Ch. 201..210

Chapter 201

Chapter 201 Such A Troublemaker

At a private hospital in Hallsbay, Ringo was pacing up and down the hallway restlessly.

He rushed forward the moment the ward door was pushed open. “How is he?” he asked the doctor who had stepped out.

“Things are not looking good for him,” the doctor said heavily and glanced at the ward. It wasn’t hard to tell that the man lying on the hospital bed was in a lot of pain by the frown on his deathly pale face.

Ringo’s heart fell. “How much time does he have left?” he croaked.

“That will depend on Mr. Hamilton himself,” said the doctor. “He’ll have at least three more years if he stays in the hospital and keeps a cool head. Or he’ll be gone in a year if he keeps tiring himself out. What news did Mr. Hamilton see that caused him to cough up blood and faint that night? He’ll be gone in half a month if he keeps that up.”

Ringo’s face darkened.

What else? It’s that woman!

“Please look after him, doctor. I know you’re the best out there.”

The doctor sighed. “I’m incapable of treating his illness no matter how good I am. Did you find the plant I told you about that can regenerate cells? There will be hope for Mr. Hamilton if we can get our hands on the plant.”

Ringo replied a beat later, “No.”

Truth be told, they had found a big patch of the plant some time ago. However, Jefferson had ordered his men to destroy it because he was mad at Rayna for helping Curtis out. And with that, he had also killed his only hope of survival.

“Well, that’s too bad,” said the doctor. “But now that I think about it, it makes sense. How could a plant with cell-regenerating abilities exist in this world? It’s against the laws of heaven!”

The doctor left to carry out his duties after saying a few more words.

Ringo entered the ward.

He couldn’t bear to watch Jefferson suffer. The latter looked as if he would die at any moment.

“Belle…” the man lying on the hospital bed called out gently in his sickly state.

At that moment, Ringo’s temper flared, and he punched the wall.

Rayna! Mr. Hamilton is a talented young man with a bright future ahead of him. Why does he insist on hanging around this one woman?

Just then, a tall, ferocious-looking man walked into the room. “I brought my men, Ringo,” he said cautiously.

“Watch after Mr. Hamilton. Don’t let him watch the news, and he’s not allowed to use his laptop and phone,” Ringo instructed. He had to make sure Jefferson kept a cool head from now on.

“What do I do if Mr. Hamilton insists?” one of the men asked.

“Is your brain for display only? Can’t you think for yourself?” Ringo sneered. “Should I check if your brain is still working?”

“N-No need.” The man felt a chill down his spine. “I know what to do.”

Ringo brought the man out of the ward and spoke in a low voice. “I’m going overseas in a few days. Tell Violet to keep an eye on Ms. Garland and don’t let Mr. Hamilton know about it.”

“Ringo, how about I send some of my people over to keep an eye on Ms. Garland? I don’t know what Violet is up to. It’s hard to get a hold of her.”

“Do you need me to teach you?” asked Ringo.

“I’ll contact her immediately!” The man pulled his phone out and dialed Violet’s number.

I don’t have a choice, do I?

Rayna stayed over at Linda’s that night and caught a fever. James quickly sent her to the hospital, as her temperature was high. However, her fever persisted for three days even after she received the injection.

It frightened even the most experienced doctors. They kept running over to check on her condition and gave her an injection every few hours. Almost her whole arm had been pricked by needles.

It wasn’t until Jeremy rushed over to give Rayna an injection that she recovered.

“Is my daughter okay?” Linda was on the verge of tears. “Why won’t her fever go down?”

“Everything’s fine. She’ll wake up tomorrow,” Jeremy replied with a smile after giving Rayna a check- up.

James chased him out of the room upon hearing that.

“James, what are you doing?” Linda quickly stopped him. “This man saved your sister. You should at least thank him for it.”

“Doctor? He’s no doctor!” said James scornfully. “You know exactly why my sister is in such a state.”

“Curtis is indeed in the wrong,” Jeremy admitted.

He never expected Rayna to be so triggered by Curtis’ actions. She probably would have brain damage if this carried on.

It’s all Curtis’ fault.

“That’s it?” James said through gritted teeth. “My sister never wronged him. How could he treat her like a fool? Tell Mr. Faymon never to show himself in front of my sister again, or else no one can protect him from me if I want to beat him up.”

Jeremy sighed.

James had every right to be angry. There was nothing he could say or do about the situation.

He picked up his medical kit and left. On his way out, he ran into Kristie in the hallway.

“Kristie? What are you doing here?”

“Jeremy.” Kristie made her way over, looking pale. “How is Rayna?”

“She’s fine now. I gave her an injection.”

“That’s good to hear.” Kristie felt relieved. “Wyatt has told me everything. Curt is too much. He should have told Rayna directly that he needed her help.”

“I think he must have felt that Rayna was suitable for the job since she’s smart. Moreover, he’s probably forcing her to grow since he admires her so much.” Jeremy expressed his opinion.

“Why has Curt never forced me to do anything?”

“Then you’ll have to think why Curtis only sees you as a kid.” Jeremy smiled. “Because you’re not his type. He’s not interested in you.”

Kristie pouted unhappily. “I can make money too.”

“All I can say is Curtis deserves it,” Jeremy said matter-of-factly. “He will have a hard time dealing with Ms. Garland’s little brother from here on out.”

“I hate him so much.” Kristie felt wronged as she recalled Curtis’ actions. “Why do I have to get pulled into this when it’s entirely his fault? I lost my boyfriend because of him.”

Jeremy was shocked. “When did you have a boyfriend?”

“It’s Rayna’s brother!”

“Pretty good choice, except for his temper.” Jeremy and Curtis both approved of James. “Tell me, how did you guys break up?”

Kristie told Jeremy everything that had happened that day.

“James then ignored me and even blocked me. Wyatt told me Rayna fell sick. That’s why I came to the hospital to visit her,” she sobbed.

Jeremy shook his head.

My, my. Curtis caused Kristie to lose her boyfriend. How terrible!

“Your ex is furious right now. He won’t even spare you a glance if you go now.” Jeremy placed a hand on her shoulder and led her toward the exit. “Let him take care of Ms. Garland. We’ll go home.”

Kristie burst into uncontrollable tears as she was overcome with the indignity she had suffered.

“How can I sleep without him? I’ll have insomnia for sure. This is all Curtis’ fault. He’s so heartless. I’m sure no woman would fall for him.”

Jeremy roared with laughter at her words. “He used to be your favorite last time. You were so afraid of him being taken away from you,” he teased.

“Jeremy!”

“I’ll stop. Let’s get down to business.” Jeremy held back his laughter. “Do you want to get back at Curtis? You can even get back together with your ex.”

“How?” Kristie asked without missing a beat.

Jeremy whispered his plan in her ear. “How is it? Can you do it?”

“I don’t like Ms. Sanders…” Kristie mumbled. “But never mind that. I can put up with anything as long as I get even with Curtis!”

 

Chapter 202

Chapter 202 Unbothered

Rayna woke up feeling dizzy, and she could feel the soreness in her throat.

Glancing around, she noticed that she was in a ward, and Linda was knitting a sweater beside her. She mustered her strength to get up from the bed.

“Mom,” she murmured in a hoarse voice.

“Belle, you’re awake?” Linda stopped knitting. “You had a high fever for three days. Your brother and I were so worried about you!”

“Three days?”

Linda nodded and poured a glass of water for her. “Yeah. The doctor gave you a few injections, but your fever didn’t go away. Dr. York gave you another injection after that.” She handed her the glass. “Here, have some water. Are you feeling better now?”

Rayna nodded and drank half of the water from the glass.

She learned that Linda and James had been taking care of her for the past few days. It was just a while ago that day James left after receiving a phone call from the school.

Linda could not help but feel worried even after Rayna regained consciousness. Feeling perturbed, she called the doctor to check on Rayna’s condition before buying oatmeal for her.

For the past few days, Rayna had only been given a glucose drip. Having a ravenous appetite, she finished the oatmeal in an instant. The doctor checked on her and mentioned that her condition was under control. Hearing that, Rayna attempted to leave her bed.

Linda, however, pushed her back down on the bed. “Stay here for another two days. It’s safer that way.”

“My fever is gone. Why should I stay here?” Rayna responded. She could not wait to leave the hospital, as there were many important things that she had to handle.

On her way back, Rayna suddenly remembered that she had thrown her phone away. She got herself a new phone and replaced her lost phone card.

As soon as she activated her new phone, she received an abrupt phone call.

“Nana, where are you? I’ve been calling you for days but to no avail. I even went to your house to look for you, only to be told by your neighbor that you’ve moved to a new place. I was so worried about you!” Jessica uttered anxiously.

Warmth filled Rayna’s heart almost instantaneously when she heard Jessica’s words of concern. Her voice was raspy as she replied, “I caught a cold. I’ll send you my new address later. Come over and have dinner together after work.”

“I’m not going to wait until I get off work. I’m going over there now. I have so much to tell you!”

“Okay.”

Not long after Rayna and Linda reached home, the doorbell rang.

Rayna opened the door, only to see Jessica hunching over and panting for air. She glanced at the elevator nearby and asked, “My unit is on the twenty-eighth floor. Please don’t tell me you used the stairs.”

“The elevator is too slow! Besides, I can exercise by climbing the stairs!” Jessica said. She sized Rayna up, wanting to lunge forward and hug her. “I’m so glad that you’re fine now!”

Rayna smiled faintly and led her into the house.

After ensuring that Rayna was fine, Jessica exclaimed, “My goodness! Who would have expected that Mr. Faymon would give Faymon Group to his aunt? On the second day of her promotion, Sienna eliminated half of the company’s higher-ups who were close to Curtis. She even fired Wyatt.”

Rayna remained expressionless and merely hummed in response. “That makes sense. She wants to train her own people. Are the other vice CEOs fired too? How are the stocks?”

Julian’s last words before his death were still clear in Rayna’s mind.

“She got rid of one of them, but she’s keeping Mr. Saunders and Mr. Ziegler. I find it confusing why she still keeps Mr. Saunders around. Previously, Mr. Saunders objected to her being the acting CEO of Faymon Group.”

Mr. Ziegler is really something, huh? Although the leader of Faymon Group has changed, his position remains stable in the company. Why did he kill Mr. Lawson, though?

“Mr. Saunders is Brooklyn’s godfather. He has strong connections. By taking over Faymon Group, Sienna needs help with networking. She’s not that stupid to kick him out,” Linda analyzed.

“Anyway, I’m here to discuss something else with you. Wyatt told me that Mr. Faymon’s leg was fine. In fact, the car accident was all his plan,” Jessica said. “Ugh! How could Curtis do that? I know that there’s internal strife within the Faymon family. Even if he needed help, he should look for Wyatt and the rest. Why would he ask you for help without informing you in advance?”

Jessica got emotional as she spoke, spitting saliva in the air. “He’s a jerk for treating you that way! Who would have thought that he would get together with Ms. Sanders in the blink of an eye? I bet you don’t know that Kristie has been mentioning Jasmine on her show. She even addressed Jasmine as her

sister-in-law. Any reasonable man would guess that there’s something going on between Curtis and Ms. Sanders.”

Hearing those words, Rayna could feel her heart throbbing with pain.

After all, Curtis was someone she had loved.

Nonetheless, she was quick to recompose herself. She sounded unbothered as she said, “They’re already engaged. Even if Curtis is no longer working in Faymon Group, there’s nothing wrong with him marrying Ms. Sanders.”

Jessica clutched her head and wailed, “Looks like I’m wrong about physiognomy. Based on my observation, a sc*mbag like him shouldn’t be able to marry anyone. But he’s getting married now. I wish to cast an evil spell on him for everything that he has done to you!”

“There’s no need for that.” Rayna gave a small smile. “Stop thinking about him. The more you think about it, the more upset you’ll get.”

“Are you all right, Nana?” Jessica inched nearer to her. “I know you like Mr. Faymon, but you mustn’t do anything stupid, okay?”

Rayna was nonplussed. “Do I look like someone who will do anything foolish?”

Jessica nodded. “I don’t know how you got a cold and your voice’s hoarse too. I have a feeling that this must be related to Mr. Faymon. If you don’t like him, you won’t care so much.”

Her words hit the nail on the head.

“I used to care about him, but I don’t anymore. And I won’t like him anymore either,” replied Rayna. Julian died because of that internal strife, and she could not free herself from it.

Jessica went over to Rayna and hugged her gently. “You’re right! Let’s forget about that jerk! You’re pretty and talented. You’ll have a lot of pursuers going after you. My uncle has a great network. I can ask for his help to introduce you guys ranging from sixteen-year-old young men to thirty-year-old mature men. You can pick anyone you want!”

“Come on! A sixteen-year-old is still a student. I’m not interested,” Rayna said with disdain.

“You can wait for a few years until he grows up. It’s a trend to date younger guys. Besides, younger guys tend to be more obedient!” Jessica chuckled and winked at her playfully.

“I’m already exhausted from raising my younger brother for decades. I don’t want to raise another boy. Stop messing around.”

“I nearly forgot that you have a younger brother. Is he still in school? I haven’t met him. He stood up on me twice!”

Rayna recalled about it upon hearing her words.

“You told me that you had been bumping into a tanned young guy at the condominium, right?”

“Yes. He’s Kristie’s bodyguard. Why are you asking that? Do you want to know him too?”

“That’s my brother.”

Jessica was stunned for ten seconds before coming to her senses. “No way,” she said in disbelief.

“Yes. That’s my brother.” Rayna smiled. “He’s currently dating Kristie.”

Jessica slapped herself in the face and felt a slight pain. She said in devastation, “Ugh, Nana! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? How could you let your brother be sullied by a person like her?”

“I just found out about this too. My mother likes her, though. She even gave her a monetary gift that day.” Rayna then told her briefly about what had happened during the meal with Kristie.

“Ugh! I can’t believe my handsome boy belongs to Kristie now! I could have been your sister-in-law if he hadn’t stood me up!” Jessica refused to accept that.

 

 

Chapter 203

Chapter 203 The Funeral Of Julian

“Aren’t you worried that Wyatt would be jealous?” asked Rayna, clearly amused.

“Hmph! I don’t care if he’s jealous. I’m super mad at him now! He knows we’re good friends. He should’ve told us about Curtis’ schemes, but he kept us in the dark!”

“He’s very close with Curtis, after all,” said Rayna, pursing her lips. “Jessica, please help me find out when Julian’s funeral will be held when you go to work tomorrow.”

Jessica nodded in response.

Julian was a member of the Faymon family, so the news of his death spread like wildfire. The media thronged the hospital, but no one managed to find out what led to his death.

Jessica said, “I thought he was quite the jerk previously. Who knew he’d…”

Rayna’s heart ached.

Julian would have been fine if he had not taken that bullet for her. Unexpectedly, he had gone ahead and shielded her with his body.

Now, Rayna would forever be in his debt.

Jessica told Rayna she had applied for leave so that she could keep the latter company for the rest of the day. Rayna was touched by her warm gesture. Nevertheless, she did not feel like going back to her condominium, so she stayed at Linda’s for the time being.

When Rayna was browsing the internet, she came across news reports about Faymon Group.

After Sienna took over, Faymon Group’s share prices stabilized a little, but various controversies still surrounded it. Coupled with the sudden adjustment to the line-up of its management, everything was still up in the air for the group.

Rayna sneered as she took in the reports.

When she learned the truth, she finally knew how masterful Curtis was in setting people up. He must be up to something behind the scenes after he handed Faymon Group to Sienna and quit altogether.

As to what he had in mind, Rayna was not interested and did not want to know.

Jessica messaged Rayna that Julian’s funeral would be held in the Faymon family cemetery on the day after the next. Since Julian had worked in Faymon Group before, Faymon Group employees were allowed to attend his funeral.

The day after the next, huh?

Rayna gazed at the pair of pearl earrings she held in her palm. The pearls were white and perfectly round—they were exceptionally beautiful. Reminded of how Julian had died in her arms, Rayna sobbed soundlessly in grief.

On the morning of Julian’s funeral, Rayna put on a solemn black dress and a black funeral hat.

James was already waiting downstairs, fully clad in black as well. “Rayna, I’ll go with you. I want to thank him too.”

“Sure.”

The Faymon family cemetery was in the suburbs. It would take a two-and-a-half-hour car ride to get there. The ancestors of the Faymon family bought the plot of land fifty years ago, intending for all the Faymons to be buried in the same place after their passing.

When Rayna and James arrived, there were already a lot of cars in the outdoor parking lot.

Rayna’s gaze swept across the Pagani for one brief moment. With pursed lips, she entered the cemetery with James. From afar, they could see that many people had gathered there.

“Julian. Oh, Julian. My dear son…”

Rolanda, who was devastated and extremely haggard, came into Rayna’s view as the latter neared the crowd. She was crying her heart out in front of her son’s tombstone while others tried to console her.

Jessica approached with quick steps and whispered, “I think you shouldn’t have come, Nana. All of the Faymons are here. Look how pitiful Julian’s mom is.”

“Julian died for me. How could I not come?”

Jessica sighed at Rayna’s reply.

Rayna took a few steps forward and saw Curtis among the crowd. Dressed in a black suit and devoid of any expression, he sat still in his wheelchair. Somehow sensing Rayna’s gaze, he turned his head around, and their eyes met.

The moment Curtis saw Rayna, his eyes flickered, and there was a subtle change of emotion. There was guilt in his eyes.

Rayna quickly looked away with a disdainful sneer. She waited for those in front of her to finish paying their respects, then stepped forward and carefully laid down the white flower she had brought in front of Julian’s tombstone.

Julian’s photo on the tombstone showed him smiling lightly with a gentle gaze.

He seemed to be smiling at Rayna as she put her hand on his tombstone and mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

They had gotten married to each other for their own agendas. Despite that, Julian had treated Rayna fairly well throughout the year they were married. Except for that ugly row they had when they divorced, they had never fought with each other.

Because of Rayna, his life had come to a halt in its twenty-fifth year.

I’m sorry. If there is a next life for the both of us, I will marry you properly and only love you. Julian, I swear I’ll avenge you.

“Why have you come, Rayna?” Brooklyn was the first to notice her. “Julian’s dead because of you. He doesn’t want you here! Get lost!”

Rolanda, who was close to passing out from her intense sobbing, looked up upon hearing Brooklyn’s shrill voice.

As soon as her gaze landed on Rayna, intense hatred filled her eyes. She pushed away the person who was supporting her and launched herself at Rayna.

“Give me back my son! My son!” Rolanda wailed as she strangled Rayna, shaking the latter back and forth forcefully like a mad woman. “Give him back to me! You damned woman! Why weren’t you the one who died? Why? Why my son? He’s only twenty-five years old! Die! You should die! Return my son to me!”

Rolanda did not hold back at all. Rayna’s face turned purple from the lack of oxygen, but she did not resist the older woman’s assault.

Curtis’ gaze darkened. He was about to ask Wyatt to go over, but James was faster to react. James yanked Rolanda away roughly and shielded Rayna from her.

“I’m sorry for your loss, but my sister is a victim too,” said James solemnly.

“She caused his death! She’s a victim, my foot!” Rolanda lashed out again, yanking and hitting James, landing a few scratches on his face in the process. “She should die in his place!”

Kristie was aggravated upon seeing that.

She took one step forward, but Jeremy planted a hand on her shoulder firmly to stop her. He said quietly, “You shouldn’t go. Let Curtis handle this himself, then he’ll know not to cross a woman in the future.”

“That old lady is scratching up my boyfriend’s face!” Kristie replied through gritted teeth under her breath. “How could she? I’ve never scratched his face even when we fight!”

Jeremy was speechless.

Brooklyn added fuel to the fire by saying, “Ms. Garland, I’ve got to hand it to you. You’ve somehow bewitched two men from the Faymon family, making them eat out of your hand. I heard Curtis became immobile because he shielded you from the impact during that accident. Now, Julian died because of you. You’re quite the jinx, aren’t you?”

Rolanda seemed to be reminded of something. She pointed a finger at Rayna and started shrieking, “A few months ago at Atty’s welcome baby party, I noticed you constantly staring at Curtis. So, you’ve already planned to gain his favor back then, haven’t you? What has my son done to you? Why did you treat him that way? His death is on you! You frivolous woman! Even if you were struck by lightning a hundred times, it wouldn’t be enough!”

Rayna’s lips trembled, but she did not say anything to defend herself.

It’s all my fault. No matter what Rolanda says, I have no right to talk back to her.

“That’s enough!” James could not hold back any longer. “I understand your anger and grief, but you shouldn’t slander my sister.”

“Slander? How am I slandering her? Everything I said is true! She was already pregnant before Curtis had made anything official between them. On top of that, she even went to the Faymon residence to show off. What do you think was her intention? If I were to give birth to a daughter like her, I’d end her myself!”

James clenched his fists tightly.

 

Chapter 204

Chapter 204 Intimidating Aura

“Rayna and I are dating. It’s just that we’ve yet to tell anyone the news about her pregnancy.” Curtis wheeled himself over, speaking in a calm yet intimidating manner.

“Curtis! Julian is dead. How could you still speak on behalf of this woman?” Rolanda exploded.

Curtis rested his hands on the wheelchair as he said, “I blame myself for Julian’s death too. Don’t worry. I’ll get down to this no matter what. I hope you will calm yourself down and not point fingers at anyone first. You don’t have to fret about being alone too. I’ve discussed the matter with Aunt Sienna, and Shawn will be your son from today onward. He and Astrid will be good to you in the future. Besides, you got yourself a grandkid too. Of course, the Faymon family will provide you with anything you need later in life. Julian is also part of the Faymon family, so I have already instructed someone to add him to the family’s genealogy.”

“Curtis!” Brooklyn’s face contorted and her tone changed as the news took her by surprise. “How could you do that? Julian is—”

“Julian’s a Faymon too.” Curtis glanced at Brooklyn as he tried to use his authoritarian manner to ask her to back off.

“But his dad is not part of the Faymon family! You already broke the rules when you allowed him to be buried in the Faymon family cemetery! Who do you think we are? How can the Faymon family permit you to do anything you wish?”

If Julian’s name is in the genealogy now, it means he’s a legitimate part of the Faymon family. With that being the case, Rolanda will be able to have a share of the inheritance, just like the others when the time comes. I can’t possibly let that happen!

Pointing her finger at Rayna, Brooklyn added coldly, “Curtis, you can’t break so many rules because of this woman. Julian’s death is on her. She should be the one bearing the consequences!”

Curtis frowned. “Brooklyn, are you challenging me?”

The man was on the verge of losing his patience, for he was in a foul mood that day. He had no interest in conversing with the others.

Even though the fragile-looking Curtis was bound to a wheelchair, his aura was overpowering. “As long as I’m a part of the Faymon family, I have the right to add or take out anyone’s name to and from the genealogy!”

Brooklyn took two steps backward in response to that while she bit her lip in frustration.

Even though it seemed that everything was going well for Sienna after she gained control of Faymon Group, most of Alfred’s assets were not in Faymon Group itself. The older man had already written a will that stated Curtis as the inheritor of ninety percent of his assets while the rest would only get ten percent of his wealth.

That would mean that even if Curtis lost the Faymon Group to the others and the estates that cost a few billion, he was the one and only heir of the Faymon family. If the others were to offend him, they might possibly lose their share of Alfred’s assets.

We can’t afford to mess with Curtis!

Curtis’ words were enough to intimidate the crowd. The others who had something to say earlier, or those who wanted to speak on behalf of Brooklyn, lowered their head without making a sound.

Curtis gave Brooklyn a cold glance before focusing on Rolanda. Calmly, he said, “I’m sure you’ve heard everything I said clearly. I’ll make sure I’ll send people out to investigate the incident. If you are still

engrossed in your sadness and pain, I can make the arrangement to send you overseas so you can relax.”

Rolanda’s face paled.

I’m not a kid. I understand the warning that Curtis has just given me. Although it seems that he’s consoling me, he’s really only trying to get me to shut up, or he will send me away.

“Curtis, thank you so much for the help.” Rolanda wiped her tears away as she glared at Rayna.

There’s nothing I can do if Curtis insists on protecting this woman. Anyway, as long as Julian is in the genealogy and Shawn is considered my son, the Faymon family’s wealth will be mine, too, one day. That’s good enough for me.

Rayna had been lowering her head in silence.

The crowd began to leave, and Rolanda walked out with others supporting her.

Curtis wheeled himself over to Rayna. His heart ached when he realized that Rayna had lost a lot of weight, and there were no lights in her eyes. “Ms. Garland, my dad wants to see you,” he started.

“Rayna is not feeling well. She needs to get some rest.” James put himself in front of Rayna. He was trying really hard to restrain himself from punching Curtis in the face. “Get out of the way!”

“James, wait for me in the car. I’ll go with him,” Rayna piped up. She wanted to return some things to Alfred.

Without a choice, James moved away and warned, “Mr. Faymon, stop being a hypocrite! I won’t let you off the hook if you dare to do anything to Rayna!”

“James!” The moment Rayna walked off with Curtis, Kristie came rushing over to him like a gust of wind. She threw herself onto him, but the man reacted quickly and pulled her off him roughly.

“Don’t be mad at me.” Kristie looked at James pitifully. “I have no idea what Curt was doing behind my back. I swear I’m not on the same side as him.”

“You’re his sister.”

“Then I’ll sever ties with him!” Kristie pulled at James’ sleeves. “I’m an innocent woman. Don’t make me fight for your forgiveness.”

James glanced at her coldly. “Let go of me.”

“Don’t go overboard!” Kristie pouted.

Jeremy told me James would reconcile with me if I acted according to what he said. Ugh! What is happening now? There’s no sign of him wanting to get back with me. In fact, he’s ignoring me.

Noticing the scratch marks on James’ face, an upset Kristie found a plaster in her bag and wanted to put it over his wounds.

However, James shook her hand off. “There’s no need for that.”

“James!” Kristie’s expression darkened. She successfully stopped James in his tracks. “Bend over!”

James remained unmoving.

“I told you to bend over! Did you not hear me?” Kristie put her hands on her waist. “Do it now, or I’ll scream and tell the others you raped me!”

James’ lips twitched. Not wanting to make a scene, he bent over.

Kristie let out a snort, then unwrapped the plaster and stuck it on James.

When she saw the frown on James’ face, Kristie scolded, “Are you dumb? Don’t you know how to dodge when she laid her hands on you? Even I have never scratched your face when we argued. Damn it! Why are her nails so long? It hurts me to see these scratch marks! I hope she chokes on her food when she’s eating!”

Kristie went on and on. She showed no sign of stopping, and James was on the verge of losing his patience. He wanted to say something when Kristie held his face and kissed him all of a sudden.

“I’m sure you’re feeling better now after breaking up with me for a week? I swear I will stand on your side. I will protect you and Rayna. I won’t ever side with Curtis!” Kristie nestled in James’ embrace. “Nobody cooked for me when you were gone, and I couldn’t sleep well too. Look at me. I’ve lost some weight.”

James’ heart softened when he felt that Kristie had become leaner.

He had been pissed off when he found out about the truth. As Kristie was Curtis’ sister, he couldn’t help his feelings of hatred toward her as well. That was why he broke up with her. Now that he thought about it, Kristie was indeed a victim too.

At that moment, Wyatt and Jeremy strode over together.

“Is it appropriate for you guys to do this in public?”

Wyatt narrowed his eyes, smirking. “Kristie, I thought you said you didn’t want to get back with him?”

Kristie glared at him. “I most certainly did not say that!”

“You did. I remember,” Jeremy chimed in with a smile. “You were invited to an interview by a TV station three days ago, and you declared then that you want to marry a man like Curtis.”

 

Chapter 205

Chapter 205 Do Not Need Such Trust

“You taught me all that, no?” Kristie stomped angrily.

When she noticed the change in James’ expression, she quickly explained, “Don’t overthink this, James. It’s all—”

“Kristie, you should have the courage to admit your doings,” Wyatt cut her off. “I recall you telling reporters that a young man from a prominent family was pursuing you. You even mentioned that you were willing to try dating him because he was nice.”

“I didn’t!”

Jeremy glanced outside the cemetery and smiled. “Look, that man is here.”

Upon hearing that, James also looked over. A young man was standing outside the cemetery. One could tell he was from a distinguished family with his sophisticated aura from afar.

Kristie was about to burst into tears.

She was merely following Jeremy’s instructions, so she could not understand why everyone was acting so bizarrely now.

“James, let me—”

James shoved Kristie away and stormed off with a grim expression before she could explain.

“Jeremy, I’ll remember this!” Kristie shot Jeremy a glare. She wanted nothing more than to rip him to shreds. “Watch out! I won’t let you have a good time when you get a girlfriend!”

With that, she quickly ran after James.

“Alas, she has forgotten about her closest friends.” Wyatt shook his head before turning to Jeremy. “Jeremy, why did you ask me to ruin their relationship when they were just about to get back together?”

Jeremy’s words were straightforward. He said, “If their relationship was that perfect, it would be impossible for us to ruin it. Since Jeremy doesn’t like Kristie, he has to suffer for it! How can she always behave so submissively toward him when she’s one of Mr. Faymon’s closest friends? It’s so embarrassing.”

Wyatt glanced at him and could not hold back his curiosity any longer. He uttered, “Jeremy, do you carry bad luck to everyone around you? Look, you interfered with Curtis and Rayna’s matter and caused them to break up. Now, you—”

“That’s right,” Jeremy sneered. “It will be your and Jessie’s turn next!”

Wyatt was annoyed by his words. “Hey! Shut your mouth. Don’t jinx me. Jessie and I have a great relationship. Just worry about yourself. You don’t have a girlfriend or even a boyfriend.”

“The drugs I developed are still in their trial stages. Do you want to give it a try?”

“No!”

Meanwhile, the atmosphere between Rayna and Curtis was thick with tension on their way back home.

Curtis did not head upstairs after they returned.

Rayna did not look at him. Instead, she went upstairs to look for Alfred in the study. Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com She knocked and entered after she heard someone answer her.

Alfred was seated next to a full-length window, reading the newspaper while lazily bathing in the warm sunlight.

Upon seeing Rayna, he beamed. “Rayna, come and sit over here.”

Rayna took a seat facing him.

Alfred lamented, “Although I’ve been staying in the Faymon residence because of my poor health, I’m caught up with the news. Julian was a good boy.”

Rayna said in an undertone, “If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have died. It’s all because of me. Old Mr. Faymon, I’m sure you understand what happened.”

Alfred knew what she was talking about.

“I will not stop you from doing what you want,” he replied. He was not the patriarch of the Faymon family anymore, and he was sure Curtis would do the same as him even if Rayna did not say anything.

“Old Mr. Faymon, thank you.” Alfred’s promise dispelled any reservations Rayna had. “I came here to tell you something.”

She explained the misunderstanding regarding her fake pregnancy to Alfred. “There’s really nothing between Mr. Faymon and me. I’ll pass this back to you.”

Then she proceeded to return the sapphire ring to Alfred.

Alfred did not take it. Instead, he glanced at it before replying softly, “Ms. Garland, please allow me to tell you a story if you’re not in a rush.”

Rayna did not want to offend him, so she answered, “Sure.”

Immersed in his memories, Alfred turned and looked outside the window, where sunlight shone in. “A few decades ago, a man went on a work overseas trip and fell in love with a gorgeous woman there. The couple lived together and planned to marry. Suddenly, he received a phone call from home

informing him that his grandmother had passed away. The man wanted to bring the woman along to meet his family. However, he was unable to find her on the day he was supposed to leave. He texted her that he would return first because he was rushing to catch the flight. He returned a week later to find the woman but heard she had moved away. The man couldn’t forget the woman and vowed never to marry if he couldn’t find her. A few years later, he received an overseas call from the woman. He learned that she had pulmonary tuberculosis and was dying. She said that she waited for him, but he never showed up. When she found out she was pregnant, she went back to her mother’s place. She then raised her child alone for many years. However, she was running out of time. When she saw the man on the news, she went to great lengths to obtain his phone number, and she didn’t expect the call to go through.”

Alfred’s tone was gentle. His voice broke when he spoke about the woman’s condition. It was evident he was in anguish.

Rayna listened quietly.

“The man went to her hometown to spend her final days with her. When the child conveyed his desire to remain there, he enrolled him in the best school available. He would visit the child every month. Then, the child grew up and became a handsome and intelligent man. He worked at a research institute and met the love of his life there. He brought his lover to his father before they married and had their child.”

Alfred paused for a moment. His tone was rife with sorrow as he went on, “However, his lover had an accident and passed away after a few years. The child could not take it and took his own life.”

Rayna felt a pang in her chest. She could not help but ask, “What happened then?”

“The man then decided that he did not want his grandchild to stay in that place full of sad memories any longer and brought him back to his country. He publicly adopted the grandchild as his legal child

and provided him with the best. He wanted to compensate his grandchild for the love he couldn’t provide for his own child.”

Rayna understood everything upon hearing Alfred’s words.

“I-Is the grandchild Curtis?”

Alfred responded mournfully, “My son shot himself in front of Curtis. Curtis did not seem to be in good condition when I arrived. I had no choice but to find someone who could hypnotize him and make him forget about everything.” Tears brimmed in his eyes. “I met the love of my life but didn’t get the opportunity to be with her. I had a son, but he passed away before me.”

Rayna’s thoughts were a tangled mess because Alfred’s words were too much to process. “T-This is insane!”

How can something like this happen? If Curtis finds out, what will he think about this?

Alfred knew Rayna did not believe him, so he took out a photo album.

“This is Curtis and his parents.”

A beautiful woman was carrying a chubby baby in the yellowish photograph. The man holding her by her waist was handsome and looked like Alfred.

The family of three looked blissful.

Alfred flipped through the photo album. Rayna noticed he would occasionally appear in Curtis’ childhood photos.

After flipping through the whole album, Alfred uttered, “Rayna, I’m telling you this because I trust you, just like how Curtis trusts you.”

Rayna’s lips curled up, and she scoffed, “I don’t need such trust.”

“I brought up Curtis myself, so I’m clear of his character.” Alfred sighed. “He didn’t mean to lie to you. He only wished for you to mature.”

 

Chapter 206

Chapter 206 Upset And Uneasy

“You need to understand. Curtis, despite his age, has little experience with women. You’re the first woman he’s ever been so taken with. I hope you can forgive him and his irrational behavior.”

Rayna stood up and replied calmly, “Old Mr. Faymon, it’s getting late. I have to go.”

She politely bade her farewell.

Curtis had been waiting outside the living room the entire time. When he noticed Rayna coming down the stairs, he pushed his wheelchair over to her and stated, “Let me give you a ride.”

Rayna glanced at him coldly. “No, it’s fine. It’s not convenient for you to move around, Mr. Faymon.”

Curtis was upset and uneasy after hearing her words. He didn’t like it when Rayna wasn’t smiling.

He grabbed her when he saw her turning to leave.

“Mr. Faymon, do you need something?” Rayna asked.

“I apologize for the car accident.” Curtis, who was always high and mighty, got off his high horse for the first time. “I abused your trust. What can I do to make you forgive me?”

Rayna pushed his hand away and smiled coldly. “There’s no need for that. I’ve already received your apology long ago.”

Before she left, she added, “Mr. Faymon, Julian died because of me. I should be the one who feels guilty and avenges him. I hope you don’t intervene in this matter.”

She did not need Curtis’ help.

When Rayna walked out, she met Jeremy and Wyatt. She ignored Wyatt’s greeting and walked away.

Wyatt was astonished. “She’s so cold. She’s not excited to see me anymore.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes at him in response.

Upon entering the house, they immediately noticed Curtis. His lips were pursed as he stared at the door with a complicated expression.

Jeremy took a box out of his pocket and handed it to Curtis. “How about you forget about what happened today? You can try this medicine and test its effects since you haven’t eaten it before.”

Curtis shot him a sharp glare. “I’m not in the mood to joke with you.”

“I’m not joking.”

Curtis did not reply him.

Wyatt approached him and tutted. “Curtis is heartbroken. He keeps insisting that he doesn’t care about Rayna, yet he’s remorseful because she now despises him after he used her.”

Curtis stared at him with a deadpan look.

Wyatt could feel the murderous aura emanating from Curtis. He backed away quickly and smiled sheepishly. “It’s the truth. You lied to her.”

Jeremy muttered, “Don’t worry, Curtis. Even if Rayna leaves you, you still have Ms. Sanders. Didn’t Rayna congratulate you and Ms. Sanders?”

Curtis thought about Kristie’s interview and how she had referred to Jasmine. “There I was wondering how Kristie could say such words. Is it not fun enough for you?”

Jeremy replied, “That’s right. Rayna seems unaffected by it. On the other hand, you seem heavily affected by it since you signed numerous documents wrongly during those few days.”

Wyatt folded his arms and scoffed, “Theodore is a liar. He said that the letters didn’t matter and wanted to remove them. In the end, they’re still on his finger. A man’s word can never be trusted!”

Jeremy glanced at him. “Did you do some surgery I didn’t know of? Where’s your ample bosom?”

“Damn you! I’m a real man!”

“I didn’t get you guys here to talk nonsense.” Curtis’ expression darkened. He seemed frightening.

Jeremy stopped joking and said matter-of-factly, “Theodore has already signed the documents with Mr. Snyder, so it’s settled. What do you plan to do with Chester?”

Wyatt chimed in, “I’ve prepared all the documents. I’m waiting for your instructions now.”

“Pass it to Rayna. Julian died because of her. She wants to avenge him personally,” Curtis stated. He felt slightly uncomfortable with how much Rayna seemed to care for Julian.

Wyatt was jealous. “If I can meet a woman like her, I’m willing to die for her.”

Jeremy nudged him hard with his elbow.

Curtis fell silent. He pressed his hand against his chest as he felt a pang in his heart.

He did not understand why he would care so much about Rayna. Why do I feel so regretful and heartbroken about doing these things? Rayna is not even that outstanding.

Rayna asked James to investigate Chester as she wanted to collect evidence of his crimes. She also gladly accepted the documents Wyatt passed to her.

These documents not only consisted of Chester’s shell company and the money he had taken from the investors, but they also contained evidence of him using subpar materials for the project he was doing with the government. She had all the dirt on him.

She even had Chester’s current whereabouts.

Rayna used three million to sign a contract with a media team and passed them all this information.

A while after, the news of Chester bullying a minor in a clubhouse and causing the latter’s death broke out in Norwal City. This resulted in his arrest that night. Soon after, news of his charges of embezzlement of company funds blew up.

The court in Norwal City reviewed and evaluated the evidence thoroughly. With compelling evidence of his crimes coupled with his causing a minor’s death, the court did not give him a chance to appeal and sentenced him to death.

The death penalty was to be executed immediately.

When Rayna received news of this, a smile finally bloomed on her face.

Julian, I have avenged you.

Chester’s crimes naturally affected Faymon Group. Although Sienna tried her best, she could not save it. Faymon Group announced its bankruptcy a month later and was bought over by Majesty.

Before the city could take a breather, Sienna’s former company selling phony medicine and causing many children’s deaths to her having intimate connections with many people to extend her network came to light.

All this news was even more outrageous than Chester’s.

Even though Sienna had hired the best lawyers to defend her, the evidence of her crimes was irrefutable, and she was sentenced to twenty years in jail.

Faymon Group, which Majesty had acquired, started to recover slowly. Its stock price started to turn around, and its factories began operations again. When Curtis appeared in front of the public without a wheelchair, the public presumed he had recovered.

After a month, Faymon Group made an announcement thanking Majesty for its help. Everyone finally realized that Faymon Group was no longer a subsidiary of Majesty, as Curtis was now its largest shareholder.

The public was in turmoil over this news.

A company worth hundreds of billions had changed its largest shareholder three times in one year. It had also experienced bankruptcy and acquisition before it returned to the Faymon family’s hands.

It was too bizarre!

Many news media reported on Faymon Group’s legacy. However, Rayna did not care much about it and only briefly took a glance at this news.

She had begun looking for work after the matter with Chester was resolved.

As she had worked in Faymon Group previously, her resume was impressive. She quickly found a job in a famous company in Norwal City.

She had first applied for a translation job. However, the CEO said to her, “Ms. Garland, it’s a bit of an overkill for you to be a translator. I understand what you have done at Faymon Group, and you have great capabilities. I believe it will be easy for you to take over my position.”

As the vice CEO of the company had just been transferred to an overseas subsidiary, there was an open position. Rayna joined the company as its vice CEO after checking that the remuneration was reasonable.

She did not know that all this was part of Curtis’ doing.

“Ms. Garland.” Rayna was arranging the documents when her assistant knocked on the door and came in. “Mr. Chambers has something on and has boarded the plane at six to Jadeborough. He said to let you handle the cocktail reception tonight.”

Rayna hummed in acknowledgment. She knew it was usual for the industry to organize these cocktail receptions. It was meant for people to network through eating and chatting.

It shouldn’t be a problem to spend some time there.

She was focused on her work and didn’t hear her assistant’s words clearly. She didn’t know it was not a typical cocktail reception. It was specially organized by Faymon Group.

 

Chapter 207

Chapter 207 Did Julian Give You Anything

At eight o’clock in the evening, Rayna hailed a taxi and went to the hotel.

Upon arriving at the hotel entrance, Rayna felt the urge to leave when she saw the name on the giant screen and several receptionists at the door.

The hotel was under Faymon Group, and they were the host of this cocktail reception.

The last thing she wanted to see at that moment was Faymon Group.

“Are you Ms. Garland from Hatchair Group?” a receptionist greeted Rayna warmly just as she was about to leave. “Please follow me.”

After much contemplation, Rayna smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

I came to this cocktail reception as a representative of Hatchair Group. It will be fine even if I run into Curtis.

With that thought, she followed the receptionist into the hotel with her head held high.

Rumor had it that when Faymon Group’s recruitment started half a month ago, several executives’ inboxes had been flooded with emails. A sea of people also attended the job fairs hosted by the group.

Faymon Group had been established for decades. Even though this year was not a typical recruitment season, there were more job seekers than the previous years.

It was no surprise that many people looked up to Faymon Group when the group reemerged at the top after weathering such a big crisis. Everyone who received the invitation attended the event.

The magnificent banquet hall was filled with people.

Rayna entered the hall calmly.

That night, she wore a champagne-colored halter dress. The slim-fit design encapsulated her slender figure, her fair skin glowing flawlessly under the lights.

Her black hair was tied into a loose bun and fastened with a camellia hair clip, revealing her slender neck. She pursed her lips slightly and plastered a smile on her face.

“Ms. Garland.”

Some bigwigs in the industry knew Rayna because she had been the acting CEO of Faymon Group in the past. Despite her youthful appearance, she managed to resolve several crises for the company.

Although she was no longer working at Faymon Group, a capable and beautiful woman like her naturally attracted many people’s attention. Some of them came to greet her with a glass in their hands.

Rayna chatted with other people with a smile on her face. She was calm and collected.

Nevertheless, she was slightly surprised by the situation.

When Rayna was working as the interpreter for the vice CEO in the past, she had only talked to the other company’s translator or representative while the higher-ups discussed collaborations. She did not have the opportunity to communicate directly with the leaders.

It seemed that Rayna made acquaintances with more talented people after she became the acting CEO of Faymon Group. She could communicate and mingle with these people effortlessly.

“Ms. Garland, you’re capable and stunning!” A big shot raised his glass and beamed at Rayna. “Mr. Faymon is quite a discerning guy, isn’t he? After all, he managed to discover a gem like you.”

A smile bloomed on Rayna’s face. “You flatter me. There are many more capable women out there besides me.”

Indeed, she would not have gotten to where she was today without Curtis’ help.

“Ms. Garland, why did you join Hatchair Group instead of staying at Faymon Group?” the big shot probed.

“Faymon Group already has Mr. Faymon.” Rayna took the opportunity to introduce her company. “I like new challenges, and Hatchair Group suits me perfectly. Mr. Quesada, let’s have a talk when you’re free, shall we? I think our companies can cooperate on many projects.”

The big shot was glad to hear her words. ”Hahaha! We’re on the same page. It’s a deal, then. Ms. Garland, you must promise to come over when I have time to invite you.”

Clinking her glass against his, Rayna responded, “Sure.”

After socializing with other people for nearly thirty minutes, Rayna felt her face stiffen due to her smiling constantly. She came up with an excuse to walk away and took a glass of champagne from the table to take a breather.

Suddenly, a man walked toward Rayna and greeted her in a deep voice, “Ms. Garland.”

Rayna maintained a polite smile on her face as she turned to greet the newcomer. Only then did she realize that she knew this man.

It was Mathias Ziegler, the vice CEO of Faymon Group.

Rayna had only met him once when she was at Faymon Group. He rarely showed up at the company.

Mathias knew how to enjoy life and did not look old at all. He looked stylish in a suit. Despite his ordinary look, he looked like a generous man who exuded a positive aura.

Rayna recalled Julian’s last words before he died and sized up Mathias. She could not believe that such a kind-looking person had something to do with Jonathan’s death.

Putting away her thoughts, Rayna smiled faintly at Mathias. “Mr. Ziegler.”

Mathias clinked glasses with her.

“I’ve been busy with matters overseas, but I know all about what happened to you, Ms. Garland.” Mathias stared intently at Rayna with a smile, causing her to feel a chill running down her spine. “There are many powerful women in the business world, but there aren’t many who are as beautiful and capable as you and don’t ask for anything in return.”

“How could I work for others and not ask for something in return?” Rayna retorted.

Mathias capitalized on the opportunity to make snide remarks about her. ”Does that mean Mr. Faymon has given you a substantial reward? Ms. Garland, it must be difficult for you to get to this position as a mere interpreter.” Suddenly, he smiled warmly. “Oh, I didn’t mean anything else by that. I was just too surprised. No one wanted to take over Faymon Group back then. Ms. Garland, you’re quite bold, aren’t you?”

“I majored in translation, but that doesn’t mean my ability is limited to languages.” Rayna smirked. “Mr. Ziegler, have you not heard of the saying, ‘fortune favors the bold’?”

I despise people like him. Why does he insist on mocking other people? What a waste of this kind- looking face!

Standing with her legs crossed gracefully, Rayna uttered, “Besides, both Old Mr. Faymon and Mr. Faymon were still with the group back then. With so many capable executives under me, what was there to be afraid of? As for you, Mr. Ziegler, it’s understandable that you have a lot on your plate. But still, you’re Faymon Group’s vice CEO. You were nowhere to be seen when the group was in trouble. Now that Faymon Group is back on track, you’re suddenly not busy anymore. To be honest, I’m not the only person who thinks you’re taking advantage of the group.”

Mathias frowned slightly. Rayna’s words had hit a nerve in him. Nonetheless, he masked his annoyance with a kind smile. “Ms. Garland, didn’t you say that Faymon Group has so many capable executives? The company surely won’t suffer in my absence.”

Rayna did not want to engage in a conversation with someone like Mathias. She might fall into his trap if she was not being careful. “Mr. Ziegler, I’m not feeling well. I’ll leave you be and take a breather over there.”

With that, she turned to leave.

As soon as Rayna took a step, she felt a pinprick on her shoulder.

She winced in pain and looked over her shoulder, but there was nothing.

Standing next to Rayna, Mathias grinned and spoke in a soft voice that could only be heard by the two of them. “Ms. Garland, it’s not wise to show off your ability.”

Rubbing her shoulder, Rayna smiled back at him. “Why? Are you afraid that I’ll stop you from making a fortune?”

“You can’t stop me even if you want to.”

Mathias edged closer to her, his kind face looking a bit menacing without the light. “Watch your back, Ms. Garland. Otherwise, you might suffer the same fate as Julian.”

Hearing that warning, Rayna nearly exploded with fury.

She shot Mathias a death glare. To get a confession out of him, she asked, ”Do you have something to do with Julian’s death?”

Wasn’t Chester the culprit?

Mathias straightened his back and flashed her a smile. “Did Julian give you anything?”

Without waiting for Rayna’s reply, he added, “Ms. Garland, many people will lose their lives if you find out about something. If I could make your supervisor die quietly, I could do the same to you too.”

 

Chapter 208

Chapter 208 Nothing To Be Sad About

Just as I expected, Mr. Lawson was murdered!

Perhaps Mathias was too terrifying. He had revealed so much that Rayna felt her limbs go slightly cold. She swayed and staggered backward, but she was quickly steadied by a pair of hands.

Looking at the person behind her, Mathias said kindly, “I’ll leave the two of you alone, Mr. Faymon.”

He left very soon.

Rayna stared at his retreating back. He’s such a cruel person, but why does he have such an affable appearance? Does he smile like this when he acts ruthlessly toward others?

She suspected that Julian might have known something about Mathias. Mathias had wanted to kill her, and he had framed Chester for it after knowing that Chester wanted to kill her as well.

What a wicked person!

Curtis called out to her a couple of times. He frowned after noticing that her arms were cold and she did not speak.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

At that moment, Jasmine approached them. She looked exquisite and elegant in a cream-colored gown.

Turning toward Curtis, she asked, “What’s the matter?”

“She’s not feeling well.” Curtis held Rayna’s shoulder, intending to send her back to get some rest. However, Rayna’s gaze darkened, and she pushed his hand away the moment she saw Jasmine.

“It’s fine. I can walk on my own.” Wanting to keep her distance from him, Rayna lifted her dress and walked away in a rush.

Curtis pursed his lips tightly.

“Ms. Garland doesn’t look well.” Jasmine gave him a sidelong glance. “Didn’t you inform her about the plans? Did the two of you break up because she thinks you’re using her?”

He did not have to reply, as she already knew the answer from the change in his expression.

Putting her hand to her forehead, Jasmine smiled. “Mr. Faymon, you’re a smart and cunning person, but you don’t even know that women hate to be deceived. Look, it has backfired, hasn’t it?”

Curtis retorted, “I can easily cancel our collaboration anytime I want, Ms. Sanders.”

“Don’t. I still need to rely on you,” Jasmine quipped. She decided to stop teasing him. “My father is willing to give me another six points of the shares, but with conditions.”

“What is it again?”

Jasmine smiled. “We have to get married so that you can help me acquire the six-point shares in Sanders Group.”

Curtis’ face clouded over. Without a second thought, he rejected her proposal. “You know very well the purpose of our engagement, Ms. Sanders. You have gotten everything that you wanted. Find another person if you want to get married.”

He would have ended the collaboration with her a long time ago if it weren’t for Theodore’s sake.

“Don’t reject me so hastily, Mr. Faymon. I will give you a huge reward. You’ve spent a lot of effort acquiring Hatchair Group, but you’re still keeping it a secret. Isn’t it solely because you want to use the

opportunity to train Ms. Garland? Sanders Group received news that a high-speed railway station will be built in the eastern district of Norwal City. Once the news is announced to the public, you must know many companies will bid aggressively for the project.

“I can help Ms. Garland secretly so that Hatchair Group can get the project. Even though she has performed wonderfully in Faymon Group, she hasn’t achieved anything in Hatchair Group. It’s no surprise that everyone wants to bully her.

“However, if Ms. Garland were to acquire this project, she would gain the opportunity to learn. Moreover, she can take the chance to get to know people working in the government. Hatchair Group belongs to Faymon Group anyway. Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com If they make profits, Faymon Group will earn the profit as well.”

Curtis’ eyes darkened. It was as if he was contemplating the suggestion.

After a while, he said to Jasmine, “I will go on stage later to announce this matter. You can do anything you want with the notice after that. But there will be no wedding dress, ring, or marriage certificate. The moment you receive the shares of Sanders Group, you must immediately hold a press conference to clear things up.”

“How can you be so cruel, Mr. Faymon? I’m a well-known and very beautiful socialite in Norwal City, but I can see the look of disgust on your face,” Jasmine joked.

Curtis merely looked at the crowd and said deliberately, “Theodore is here as well.”

Jasmine shifted her gaze to look in the same direction.

The sight of a tall and cold figure standing at the corner of the hall made her heart wrenched.

She quickly recomposed herself and gave a faint smile. “I’ve broken up with him four years ago, Mr. Faymon. There’s nothing between us anymore. Are you going to end our collaboration just because both of you are friends?”

Curtis did not say anything. He left her and walked to the stage.

At that moment, Jasmine could not help herself from glancing at the man in the corner discreetly. His stern expression and cold attitude looked out of place in the bustling hall.

She walked toward him. However, she stopped after taking two steps forward and merely glanced at him.

No, I can’t go there. I need to be patient until I’ve gained everything.

She still remembered the happy look on Carl’s face when he opened his present. He had mentioned to her that he wanted his father to come back as soon as possible because he wished to go skiing with his father.

I’ve promised Carl that he will definitely meet his father during Christmas. I must keep my promise.

Jasmine backed away and disappeared into the crowd.

Meanwhile, it was true that Rayna did not feel well. Her heart was beating quickly regardless of how many times she tried to adjust her breathing. She looked as though she had just finished doing strenuous exercise.

Seeing that the cocktail reception was nearing its end and that she had socialized with the bosses, she wanted to leave. However, the lights in the hall went out suddenly, and they were left with a spotlight directed at the stage.

Curtis stood in front of the microphone. His legs, hidden underneath his pants, were long and straight. He looked just like a top model from a fashion show. Raising his glass, he gave a toast and said, “Thank you for attending the cocktail reception by Faymon Group today.” His voice was deep and solemn.

Then, he stretched his hand out to the side.

A woman lifted her gown and slowly walked toward the stage. She placed her hand on top of his hand, and they stood next to each other.

Rayna’s eyes hurt as she looked at them.

What a useless person I am! Didn’t I know very well that Curtis has used me? I’ve said before that I don’t care about Faymon Group and him.

Everyone was able to hear Curtis’ deep voice coming through the microphone. “I wish to announce something today. Ms. Sanders from Sanders Group and I have been engaged for a long time. After some discussion, we have decided to get married on the twentieth of next month. The wedding will be held in Celestial Manor, and we welcome everyone to attend it.”

A series of exclamations resounded across the place.

Many of Sanders Group’s projects had been improved during the few months after Curtis’ engagement with Jasmine. Now, it was another good news as they announced their marriage right after the reorganization of Faymon Group.

It was the dream of many young women to get married to a man who was worth hundreds of billion.

The couple smiled as they stood on the stage, while the people clapped their hands and congratulated the couple. Rayna, among the crowd, was downcast. Her heart was beating fast, and she had difficulty

breathing.

Curtis and Jasmine got engaged a long time ago. It is normal for them to announce the marriage date to the public. There’s nothing to be sad about. I shouldn’t be emotional about it!

Suddenly, a tall figure appeared next to Rayna. He had a stern expression on his face and exuded a cold aura that warned people not to approach him. “Ms. Garland, let’s talk,” he said.

“Okay.” Coincidentally, Rayna wanted to leave the place as well.

Both of them walked to the corner of the hall.

In a brusque and cold manner, Theodore said, “Everything is yours.”

“You’re so generous, Mr. Xavier. Thank you.” Rayna smiled faintly. She knew that Theodore was referring to the agreement. Once Curtis and Jasmine got married, everything that was listed in the agreement would belong to her.

She did not have to do anything to gain so many things, so she should be happy about it.

Theodore leaned against the wall and asked nonchalantly, “About the kid the other day… What’s your relationship with him?”

Rayna’s heart skipped a beat. “We’re friends!”

 

Chapter 209

Chapter 209 Murder Rayna With The Same Technique

Rayna recalled that Carl’s identity had to be kept hidden after sensing that Theodore intended to probe further, so she forestalled him.

“He’s the son of my middle school classmate. Their family happens to stay in the same residential area as my mother, so I bring him out to play whenever I’m free. Why are you asking about him, Mr. Xavier? Have you taken a liking to that child?”

“Your classmate?” Theodore questioned in return.

She nodded and continued fabricating a story without batting an eyelid. “His mother is an art teacher, and his father is an ex-national table tennis player who retired last year.”

The man was visibly disappointed.

For some reason, the boy’s radiant eyes lingered in his mind after their encounter on that day. Although he knew it was impossible for the boy to be his son, he insisted on seeking confirmation.

That’s right. If Jasmine birthed a child, I couldn’t be clueless about it.

Fearing that Theodore might think deeper into the matter, Rayna changed the topic of the conversation. “Mr. Xavier, does Ms. Sanders know you’re still deeply in love with her? You’re truly selfless for allowing your ex-girlfriend to marry your close friend.”

In response, he shot a cold glance at her.

Nevertheless, she was undeterred. Upon glimpsing a tattoo of letters on the side of his finger, she immediately grabbed his hand. “This string of Anglandurn letters must be related to Ms. Sanders, right?”

Ms. Sanders! Ms. Sanders! How many times must she mention this name?

Theodore was already feeling ireful the entire night. The numerous mentions of “Ms. Sanders” further aggravated his unhappiness. He could no longer repress his fury, grabbing Rayna’s wrist fiercely and pushing her against the wall.

“Rayna, you should learn to shut up now that you’ve gotten what you’re supposed to receive.” His glare was dark and threatening, as if he wanted to kill her.

“Aren’t you overreacting? I didn’t say anything out of line.” Rayna continued to provoke him. “I suspect Ms. Sanders broke up with you because she couldn’t stand your temper.”

Hearing that, Theodore tightened his grip on her.

The pain caused her to wince. It felt like her wrist could snap at any moment.

“Theodore, you’d better treat me with more respect!” Rayna was getting furious as well. Glaring at him intensely, she snapped, “Remember, I have dirt on you!”

Theodore sneered as he lowered his head and inched closer toward her. “Well, tell me about it. What kind of dirt do you have on me?” he whispered in a cynical tone.

Rayna was so petrified that all the hair on her body stood straight up.

What a terrifying aura!

Her heart raced faster and faster, and her chest felt tight. Beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. All of a sudden, her face turned ghastly pale, and she collapsed into Theodore’s arms, catching him off guard.

The next second, he pulled her away from him, putting some distance between the two of them.

“Rayna?” Theodore called out to her, but she was unresponsive.

At the sight of her colorless face, his countenance darkened, and he scooped her up in his arms. The moment he raised his head, he discovered Jasmine standing by the wall. Both their gazes met. Startled by her appearance, he felt his throat go dry and tighten.

However, he did not say anything and hurriedly carried Rayna away.

Meanwhile, Jasmine grabbed onto the wall, feeling slightly breathless.

She knew Rayna could not be interested in Theodore, but the earlier sight of them behaving intimately with each other still made her uncomfortable.

After regaining her composure, Jasmine went to look for Curtis and told him everything she saw.

As soon as Curtis heard that Rayna had fainted and was carried away by Theodore, he made his way to the lounge together with Jasmine.

His strides were decisive, showing no signs of hesitation. On the way there, he called Jeremy.

Soon after the call connected, he heard the latter speak in a resigned tone. “Theodore called me thirty seconds ago. I’m on my way now. Could you check on her first, Curtis?”

Curtis replied, “Make your way here as fast as possible.”

Upon entering the lounge, he saw Rayna, who Theodore had laid on the couch. Her face was pale, and her breathing was quick.

He looked at Theodore and asked, “What happened, Theodore?”

“I was chatting with Ms. Garland earlier when she suddenly fainted.” The latter described the whole incident in detail. “Initially, she was only perspiring. Now, her heart is beating abnormally fast.”

Immediately, Curtis bent over to check on Rayna.

He was not a professional doctor, so he could not diagnose her condition. Naturally, he dared not examine her body recklessly. However, one thing he knew for sure was that she was experiencing great discomfort, judging by the beads of sweat on her forehead.

He felt a throbbing pain in his chest as though something was twisting his heart.

Overwhelmed with worry, he called Jeremy again and hurried him over to the lounge.

While he did not realize the anxiousness and frustration in his voice, they did not go unnoticed by Theodore, who glanced at him and pressed his lips together tightly.

Why did he decide to marry Jasmine if he’s so worried about Rayna? Confused thoughts ran through Theodore’s mind as he tried to make sense of Curtis’ reaction.

Amid the anxious wait consisting of Curtis checking on Rayna repeatedly, Jeremy finally arrived at the lounge.

Jeremy’s face immediately changed when he saw Rayna in that state.

With swift movements, he put on his gloves and started to inspect Rayna. In the meantime, he also instructed Curtis to prepare the medicine according to his prescription.

Once Curtis prepared the medicine and inserted it into the syringe, Jeremy injected it into Rayna’s arm.

Three minutes later, her breathing slowly stabilized to a steady rate, and color began to return to her face. Seeing that, Curtis heaved a sigh of relief.

He asked Jeremy, “What happened to her?”

“You’d better ask someone to investigate what she had eaten and with whom she came in contact this evening.” Jeremy removed his surgical gloves and said with a lingering fear, “Thank goodness you all called me the instance she fainted. Otherwise…”

Curtis’ face darkened. In a cold tone, he gave Wyatt an order. “Get a copy of the surveillance footage from this evening.”

How dare they touch her right under my nose!

Within ten minutes, Wyatt returned with a copy of the surveillance footage.

From the footage, it could be seen that people had been striking up conversations with Rayna non-stop since she entered the banquet hall. A few lustful men even tried to touch her on the pretext of socializing.

Rayna barely ate, only drinking two glasses of champagne. When Curtis went on the stage to make a speech, she followed Theodore to a corner.

The scene of him pinning her against the wall stunned everyone.

Wyatt looked at Theodore and clicked his tongue. “I didn’t expect you to do such a thing,” he commented in a meaningful tone.

Curtis was visibly upset at Wyatt’s teasing, kicking him in the leg.

Theodore did not seem embarrassed at all. “She was joking with me,” was all he said.

A joke? What kind of a joke would result in one party being pinned against the wall? Wyatt became even more curious, so he darted a glance between Theodore and Curtis, wanting to dig deeper.

Right then, Jasmine, who had been keeping silent, spoke up timely to change the topic. “From the footage, it seems that nobody laid a hand on Ms. Garland. So, what’s going on?” she asked.

“She was drugged with a potent poison,” explained Jeremy with a solemn expression. “It can cause a person to die from a heart attack. However, once the effect wears off, it can’t be detected by any test unless an autopsy is ordered for investigation.”

“If the cause of death is determined as heart attack, people will think it’s due to fatigue.” Wyatt rubbed his chin and pondered. He seemed to have recalled something and turned his head to look at Curtis. “Didn’t an executive at Faymon Group die of a heart attack too?”

Staring at Rayna’s pale-looking face, Curtis grunted in response before saying, “The person who died was Rayna’s supervisor. He suffered a heart attack while sitting in the car.”

Jeremy sneered. “If one can suffer a heart attack simply because of fatigue, there’ll be countless deaths annually in this country. This person’s tactic is top-notch; it’s almost impossible to trace back to the murderer.”

“So, who murdered Rayna’s supervisor?” Wyatt was puzzled. “And why is the person targeting her now?”

Curtis drummed his fingers on his dress pants. “It was said that Mr. Lawson was secretly involved in money laundering activities. Later, he wanted to move to Norham with his family, probably wanting to quit the illegal business. That was when he died, likely taken down by the people he worked for. But I couldn’t find any leads on that.”

When Gabriel submitted the diagnosis report to him, he had already suspected something was amiss about Jonathan’s death. Even though he did ask Gabriel to investigate it, no conclusive findings could be discovered. Soon after, he had to handle matters regarding the Faymon family, so he did not pursue it further.

It was horrifying to think that the person attempted to murder Rayna with the same technique.

 

Chapter 210

Chapter 210 Speak To Me Properly

Curtis narrowed his eyes, and a suffocating, murderous intent emanated from him.

Wyatt was the first to crack. “Don’t be like that, Curtis. Ms. Garland is fine, isn’t she? Besides, your fiancée is here. Let’s not frighten her.”

Immediately afterward, he received a death stare from Theodore, which caused his heart to hammer wildly.

“Ms. Garland is fine. Don’t worry, Curtis,” Jeremy assured Curtis. “As for the perpetrator’s identity, I’m sure we will eventually find some clues by going through the surveillance footage thoroughly.”

Curtis nodded, then shot a glance at Wyatt.

“I know. I’m on it.” With a single glance, the latter knew what was expected from him. Why did I choose to major in computer science and behavioral analysis? ”I’ll give Jessie a call,” he added.

“No need.” Curtis draped his suit jacket over Rayna and lifted her easily in his arms. “She stays in the same residential area as Kristie, to whom I am about to pay a visit.”

“I saw Kristie’s Instagram feed. She’s filming out of state now!” Wyatt replied at once.

“She’ll be coming back tonight. Do you have an opinion about that?” Wearing a half-smile, Curtis stared at him and continued, “I must trouble you to go through the surveillance footage, Wyatt. I hope you will have something new to report to me tomorrow morning.”

Wyatt’s shoulders slumped when the realization struck him.

Argh! I’m such a blabber!

“I’ll stay back and work with Wyatt,” Jeremy offered with a smile. “If you didn’t have any drinks, Theodore, help send Ms. Sanders home. It’s not safe for her to return alone.”

Jasmine did not object to it, accepting the suggestion pleasantly. “Thank you.”

There was no response from Theodore.

However, after they exited the building, he did not do as Jeremy had requested. Once Curtis left with Rayna in his arms, he walked to the side of the road and hailed a taxi. “We’re going in opposite directions, Ms. Sanders. Why don’t you take a taxi home?”

Jasmine’s eyes dimmed. Instead of entering the vehicle, she merely smiled at Theodore. “They asked you to send me home, Mr. Xavier, and now you’re handing me over to the taxi driver, a stranger. Aren’t you afraid of something happening to me?”

“I will take a picture of the license plate and hold him accountable if anything happens to you,” he replied.

Yet, she stood her ground. “I won’t take a cab. I can’t stand the smell. Either take the long way to send me home or leave me with Mr. York.”

The muscles on Theodore’s face grew taut.

The taxi driver darted a glance at the man, then at the woman.

Can’t you two have your lovers spat someplace else? I’d like to earn money!

Another minute passed, but to the taxi driver’s dismay, the couple was still in a stalemate. In a meek voice, he asked, “Um, my wife is in the hospital about to deliver a baby. May I leave, sir?”

Theodore shot a cold look at the driver. Despite his hostile demeanor, he still shut the door.

Instantly, the taxi driver sped out of there.

Jasmine massaged her fair arm, shivering from the cold wind. “Where is your car, Mr. Xavier?”

With that, the duo headed to the parking lot.

Theodore drove a Hummer that day. Not only did it look domineering, but its impressive height demanded the aid of a stool to mount. Lowering her head, Jasmine gazed at her gown.

This dress is too tight. I can’t climb up.

Theodore stared at the open door and grew impatient when she still had not emerged. “Are you coming or not?”

Jasmine shut her eyes.

Four years have passed, and his temper has worsened with the increase of his age!

“Come over here,” she said.

With annoyance bubbling up within him, Theodore resigned himself to descending the vehicle. After going around the car, he found Jasmine standing there, looking exceptionally short next to the imposing Hummer.

She pointed at her gown. “It’s too tall. Besides, I can’t lift the hem of this dress.”

“Is it my fault you wore a dress like that?”

Jasmine had to expend an immense effort to suppress her anger. “Fine, it was my choice to wear this. Are you happy? Still, it’s not my fault that your car is too tall! No woman could make it up there!”

Theodore stood there without saying a word, though the scowl on his face betrayed his impatience.

Familiar with his nasty temper, Jasmine reined back her fury. “Give me a hand to help me up.”

She reached out to grab his arm, but he moved backward, causing her to miss him.

In an instant, a sense of frustration welled up within her.

He can carry Rayna but refuses to let me touch him?

Theodore looked around. Upon spotting a paint bucket in the corner of the wall, he brought it over and placed it beneath his vehicle.

“Thank you, but I don’t want a ride from you anymore.” Scowling, Jasmine turned and stalked out.

Does he mean to humiliate me with the bucket of paint?

Theodore grabbed her arm and yanked her back. “You wanted a ride, and now you don’t. What is it that you want, Jasmine Sanders?” His gaze on her was grim.

Even though he was a reticent person, she always managed to force him to become otherwise.

The word “Jasmine” began to feel like a thorn on his tongue, making him grit his teeth in vexation as he enunciated it.

She had been cruel to break things off four years ago without giving us a chance. Despite breaking things off so cleanly, she appears before me again four years later. What do I owe her?

Jasmine flung herself free from his grasp. “I want to take a taxi now,” she announced curtly.

Before she could even manage to take a step forward, Theodore lifted her. With his strong arms, he heaved her straight into the Hummer. She slumped into the seat in an ungraceful heap while her heels dropped outside the vehicle.

“Am I a cargo to be manhandled like so?” Jasmine snarled.

Her complaint fell on deaf ears. Without a word, he picked up her heels and attempted to put them on for her, but she shrank away from the touch of his callused palms.

Very quickly, Theodore got into the driver’s seat, then glanced at Jasmine.

“Seatbelt.”

With a snort, she yanked the seatbelt in a fit of anger yet failed to pull it out despite a prolonged effort. “What a ‘quality’ car you have here, Mr. Xavier,” she jeered. “I never thought I’d see one!”

He leaned over and pulled the seatbelt forward. All it took was a gentle tug to get it out. Due to his posture, the two of them were so close to each other that their breaths seemed to mingle.

Jasmine pressed herself as close as possible against her seat, yet she could not avoid his breath coming into contact with her face.

It was warm with a tinge of cigarette smoke.

“Since when do you smoke?” she asked as she gazed upward, forgetting he was still close to her. Her head collided against his chin, causing him to emit a dull grunt.

Rubbing his chin, Theodore sat back in his seat with a grim countenance. Instead of answering Jasmine, he started the car and soon exited the parking lot, driving onto the asphalt road.

She, too, did not wish to speak further.

He can smoke as he pleases. Who am I to say otherwise?

As neither was willing to speak, the car grew so quiet that even the atmosphere felt odd. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the ringtone coming from Jasmine’s phone in her purse.

Theodore had been paying attention to her through the corner of his eyes, so he watched as her expression grew tender when she checked the caller ID before answering the call eagerly.

“Hello? I’m on my way home. Did you prepare supper for me? Just as well since I didn’t have dinner. No, you don’t have to come out to get me…”

As Theodore’s car window was open, the constant whooshing noises from the wind drowned out the caller’s words. All he could hear was Jasmine’s gentle voice when she replied to the other party.

Does she have someone special in her life?

As that thought crossed his mind, he gripped the steering wheel. Though he appeared expressionless, his tightly pursed lips told a different story.

“Was that a friend?” he asked instinctively after Jasmine hung up.

“It’s not a friend, but somebody very important to me,” she replied.

I’d wanted to tell Theodore about Carl when I met him at the hospital previously, but his attitude was awful. It’s even worse today!