Ch. 301..310
Chapter 301
Chapter 301 Make Them Pay
That said, Ringo was still perplexed.
He studied the information and discovered that it was Sandy who told Kenneth her old name. How could someone who had lost her memory remember her name? No matter how he thought about it, it was contradictory.
Jefferson quickly used a pen to sign the electronic contract.
Ringo watched in silence and felt bitter.
He had watched Jefferson grow up and knew how much he had been through. In order to inherit the Terblanc family, Jefferson had worked extremely hard, but now he had to hand it over to someone else.
Putting away the tablet, Ringo asked, “Sir, do you want me to go to Kenneth’s house and take a look?”
“No, just have someone send over an expensive gift.” With that said, Jefferson turned to look at Ringo sternly. “I’ll personally check to see if she is my mother. Don’t mention it to my father.”
“Yes, Sir.” In the end, Ringo reluctantly agreed.
A woman who was supposed to die in a fire reappeared twenty-plus years later with a new face, and Cyrus was now using her to make a trade with Jefferson for the Terblanc family.
Regardless of how Ringo looked at it, the deal was not worthwhile.
Initially, he intended to inform Boniel, who was in Yartran, that his wife was still alive without telling Jefferson. If Boniel was aware of it, Jefferson would remain the Terblanc family’s legal heir.
Moments later, Jefferson finished writing a letter, sealed it, and gave it to Ringo with one of his tie clips. “Return to Yartran and give Father Vernal this letter. He knows what to do.”
In an instant, Ringo’s expression changed slightly. “Sir, have you forgotten how demanding he was the last time you asked him for assistance? Why do you feel the need to seek his help once more? What difficulties do you face?”
“My brother wants to kill Belle.” Jefferson lowered his head and spoke in an icy tone. “I’ve tolerated him far too many times. This time, he has stepped over the line. I’m going to make him pay!”
No one can ever hurt someone so precious to me!
“Even so, there’s no need to ask Father Vernal for help. He’s too ambitious. You don’t have to put yourself on the line just to exact revenge on Mr. Cyrus,” said Ringo.
Hearing that, Jefferson struck the glass coffee table with his fist.
Consequently, the glass coffee table broke into pieces and scattered across the floor.
A murderous aura exuded from Jefferson as he uttered “Ringo, you’ve been talking too much lately.”
“Understood,” Ringo responded after a long pause, clutching the letter in his hand. “I’ll depart in a while.”
When Jessica came back, Rayna noticed that she appeared unwell and inquired as to whether Wyatt had suffered a serious injury. In response, Jessica said that she was just worn out and that Wyatt seemed fine following the operation.
Rayna decided to stay with Jessica in the room.
The latter was curled up on the couch with a steaming cup of coffee. However, her eyes were not quite as full of life as usual.
After a long time, Jessica muttered, “Nana.”
“What’s the matter?” Rayna moved to take a seat next to Jessica. Noticing Jessica’s pale complexion, Rayna suggested, “If you don’t feel well, go and sleep for a while. The mall incident really frightened everyone.”
However, Jessica shook her head and rested it on Rayna’s shoulder. “When a man’s family has hurt you, and despite your desire to exact revenge, your heart eventually softens, what does it represent?”
“Wyatt’s parents don’t like you?” Rayna queried.
“I think they like me…” answered Jessica vaguely. “It’s just a what-if question. What do you think it means if this were to happen to you?”
After giving it some thought, Rayna replied, “It probably means you’ve fallen in love with that man. That is why you no longer desire vengeance.”
“Is that so? I hate this kind of love,” mumbled Jessica. Every time she closed her eyes, she would remember Wyatt taking the bullet for her. She hated the feeling very much.
“Why do you hate it? Does he not like you?”
Since Jessica did not know how to answer, she simply remained silent as she rested her head on Rayna’s shoulder.
Seeing that, Rayna did not probe further.
After more than an hour, there was a knock on the door. Curtis had arrived.
The moment he saw Rayna’s exhausted expression when she opened the door, he caressed her cheek and uttered with a hint of distress, “Wyatt is fine. Theodore is looking after him in the hospital. You girls should rest.”
“I can’t fall asleep.” Perceiving his grim expression, Rayna inquired, “Why did you come here? Did something happen?”
“I have to leave for a while and might not come back until tomorrow afternoon. I came over to tell you about it because I’m afraid you’ll be worried,” Curtis replied.
Rayna immediately guessed what he was up to. “You want to look into the incident at the mall?”
“Yes.”
“Leave it to the local police.” She was unaware of the hundred million dollar bounty on her and expressed concern, saying, “I’m afraid you’ll get hurt like Wyatt.”
A smile flitted across Curtis’ face as he remarked, “I’m not that weak. My best friend was injured by those robbers, and my wife was also nearly hurt. I’m not going to let them go easily.”
He had made up his mind to take the matter into his own hands.
“Please be careful.” Rayna gave up trying to persuade him. She then rubbed her face affectionately against his palm. “Please come back tomorrow afternoon safely. If there’s anything, I’ll send you a message.”
After giving her a loving glance, Curtis promised, “Okay. You have my word.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
As Curtis made his way down to the first floor, he happened to meet Gabriel, who had just returned from Norham. The long journey appeared to have worn him out, and the wind had messed up his hair.
“Mr. Faymon.” Gabriel walked up to Curtis to greet him. While still feeling a little scared, he commented, “Wildjet is awesome. It only took a few hours to travel such a long distance. When I was on it, I was utterly terrified.”
“Where’s James?”
“James said he would leave everything to you and went back when he found out Ms. Garland was fine. Ms. Kristie is filming in Turlen, and he’s worried about her being bullied,” Gabriel replied.
Immediately, Curtis gave him a disapproving look and asked, “Why are you referring to James by his name?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
“He’s my brother-in-law.” Curtis straightened Gabriel’s tie and said solemnly, “You should be referring to him as Mr. Griffith, and regarding the ‘Ms. Garland’ title—”
Before Curtis finished his sentence, Gabriel felt a shiver run down his spine. He quickly apologized, saying, “I’m sorry. I said it incorrectly. I shall address her as Mrs. Faymon. By the way, how is Mrs. Faymon doing?”
He immediately changed the subject after reading the atmosphere.
Only then did Curtis’ expression soften a little. “She’s all right. Where are the people you hired?”
“They’re on their way from Norwal City and will be here in half an hour.” Gabriel took a quick look at his watch and reported, “I’ve already made the necessary arrangements. When they get here, they’ll know
what to do.”
“Where’s the address I want?”
“Here!” Gabriel handed over the document and piped up excitedly, “Mr. Faymon, I have never seen such a spectacle before. Please let me accompany you so I can support you.”
Sneering, Curtis stated, “You’re just going to hold me back.”
“I won’t!” In an effort to appear tough, Gabriel patted his chest and declared, “Please don’t underestimate me, Mr. Faymon. I’ve been practicing combat arts for two years! These people must have a death wish. How dare they try to harm Mrs. Faymon and scare her? I have to make them learn their lesson!”
“Shut up.” Curtis felt Gabriel was being too noisy and walked out while reading the document. “Go get a taxi.”
“Okay!” Gabriel quickly walked away.
After hailing a taxi, he opened the car door for Curtis and only entered the taxi after Curtis had seated himself. Just as he sat down, he heard Curtis ask, “Are you sure Jefferson’s brother’s Chanaean name is Arnaud Montail?”
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Chapter 302
Chapter 302 A Bold Idea
“That’s right. He has a company in Norwal City,” Gabriel reported. “He also bought over two tech companies, Pixel Corporation and Tidal Wave Technologies, as an investor one month ago.”
Curtis narrowed his eyes. “No wonder he looks familiar. Who would have thought he had already infiltrated Norwal City? He was also on the list of bidders for the high-speed rail station in the eastern district.”
“The tender event…” Gabriel pondered for a moment and asked, “So he must have had his eyes on Mrs. Faymon for some time now, right? By the way, Mr. Faymon, I’m not sure if this is worth mentioning, but there’s something else going on.”
“Go on.”
Gabriel continued, “It was when Stephanie’s plan to hurt Mrs. Faymon backfired, and she ended up in the hospital instead. I visited the hospital to collect some documents at that time and ran into Dorothy. She was visiting Stephanie and stayed for more than half an hour in her ward.”
“There’s only one reason for her to visit Stephanie when she doesn’t know who the latter is.” The atmosphere tensed up as Curtis spoke. “Arnaud. He must have instructed Dorothy to relay instructions to Stephanie for him.”
Gabriel scooted to the side as he couldn’t stand the tense atmosphere.
Curtis lowered his head and stared at the man’s photograph. “Rayna told me before that Jefferson might be the type to do anything to achieve his goals, but he would never secretly take photos of others. It makes sense now that I think about it. Something is amiss.”
“Secretly taking photos of others?” Gabriel craned his neck to take a closer look at Curtis. “Mr. Faymon, did someone take pictures of you without you knowing?”
Curtis shot daggers at him.
Gabriel shuddered in fear. “Arnaud must have instructed Stephanie to do it and placed the blame on Jefferson. How wicked of him!” he exclaimed angrily.
Curtis kept quiet in response to his outburst.
The taxi rolled to a stop at Gerton’s second district half an hour later.
Gerton was one of the three most prosperous cities in the world. The eight districts were connected to the main street. Hence, there was always hustle and bustle no matter the time of day. It was a city that never sleeps.
Gabriel alighted the car, walked over to the other side, and pulled the door open for Curtis. They then entered the building together.
Right after they entered the elevator, Gabriel reached for the fourth-floor button and opened his mouth to speak.
Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com “I heard that the premium clubs in Gerton only accept high-achievers to chat with their clients as they’re more knowledgeable. I also heard that government officials visit the place occasionally to have a heart-to-heart with the young ladies. Mr. Faymon, I have a bold idea. Do you want to hear about it?”
Curtis shoved one of his hands into his pocket and shot him a sidelong glance. “I have an idea too. Do you want to hear about it?”
“What is it?” Gabriel asked without missing a beat.
“I think you’re a good fit for public relations since you’re handsome and a good talker,” Curtis sneered. “Why don’t you stick around here to collect intel on my behalf?”
“No, no. I’m not a good fit.” Gabriel straightened his back and shut his mouth. “My area of expertise is to assist you with your work. I’m not fit to collect intel.”
“Then you better shut your mouth.”
“Yes, sir.”
The elevator soon arrived on the fourth floor.
It led straight to the entrance of Momo Club. The exterior of the club was decorated exquisitely. An elegant, petite young lady dressed in expensive traditional clothes stood at the right side of the door.
“Good evening, sirs.” The young lady bowed and greeted in Anglandurn.
Her heart skipped a beat when she raised her head and saw Curtis. His striking looks and calm demeanor turned heads wherever he went.
She soon led them into the club.
Gabriel touched his face and said enviously, “I’m six feet tall and good-looking. Why won’t she even spare me a glance? Is she looking down on me?”
This is too much!
Curtis scanned his surroundings the moment he stepped into the club.
He paused in his footsteps and asked the young lady in Anglandurn, “Is Mr. Yamazaki here?”
The young lady was stunned as she paused in her tracks. “Are you Mr. Yamazaki’s guests?”
Curtis hummed in acknowledgement.
“What’s your last name? I’ll go check.” Yamazaki was the club’s VIP. Hence, she had to ensure they were indeed his guests before bringing them over.
“Gabriel.” Curtis gave his assistant a look.
Gabriel immediately stepped up and handed a name card to the young lady. “This is Mr. Faymon’s name card. You may show this to Mr. Yamazaki and tell him we are here for the Aoba Project.”
The young lady took the name card, glanced at it, and seated them at the nearest booth.
“Please wait here.”
They were left alone by the other bargirls while waiting for the young lady to return. It was an unspoken rule at the club for the bargirls to not approach customers that belonged to someone else. Only the server came once to serve them brandy and some fruits.
Gabriel moved the two glasses of brandy further away and handed Curtis mineral water instead.
He had heard that Mr. Yamazaki was a big shot in Gerton and had maintained a close relationship with the government officials. Hence, he was worried that the two of them would have to go up against Mr. Yamazaki’s men in a while.
What if it’s two against ten? I’ll have to rely on Mr. Faymon since I’m not a good fighter. I must make sure Mr. Faymon doesn’t even take a sip of alcohol tonight in case he gets drunk. Otherwise, we’ll be done for.
Curtis took a sip of the mineral water. “Don’t worry. I won’t be drinking tonight. This place is full of women.” He had guessed what was running through Gabriel’s mind.
Realization immediately dawned on Gabriel. “Mr. Faymon, are you worried that you might do something that will get you kicked out of the house by Mrs. Faymon?” he teased.
“Can you shut up?”
Feeling intimidated, Gabriel scooted over to maintain his distance.
After about three minutes, the young lady returned.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Please follow me.”
Curtis and Gabriel followed the young lady up the spiral stairs to the second floor. The furnishings on the second floor were even more lavish than the first floor. There were even a few private rooms lining the corridor.
The young lady opened the door on her right and bowed. “You may enter.”
She shut the door behind them once they entered the room.
The room was huge and had an Epea-centric interior. There was a billiard table beside the reception area. Several people were chatting there while a few others were playing billiards.
Gabriel’s knees shook when he saw the frightening tattoos on their arms.
There were fewer people than he had imagined. However, he felt intimidated by their muscles and tattoos as he was sure they would be able to send him flying with a punch.
Curtis pointed his chin at one of the men and spoke in a low voice. “Go check it out.”
“Okay.”
Gabriel went up to one of the men who looked like a bodyguard and spoke to him in Jetroinian. A moment later, he returned and reported, “The white-haired guy with tattoos on his arm playing billiards is Mr. Yamazaki.”
Curtis glanced at the billiards table and made his way over.
I’ve wasted too much time here. He cut to the chase as he approached the white-haired man. “Mr. Yamazaki, do you speak Anglandurn?” he asked in Anglandurn.
Yamazaki straightened his back and leveled his sharp gaze on Curtis.
His face was free from wrinkles even though he had a head of white hair. He appeared to only be about forty years old and had a condescending aura.
However, he was no match for Curtis.
Curtis looked at him indifferently and maintained his calm demeanor.
This made Yamazaki, who was used to having people at his beck and call, unhappy. He stood there with a hand on his cue. “I’ve never seen you before. How did you learn about Aoba Project?”
Chapter 303
Chapter 303 Arrogance
Curtis smiled faintly. “It’s not exactly a secret, so there are plenty of ways to find out. We’ll talk about that later. I’m here today to ask you about something else.”
Gabriel immediately took out a document.
Curtis took it from Gabriel and handed it to Yamazaki with a cold look in his eyes. “Do you know your lackeys are murdering for money?”
Yamazaki denied it instantly, “That’s impossible! My men are obedient and will never break the rules! As for you, you’re younger than me, yet you’ve been nothing but rude since you got here.”
“Mr. Yamazaki, this is me being nice. Why don’t you take a look at the document first?” It was true. If it were anyone else, Curtis wouldn’t be so polite after waiting for so long.
Yamazaki was unhappy with the way Curtis was behaving. Why is he acting as if he owns the place?
Despite that, Yamazaki passed the cue stick to his subordinate and started flipping through the document. A few seconds later, his expression darkened out of anger.
Curtis looked at him and said coldly, “Mr. Yamazaki, your men planned a robbery and accepted a hundred million to kill my wife. I heard you’ve stopped doing such nasty business, and you’re only managing several clubhouses and race courses now. So what’s with your lackeys? Please give me a good explanation.”
“Find out what’s going on!” Yamazaki yelled at the subordinate next to him.
“There’s no need for that. We’ve already looked into it,” Gabriel said in fluent Jetroinian as he stepped forward. Then, he continued, “This is the list of men involved in the theft. There were eight people in
total, but seven died. As for the last person, he ran away with a bag full of jewelry. After some investigation, he returned to Momo Club at one o’clock in the morning.”
Yamazaki didn’t expect Gabriel to have found everything out in such a short time.
It’s as if they are here to arrest someone.
After he glanced at the name list, his face darkened even more. He then whispered to one of his bodyguards.
Right after that, the bodyguard walked out of the room.
Meanwhile, two other bodyguards helped to clear the reception area, and Yamazaki invited Curtis to take a seat there. One of the subordinates even poured a glass of brandy for Curtis and Gabriel.
Yamazaki rested an arm on the couch. “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with this and give you a good explanation.”
There was a hint of arrogance in his voice.
Curtis didn’t mind it, nor did he drink the brandy.
I’m trying to be nice by coming here in person. If Mr. Yamazaki isn’t grateful, then so be it. I’m not someone with a good temper, anyway.
A little more than ten minutes later, the bodyguard who walked out earlier brought a young man in a floral shirt with a tattooed arm into the room. The latter’s face was slightly bruised.
The next moment, the bodyguard threw the young man at Yamazaki’s feet.
Yamazaki was fuming with anger at that time. When the young man saw Yamazaki’s face, he cowered slightly. “Y-Yama—”
“Don’t call me that! You’re unworthy to say that name! How dare you kill for money?” Yamazaki yelled and kicked the young man to the carpet.
Gabriel translated the Jetroinian conversation to Curtis as fast as he could.
Immediately, the young man got up from the ground and kneeled in front of Yamazaki. “Yama, I-I didn’t have a choice. I’ve got hundreds of millions of debts at the race course—”
The one hundred million in Anglandurn currency had just been too tempting.
At that moment, he saw Curtis and Gabriel sitting on the couch. Hmm? Who are they? One has a dignified aura, and the other with glasses seems to be some sort of assistant.
He got a little curious and asked, “Yama, who are they?”
“They’re here to demand an explanation! The person you were asked to kill is his wife!” Yamazaki snapped coldly.
Hmph! We’re in Jetroina, and I have Yama to back me up. The young man’s face twitched slightly when he said, “It’s fine as long as I apologize, right? I admit I wasn’t thinking then.”
After that, he muttered unhappily, “Besides, isn’t his wife alive and well? On the contrary, my seven comrades had died! At worst, I’ll give him half of the hundred million. I’m really unlucky!”
Yamazaki’s face changed instantly, and he cursed the young man in his heart when he heard what the latter said. Before he could say anything, Gabriel had already translated everything to Curtis.
Curtis’ gaze turned icy as he got up from the couch and walked over before crouching in front of the young man. His terrifying aura caused the young man to gulp involuntarily.
Curtis looked at the young man’s hands and said in a plain tone, “Gabriel, ask him.”
“Okay, Mr. Faymon,” Gabriel replied as he understood what Curtis meant. The next moment, he walked over and asked the young man politely, “Mr. Faymon wishes to know which hand you used to fire the gun yesterday.”
“I-I didn’t do it. I-It was someone else who fired the gun. I-I was k-keeping the diamonds—”
Gabriel asked gently, “Mister, if you cooperate, you won’t suffer as much. Why don’t you think harder? Which hand did you use to hold the gun?”
The young man was trembling out of fear because of Curtis. He wanted to get Yamazaki’s help, but Curtis grabbed his hair and forced him to look at himself.
The look in Curtis’ eyes was akin to a demon’s. Taking in that expression, the man trembled and stuttered even more.
“I-It was my l-left hand—”
“Oh, so you’re a leftie.” Gabriel nodded and turned to whisper in Curtis’ ear.
Curtis smirked and abruptly pressed the young man’s left hand on the carpet. In the next instant, he took the fruit knife from the coffee table and stabbed the back of the man’s hand.
The man cried out in agony as blood flowed out from the wound.
Yamazaki was stunned when he saw that. He never imagined anyone would dare to do anything like that in his territory, especially to his men. The next second, he leaped from the couch in anger.
“What is the meaning of this, Mr. Faymon? I’ll deal with my men myself if they did anything wrong! You didn’t have to do that!” Yamazaki thundered with a grim expression.
With a glance, the seven to eight bodyguards at the side surrounded Curtis and Gabriel.
Gabriel moved into a defensive stance. “Don’t worry about me, Mr. Faymon. I’ll be okay! I’ve learned combat arts for two years, so I can fight two people at once.”
Curtis’ face darkened. “Who the f*ck asked you to fight?”
“We’re not? But they’re coming up at us,” Gabriel mumbled as he scratched his head.
Curtis pulled the chatty Gabriel away and confronted Yamazaki with a cold gaze. “Mr. Yamazaki, I’m just teaching your lackey some manners.”
Yamazaki snapped angrily, “Young man, you’re too arrogant! You’re not respecting me at all!”
“It depends. I’ll respect you if you’re being reasonable. If you’re being biased, there’s no need for me to be nice to you anymore,” Curtis said indifferently.
“You—”
Curtis threw a document toward Yamazaki and said in a dark tone. “I want both his hands broken. Your men will send him to prison, where he will be sentenced to life imprisonment. If you don’t have time for that, my men will be more than happy to help.”
When Yamazaki heard that, he trembled from the extent of his fury.
As someone influential on both sides of the law, everyone respected him and didn’t dare to offend him even after he stopped involving himself in the underworld. How dare this young man disrespect me and attack my man?
Chapter 304
Chapter 304 Money Makes The World Go Round
Yamazaki stared at the calm and collected Curtis. “Aren’t you scared that you won’t be able to leave Jetroina?”
Curtis smiled. “I’ve never been afraid of anything, Mr. Yamazaki. Feel free to try me. However, I’d have to remind you to think this through properly. Do you want your life, or do you want your men? Have you heard about how money makes the world go round? Coincidentally, what I have most is money, and I’ll use that to sponsor the Jetroinian police to rid this country of evil forces. I’m certain they’d be delighted.”
Yamazaki continued to stare at Curtis coldly, but the look in his eyes had changed.
He had become warier.
The younger man had dared to speak such bold words to him, so it was clear that he was not just fooling around.
Right then, Yamazaki thought about how he had thrown the name card that the young woman gave to him earlier after one quick glance. He had asked them to come in because he wanted to know how they found out about Aoba Project.
The trash can was right by Yamazaki’s side, and he quickly spotted the gold foil-stamped card on top of the pile of trash.
When Yamazaki lowered his head and squinted at the card, he was shocked to see the name on it.
Chairman of Faymon Group—Curtis Faymon.
Beads of cold sweat immediately formed all over Yamazaki’s body, and he began looking at Curtis with even more fear in his eyes.
Not only was Faymon Group a prominent name in places like Norham and Pillere, but it was also well- known in Jetroina. Jetroina had two major independent businesses, and Faymon Group was the controlling stockholder.
Those two businesses were involved in various aspects of the Jetroinians’ lives, and the citizens were highly reliant on their products and services. If Faymon Group were to suddenly shut down those two businesses, the lives of the Jetroinians would certainly be in a mess, and the government would be suffering massive losses as well.
The few clubs that Yamazaki had could never compare to Faymon Group.
“My utmost apologies, Mr. Faymon.” Yamazaki bowed at Curtis and apologized sincerely. “My men have deeply troubled you and your wife. This is my fault.”
When the young man saw the sudden change in Yamazaki’s attitude, he was astounded. For a moment, he forgot about his pain. “Yama, what are you—”
“Shut up!” Yamazaki slapped him. Daily new chapters upload Only On Alaniniz(dot)com The force of the hit was brutal, for the corner of the young man’s lips started bleeding. The man started shaking like a leaf.
“Have you forgotten about my rules? How dare you go behind my back to accept money and try to murder someone? You even ended up killing seven of our men! Why don’t you shoot yourself in the heart and follow in their footsteps, huh?”
After cursing at him, Yamazaki kicked him and snapped, “Apologize to Mr. Faymon!”
The man’s hand was injured earlier, and it ached terribly. With the extra kick and slap from Yamazaki, he was frightened out of his wits. Hence, he shuffled over to Curtis to apologize to him.
However, Curtis did not want that. He took a step back and stuck one of his hands into his pocket, his gaze as icy as a glacier.
“Gabriel, the questions.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gabriel walked over to the young man and spoke in fluent Jetroinian. “Please truthfully tell us when your client came to you and how they paid you.”
“I-It was six days ago.” The tattooed young man then chanced a glance at Curtis. Perhaps having figured out that Curtis was not someone he could cross and that Yamazaki was no longer going to protect him, he spilled everything.
Gabriel listened and made notes.
Ten minutes later, he figured out what had happened and said to Curtis, “I’ve checked the bank and can confirm that Cyrus is behind this. His men are meticulous. The guy used Instagram for the contact, and he deleted his account right after the conversation. Moreover, the account was not made with his name, so we can’t get any leads from that. But the other party revealed something during the transaction. Thirty million came out from an account named ‘Suna o Kaku’ and went into this guy’s account.”
Curtis furrowed his brows. “Suna, what?”
“Oh, I meant ‘sandpainting.” Gabriel rubbed his nose. “I forgot to translate that. That’s Dorothy’s other identity. She’s been doing many things for Cyrus from the shadows.”
“Have you done all the necessary investigations?”
Gabriel inclined his head. “Everything I can find has been found, including Cyrus’ overseas company and the names of the politicians and celebrities he often comes in contact with.”
Curtis hummed in acknowledgment.
Since all these things have been looked into, it’s time for certain matters to come to an end.
Curtis then turned to Yamazaki in silence, the look in his eyes an indifferent one. However, Yamazaki understood what he meant. His face twitched for a second before he summoned a bodyguard over to him.
Gabriel moved closer to Curtis and said, “Mr. Faymon, it’ll be a bloody scene. It’s best if you don’t look at it, so please wait at the side.”
“I’ll leave this to you, then.”
It was not as if Curtis wanted to see it, anyway. Hence, he walked to the pool table and grabbed a cue stick. Right as he powdered the cue stick and aimed at the ball, a pained groan traveled into his ears.
As if he heard nothing, he jabbed the cue stick forward, causing the white ball to hit the third and the fifth ball.
The red and the blue ball went separate ways and rolled into the pockets at the side.
Jefferson’s brother, Cyrus—also known as Arnaud—was not someone Curtis was going to let off the hook, but he was going to make the ones who tried to kill Rayna pay as well.
If they had not been greedy for money, these things would not have happened.
Shortly after, Yamazaki came over. Ever since he found out who Curtis was, he no longer dared to act haughtily around him. “I’ll be sending him to the station later, and I’ll make sure he’ll never be released from jail. Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Faymon?”
“I want to talk to you about Aoba Project,” Curtis nonchalantly said as he gently pushed the cue stick. Another two balls rolled into the pockets.
Yamazaki peeked at the only ball left on the table—the white ball—and became more and more sure that Curtis was not someone he could afford to cross.
Even in billiards, the man was swift and observant. There was no way that he would be any less efficient in other matters, and that revelation was terrifying to Yamazaki.
With that thought in mind, Yamazaki spoke in a softer tone with a hint of reverence, “It’s just a small communications project. Mr. Faymon, if you like it, I’ll hand it over to you.”
“I’m interested in it, but I don’t wish to work on it,” Curtis said. “I heard that the chief of Aoba Project, Tezuka, used to work at IK Company. Later on, he quit the company and brought ten people to join in on this project.”
Yamazaki tentatively asked, “You mean…”
Right then, Gabriel appeared and passed Curtis a document. “Mr. Faymon, the contract.”
Handing the contract to Yamazaki, Curtis stated, “Faymon Group is taking over Aoba Project, but we’re going to let your people work on it. We’ll provide financial support until the project is completed.”
“That simple?” Yamazaki stiffened. He could not figure out what Curtis was trying to do.
If it’s simply for profits, then it will be far more efficient for Faymon Group’s elite workers to be in charge of Aoba Project instead. Why does he still want to use my men, and why is he allowing an unlimited
budget?
Curtis could read Yamazaki’s mind from studying the expressions on his face, so he explained, “My men aren’t as good as Mr. Tezuka, who has come from IK Company, and I don’t plan to expand the company’s business here either.”
“I understand.” Yamazaki was no fool, and he knew what Curtis wanted. After skimming through the contract, he quickly signed it and handed the papers back.
Curtis’ tensed brows relaxed.
Hmm, not bad. He understands what I’m thinking with just a brief explanation.
Chapter 305 Empty In The Head
Curtis then handed another document to Yamazaki and said, “This is Daiwa Corporation’s letter of engagement. From now on, you’ll be managing this business. My assistant will be coming every season to check on it.”
“I…” Yamazaki blurted out, confused.
Curtis continued, “I’m not asking you to manage it for free. You’ll need to keep an eye on someone for me. The eldest son of Yartran’s Terblanc family is the one I want you to keep track of. His men and his business aren’t allowed into Jetroina.”
In an instant, Yamazaki’s face fell.
He had heard of the Terblanc family, and he knew they were not people he should be crossing either. Both the Terblancs and Curtis were ruthless people, and Curtis was forcing him to pick a side.
After a moment of contemplation, Yamazaki steeled himself and said, “I’ll deal with it to the best of my ability.”
At the very least, he had interacted with Curtis. The man was fine, and he was reasonable. On the other hand, he had never interacted with the Terblancs. Who would know what kind of people they were?
Gabriel then walked over with a tray. “Mr. Yamazaki, Mr. Faymon, you must be thirsty, right? Please help yourself to these.”
Curtis took the glass from the tray. Just as he was about to drink from it, he caught a whiff of a sweet scent. Something was amiss. “Is this mineral water?”
“Huh? Mr. Faymon, is there something wrong with it?” Gabriel asked in a confused voice.
Nevertheless, Curtis relaxed when he thought about how Gabriel was the one who filled the glass. Curtis could feel his throat burning when he drank half a glass. Soon, that burning sensation grew, and even his stomach was starting to feel hot.
Frowning, Curtis turned to Gabriel before gloomily repeating, “Are you sure you gave me mineral water?”
“I wasn’t the one who filled the glass.” Gabriel realized something was up when he noticed the tinge of red by the corners of Curtis’ eyes. He then waved in the direction of the reception area and said, “A lady brought it in. I… I just brought the tray over here.”
Then, carefully studying Curtis, he asked, “Mr. Faymon, is it really not mineral water?”
“You idiot!” Curtis cussed, feeling the world spin around him. “Is the inside of your head empty? Don’t you know to try it before giving it to me?”
Yamazaki could not understand the Chanaean they spoke.
Nonetheless, he could figure out that Curtis was scolding his assistant. After a glance at the glass in Curtis’ hand, he said, “Don’t be angry, Mr. Faymon. This is specially blended vodka that takes a while to kick in but is smooth on the way down the throat. Is one glass not enough? Would you like me to send another glass in for you?”
Hearing that, Gabriel inhaled sharply and stammered, “S-Specially blended…”
“Vodka,” Yamazaki completed his sentence for him in a proud manner. “I spent three million to poach this bartender from another place. He’s a fantastic bartender, and his specially blended vodka is so popular every patron in the club will order one when they come.”
At that moment, Curtis swayed despite holding himself upright with the cue stick.
Yamazaki moved over to support him, but Gabriel was quicker with his dashing. With a smile that looked more like a grimace, Gabriel said, “Since we’re done settling this matter, I’ll be bringing Mr. Faymon back first.”
“Is Mr. Faymon drunk?” Yamazaki asked as he glanced at Curtis again. “It was just a glass of vodka. Isn’t Mr. Faymon too much of a lightweight? Aren’t you people all about wine and business? How does Mr. Faymon engage in business deals if he doesn’t drink?”
Gabriel stuttered, “This, um, it’s a special case for Mr. Faymon.”
“What do you mean?”
Realizing that Curtis was deteriorating, Gabriel hastily cut the conversation short and brought Curtis away.
Yamazaki watched them leave, stroking his chin and muttering under his breath, “He’s drunk, right?”
Meanwhile, after getting Curtis into the cab, Gabriel told the driver the address of the hotel.
Then, Gabriel opened a bottle of mineral water, but this time, he took a sip from it before giving it to Curtis. “Mr. Faymon, have some water. This really is mineral water, and I’ve already tested it.”
This is doomsday. My boss just drank vodka!
Curtis did not reject the drink and drank a few mouthfuls of water after taking the bottle. Then, he turned around to look at Gabriel.
Alarm bells went off in Gabriel’s head when he saw the tender look in Curtis’ eyes.
Hesitantly, he prompted, “Mr. Faymon?”
Curtis remained silent as he looked at him for a while longer.
Curtis’ stare made chills run down Gabriel’s spine. Right as Gabriel was wondering what he should say to Curtis, he heard the other man say, “Mom.”
Gabriel’s jaw nearly dropped.
Okay. Mr. Faymon’s definitely drunk.
“I’m really such an idiot!” Gabriel slapped himself. “I can’t believe I said I was going to keep a close eye on Mr. Faymon and make sure he stays away from alcohol, only to mess this up!”
“Mom, why are you slapping yourself?” Curtis looked at him curiously.
“My face is itchy, so I was scratching it.” It was not the first time Gabriel had been called “Mom,” so he soon recomposed himself. “Sit tight. We’re going back to Ms. Garland now.”
“It’s Mrs. Faymon,” Curtis said in a soft voice. Though the look in his eyes was a dark one, he seemed out of it and not at all frightening. “That’s my wife.”
Gabriel waved his hands dismissively, not wanting to be stubborn on the topic. “All right, all right. We’ll go back and look for Mrs. Faymon.”
My god!
By the time the cab reached the hotel, it was already half past five in the morning, and the sky was starting to brighten up.
Gabriel led the dazed Curtis into the elevator before rushing toward the presidential suite that Rayna was in. After pressing on the doorbell, the door soon opened.
Rayna was in her sleepwear, and her sleepiness was written across her face.
Nevertheless, she sobered up quite a lot when she realized that it was Gabriel and Curtis by the doorway. Immediately, she asked Curtis, “Didn’t you say that you were only coming back in the afternoon? Are you done dealing with the matters?”
“Mhm.” Curtis nodded, the gaze he had on her exceptionally gentle and meek. “Good morning, Sweetheart.”
“Oh, good morning,” Rayna answered. It took her a few seconds before she realized that there was something amiss about him. After a glance at him, she shifted her gaze to Gabriel.
Gabriel clapped his hands together and solemnly said, “Mr. Faymon has drunk specially blended vodka. Mrs. Faymon, I think you know what’s going on now… My apologies for the trouble, but please take care of him. I’ll take my leave to deal with other matters.”
Once those words were out of his mouth, he fled, fearing that Rayna would stop him.
“That’s strange. When did Mr. Tylinski come?” Rayna mumbled under her breath.
Furthermore, she had witnessed how silly Curtis could become after drinking spirits several times by now, and Curtis was still calm. She could not figure out why Gabriel had fled as if he had seen a beast.
“Sweetheart.” Curtis hugged Rayna and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
His heavy body nearly took the air out of her lungs, and in less than three seconds, she held him further away from her and grimly said, “Don’t you know how heavy you are? Which room are you guys in?”
Curtis pointed at the room next door.
“Your card?”
Curtis rummaged through his pocket and fished out a keycard for her.
Rayna then walked in the front while Curtis followed her. When he saw her flat stomach, he tilted his head to the side and asked, “Sweetheart, have you given birth to the baby?”
“Baby, my foot! I wasn’t pregnant in the first place,” Rayna hissed.
I’ve already explained to him so many times by now, but he’s still stubbornly thinking that I’m pregnant! Ugh!
Curtis paled. “You aborted the baby?”
Rayna sucked in a deep breath to hold back her temper.
After getting Curtis into the room, she softly said, “Go and have a good night’s sleep. We’ll talk when you wake up, okay?”
However, Curtis pulled her into the room and hoarsely said, “I want you to keep me company.”
“No, I have to go back.”
“The door’s closed. Did you even bring your keycard, Sweetheart?” Curtis leaned closer to her and held her hand up to his lips to kiss it. The air he breathed onto the back of her hand was warm.
“I can press the doorbell,” Rayna said as she struggled away from him, but in the next second, a tender kiss landed on her lips.
He did it again and again.
Embraced by the man, Rayna found her mind clouding up. In her daze, she glanced at Curtis, still getting the feeling something was wrong.
She asked, “Curtis, are you really drunk? You’re not lying to me, are you?”
“Mhm.”
Rayna was silent.
He’s quite meek when he’s drunk. I don’t remember him being this aggressive.
Chapter 306 I Do Not Understand
When Rayna woke up past one in the afternoon, she stared at the Epean-style chandelier on the ceiling before turning to look at the man beside her.
Something feels off. I was persuading Curtis to go to bed, right? Why did we…
“What are you thinking about?”
Rayna was lost in her thoughts when a kiss landed on the corner of her lips.
She realized Curtis was awake. He was propping his arm on the mattress, staring at her with his dark, intense eyes. There was a hint of amusement in his gaze.
His naked torso was muscular and alluring, so Rayna got all shy and pulled the covers up to cover her face.
Warily, Rayna asked, “Do you remember how you got back at dawn?”
“I don’t really remember,” came Curtis’ reply. Rayna noticed he was frowning, so it didn’t seem like he was lying. “All I remember was drinking a glass of vodka before I exited the club.”
“Oh? Why did you go to a club?” Rayna asked. Jetroinian clubs were frequented by politicians and socialites, so they were proper establishments that differed from nightclubs. Thus, she didn’t feel uncomfortable to learn that he had gone to one the previous night.
Curtis scooted closer to kiss her cheek. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “I had some work to do. Did I get drunk again?”
“You were energetic and didn’t look like you were drunk,” Rayna replied in frustration.
Something told her Curtis wasn’t drunk this time and was merely pranking her. However, she couldn’t find any evidence to support her guess.
Curtis pulled the covers away. “Let me take a look. Did I hurt you?”
“It’s daytime. Stop it!” Rayna flushed red and covered herself completely with the covers.
She couldn’t forget about the camera at the previous club.
Kicking him, she harrumphed. “Hurry up and change your clothes. You need to go to the hospital. Theodore has been there all night, so you should take over for him and ask him to come back and get some rest.”
“It’s fine. Back when he was a soldier, he could stay awake for five days straight.”
“Are you not his brother?”
“Yes, but we are not biologically related to each other,” Curtis responded. “Besides, I think I’m more tired than Theodore.”
Hearing that, Rayna hit him with a pillow.
Curtis got changed and washed up. He was about to leave when Rayna told him she would be paying Wyatt a visit at the hospital this afternoon. “Wyatt’s condition isn’t serious, so you should stay at the hotel,” he said.
“Then let Jessie go. She’s worried about Wyatt.”
Curtis’ expression turned grim along with his voice. “No need. She should stay at the hotel with you.”
Rayna nodded, but she was confused on the inside.
She had noticed Curtis’ reaction, and it seemed like he was upset at Jessica. Is he taking his anger out on Jessica as Wyatt took a bullet for her and got hurt?
A while later, Rayna got changed and moved back to the presidential suite that she originally stayed in.
After waking up, Jasmine was busy with work. Even though she was on vacation, she still had responsibilities. It was winter, and Carl had caught a cold, so she was worried about him.
As she was busy, Rayna didn’t disturb her and went to knock on Jessica’s door.
After resting for one night, Jessica still seemed despondent.
Rayna took Jessica to the restaurant and asked, “Do you want me to take you to the hospital to visit him later?”
Jessica tried to reassure her by shaking her head and forcing a smile. “I’m sure he’ll be fine with Mr. Faymon and Mr. Xavier. I don’t need to be there.”
“You don’t look happy.”
“No, of course not. I slept late last night.” Jessica tried to appear energetic so that Rayna wouldn’t worry about her. “I’m starving! Where is our food? It should have been here by now.”
Rayna pursed her lips.
She knew Jessica had something weighing on her mind but was aware she wasn’t in the position to ask questions.
A while later, the waiter served their food. Besides what they ordered, there were also two bowls of mushroom soup. “This is our restaurant’s signature. Enjoy your meal, ladies.”
Rayna was baffled. “We didn’t order any soup. This must be a mistake.”
“No, it isn’t.” The waiter flashed a polite smile and explained, “You’re staying in the presidential suite, so these are free of charge.”
Jessica glanced at the waiter and said, “I’m glad it’s free. The presidential suite isn’t exactly cheap to stay in.”
Rayna didn’t take the matter to heart.
The mushroom soup was delicious, with the perfect consistency and not overly rich.
However, to Rayna, it didn’t taste like a dish prepared by a hotel chef. Instead, it seemed more like a home-cooked dish. Hmm, this is strange.
Rayna’s brows knitted together as she asked, “Do you think it tastes like it was prepared by a chef?”
“Huh, why? Is it not delicious?”
“No, it’s not that,” Rayna denied, shaking her head. “It doesn’t taste like it was made by a trained chef.”
“Are you sure?” Jessica took another sip and smacked her lips together. “It tastes the same to me! Maybe it was made by a well-trained chef. Let’s see if we can find out who it is!”
Before Rayna could say anything, she waved to summon the waiter and asked to see the chef.
Soon, the waiter returned with a middle-aged man who was slightly overweight, dressed in a chef’s uniform and hat. “This is the sous chef who prepared the soup.”
The sous chef claimed to be from Aploth and used to learn cooking from a mentor in Chanaea. He was good at making Jetroinian food and Chanaean food, especially soups.
Rayna’s doubts were quelled after she heard his explanation.
Rayna was sipping on her soup when she noticed a white camellia flower in the vase on their table. It appeared to have recently been picked, as it was delicate and fragrant.
“It’s a camellia…” The flower reminded her of Jefferson, for he was the only person she knew that was obsessed with camellias.
Is he here?
Rayna turned and glanced around the restaurant.
It was afternoon, so there weren’t many customers. A few waiters were walking around, serving them food or water.
Jessica also glanced around and asked, “Nana, what are you looking at?”
“Nothing,” Rayna replied and turned back.
She glanced at the delicate camellia and picked one to place in her palm. Strangely, she felt worried.
After Jefferson left the charity ball in a haste that day, she hadn’t met him again for the next few months. Even though he appeared on the cruise ship two days ago, he acted weirdly and said nothing.
Did something happen?
The sous chef returned to the kitchen and spoke to the man who had been observing Rayna’s table outside for a long time. “Mr. Hamilton, I did as you asked. Ms. Garland didn’t seem to suspect anything.”
Jefferson pulled out some money to give him. Flashing a warm smile, he said, “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” the sous chef replied hastily as he accepted the money.
After Jefferson left through the employee’s lane, a few kitchen helpers came over and asked in Jetroinian, “That man was weird. Why did he hide the fact that he cooked soup for his girlfriend?”
“I don’t understand either,” the sous chef replied. He remembered that earlier, while preparing the soup, Jefferson kept bending over to cough into his handkerchief. It appeared that he was coughing up blood.
I don’t understand. If he’s not feeling well, why didn’t he take a break and let someone else prepare the soup for that woman? And why didn’t he want her to know that he was the one who cooked it for her?
Wyatt’s gunshot wound was not serious, and with the best medical treatment, it healed quickly. The following day, he appeared to be in good health.
He wanted to get discharged but was stopped by Curtis.
Curtis insisted that Wyatt stay a few more days in the hospital. The doctor came every day to check on him, and Curtis and Theodore took turns staying with him. It was unbearable for Wyatt.
Chapter 307 What Did She Buy
On the fifth day, Wyatt’s wound finally scarred over, and he was in high spirits, alive and well.
When the doctor declared him to be fine, Curtis made arrangements for him to be released from the hospital.
The day of his release from the hospital was Christmas Eve. It had been snowing since the morning, signaling a heavy snowfall to come later.
After arriving at the hotel, Wyatt rushed upstairs.
As soon as Jessica opened the door, he threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly, showering her with kisses. “Babe, I’ve missed you! Why didn’t you come to visit me in the hospital?” he asked.
“Hey, stop it!” Jessica muttered. Afraid of affecting his wound, she pushed his face away. “Mr. Faymon and Mr. Xavier took turns taking care of you, right?”
“I don’t give a d*mn about them.” Wyatt pouted unhappily. “I waited for you every day, but you didn’t even answer my calls.”
He took her hand and placed it on his chest. “Feel it. My heart still aches.”
Jessica wanted to pull her hand away, but he refused to release his grip on her.
Through his shirt, Jessica could feel his heart thumping furiously.
Suddenly, Jessica felt horrible.
She was taken aback by her sudden emotions and didn’t know how to respond. Her eyes welled up with tears as she pressed her lips together, remaining silent.
“Babe, what’s wrong?” Wyatt became anxious when he saw her biting her lip silently. He wrapped his arms around her and said, “It was just a joke. I wasn’t mad at you. I know you didn’t come to the hospital because you were worried about me.”
“I wasn’t worried about you.”
“Okay, okay. Don’t cry. Otherwise, people might think I’ve been mistreating you.”
Jessica gave him a light punch and buried her head in his chest. “You did bully me. Why did you take that bullet for me? Couldn’t you have ignored me?”
“Of course not. You’re my girlfriend. No, you’re my fiancée.” Wyatt belatedly realized they were already engaged. Why do I keep calling her my girlfriend? I’m a fool.
He brushed his fingers through her hair and said sincerely, “You’re not just my fiancée; you’re also my darling. You mean a lot to me. As a man, it’s my responsibility to protect you, and I would be failing if I couldn’t.”
Hearing that, Jessica felt even more uneasy.
I really hate feeling this sentimental.
Feeling bad for him, she took a deep breath and lifted her head to look at him. “Wyatt.”
Wyatt arched a brow. “Hm?”
“I want…” She pressed her lips together, unable to complete her sentence as the words got stuck in her throat. She wasn’t sure how to express herself.
Wyatt lowered his head to kiss her and chuckled. “I know. You want to spend Christmas with me, right? This is the first holiday we get to spend with each other!”
Jessica didn’t have a chance to speak as Wyatt immediately began complaining about how hungry he was and pulled her toward the restaurant. He chose a table by the window so they could watch the falling snow outside.
Wyatt kept complaining about how bored he had been at the hospital over the past five days, as he only got to spend time with Curtis and Theodore. He was desperate to get some fresh air.
Jessica listened to him quietly.
Soon, Rayna and the rest came downstairs to eat.
Chapter 308
Wyatt was the only one who was excited about celebrating Christmas since Curtis and Theodore didn’t really care about it. However, they didn’t mind celebrating if Rayna and the other girls wanted to.
It was Christmas Eve, and the streets were bustling with activity. After they finished eating, Wyatt suggested that they go shopping as well.
Curtis glanced at him. “Is your wound all right?”
“It’s been five days, so I’m perfectly fine now!” Wyatt declared smugly. He pulled Jessica into his arms and added, “This is the first holiday I’m going to spend with Jessie, and we must make more memories together.”
Curtis couldn’t be bothered to reply.
After finishing their meal, they got ready and headed out.
The weather was cold outside. That year, Christmas Eve happened to fall on a Saturday, so the streets were crowded. The snow that fell on the ground quickly melted, leaving the surface wet and slippery.
On both sides of the street, the stores had put up Christmas decorations or hung mistletoe wreaths on their door.
It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Curtis had made all of the necessary preparations, but he was still worried that Arnaud would come out with something else. Thus, he stayed close to her when they went shopping outside, much to Rayna’s amusement and exasperation.
“Oh, what a gorgeous scarf!”
When they walked past an accessories store, Rayna spotted a light grey scarf wrapped around the mannequin’s neck in the display window and immediately took a liking to it. She dragged Curtis into the store.
Once inside, she asked the store assistant to take the scarf from the mannequin and stood on tiptoes to wrap it around Curtis’ neck. She then stepped back to assess him and nodded in satisfaction. “It looks good with your coat!”
Rayna then went to the counter to pay for her purchase.
After paying for it, she waved the receipt in Curtis’ direction and grinned. “Mr. Faymon, you’ve already given me a lot of gifts, so I shall buy a gift for you today. Merry Christmas!”
Curtis gave her a look and said, “Mrs. Faymon, you’re always calculating, huh? The gifts I gave you add up to an astronomical amount, but you only gave me a scarf that cost twenty thousand in Jetroinian currency.”
“I picked it after much consideration,” Rayna corrected him. “Mr. Faymon, your gifts might be expensive, but I didn’t receive any money. I used my money and bought this scarf for twenty thousand Jetroinian currency!”
Curtis replied helplessly, “Okay, you’re always right.”
Rayna harrumphed.
When they left the accessories store, the snow was falling heavily and accumulating on the ground.
Curtis opened his coat wide to cover Rayna.
“I’m not cold,” Rayna protested, not wanting to be covered by his coat. “I haven’t seen snow in a while. Let me enjoy it! If it snows a lot, we might be able to have a snowball fight tonight!”
“No, it’s easy to catch a cold in this weather.” Curtis pulled her back gently as if embracing a child. “Be good. You can enjoy the snow later after it has accumulated more.”
“You’re so petty!”
“If you were not mine, I wouldn’t bother doing so.”
Rayna pouted unhappily, so Curtis leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Since you gave me a Christmas present, I’ll personally instruct you on the Kingdoms Group project when we get back,” he promised.
“Really?” Rayna’s eyes lit up. “After taking care of Mr. Ziegler, I have too much free time. Work doesn’t feel challenging anymore. I even considered resigning.”
Curtis chuckled softly. “Your job is easy, and you get paid for it. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Others might be able to relax, but I can’t,” Rayna said, hugging his waist. “I need to have a backup plan. If Faymon Group doesn’t want me, at least I’ll still be able to survive on my own.”
“Mrs. Faymon, are you insinuating that Faymon Group and I are not reliable?”
“That remains to be seen!”
They walked down the street together, snuggled up close and chatting happily, leaving a trail of footprints behind them. As they crossed the road, a figure stepped out from a corner.
The man’s black coat was covered with snow. His hair was also dusted with the white particles. With his hands stuck in his pocket, he observed their retreating backs before entering the store.
The store assistant noticed that the new customer was a gentleman. He had blue eyes and looked like a foreigner.
She didn’t know Anglandurn and was about to summon her colleague to help her when the man came to her and spoke in Jetroinian. “What did the lady in the black coat buy earlier?”
“Are you friends with her?”
Jefferson nodded. “It’s Christmas Eve, so I’d like to know what she bought.”
The store assistant found that strange. The woman helped her boyfriend put on the scarf that she had purchased. Why does this man want to know what she bought?
Chapter 309
Chapter 309 You Have My Affection
Jessica had a grim look in her eyes when she heard her uncle say that. “I won’t let things slide! I will never let them off the hook even if it means I will have to sacrifice myself!” she notified him solemnly.
“Jessica—”
Although Oliver seemed to have more to say, Jessica hung up directly and gripped her phone in her hand.
She had almost been swayed by Wyatt’s love for her, but Oliver’s call at such a time knocked some sense into her and reminded her of the reason she dated Wyatt in the first place.
Haven’t I plotted until now to seek revenge for my sister? Why should I go soft on them?
Jessica glanced outside the window. It was snowing, so there was a thin layer of snow on the roads. She could even hear Christmas carols in the air.
It was also on a snowy day that her elder sister Bianca passed away.
There was a knock on the restroom door before Wyatt’s concerned voice came through. “Are you okay, Jessie?”
Jessica gathered her thoughts before replying, “I’m fine!”
She checked herself in the mirror, took a deep breath, and then fixed her wet hair. After making sure that nothing seemed abnormal about her, she walked over to open the restroom door.
Upon seeing the worried expression Wyatt wore while standing outside, she punched him jokingly before muttering in annoyance, “I was merely taking my time! Aren’t you worried about the other ladies’
opinion of you by coming here?”
“I was worried that you might be feeling unwell. Besides, what’s wrong with me waiting for my fiancée here? I didn’t barge in anyway,” Wyatt retorted cheekily while checking on her. “Babe, why is your hair soaked?”
Jessica lowered her gaze to glance at her hair. “Oh, I must’ve been careless when I was washing my face.”
“You dummy.” Wyatt pinched her face, removed his scarf, and wrapped it over her hair. “Let’s head to the VIP room. I’ll dry your hair with a hairdryer.”
“Nah. The mall is warm enough with the heating on. Take your scarf off.” Jessica tugged on the scarf. “It’s embarrassing to have my head all wrapped up like this. It’s dirty too.”
Wyatt held her in his embrace to stop her from making a fuss. “It’s not dirty. It’s a new one I put on before coming out. Keep it on. People can gossip all they want. What matters is that I like how you look!”
Jessica couldn’t move while in his arms, so she relented despite her frustrations.
After they got back to the VIP room at Cartier Jewelry, Wyatt borrowed a hairdryer from the sales assistant. Then, he sat down beside Jessica and dried her hair, his movements gentle.
Jessica tried her hardest to overlook his kind gestures and focused her attention on the shimmering jewelry instead. She even asked the sales assistant to recommend some jewelry that would look good on her.
The sales assistant presented her with a few necklaces.
Although she tried all of them on, she didn’t like them much.
“Why don’t you try this one?” The sales assistant retrieved a box from within the cabinet and pushed it over to Jessica after opening it.
The chain of the necklace was a standardized style, while the pendant was made by shaping yellow and emerald gemstones into a glimmering sunflower.
Jessica studied the pendant closely while holding it in her hand. “This looks nice.”
The sales assistant smiled, realizing that Jessica had taken a liking to it. “This pendant was made by our company in collaboration with LOVE Charity and is the only one in the entire world.”
“There’s only one of it in the entire world? We’ll buy it!” Wyatt declared boldly and was about to hand his bank card over to the assistant.
However, Jessica held his hand down. “I’ll pay for it.”
“Huh?” Wyatt was startled. “Could it be that you’re planning on gifting it to someone else?”
Jessica huffed. “It’s a secret!”
She whispered into the sales assistant’s ears, and the woman soon left with the necklace and the card.
All the while, Wyatt was staring at Jessica mournfully like a dog that was denied its treats.
It’s fine if Babe doesn’t give me a present during Christmas, but I have to watch as she buys gifts for other people! Oh, woe is me!
After that, Jessica left the shop alongside Wyatt, the packaged necklace clutched in her hands.
Wyatt wrapped an arm around her shoulders while dropping hints here and there. “Babe, this is the first time we celebrate a festive occasion together. Are you just going to give me a kiss? Is there nothing else?”
“What do you want, then?”
Wyatt replied, “You’ll have to be the one to choose it. It won’t be a gift if I made a request.”
“We don’t have time even if I want to buy you something.” Jessica showed the time indicated on the phone to him. “We have to meet up with the others.”
“Jessie, do I mean anything to you?”
“Of course you do!”
“How important am I?” Wyatt perked up as he asked in excitement. He figured that it would be fine even if he didn’t get gifts from her as long as he had an important place in her heart.
Jessica gave his question some thought. “Let’s see… My family members come first. There are one, two, six of them… After that comes Nana, Mr. Faymon, and the others… You’re in twenty-sixth place!”
“What the hell?” Wyatt was stunned by the jaw-dropping news. He retorted in disgruntlement, “I can understand why your family members come first, but why do Curtis and Rayna come before me too?”
“It’s because Mr. Faymon is my superior, and Nana is his wife,” Jessica answered in all seriousness.
Wyatt felt defeated.
Nonetheless, he took a taxi with her to head to the city center of Tayhaven.
It was Christmas Eve. Although it was only snowing a little, a huge and lively crowd had gathered at the city center. Wyatt wrapped Jessica up in his coat, worried that the people around them would crush her.
Upon arriving at the entrance of Six Pines Club, Jessica said, “Give me your scarf.”
“Why put it on now? It’ll be warm inside.”
“Are you going to give it to me or not?”
“All right, all right. Here you go.” Wyatt removed his scarf and wrapped it around Jessica gently. She giggled as she looped her arms around his neck. In the next instant, he felt something cool touching his skin.
When he lowered his gaze, he noticed a necklace around his neck. The pendant was shaped in the likeness of a sunflower.
It was none other than the necklace that Jessica claimed to be gifting to someone else.
“I had the sales assistant change the chain into a style that suited men when I was paying for it.” Jessica caressed the sunflower. “I wanted to give this sunflower pendant to you as a present.”
Wyatt was touched beyond measure. “Babe…”
Jessica stood on her tiptoes to kiss him with an adorable look on her face. “Sunflower means unwavering love and devotion to someone. You have to take good care of it. You hear me?”
Wyatt could no longer hold himself back, so he cupped her cheek in one hand and kissed her passionately. He pressed her petite frame against him, almost crushing her, and wished that the embrace would last forever.
Jessie is so d*mn cute! I like her so much!
Jessica looped her arms around his neck. Her burning passion for revenge quickly subdued her feelings of guilt that just bubbled up.
Hang in there. You’ll get there soon.
Wyatt was revitalized after a kiss and led Jessica into the clubhouse with a jolly smile on his face. They squeezed their way through the crowd before finding the booth Theodore had booked.
“Wow, everybody’s here!” Wyatt greeted everyone cheerfully. “Don’t you hate crowds, Theodore? Why did you book a booth instead of a private room?”
Theodore opened his eyes and cast him a glance. “You either sit down or get the f*ck out of here.”
“You have such a terrible temper. It’s a pity that poor Jasmine married you! Babe, come sit here!” Wyatt led Jessica over to sit down next to Rayna and Curtis. “Let’s keep our distance from Theodore.”
Theodore kept his silence.
“Mr. Lopez.” Gabriel, who was sitting opposite Wyatt, poured him some brandy swiftly.
“Oh, you’re here too, Gabriel?” Wyatt spoke as if he had just noticed Gabriel’s presence. Rubbing his chin, Wyatt muttered thoughtfully, “Look at us. We’re all either married or dating. You’re the only one who’s single here. Don’t you feel the slightest bit embarrassed? You don’t have a girlfriend even though you’re already twenty-nine! Do you perhaps not fancy women?”
Chapter 310
Chapter 310 Her Betrayal
Gabriel smiled, albeit rather forcefully. “That’s because I love my job, and I don’t want to be distracted by relationships.”
“Tsk, tsk. Who would believe that?” Wyatt said with a naughty smirk. “Anyway, we won’t judge you if you’re really gay. I can even introduce a couple of fine young men to you!”
That, of course, rendered Gabriel speechless.
“Shut up, Wyatt,” Curtis scolded as he replaced Wyatt’s glass of brandy with juice. “Everyone else can drink to their heart’s content, but you can only have juice tonight.”
“Huh? Where’s the fun in drinking juice? Alcohol is what gives you a buzz!” Wyatt grumbled before attempting to snatch his brandy back.
Curtis, however, instantly fired a warning shot in the form of a cold-eyed stare.
Perceptive as always, Jessica grabbed Wyatt’s hand and chimed in, “That’s right. You should stick to drinking juice! Have you forgotten that you’re still nursing a gunshot wound? You’re not allowed to drink or smoke for the next two months. Understood?”
“Okay, okay. I’ll do as you say, Babe,” Wyatt uttered obediently.
Alas, it wasn’t even a minute later when he pulled out his sunflower pendant and showed it off to everyone. “See this? It’s a Christmas gift from my darling fiancée. Theodore and Curtis, I doubt you guys got any gifts, huh?”
“Of course they did. I gave Curtis a scarf,” Rayna retorted. “Besides, a scarf is much more practical than your necklace. It keeps one warm.”
“My gift, on the other hand, might be rather niche compared to everyone else’s,” Jasmine said smilingly as she lifted Theodore’s hand, revealing the red string bracelet with a gemstone on the latter’s wrist. “I didn’t think an ordinary necklace or bracelet would fit his image, so I braided one for him as a good luck charm. It’s not worth much, but I’m happy as long as it can keep him safe.”
Just then, Theodore’s voice rang out. “To me, this gift is priceless.”
“Quite right. Besides, it’s not like you’d dare despise it,” Jasmine quipped, shooting a sidelong glance at Theodore before turning to Wyatt. “By the way, that’s a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, isn’t it, Wyatt? You’d better take good care of such a valuable item.”
Upon hearing that, Rayna pursed her lips, a mischievous look in her eyes. “Ha! I can’t tell if he’d treasure the necklace, but given his character, there’s a good chance it might end up around the neck of some female celebrity.”
“That’s indeed possible.”
“Oh, come on! I only wanted to show off my Christmas gift. Have I offended either of you?” Wyatt protested, clearly annoyed at Rayna’s and Jessica’s relentless wisecracking. “Why must you gang up on me?”
The next second, Jessica smacked him on his head. “How dare you talk to Jasmine and Rayna in that manner! They aren’t wrong. It’s your fault for having a colorful dating history! You even kept sexy photos of models, for goodness’ sake!”
“I-I’ve already turned over a new leaf, Babe. Why aren’t you standing up for me…” Wyatt mumbled pitifully.
To his despair, Jessica merely rolled her eyes at him. “I do what I like. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No. I wouldn’t dare.”
“In that case, shut up and drink your juice!”
Left without a choice, Wyatt grabbed his glass of juice and drank it in silence while the others laughed at him.
As the night went on, more and more people gathered in the club, to the point where nearly all the booths were taken up.
There were even festive songs being played to celebrate Christmas Eve, and it wasn’t long before young men and women leaped and jigged about the dance floor with merriment.
Wyatt was soon back to his usual self. He started whining about the lack of entertainment at their booth. In the end, he asked the waiter for a deck of cards and suggested playing poker, with the loser having to down a glass of wine.
Since Curtis wasn’t a big fan of the bustling activity around him, he sat beside Rayna and sipped at his wine, guiding her from time to time so she could ace her game.
After more than ten rounds of poker, Wyatt found himself utterly defeated.
“Hey, you guys are too much!” Wyatt grumbled. “Having a counsel to help you along is as good as cheating. Jessie and I may take turns playing, but I’m the one who has to drink when we lose! I’ve drunk almost nine glasses of juice! Do you know how awful that feels? Theodore, Curtis, where are your morals?”
Upon hearing that, Gabriel quickly leaned in. “Mr. Lopez, I can help you if you—”
“Oh, get lost!” Wyatt shouted in disgust. “I’ve played with you before, and your card skills aren’t even comparable to my fiancée’s! If you were to play for me, I’d end up drinking even more juice!”
With that, Gabriel silently retreated into his corner.
Argh! I sincerely wish Mr. Lopez’s fiancée dumps him! When that day comes, it’ll be my turn to humiliate him!
Curtis casually draped his arm across the back of the couch and chuckled. “If Theodore and I went up against you, you’d be puking your guts out in just a few rounds. Are you sure you want to play with us?”
It had been nearly four years since Wyatt had befriended Curtis and Theodore, so he knew better than anyone else how good they were at cards.
If they played with him instead, there was no doubt he’d suffer an even more embarrassing defeat.
Just then, Wyatt glanced at the stage and had a lightbulb moment. “All right, enough of poker. I’ve gotten sick of drinking juice. Let’s play something else!” he suggested while fishing out his phone.
Rayna immediately saw through him. “Changing games already? Are you being a sore loser?”
“Ha! I’ll have you know I’m an expert poker player! Losing isn’t a big deal to me!” Wyatt scoffed haughtily. “Tell you what. We can carry on if you swap juice out for alcohol!”
Rayna couldn’t help but laugh as she shook her head. “Oh, please. If we did that, you’d use your gunshot wound as an excuse to get out of your punishment. Fine. We’ll play whatever game you like.”
With his confidence renewed, Wyatt arched his brows. “Well, well, well. This time around, you guys won’t be able to cheat!”
As it turned out, the game that he wanted to play was “Truth or Dare.”
Once all the players had placed their fingers on the blue wheel displayed on the phone screen, the pointer would spin until one of the sections turned red, thus determining the winner. The winner could
then pick any other player to either answer a question truthfully or complete a dare.
Gabriel was more than eager to participate, but after receiving a rather urgent call halfway through their conversation, he decided to excuse himself.
With Gabriel gone, Wyatt promptly set the game up for six players and placed his phone on the table. “All right. Let’s start!”
Rayna and the others pressed their fingers on the screen, and after the pointer had spun for a few seconds, the blue section under Jessica’s finger turned red.
“Yes! I won!” Jessica exclaimed.
“Oh, my gosh. You’re amazing!” Wyatt chimed in before leaning into her ear. “Babe, let’s team up tonight and embarrass Theodore and the rest!”
To his surprise, Jessica nodded and suddenly turned to him. “I choose you! Truth or dare?”
“B-Babe, have you made a mistake?” Wyatt stammered. My goodness. Didn’t we agree to humiliate the others?
“No, I have not. Well? Are you going to make your choice or not?” Jessica huffed as she grabbed a pitcher of juice. “If you refused to choose, not only would you have to drink all of this, but you’d also be barred from playing!”
Wyatt gaped at his fiancée in stunned silence. F*ck! She sure is quick to betray me…
After a while, he hung his head and muttered, “Truth, I guess.”
“Here’s my question, then. Before me, how many girlfriends did you have?”
Taken aback by the unexpected question, Wyatt tried to bumble his way through. “That’s too long ago… I-I don’t remember.”
“Excuse me? You were the one who suggested this game, yet you don’t want to follow the rules?” Jessica snapped, looking even angrier than before.
As much as he hated it, Wyatt knew he had to bite the bullet. “A-About twenty-six in total… I think…”
“Wow! That’s incredible, Mr. Lopez! I can’t believe you have twenty-six ex-girlfriends!” Jessica said, a half-smile flickering across her face as she patted the man’s cheek. “Why don’t you put in a little more effort and bump that number to sixty-six? Wouldn’t that be a feat?”