Ch. 221..230

Chapter 221

Chapter 221 Lucky 1

Wyatt had no idea what was inside Jessica’s handbag, but he was hurting nonetheless. When Wyatt finally grabbed hold of the bag, he immediately tossed it aside and comforted the woman, “Jessie, I’d never break up with—”

Before Wyatt could finish his sentence, Jessica gave him a hard slap.

The man was instantly stunned since he had never been hit like that before.

“If you have questions for him, then ask!” voiced Theodore sternly after rising to grab Jessica by the wrist.

“D*mn it! What the heck was that for?” Wyatt licked the corner of his numb lips, upset about getting smacked. “Nobody has ever hit me like that.”

“You think that’s bad? I’d kill you if I could, you pervert!” cursed Jessica.

“What did I do?”

“Are you seriously asking me that?” After breaking free from Theodore, Jessica took her phone out of her handbag and threw it at Wyatt. “As if you have no idea what you did!”

Wyatt caught Jessica’s phone and saw a video on it. In the high-definition recording were a man, a woman, and the sound of the woman crying.

After watching the video for only two seconds, Wyatt quickly closed it.

“I only agreed to be with you because you wouldn’t stop pursuing me, but I never expected you to be a pervert.” Jessica’s face was filled with nothing but hopelessness when she burst into tears. “How is a

woman like me going to face the world now?”

“I swear I didn’t take this video.” Panicking, Wyatt reached out to hold Jessica’s hands but got slapped again instead.

Jessica continued to cry as she questioned, “Who took the video, if not you? Do you have any idea how humiliated I am now that this video is all over the internet? What do I do if my friends and relatives see it? What do I tell my parents?”

After realizing what was happening, Wyatt dared not get upset about being slapped. All he could think about was how to comfort Jessica. “Please don’t cry. I’ll take care of the video immediately; everything’s going to be fine.”

“Do you think you can remove the video for good? What makes you think nobody has downloaded it?” questioned Jessica in tears while kicking and punching the man. “I can’t believe you did that, Wyatt!”

“D*mn it! It wasn’t me!” Wyatt was unsure how he was going to convince Jessica that he was innocent.

“I guess I have no one but myself to blame because I fell for you.” Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com After wiping her tears away, Jessica picked up her handbag from the floor. “Don’t ever let me see you again!”

Then, the woman rushed out with her mouth covered.

“Please listen to me, Jessie!” Afraid that Jessica would do something stupid, Wyatt hurriedly went after her and left the other three men in the VIP room.

“I guess that video isn’t something they want anyone to see,” commented Jeremy, seemingly gloating within. “I can’t say I don’t enjoy watching Wyatt fall head over heels for a woman.”

On the other hand, Theodore was not as pleased as Jeremy. “I can’t believe Wyatt just let a woman slap him twice. What happened to his dignity?” He even tried to comfort the woman after getting hit. How shameful!

At that moment, a waiter came in with a little puppy and addressed Curtis. “The dog has been bathed, Mr. Faymon. Will you be taking it with you now?”

Jeremy was so shocked that his jaw dropped. “I thought Wyatt was kidding. You really got a dog, Curtis?”

“It’s for self-defense,” explained Curtis.

The young puppy shook its tail excitedly when it saw Curtis, who was less thrilled and refused to let it rub against his leg. “Call me if there’s anything. I’m leaving.”

After Curtis left with the puppy, Jeremy voiced, “That dog looks like it’s only a month old. Having a puppy serve him isn’t very honorable of Curtis.”

Theodore got nothing to say to that.

Meanwhile, Jessica refused to stop until she reached a taxi parked by the roadside and entered the vehicle.

She then looked out the rear window as the car drove away.

Failing to find Jessica anywhere outside the building, Wyatt anxiously pulled out his phone to make a call.

After staring at the man for a few seconds, Jessica turned back around and wiped her cheeks with her finger. Suddenly, her heartbroken expression was replaced with an indifferent one.

When Jessica received the phone call from Wyatt, she simply smirked and ignored it. However, she picked up her phone without hesitation the moment she received a call from an unfamiliar number.

“Violet, keep an eye on Rayna,” instructed the voice on the other end of the line coldly.

“What happened? Why are you calling me yourself?” inquired Jessica.

“Arnaud went to Chanaea two months ago.”

Jessica was surprised to hear that. “Why did he come? And where are you?”

“I’m in Tyrandas.”

“Is Mr. Hamilton sick again?”

“The interval is getting shorter and shorter. The doctor said he won’t last long.” Ringo cursed in a low voice before adding, “I’ve been in Tyrandas for two months, and I still can’t find anything!”

“We don’t have a choice since Rayna decided to side with Curtis. Just keep looking. The people in that village have no passport, so I’m sure they can’t leave Tyrandas,” stated Jessica. “The group was obviously relieved when Rayna returned, which means there are still some of those plants. You probably don’t know this, but Jeremy works at MORI Research Center.”

“I’ll keep looking,” promised Ringo. “You have to keep an eye on Rayna because I’m worried that Arnaud’s going to make a move on her. If she dies, Mr. Hamilton will too.”

Jessica sighed when she heard that. “I’ve never met any bodyguard more devoted than you or a man more loyal than Jefferson. He’s ready to give up his life for a woman.”

“Rayna doesn’t deserve Mr. Hamilton’s love,” sneered Ringo with sheer anger in his tone. “If it were not for Mr. Hamilton, I would’ve killed her long ago!” Mr. Hamilton deserves someone better than thatnoveldrama

heartless woman!

“Don’t worry. I’ll ensure that Rayna is safe. I hope to hear good news from you when you return.”

After the two chatted for a while, the phone call ended.

After clearing the call log on her phone and deleting the video and the website address she showed Wyatt, Jessica opened a photo in her album.

In the picture was a woman who looked almost the same as Jessica. Intense hatred filled Jessica’s eyes as she brushed her finger across the sweet smiling woman in the photo.

“There’s no rush. The show is just getting started,” uttered Jessica while her crimson-red lips broke into a smirk.

After working the entire afternoon in the office, Rayna was utterly exhausted when she finally returned to her condominium. Unexpectedly, a familiar figure was waiting for her when she got home.

As soon as Elijah heard the sound of Rayna’s high heels, he turned around and rushed over. “Isabelle.”

“Have you no shame, Elijah?” Rayna’s face immediately hardened when the figure turned out to be Elijah. “You looked up my address because you couldn’t find me at my mother’s place?”

“I didn’t have a choice. Your brother—”

“He’s your son, not my brother!” interrupted Rayna sternly.

Even though Elijah was displeased, he knew he had to suppress his emotions. “Harry has undergone chemotherapy many times in the past two months. He’s suffering, Rayna. Please help him. All you have to do is donate some of your bone marrow to him, and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“Elijah, are you aware of the saying, ‘What goes around comes around’?” scoffed Rayna. His heartlessness is the reason his son is suffering. He deserves this! My mother wasn’t without fault because she was stupid and weak, but that doesn’t make me hate this man any less. He abandoned us when we needed him the most and only appeared when he needed my help.

“I’d save my breath if I were you, Elijah,” voiced Rayna coldly. “I won’t donate my bone marrow because I want you to know what it’s like to yearn for death!”

Chapter 222

Chapter 222 Lucky 2

“Isabelle, you better watch your tone!” roared Elijah with his hand lifted, but before he could slap Rayna, somebody grabbed him by the wrist.

Rayna was stunned when she saw that it was Curtis who had intervened. “Mr. Faymon.”

“Are you okay?” inquired Curtis after nodding at Rayna.

“I’m fine. Even if you were not here, his hand wouldn’t be able to reach my face,” promised Rayna as she stared coldly at Elijah. “Instead of wasting your time on me, you should spend more time and money looking for another suitable donor before your son’s time is up, Elijah.”

“I admit that I was wrong to have abandoned you, but we’re talking about your brother here. He’s your blood!” shouted Elijah angrily.

“I only have one brother, and that’s James,” retorted Rayna indifferently. “Besides, my mother divorced you more than twenty years ago, so we’re no longer related. If you have a problem with that, take it to court.”

“You… You… You…” After listening to her cold daughter, Elijah got so upset that he lost the ability to form a complete sentence.

“This neighborhood has terrible security; I can’t believe they just let a stranger in. I’m going to make a formal complaint tomorrow,” mocked Rayna before walking away from Elijah.

Curtis tightened his grip on Elijah’s wrist and warned in his deep voice, “Don’t ever come back here again.”

Grimacing in pain, Elijah had no choice but to nod in agreement. Only then did Curtis let go of Elijah and enter the condominium with the puppy.

Rayna was waiting for the elevator when Curtis walked in with his dog.

“That puppy looks like it’s barely one month old,” commented Rayna as she looked at the dog that seemed afraid of Curtis because it was keeping a distance from him. “Who walks a dog that young?”

“It’s too weak, so I took it out for training,” replied Curtis casually.

The puppy then rubbed against Rayna while barking and wagging its tail. Seeing how adorable the dog was, Rayna could not help but hug it.

“You smell wonderful! Did you just get a bath?” muttered Rayna before patting the puppy and kissing it on the head. “How cute!”

The dog is cute?

I wouldn’t say I agree with her definition of the word. Curtis did not appreciate that the puppy was rubbing against Rayna’s chest, so he pinched the dog behind its neck with two fingers and pulled it away from the woman before indifferently lowering it back to the ground.

In order to prevent Rayna from picking up the dog again, Curtis changed the subject. “Was that your father?”

Rayna nodded in response. “He’s a man who cares about no one but himself. He disliked us and even divorced my mother. After remarrying and giving birth to a child with leukemia, he returned to ask for my help because the kid’s bone marrow matched mine. He’s been pestering me for the past few months, and now he’s even found out where I live.”

After hearing that, Curtis’ face hardened because he could tell from the hostility on Elijah’s face that the man was a hot-tempered person who would not shy from doing terrible things.

“I’ll inform the guards to tighten the security in the neighborhood,” promised Curtis. “You should keep something for self-defense in your bag, just in case.”

“Got it,” uttered Rayna while nodding, for she knew what the man was worried about.

“Don’t you have anything you want to tell me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The morning news. I see you’ve met Theodore’s mother, who even gave you a present.” Curtis pretended to be casual about the matter while glancing at Rayna.

“Are you kidding? It was a total disaster!” Rayna could still feel the pain on her wrist when she recalled what had happened that morning. “His mother is nothing if not crafty. She even got a reporter outside.”

“Why did you meet with Theodore before?” inquired Curtis.

“Are you seriously asking me that question right now, Mr. Faymon?” scoffed Rayna. “I didn’t say a word when you announced that you’d be marrying Ms. Sanders, so what makes you think I have to explain myself to you?”

Curtis was relaxed at first, but after getting scoffed at like that, he hardened his face once again. “Jasmine and I are just faking the marriage. How many times do you need me to repeat myself?”

“Do you think the public cares if the marriage is real? I certainly don’t!” stated Rayna coldly.

“Are you jealous?”

After freezing for a moment, Rayna turned to stare blankly at the elevator door, refusing to look at the man.

Curtis then put one hand on the rail behind Rayna and leaned in with a smile. “About that thing you were trying to tell me last time…”

Before Curtis could finish his sentence, the elevator door suddenly opened.

“Huh? Curt? Rayna?” Standing outside the elevator was Kristie in pajamas. She was surprised to see the two, especially since they were so close to each other.

Instinctively, Kristie reached out to press the close button. “Maybe you should carry on.”

“Out you go, Mr. Faymon.” Rayna immediately distanced herself from Curtis and pushed the man and his dog out of the elevator before pressing the close button repeatedly.

Curtis stared coldly at Kristie while questioning, “What are you doing out here this late?”

“I’m hungry; I wanted to get some snacks,” explained Kristie aggrievedly. “It’s your fault that I lost my boyfriend and nearly starved to death.”

“He didn’t contact you?”

Kristie shook her head while pouting. “It’s been a month since he last answered my call. I have no idea where he went.”

“He has quite the temper.” Curtis was displeased to hear how Kristie was treated.

However, she did not side with him. “You shouldn’t have lied to Rayna. It’s your fault she suffered from a high fever for several days. If I were him, I’d be furious too.”

“Since you dislike so much, you might as well just leave. I see no point in keeping someone who prefers to side with others,” uttered Curtis.

In response, Kristie stuck her tongue out at the man. “Make me! My plan is to wait until you die alone to inherit your fortune so I can buy an island and trap him on it. Then, we’ll spend the rest of our lives together there.”

“Your plan is to take my money so you can take care of another man?” ridiculed Curtis.

“Why do you care?” Only after rolling her eyes at Curtis did Kristie notice the little puppy beside the man. “I thought you hated cats and dogs. What changed your mind?”

Kristie could not help laughing when she remembered the scene in the elevator. “There’s no doubt that you have good looks, but you have to admit you look pathetic when you’re trying to beg Rayna’s forgiveness.”

“Are you trying to end your acting career?”

“I am. Acting is so tiring,” answered Kristie with a snort. “Feel free to replace me. It’ll be your loss, not mine!”

“You ungrateful little beast!” Curtis then pinched Kristie’s cheek forcefully.

Kristie was trying to hit Curtis when the elevator door opened and revealed James in gray sportswear on the other side.

Holding a thermal bag, James pursed his lips tightly when he saw Kristie and Curtis fooling around.

“Speak of the devil,” uttered Curtis in his cold voice, breaking the silence.

As soon as Kristie turned around and saw James, she threw herself at the man and held him tightly. “Where have you been the entire month? I thought you’d left me.”

Curtis would rather not stick around to hear the rest of the conversation, so he took another elevator.

“Keep your eyes on me. Talk to me.” Holding James’ head, Kristie forced the man to focus on her before inquiring aggrievedly, “Why didn’t you answer my calls? Are you seeing someone else?”

“There was some business I had to attend to at the school. Now let go.” James wanted to remove Kristie’s hands, but she quickly jumped up, wrapped her legs around his waist, and kissed him.

 

Chapter 223

Chapter 223 Let Someone Else Touch

The woman’s passion and boldness were more than what James could handle. It took him a long time and effort before he managed to pull her away from him. “Stop fooling around in the elevator.”

“You’re a meanie, James Griffith! You ignored me for a month and didn’t answer any of my calls. Now, you’re even pushing me away?” Kristie furiously pulled herself away from his body and stomped out of the elevator.

This is absurd!

James hurriedly followed her and held her hand, but she shook his hand off. Left with no choice, he picked her up and explained in resignation, “There are cameras inside the elevator. People can see us.”

“Even I’m not afraid, so why are you scared?” Kristie was still angry. “Is your reputation more valuable than mine?”

“I’m just afraid I can’t hold myself back.”

Stunned by his response, she took a second to register his words. Then, she crimsoned and buried her face in his chest. “Don’t think I’ll forgive you just because you said that! You still ignored me for a month!” she complained petulantly.

A beat later, she pressed on, “What were you busy working on? Did any b*tches follow you? Why aren’t you talking? You’ve never missed me at all, right? It’s been over a month. Are you still mad at me? Say something, James! Don’t think I’m unaware of what you’re thinking!”

James stayed silent.

Overwhelmed by her nagging, he tossed her on the couch as soon as they entered the condominium. “Why are you overthinking so much? I was just busy with something!”

“I wasn’t by your side, so how would I know if you were alone?” Kristie responded as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him onto the couch. With a swift movement, she turned over and sat on him.

Like a puppy, she sniffed all over his body. Seemingly failed to capture any foreign scent, she finally smiled. “You’re lucky that there’s no scent of another woman on you!”

Kristie snuggled up to him, wanting to kiss him again.

“Let’s have our meal first.” James held her by her chin to stop her from getting closer. After being away for over a month, he could clearly feel that she had become a lot skinnier. “You haven’t been eating properly again, right?”

“The food I had outside wasn’t as delicious as your cooking.” Pouting, she looked at him pitifully. “We’ve been apart for a month. Are you only going to make me have my meals when we’re finally meeting again?”

James could not stand her acting coy with him. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he asked, “Aren’t you hungry?”

“I am. But you’re more attractive than food.” Kristie grabbed his fingers and kissed them lightly while staring at him with her bright, charming eyes. She looked innocent and alluring at the same time.

The young man’s breath quickened. He cupped the back of her head and kissed her fiercely. In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck and reciprocated his kiss passionately.

The atmosphere became more and more intimate.

Inadvertently, James glanced upward and noticed something glinting in the chandelier. At that discovery, he instantly grabbed a blanket and covered Kristie with it before pushing her away.

Kristie was shocked by his sudden movements. When she regained her senses, she saw him stepping on a chair to inspect the chandelier. By the time he stepped down from the chair, he had a black cube in his hand.

“What’s that?” she asked as she approached him curiously.

“A miniature camera.” James’ face was as black as thunder. Then, he switched off all the lights in the condominium and opened the application used to detect hidden cameras to scan through the entire space.

After conducting a thorough scan, he found cameras hidden in the living room and the bedroom but nowhere else. However, he also discovered a listening device planted in the hairdryer in the bathroom.

Kristie had a look of disgust on her face. “Whoever did this is such a pervert! I can’t believe they planted a listening device in the bathroom!”

James disassembled the camera and investigated the chip inside it. It was a special chip that allowed one to watch the footage from one’s phone as soon as the scene in the condominium was captured.

Clenching the chip in his hand, he asked Kristie, “Did someone come to this condominium recently?”

“The water heater in the bathroom malfunctioned two weeks ago, so I informed the management. Then, they sent a repairman to perform maintenance,” she answered while recalling the event. “By the way, the repairman looked extremely young. He has a clear and childlike voice too. But I was memorizing my script, so I paid little attention to him.”

“Have you been sleeping naked recently?”

“I only do so when I sleep with you,” Kristie replied smilingly, clinging to his arm like a koala. “Hugging you makes me feel safe. Of course, I won’t sleep naked when I’m alone.”

“Everything’s fine, then.” James heaved a sigh of relief.

He was worried there would still be some undetected devices in Kristie’s condominium. Hence, he brought her downstairs to his previous condominium.

Even when they were taking the elevator, Kristie could not keep her hands to herself, reaching underneath his tracksuits naughtily. “Wow! Your muscles feel even more solid than before! Did you still hit the gym when you were busy with work?”

“Don’t act so lecherous. It’s not ladylike at all.”

“What do you mean? Did you build your body with intentions to let someone else touch you?” Kristie whined. The more he says no, the more I’ll touch him!

Hearing that, James gave up on arguing with her further, as he knew it was useless.

“This camera reminds me of something,” Kristie voiced after giving it some thought. “Recently, I always felt like someone was stalking me. Yet, there was no one behind me every time I turned around.”

“When did this begin?”

“Around a week prior to the water heater maintenance. The feeling remained even after I returned home in the evening.”

“What you felt was real. Someone was stalking you.” Usually, a person’s sixth sense would never go wrong. James’ expression became gloomy when the realization struck him. “I will find out who this person is.”

At that, Kristie’s eyes brightened. Nuzzling his chest, she asked, “Does this mean you won’t be busy anymore?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Then I won’t rush to do anything with you tonight,” she said. “I have shooting tomorrow for the entire day, so I need to be in my best condition. Let’s wait after I’m done with work.”

James’ eyebrows twitched.

When Rayna woke up the next day, her morning was disrupted by the continuous ringing of the doorbell.

Despite her annoyance, she had no choice but to get changed and open the door. Her face darkened as soon as she saw Wyatt at the door. “It’s still so early, and you’re already here to meet Jessie? Why don’t you just live at our doorway?”

“I’ll make it up to you next time! It’s urgent!” He frantically entered the condominium and walked toward Jessica’s room. Then, he started knocking on the door.

“Are you awake, Jessie? Please open the door and listen to my explanation! Open the door, Jessie! Please!”

In the meantime, Rayna had brewed herself a cup of coffee and watched him rap on Jessica’s door like a madman while she leaned against the kitchen counter. Ten minutes had passed, but Jessica remained inside her room.

“Did you two break up?” Rayna asked.

Wyatt grabbed his hair out of frustration and said miserably, “It’s worse than a breakup.”

Just then, Jessica pulled the door open and exited her room. She merely shot him a glance before chasing him out without saying a word.

“Please listen to my explanation, Jessie! It wasn’t me who uploaded the video!” Wyatt tried his best to stay inside the condominium, yelling, “I deleted those videos and shut down those websites! Everything’s fine now!”

“Get lost! I don’t want to see you!” Seeing that he was unwilling to leave the condominium, Jessica grabbed a belt and whipped him with it. “We already broke up!”

Wyatt only had a thin shirt on, so he felt immense pain on his skin when being hit with a belt. “It really wasn’t me! Can’t you just give me a chance to change for the better?” he wailed in an aggrieved tone.

Her eyes were red-rimmed as she responded, “It happened at your place, so who else could be at fault? I’m sure you did immoral deeds like this many times in your previous relationships with other women!”

Wyatt raised his hand to swear. “I didn’t do it! I swear I’ll die a horrible death if I lied!”

“Get lost!”

“Jessie!” His voice eventually faded after he was locked outside the door.

 

Chapter 224

Chapter 224 She Can Do Whatever She Wants

Rayna, who witnessed their entire argument, was dumbstruck. It seems like things are different from what I expected.

She handed a piece of tissue to Jessica and remarked, “Your breakup with him is so intense.”

“You don’t know how horrible he is!” Jessica’s glasses had turned hazy from her crying. She took them off and wiped the lenses, weeping tears as she explained, “H-He posted that type of video online… I am a girl. How am I supposed to see my friends and acquaintances again if they happen to watch the video?”

Rayna knew what video Jessica was referring to, so she could understand her anger. “That’s really…”

On second thought, she chose to share her opinion instead. “Wyatt may be a playboy, but he will never do something so terrible. If he did, he wouldn’t bother coming over and explaining things to you.”

Jessica asked, “Who else could it be if not him when it was filmed at his place?”

“It’s hard to guard against sneak photography nowadays.” Rayna then suggested, “Perhaps someone installed a pinhole camera at Wyatt’s place. Wyatt might not have noticed it, which led to what happened next.”

“In any case, I refuse to forgive him!” Jessica made up her mind. “He can find whoever he wants!”

Rayna did not know what to say in response.

However, she knew it was inappropriate for her to interfere with the couple’s argument.

Later, she sent Jessica to Faymon Group before heading off to her own workplace. Just as she arrived at the office, her assistant walked over and informed her, “Ms. Garland, Mr. Chambers is looking for you.”

“Okay. I’ll be right over.”

Rayna headed to the CEO’s office to meet Beau. They made some small talk. Then, he handed her a document, beaming as he said, “A high-speed railway station will be built in the eastern district, and the project will be sold by tender.”

“That’s great news.” Rayna flipped through the document and closed it. There was a sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him and added, “It will benefit our company in opening up a market abroad if we can get the project.”

“I’m planning on putting you in charge.”

“Mr. Chambers, I am inexperienced in this area.” Rayna was startled at first. Upon returning to her senses, she asked, “Why don’t we let Mr. Wright handle it instead? With him in charge, I’m sure our company can get this project successfully.”

Beau chuckled at that. “He is indeed capable, but you’re not too bad yourself. Rayna, you’ve just transferred from Faymon Group. If you take over this project, you’ll be able to gain a foothold in the industry quickly.”

He believed Curtis arranged for her transfer to his company because the latter wanted to give her a platform for the improvement and growth in her career.

After pondering it for a long moment, Rayna accepted the offer but not without stating her condition. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I’d love to give it a try too. However, this is too huge of a

project. If I realize I am inadequate for this project later, I suggest handing over the project to Mr. Wright and his team. I’ll happily accept the offer if you agree to this arrangement.”

“Sure. I’ll inform Mr. Wright about this.” Beau was delighted with her decision. “I’ll leave this project in your hands, then.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chambers.”

Rayna started assembling a team as soon as she returned to her office. Due to the gravity of the project, she still found her team to be short of people even after screening through the company’s employee list for suitable candidates.

Beau had vast connections in the industry. That night, he invited Rayna to dinner and introduced her to some of his friends. After making small talk, she recruited six people from another company to join her team. All of them signed a non-disclosure agreement for that.

Rayna did not wish to be a spoilsport at business gatherings with the big shots in the industry, so she drank some alcohol, which brought a blush to her cheeks. The reason she felt secure enough to imbibe was that she had texted Jessica her location beforehand.

She did not drink much, yet the high alcohol content from the hard liquor still made her feel lightheaded.

One of the big shots sneaked several glances at her before leaning closer to Beau and asking jokingly, “Beau, is she your secret lover? You must adore her a lot to bring her to our gathering.”

“That’s nonsense!” Beau rolled his eyes at him. Fortunately, there were no strangers around to overhear their conversation. “I don’t have the guts to keep her as my secret lover. You should know that she’s not someone to be trifle with.”

Morgan Hennessey, another big shot, chimed in, “You make it sound like she’s from a powerful background. Isn’t she just an ex-employee of Faymon Group? I don’t think she’s that capable, given her young age. Besides, Faymon Group’s legal and public relations teams are well-known for their abilities. It doesn’t matter whether or not Curtis is at the office since he has such great teams working for him.”

“Why don’t you stop talking?” Beau poured him a glass of wine, intending to shut him up. “We shouldn’t underestimate the younger generation. Rayna is pretty decisive and smart.”

Morgan laughed. “There are a lot of pretty and young girls out there, but there’s no guarantee if they’re smart.”

Panic washed over Beau, for he was worried that Rayna would hear such remarks. Technically, he was merely an employee since Faymon Group had secretly acquired Hatchair Group. They signed a contract, so the public was unaware of that fact.

“Be careful with your words. She’s with Mr. Faymon,” Beau cautioned.

“Beau, stop making it sound so serious. We aren’t taking advantage of her. We’re only worried that she’s incapable of handling such a project and will implicate us in her mess. If Curtis wants to have a lover, he should keep her by his side instead of letting her do business with us.”

“I agree. The eastern district’s high-speed railway station project is huge. Are you serious about letting a young girl like her be in charge of it? I’m afraid they will disqualify her immediately when she brings her team over for the tender.”

Beau’s head ached from their endless chatter.

He would not have had dinner with those people if it were not for Curtis’ instructions. They had no filter, belittling everyone as they believed they were big shots in the industry.

Beau was about to call in a waitress when the door to their private room was suddenly pushed open from outside. A slender figure stepped inside. He wore a wine-red shirt and black dress pants, looking languid yet assertive.

“M-Mr. Faymon?”

No one had expected Curtis to show up. They quickly stood up one after another.

Faymon Group was the leading corporation in the business industry, possessing an excellent reputation. Moreover, the incident from two months ago also proved that no one should underestimate Curtis’ methods and strategies.

Curtis flashed a faint smile at them. “You don’t have to be so polite to me. I happened to have a business appointment here and heard Mr. Chambers is also dining at the same place, so I figured I should come over and greet him.”

Hearing that, Beau had a bad feeling about the situation.

Someone poured a glass of wine for Curtis and smiled enthusiastically before initiating a conversation with him. The latter did not refuse the drink, downing the liquor in one gulp.

After Curtis finished the drink, he was not in a hurry to put away his glass. Instead, he grazed his finger on the wine glass and said with a neutral expression, “Faymon Group is nothing if not rich. Everyone, if you’re tired of managing your companies, you can consider selling them to me.”

Just when everyone else was at a loss, Curtis suddenly fixed his gaze on Morgan and said, “Mr. Hennessey, I heard the holiday resort you invested in Yeringham has been making much profit in the past two years.”

Hearing that, Morgan quickly smiled, but his grip around his wine glass was a little unsteady. “We only show the public the good results in our financial report, but the holiday resort is actually facing losses. I still owe the bank money for that.”

Curtis tugged the corners of his lips upward. “Since you’re losing money, why don’t you sell it to me? I have too much money with nowhere to spend it.”

“Please don’t pull my leg, Mr. Faymon.” Morgan could barely remain calm. “I don’t think you’d be interested in that resort. It’s not something up to your standards.”

“That’s hard to say.”

The atmosphere inside the private room turned tense instantly. Then, a waitress stepped inside and asked, “Do you need anything, Mr. Chambers?”

“Please send Ms. Garland home.” Beau glanced at Curtis and continued explaining to the waitress, “It’s inappropriate for us to send a lady home.”

Curtis piped up, “There’s no need for the trouble, Mr. Chambers.”

He walked over to Rayna and reached out to pick her up. However, the woman was still wary about letting a man touch her. Instinctively, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face, resulting in a crisp sound that startled everyone else.

No way! Did she really do that?

Curtis’ expression darkened, and he said in a low voice, “With you being so drunk, you wouldn’t know even if someone here decided to sell you off.”

Beau was at a loss for words. He felt deeply wronged to be accused of that.

It took Curtis much effort to scoop Rayna up in his arms. Before he left, he swept his sharp gaze across the several men in the room. “She can do whatever she wants as Faymon Group has her back. I’d suggest you guys stop acting like clowns with your pathetic tricks. I have a bad temper, so I can’t guarantee that I’ll always be all smiles around you.”

 

Chapter 225

Chapter 225 The Alluring And Sexy Curtis

With that, Curtis turned around and left.

The people in the private room only regained their senses five minutes later, and they all exchanged glances with each other.

“That’s not very nice of you, Mr. Chambers!” Morgan glared at Beau and bellowed, “We’re old classmates and have worked together for a long time. How could you not tell me about this?”

The latter was speechless with annoyance. “Didn’t I tell you that already? I said she was with Mr. Faymon, yet you still ran your mouth. Fortunately, none of you laid a finger on Rayna. Otherwise…”

At that, Morgan felt a chill running down his spine. Exactly! If we had done that, things would’ve ended differently.

Rayna thought Morgan would want to set up a meeting with his employees first, but to her surprise, those six people arrived the next day. In fact, Morgan personally sent them over.

Needless to say, his enthusiasm weirded Rayna out, and she pondered the reason behind it.

Mr. Hennessey still looked down on me during last night’s dinner. Besides, I had to rely on Mr. Chambers’ help to get these six employees. Why is there such a drastic change in Mr. Hennessey’s attitude? Did something happen in between?

However, she did not fixate on the matter for long since she had her team ready and everyone was present. Then, she gathered everyone around to discuss the tendering of the high-speed railway station project in the eastern district.

Over the week, Rayna was busy with the project, working around the clock with her team members. As a result, she often arrived home late, giving her no choice but to leave the Ragdoll kitten in Jessica’s care.

Rayna learned a lot from the project because it was a completely new area for her. Whenever she encountered technical terms or parts she did not understand, she would seek help from Gabriel.

After all, the assistant of Curtis was very capable.

Naturally, Gabriel was willing to teach her, but he felt that something was amiss a few days later. What’s the point of teaching her? It’s not like I can get promoted for doing so, can I? Of course, I have to let my superior teach her!

With that in mind, he went to look for Curtis the next time Rayna asked him for help. Not only did he pretend not to understand her question as well, but he also “inadvertently” told Curtis about how she was always asking him for help.

Upon hearing that, Curtis frowned and ordered, “Go register another number with WhatsApp. I’ll use this one from now on.”

“Okay! Sure! Go ahead!” Gabriel replied smilingly. It seems like I didn’t have Elizabeth give birth to kittens for nothing since I managed to give them a chance to interact with each other. Look! Mr. Faymon improved so much. He’s even jealous now!

From then on, Curtis was the one chatting with Rayna. He imitated Gabriel’s tone so well that she did not notice the difference. In fact, she even started bantering with him after they were done talking about work.

Rayna: Mr. Tylinski, do you want to see something funny?

Seeing a new notification from WhatsApp, Curtis tapped into it right away. In an instant, displeasure washed over him, and he wondered just how much Gabriel had chatted with Rayna previously.

Annoyed, Curtis called the secretarial department and said, “Mr. Tylinski said he’s too bored recently. Please bring out all of Faymon Group’s files from the past three years and have him sort them out.”

“Understood, Mr. Faymon.”

It was only after he hung up the call that he replied to Rayna: What is it, Ms. Garland?

Rayna: First, you have to swear you won’t forward the photo I’m about to send to you. If you do, you’ll be single for life!

In truth, Curtis found it a tad too harsh.

Raising his brows, he replied: I won’t send it to anyone.

Anyhow, he was making the promise on behalf of Gabriel. Since he was not the latter, he saw no need to be afraid of the consequences of breaking it.

Moments later, Rayna sent him a photo of himself. However, in that photo, he had long hair, and his suit was changed into a gown. While he was staring at his phone screen with a darkened face, she sent him a few messages at once.

Rayna: Hahaha! I bet you can’t believe this is Mr. Faymon. Look at him! He’s so alluring and sexy.

Rayna: It’s such a shame he isn’t a female. Otherwise, he’s bound to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry! Oh, my! If I were to look like that, I’d bed all the male celebrities in the entertainment industry!

Rayna: Why aren’t you replying, Mr. Tylinski? Are you stunned?

Not only was Curtis stunned, but he was also livid.

Massaging his throbbing temples, he replied: My jaw almost dropped, Ms. Garland. My goodness! Where did you get this photo from?

Rayna: I’m trying my hand at photo editing… Hahaha, I didn’t think it would come out so nicely. Say, are you attracted to Mr. Faymon now that you’ve seen how pretty he looks?

Curtis responded: Ms. Garland, you should be careful. Mr. Faymon doesn’t have a good temper.

Rayna: He can’t do anything to me! Mr. Tylinski, you’ve already sworn in your future wife’s name. By the way, I haven’t seen Mr. Faymon appear on the news recently. What is he up to?

Curtis texted: We’re swamped at the office. I’ve been occupied as well. Why do you ask, Ms. Garland? Are you…

Rayna: No! Don’t think nonsense! Do you have any idea how many suitors I have? Did you see the news? Mr. Xavier’s mom even gave me a present!

Curtis sent: Forget about it, Ms. Garland. Mr. Xavier doesn’t like you.

Rayna: Don’t be a jinx, Mr. Tylinski! What’s not to like about me? I have a nice body.

Rayna: All right. Talk to you later. I have a bunch of things to attend to.

The woman seemed to really have her hands full. Curtis waited for her to text him again, but she did not. Hence, he looked through the conversation once more. Even when he looked at the photo a second time, he still found it an eyesore.

Why does she have so many weird hobbies?

Curtis then dialed Theodore’s number and cut to the chase by saying, “Theodore, you seem pretty busy, seeing that you’re unable to deal with a small piece of news. I’ll help you.”

With that, he ended the call.

Theodore was taking his own sweet time, so Curtis reckoned he should take the matter into his own hands. The sight of those pieces of news annoyed him greatly, after all.

With Faymon Group’s Public Relations Department taking action, the news about Rayna meeting with Emma at a café disappeared within an hour. Rayna went on Twitter and could no longer find anything about that topic.

“It’s gone so soon?” she muttered, slightly disappointed.

Indeed, she was angry at first, but her social connections expanded thanks to the news about her and the Xavier family. That, for her, was a good thing. To her dismay, the news was taken down so soon.

Suddenly, her assistant knocked on Rayna’s door and entered her office. “Ms. Garland, are you busy?”

“What’s going on?”

“There’s a new business partner for the company. Someone from the other department was supposed to send a representative to sign the contract, but the other party called and designated you to negotiate with them. Otherwise, they won’t sign the contract.”

“Okay. Give me the contract.”

Having been busy for the past few days, Rayna wanted to relax her mind. After she received the contract, she headed toward the location of the appointment.

She pushed the door open and saw a young lady seated at the table, clad in the latest business attire by Dior. The latter seemed quite delicate with her round face.

Rayna approached her. “Hi! Are you Ms. Goath?” she greeted.

Stephanie quickly stood up and offered, “I am. Please have a seat.” Not only did she have a slender figure, but her voice was also gentle.

“You should sit as well. There’s no need to be so courteous,” Rayna replied with a smile and sat across from her. After ordering herself a cup of coffee, she whipped out the contract to get down to business.

However, Stephanie voiced, “Please leave Teddy.”

“What?” Rayna thought her ears were playing tricks on her. “What did you say?”

“I saw the news,” Stephanie answered. In her soft voice, she added, “I like Teddy. Could you please not snatch with me?”

At once, Rayna felt exasperated.

Before she could say anything in response, Stephanie continued, “I investigated your background, so I know you’re from a poor family. Your mother only attended elementary school, and your brother isn’t attending a nice school either. With your background, you will only be a burden to Teddy. My father is close to Teddy’s father. I can help Teddy with his business. Of course, I’m not here to bully you. As long as you agree to leave Teddy, you can name your price.”

 

Chapter 226

Chapter 226 A Taste Of Her Own Medicine

Suppressing her annoyance, Rayna forced a polite smile. “Ms. Goath, are you done talking?”

“Yes.”

“Good. It’s my turn to talk, then.” Since Stephanie belittled her, Rayna did not feel like showing her respect. “The biggest difference between us is perhaps our family background. Yes, your parents are outstanding people, so you never have to worry about anything in your life. You get to have everything you want. However, in regards to caliber, I doubt anyone would hire you, Ms. Goath.”

Stephanie’s expression changed from her censure, but her voice was still gentle and weak when she countered, “You—”

Rayna sneered, interrupting, “Also, let me give you a piece of advice, Ms. Goath. There’s a time and place for you to act pitiful. What’s the point of doing it before my eyes? You should do that to the person you like and see if that person would fall for it. Ms. Goath, if you’re truly that bored, you should visit the library and read up on books such as psychology and behavioral analysis. They’ll be helpful toward your pursuit of love.”

“You’re too arrogant, Rayna Garland!” After getting reprimanded, Stephanie dropped the pitiful act and glared at Rayna. “Do you know who my father is?”

“Give me a moment.”

With that, Rayna took out her phone and searched for the people who were close to the Xavier family and had Stephanie’s family name. After a while, she continued, “Oh! So your father is Commander Goath. He’s an impressive man.”

Thinking that she was intimidated, Stephanie revealed a contemptuous smile and said, “Yes. My family is powerful and influential. We can easily kick you out of Chanaea. Here’s a script for you. Explain your relationship with Teddy to the media using this. If you behave well, I’ll let you off the hook. Otherwise, I’ll make sure no one will do business with your company. Also, I can get your brother expelled. Once his education record is tainted, it will be hard for him to secure a job in the future!”

Halfway through her overbearing speech, she threw a document onto the table haughtily.

Rayna picked up the document and leafed through it. While chuckling, she said, “Are you asking me to say I’m a shameless woman who seduced Mr. Xavier? Ms. Goath, I’m impressed by what you’ve written!”

“You don’t have to care about content. All you need to do is read it.” Stephanie was deeply displeased with Rayna’s attitude. I’ve already dished out all the threats, but she’s still unperturbed!

Rayna merely flashed her a faint smile. “Please allow me to make a phone call before giving you my answer.”

I can’t stand this woman any longer.

Then, she called James, who picked up the phone rather quickly. “James, if someone were to collude with your teacher to pin something on you, would you be afraid?” she asked.

James snickered and answered, “The teachers here are dying to get my help! They wouldn’t dare to expel me.”

“Are you that capable?” Rayna questioned.

“Well, let’s just say everyone wants me,” he replied. “Besides, I’m going straight into MS after this. Even the local officials will have to show me respect.”

She did not understand his last sentence, so she asked, “What’s MS?”

“I can’t tell you that.” James changed the topic by asking, “What’s the matter, Rayna? Are you in trouble?”

“Yeah, but I can manage it myself; it’s a trivial matter. All right. I’ll hang up now.” Rayna hung up the phone, finally feeling relieved.

Now, I can go all out.

Stephanie’s patience had long run thin. ”You’re so rude! How could you call someone when you’re talking to me?”

“You disrespected me first, Ms. Goath. Obviously, I’m not going to show you respect either.” Rayna ripped the document to pieces and uttered, “I’m not reading something as disgusting as this.”

“Do you really want to oppose me, Rayna?” Her action caused Stephanie’s expression to turn grim. “It seems like you don’t care about your family!”

Rayna smacked her own forehead and said, “Oh, no! I should’ve turned on the loudspeaker when I was on the call just now so that you could listen to the conversation.”

Then, she abruptly stood up and propped her arms on the table, leaning toward Stephanie. “Ms. Goath, if you like Theodore, do your best in pursuing him. Don’t drag me into it. These days, money can make the world go round. If you dare to lay a finger on my family, I will turn your life upside down and show you how dark the world can be.”

Rayna exuded a frightening aura, and her gaze was cold and vicious. Petrified, Stephanie slumped into her chair and dared not move a muscle.

Afterward, Rayna threw some cash onto the table and said, “Let me pay for your coffee today, Ms. Goath.”

Upon saying that, she picked up her bag to leave.

Stephanie was incensed. Seeing that Rayna was leaving, she hurriedly took out a brown bottle from her purse and dashed toward her. While running, she shouted, “Rayna!”

Rayna instinctively turned around and seemed to catch a whiff of sulfuric acid in the air. When she saw that Stephanie was about to splash a bottle of substance onto her, she reacted swiftly by hitting her with her purse.

Caught off guard, Stephanie lost balance in her heels and fell to the ground. Due to the violent movement, the substance in the bottle splashed onto her arms and cheeks.

“Ouch! It hurts! It hurts!” The burning sensation on her cheeks and arms had her screaming at the top of her lungs. She writhed about on the ground, tempted to touch her face but dared not do so.

“My face! My face!” Stephanie shrieked from the agonizing pain.

Rayna was shocked. Never in her wildest dream did she expect the young lady to carry sulfuric acid. If she had not reacted fast enough, her face would be the one that was ruined.

Stephanie’s hysterical cries caught the attention of the other customers in the café. Meanwhile, Rayna was calling for an ambulance.

Seeing that many people had gathered around them, Stephanie started wailing while wearing a pitiful and pained expression. “How could you do this to me, Rayna? You stole my boyfriend. I pleaded with you to leave him, yet you threatened me. I’m in so much pain. How could you be so cruel? I’m begging

you. Please return Teddy to me. It’s not like your feelings for him are sincere. Please don’t toy with Teddy’s feelings anymore.”

Her injured hands and face were a shocking sight, and her frailty also moved the onlookers.

Hence, the onlookers started criticizing Rayna and looking at her disdainfully. “This mistress is way out of line! Not only did she steal the poor lady’s boyfriend, but she also splashed sulfuric acid on the poor lady! How evil!”

Rayna swept her gaze across the area. It had to be admitted that Stephanie was smart for picking a blind spot for the surveillance cameras. The latter knew the talk would not end well, which was why she prepared the sulfuric acid.

“Ms. Goath, I’ve underestimated you,” Rayna sneered. “It’d be a waste of your talent if you did not become an actress.”

Still crying, Stephanie begged, “Please return Teddy to me. If you agree to do that, I’m willing to forget about what happened today.”

Right then, the door to the café was pushed open, and Theodore walked in. Upon seeing the crowd, he pushed the onlookers aside and saw Stephanie on the ground.

With a solemn expression, Theodore held her up and asked, “What happened?”

“Teddy…” Stephanie cried even louder when she saw him. Wearing an aggrieved look on her face, she uttered, “I asked Ms. Garland out for a talk, and she splashed sulfuric acid on me! My face hurts so terribly!”

The onlookers testified for her.

Rayna pursed her lips and said, “Mr. Xavier, will you believe me if I say she was the one who wanted to splash sulfuric acid on me?”

“Teddy, I’m in so much pain…” Stephanie got Theodore to look at her. “Will my face be ruined?” she cried weakly.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.” His expression was grim.

Theodore was an intelligent man, and he knew how foolish Stephanie was. Stephanie must’ve attacked Rayna, and Rayna defended herself.

 

Chapter 227

Chapter 227 I Will Marry A Teacher

Still, Theodore had to consider the Xavier family’s and the Goath family’s sensibilities.

With hurried steps, he left the café with Stephanie in his arms. When he saw Curtis, who was waiting by the road, he said, “I’m sending her to the hospital. Rayna is still inside.”

The latter’s eyes clouded over.

The two men were on their way to deal with some affairs. Unexpectedly, Theodore drove to the café after checking his phone.

As Curtis got out of the car, he shot a dark look at Stephanie. “Don’t f*cking play the victim. Not even Theodore can protect you if I find out she’s injured.”

Frightened by his words, Stephanie shuddered in fear and cowered in Theodore’s arms.

Rayna, who was left behind in the café, was in a tight spot from being surrounded by a crowd. They were all staring at her intently as if they were heroes of justice about to solve a crime.

After sweeping her gaze across them, she warned, “Don’t choose sides when you don’t even know what actually happened. I’m going to call the police if you continue to block my way.”

One of the people in the crowd reprimanded, “We saw it with our own eyes! Not only did you steal that girl’s boyfriend, but you also splashed sulfuric acid on her!”

“Yeah! You’d be doing exactly what we want by calling the police!”

Rayna tried to force herself through the crowd, but a woman shoved her backward while chiding, “My husband was seduced by a mistress! I abhor mistresses the most! Instead of living an honest life, they

choose to destroy other people’s families! People like you should be stripped naked before everyone else! It ought to teach you not to seduce other men!”

As the woman yelled, she reached out to tug off Rayna’s clothes.

With her in the lead, the others swarmed forward to do the same. Seven or eight pairs of hands tugged on her hair and clothes. Rayna put up a resistance to their attacks with all her might while defending herself using her hands.

The woman who scolded Rayna was especially ferocious, intent on stripping the latter naked in public. The next second, the woman shrieked as someone grabbed her hair and kicked her in the stomach.

The other women who were attacking Rayna collapsed to the ground after being either tugged on their hair or kicked to the side.

Curtis wrapped Rayna tightly in his coat and held her in his arms. His gaze on the crowd was callous, the overwhelming sense of oppression leaving them feeling suffocated.

“I don’t hit women, but certain scums are an exception,” he stated flatly. “Scum who have laid a hand on my woman cannot leave this café.”

The woman who was the first to strike Rayna scrambled to her feet and scolded him with vehement anger, “Who are you calling a scum, you son of a b*tch! This woman is promiscuous. Who knows how many men she has slept with? She snatched the girl’s boyfriend and even disfigured her! She deserves to be—”

Her last sentence was cut short by a scream. As it turned out, Curtis gave her a vicious kick, sending her flying backward and crashing into a table behind her.

The hostile air around Curtis made him look downright terrifying. “I’m cutting your tongue off if you say another word!”

The others were terrified of him.

Soon, the police arrived to arrest those women under the charges of assault.

“Why are you arresting us? We were merely teaching that girl a lesson for being a homewrecker!” one protested.

At once, the arrested women began causing a ruckus, refusing to comply. They were even wailing at the top of their lungs to get the attention of passersby outside the café.

“Thank goodness that I have a card up my sleeve.” Rayna, who had regained her composure, fished out her phone from her pocket and played an audio recording.

Thus, her conversation with Stephanie was broadcasted and made known to everyone in the café.

The crowd had various reactions upon hearing Stephanie’s threats toward Rayna. None of them expected such a turn of events, nor did they anticipate Rayna to be the true victim.

Rayna handed her phone to the police. “I suppose this can be used as evidence, right? Please deal with the situation accordingly if Ms. Goath tries to frame me again.”

The police nodded in quick succession. “Don’t you worry! We will make sure to be impartial!”

By then, the women began apologizing to Rayna, not wanting to have a criminal record. However, the latter was unfazed by their apologies upon recalling their crimes. Besides, her arm even bled from the scratches they made on her.

Curtis wanted to take Rayna to the hospital after leaving the café.

“It’s too much of a hassle to go to the hospital over such a minor injury.” She rejected his offer as she did not want to waste time waiting in line to see the doctor. Instead, she bought some iodophor and plasters from a nearby pharmacy.

Curtis’s gaze darkened when he glimpsed the scratches on her fair arm.

I’m going to make sure those women spend half a month in lockup!

While disinfecting her wounds using the iodophor, he asked, “Did she ask to meet you because of the news?”

“Yeah. She pretended to be a business partner.” Rayna frowned. “I wasn’t expecting her to be scheming enough to carry sulfuric acid on her.”

“Did you get any of it on you?”

With that, Curtis lifted her clothes. Blushing, she immediately grasped his hand. “Don’t grope me, Mr. Faymon. You’re behaving like a pervert.”

It was then he realized that he had gone overboard, so he retracted his hand.

The iodophor solution left a chilly sensation on her wounds. Wincing, she complained, “What have I done to offend Mr. Xavier? First, it’s his mother who looked for me, and then it’s a woman who likes him. It’s a good thing that there’s nothing going on between us. Otherwise, I would be leading a miserable life.”

“Are you thinking of having a relationship with him?” Curtis sounded annoyed, given his solemn tone.

Rayna shook her head. “No way. I dare not date someone as prestigious as Mr. Xavier. Once I earn enough money, I will marry a teacher and lead a normal life.”

His face fell as he seethed. “Why do you have such a quick change of heart, Ms. Garland? You were planning to confess to me a few months ago, yet you’re now thinking of marrying a teacher?”

She’s such a heartless woman!

“Humans possess cognitive abilities. W-What’s wrong with me having a change of heart?” Rayna muttered awkwardly. “As you said, that was months ago.”

Curtis sealed her lips with a kiss to cease her chattering. He even deliberately applied more pressure than necessary and only released her after a long while.

“You—” Rayna covered her mouth with one hand in exasperation. “You have no shame! What you just did was no different from a hooligan!”

“Weren’t you the one who forced my hand?”

“Why am I to blame when you were the one who took advantage of me?”

“It’s your fault that I no longer care about decorum.” Curtis pinched the flesh on her chin, warning, “You have one chance to correct yourself. Let’s try again.”

Rayna swatted his hand away and taunted him by6 saying, “I will marry a teacher. It would be best if he’s an art teacher!”

“Think twice, Ms. Garland.” The man began to play foul. “If I’m in a bad mood, I’ll send Kristie to study overseas, and your brother won’t be able to see her again.”

“Can’t you be reasonable?” His threat evoked a glare from her. “They are going strong as a couple! Why must you break them up? Isn’t she your family?”

“That reminds me. I have to marry her to a rich young man. From what Wyatt told me, a young man who is the heir to a conglomerate has been courting Kristie,” Curtis added casually.

That silenced Rayna.

After taking a deep breath, she apologized sincerely. “I shouldn’t have said that. I hope you won’t take it to heart, Mr. Faymon.”

“What was it that you shouldn’t have said?”

“I got ahead of myself. I shouldn’t have claimed that I want to marry a teacher.”

Curtis seemed satisfied with her response, seeing that a smile tugged on his lips. “This will teach you not to have your head in the clouds, Ms. Garland.”

Inwardly, Rayna rolled her eyes at him.

After dressing her wounds, he wanted to send her back, only to receive a phone call when they were trying to hail a taxi.

The taxi arrived right after he hung up. With a grim look on his face, he opened the door to let Rayna get in. “You should go back first. I have to make a trip to the hospital.”

 

Chapter 228

Chapter 228 A Lowly Employee

“What happened?” Rayna’s heart clenched. “Could it be that Ms. Goath has tried to end her life?”

“That’s not it. My father fell unconscious and was sent to the hospital.”

“I’ll go with you.” Alfred was quite nice to her, so she felt bad that something terrible befell him. “Is he at the General Hospital?” she asked, pulling Curtis into the taxi.

“Yeah.”

Alfred’s private ward at the inpatient department of the hospital coincidentally faced the main road. As he was peeling some oranges, he was delighted to see Rayna and Curtis getting out of a taxi together.

“Curtis sure did a good job bringing Rayna along.” The elderly man hurried back into the bed while urging Gabriel, “Quick, get the doctor. Make it so that they think I’m in a serious condition. It would be best if they think I’m clinging to life.”

Gabriel’s lips twitched. “Old Mr. Faymon, isn’t this going overboard? What if—”

“Why are you so garrulous?” Alfred was irritated. “Don’t drag my son down with you just because you can’t find a girlfriend for yourself!”

“But that still doesn’t justify lying to Ms. Garland,” Gabriel insisted. “Haven’t Mr. Faymon done enough of that?”

Alfred retorted, “Don’t compare me to him! Besides, it’s true that I’m feeling unwell. Hold on, who are you even siding with, Gabriel? Are you a spy?”

“This isn’t what I meant, Old Mr. Faymon—”

Although Gabriel tried to explain himself, Alfred cut him short impatiently. “Go get the doctor. I shouldn’t waste my breath on you, seeing that you don’t even have a girlfriend.”

The younger man was at a loss for words.

Thus, he could only leave the ward in miserable silence.

Not only was I unappreciated after giving Faymon Group my all, but Old Mr. Faymon also condemned me! This is so unfair!

When Curtis and Rayna arrived at the ward, Gabriel and the doctor were already standing by the hospital bed. The doctor was giving Alfred a checkup with a solemn expression on his face.

“Mr. Faymon, Ms. Garland,” Gabriel greeted the two of them. His hesitant look and Alfred’s appearance made Rayna’s heart sink.

At the same time, Curtis’ face fell.

After the doctor completed the checkup, he approached him and asked, “How’s my father’s condition?”

The doctor replied, “Old Mr. Faymon has heart disease, to begin with, and the medicines can only relieve his symptoms… Spend more time keeping him company if you can, Mr. Faymon.”

Curtis was silent for some time. Even Rayna could sense that the atmosphere was off. Thus, she said to the doctor, “Thank you so much. You should head back to work. We will keep Old Mr. Faymon company for the time being.”

The doctor nodded and soon left the ward.

Alfred, lying in the hospital bed, had opened his eyes. His eyes were filled with weariness, lacking their usual glow.

That sight caused Gabriel’s eyebrow to twitch. I have never seen someone better at pretending to be a “patient” than him.

To keep up with the act, he walked over to the bed. “You’re finally awake, Old Mr. Faymon. How are you feeling?”

“I feel exhausted. Geez, I’m getting older.” Alfred heaved a sigh. His eyes lit up the moment he saw Rayna, and he beckoned her over. “Come over here, Rayna.”

She hurried over to him and grasped his hand. “Old Mr. Faymon.”

“Thank you for coming to visit me.”

“I came along with Mr. Faymon because I miss you,” Rayna said merrily. “I would love to visit you often if you don’t mind. Will that be okay?”

Alfred shot Gabriel a look, prompting the latter to back away and head over to Curtis. “Mr. Faymon, Old Mr. Faymon would like to have a word with Ms. Garland. Let’s give them some privacy.”

Without a word, Curtis exited the room alongside Gabriel.

“I have no idea how long I have to live, but I still have so many unfulfilled wishes,” said Alfred.

Rayna consoled him, “You will live well into a ripe old age.”

He grabbed her hands tightly. “The matter between Curtis and I is a secret that cannot be known to the public. Keep it between us. I hope you can forgive him. I’m also heartbroken over Julian’s death, but that’s not Curtis’ fault. Besides, Rolanda has another son who can take care of her, but Curtis has no one.”

“Don’t worry too much now. Focus on recuperating instead.” Rayna pressed her lips into a thin line. “There will definitely be someone to take care of Mr. Faymon in your stead.”

Alfred was a little disappointed. “Rayna, do you not like Curtis at all?”

There was no response from her.

While she might have liked him before, she could not bring herself to forget what happened in the past.

“Although Curtis has a lot of suitors, fate will decide who gets to be together with him,” Alfred uttered. “He’s not young anymore; he’s already in his thirties.”

He patted Rayna’s hand. “It’s okay if you don’t like him. I know love can’t be forced. All I ask for is that you watch over him so that I can pass on without worries.”

“Don’t say that, Old Mr. Faymon.”

“I know my body better than anybody else.” Alfred retrieved a ring from underneath his pillow. It was the blue sapphire ring that he gifted to her, only to be returned to him later on. “You should keep this ring. If you know any woman you think may be a good match for Curtis, introduce her to him and give this ring to her.”

He did not force Rayna to accept the ring but entrusted it to her safekeeping for the time being.

Rayna did not know how to turn him down, so she accepted it. “Okay. I’ll hold on to it and hand it to Ms. Sanders if Mr. Faymon ends up marrying her.”

Given Alfred’s rich experience in life, he could sense something fishy from her words. Despite the smile on his face, he continued feigning a weak demeanor. “Thank you, Rayna.”

Outside of the ward, Curtis drummed his fingers on his dress pants. The more he thought about the situation, the greater his suspicions grew.

Then, as if the truth had dawned on him, he glanced at Gabriel before commenting nonchalantly, “I smelled oranges in the ward just now.”

“I ate some,” the latter answered sheepishly. “I felt like chewing on something because I was too nervous.”

Curtis sneered. “Is that so? I’ll buy ten pounds of oranges later, and you have to finish them in front of me!”

That’s so vicious!

Gabriel cracked and confessed everything. “Mr. Faymon, I’m just a lowly employee. It was all Old Mr. Faymon’s idea. Show me some mercy.”

Curtis’ face darkened, and the veins on his forehead popped due to anger. “I was puzzled as to why he would pass out all of a sudden when he’s got nothing to worry about. All he does at home is some simple gardening and sunbathing!”

Gabriel muttered feebly, “Old Mr. Faymon does have something to worry about. He wishes for a grandchild. He will stop fooling around once you fulfill this wish of his, Mr. Faymon.”

“Did I give you permission to speak?”

The poor assistant shut his mouth and turned to face the wall in dejection.

My life is so hard!

About half an hour later, Rayna came out of the ward. She seemed rather down, but she managed to hide her sadness quickly.

“Old Mr. Faymon is asleep,” she said.

Curtis took a peek into the ward in exasperation and amusement. He must’ve known that I would see through his lie. That’s why he pretended to fall asleep to avoid being questioned by me.

“Gabriel will stay here, and I’ll send you back,” he said and got the car keys from Gabriel.

Although Rayna wanted to turn him down, he was adamant about it. Not wanting to linger outside the ward, she gave in and followed him to the underground parking to get the car.

Even after they had gotten into the car, she remained silent, seemingly brooding over something with her head held low.

Curtis noticed that she was behaving oddly and reckoned that Alfred’s pretense had deceived her. Thus, he consoled her by saying, “Ms. Garland, whatever it is that my father told you, you don’t have to take it to heart.”

Rayna felt awkward to hear him address Alfred in that way after she learned about his biological parents from the elderly man.

Chapter 229

Chapter 229 Appeasing Curtis

How will Curtis be able to change his term of address when he finds out about it later?

“How could I not take his words to heart when he has entrusted me with an important task?” Rayna replied. “I’m in a real quandary right now. After all, I don’t have many female friends.”

Curtis sensed that something was amiss, so he asked, “What did he say to you?”

She shot him a look and teased, “Old Mr. Faymon said you’re no longer young since you’re already in your thirties and that if I have any friend whom I think may be a good match for you, I should introduce her to you.”

“Are you trying to aggravate me?” he questioned.

“No. Old Mr. Faymon did say that,” Rayna replied. Stroking her chin in contemplation, she suggested, “How about my younger sister, Roxanne? Even though she’s not that bright, I think most guys find her adorable.”

The car came to a sudden halt, and the inertia almost threw her toward the windshield.

Curtis quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the car door on her side, and ordered in a cold voice, “Get out!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! The road’s full of cars.” Rayna noticed there were vehicles in front and behind them, so she used all her might to close the car door. “If you don’t want to get to know Roxanne, I can just help you look for another girl.”

Curtis was rendered speechless.

The drivers behind them started honking at them.

Noticing that Curtis would not budge, Rayna urged, “Hey, start driving. What if we bump into a driver with road rage?”

Without uttering a word, he started the engine. However, he took a turn after passing the traffic light.

“This isn’t the way to my office or house,” Rayna remarked. Thinking that he had taken a wrong turn, she added, “Take a U-turn at the next traffic light.”

“Rayna Garland!” Curtis called out, a sneer playing about his lips. “It seems like I’m being too lenient with you!”

Rayna looked at him warily and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Oh, you’ll know what I mean later,” he said.

Then, he drove in the direction of his residence. It was too late by the time she realized that something was off. As soon as they got out of the car, he put his arm around her shoulders and dragged her into the house.

“Quit messing around! This is a country governed by law.” Rayna clawed at him, but the arm around her shoulders simply would not budge.

“I’m warning you. Don’t you dare try anything funny! I’ll report you to the police, you know!” she threatened.

Since Curtis was unfazed by the hard threats, Rayna had no other choice but to beg for mercy. “I was wrong. I promise not to mess with you anymore, Mr. Faymon. Please don’t do anything to me. I still have to take care of my family.”

Her overreaction rendered him speechless. “You’re overthinking. I’m not the mafia.”

“You were the one who said those words with such a vicious look on your face,” Rayna grumbled. “You even brought me here forcefully. Anyone would think you’re trying to kill me, then destroy my corpse so as not to leave any evidence behind.”

Once again, he fell silent.

He could not believe how delusional and paranoid the woman was.

Curtis took out his access card to unlock the door. “I brought you here to cook for me,” he said in a deadpan manner.

Rayna crimsoned.

The second the door opened, someone coincidentally walked out of the house. Curtis retreated with Rayna, getting ready for a fight, only to realize that it was just Kristie and James.

Waving to them, Kristie greeted, “Curt, Rayna. You guys are back!” There was a megawatt smile on her face.

Curtis was choked with fury, and he took some time to recollect himself before he said, “Your tone of voice is giving me the impression that this is your house, not mine.”

“I left a necklace here last time, so I came over to take it,” she replied. Then, she stuck out her tongue and grumbled, “By the way, your door is rubbish. My boyfriend managed to crack it open with just a few tries.”

He was dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Rayna noticed that James was shooting death glares at Curtis’ arm on her shoulders, so she quickly pulled it off her.

She placed some distance between her and Curtis before explaining hastily, “I’m just here to take a look at his dog.”

“I can get you a dog so that you won’t have to come here frequently to look at one,” James said dryly.

“I know a few pet bloggers,” Kristie chimed in sweetly. “Rayna, what breed of dogs do you like? I can help you get them.”

Curtis snapped, “Kristie, whose side are you on right now?”

He had not made things difficult for James and Kristie, yet the younger man was hard on him. Is he that vengeful?

“Of course, my boyfriend is more important than you!” Kristie pouted her lips. “Besides, it’s your fault anyway, Curt. This shows that my boyfriend is protective of the people he cares about.”

Noticing that the air had gone still from the tension, Rayna asked, “Aren’t you guys heading back home? What are you still doing here?”

“Mom called and asked me to go to her place for dinner,” James said as he grabbed her hand. “Rayna, let’s go there together.”

Curtis instinctively reached out to grab Rayna’s other hand.

“Let me go, both of you! Otherwise, I’m going to get angry.” Rayna felt like she was caught between a rock and a hard place. After James released her hand, she whispered to Curtis, “He’s a kid who doesn’t know better. Are you still going to hold a grudge against him?”

“How can an eighteen-year-old be called a kid?” Curtis retorted.

“All right; he’s not a kid.” Rayna saw that her wrist was still in his grip, so she tried to appease him. “Let me go to my mom’s place first, and I will bring you some home-cooked food later, okay?”

Curtis finally let her hand go after she reassured him multiple times. Immediately, she turned around and left with Kristie. Only then did James let things slide and followed after them.

Curtis massaged his temples in frustration.

He felt like he had suffered more indignation that day than he ever did in his entire life.

Rayna, James, and Kristie arrived at Linda’s place, only to realize the latter already had guests. To their surprise, it was Roxanne, who had been overseas for a few months to shoot her movie, as well as a young man.

“James, it’s been a long while!” Cillian came over and bumped fists with James.

James looked in the direction of the kitchen and said in admiration, “You sure are amazing to be able to put up with Roxanne’s personality.”

“James, you must have lied to me in the past. Roxanne has a great personality, not to mention she’s cute too. I’m so lucky to be together with her,” Cillian commented.

James was at a loss for words.

Roxanne had a great fright when she learned that Kristie and James were dating. After all, Kristie bullied her plenty of times on set in the past. It was only natural that she held some prejudice against her.

Kristie apologized profusely and followed her everywhere, calling her name sweetly. In fact, she even asked if the latter would stay in the country and promised to give her endorsements of famous brands if so. In the end, Roxanne decided it was all water under the bridge.

The one who suffered the greatest shock was Rayna. When she discovered what Cillian did for a living, she almost had a heart attack.

She wanted James to look for a stable job after his graduation. However, he registered for a military school behind her back. Not only that, but Roxanne’s boyfriend also graduated from the very same school.

Both of Rayna’s younger siblings were already in a relationship, and yet she was still single.

I feel like a failure!

Meanwhile, Linda was quite fond of Cillian, as he looked strong and seemed like he could protect Roxanne well. During the meal, she kept putting food on his plate, giving him a lot of attention.

The whole time, Rayna kept her head low and ate her food. Just as she thought she could eat in peace, Linda called her out, “Your younger siblings have found partners. You’d better buckle up and look for one too. Otherwise, your brother’s going to get married before you.”

Kristie piped up, “Ms. Linda, I’ve even prepared the betrothal gifts.”

“James’ such a dense man, and yet you wish to marry him?” Roxanne exclaimed. Nonetheless, she was excited and asked, “Mr. Faymon adores you. Do your betrothal gifts include some of Faymon Group’s shares?”

“I think so,” Kristie said. “Curt’s three closest friends have their own companies as well. I can include the shares of their companies too.”

Roxanne’s eyes lit up. Money was all she cared about. “The betrothal gifts are going to be so great!”

James broke off a piece of corn and stuffed it into her mouth. “Roxanne, nobody will take you for a mute if you don’t speak!”

 

 

Chapter 230 Look Into This Ring

“James, how could you do that?” Cillian felt sorry for his girlfriend and wanted to talk some sense into James. However, he gave up after he got a glare from James and remembered he could not win against him.

Cillian placed some food on Roxanne’s plate and coaxed, “Have some chicken nuggets. Let’s ignore him.”

Roxanne was speechless.

You’re so useless! Why can’t you win against my younger brother?

During their conversation, Rayna learned from Cillian that Roxanne had finished filming a movie abroad but was sent back to the country by Cillian, who was busy at the time. He was afraid it would be unsafe for her to be alone in a foreign country.

“Are you going to protect some bigshot?” Rayna asked.

“No, it’s not that. I need to go to Tyrandas.” Since Rayna had been to Tyrandas and experienced that incident, Cillian did not hide it from her as he continued, “There was an explosion at the factory where the villagers were housed last week.”

“How many casualties are there?” Rayna pressed anxiously. She had helped those villagers before after all.

Cillian sighed. “It’s bad. Six adults and three children are dead, while four people, three adults and a child, are missing. I’m actually going there to help with the search.”

“Faymon Group owns the factory, so ordinary people wouldn’t have targeted it. I remember several groups were trying to get their hands on the villagers when we were there.” James’ words hit the nail on the head.

“You’re right.” Cillian touched the back of his head. “I heard that the villagers could stay young for a long time because they had cell-regeneration abilities. As a result, some institutions wanted their blood for experiments.”

Roxanne grabbed Cillian’s arm and said excitedly, “Then can you bring one person back to our country and have the doctors examine them?” I want to stay young too.

Cillian shook his head. “No can do. First and foremost, they’re Tyrandians, and we can’t mess with another country’s citizens even if Faymon Group is influential. Moreover, it’s not like they’ll be young forever. Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com From what I’ve heard, they’ll die when they’re fifty.”

“But you said they have good cell-regenerative abilities. Why can’t they live forever?”

“I’m not sure.” Cillian kissed her on the cheek and smiled. “Well, let’s not think about it so much. You’re still the prettiest in my heart even when you’re old.”

“Being a little cheeky, aren’t you?” Roxanne hit him bashfully on the shoulder.

Rayna, on the other hand, was deep in thought.

She had learned about the secret of the plant when she accompanied Curtis to the village. She had thought the whole incident was over after so much time had passed. Yet little did she expect that people were still eyeing those villagers in secret.

Well, it’s not that surprising. Anyone will go crazy after learning that there’s a plant that can promote a person’s cell regeneration and extend their lifespan.

After dinner, Rayna called James to her room and handed the sapphire ring to him.

“James, you’re the only one I can trust. Can you look into this ring for me?” After all, he was her brother and a computer expert, so Rayna trusted him completely.

James gave the ring a once over. “Based on the design, this is a vintage item from more than a decade ago. Rayna, where did you get this? Why do you want to look into it?”

Rayna answered, “I got it from a friend. Because it looks ancient, I want you to find out who made this.”

The rest would be easy if she could find out the jeweler who made this. After all, not anyone could afford sapphire, and there had to be records of custom-made rings in that era.

Moreover, there was also that thing she had seen when she went to pray in the temple with Jefferson.

“Okay. I’ll look into it when I have the time.” James kept the ring.

“And this too.” Rayna handed him a photo. “He’s Faymon Group’s vice CEO, Mathias Ziegler. Look into him for me too.”

As James peered at the man in the photo, he exclaimed, “Oh, I recognize this guy. Two groups are laundering money for him, but he’s very cunning. He’s kept himself well hidden, and up until now, we still haven’t found any evidence of his money laundering.”

“What are you exactly majoring in to be looking into things like this?” Rayna questioned.

“You won’t understand even if I explain to you. Anyway, I’ll look into it,” James replied. Requesting Rayna to show the ring to him again, he looked over it before giving it back to her.

“Rayna, you must wear this ring, but take it off when danger arises. Also, stay away from Mr. Ziegler. Don’t ever get involved with him. He’s vicious and cruel. There’s no telling what he’ll do to you.”

Rayna nodded, but a hint of suspicion rose within her.

She recalled the night she had chatted with Mathias at the cocktail reception. That night, while talking with him, she felt a sudden pain in her shoulder and lost consciousness. Could he have been the culprit?

Moreover, she hadn’t had much to drink and felt something had stabbed her shoulder that day.

James and the others did not plan to stay over at Linda’s place, so they left after dinner.

Once they left, Rayna lied to Linda to prepare two dishes for her roommate because her roommate liked the latter’s cooking.

When Linda was preparing the food, she nagged, “Honey, please go outside for a walk if you’re free. Do something fun, like eating out with someone or watching a movie. Don’t be so fixated on your work like this. Listen to me. When choosing a partner, you can’t choose someone based on looks alone. Look at Mr. Faymon. I know he’s handsome and charming, but he’s kind of shrewd, don’t you think?”

Rayna scoffed, “That’s not what you think previously.”

“Thoughts change, my dear,” Linda responded. “Besides, Mr. Faymon is too wealthy, and he doesn’t seem trustworthy to me.”

Rayna went silent.

After about an hour, she brought the dinner in a container and went to Curtis’ residence.

She rang the doorbell a few times, but no one answered. Suddenly, she remembered the keycard was placed in the flowerpot the last time she came. She searched the flowerpot and found the keycard between the leaves.

That was too easy! Men are so lazy. Why can’t they look for a better place to hide their keycard?

Rayna unlocked the door. However, when she got in, she heard a woman’s coquettish laughter.

“Oh my! Be good now! Don’t lick me!”

Rayna stood there, frozen for ten whole seconds before erupting in anger.

What the heck? This shameless b*stard! I can’t believe he let another woman enter his house when I was out delivering his dinner! Didn’t he say not many people know where he lives?

Just as she was about to storm off in anger, Curtis arrived in the living room, his sleeves rolled up and his forehead beaded with sweat.

When Curtis saw her standing at the entrance with a long face, he asked her quizzically, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” Rayna huffed and turned to leave.

Curtis caught up to her just as she stepped off the stairs. Grabbing her hand, he questioned, “Aren’t you here to bring me my dinner? Why are you leaving without giving it to me?”

“I don’t feel like giving it to you anymore! Why don’t you let the woman inside cook dinner for you?”

Curtis was puzzled. “Huh? There’s no one in my house.”

“Don’t lie!”

Suddenly, a realization struck him. As he glanced at Rayna’s angry face, his lips curled slightly into a smile. He scooped her up into his arms and strode inside.

Rayna struggled in his embrace. “What are you doing? Let go! I’m not going in!”

“I have to prove my innocence.”

After entering the living room, Curtis let her down and grabbed the remote control. “You heard something, didn’t you?”

Then, he switched on the wide LCD television, and an advertisement for a pet hospital played. In the advertisement, the staff was bathing a Husky. Her face was drenched in water when the dog played with the water. Nevertheless, she giggled as she pushed the dog away from licking her hand.

The woman’s voice was the same as what Rayna had heard earlier.