. The next moment, she banged her forehead against the man’s chest.

Curtis frowned and replied, “I’ve never said that I was light.”

“But look at you! You’re all skin and bones…” Rayna muttered. Just then, she noticed that the man’s shirt was slightly ripped open from the fall and saw what was underneath. Swallowing the rest of her unfinished sentence, she said, “D*mn that shirt!”

At that instant, Rayna felt extremely awkward. Moreover, she was unable to exert any force with her hands as they were cramping. Looking up at the man, she said, “Mr. Faymon, can you kindly help me up?”

Trying his best to tamp down his anger, Curtis grabbed Rayna by her collar and tried to lift her up.

When Rayna was trying to stand up, she accidentally brushed her hand against the man’s trousers.

She looked toward Curtis at once.

The man froze for a second. Staring at the woman’s flawless face, he gulped subconsciously. “What are you waiting for? Are you having fun feeling me up?”

“I’m standing up!” With a sudden surge of adrenaline, Rayna pushed herself up and distanced herself from Curtis, her face flushed red with embarrassment.

When did Uncle Curtis become such a pervert?

When Rayna was checking out of the hotel the next day, she inquired about Jefferson from the receptionist and found out that he did not return to the hotel the previous night. It seemed like he had indeed left.

When she recalled her dance with Jefferson, Rayna’s arm suddenly twitched. There was something amiss about what the man had said to her as well as his hasty departure.

However, she was unable to pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

“Ms. Garland.”

When Rayna was about to wheel Curtis out of the hotel, they were approached by a tough-looking man who exuded a cold aura.

The man, who seemed like a bodyguard, said to Rayna, “I’m Ringo, Mr. Hamilton’s bodyguard. Can I talk to you in private?”

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Curtis said before wheeling himself outside, giving them some space to talk.

“Where did Jefferson go?” Rayna asked.

“Mr. Hamilton had something to attend to,” Ringo replied coldly as he passed a document to the woman. “Mr. Hamilton wanted me to pass this to you,” he continued.

Rayna flipped open the document and saw that it was a share transfer agreement for Faymon Group’s shares.

Jefferson had kept his promise of transferring his shares of Faymon Group to Rayna unconditionally.

“Please thank him for me.”

Ringo stared at the woman coldly as a hint of hatred flashed in his eyes. “Ms. Garland, do you even have a heart?”

A crease appeared between Rayna’s brows when she heard that. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Ringo replied, “You’re such a heartless woman. How can you have a change of heart so easily? Do you know how much Mr. Hamilton has sacrificed for you? Rayna, this will be your greatest regret in life. You should stick to Curtis like glue.” The man paused and inched closer to Rayna before continuing in a menacing tone, “Because I will grab any opportunity I can to kill you.”

What a cold-hearted woman. How can she continue being so happy when someone is living in misery because of her?

The bodyguard left after saying that, leaving Rayna standing rooted to the ground, feeling confused.

Jefferson’s bodyguard seemed very hostile toward me. Why is that so?

Rayna had an uneasy feeling in her heart. Before she boarded the plane, she tried calling Jefferson but was directed to voicemail instead.

“Sorry. The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.”

He switched off his phone?

Meanwhile, Curtis had just finished a phone call. When he saw Rayna after he returned, there was an unfathomable glint in his eyes. However, he did not say anything, and both of them proceeded to board the plane.

Soon, the plane landed at Norwal City Airport.

Rayna did not expect to see Kristie and James at the airport to pick them up. She was even more surprised that Kristie had not disguised herself. The corners of her mouth twitched before she said, “Have you forgotten that you’re a celebrity? Why are you sashaying around the airport?”

 

Chapter 193

Chapter 193 Heartless Woman

With a half smile on her face, Rayna said, “Excuse me, ladies. If you want to gossip, could you have at least waited for me to enter the elevator before doing that? Or are you intentionally saying it for me to hear?”

“S-Sorry,” one of the receptionists stammered.

“I have already noted down your employee numbers!” Rayna glanced at their name tags before letting out a cold snort and turning to leave.

She was going to file a complaint about their behavior after she went up.

Upon returning to the presidential suite, Rayna ignored Curtis and started washing her diamond pendant with soap. She only wore it back on after making sure that there was no more odd smell. Then, she carefully put the yellow diamond necklace aside, intending to return it to Jefferson when she had the chance.

When Curtis came over to look for the woman, he cast a glance at the diamond pendant that was hanging on her neck before asking, “Which room is mine?”

“Choose whichever room you like!” Rayna said before continuing, “It’s the last day anyway. There’s no problem even if you want to switch rooms every hour.”

“I don’t like sleeping in other people’s room.”

Only then did Rayna realize that the man was afraid that he might end up picking Jefferson’s room. Feeling amused, she said, “You can check every room to see if his belongings are there.”

As she spoke, she pushed open the door to Jefferson’s room.

Rayna froze at what she saw. The room was extremely clean and neat. Not only were there no clothes hung on the rack, but there was also nothing on the desk as well. It was as if no one had been staying there. “Why…”

This is unmistakenly Jefferson’s room. Why are his belongings all gone?

Is he not intending to come back?

Curtis said placidly, “Didn’t you guys agree on seven days? It’s not surprising that he had left.”

“How did you know about that?” Rayna turned to look at the man.

The seven-day agreement between Rayna and Jefferson was made privately between just the both of them. Curtis was not supposed to know about it.

“He was the one who picked up when I called you previously,” Curtis said. “He told me that the two of you were going to tour Hallsbay for seven days. I know your character very well. I came over because I guessed that you did that to get back Faymon Group’s shares.”

Rayna immediately checked her call log but was unable to find any records of the call from Curtis that day. Most likely, Jefferson had deleted it.

“Why did he leave without a word?” Rayna frowned. “He hasn’t given me Faymon Group’s shares yet.”

“That’s fine. It wouldn’t affect Faymon Group in any way.”

Rayna shook her head and replied, “No. Jefferson is a man of his word. If he promised to give me the shares, he would definitely do it. He must have left because something urgent cropped up.”

Curtis’ expression darkened before he replied, “If you understand him so well, why were you still hurt by him?”

Rayna twitched her lips, realizing that she might not know Jefferson that well after all.

“I’m going to bed now,” Curtis said coldly before walking into the room next door.

Rayna let out a sigh and was about to return to her room when she heard a dull thud coming from Curtis’ room.

She knocked on the door immediately while asking, “Uncle… Mr. Faymon, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

From the tone of Curtis’ voice, it was obvious that he was trying to suppress something. Given that the man had just entered the room, Rayna assumed that he had not showered yet. As such, she pushed open the door, and immediately, she saw him sprawling on the floor, his wheelchair overturned next to him.

It was a rather miserable sight to behold.

Rayna rushed forward to help Curtis up at once. That was the first time she saw him fall. “How did you fall?”

“How would I know?” the man replied in a frosty tone.

As Curtis was theoretically a patient, Rayna did not want to bicker with him. By the looks of the situation, it seemed as if the man was on his way to the bathroom. Hence, Rayna said, “The bathroom here is not the same as the one in your house. Should I get an attendant to help you?”

“No need!”

“All right, all right, if you insist.” Rayna rolled her eyes and continued petulantly, “I’ll wheel you over then. You can handle the rest yourself. If you need help, just give me a shout.”

What a prideful man!

Rayna felt Curtis’ muscular biceps while helping him back into his wheelchair. However, noticing his slender frame, she suddenly remembered her earlier thought.

The woman moved her hand toward Curtis’ back and said smilingly, “Mr. Faymon, I’ll just carry you to the bathroom. It’s faster that way.”

1The man’s expression changed when he heard that.

Before Curtis could object, Rayna had already bent forward and picked him up. However, he was much heavier than Rayna expected. As such, before she could take a step forward, she lost her balance and fell.

Both of them ended up toppling over on the carpet.

“Why are you so heavy?” Rayna could feel her hand aching from the fall as she propped herself up with much effort and climbed off Curtis. The next moment, she banged her forehead against the man’s chest.

Curtis frowned and replied, “I’ve never said that I was light.”

“But look at you! You’re all skin and bones…” Rayna muttered. Just then, she noticed that the man’s shirt was slightly ripped open from the fall and saw what was underneath. Swallowing the rest of her unfinished sentence, she said, “D*mn that shirt!”

At that instant, Rayna felt extremely awkward. Moreover, she was unable to exert any force with her hands as they were cramping. Looking up at the man, she said, “Mr. Faymon, can you kindly help me up?”

Trying his best to tamp down his anger, Curtis grabbed Rayna by her collar and tried to lift her up.

When Rayna was trying to stand up, she accidentally brushed her hand against the man’s trousers.

She looked toward Curtis at once.

The man froze for a second. Staring at the woman’s flawless face, he gulped subconsciously. “What are you waiting for? Are you having fun feeling me up?”

“I’m standing up!” With a sudden surge of adrenaline, Rayna pushed herself up and distanced herself from Curtis, her face flushed red with embarrassment.

When did Uncle Curtis become such a pervert?

When Rayna was checking out of the hotel the next day, she inquired about Jefferson from the receptionist and found out that he did not return to the hotel the previous night. It seemed like he had indeed left.

When she recalled her dance with Jefferson, Rayna’s arm suddenly twitched. There was something amiss about what the man had said to her as well as his hasty departure.

However, she was unable to pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

“Ms. Garland.”

When Rayna was about to wheel Curtis out of the hotel, they were approached by a tough-looking man who exuded a cold aura.

The man, who seemed like a bodyguard, said to Rayna, “I’m Ringo, Mr. Hamilton’s bodyguard. Can I talk to you in private?”

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Curtis said before wheeling himself outside, giving them some space to talk.

“Where did Jefferson go?” Rayna asked.

“Mr. Hamilton had something to attend to,” Ringo replied coldly as he passed a document to the woman. “Mr. Hamilton wanted me to pass this to you,” he continued.

Rayna flipped open the document and saw that it was a share transfer agreement for Faymon Group’s shares.

Jefferson had kept his promise of transferring his shares of Faymon Group to Rayna unconditionally.

“Please thank him for me.”

Ringo stared at the woman coldly as a hint of hatred flashed in his eyes. “Ms. Garland, do you even have a heart?”

A crease appeared between Rayna’s brows when she heard that. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Ringo replied, “You’re such a heartless woman. How can you have a change of heart so easily? Do you know how much Mr. Hamilton has sacrificed for you? Rayna, this will be your greatest regret in life. You should stick to Curtis like glue.” The man paused and inched closer to Rayna before continuing in a menacing tone, “Because I will grab any opportunity I can to kill you.”

What a cold-hearted woman. How can she continue being so happy when someone is living in misery because of her?

The bodyguard left after saying that, leaving Rayna standing rooted to the ground, feeling confused.

Jefferson’s bodyguard seemed very hostile toward me. Why is that so?

Rayna had an uneasy feeling in her heart. Before she boarded the plane, she tried calling Jefferson but was directed to voicemail instead.

“Sorry. The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.”

He switched off his phone?

Meanwhile, Curtis had just finished a phone call. When he saw Rayna after he returned, there was an unfathomable glint in his eyes. However, he did not say anything, and both of them proceeded to board the plane.

Soon, the plane landed at Norwal City Airport.

Rayna did not expect to see Kristie and James at the airport to pick them up. She was even more surprised that Kristie had not disguised herself. The corners of her mouth twitched before she said, “Have you forgotten that you’re a celebrity? Why are you sashaying around the airport?”

 

Chapter 194

Chapter 194 Meeting With Meredith

“Well, it’s precisely because I’m behaving so naturally that no one would notice me,” Kristie replied while linking arms with Rayna. “Rayna, are you feeling tired from your business trip? I’ll give you a massage when we’re in the car.”

“Please stop acting this way. I’m not used to it.” Rayna felt goosebumps all over her body. Even though she had accepted Kristie as her brother’s girlfriend, she was still not used to the woman’s enthusiasm.

“That’s all right. You will get used to it soon!”

Kristie pulled Rayna outside, leaving James and Curtis behind, completely ignoring them.

The two men were speechless.

During the car ride back to the city, Kristie tried to ingratiate herself with Rayna by giving the woman a massage and peeling oranges for her.

Witnessing that, Curtis said coldly, “You’re not even married yet, and you have already thrown me aside?”

“That’s nonsense. Curt, you will always have a special place in my heart,” Kristie passed the man a piece of orange and continued shyly, “But Rayna ranks first in my heart. You’re third.”

Rayna was trying her best not to laugh when she heard that.

Curtis scoffed at that remark and said, “I’m the one who is giving you everything and taking care of you, but I’m only third? I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that!”

Kristie clung to Rayna and let out a snort before replying, “You’re so dumb! If Rayna and I have a good relationship, it would be easier for me to trick her to marry you. Can’t you see that I’m helping you?”

When Rayna heard that, she almost choked on her orange.

“Rayna, calm down. I’m not going to snatch away your man.” With a serious expression, Kristie carried on saying, “I will make sure that you have a blissful life, just like me! I’m going to try my best to set you up with Curt!”

Taking a pause, she asked James, who was driving, “Am I right?”

After all, Rayna had not admitted that she liked Curtis. As such, James could not agree directly and gave an ambiguous answer instead. “No matter who my sister likes, I will support her decision.”

“It’s so obvious that your sister likes Curt.” Kristie was not satisfied with her boyfriend’s answer and said, Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com “Previously, when I went to see—”

“See monkeys?” Rayna stuffed a piece of orange into the woman’s mouth to stop her from spouting nonsense. With an awkward smile on her face, she said, “Did you see those giant pandas when you visited the zoo last time?”

Kristie looked at Rayna with a puzzled expression.

The next moment, Rayna leaned closer to Kristie and whispered, “Do you want me to break you guys up?”

Kristie shook her head vigorously and remained quiet and well-behaved throughout the remaining journey.

Observing their interaction, Curtis smiled faintly and shot James a side-eye. Of course, he’s on his sister’s side instead of mine.

When Rayna was on her business trip, Linda had already moved to the new house with James’ help. As such, they drove there directly for dinner.

Linda was delighted to see Rayna and the others.

She had already cooked a stew and was in the midst of preparing other dishes. As Linda was worried that there might not be enough food for everyone, she said to Rayna, “Go with your brother to get some vegetables from the supermarket nearby.”

“Ms. Linda, I’ll go with Rayna instead.” Kristie volunteered to go before saying, “James, stay here and take care of Curt.”

“All right then.”

On the way to the supermarket, Kristie bombarded Rayna with a barrage of questions. “Rayna, why are you not telling Curt that you like him? Did the two of you fight?”

Feeling annoyed by Kristie’s continuous harassment, Rayna simply answered, “No.”

“Then why? Is it because of Ms. Sanders?” After a brief moment of contemplation, Kristie’s expression changed as she continued, “Is it because something happened between Ms. Sanders and Curt, that’s why you…”

“Stop overthinking and look where you are going,” Rayna murmured, wishing that Kristie would just shut up as she had no more energy to entertain the woman.

Kristie kept quiet for a few seconds before starting again.

“Why are the two of you not together? What’s the reason? Would you also consider Theodore, Jeremy or Wyatt? Oh, wait! Wyatt is already attached though.”

Rayna was utterly speechless.

Just when she was on the brink of a mental breakdown, her phone rang.

The woman immediately stepped aside to take the call while Kristie pouted as she waited for Rayna.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Rayna, it’s me.”

The woman on the other side of the line spoke in a hoarse voice and sounded as if her vocal cords had been damaged. However, Rayna immediately figured out who she was. “What’s the matter?”

“I would like to have a chat with you.”

Rayna sneered, “Meredith, who do you think you are? What makes you think I would want to talk to you?”

“I have videos of both of you from the night at Intercontinental,” Meredith replied calmly. Judging by the tone of her voice, it did not sound like she was joking. “In high-resolution. If you won’t talk to me, I will distribute the video right away.”

Rayna bit her lips before composing herself and replying, “If you really have the videos, you would have released them long ago and not waited till now. I can also claim to have a video of you and Julian, but would you believe that?”

“So what if you have it? I don’t care at all. But it’s not the same for you, isn’t it? Besides, what do you think Curtis would feel if he sees the video?” Meredith replied nonchalantly.

The woman suddenly started laughing before she continued, “Faymon Group is in a very precarious position lately. Once the videos are released, I’m sure Faymon Group’s Public Relations Department

would not be able to block the news. By then, everyone would be admiring your stunning performance in the videos!”

Rayna did not want to continue listening to the woman’s nonsense and hung up.

Just as she was about to put her phone away, she received a video message.

Having an ominous feeling, Rayna opened the video that clearly showed a man and a woman entangled with each other.

Even though it lasted for just a few seconds and the faces of the couple could not be seen, Rayna immediately closed the video after noticing the man’s muscular build.

She could hardly believe that Meredith had resorted to using such a despicable tactic!

Rayna inhaled deeply and dialed the number.

“Where should we meet?” she asked through gritted teeth.

After hanging up, Rayna told Kristie that she had something to attend to and asked her to head back first after getting the vegetables.

Noticing the grim expression on Rayna’s face, Kristie did not question further.

Rayna took a cab to the meeting location specified by Meredith and saw a black car parked at the roadside. When she walked over and opened the car door, she saw Meredith sitting inside one of the cars.

Meredith was so skinny that she looked almost anorexic. Her clothes were hanging loose and her cheeks were hollow.

When the woman saw Rayna, she smiled and said, “It’s been a while, Rayna.”

“What do you want?” Rayna went straight to the point.

However, Meredith continued beating around the bush and replied, “There’s no rush. We can talk about it slowly.”

Feeling anxious, Rayna subconsciously fiddled with the ring on her finger. After giving it some thought, she decided to get into the car.

The car started cruising along the road.

As Rayna did not want to continue wasting time with Meredith, she asked again, “What do you want?”

“One hundred million.” The corners of Meredith’s lips curled up into a smirk before she continued, “I know that Faymon Group is collapsing soon, but I believe that as the acting CEO of Faymon Group, you wouldn’t have any trouble getting the money, Ms. Garland.”

“No problem,” Rayna answered calmly. “However, I want to examine the video first.”

“Haha! I’m just pulling your leg. So you really think I’m just after money?” Meredith inched closer to Rayna and said, “Rayna, do you really think I would let you off after all the misery you have caused me?”

If not for this woman, I would not have become someone’s plaything and ended up with nothing!

Hatred filled Meredith’s eyes as she brushed her finger against Rayna’s cheeks. “It’s true that you’re pretty and capable, but there are plenty of women like you. Why is it that you’re so lucky? First, it was Julian, and now, you’ve even hooked up with Curtis. Tsk, tsk. What’s more, your ex-boyfriend is the direct heir of the Terblanc family. You’re indeed the envy of all women!”

When Rayna heard that, her expression darkened. Grabbing Meredith’s wrist, she asked, “How did you know about my ex-boyfriend?”

Inching closer to Rayna, Meredith exhaled on the woman’s face and smiled eerily before replying, “Because someone wants you to die! He said that he would give me anything I want as long as you are dead.”

 

Chapter 195

Chapter 195 I Want You Dead

Rayna rubbed the ring on her finger. Her expression unchanging, she uttered, “You don’t have the video at all. You just want to lure me here so it’ll be easier for you to make a move.”

“That’s right.” Meredith readily admitted, mocking her opponent’s naivety. “The man’s smart. He found someone with a similar build to Curtis and got him to film the video, but I didn’t expect you to fall for it so easily.”

“Everything he has given you, I can give you as well,” said Rayna in an attempt to buy herself as much time as she could. “In fact, I can pretend I didn’t see you here today.”

Meredith shook her head. She appeared crazed as she declared, “You can’t because I want you dead!”

At that moment, a pungent smell wafted into Rayna’s nose.

She couldn’t hold her breath in time, and in a matter of seconds, her vision became blurry. Before losing consciousness, she saw Meredith, who was covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, burst into maniacal laughter.

A few seconds later, Rayna passed out.

Meredith rolled down the car window to circulate the air before removing the handkerchief. Subsequently, she stared at the unconscious woman and hissed, “He said he wants to see her corpse, so I suppose it won’t be a problem if I dismember her limbs.”

“Do as you wish,” said the driver. “But you’re pretty ruthless.”

“She’s the one who put me in this predicament! I lost my man and my job!” She removed the knife from underneath the car seat, and the thrill of taking revenge was evident in her expression. “In fact, I’m

going to send Julian a picture once I’m done with her.”

Meredith wanted him to witness his beloved woman’s death in her hands.

Exhilaration washed over her at the mere thought of that.

She then brought the knife down on Rayna’s neck.

At that moment, something rammed into the back of the car, diverting Meredith’s knife toward the car seat instead. Unable to pull the knife out, she cast a furious gaze out the window.

Are they blind? They can’t even drive properly!

Upon freeing the knife from the car seat, Meredith was about to make another move when the driver’s scream sounded in her ears. She looked over, catching a glimpse of a white sedan driving toward them at full speed.

“Ahhhh!”

Rayna’s eyelids fluttered open when she was woken up by someone vigorously shaking her.

She scanned her surroundings and quickly realized she was in an interrogation room. There was a police officer sitting across from her, and there was nothing on the table between them besides a notepad and a pen.

Impatience was written all over the police officer’s face as he queried, “Where’s the murder weapon?”

“W-What murder weapon?” Rayna was confused, unaware of how she ended up at the police station.

“You’ve murdered someone, yet you’re still putting on an act?” The police officer tossed a stack of photos onto the desk. Meredith was pictured in all of them, and in one of the photos at the top of the stack, she was lying face-down in a pool of blood. The scene was a gruesome sight to behold.

Shocked by what she had seen, Rayna leaned back in her seat. “How did she die?”

“You killed her!” The police officer slammed the desk in dismay. “You did it because you harbored resentment for her after she took your husband away from you, so where’s the murder weapon?”

“I didn’t!” she protested. “She tricked me into getting in the car so she could kill me. I was rendered unconscious by her, and by the time I woke up, I was here.”

“I think you’re just acting,” the police officer said icily. “We took your blood and ran some tests. There was no trace of drugs in your system at all. Besides, when we got to the crime scene…”

He handed the report of the blood test to her and pulled out the photo from the bottom of the stack.

“Your hands were covered in blood, but the murder weapon was nowhere to be found,” he continued.

Rayna stared at the photo, in which she was unconscious with blood on her hands. She then glanced at her hand and her arm, noticing it was still stained with blood. A look of disbelief crossed her face as she yelled, “What’s going on?”

I was definitely knocked out by a drug, so how could the blood test end up negative?

Meanwhile, it was far from peaceful outside.

By the time James caught up to the tracking device and arrived at the indicated location, the road was a complete mess. Multiple cars were utterly destroyed and barely recognizable while countless police officers and journalists surrounded the area.

The special ring he had given Rayna was lying in a pool of blood that had since dried up.

A sense of uneasiness arose within him, and he asked the police officer that was nearest to him, “What happened here?”

“The CEO of Faymon Group committed a murder.” The officer reckoned the news had already been published by various media outlets and didn’t bother concealing the truth from James. “Apparently, it was out of hatred as the victim stole her husband.”

“Was it Rayna Garland?”

“Oh, that’s right.” The officer sighed. “I just don’t get why she had to ram her car into another car. She could’ve just committed the murder and called it a day. What’s wrong with her?”

James instantly turned around, intending to head to the police station. Just then, he bumped into Curtis, who had just arrived at the scene.

“Someone plotted this and wanted to kill my sister,” said James with a grim expression. “She’s the CEO of Faymon Group. The company will suffer if she’s convicted of murder, so tell me, who did this?”

Knowing whose handiwork this was, Curtis uttered, “No one would dare harm your sister. I’ll take care of this.”

James clenched his hands, but ultimately, he refrained from acting rashly. “I had my suspicions from the very beginning, but now, I’m sure you’ve dragged her into the Faymon family’s internal strife.”

“I have my own plans.”

“You’re using her!” James grabbed hold of the other man’s collar and spat through gritted teeth, “My sister has given her all for Faymon Group, but you merely see her as a pawn!”

A crease appeared between Curtis’ brows. Disliking the feeling of being tugged at, he pulled James’ hand away.

“She belongs to Faymon Group. Naturally, she has to help me. But I have never once thought of her as a mere pawn.”

“Mr. Faymon, are you trying to mislead me?” James scoffed. “You’d better get her out of there in one piece. If there’s so much as a scratch on her, I won’t let the Faymon family off, least of all you!”

“Curt, what happened to you two?”

The tension in the air was palpable by the time Kristie arrived, with James exuding a murderous aura.

“What happened?” She held onto his hand. “Where did Rayna go?”

“Ask Curtis!” He shook her hand off and proceeded to yank the bracelet she had given him off of his wrist. After throwing the bracelet to the ground, he turned around and left.

“James! James Griffith!” Kristie stomped her feet in annoyance, and by the time she caught up to him, he had already gotten into the car.

Seeing how coldly he was treating her, she began sobbing aggrievedly.

Kristie went back to pick the bracelet up and asked Curtis between sobs, “Curt, what happened? Why is James so angry to the point he treated me like that?”

“You should go back first,” he replied in a low voice.

However, she wanted to get to the bottom of things and refused to leave. “But what happened?”

“Gabriel.”

As soon as Curtis said that, Gabriel, who had disappeared for the past few months, instantly appeared.

He forced Kristie into the car, saying, “I’ll send you home, Ms. Winton. Rest assured, Mr. Faymon will take care of everything.”

Shortly after, the car drove off.

Curtis looked at the ghastly crime scene, his finger tapping against the armrest of his wheelchair. The look on his face was as cold as ice.

Have we gotten to the climax?

The news of Faymon Group’s acting CEO committing murder took the internet by storm and cast a deep gloom on the company, which was already on shaky ground. To make matters worse, the Securities Regulatory Commission set its eyes on Faymon Group.

As such, the company was at risk of bankruptcy at any given moment.

Curtis returned to the Faymon residence and gave Sienna a call, requesting her return.

Two hours later, she arrived at the residence wearing a navy gown that made her look elegant and graceful.

She met Curtis in the garden and flashed the man a calm smile as she spoke. “Curtis, you should be handling Faymon Group’s affairs at the moment. How do you have time to have tea with me?”

“I’m just a cripple. There’s nothing much I can do,” said Curtis as he poured his aunt a cup of tea. “It’s my incapability that led to Faymon Group’s downfall. I’m sorry for disappointing the family.”

Sienna took a sip of tea. Her tone was gentle as she voiced, “How can that be? We’re all well aware of your capabilities, and I believe you’ll be able to help Faymon Group overcome this crisis.”

“Are you not worried about the company, Aunt Sienna?”

“I am, but there’s nothing I can do either. Faymon Group strictly prohibits more than one member of the Faymon family to intervene in company affairs. Thus, even if I wanted to help, there’s nothing I can do.”

 

Chapter 196

Chapter 196 A Change Of Hands

Curtis instantly understood what she was implying and curled the corner of his lips into a smile.

He scanned the beautiful scenery that the garden offered and nonchalantly queried the woman, “Aunt Sienna, do you think this is a great residence?”

“It’s been around for a few centuries. Of course, it’s great.” A flash of displeasure flitted past her eyes.

The residence wasn’t split by members of the Faymon family. Instead, Alfred gave it to Curtis alone.

“If you like it, Aunt Sienna, I’ll gift it to you,” said Curtis as he refilled her cup. His tone was laced with respect as he added, “Along with seventy percent of Faymon Group’s shares as well.”

Alfred gave all of his shares to this adopted son of his?

The look in Sienna’s eyes darkened at that thought, but she still maintained a gentle smile on her countenance. “Why are you doing this all of a sudden? Alfred gave the residence and Faymon Group’s shares to you, so how can I accept them?”

“In exchange, I hope you’ll let Rayna off.”

“Ms. Garland made a mistake. What does that have to do with me?” queried Sienna.

At that, Curtis stopped beating around the bush with his aunt. “You and I both know what exactly happened. It won’t be good for either of us if we were to lay it all out. As long as you’re willing to let her go, I’ll agree to any and all of your terms.”

Sienna turned to look at him upon hearing his words. “Curtis, I know your personality best. You’re not one to make rash decisions. She’s just a woman. What is it about her that you like?”

“Even the calmest person would lose their composure after knowing love.” He sighed lightly. “Besides, she lost her child, and I’d like to make it up to her.”

Just then, Gabriel came over to them and handed Curtis a folder.

Curtis pushed it toward Sienna and said in a low voice, “Aunt Sienna, on account of our aunt-nephew relationship, I hope you’ll fulfill this humble request of mine.”

“In addition to the residence and Faymon Group’s shares, there’s also one billion in cash. Don’t worry. As soon as you agree, I’ll announce my departure from the company, and thereupon, I won’t intervene in any of its affairs,” he added.

Sienna glanced through the documents.

Everything he was giving her was stated clearly in the contract, and there were a few additional items included. Greatly satisfied by the offer, the woman wore an amicable smile on her face.

“I won’t disallow it if that’s what you wish to do,” she said, closing the folder. “But you were ruthless toward Jason back then, and your Uncle Chester isn’t happy about that.”

In an indifferent tone, Curtis uttered, “He did that to himself, Aunt Sienna. Besides, Uncle Chester doesn’t have any shares in the company. Are you sure you want to work with him?”

“Of course, not. I’m just reminding you to be careful, that’s all.” As she spoke, Sienna rose from her seat. “All right, I’m very happy with our meeting today. For that reason, I’ll take care of Ms. Garland’s matter.”

He inclined his head in acknowledgment. “In that case, I’ll leave it to you. Thank you, Aunt Sienna.”

Gabriel saw the woman off and returned a few minutes later. A hint of panic flashed in his eyes as he looked at Curtis.

“Mr. Faymon, isn’t that too risky of a move?”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” The man continued savoring the tea. It was good but not as good as the one Rayna made for him. As such, he set his cup down in disdain after taking only one sip.

“Well, that’s not wrong…” Gabriel murmured before asking, “Then, what about Ms. Garland?”

A menacing smile spread across Curtis’ face as he reassured his assistant, “No one would dare lay a finger on Rayna. I only said that to ensure she’d let her guard down.”

She dares to touch my woman and attempt to usurp Faymon Group from me? Hmph! I’d like to see if Sienna can handle what’s to come.

Besides being mistreated on her first day in the police station, Rayna was treated fairly well by the police officers on the subsequent days she spent there, and they even prepared a small private room for her.

Most importantly, they stopped torturing her to get a statement out of her.

Despite having told them everything she knew, the police officers refused to let her call her family, citing her being a suspect as the reason. They didn’t allow her to go out of her room, nor did they allow her to make a call.

After being cooped up in the police station for seven days, Rayna was finally released.

The perpetrator who murdered Meredith was found, and it was the driver of the white sedan that rammed into Meredith’s car. Apparently, he was hired by the wife of an old CEO to kill the woman. The driver was plagued by mental illnesses, so after committing the crime, he rammed straight into Meredith’s car and ran away with the murder weapon.

However, Rayna didn’t believe that was what happened at all.

Meredith wanted to kill me, but she ended up dead, while I was framed for her murder. Seven days later, the police caught the real perpetrator out of the blue and released me. What on earth is going on? Who is behind this, and why did they frame me?

Afraid that Linda and James would be worried sick because of her, she switched on her phone, intending to give them a call. Numerous messages and notifications of missed calls popped up as soon as the phone was switched on, and before she could dial the number, a call came in.

Upon picking up the call, Rayna asked, “What is it, Ms. Gardner?”

“Ms. Garland, I should be picking you up after your acquittal, but I really can’t make it.” Naomi’s voice was laced with anxiousness. “This morning, Mr. Faymon and Ms. Sienna came to the office.”

Rayna furrowed her brows as she queried, “What is Ms. Sienna doing in Faymon Group? Even if I’m enmeshed in trouble, Mr. Faymon and the vice CEO should be in charge of the company’s affairs. Ms. Sienna isn’t a member of the company.”

“Old Mr. Faymon gave his shares to Ms. Sienna,” explained Naomi. “And Mr. Faymon also gave his shares to her. Now, the biggest shareholder of Faymon Group is none other than Ms. Sienna.”

What?

Rayna was stunned. She had no time to dwell on that and quickly hailed a taxi.

Unfortunately for her, most taxis were booked due to the bad weather. Failing to hail one after ten minutes, she hurried to the bus station instead.

Those are the shares I painstakingly recovered. Why did Curtis give them to Ms. Sienna? What on earth is he thinking?

Rayna boarded the bus as soon as it pulled into the station.

Soon after, thunder strikes reverberated throughout the sky as the rain began to pour. The window was clouded over by mist, and the bus slowed down due to the rain.

Rayna was anxious and kept fiddling with her phone.

Changing hands of a company, especially one that was in imminent danger like Faymon Group, attracted the attention of countless media outlets. Thus, it didn’t take long for the news to spread like wildfire, and many media outlets staked out at the entrance of Faymon Group.

They knew that as soon as the meeting was over, Faymon Group would have to hold a press conference, which they’d be able to attend.

The traffic became congested due to the pouring rain, and the bus came to a halt.

“I’ll get down here,” said Rayna to the bus driver. At that point, she was only two stops away from Faymon Group Tower. The door had barely opened when she dashed out of the bus and began sprinting in the rain.

She had to get to the bottom of this.

She had to ask the man why he decided to hand Faymon Group over to Sienna.

Rayna was completely soaked in the rain as she neared Faymon Group Tower. Standing across the street, she watched the live footage that was showing on the massive screen of the building.

The door to the conference room was pushed open, and in came a bunch of people who were clad in suits.

Sienna was wearing a dark purple dress that reached her toes. She looked as elegant as always, and one could feel the happiness she was radiating through the screen. Meanwhile, Curtis was next to her, seated in his wheelchair, his expression as cold as ice.

A few of the media outlets that were on Faymon Group’s service rushed to the front and pointed their microphones at Sienna. “Ms. Sienna, is it true that you’re Faymon Group’s largest shareholder?”

Sienna nodded with a smile plastered on her face. “That’s right. My nephew, Curtis, has been working too hard, and I wish to give him a well-deserved break. I’ll be taking over Faymon Group from now onward.”

“Faymon Group’s shares have been dropping, and many of its factories have closed. How do you plan on resolving that?”

“I’ll definitely provide the public with a satisfactory explanation.”

 

Chapter 197

Chapter 197 Curtis Is Lying To You

Rayna could not care less about what Sienna was telling the media but fixated her gaze on Curtis. The man was pursing his lips, and his expression remained cold.

This is so weird. He looks so calm and unconcerned about giving up Faymon Group. Why?

Meanwhile, someone hidden in a dark corner aimed a silenced gun at Rayna’s heart. A few seconds later, the person pulled the trigger. The silver bullet pierced through the rain, flying toward her heart.

“Rayna!”

A deafening shout rang out behind her, and the voice was familiar.

Before she could turn around, a figure had already pounced on her. Following the sound of something piercing into the flesh, she was thrown hard onto the ground with the person collapsing on her.

She could barely open her eyes in the rain. Only after she wiped her face did she realize the person was Julian. Completely soaked, he frowned as he breathed hard, gasping for air.

“Julian, how did you…” When she tried to push him away, she found her hands sticky and gazed down —the man’s shirt was stained red with blood.

It took him a while before he lifted his head to look at her, panting. “Are… you okay?”

“I’m fine. Don’t move, don’t move!” Rayna, frightened to the core, tried to make a call and get an ambulance. However, there was water on her phone screen, and she failed to unlock the phone despite several attempts.

Her eyes turned red-rimmed as she cussed aloud, “What a lousy phone!”

She immediately shouted for help. However, besides the vehicles on the road, no one was around on such a rainy day.

“It’s okay.” Julian could feel life ebbing away from his body. “I don’t have time to wait for the ambulance, anyway.”

“Shut up!” Rayna chided as she impatiently tried to unlock her phone. After several attempts, she finally succeeded and made a call.

“Somebody’s hurt. We’re right at the intersection next to Faymon Group. Please come quickly!” Panicking, her voice turned hoarse.

Julian broke into a smile upon seeing that. He couldn’t hold on anymore. As his arms went weak, he collapsed beside her.

“Everything is going to be okay.” Rayna took off her jacket to stop the bleeding on the man’s wound, comforting him and also herself, “The ambulance will be here soon. Please hold on a little longer.”

Julian tilted his head and looked at her. His complexion slowly began turning pale. “Rayna, you’re so kind. You’re perfect. Is it too late for me to find out about that now?”

He wondered why he would abandon such a beautiful woman in the past.

“Please, don’t talk.” She was already mentally exhausted from Faymon Group’s affairs, and what happened to Julian pushed her to the verge of breaking down. “Are you crazy? Why are you here?”

“It’s Chester,” Julian said. “After his second son, Jason’s death, he holds a grudge against Curtis. After learning about your relationship with Curtis, he sent someone to kill you secretly.”

He held her hand, puffing. “Rayna, Curtis is lying to you. He’s involved in internal strife with Sienna. The car accident was part of his plan. His legs are fine.”

The last ounce of trust in Rayna’s heart vanished.

She didn’t dare to affirm her guess all this while because she refused to believe Curtis would use her. I feel stupid. It turns out he’s only using me, taking advantage of my guilt.

“What an idiot I am!” Rayna burst into tears. “Why would I fall in love with someone like him?”

His strategy ends up hurting a lot of people.

Julian’s eyes darkened. He raised his hand to brush away the tears and raindrops on her face. “You like him because he sees your capabilities and nurtures you. It’s not your fault. I’ve been secretly keeping an eye on your news for months. I’m happy to watch your success. However, I regret what I did, for I’ve lost you.”

If I had paid more attention to her in the past, everything would be different now. He was filled with nothing but regret at that moment.

Rayna was at her wits’ end when she saw Julian’s breathing getting weaker and his hands turning colder. “Please stop talking. I beg you, please…”

She looked around in panic and despair. “Why isn’t the ambulance here yet?”

“This shot is to make up for what I’ve done,” Julian added.

He moved his arm with great effort, trying to take something. Seeing that, Rayna searched through his pockets for him and took out a small box. The instant she opened the box, a pair of beautiful pearl earrings came into her sight.

Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

She never expected him to remember the fact that she liked all kinds of pearls.

“Is it for me?” she asked.

Nodding, Julian spoke in a weaker voice. “I bought it a long time ago but didn’t have the chance to give it to you.”

Rayna immediately took off her earrings and threw them aside. With her trembling hands, she managed to put on the pearl earrings and force a smile. “Do I look good?”

“Yeah. You look pretty.” Julian lifted his arm with difficulty as he spoke, trying to caress her face.

She bent down, took his hand, and put it on her ear. In a choked voice, she said, “Thank you. I like it very much.”

A smile of gratified delight bloomed on Julian’s face.

However, he was overwhelmed by anguish and was breathing with difficulty at the same time. The pitter-patter of the rain washed the blood from his body into the drainage ditch next to him.

“I owe you this. Remember not to cry anymore in the future.” Julian leaned over and whispered into her ear, “You look best when you smile.”

Nodding, Rayna sobbed uncontrollably. “Sure.”

Julian laboriously took a deep breath before saying, “I found out that your supervisor’s death is related to Mr. Ziegler. You have to be wary of him.”

“I know.”

“I’m so sorry, Rayna.” Julian no longer had the strength to move, let alone caress her face. “If there is a next life, can we be together?”

“Sure. Let’s be together.” Rayna knew the man couldn’t hold on any longer and wailed miserably. “I will put on the most beautiful wedding gown and have a grand wedding with you.”

Julian leaned against her chest with a delighted smile.

Soon, the ambulance’s siren approached from afar and stopped beside Rayna. Several nurses hurriedly alighted from the vehicle, but Rayna, shivering, remained kneeling on the ground with Julian in her arms.

“You’re too late,” she said tearfully through gritted teeth.

The heart-wrenching pain was unbearable, and it was as if her heart was torn into shreds. Looking at the aloof man on the huge screen of Faymon Group, she started bawling her eyes out.

She was in utter despair that day, for she had lost yet another important man in her life.

My heart… It hurts so much.

Rayna followed the ambulance to the hospital in a daze. She could hear nothing and all she saw were the doctors and nurses walking past her in a haste along with Julian’s lifeless body.

“Julian, my boy!” a woman screamed and rushed over anxiously, ignoring the shoes that had fallen off her feet in the process. The moment she saw the cold body on the stretcher, she couldn’t help but tremble all over.

Rolanda flung herself onto Julian’s body and cried, devastated. “My boy, how could you leave me alone? You are so cruel…”

She was so agitated that she almost fainted.

Rayna went up to hold her and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Realization dawned on Rolanda when she heard Rayna’s apology. Screaming, she gave Rayna a slap across her cheek.

Rayna did not dodge the slap and instead took it without complaint.

As if still not satisfied, Rolanda landed a few more slaps on Rayna’s face before clasping the younger woman’s neck, strangling her. “Julian and you are already divorced! Why are you still pestering him?” she wailed.

 

Chapter 198

Chapter 198 I Will Not Make Things Easy For You

“Rayna, what did you do to my son?” Strangling Rayna’s neck, she dug her nails fiercely into her flesh. “You have so many tricks up your sleeves! You already hooked up with Curtis. Why did you still want to harm Julian?”

Rayna could barely breathe, and her neck was bleeding from Rolanda’s nails. Still, she didn’t resist.

Gabriel happened to enter the place and saw Rolanda’s crazy act. He immediately rushed over and yanked her away, defending Rayna. “Ms. Macpherson, please calm down. Ms. Garland is innocent.”

“My son is dead. Look! He’s lying right here!” Rolanda pointed at the dead Julian on the stretcher. “My son died because of this woman. I want her to pay for his life!”

Once again, she went raving mad and pounced on Rayna, wanting to rip her into shreds.

Gabriel didn’t allow Rolanda to do so and summoned a few people to take her outside. Then, he said to Rayna, “Ms. Garland, I’ll investigate this matter thoroughly. Let me send you back first.”

Rayna asked, “You knew about Curtis’ plan. That’s why you went to Norham. Am I right?”

“Yes.”

“So Mr. Xavier and the others came back from Norham because they knew about the plan, too?”

“Yes.”

“Haha! It turned out so many people were in the loop, and I was the only person who was kept in the dark about it.” Rayna laughed self-deprecatingly for deluding herself even though she could roughly surmise what had happened. “What a fool I am!”

Gabriel couldn’t help but comment, “Ms. Garland, actually, Mr. Faymon —”

“Take me to Curtis!” Rayna interrupted him before he could finish his words. She cast a glance at Julian’s body and turned to leave.

Upon seeing that, Gabriel heaved a sigh and hurried behind her.

Since Curtis was still at Faymon Group, Gabriel took Rayna there. As soon as the media saw her, they surrounded her and wanted to interview her.

Rayna rudely shoved them aside and went straight to the interview room.

Meanwhile, the interview room was fully occupied. Sienna and Curtis were being interviewed when the door was suddenly pushed open. Sienna, who was soaked all over, stood at the doorway with a gloomy expression.

She gazed at Curtis and said in a hoarse voice, “Mr. Faymon, we need to talk.”

A hint of displeasure flashed across Sienna’s eyes as she reprimanded, “Ms. Garland, can’t you see what’s going on here? How can you barge in and ruin Faymon Group’s image?”

“Who do you think you are?” Rayna sneered at her and turned to leave.

Her words shocked the crowd in the interview room. Gosh! This former acting CEO of Faymon Group is way too arrogant. How dare she speak to Ms. Sienna like that?

Sienna’s face clouded over.

If she had known that Rayna was one with a temper, she would have sent someone to give her a lesson.

“Aunt Sienna, I’ve already said what I need to say. I’ll be taking my leave now.” With that, Curtis left.

Rayna waited for Curtis in the CEO’s office.

When she saw him arrive in a wheelchair, she couldn’t help but scoff at the irony of the situation. She walked over, propped her hands on the wheelchair, and stared into the man’s eyes. “Since when?”

“After I came back from Tyrandas.” Curtis said calmly, “Rayna, I didn’t treat you as a pawn. You’re smart. I merely think there are things that you can handle perfectly.”

“If you didn’t use me as a pawn, why did you hide it from me alone then? What a nice way of putting it, Mr. Faymon,” Rayna said sarcastically as she squeezed the wheelchair handle, unable to suppress the anger in her heart.

“All of this could have been avoided. How could you be so cruel? Do you know how I felt when Julian died in my arms? I owe him a favor that can never be returned.”

She had divorced Julian to make it up to him.

Little did she expect the man would be so foolish as to protect her and lose his life for nothing.

It wasn’t worth it at all! Not at all!

Rayna couldn’t help but shudder at that thought. Warm tears began to stream down her cheeks. “Curtis, I would have helped you if you told me about it.”

“I didn’t expect Chester to lay a hand on you.” Seeing how emotional Rayna was, Curtis knew that he would lose something dear to him if he didn’t provide a clear explanation.

In fact, he didn’t expect Julian to take the shot for Rayna.

“You were so ruthless to Jason. Chester could even give Jefferson Faymon Group’s shares just to avenge Jason. There’s nothing he won’t do,” said Rayna tearfully, her voice hoarse.

She didn’t look for Curtis that day to argue with him.

There was no need for her to do that, either.

She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath before calmly asking, “You promised to fulfill my three requests at the hotel in Tyrandas back then. Is that promise still valid, Mr. Faymon?”

Curtis appeared tense when he heard that. After some time, he nodded. “Yes. That promise will always be valid.”

“Good.” Rayna then stated, “First, I want you to apologize to me now.”

The look in her eyes was cold, and she didn’t look like she was joking at all.

“I’m sorry,” Curtis apologized.

“Second.” Rayna fixated her gaze on him and enunciated, “Despite Julian’s identity, I want you guys to acknowledge him as part of the family and bury his body in the Faymon family cemetery. All the Faymons must offer their condolences to him on the day of his funeral.”

“No problem.”

“Thirdly, the Faymons will support Julian’s mother unconditionally until she passes away.”

“Sure,” Curtis agreed to all three requests mentioned by Rayna.

“Thank you for being so decisive, Mr. Faymon.” Rayna then asked Gabriel to prepare a resignation letter for her.

“Go ahead,” Curtis ordered.

Soon, a resignation letter with Sienna’s signature was sent to the CEO’s office.

Now that Faymon Group’s ownership had changed, Rayna would also be considered Curtis’ former employee. As such, Sienna would be more than glad to approve her resignation.

Rayna signed the latter without hesitation and flashed Curtis a smile. “From now on, I have nothing to do with Faymon Group or you. I wish you a bright and successful future, Mr. Faymon.”

As she walked to the door, a thought suddenly flashed across her mind, and she gazed down at the diamond pendant around her neck.

The pendant was still glowing as brilliantly as always.

She tugged it forcefully and handed it to Gabriel, pursing her pale lips. “I finally know its meaning today. It turns out I’ve been delusional all this while.”

The word “new life” is never referring to me.

The sight of Rayna, who was drenched all over, walking away in despair caused Curtis’ heart to clench. He was distressed and regretful.

Although he shouldn’t have any weaknesses in his current position, he seemed to have one now.

“Mr. Faymon, you have a call.” Gabriel handed the phone to Curtis as he spoke. “It’s an unknown number.”

Curtis took the phone and answered it.

“What a genius you are, Mr. Faymon. You even gave Faymon Group to your enemy.” Jefferson’s laugh rang out on the other end of the line. “I’m upset with the news today.”

“How did you correspond with Julian?” Curtis asked calmly.

Jefferson cleared his throat before replying. “Mr. Faymon, a lie is a lie. Everything will be exposed sooner or later. It’s always easy to gain a woman’s sympathy as well as hate. I never wanted to use Julian. He saw the news and took the initiative to contact me. You see, the internal strife within the Faymon family is too interesting. Since Rayna is already dragged into the matter, I don’t mind involving another person.”

Curtis snickered. “I have suffered losses, and so do you. This scheme of yours had given Julian an opportunity. Rayna will feel guilty for the rest of her life.”

“So what? He’s already dead anyway.” Jefferson chuckled, unfazed. “Since I was unforgivable for lying, I won’t make things easy for you either.”

 

 

Chapter 199

Chapter 199 Dream On

Curtis narrowed his eyes. With a frosty voice, he warned, “Jefferson, you’ve offended me.”

“That’s my honor.” Jefferson seemed to be feeling unwell as he began coughing violently. He only managed to catch his breath after some time.

Just then, someone informed him that time was up.

To conclude the phone call, Jefferson said, “I’m not going to let the matter of the car accident slide. Mr. Faymon, you should pick out a nice gravesite for your Aunt Sienna.”

With that, he hung up.

A chill ran down Gabriel’s spine as he felt the temperature around Curtis drop to a freezing point after the call.

“Has everything been arranged?” Curtis asked coldly.

“Yes. Mr. Snyder of Majesty is coming back to the country tomorrow. Mr. Xavier and the others will be back in a few days,” Gabriel reported.

“Get out now.”

With just one order from Curtis, Gabriel scurried out of the office. He exhaled in relief when he closed the door, but he couldn’t help but sigh again as he looked at the diamond pendant in his hand.

Gosh. Things have gotten more complicated.

Meanwhile, Rayna wandered in the rain like a lost soul after leaving Faymon Group.

She had no idea where to go, and she felt empty inside. As her phone wouldn’t stop ringing, she discarded it in a trash can. She then hopped into a taxi stopped by the road and told the driver, “To Mayfair Street, please.”

Upon arriving at the destination, Rayna passed the driver a one-hundred bill and walked into the residential area under the rain.

She felt terrible, so she needed a place to rest.

When Linda opened the door and saw a drenched Rayna in bloodied clothes, she was shocked. “What happened? Hurry and come in. I’ll get you a towel,” she said as she pulled Rayna into the house.

Seeing a pair of men’s shoes placed beside the door, Rayna assumed that James was back. Yet when she entered the living room, she spotted a man in a suit, sitting on the couch. He gave off a composed and mature aura and seemed to be in his fifties.

Rayna paused in her tracks.

“Isabelle,” the man called out and walked toward her. He had similar features as James, except for the wrinkles around his eyes.

“You have no right to call my name!” Rayna snapped with a cold expression before pushing him toward the door. “We don’t welcome you here. Get out of this place! Get out!”

Elijah Griffith allowed her to shove him away, but he refused to budge upon reaching the door. “Isabelle, I know I mistreated your mother. I’ll do my best to make it up to you and your siblings and fulfill my role as your father from now on.”

“I don’t have a father, and I don’t need you to make it up to us. I told you that I won’t let you off if you dare to pester my mom again. Leave!” Rayna said icily.

Right then, Linda came out with a towel.

She rubbed Rayna’s wet hair with the towel and coaxed, “Let him be. You should go take a bath. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

“Mom, have you forgotten about the past?” Rayna threw the towel to the floor in frustration. She had already been through so much that day, and she didn’t expect to have to deal with something like this after coming home.

Pointing at Elijah, she added angrily, “When his business failed, he blamed you for being useless. He forced you to divorce him while you were pregnant because he didn’t have money and proceeded to go to Jetroina and marry someone else! Have you forgotten about all these?”

Hearing that, Linda cast Elijah a glance and sighed. “Let the past be the past.”

“Why should I do that? I refuse! I worked hard to give you a good life while James bought a house for you to stay in, yet what did you do? You opened the door and let this man in! Mom, you are beyond foolish!” Rayna chastised.

Linda dared not say anything in response.

Meanwhile, Elijah grabbed Rayna’s arm and said meekly, “Isabelle, everything was my fault. I can give you what you want, be it money or anything else. But please, save your brother. He’s only fifteen years old, and he’s got a long road ahead of him. He will remember your kindness and treat you and your siblings with respect in the future.”

It was only then that Rayna noticed a slim boy in the living room. His height was around one hundred seventy, and he looked just like James back when the latter was in middle school. However, he seemed more meek and obedient than James.

The boy walked over and stood beside Elijah. “Isabelle,” he voiced carefully after sneaking a careful peek at Rayna.

“Stop calling me that!” Rayna shot him a glare and pointed at the door. “Elijah, take your son with you and leave!”

Elijah argued, “Isabelle, he’s also your brother—”

“James is my only brother!”

“Isabelle, I’m begging you. Harry has been diagnosed with leukemia, and you and Roxanne are the only bone marrow matches for him. It won’t hurt you to give out some bone marrow,” Elijah pleaded.

Upon hearing that, Rayna finally understood what he was up to. She mocked, “Oh, so your son is about to die from leukemia? When you abandoned your wife and child back then, did you ever think of what will happen to them?”

“Isabelle.”

“It’s good that Roxanne is filming overseas. At least she doesn’t have to see you. When your son dies, I’ll visit his wake. As for my bone marrow, you can dream on,” Rayna uttered indifferently.

“Isabelle Griffith!” Infuriated by her words, Elijah glared at her and roared, “So what if your mom and I have divorced each other? You are my daughter. I gave you your life!”

Rayna sneered, “The only thing you contributed is a sperm cell. My mom was the one who carried me in her womb for nine months and gave birth to me. Besides, as an adult, I have the right over my own body!”

“What’s going on?”

Just then, James’ voice sounded from the door.

The moment he saw Elijah, his face darkened. Unable to hold himself back, he swung his fist at the man’s face the next second.

James had seen Elijah’s face on the documents countless times, and he hated the latter to the bone.

“James, calm down!” Rayna pulled James back forcefully and told him, “His son has leukemia. Just let him suffer. Don’t waste your energy on him; it isn’t worth it.”

“Scram!” As James glowered at Elijah, a murderous air surrounded him. “I warned you not to return. How dare you come all the way here? Do you really think I won’t dare to kill you?”

Rayna shot Elijah a glance and said, “Elijah, you’re going through so much trouble for your son, huh? You got in touch with us in advance to seek our sympathy and even obtained our health data. Way to go! It seems like you got lucky with your wife from Jetroina and earned a fortune. Since you’re so rich, you can spend that money to look for a bone marrow donor for your son. I will never donate mine. James, close the door!”

Immediately, James unceremoniously shoved the boy out of the door and shut the door in their face.

Elijah’s son, Harry Verlice, stared at the closed door without a word. After a long while, he finally said, “Dad, Isabelle and James don’t seem to like me. I’ll wait here and apologize to Isabelle.”

“There’s no need for that. Let’s go.”

Knowing that there was no way they could convince the stubborn Rayna, Elijah did not linger and left with Harry.

When they got in the car, Harry asked, “Dad, where are we going?”

“You can’t stay outside for too long because of your health, so we have to head to the hospital,” said Elijah as he stroked Harry’s head. Although James was also his son, he did not feel much of a connection with James since he wasn’t the one who raised the latter.

Before heading to the hospital, Elijah brought Harry to a restaurant for a meal first.

While they sat in the establishment, Naomi was seen entering and looking around. At the sight of the father-and-son duo, she hurried over to them. “Uncle Elijah, I just found out you came to Norwal City with Harry. Why didn’t you ask me to fetch you at the airport?”

“Hello, Naomi,” Harry greeted her sweetly.

“Hi there. What a good boy you are.”

“We just arrived today.” Elijah pushed a cup of coffee over to Naomi and sighed softly. “I visited my ex- wife with Harry to ask for her help, but we were kicked out by my daughter.”

“Is she unwilling to help?” Naomi knitted her brows in displeasure. “It won’t hurt her to donate some bone marrow anyway. Is the money you gave too little for her?”

 

Chapter 200

Chapter 200 Dead

“It’s not about money. She hates me for abandoning them,” Elijah said.

Naomi let out a derisive snort. “Why would she hate you for that? It’s normal for couples to get a divorce when the spark is gone in the marriage. Moreover, you’re her father, and Harry is her half- brother.”

“She’s always been obstinate. There’s nothing I can do. My other daughter is busy filming abroad. I don’t even know her exact address. Furthermore, I have no time to go and look for her,” said Elijah, at a loss for what to do.

He continued, “Harry can’t wait any longer. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have to come here and look for them.”

“Too bad my bone marrow isn’t a match with Harry’s.” Naomi gazed at Harry sympathetically. Or else, Elijah wouldn’t need to resort to seeking help from his ex-wife’s daughter.

She pondered for a brief moment before suggesting to him, “Uncle Elijah, why don’t you just bring her to the hospital for the surgery since she’s that intractable? You can give her some money as compensation afterward.”

“I don’t think that’s appropriate.” Elijah frowned.

“What’s wrong with that?” Naomi pursed her lips and continued, “She’s your daughter and Harry’s sister, after all. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, I can find someone to do it for you instead.”

“Let me think about it.”

In spite of everything, Rayna was still his daughter, and Elijah felt that he indeed owed Rayna and his siblings a lot over the past few years.

Since he already said so, Naomi stopped persuading him and implied, “Uncle Elijah, you know that my aunt’s health is deteriorating. Harry is her only child, and she loves him dearly. She wouldn’t want him to suffer this way. Besides, my father’s company needs him when he recovers later.”

“I know.”

The trio had dinner and chatted for quite some time in the restaurant.

Since it was getting late and Harry needed to stay in the hospital due to his sickness, Naomi sent them to the hospital and used her connections to arrange a private ward for Harry.

“Naomi, I thought you were doing fine there. Why did you return to Chanaea? You even changed your surname,” Elijah asked curiously. Since they had no business dealings in Chanaea, Elijah had never paid attention to Faymon Group’s affairs.

“The salary is high here. Besides, I could gain exposure by working in a big company. I merely changed my surname on the work application form for the sake of convenience,” Naomi replied.

“Which company are you working in?”

“Faymon Group.”

“This company is quite renowned. I heard that it’s the backbone of Norwal City.” Previously, Elijah had done some research and found out that Rayna was working there too. He did not expect Naomi to work in the same company as well.

“Times are bad for the company now. All our subsidiary companies are currently facing crises. Because of that, our company’s stocks are falling drastically. We also have a new leader now.”

As an experienced businessman, Elijah immediately grasped the main point in her words. ”There must be some family drama going on, right? How about you return with us? Your father misses you a lot.”

“I’m relieved that you’re there to help him, Uncle Elijah. I’m still young, and I wish to stay here and learn more.” Naomi smiled faintly.

Elijah stopped persuading her at that.

Soon, they arrived at the hospital, and Naomi brought them to the private ward. Before she left, she noticed the familiar background on Harry’s phone screen. “Harry, do you like Kristie?”

“You know her, too?” Harry turned to look at Naomi. He was a taciturn person, but his eyes lit up almost instantly when he heard Kristie’s name.

“Yes. She’s my boss’ sister.”

“Really? She’s so pretty! I’m here huge fan, and I watch all her shows. I heard that she’s currently in Norwal City,” Harry exclaimed in excitement.

Naomi ruffled his short hair and beamed. “Yes, Ms. Winton is now in Norwal City. Since you like her so much, I’ll bring you to meet her after you’ve recovered.”

Harry became increasingly excited when he found out about the relationship between Naomi and Kristie. The passion in his eyes burned as he couldn’t wait to meet Kristie right away.

“I’ll definitely do my best to get better! Naomi, you must keep your word!”

“Of course.”

Subsequently, Harry watched reluctantly as Naomi left the ward.

As soon as Naomi got into her car, her phone rang.

It was a call from someone named “Sellers.” Naomi’s gaze turned tender as soon as she saw the caller ID. Without hesitation, she answered the call and said sweetly, “Hey, it’s been thirty-nine days since

you last contacted me.”

“Forgive me. I was busy. We’ve been apart for such a long time. Did you miss me?” The man’s voice sounded gentle and attractive.

As she drove steadily, she responded playfully, “Why should I miss you?”

“You didn’t? I miss you every day, though. I wish you were by my side, especially when I’m tired from work.” He chuckled lightly, his tone seductive.

His sweet nothings filled Naomi’s heart with happiness to the brim.

She fell head over heels for the man and was so obsessed with him that she could go to great lengths for him and would listen to everything he said.

After saying how much they missed each other, Naomi switched the topic and said, “Jefferson has disappeared in Hallsbay. I think he’s suffering from another episode and was hidden by Ringo in one of the hospitals.”

“The intervals between his attacks have become shorter by the day. He still has many things to settle. It’s going to be a pity if he dies just like that,” the man lamented.

“It’s all your fault! You didn’t tell me about your plan in advance and increased the dosage, disrupting our subsequent plans!” Naomi roared on the other end of the line.

He let out a chuckle. “Okay. This is all my fault.”

Naomi snorted and continued reporting, “Jefferson and Rayna stayed in Hallsbay for seven days, and he took her to his newly-bought manor. Before Rayna left, she met up with Ringo.”

“Manor? What manor?”

“He bought a manor in Hallsbay when he went there previously and had someone plant a camellia garden there.”

“Ask someone to burn it down.” The man’s voice turned cold abruptly.

Naomi sneered. “That’s because his mother likes camellia. He’s smart enough. He’s been hiding from Rayna all these years and only dares to appear before her again after getting the inheritance.”

As Naomi continued speaking, she became puzzled. “I don’t get it. There’s nothing special about Rayna. She’s pretty ordinary, but even Curtis falls for her. What do men see in him? Is she that attractive?”

“Is she smarter than you?” asked the man.

“No, of course. But she learns fast. After what happened to Curtis, she became the acting CEO of Faymon Group and helped the company overcome a few crises.”

Naomi paused briefly and mocked, “However, she’s not cruel enough, clearly lacking experience in the business world. In the end, she got fooled by Curtis and ended up in a wretched state.”

The man’s interest was piqued. “I can’t wait to meet her since you’ve put it that way. I sent someone to attack Rayna so that I could see my dear brother suffer. To my surprise, she was so lucky that she escaped unscathed! What a lucky woman.”

Naomi said in annoyance, “So it was you? I knew Sienna wouldn’t be fearless enough to do that under her nephew’s nose. You should stop intervening. Leave this to me! Moreover, Jefferson is not the same as he was. It will be troublesome to deal with him once he’s triggered.”

The man said appeasingly, “Okay. I won’t interrupt anymore. I’ll head to Chanaea half a month later.”

“For what?”

He let out a low chuckle. “I want to see you. Besides, I want to join in the fun.”