Ch. 231..240

Chapter 231 Hiding A Woman

Rayna’s face flushed crimson. I overthought. This is so embarrassing.

Curtis glanced at her and said, “When I switched on the television earlier, Lucky ran out and jumped into the swimming pool, so I trailed after it to bring it back. Ms. Garland, did you assume I was hiding a woman in my house?”

“How would I know? I haven’t entered the living room just now! Why did you switch on the television and even tune in to the advertisement channel?”

Curtis approached her and stood so close to her that they could hear each other’s heartbeat.

He spoke in a deep and seductive voice. “May I think of your behavior as a show of jealousy and fear that I am seeing another woman?”

“Mr. Faymon, you’re such a narcissist.” Rayna handed the thermal container to him. “My mother made some pork stew. Hurry up and eat. I’m going to take a look at the German Shepherd.”

She headed toward the swimming pool afterward.

Curtis stared at the thermal container in his hands and was reminded about the dish she mentioned. His eyebrow twitched as a resigned look spread across his face.

I hate pork the most, yet all I’ve been eating recently is pork.

The German Shepherd pup was chasing after a ball at the poolside. At the sight of Rayna, it went near her while shaking its tail. She wanted to hug it when it jumped into the pool with a thump.

Taking in the way Lucky swam happily in the pool, Rayna was astounded. “Isn’t this puppy too reckless and active?” It jumped into such a deep pool without hesitation.

“Lucky, come here!” Lucky was still a pup after all. Rayna was worried it might drown, so she tried to convince the dog to come out of the pool by attracting its attention with a ball at the poolside.

Lucky swam over rapidly.

Just as Rayna was about to seize the dog, it swiftly moved in the opposite direction. Conversely, she lost her balance and fell into the pool. The young German Shepherd barked, swam closer to her, and licked her face.

Rayna grabbed the pup by the scruff of its neck and scolded it, “Are you happy now for causing me to end up in this pathetic state? You’re as naughty as your owner!”

“I heard that, Ms. Garland.” Curtis leaned against the sliding door and looked at Rayna, who was inside the pool, in amusement. “You should tone down your voice whenever you badmouth about someone else next time.”

Rayna rolled her eyes at him. “I’m speaking ill of Mr. Tylinski. How does that concern you?”

“I’m raising this dog.”

“You may be raising the pup, but you acquired this dog from Mr. Tylinski. Lucky’s dad is still at Mr. Tylinski’s house. Isn’t that right?” Rayna retorted.

Curtis’ gaze darkened. “Can you quit mentioning Gabriel’s name?”

He was annoyed because she kept talking about Gabriel.

Gabriel is to be blamed too. He chatted with others instead of focusing on his duties at work. I should deduct his bonus!

“We’re friends. Why can’t I mention him?” Rayna thought Curtis was overreacting. She wanted to get out of the pool but realized her clothes were wet and stuck to her body, so she didn’t do so at once.

She said to Curtis, “Mr. Faymon, bring me a towel.”

“There aren’t any outsiders here.”

She glared at him with a reddened face. “You’re one!”

He chuckled and went into the house to retrieve a towel. However, instead of passing it to her, he asked her to get out of the pool, wrapped the towel around her head, and helped dry her hair.

“I-I can do it on my own.” Rayna wasn’t used to his caring gesture. She wanted to snatch the towel from him, but he seized the opportunity and pulled her into his embrace.

He gazed down at her in close proximity. “Are you avoiding me?”

“No,” she swiftly denied.

“Then why are you not looking up?”

He presumes I’m avoiding him simply because I’m not looking up? What kind of logic is that?

The next second, she slapped him using moderate strength, rendering him stupefied.

“I just want you to get a grip.” She pushed him away forcefully and carried the German Shepherd pup into the house. Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com Curtis stood rooted to his spot, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

A few days ago, he had mocked Wyatt for being an embarrassment because the latter was hit by a woman. Little did he expect to experience that himself now.

Lucky was very disobedient as it kept running around the living room, not allowing Rayna to blow dry its fur.

Seeing that, Curtis uttered indifferently, “If the dog is reluctant to have its fur blow dry, just wipe it with a towel. If it fails to endure the cold and dies, we’ll bury it somewhere outside the house.”

“I’ve never seen an owner as heartless as you.” Rayna grimaced. “Animals are living creatures too, not to mention German Shepherd is a very helpful dog breed.”

“I’ve never expected the dog to do anything for me.”

“Then why are you raising it?”

The doorbell rang at that instant. Curtis didn’t reply to her question and went to open the gate.

Lucky seemed to have understood Curtis’ words as it trotted up to Rayna compliantly and let her blow dry its fur.

Curtis returned to the living room with another person behind him.

Jasmine, dressed in a long beige dress, appearing gentle and captivating, smiled faintly and greeted Rayna, “Ms. Garland, excuse me for the intrusion. I’m here to take some things.”

Rayna, cheeks burning, hastily got up. “I should be saying that.”

Curtis piped up, “Let’s go to the study.”

They went upstairs one after the other while Rayna remained in her spot.

Curtis had explained to her that Jasmine was collaborating with him in a fake marriage. Still, Rayna couldn’t help feeling discontented. It’s like everyone has access to his home.

Lucky’s fur was still loose, so it did not take long to be blow-dried. Rayna spent time playing ball with Lucky inside the living room. Her eyes would flit toward the clock on the wall from time to time, but she wasn’t sure what she was waiting for.

Half an hour later, Curtis and Jasmine ambled downstairs. She turned around and said something to him. Then, after he grunted in response, she pursed her lips and smiled.

Rayna suppressed her displeasure and strode over. “I’m leaving too. Let me give you a ride, Ms. Sanders.”

Jasmine chirped, “Aren’t you staying here?”

“Don’t overthink, Ms. Sanders. I’m just here to deliver his dinner. Besides, it’s getting late now.”

“In that case, I’ll have to trouble you, then.”

Curtis remained silent and sent them to the door. When Rayna was about to leave, he said, “Send me a message when you’re home.”

“Nah, I’m not a child anymore.” With that, she left.

Curtis laughed quietly. She gets jealous so easily.

As Rayna drove away from the mansion, Jasmine, sitting in the passenger seat, asked halfheartedly, “Ms. Garland, why did Theodore’s mother meet with you?”

“You saw the news as well?” Rayna glanced at Jasmine. She thought she had asked a redundant question since it wouldn’t be surprising for Jasmine to be aware of that sensational news. With a shrug,

she added with a smile, “His mother saw us chatting in a cafe previously, so she thought something was going on between us. That’s why she came looking for me.”

“What do you think of Mrs. Xavier?”

“Pompous and arrogant, as if no one is good enough in her opinion.” Rayna had the urge to laugh at the thought of what had happened the other day. “She seems to think her son is the most eligible bachelor in the whole universe and that every woman desires to marry him.” Here, Rayna paused briefly. “Ms. Sanders, shouldn’t you know Mrs. Xavier better than I do since you’ve dated Mr. Xavier in the past?”

Jasmine sneered. “I do. I am too familiar with her personality. Mrs. Xavier is a cruel and cunning person. After driving someone to the end of the road, she would even hand them a knife so they could end their own life.”

It had been four years, yet Jasmine would still occasionally dream about the day Emma had met up with her, humiliated her with all the harsh words, and finally tossed a check at her while wearing a look of pity.

Emma’s words rang in Jasmine’s mind. ”An illegitimate child will always be an illegitimate child. You’ll always be a failure in life.”

Failure? After I obtain the six percent shares from my father and acquire Sanders Group, I’ll personally send an invitation to Mrs. Xavier and have her see for herself if I’m still a failure!

 

Chapter 232 The Lifestyle Of The Rich

A glint flashed across Rayna’s eyes.

As an avid news reader, she knew about Sanders Group. She was also aware of how Jasmine had climbed the company’s corporate ladder and become one of the higher-ups. She must have some tricks up her sleeves.

Jasmine would do anything to achieve her goals. This included faking a marriage with Curtis.

“Being ambitious is not necessarily bad.” Rayna might not have spent much time with Carl, but she liked that child whose eyes sparkled like stars in the sky. “There might have been some bad blood between you and Mrs. Xavier, but please don’t drag a child into your revenge. It’s not worth it.”

Jasmine’s eyes darkened. She tilted her head and looked at Rayna.

Rayna could tell Jasmine was staring at her even though she did not turn around to look at her. After pressing her lips, she said, “When Carl lent me his mountain bike during an emergency, I immediately realized he bore an uncanny resemblance to someone I know.”

“You…” Jasmine started breathing heavily. She was surprised to learn that Carl and Rayna knew each other. This wouldn’t have happened if Carl had worn a mask properly when he stepped out of the house.

Rayna responded with a grin. “This secret is safe with us. Don’t worry. I didn’t tell anyone, including Mr. Xavier.”

Jasmine heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“I’m merely keeping my promise.” Before ending the topic, Rayna could not help but continue, “Carl would always tell me he missed his dad, and he looked forward to seeing his dad during Christmas. Though your marriage with Curtis is fake, he was upset when he read the news.”

“Yeah. He’s been ignoring me for the past couple of days.” Jasmine sounded exhausted. She massaged her forehead and said, “I must get my hands on the shares in Sanders Group. Mr. Faymon is my only hope.

“Mr. Faymon told me to meet him upstairs because he wanted to talk to me about the incident between you and Stephanie in the café. There was no way to stop the news from spreading since Stephanie played the sympathy card, not to mention there were witnesses outside the premises.

“Stephanie’s aunt owns a factory and happens to be one of Sanders Group’s suppliers. There were some problems with the factory, so I handed the document to Mr. Faymon and struck a deal with him. In return, he gave me some money. That’s all.”

Rayna was relieved upon hearing the explanation, but at the same time, she was also overwhelmed by mixed feelings. So this is what it’s all about, huh? But why did they have to bring the discussion upstairs? They could have just discussed it in the living room. They can’t blame me for being suspicious since they were sneaking around.

Jasmine quipped, “Mr. Faymon may appear to be heartless, but he’s done a lot for you, Ms. Garland.”

“You’re reading too much into it, Ms. Sanders.” Rayna composed herself and tried to speak casually. “Perhaps Mr. Faymon was willing to help me because I used to work for Faymon Group.”

“If that’s the case, I suppose Mr. Faymon must be very busy since he has to help so many employees in Faymon Group,” Jasmine teased.

Her remark rendered Rayna speechless.

Rayna ignored her joke. When they reached Jasmine’s neighborhood, she said, “We’ve arrived, Ms. Sanders. I hope you can tell Mr. Xavier personally about Carl someday.”

Jasmine bobbed her head and responded with a faint smile. “Take care, Ms. Garland.”

It was already ten by the time Rayna arrived at her condominium. Many things had happened today, but she was in a good mood.

After entering her room, she glanced around and noticed something white and fluffy lying on top of the diamond castle. She took a closer look and realized it was the Ragdoll kitten.

The kitten opened its eyes and meowed languidly.

“Of all the places, you chose the most expensive place to sit on.” Rayna went up and stroked its fur.

She had wanted to return the kitten to Curtis because rearing a pet would take up too much of her time. But now, the kitten had become a big part of her life.

Right then, her phone vibrated. It was a WhatsApp message from Curtis: Are you home?

Rayna rested her chin on her hands and could not stop smiling.

Curtis did not talk much to Rayna after adding her number. Even their first conversation on WhatsApp began with him asking her to pay for the stained carpet. Now he had learned to care about her. Sometimes, he would even play pranks on her. How did all this happen?

Rayna replied: Yes. Five minutes ago.

After mulling over it for a while, she snapped a photo of the Ragdoll kitten lying on the diamond castle and sent it to him.

Curtis responded immediately: The diamond castle is worth much more than the kitten. Does it not feel uncomfortable, though?

Rayna texted back: Maybe it likes to feel rich.

Curtis was bereft of words upon reading that.

The thought of the man’s speechless look put a smile on Rayna’s face. After picking up her nightgown, she went to the bathroom to take a bath.

After a long day, she could finally sleep like a baby and have a nice dream.

The next day, when Rayna was about to step out of the room, she noticed the usually spacious living room looked congested. The aroma of food wafted through the air as about five well-dressed chefs were busy preparing food by the bar.

“Pardon us for the intrusion,” one of the chefs apologized.

Rayna thought she was still dreaming. After closing the door, she patted her face to wake herself up. Besides feeling a tingling numbness on her cheeks, she still heard sounds from the living room.

She opened the door once again and saw Wyatt standing outside and waving at her.

He gave her a cheerful grin and said, “Good morning, Darling! I brought a group of chefs from a five- star hotel over to prepare breakfast for you guys. It’s a pleasant surprise, isn’t it?”

Rayna did not know what else to say. So it’s not a dream. It’s happening right outside my living room.

“Is this what rich people do all the time?” she questioned.

Wyatt shook his head. “Rich people have stay-in cooks to take care of their meals. You can’t hire a personal cook because this condo has limited space. Would you like to move into a bigger unit?”

His explanation rendered her speechless.

The moment Rayna sat down by the Epean bar counter, someone walked out of the kitchen and handed her the menu. She flipped through the pages and noticed a few dishes were labeled “to arrive in air freight in an hour.”

She could not help but exclaim inwardly. So this is the lifestyle of the rich!

Half an hour later, Jessica, too, came out of her bedroom.

Wyatt ran to Jessica, embraced her, and gave her a peck. “Good morning, Jessie. I invited the chefs from your favorite restaurant over. What would you like to eat for breakfast?”

“Hey, stop behaving like a Husky.” Jessica patted his shoulders and pushed him away. “You stink.”

“I rinsed my mouth this morning.”

“You must have smoked. Your body reeks of tobacco!”

“I’ll rinse my mouth again.” Instead of refuting, Wyatt went to Jessica’s room to rinse his mouth.

Rayna could not believe her eyes. When Jessica came toward her, she asked, “You two have gotten back together?”

“He’s so clingy that I can’t turn him down.” The awkwardness was written all over her face. “His parents have just returned from Epea, and he wants to take me back for dinner.”

A corner of Rayna’s lips quirked up. “You guys have just broken up not long ago, and now you’re back together. Is this relationship a child’s play to you?”

Jessica responded, “Well, he has taken care of those videos. He’s also a well-behaved boyfriend who doesn’t drive me mad.”

Rayna felt like crying all of a sudden. This is too much! Why do I have to stand here and listen to her complimenting her boyfriend?

Meanwhile, Wyatt came out of the room after rinsing his mouth and clung to Jessica. He even told her he could bring the chefs to Faymon Group to prepare lunch for her.

Rayna stormed out of the condominium and left for the office, as she could no longer stand the lovey- dovey couple.

She logged in to Twitter and realized the café incident involving her and Stephanie had become a trending topic. Nevertheless, she had secretly recorded the heated argument and handed the recording to the cops. When the recording was released publicly, all the netizens started lambasting Stephanie, calling her a scheming b*tch who had gotten a taste of her own medicine. A few tried to ruin Rayna’s reputation but were criticized by the other netizens.

Chapter 233

Chapter 233 Speak Against Your Conscience

Rayna released a sigh of relief when she didn’t see any news that tarnished her name and returned to work.

The other person who saw the news was Stephanie, who was still in the hospital.

The acid splash had left visible burn marks on the left side of her face and her arm, which tremendously scarred her psyche.

When the doctor told her no skin grafting technology could hide her scars completely, she broke down.

She had prepared the acid as a contingency. Back then, when she removed the cap of the bottle of acid after being infuriated by Rayna’s words, she didn’t expect Rayna to push the bottle toward her.

She had thought that she, as a victim, could accuse Rayna and have her thrown into prison forever. However, to her surprise, Rayna recorded their conversation.

Everyone now believed she had wanted to use the acid on Rayna. Essentially, she was hoisted by her own petard.

Stephanie smashed any objects with reflective properties in the room and cried for the whole night.

When she saw Theodore arrive in her ward the next morning, she pounced on him and wailed, “My face is ruined, Teddy! What do I do?”

With a firm attitude and a cold expression, Theodore pushed her away. “It’s your fault for attacking her.”

“She won’t let you go, so I asked her to leave,” Stephanie sobbed and pretended to be weak. “I was a little harsh with my words, but she spoke impolitely to me too. Then I got angry…” She grabbed

Theodore’s shirt. “I did this because I like you, Teddy! Now that my face is ruined, how am I going to meet other people in the future?”

“If you hadn’t taken out that bottle of acid, you wouldn’t have turned out like this.” The look in his eyes was grim. “I treat you politely solely because of our family’s relationship.”

“Teddy…”

Gripping her wrist, Theodore warned, “I hope this incident will teach you an unforgettable lesson. You know who’s protecting her, and I don’t think you’re stupid enough to want to see your family fall.”

That statement crushed Stephanie even further. Even though my face is now ruined, Teddy is still not standing on my side! He didn’t even spare me any sympathy! ”Why does she get to be fine and dandy when I’m severely injured?”

“You reap what you sow.” Theodore had no intention of wasting his time talking with her any longer.

He summoned two nurses, glanced at Stephanie, and ordered, “She’ll be recuperating in the hospital for the time being. Take good care of her.” Then he left.

Stephanie chased after him like a madwoman, intending to prevent his departure by hugging him. However, the two nurses behind her stopped her, forcing her to watch him leave.

In response, she screamed at the top of her lungs, “How can you be this cruel, Theodore? You b*stard! You’re a sc*mbag!”

I have nothing left! Nothing! As she cried, the nurses released her, letting her fall to the ground.

The ward was a mess. In front of her were a trolley she toppled, a smashed pot, and a small silver tray.

In the reflective tray, she saw the right side of her face, which was still smooth and tender, and the left side, which looked wrinkly. Even the corner of her lips appeared askew.

She let out a loud cry, unable to stand staring at herself, who looked like an old woman now. By the time the nurses noticed something was wrong, she had already picked up a sharp piece of debris lying on the floor and scratched her face with it.

“Ah!” The nurses trembled in fear.

Swiftly, they stopped her self-mutilation by clumsily administering her a sedative shot.

When Stephanie woke up, she felt the left side of her face burning with pain. Noises were traveling into her ears, which she soon realized was coming from the television. The reporter on the news channel was talking about the arrest of all executives of a company because the drugs their factories manufactured had failed to pass the inspection.

The moment she realized the company belonged to her aunt, her eyes widened.

She knew because she had been there many times before.

“Are you awake, Ms. Goath?” A young woman was sitting next to Stephanie’s bed. When she saw the latter had woken up, she turned off the television and spoke. “You don’t look so good, Ms. Goath. Is it because of Theodore?”

Stephanie’s pupils constricted when she heard Theodore’s name. “Get out!” At that moment, she didn’t want to think about him at all.

“Before I leave, there’s something I want to tell you, Ms. Goath.” Dorothy smiled. “Faymon Group orchestrated the fall of your aunt’s company because you touched Mr. Faymon’s people. I must say,

you’re quite pitiful, Ms. Goath. Even though you love Theodore with all your heart, your face was disfigured by the woman he had a scandal with. And your aunt’s company is now gone.”

“Rayna!” Fury blazed in Stephanie’s eyes as she gritted her teeth. “It’s all because of her! She disfigured me! She snatched the man I love away!”

The corners of Dorothy’s lips curved even higher when she saw Stephanie getting livid. “Do you want revenge, Ms. Goath? I can help you, don’t worry, and the Sanders family won’t be implicated.”

“Why do you want to help me?”

Dorothy gave a small smile. “Because I pity you. I want to help you out a little.”

Meanwhile, Rayna encountered a problem when she was searching for the information she needed. As usual, she asked Gabriel for help on WhatsApp.

When she got her answer, she relaxed. Then, she asked: Is Old Mr. Faymon feeling better?

Gabriel: Much better.

Rayna: Why did your message become so brief? Did your boss bully you?

Curtis was a little ticked off when he saw the message. When did I do that to Gabriel?

When he replied as Gabriel, he even flattered himself in the process: Not at all. Mr. Faymon treats me very well. Don’t you think so, Ms. Garland? He even has a cute puppy. He’s such a loving person.

Rayna: Does your heart not ache when you speak against your conscience, Mr. Tylinski? Do you think I’ve never seen how he treats Lucky? He doesn’t care about that dog. It’s probably going to die one day, so it’ll be better if you take it back, Mr. Tylinski.

Curtis replied: You seem to have a lot to say about Mr. Faymon, Ms. Garland.

Rayna: I’m simply stating the truth! What else does Mr. Faymon know aside from pissing people off and earning money? He should learn more from Mr. Lopez. The guy’s handsome and good with words.

Curtis chuckled. I don’t think Wyatt’s lackadaisical lifestyle is commendable.

Then, he typed confidently: Mr. Faymon knows a lot of other things too. For example, archery, horse riding, boxing, and many more. He even knows how to drive a plane!

Rayna: So what if he knows how to do all that? As if he’s going to drive a plane himself when he goes on a business trip. What a joke!

Curtis: You really dislike Mr. Faymon, huh, Ms. Garland?

Rayna: I have to go do my stuff now. Bye!

Her last message angered Curtis and made him want to laugh. So she’s just going to leave after insulting me a couple of times, huh? What a mischievous woman.

“Curtis!” Wyatt yelled as he pushed the door open and tossed two documents toward Curtis. “It’s done.”

Resentment bubbled in Curtis’ heart when he saw Wyatt and thought about Rayna’s words. “Do you have anything else to attend to?”

“No.” Wyatt didn’t notice anything amiss, so he asked excitedly, “Can I go on a vacation now? It just so happens that my parents are returning from Epea. I want to take Jessie to my home for a meal.”

“Do you really think you can take a break when I, your boss, don’t even have time to rest?” A sinister smile settled on Curtis’ face. “The company in Yeringham is in a bit of trouble. I want you to go there and solve it.”

Stunned, Wyatt groaned, “Don’t do this to me, Curtis. You can send other executives to deal with that! I still need to pick up my parents at the airport.”

“I’ll get Gabriel to help you pick them up.”

 

Chapter 234 Surrounded By Reporters

“Curtis…”

“And you said you wanted to spend a month there,” Curtis cut him off. “In that case, I’ll ask the secretarial department to prepare a redeployment contract.”

Just as Curtis was about to make a call, Wyatt immediately halted his movement. If I sign the contract, I won’t be able to come back! ”I haven’t been visiting you lately at all, Curtis. How have I offended you?”

“I just don’t like looking at you.”

Wyatt was rendered speechless.

Rayna received a WhatsApp message from Carl asking her if she had free time. It turned out he had thought he was wrong for getting angry with Jasmine, so he wanted to buy a gift for her with his own money.

As Rayna had nothing going on in the afternoon, she went to pick up Carl.

The boy was wearing a classic black-gray outfit. It looked cool on him. When he got into the car, he greeted Rayna sweetly and even bought her coffee.

Pinching his cheek, Rayna joked, “You’re so handsome, Carl. When you grow up, I bet you’ll have a lot of women chasing after you!”

“No,” Carl replied seriously. “I’m going to join the military in the future. I won’t be interacting with any women at all.”

“Your mommy has taught you well.” Rayna sighed. Most children his age are in school and enjoying their childhood right now, while he already has a plan for his life.

However, his next sentence unsettled her a little. “Since you’ll be getting married and giving birth to a child in the future, I want to get engaged to your daughter. Once I grow up, I’ll marry her. That’ll be great.”

Even though he’s still so young, he’s already thinking about so many things. Rayna wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry. “What if my child is a boy?”

“No, that won’t happen. It’ll be a shame if no one inherits your beauty.”

Rayna was so happy to hear that that she rubbed his short hair hard. “You’re so adorable!”

The two of them headed to the shopping mall.

Rayna had met Jasmine a couple of times before, so she roughly knew what outfits the latter wore. Armed with that knowledge, she brought Carl to a suitable clothing store.

After they browsed through the items in the shop for a while, he laid his eyes on a pair of branded, leather high-heels of classic design.

Upon noticing the new merchandise in the shop, Rayna couldn’t help but buy a few clothes and two pairs of shoes for herself. Three hours flew by without them noticing.

After she brought Carl out of the shop, she asked, “Do you want to go back now or do you want me to take you to dinner?”

“No, thank you. I appreciate your offer, but I want to have dinner with Mommy and give her this present.”

Rayna smiled. “Your mommy will undoubtedly like it.”

Just as they were still joking around when they stepped out of the mall, a group of people charged toward them and surrounded them. The microphones in those people’s hands were so close to Rayna that they were about to touch her face.

“I heard you married young and already have a child, Ms. Garland. Is that true?”

“Is that your son?”

“Did you have a shopping date with someone? Who’s your partner, Ms. Garland?”

The reporters bombarded Rayna with question after question, making her dumbfounded. I don’t think I’m a star. I don’t even have fans! Why am I getting targeted by reporters?

The moment she saw someone trying to yank Carl’s hat and mask away, she immediately pulled him into her arms and wrapped him under her coat. She roared, “That’s enough! Don’t any of you dare go overboard! Even if I’m married and have children, that’s my private matter! None of you have any right to question me about it or interfere with my life! If you continue to surround me, I’m going to sue you all for violating my personal rights!”

The reporters thought the rumors were true when they saw how anxious she was.

There were scandals about this woman and Mr. Faymon of Faymon Group in the past. Not only that, but she also has ties with Mr. Xavier! Most importantly, if the vice CEO of Hatchair Group really is married and has children, then this is going to be an explosive piece of news!

The reporters got even more excited and began asking more questions.

The reporters here are all from a variety of media companies. Even if Hatchair Group wants to sue us all, it’ll be very exhausting for them to do so!

“How would you explain your relationship with Mr. Xavier, Ms. Garland?”

“Please answer the question, Ms. Garland!”

“Ms. Garland!”

No matter how many questions the reporters hurled in her direction, Rayna refused to answer any of them. She tried to leave while protecting Carl, but the reporters were steadfast in their efforts to prevent her from escaping. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t squeeze past them.

Then Carl, still hiding in her coat, asked, “Do you need my help? I can fight them. A lot of them.”

“Don’t move,” Rayna advised. If I let them see Carl, the two of us will be trending tomorrow, which means Theodore will know. I swore to Jasmine that I’d keep the secret, and I intend to fulfill my promise.

Just as the reporters were forcing her into a very difficult situation, a young man and woman pushed the reporters away before reaching her.

“What are you all doing? Is it really necessary to force my friend for a bit of news?” the man roared at the reporters, effectively scaring them back by a few steps.

The young woman, on the other hand, approached Rayna and hastily informed, “Mr. Faymon sent us to help you, Ms. Garland.”

Of course, Rayna would not trust a random stranger.

The young woman added, “Mr. Faymon says there’s a mole on your right shoulder.”

Rayna wore a pretty tight shirt under her coat, so there was no way the stranger could’ve seen it. She blushed. Can’t Curtis tell her a less embarrassing secret about me? Why does he have to mention

that?

“I’ll be counting on you two,” she replied.

At that moment, some reporters had already identified who the young man was. He was an executive in Faymon Group. As for the woman, they recognized that she was an actress. Hence, the reporters’ attention was expeditiously drawn to her.

The woman pulled Carl into her arms and spoke to the reporters. “I’m very sorry for hiding my marriage and child from everyone. I just want to protect my family.”

“Stop taking pictures,” the man warned. “Ms. Garland is my and my wife’s friend. She was merely shopping with our child. Why are you all making such a big deal out of it?”

“I hope all of you will stop now.” Upon bowing at the reporters, the woman continued politely, “If Ms. Garland’s reputation is tarnished because of this incident, it’ll be my fault. So, please pay attention to my new movie instead. Thank you.”

The reporters thought there was going to be a big scoop. While they didn’t expect things to change so quickly, they still found the actress’ marriage newsworthy, so they promptly shifted their attention to her.

Using that opportunity, Rayna fled. Since the two of them are Curtis’ people, I’m sure they’ll send Carl home safely.

Upon her arrival at the underground parking lot, she saw Curtis standing next to her car. He was holding a phone as he chatted with someone.

When he noticed her presence, he uttered a few more words before hanging up the call. “Where are they?”

“They’re still being questioned by the reporters, so they’re still stuck. How did you know I was here and would be surrounded by reporters? Were you stalking me, Mr. Faymon?”

With a deep voice, Curtis answered, “I’m not that free to check where you are every day. The spy I planted in a newspaper company sent me a message earlier, informing me many other newspaper companies received a tip. They were told you were married, that you already had a child, and where you’d be shopping today. I called you multiple times, but you didn’t pick up your phone. I expected you to exit through the main entrance, so I asked Gabriel to look for help.”

“My phone’s dead, so I left it charging in the car,” Rayna said, thinking that was probably when he called her. “Thank you. The people you found were amazing. They could lie as naturally as they breathe.”

“Of course they’re amazing,” Curtis sneered. “They each cost five hundred thousand an hour, after all.”

Rayna wanted to slap herself at that moment. If I hadn’t spent so much time reading my emails, my phone wouldn’t have run out of power that quickly, and I would’ve been able to answer his call!

Chapter 235 Curtis Is Angry

Rayna coughed. “Thank you, Mr. Faymon. I’ll transfer the money to you later.”

Silently, Curtis glanced at her.

“Where are you going, Mr. Faymon? Is it your office?” She didn’t think it would be appropriate to chase him away, considering he had helped her out big time and even waited for her. She obsequiously opened the door to the passenger seat for him.

“Yes.” As he spoke, he stepped into the vehicle.

“All right, then.” Rayna got into the car as well and drove him to Faymon Group.

On the way, Curtis received a call from the actress who had saved Rayna. “We managed to shake the reporters off, but when we tried to send the kid back home, we couldn’t find him.”

After he informed Rayna of the situation, she flashed a faint smile. “It’s fine. Carl is smart. He can find his way back.”

Curtis commented, “You seem to be very protective of him.”

Before he arrived in the parking lot, he had had a brief look at the situation. Back then, she had already been surrounded by reporters. He was intrigued to see her protecting the little boy as if she was afraid he would be spotted.

“Mm-hmm.” She glimpsed at the traffic light and turned her steering wheel. “He’s my friend’s son.”

“Which friend?”

“She lives in the same residential area as my mother. Didn’t I tell you that before?” As Rayna answered, she thought something was off and took a peek at him. “Are you running a background check right now, Mr. Faymon?”

“I just think you’re being too nice to others. In this day and age, kindness isn’t as valuable as it was in the past. There’s no guarantee you won’t get stabbed in the back.”

Rayna laughed. “Other people may stab me in the back, but not his father. I was even planning to form a good relationship with Carl so I can make his father owe me a favor!” Theodore is a man of his word. If I can make him owe me a favor, that’ll be great.

The look in Curtis’ eyes darkened. I’m so pissed off right now. Except for me, she’s always beaming when she talks about the men she knew, like Gabriel and that boy’s father!

With a sullen tone, he said, “You should mind yourself, Ms. Garland. His boy is already so old.”

“Why does it matter how old the boy is? What does that have anything to do with me?” Rayna was confused. “Don’t beat around the bush. I don’t like playing guessing games.”

“Give me his number.” He wanted to tell Carl’s father to take care of his own child.

“I don’t have it.” Even if she did have Jasmine’s number, she would not give it to him because she had promised Jasmine she wouldn’t tell anyone about the matter. “You’ll know it in the future.”

Curtis shifted his line of sight to her. “Do you really have to hide this from me, Ms. Garland?”

“I’m not. It’s just…” Hurriedly, she thought of what she could say without breaking her promise. “It’s better than having you scheming against me.”

The moment the last word left her mouth, she realized she had said the wrong thing.

While there wasn’t any change in his countenance, the atmosphere in the car abruptly became tense and uncomfortable. “Stop the car.”

“We haven’t reached Faymon Group yet.” Rayna gulped. “Once we—”

“Stop the car!” Curtis’ cold voice was brimming with fury. His sudden roar terrified her, prompting her to stop the car.

Before the vehicle even halted completely, he had already opened the door.

By the time Rayna looked at the passenger seat, it was already empty. Regret filled her heart. I didn’t mean it.

As she drove back to the office, she kept brooding about the moment Curtis left her car. The idea of apologizing to him through WhatsApp messages popped into her mind a handful of times, but she just couldn’t do it.

The sky darkened, and the employees left one by one.

Jessica sent Rayna a WhatsApp message, informing the latter she would be having dinner with Wyatt and that the latter did not have to prepare her dinner. Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com After staring at the pitch-black sky, Rayna packed her things and went to Linda’s home for dinner.

Meanwhile, Wyatt drove to Sand Dragon Club in a hurry upon finishing his work.

The moment he stepped into the building, he saw a dazzling, fair woman in a ginger-colored dress with a flawless, palm-sized face. There was a look of nervousness and shyness in her eyes.

“You’re so pretty, Jessie!” Immediately, he hugged Jessica and kissed her. “You’re even more beautiful without your glasses! You look like a goddess!”

“Oh, you.” Jessica lightly punched his chest. “Is this really okay? I heard Mr. Faymon is sending you to Yeringham to deal with something. If we go to your house for a meal right now, won’t—”

Wyatt chuckled. “It won’t because I’ve already taken care of the matter! My parents haven’t been back in a while. No matter how difficult things may get, I must bring you home for a meal.”

“How many girlfriends did you have before me?” Jessica fixed her sharp eyes on him. She looked as though she would strangle him to death if he didn’t tell her the truth.

“You’re my first! I swear!” It was true that she was the first woman he wanted to bring home.

Satisfied by his answer, she stopped questioning him further.

Wyatt drove the two of them to his home in his own car.

As he led Jessica into the building, he kept talking about how cheerful his parents were and that she should make herself at home.

“Mr. Lopez.” The old housekeeper who opened the door was shocked when she saw a young woman next to Wyatt. “Is she your friend, Mr. Lopez?”

“She’s my girlfriend!” Wyatt corrected.

“Hello,” Jessica quickly greeted.

“Nice to meet you.” Thinking that Jessica would be the future lady of the house, the housekeeper dared not treat the matter lightly. After she responded to Jessica, she led the couple into the house before notifying Pamela, Wyatt’s mother, of their arrival.

The majestic living room was decorated with famous paintings that were worth at least tens of millions.

As Jessica surveyed her surroundings anxiously, Wyatt suddenly patted her shoulder. She saw an elegant woman with very fair skin exiting the kitchen gracefully.

“Mom!” Wyatt gave the woman a big hug and beamed. “You don’t need to nag me this time since I’ve brought someone back with me!”

A moment later, he pushed Jessica toward Pamela. “This is Jessica Marsh, my girlfriend!”

“She seems obedient.” Pamela smiled as she gently and briefly studied Jessica. “Your dad’s in his study right now. Go and call him down for dinner.”

“All right. Have fun chatting with each other!” Wyatt promptly bolted up the stairs, leaving Jessica and Pamela alone in the living room.

Jessica was unsure where she should put her hands. She looked quite flustered. Pamela approached her and led her to the dining room. An extravagant dinner had already been served on the table.

“Jessica, right? Just relax and make yourself at home,” Pamela uttered softly. “Wyatt’s father and I tend to stay in Epea to take care of our business, so we don’t return often. I’ll leave Wyatt in your care.”

Jessica replied, “Don’t say that, Mrs. Lopez. He’s the one taking care of me.”

Pamela smiled. “Wyatt’s a bit mischievous, and he always has a hard time setting his mind on anything. You’re beautiful, well-mannered, and the first girl he has ever brought home.”

“Mm. He told me his parents have a great relationship with each other.” Jessica felt a bit embarrassed. “I feel a little bad for disturbing you all since it’s been a while since you and Mr. Lopez come back.”

“Nah, I’m glad that you’re here.” Clasping her hand, Pamela asked, “Can I ask you what your parents do for a living, Jessica? It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me.”

When Jessica answered the question truthfully, a look of dissatisfaction flashed past the older woman’s eyes even though her expression remained unchanged.

The Lopez family was a prominent family, and Wyatt was their only child. Naturally, his parents had high hopes for him. To Pamela, Jessica’s background wasn’t good enough for the Lopez family.

Chapter 236 Destroy Your Family

After a brief pause, Pamela flashed a small smile. “Not bad.”

Pamela was not impressed by Jessica’s background, but Jessica seemed to be docile. The latter was also in the design department and would greatly help Wyatt in his job. Because of that, Pamela could still accept her.

“Thank you, Mrs. Lopez.” Jessica’s cheeks flushed red, and the corners of her lips lifted into a huge grin.

Soon, Wyatt came down with Gerald.

Gerald was tall and handsome. His sharp eyes were bursting with life and energy. No one would have guessed that he was over fifty years old. As he chatted with Wyatt, a loving smile was fixed on his face.

“Hubby.” Pamela went over to hook her arm over Gerald’s. “Did Wyatt tell you? He brought a girl home today. I quite like her.”

Gerald chuckled. “How could I have not heard of it? He hasn’t shut up about it since he stepped foot into the study.”

“That’s because I can’t wait for you to meet my girlfriend.” Wyatt took Jessica’s hand and brought her to Gerald. “Can you tone it down with your ferocious expression, Dad? Don’t scare my girlfriend away!” Wyatt joked.

“When have I ever been ferocious?” Gerald huffed, feigning anger. As his gaze met Jessica’s, he froze, and the smile on his face stiffened. For a second, he did not move.

With a wide smile, Jessica greeted Gerald politely, “Hello, Mr. Lopez.”

Seeing that Gerald did not respond, Pamela gave him a gentle nudge. “Hubby, Jessica’s greeting you.”

“Oh. Yes. Right. Hi.” A dark look flickered across Gerald’s expression before he regained his composure. His tone gradually returned to normal. “She seems nice.”

“Why, of course! Do you think I have bad taste?” Wyatt was pleased by Gerald’s comment. Disregarding the presence of the housekeepers and his parents, he leaned forward to kiss Jessica on her lips.

“Are you not ashamed to do that in front of so many people?” It was Pamela who asked that question.

“What’s there to be ashamed about? Everyone here’s family.”

The four of them headed to the dining table.

Wyatt pulled out a chair for Jessica and then proceeded to pile food on her plate throughout the entire meal.

When Pamela saw that, she sighed wistfully. “Our son’s all grown up now. Ignoring his mother now that he got himself a girlfriend.”

“Mom, it’s Jessica’s first time here. I’m just worried that she’ll be nervous and making sure that she’s comfortable.” With that said, Wyatt quickly placed some food on Pamela’s plate. “Your position in my heart is irreplaceable. You’re the best!”

Wyatt’s sweet words caused Pamela to smile from ear to ear.

“Hubby, why are you so quiet?” Upon noticing that Gerald looked gloomy, Pamela leaned closer to him and whispered, “Jessica’s quite all right, and she’s hardworking. What do you think?”

“I don’t think there’s anything special about her.” Gerald peered at the opposite end of the table. His tone became even colder when he saw how close Wyatt and Jessica were. “Don’t you know Wyatt’s personality? It’s probably just a fling.”

Contrarily, Pamela disagreed. “I don’t think so. This is the first time Wyatt has brought a girl back for a meal. Judging from your dark expression, I’m assuming that you’re unhappy about Jessica’s family background?”

Gerald hummed in agreement. “Her background is not the best. Besides, I’m afraid that it’s just a fling for Wyatt. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have brought her home for a meal. Otherwise, you would get attached to her. Imagine how you’ll feel if they break up.”

After contemplating for a while, Pamela began to think that Gerald was making sense.

She had grown quite fond of Jessica. The latter was smart and obedient. Nonetheless, if Wyatt was just playing around, there was nothing much that Pamela could do about it.

Seeing that Jessica was heading to the kitchen, Gerald quickly got up from his seat. “I’m going to go get some water.”

Pamela was perplexed. “Why not just ask the housekeeper to get you a glass?”

“It’s okay. I’ll do it myself.”

With huge strides, Gerald hurried off. In the kitchen, he caught sight of Jessica rummaging through the drawers, looking for something. Upon entering, he closed the door behind him slightly to prevent the people in the dining area from seeing what was happening. Just then, Jessica turned around.

“Are you here to get something, Mr. Lopez?”

“You’re her younger sister, aren’t you? You two look very alike.” With two huge strides, Gerald stood in front of Jessica. His sharp gaze looked as though it was piercing through her soul. “State your price. How much do you want?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Lopez.” Jessica flashed him a meek smile.

All of a sudden, Gerald reached out and grabbed Jessica by her chin with great force. His voice dropped an octave. “Little girl, I’m warning you. You’d better make a smart choice. I’ve walked on this earth longer than you have.”

Unfazed, Jessica stared right back at him. She mocked, “That’s true, and you’ll leave this earth before me as well!”

“I know my son is not serious about you.” Gerald increased the strength of his grip. “State a number, break up with him, and I’ll pretend I’ve never seen you today.”

“I’ve told you that I don’t need money.”

Gerald narrowed his eyes, causing him to look even more intimidating. “Not taking the generous offer? Do you want to play with me?”

“Why not? After all, aren’t you skilled at playing?” Jessica chuckled. “How about we use your family as a bargaining chip? What do you think?”

“Do you really think I won’t lay a hand on you?”

“Of course you’d dare to! Everything revolves around you. What do you have to be afraid of?” Jessica was pleased with the sight of Gerald’s face distorting in anger. A low chuckle escaped her lips.

After regaining her composure, she locked gazes with Gerald and spat out her words one by one, “Be my guest. After all, he’s your only son. If I can make him go down with you, it’ll be worth it.” She

smirked. “Gerald Lopez, I will destroy your family!”

Jessica’s voice was calm, and her black eyes shone. Her words caused Gerald’s glare to intensify. He wanted nothing more than to strangle her on the spot.

Just then, footsteps could be heard from the door.

Gerald immediately let go of Jessica. With a cup in his hand, he pretended to fill it with water. The door flung open the moment he turned around.

“I heard some commotion. Everything all right?” Wyatt stepped into the kitchen, quickly catching sight of Jessica’s red and swollen chin. He quickly approached her. “Did you actually hit something?”

“Mm-hmm. I hit the door,” Jessica mumbled. “The quality of your furniture sure is top-notch.”

Wyatt’s heart squeezed in pain as he quickly got some ice for Jessica and scolded Gerald lightly, “You’re in here as well, Dad. Why didn’t you remind your daughter-in-law to be more careful?”

“It’s my fault. I wasn’t paying attention.” Jessica pulled him out of the kitchen. “Come on, let’s continue eating.”

Gerald’s expression was dark.

Pamela was startled to see Jessica’s swollen chin as well. When she asked what had happened, Wyatt would have blamed Gerald again if Jessica hadn’t stopped him from doing so.

Once everyone was almost through with their meals, Wyatt asked Pamela, “Mom, are you pleased with this daughter-in-law?”

“Oh boy, daughter-in-law, huh?” teased Pamela. “What happens if I’m not pleased with her?”

Wyatt gasped dramatically. “Mom, I’ve searched high and low, far and near, to find you a daughter-in- law! You wouldn’t find anyone better on the face of this planet! You have to be pleased with her!”

Pamela laughed. “I’m just messing with you. I’m very pleased with her.”

“That’s great because”—Wyatt took out a small box from his pocket and opened it. Inside the box was a diamond ring. The huge diamond caught everyone’s eyes instantly—”we’re getting engaged!”

The proposal was so sudden that it stunned Gerald, Pamela, and even Jessica.

Jessica was beyond shocked.

She had always viewed Wyatt as the solution to her problems. She had merely planned to be with him to execute her revenge plan. Never had she imagined Wyatt bringing her to meet his parents, much less proposing to her with an actual diamond ring.

Oblivious to Jessica’s thoughts, Wyatt took the ring out of the box and said seriously, “Jessica, I really, really like you. Every time I’m with you, I can only think about wanting to spend the rest of my life with you. Even so, I don’t really like the idea of marriage. If you don’t mind, let’s get engaged first, and wait till—”

“What nonsense!” Gerald slammed his palm onto the table, interrupting Wyatt’s proposal. “Wyatt, you should be focusing on your career and taking care of the family business!”

“Getting engaged is not going to affect my career,” Wyatt argued.

Gerald did not budge. “No! You’re too playful! Getting engaged might give her false hopes and hurt her feelings!”

 

Chapter 237 My Corset

“Am I really that horrible, Dad?” Wyatt asked, displeased. “I am a man of my word. I’ll be good to Jessica, or do you dislike her?”

“That’s right. I dislike her. You two come from entirely different backgrounds!” Gerald exclaimed. “How can she benefit you when her family doesn’t own a business? You’re still too young and naive.”

“Both of her parents are professors. How is that a poor background?” Wyatt argued. He was tired of his father’s condescending tone. “Stop it with your condescending tone. Not everyone’s head is filled with money. Also, I own various businesses. Thus, I earn more than enough. If you’re still concerned, I’ll return my Lopez Group shares to you.”

“Wyatt Lopez! Watch your tone when you’re speaking with your father!” Gerald was fuming. He instantly extended his hand and slapped Wyatt hard. “I dare you to repeat what you said!

“Hubby!” Pamela cried out, shell-shocked. As soon as she realized what was happening, she grabbed Gerald’s arm and forced him to stop. “Wyatt didn’t mean any harm. You should take a seat and cool down.”

“He’s talking back to me for a woman. What else could it be other than him rebelling against me?” Gerald scolded. “He thinks he’s able to make money now and has grown a pair! He did not, however, consider what I had done over the years. Where would he be if it weren’t for the yearly few hundred thousand I’ve given him? What would become of him if I didn’t provide him with food, clothes, and a good education?”

The corner of Wyatt’s lips began to bleed slightly from the force of the slap. Jessica wanted to help him wipe the blood away. Yet, Wyatt stopped her.

Wyatt then used his hand to wipe away the blood before giving Gerald a rebellious glare. “Slapping me is a given since you’re my father. Here, if you think this isn’t enough, feel free to slap the left side of my face.”

Gerald was livid to the point where his chest heaved violently. “I don’t care if you want to play around, and I don’t care how long you plan to do that. But you better get married to the daughter of a business owner if you want to do so. Marrying other women is not an option!”

“I’m not marrying a business owner’s daughter. You can go ahead and marry one if you want to!” Wyatt countered.

“Wyatt!” Pamela scolded. “That’s enough. Apologize to your dad this instant!”

“He’s the one who looked down on others in the first place!”Wyatt argued.

“He’s the reason I despise getting married. Not everyone desires to abandon their entire life in exchange for money.”

“I see. You’re all grown up now, aren’t you?” said Gerald as he let out a bark of angry laughter. “If you think so badly of me, then let us cut ties. Do you think I lack a son like you?”

Wyatt sneered. “I should be the one asking you that question. Do you think I lack a father like you? If it weren’t for your sins, Mom wouldn’t have been kidnapped by those people and lost the twins!”

“Get lost!” Gerald roared, flipping the table over.

“Cool down, Hubby. Wyatt is still young,” Pamela said, hugging Gerald’s waist. She cast a quick glance at Jessica in the hopes that the latter would notice the signal. Thankfully, Jessica did, and she immediately hauled Wyatt out of the house.

The commotion from the house could still be heard when the pair left.

Wyatt’s expression was dark. He entered the car and drove without a word. Jessica, too, remained silent throughout the ride.

The car then came to a stop by a lake.

After getting out of the car, Jessica walked down some steps and found Wyatt lighting a cigarette by the railing. One of his hands was in front of the lighter, and soon, a cloud of white smoke engulfed his face.

Wyatt’s indeed handsome. I see why he’s able to charm that many ladies now.

“I’m sorry,” Jessica said as she hugged Wyatt from behind. Yet, there was no sense of remorse in her eyes. “I shouldn’t have followed you back home. These wouldn’t have happened then.”

“It’s not your fault,” Wyatt replied. With a tone filled with mockery, he continued, “That’s the type of person he is. Self-centered assh*le. Everyone he considers unworthy is automatically viewed negatively by him”

“I’m the reason for the argument, though,” Jessica insisted.

Wyatt turned around to hug Jessica, keeping her in his coat. “The argument was bound to happen. Even if it weren’t for you, there would’ve been another catalyst to start it. Now, give me a smile.”

Jessica stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

Wyatt did not hesitate to place his hands behind Jessica’s head and kissed her with great technique. It was not long until Jessica was out of breath and had no choice but to lean toward Wyatt.

“Stop smoking. It’s bad for your lungs,” Jessica said as she pointed at the cigarette between Wyatt’s fingers, snatching it over in the process.

Wyatt pretended to be threatening. “How dare you snatch my things, huh?”

He took the opportunity to pull Jessica toward him again and kissed her hard. With a hand on her waist, he guided them to the bench. Despite the presence of others, Wyatt shamelessly drew Jessica and forced her to sit on his lap.

Jessica tried her best to break free from Wyatt’s grip but to no avail. Seeing the cheeky look on Wyatt’s face, Jessica knew he was not planning to let go anytime soon. Thus, she stopped struggling and simply allowed him to have his way.

The pair cuddled against each other while admiring the night view.

While stroking Wyatt’s hair, Jessica asked distractedly, “According to what you said earlier, you have siblings?”

Wyatt hummed in response as he laid his head on Jessica’s shoulder. “I was supposed to have younger siblings, but my dad used his relations and stole a big project from a company. That company’s CEO was enraged and found some people to kidnap my mom. She was expecting at that time when she was kidnapped and threatened. It was already too late when she was sent to the hospital. She suffered from a miscarriage and had some problems with her body. Since that incident, she lost her ability to get pregnant.”

“The business world is like a battlefield. Fights are inevitable,” Jessica noted. Sighing, she continued, “Still, they’ve crossed the line when they messed with someone else’s wife and children. It’s not fully your dad’s fault.”

Wyatt snorted. “He has committed too many sins. I’m worried you’ll get tainted by his wrongdoings by merely hearing them! Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if the karma from his sins is all happening to my mom.”

“Well, your dad is doing this so that you can live a better life. Don’t blame him.” Jessica pinched Wyatt’s ear as she said, “How could you, as a son, pick fights with your dad? Go back home tomorrow and apologize to him, all right?”

“No!” Wyatt protested.

“Wyatt Lopez, I dare you to repeat that!” Jessica raised her voice as she continued, “Are you going back or not?”

“Fine, I’ll go back,” Wyatt replied, burying his head in her chest, shamelessly taking advantage. “What bra are you wearing today? Why is it so hard?”

“You’re rubbing your head against my corset,” Jessica replied.

“That’s why I couldn’t feel the softness,” Wyatt complained. “Why are you wearing a corset out of the blue?”

“I like wearing corsets. Any problem with that?” Jessica spat, punching Wyatt repeatedly.

Wyatt cried out in pain, immediately stopping his complaints.

He then took the ring and presented it to Jessica once again. “Jessie, I’m not kidding. I can’t promise you anything, but I can guarantee that you’re the only person I want to spoil and adore when we’re together.

Jessica was slightly hesitant. However, her hesitance was soon drowned by her hatred.

“Okay,” she replied, holding her hand out.

The ring was placed on her long and slender ring finger. Under the light, the diamond glistened. Wyatt drew Jessica’s hand to him and kissed it several times before boldly kissing her again.

Wyatt’s voice was thick with lust as he suggested, “Let’s not go back tonight, okay?”

Hesitant, Jessica asked, “Is your place safe? I don’t want to get caught. It’s too embarrassing.”

“It’s safe, I promise. I’ve checked every nook and cranny thoroughly,” Wyatt replied. With that, he wasted no time as he ushered Jessica to his car, wanting to get back home and spend the night with her. But just as they got in his car, he received a call.

Wyatt’s expression soured after the call.

Pulling on his hair, he turned to Jessica. “Curtis is making a scene again. I have to head over to the club.”

“Go ahead. I can call a cab instead,” Jessica suggested.

“Not a chance,” Wyatt replied.

Wyatt then sent Jessica to her residential area. After hugging and kissing her, he said, “I wanted you to console me after that incident at my parent’s place, but now my hopes are shattered.”

“That’s enough. It’s time for you to leave,” Jessica said, pushing Wyatt away with reddened cheeks. “We can still do that the next time.”

 

Chapter 238 Pardon The Intrusion

Wyatt showered Jessica with several more kisses before leaving reluctantly.

The smile on her face gradually dissipated as she gazed after Wyatt, who was driving away from the residential area into the distance.

Jessica resolutely removed the diamond ring on her finger and discarded it inside her handbag before entering the condominium.

Rayna had not seen Curtis since that day due to several reasons. First, he’d not replied to her apologetic text message on WhatsApp.

Secondly, she’d been so inundated with work that the day of Curtis and Jasmine’s wedding had arrived before she’d known it.

News of the wedding between the Faymon and Sanders families was all over the media portals early in the morning. It was even the talk of the town in her office.

Rayna feigned ignorance and continued with her work.

She’d received a call from Jessica, who questioned why she’d balked from attending the wedding ceremony. In the end, Rayna hung up as she couldn’t come up with a satisfactory reply.

Surprisingly, Jessica immediately sought her out, as she would not take her evasion for an answer.

“Why aren’t you going? It’s not as if you owe Curtis anything!” Jessica determinedly pulled Rayna along to pick an evening gown from a luxurious boutique before heading to a salon to get her hair done.

Jessica began lecturing Rayna on the way to the wedding, “You’ll blind Curtis with your beauty by attending the ball! Imagine what Jasmine would think if you were absent!”

“What’s the point of all this? Besides, I wasn’t even invited as a guest,” Rayna uttered in exasperation.

“Come on. There’s no reason for him to deny us entry. It’s not as if we’re going to crash his wedding.” Jessica rolled her eyes. “Wyatt will have a way to admit us if worst comes to worst. He’s probably there already.”

Rayna pursed her lips.

Even though both parties claimed that it was a marriage of pretense, the announcement was so sensational that almost everyone in the country knew of it.

“Are you upset, Nana?” Jessica scooted close to Rayna and hooked her arm through Rayna’s. “Do you still have feelings for Mr. Faymon?”

“No way.”

“Your expression tells me otherwise.” Jessica was no fool. “However, Mr. Faymon has lied to you time and time again. I wouldn’t have forgiven him if I were in your stead.”

Rayna laughed. “If so, why do you insist on me attending the wedding?”

“This is another issue altogether. I worry that the reporters would fabricate stories about you feeling inferior to Jasmine if you weren’t present,” Jessica said heavily.

She enthusiastically showed her phone screen to Rayna. “Take a look. Here are a few potential guys that I’ve shortlisted. Two of them have their own companies. Why don’t we check them out after the wedding?”

“I don’t think that’d be necessary.”

“Nonsense! We’ll show Mr. Faymon what an exceptional woman you are who’s pursued by droves of men!”

Their conversation was interrupted when a car crashed into their taxi. The impact almost threw them off their seats.

The view outside their car window was dark, as if they were inside a tunnel.

Their taxi was blocked by cars from the front and back. Several burly men exited from the sedan before them and made their way over like they meant business.

Jessica was still cursing them for being so careless, whereas Rayna had already noticed more men trickling out from the car behind them. She swiftly hid the ring on her finger as she knew that this did not bode well.

One of them knocked on the window and ordered harshly once it was lowered, “Ms. Garland, come with us.”

He sounded like he would tear down the car if she declined.

Jessica panicked at how the situation escalated and held on tight to Rayna’s hand as she got out of the car. “Let me follow you. I’m afraid—”

“They’re only after me.” Rayna pried herself from her grip and gave her a look.

Jessica caught on and relinquished her.

Although the men appeared tough and fierce, Rayna observed that they were careful not to manhandle her and Jessica. She placed her hopes on the possibility that they would not commit murder and got in

their car.

Rayna was devising a plan for the men to reveal their intentions when she was smothered by a handkerchief containing ether. She barely had time to react and could feel her consciousness slipping further away.

She vaguely heard they were heading to the hospital before succumbing to oblivion.

Once the convoy of black sedans had departed, Jessica urged the taxi driver to their destination while calling Wyatt to inform him of their emergency.

Wyatt rushed to look for Curtis once he’d ended the call.

The wedding venue was a modest affair, the only guests being members of the Faymon and Sanders families. Not a single reporter was allowed within the premises. Curtis was impatient and requested the pastor to bring forward the wedding ceremony.

He checked the time on his watch intermittently while standing in front of the altar in his usual suit and bowtie. As the marriage ceremony was a fluke, he did not deem it necessary to dress the part of a bridegroom.

Jasmine arrived shortly with her arm in her father’s as they walked down the aisle.

Everyone was askance.

The couple didn’t seem concerned about their big day in the least, especially the plainly-dressed bride who was without a bouquet.

Jasmine’s father handed her over to Curtis and smiled genially. “Your marriage ceremony may be simple, but I entrust my daughter into your hands. Treat her well.”

Curtis merely nodded.

Jasmine’s father didn’t take offense and backed down from the altar.

The pastor cleared his throat solemnly and was about to officiate when Curtis interjected, “You may keep this short and simple by skipping straight to the blessings.”

The pastor was rendered speechless.

Why does Mr. Faymon seem so impatient on such a salient occasion?

The pastor kept his musings to himself as he did as he was told. He had just begun speaking when he was again interrupted by the opening of the door to the hall.

A voice rang loud and clear. “Pardon me for the intrusion!”

Wyatt dashed onto the altar and leaned into Curtis. “Rayna has been kidnapped.”

Curtis’ face fell.

The phone in his pocket was ringing so he picked it up. James was on the line. “That man intends to bring my sister to the hospital to extract her bone marrow for his son. My hands are tied currently. Hence, it’s up to you to save her.”

“I’ll be right there.”

He hung up and loosened his tie before turning to address Jasmine, “I’ve got business to deal with. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Go.”

Curtis and Wyatt departed the hall swiftly, leaving the confused guests wondering why the ceremony was left hanging now that the groom was gone.

“Jasmine, don’t tell me Mr. Faymon changed his mind about the marriage? He’s left before the ceremony’s even concluded.” Layla’s eyes revealed her glee when witnessing Jasmine’s misfortune.

Jasmine quirked her lips. “His work came up.”

“Even so, that’s no excuse to leave you at the altar. Our family and your father would lose face at such irresponsible behavior!” Layla mocked.

Mark’s expression darkened even further at Layla’s snide remark.

“Bring him back here at once. What is the meaning of this!” he declared.

Jasmine remained silent.

She was as eager to leave as Curtis as she’d just gotten ownership of Sanders Group’s shares a mere ten minutes ago when Mark signed the agreement.

Layla was spurred on by Jasmine’s reticence and ridiculed her in the presence of the members of the Sanders and Faymon family.

 

Chapter 239 Where Is The Ring

“That’s enough.”

The solemn male voice shocked everyone, including Layla, causing her to stop speaking.

Theodore emerged from the crowd dressed in a black suit with deep dark eyes. His oppressive aura was suffocating.

Then, he walked up to the stage and stood beside Jasmine.

In an indifferent tone, he said, “Something came up with Curtis. I’ll complete the rest in his stead.”

“This isn’t appropriate,” Layla interrupted. “Jasmine is supposed to get married to Mr. Faymon. No matter how close you are to Mr. Faymon, this isn’t something you can stand in for him.”

Theodore took a sidelong glance at her.

Knowing how influential the Xavier family was, Layla felt a chill running down her spine after Theodore glanced at her that way. Feeling awkward, she kept quiet as she pinched the back of Mark’s hand, signaling him to speak up.

Just as Mark was about to say something, Jasmine beat him to it and spoke softly. “Dad, there’s nothing we can do about it if Curtis is too busy. We have to carry on with the wedding ceremony.”

That’s right. We will be humiliated by the Faymon family if we halt the ceremony.

To that, Mark remained silent.

Theodore and Jasmine looked compatible as they stood side by side, facing the pastor. Meanwhile, the pastor looked at them and was at a loss.

The pastor hesitated for a moment before saying, “I was halfway through with my blessings. Should I continue or…”

“Just say whatever needs to be said,” Theodore replied nonchalantly.

The pastor wondered why Theodore was making such an outrageous request when he was only replacing the groom. Seeing Jasmine bobbing her head, he had no choice but to comply.

He asked, “Mr. Curtis Faymon—”

“Theodore Xavier.”

“Mr. Theodore Xavier, will you have this woman, Ms. Jasmine Sanders, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her, protect her, and forsake all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”

Pursing his lips, Theodore answered in a solemn voice, “I will.”

Then, the pastor repeated his question to Jasmine.

“I will.” Jasmine glanced at Theodore, who was beside her, as she smiled.

After closing the bible, the pastor said solemnly, “My dear, on behalf of the Lord, I send the most beautiful blessings to the newly married couple, wishing you peace, joy, and happiness.”

The pastor was a little dumbfounded when he saw the two remain unmoving after he finished speaking. “Where is the ring, Mr. Xavier?”

It didn’t make sense for Theodore to have a wedding ring since he was only a last-minute substitute.

“It’s with me.” Jeremy walked up to the stage and took out a small box from his pocket. When he handed it to Theodore, he said with a grin, “Theodore, how could you forget the ring?”

Theodore had no choice but to take the small box. When he opened it, he saw a pair of couple rings inside. The men’s ring was the one he had always worn until recently. Next to it was a female’s ring of the same material.

“It took me a lot of effort to find this material,” Jeremy whispered.

“You may proceed with the ring exchange,” the pastor said.

Theodore stayed still as he held onto the ring, even though Jasmine had already stretched out her hand. He hesitated for a moment as he looked at her slender finger before he put the wedding ring on her.

The corner of Jasmine’s lips curled up in delight as she took out the men’s ring from the box.

It was the ring that she had gifted Theodore three years ago. Back then, she pestered the designer every day and was almost blacklisted.

Three years had passed, yet he kept the ring she had gifted him.

Jasmine took Theodore’s hand to put the ring on him and saw the string of Anglandurn letters on the side of his finger.

She was surprised that the Anglandurn letters were still there.

After the ring exchange, the couple should kiss. However, since Theodore was only standing in for the groom, the ceremony was over after that part. It ended with the guests’ blessings and applause.

Theodore tugged at his tie and appeared annoyed.

He had never liked to be in the crowd. Just as he was about to leave when the wedding was over, he was pulled down the stage by Jasmine.

“Jasmine.” Mark stood up and took a glance at Theodore. Then, he sighed. “It seems like it was only yesterday when you were the little girl acting cute by my side. But today, you’re married and someone’s wife.”

“I’m grown up now. It was only a matter of time before I got married.” Jasmine grinned and spoke softly. “Dad, I can no longer live at home now that I’m married. You have to take good care of your health.”

With an insincere smile, Layla said, “I’ll take good care of your dad. As for you, Jasmine, you have to abide by the rules of the Faymon family. Remember to keep your temper in check.”

Jasmine nodded in response. “I’ll be sure to remember your words, Mrs. Sanders.”

“I’m your mom.” Layla couldn’t put up with it any longer.

It doesn’t matter if she usually does this, but how dare she disrespect me on a day like this?

“I have a mom.” Jasmine quirked her lips. “I’m sure you won’t like it if I call you my stepmother.”

“Jasmine!” Mark looked gloomy. “Don’t forget what day it is today.”

“How can I? It’s my wedding today,” Jasmine replied. She held tightly onto Mark’s hand and said genuinely, “Dad, I hope you live a long and healthy life.”

Mark looked at his daughter’s gentle smile and felt a chill run down his spine. Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com It was as though a wolf he had kept in captivity had finally bit through the cage and wanted to devour him.

Meanwhile, Rayna found herself tied to a hospital bed when she regained consciousness.

The ward was huge, with many medical instruments. Also, there were two doctors in white coats bustling around.

“What are you doing?” Rayna asked while trying to stay collected.

One of the doctors turned around and said, “Don’t worry, Ms. Garland. We won’t hurt you and only need to extract some of your bone marrow.”

Rayna immediately understood the situation upon hearing that.

It must be Elijah’s idea to kidnap her and extract her bone marrow forcibly for Harry.

What a terrible man. How can he think of doing this?

“I know you’re doing this for the money. I will pay you three times the amount he offered,” Rayna said. “But I’ll sue you if you extract my bone marrow without permission.”

The two doctors were taken aback. Soon, one of them said, “Ms. Garland, we will only take a bit of your bone marrow. It wouldn’t harm you. We have no other choice.”

“I can donate it to anyone but those two!” Rayna gritted her teeth with hatred and swore she wouldn’t forgive the man who abandoned her mother and her.

“Ms. Garland, we can only pull some tricks since you won’t cooperate with us,” one of the doctors said. Then, he shot the other doctor a look.

In response, the other doctor turned around to take something.

Rayna struggled to free herself from the hospital bed. “You better not try anything funny. I know which hospital you two are from. I’ll sue you if you dare to do anything to me!”

Doctor B came over with a syringe in his hand.

“Let go! Let go of me!”

Rayna yelled and struggled, but to no avail. Then, Doctor A pinned her hands firmly against the bed.

Just as the syringe in Doctor B’s hand got near Rayna’s arm, the door was slammed open.

“Get your hands off her!” Curtis stormed into the ward, exuding an aura of hostility. Seeing Doctor B holding a syringe in his hand, Curtis brutely grabbed his collar and tossed him aside.

Doctor B hit the bed and fell to the ground as he groaned in pain.

Witnessing the scene, Doctor A was so frightened that his legs gave out.

Without further delay, Curtis loosened the restraints on Rayna’s limbs. He felt distressed when he saw her reddened wrists. Wanting to vent his anger, he swung a kick at Doctor A.

Chapter 240 I Fell In Love With You

Curtis said icily, “How dare you do this? Do you want to end up in jail?”

“Mr. Faymon, we had no choice!” Doctor A pleaded. “The person had dirt on us and threatened us to help him. Otherwise, he’ll force us to leave the hospital.”

Doctor B crawled over and begged, “Mr. Faymon, please forgive us! If we had known she was your friend, we wouldn’t have dared harm her.”

Curtis sneered, “Are you saying you would do this to someone else without qualms?”

“That’s not what we meant.”

“Wyatt!” Curtis refused to waste time with them and summoned Wyatt, who was guarding the door outside. “Bring them to the police station so they can get punished for their deeds.”

Wyatt responded cheerfully, “Sure, I’ll do that right now!”

The doctors wanted to plead for forgiveness but were kicked out by Wyatt.

Curtis shrugged out of his suit jacket and placed it over Rayna’s shoulders. Anxiously, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m all right.” Rayna nodded. She recalled what happened previously and apologized, “About last time, I didn’t do it on purpose. I couldn’t tell you about the child, so—”

Curtis leaned in, and his mouth covered hers in a dizzying kiss.

A while later, he let her go and rubbed her soft lips with his finger. “I know,” he rasped.

“If you knew, then why didn’t you reply to my WhatsApp message?” Rayna huffed. She hadn’t been able to eat or sleep well as he hadn’t replied to her text. “You must’ve done it on purpose!”

“I often eat together with Mr. Chambers. According to him, you’re pretty busy, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Rayna scoffed, “Thank you then!”

Curtis leaned over and stared at her in all seriousness, his dark eyes as intense as ever. ”Ms. Garland, I am in love with you. Let’s try dating each other.”

His words caught Rayna off guard. She gazed at his face in shock, not knowing how to respond.

What did he say? Am I hearing things? I must be hearing things!

Curtis continued, “To be honest, I was annoyed whenever I saw you before. You weren’t anything special, but why were you so attractive and appealing? Later, I discovered that you’re smart, pretty, and hold fast to your principles. Slowly, I fell in love with you. I can stand eating the various pork dishes you cook and allow you to mess up my car. And as you had run out of the wedding, I can put up with long- haired pets even though I despise them.”

After his speech, he realized Rayna still had the same expression and pinched her cheek. “Rayna, do you know what I’m talking about?”

Rayna stammered, “Y-You said so much. I’m not used to it.”

Curtis chuckled lowly. “To conclude, I am in love with you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

“I am in love with you.” I’ve been waiting for him to say that for a long time. In fact, I even had the urge to confess my feelings for him first. However, I got too nervous every time and gave up.

Rayna had to admit that her heart was doing clumsy flips and flops. She wanted to say yes, but…

“I’m sorry,” Rayna answered in a low voice. She still couldn’t get over what he had done previously. “I have a lot of work, so we should talk about that later. Mr. Faymon, you’re an outstanding man—”

“Okay,” Curtis cut in. “We shall talk when you’re free.”

Rayna bobbed her head.

Curtis was still worried, so he summoned the doctor to examine Rayna and only brought her out after confirming she was fine. He also told her about the phone call from James earlier.

Rayna was confused. Doesn’t James hate Curtis? Why did he call Curtis when there were so many others he could have contacted?

Downstairs, they bumped into a few nurses who were wheeling a patient into the hospital hastily.

Rayna glanced at the gurney and saw a teenager who seemed to be in pain. His entire body was stained with blood.

The familiar face caused her to freeze in her tracks.

I-Isn’t this…

“Isabelle Griffith!” Elijah rushed over and raised his hand to give Rayna a slap.

Curtis blocked his hand and gave him a menacing look. “Sir, if you have something to say, say it. I won’t allow you to harm her physically!”

Elijah was upset at being intimidated by a man younger than him. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to put his hand down.

He roared, “I didn’t keep an eye on Harry, so he ran out. All he wanted was to see the celebrity he adored. How could that b*stard James beat him to a pulp?”

“My brother wouldn’t beat someone up for no reason. It must be Harry who provoked him first.” Rayna knew James well. “Mr. Elijah, I’d like to know why you hired someone to kidnap me.”

Elijah showed no signs of remorse and harrumphed. “You’re my daughter, so can’t I get someone to bring you to the hospital? I only want to extract your bone marrow. It’s a harmless procedure.”

Rayna snorted icily. “I can’t believe you’re this shameless. Elijah, you’re reaping what you sow. Karma is coming at your son instead!”

“Hey!”

“Just you wait. You’ll receive a summons to appear in court soon.” Rayna met his gaze and stated calmly, “I will make sure you get punished, no matter what.”

Ignoring his foul expression, Rayna spun on her heels and strode away.

Rayna wanted to hail a taxi to head back to her condominium, but Curtis had driven his car here. She had no choice but to get into his car. To ease the tension in the air, she called her friend, who was a lawyer.

“Yes, I’d like to sue him. He hired someone to kidnap me. Find a way to lock him up in jail for a few months.”

As Curtis drove, he listened to her phone conversation silently.

He wasn’t going to interfere in this matter, as she was capable enough of dealing with the problem herself. In fact, he couldn’t help but feel proud of her.

Even if they didn’t end up together, Rayna would be able to do well in life and would no longer be bullied.

As Curtis thought back to when he first met Rayna, he couldn’t help but laugh. His sudden laughter caught Rayna’s attention, and she looked at him suspiciously.

After ending the call, Rayna asked, “Were you laughing at me?”

“No.” Curtis might have been driving, but he only had eyes for her. “I was just thinking about how you used to live in a cocoon in the translation department. Now, you’re a strong, independent woman.”

Rayna huffed in displeasure. “I wasn’t living in a cocoon! I did a great job when I was a translator at Faymon Group’s translation department!”

“You did too!”

Rayna felt a flash of irritation and wanted to hit him, but he was driving. She was about to show him the middle finger, but before she could do that, he covered her hand with his warm one.

“Don’t do that rude gesture,” Curtis told her.

“Let me go.” Rayna tried to pull her hand back as her cheeks turned pink. “I won’t do it.”

Instead of letting her go, Curtis tightened his grip and drove with his other hand. “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Or should we buy some groceries so you can cook for me back at home?”

Rayna was baffled. “If I’m hungry, I can eat by myself. Why would I need to cook for you?”

“I can wash the vegetables for you,” Curtis offered. After a pause, he added, “I can wash the dishes after we eat too.”

“Who taught you to say that?” Rayna demanded. She knew Curtis well enough to realize that he wouldn’t think of saying those words if someone else hadn’t taught him. “Was it Mr. Tylinski?”