Ch. 501..510

Chapter 501

Jacob was stumped.

He thought she was just kidding, so he waved his fist in front of her and acted as if he was going to hit her.

Still, she didn’t even blink even when he was so close to punching her.

After ascertaining she wasn’t making fun of him, Jacob went to look for the doctor.

Pin-drop silence ensued after Jessica heard the sound of the door closing. The quietness prompted fear to creep into her heart, especially when she couldn’t see a thing after losing her vision.

She could only grasp her blanket.

Upon arriving at Yartran, Jessica was arranged to stay in a residential area with a housekeeper to care for her.

However, after staying there for a few days, a few men suddenly barged into her house.

They killed her housekeeper in front of her eyes, and she passed out after someone hit her before she could react.

By the time she woke up, she couldn’t see anymore.

Those people wanted to touch her, but she retaliated by scratching them. As a result, she infuriated them, causing them to kick and whip her. They even discussed wanting to send her to some unknown place.

Then, she waited until she couldn’t hear any more sound from those people before trying to figure her way out by groping the wall.

Perhaps because of her blindness, those men didn’t take any precautions to prevent her from escaping, allowing her to fumble out of the hellhole.

She didn’t know where she was. When she heard people talking, she asked them where the police station was. Unexpectedly, she stumbled into a group of hooligans.

Jessica was grateful that Jacob lent her a helping hand upon seeing her in that predicament.

Otherwise, she would be doomed.

While her mind raced, Jessica heard someone opening the door and the voice of a man talking in Anglandurn.

“There seems to be something wrong with her eyes.”

The eye specialist walked over and examined Jessica’s condition.

Then, he asked her, “Did your eyes get burned, or did you hit your head somewhere recently?”

Clutching the blanket, Jessica replied to the doctor, “No. I lost my vision right after waking up.”

“Did you consume any unsafe food?”

“No.”

The doctor wanted to let Jessica undergo a CT scan.

Jacob, standing at one side, said at once, “She’s pregnant and is currently taking labor suppressants, so she shouldn’t be able to undergo any of these procedures, right?”

After hearing that, Jessica caressed her stomach in relief and contentment.

She survived the past few days in a daze without fully wrapping her mind around the circumstances. Jessica thought she would experience a miscarriage, so she didn’t dare to ask Jacob about her pregnancy status when she woke up. To her surprise, her baby was still safe.

The eye specialist elaborated, “I didn’t notice anything unusual after the examination. Her condition should only be a temporary loss of vision. We’ll keep her here for further observation. If nothing changes, we’ll perform a detailed checkup after she gives birth.”

Following the doctor’s departure, Jacob slumped into the chair and massaged his hurting temples. “What sin have I committed? Alas! If I had known how much trouble would ensue for saving you, I wouldn’t have meddled in your business.”

Unwilling to give up, he asked Jessica, “Do you really not remember your friend’s name or address?”

She shook her head.

Initially, she wanted to tell him Rayna’s phone number, but when she was reminded of how busy Rayna was, Jessica gave up on that thought as she didn’t want to add to Rayna’s trouble.

Jessica pursed her dry and cracked lips. “We came here for vacation, and I got separated from my friends. I-I don’t remember their contact numbers either.”

“Where’s your passport? You don’t have that too?”

“I think I lost it.”

“D*mn it!” Jacob pulled his hair out and was on the verge of shedding tears. “You can’t hope to rely on me the whole time while you couldn’t establish contact with your friend. I also have plenty of personal matters to attend to!”

Suddenly, he recalled something. “That’s right! You must know the phone number of your child’s father since you’re pregnant!”

Jessica’s eyes glinted as she muttered, “I forgot his number.”

Jacob was rendered speechless.

He lay in the chair in hopelessness, contemplating whether he should hand Jessica over to the embassy.

From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of her touching her body blindly as if she was going to remove her clothes. In fright, Jacob leaped up from the chair and retreated toward the door.

“Stop that. I’m not interested in you.” His facial features were arranged into a bitter expression. “It’s fine if you can’t remember the details. Let’s continue to chat nicely, okay?”

Jessica felt something inside her undergarment.

After making sure she didn’t lose the item, she removed it from her underclothing and showed him the necklace in her hand. “Will it be enough for me to repay you with this?”

Jacob breathed a sigh of relief. “So, you were looking for something. You gave me a fright.”

He thought Jessica was trying something funny.

Jacob received the necklace from her.

The dazzling pendant was made from a precious stone crafted into the shape of a sunflower.

“My goodness! This is a limited edition necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels.” Jacob frequently gifted his female companions jewelry, so he was relatively well-versed in recognizing such luxurious accessories.

The jewel pendant in his hand was apparently an exorbitant, authentic piece.

Not to mention, he vaguely recalled seeing someone wearing a similar sunflower pendant.

Jessica hummed in response. “Please help me sell this necklace, and I’ll give you the cash as compensation. Can you please assist me in finding a place to stay and hire a housekeeper for me? I’m fine with the cheapest options available. You can keep the rest of the money.”

Jacob asked curiously, “Since you were separated from your friend and got lost, wouldn’t it be easier if I send you to the embassy for them to arrange transportation for you to go back to the country? Why do you need me to help you look for a residence? Are you planning to stay here?”

“I-I don’t really wish to go back. It’ll be inconvenient for me to return in this state anyway,” Jessica answered.

Hearing her dejected tone, Jacob instantly imagined some possible scenes in his mind and gossiped, “Don’t tell me you quarreled with your boyfriend, and he went back to the country without you, so you…”

“Yes. We broke up.”

Jacob furrowed his brows and fumed in indignation for Jessica’s sake. “Sh*t! That guy is such a jerk. No matter how terrible the argument was, he shouldn’t abandon his pregnant girlfriend here. I would’ve died of shame if I were him.”

Jessica uttered, “You’re a nice person, so please help me with this.”

Jacob fell silent.

He wanted to reject her initially, but when he took in her frail appearance and was reminded of the injuries she sustained, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Another crucial point that affected his decision was her blindness.

Alas! It was my fault for being a busybody and saving her.

He sighed. All of a sudden, a bold and exciting idea popped into his mind. Subsequently, even the way he looked at her turned different.

Jacob pondered for a few moments before suggesting to her, “What do you say if I help to arrange someplace for you to stay and hire someone to take good care of you and your child? It won’t be sufficient for you to repay me by selling this necklace. I also need a favor from you.”

Jessica asked, “What is it?”

Jacob replied in resignation, “My mom has been pressuring me lately. She warned me that she would stand by and let my company perish on its own if I didn’t get a girlfriend, so…”

Fearing that she wouldn’t agree to his request, he hastily added, “You only need to cooperate with me and become my girlfriend in name. You can rest assured because I won’t touch you. Also, if your boyfriend seeks you out for a reconciliation, you’ll have to inform me in advance to avoid exposing your identity to my mother. What do you think of my proposal?”

“Okay.” Jessica nodded without hesitation.

Her readiness to accept his terms took him by surprise. “Aren’t you worried that I’m a bad person?”

“You wouldn’t have rescued me if you were one.”

Jacob didn’t respond to that statement.

He placed the necklace in his palm. “Keep this with you. After all, you don’t have much possession.”

“Me and my baby’s accommodation and meals will require payments too. I cannot take advantage of your kindness.” She pressed the necklace into his hand again while wearing a sorrowful look. “This necklace is useless even if I keep it.”

Her slender fingers were tender yet cold. Jacob couldn’t help but shudder at her cold touch.

How is she going to keep her baby safe when she is in such poor health condition?

Jacob had properties at Yartran. After hiring some people to help him clean up the place, he brought Jessica over.

As she had lost her passport and wasn’t carrying an ID card, he found an underground intermediary to create an identity for her. “What’s your name? Or you can come up with any name you prefer.”

After contemplating briefly, Jessica told him a fake name, ultimately, “Josie.”

 

 

Chapter 502

Jacob sent the woman’s details to the agent before introducing himself. “Just call me Jacob. You can stay here for now. I’ll buy you a phone and get you a helper.”

“Thanks,” Jessica answered gratefully before continuing, “Feel free to let me know if you need any help. I will definitely cooperate. You’re such a kind person. Why are you still single?”

Jacob sighed and replied, “Exactly. I’m baffled as well. How is it possible that a Samaritan like me is not able to find a girlfriend?”

At that moment, Jacob thought of Wyatt.

D*mn! It doesn’t make sense that that hot-tempered guy is already married and going to become a dad!

Jacob stayed in Yartran for the next four days to settle Jessica’s living arrangements.

On the fifth day, he returned to his country after that.

Not wanting to give Hazel an opportunity to nag at him, the moment Jacob reached home, he took out a photo and said, “Mom, don’t scold me. I’m dating someone now. She’s pregnant and is currently staying in Yartran to focus on her pregnancy.”

When Hazel heard that, she started hitting her son while exclaiming, “Pregnant? You’re really putting in a lot of effort just to lie to me, eh?”

Jacob yelped in pain as he tried to avoid his mother’s attacks. “Mom, I’m not lying! I took her to the hospital for a checkup. The baby is mine. Do you think I have nothing better to do than find a random person to pacify you?”

Taking a pause, he continued, “You can talk to her yourself if you don’t believe me.”

Jacob dialed a number on the phone before passing it to Hazel.

The woman remained doubtful and had a feeling that her son was lying to her. However, what she did not know was that, for the past few days, Jacob and Jessica had been going through details about themselves in anticipation of Hazel’s questioning.

As such, Jessica sounded totally convincing over the phone and managed to give Hazel a good impression. She spoke as if she had known Jacob for a long time and told Hazel that she had approached the man again after their breakup as she was not capable of raising the baby alone.

The two women chatted for around ten minutes, and after the conversation, Hazel was completely convinced.

Before the call ended, Hazel reminded gently, “Take good care of yourself and the baby. I will visit you a few days later.”

“Okay, Mom.”

After hanging up, Hazel continued hitting Jacob. “You’re really something, aren’t you? How could you have gotten someone pregnant and not know about it? The girl even had to look for you herself! Your dad is such a decent man. Why didn’t you inherit any of his good genes? You have even left her in a foreign country all by herself. Is she a disgrace to you? Even I am feeling embarrassed for you!”

“Ouch! Mom, it hurts! I’m your son! How can you bear to hit me?” Jacob grumbled.

He was amazed at how strong his mother was underneath her elegant appearance. She might even be able to beat Wyatt’s mother in a fight.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to bring her back. She is still in the early stages of her pregnancy and is not in the pink of health. What if she has a miscarriage? If that happens, it would be too late for regrets.”

Hazel saw the logic in her son’s argument and stopped hitting him. “I need to tell your dad to book air tickets for us to visit our daughter-in-law.”

After saying that, the woman turned around and headed upstairs.

“But Dad is not at home. Why are you going upstairs?”

“I need to get changed. I’m meeting Mrs. Lopez for tea!” Hazel replied from a distance before continuing, “She is always bragging to me how good her daughter-in-law is as if she’s the only one who has a daughter-in-law.”

Jacob was rendered speechless.

He could hardly believe that, after comparing their sons, they were even comparing their daughter-in- laws. Don’t they ever get tired of comparing?

Jacob suddenly remembered that he had something to speak to Wyatt about. After washing up and changing into a fresh set of clothes, he set off for Lopez Group.

“Mr. Valentine,” the receptionist greeted Jacob before saying softly, “Mr. Lopez is in his office now, but he has been in a bad mood these few days. Be careful not to provoke him.”

“All right. I got it.” Jacob waved his hand and strode into the elevator.

Some time back, Wyatt had a drastic change in personality. He was always gloomy and had stopped joining his friends for drinks.

His temper had gotten worse ever since then, and no one dared to ask him out anymore.

In the elevator on the way up, Jacob recalled the day he brought Wyatt to meet the bosses of Stargrasp.

Back then, he had already noticed something amiss with Wyatt.

The next day, it was reported in the news that the bosses of Stargrasp had died in a car accident. Jacob had a feeling that it wasn’t purely an accident, and it could be related to Wyatt. However, those bosses had not offended Lopez Group in any way.

For the sake of his own safety, for the first time, Jacob knocked on the door upon reaching the CEO’s office.

“Come in!”

From the tone of the man’s voice, Jacob could tell at once that he was not in the best of mood.

Bracing himself, Jacob opened the door and saw Wyatt sitting at his desk. The man was working on his laptop and seemed to be very busy.

Carrying the things which he had brought along with him, Jacob walked toward Wyatt and said, “Wyatt, you’re working too hard. You’re practically living in the office.”

Wyatt looked up.

When he saw Jacob, he frowned and said impatiently, “Stop coming here so frequently. I’m not free to drink with you!”

“I’m not here for that. Why are you so angry?” Jacob placed the things on the desk cautiously and said, “We have signed the contract, and I’m here to thank you.”

“Just leave the things here and get lost!” Wyatt went back to his work after saying that and ignored Jacob.

Jacob was at a loss for words.

He was really curious about what had happened to Wyatt that caused such a major change in him.

As Jacob had something to speak to Wyatt about, he did not leave even after being scolded. Instead, he sat down quietly and did not even dare to breathe loudly.

After a while, Wyatt looked up and realized that Jacob was still around. Feeling a flicker of irritation, he said, “Didn’t I tell you to get lost?”

“You did. I’m getting lost soon.” Jacob scratched his nose awkwardly and set his ego aside before continuing, “I have a favor to ask of you. You know Jeremy, right? Can you give me his contact?”

“What do you need it for?”

“I have heard of his abilities and want to get him to treat my girlfriend’s eyes.”

“You have a girlfriend?” Wyatt asked, his eyes filled with disbelief. Taking a pause, he teased, “Was she chosen by your mom?”

Jacob rolled his eyes and replied, “Oh heck! I’m not only rich and handsome, but I’m also a Samaritan. What’s so surprising about me having a girlfriend? I’m even going to have a kid soon! I will eat dog poop if I’m lying to you!”

Wyatt sneered, “You took advantage of the fact that she was blind and tricked her to be your girlfriend, right?”

“Am I that shameless?” Jacob snorted.

Besides, it was not he who caused her blindness. In addition to giving her a place to stay, he had also hired a helper for her. Even he himself was impressed with his kindness.

Wyatt was bogged down with work and had no time to chat with Jacob. He scribbled down a string of numbers on a piece of paper and threw it at Jacob. “Here’s his number. Now, get lost and don’t come back ever again!” the man said, feeling frustrated.

“Why do you sound so annoyed?” Jacob said before continuing, “I thought we were buddies. You’re the first one to know about my girlfriend, but you didn’t even bother to tell me that your wife is pregnant!”

Taking a pause, he carried on, “I will get you a baby hamper…”

Jacob continued to ramble on, unaware that he had stepped on Wyatt’s toe. Provoked, Wyatt grabbed the wireless mouse on his desk and hurled it at Jacob’s face while yelling, “F*cking get lost right now!”

Thanks to his quick reflexes, Jacob managed to dodge to the side in time and avoided being hit.

However, he did not dare to stay any longer. He picked up the piece of paper with Jeremy’s contact and left at once.

Wyatt was a ball of pure anger as he remained alone in his office. Unable to contain his fury, he swept his laptop off his desk. After calming down a little, he squatted down slowly and fixed his gaze on the patterns on the carpet.

It had already been two weeks. Apart from finding out that Jessica had been sent to Yartran by Rayna, his investigation had reached a dead end.

Those people are trash! How is it possible that so many of them couldn’t even find a woman!

Wyatt closed his eyes, and his mind was instantly filled with images of Jessica. Whenever he made her angry, she would pound on his chest and bite him. She would also act cute from time to time.

“Wyatt, you’re so dirty! You can’t get into bed without showering!”

“Ow! Stop kissing me! Your stubble is hurting me. Are you a pig?”

When he thought about the woman’s weak and thin body and her indifferent expression, he could not help but find it ridiculous.

It’s such a waste that that woman didn’t become an actress!

 

 

Chapter 503

Although Rayna was swamped with matters regarding the product launch at her company, she still worried about Jefferson in the back of her mind.

She would visit the hospital daily every afternoon and would prepare a nutritious breakfast and lunch if she had extra time on her hands, which Ringo would deliver to Jefferson.

Jefferson once commented about how her outstanding culinary skills had ruined his desire to order takeout ever again since she began cooking for him.

“I’m willing to cook for you just because you’re a patient.” Rayna rolled her eyes. “Don’t get used to it. I look forward to you returning the favor when you’re back.”

Jefferson’s lips quirked as he nodded. “Of course. I’ll cook anything you want.”

Rayna brought Jefferson to see Linda the minute he’d recovered from his leg injury.

“Let’s eat with her later.”

“Are we heading over to your mom’s?” Jefferson felt surreal as he’d never expected Rayna to bring him to see her mother.

He fretted, “I would be remiss if I didn’t bring any gifts since it’s my first time visiting your house.”

“It’s all right.” Rayna was amused as she lay her hand on his before he opened the door. “You don’t have to. My mom doesn’t fuss over stuff like these. Besides, you have all the time in the world to do so in the future.”

“Well, if you say so.” An imperceptible smile graced Jefferson’s features as he held Rayna’s soft palm.

Ringo, their driver, darted a glance at them and shook his head.

He thought, “I can’t believe Mr. Hamilton is on cloud nine just because he got to visit Rayna’s parents.”

Rayna used her keys to unlock the door to Linda’s house.

She took a pair of slippers for Jefferson from the shoe rack and called out, “What soup are you preparing, Mom? It smells heavenly!”

“Belle, you’re here!”

Linda wiped her hands on her apron at the sound of Rayna’s voice and made her way out of the kitchen. “You like to eat beef stew with vegetables, don’t you? I made some for you…”

Her voice trailed off once she caught sight of an unfamiliar young man following Rayna.

“Belle, who is this?” Linda questioned dazedly.

She assumed Rayna had made up with Curtis when she mentioned bringing her boyfriend over for a meal over the phone this morning.

Why isn’t Curtis with her?

“Right, both of you haven’t been introduced.” Rayna beamed as she pulled Jefferson to her side. “This is my boyfriend, who took good care of me when I was studying abroad!”

“It’s a pleasure, Ms. Linda.” Jefferson greeted as he bowed politely.

His name was familiar to Linda.

She knew they’d broken up but did not pry because she respected Rayna’s privacy.

Little did she know Rayna would bring him here many years later.

“Hello.” Linda hid her surprise behind a smile and nodded at Jefferson. “Belle mentioned you in passing. I’m grateful you took care of her while she was studying abroad.”

Jefferson’s gaze at Rayna was full of mirth as he replied to Linda, “I should thank you instead for raising such a beautiful and bright daughter.”

Linda waved her hand in embarrassment. “I didn’t do much at all. Belle’s achievements are all due to her effort.”

“I can see that Belle’s personality and looks took after you. I feel threatened that she’s so popular!” Jefferson chuckled.

“Oh, is it?”

Rayna couldn’t stand their conversation any longer and interjected, “That’s enough flattery. Why don’t you focus on preparing food, Mom? We hadn’t eaten anything since the morning as we’ve been craving your food.”

Linda urged Jefferson to sit on the couch and made tea for him.

She asked Rayna to help her in the kitchen with the excuse that many vegetables needed to be cleaned. However, when Rayna checked out the kitchen, it turned out that the vegetables were all clean, and there was nothing else she needed to do.

Rayna was speechless. “Mom, why did you ask me to help when you’ve done everything yourself?”

She turned to leave, but Linda grabbed her hand and shoved a bowl of vegetables in her hand.

“The peas haven’t been peeled yet, have they? Get on it!”

Linda eyed the living room as she was marinating the meat.

“Is Jefferson truly your boyfriend?” She scooted next to Rayna surreptitiously once she was sure that Jefferson was consumed with the television program.

Rayna side-eyed Linda. “Do you think I’m lying to you?”

“What about Mr. Faymon?”

Rayna was still visibly shaken by the mention of Curtis’ name and felt her sorrow swell.

“Mom, we broke up last year. Do you understand?” She continued peeling the peas and said dispassionately, “He and I are a thing of the past. Please do not mix up the surnames of your future son-in-law and accidentally call him by the wrong one.”

Linda was not born yesterday and could tell that Rayna still hadn’t fully let Curtis go despite her nonchalance.

Nonetheless, she would not butt into her daughter’s personal affairs.

Linda sighed. “Are you really so sure that you love him?”

“Yes. We’ll pick our wedding rings soon once work has settled down.” Rayna couldn’t help feeling indebted to Jefferson in light of how much he’d sacrificed for her. “Mom, he’s done a lot for me.”

Jefferson would always appear whenever she was in a tight spot.

What’s wrong with marrying a man that would never give you cause to cry or grieve?

Linda refrained from commenting further at Rayna’s words. “Regardless of who you end up with, all I hope is that you’re happy.”

“Rest assured, Mom. I will be.” Rayna’s face lit up.

“I need not worry much about you, but your younger siblings are another case altogether.” Linda began prattling on. “One is so busy filming overseas that she only returns once every few months, while the other has simply vanished from the face of the earth.”

Linda did not notice the change in Rayna’s expression and started inquiring, “Did you manage to contact James? Are he and Kristie fine? I’m quite worried about them.”

“Belle, what’s wrong?” Linda finally detected Rayna had ceased peeling the peas and was staring at them in her hand blankly.

“It’s nothing.” Rayna quirked her lips. “I was thinking about work matters.”

“I’m so sorry for not being able to help much.” Linda lamented, “I can see how grueling it is for you. Don’t over-fixate on earning money. Always remember to rest and don’t stretch yourself thin.”

Linda’s heart ached for Rayna the most out of her three children.

As the eldest sibling, Rayna had always carried most of the responsibilities yet she had never once uttered a word of complaint. Moreover, she’d always sought to improve herself constantly.

Her life would have been a mess if not for her independent and thoughtful daughter.

Rayna was exasperated. “I’m just worried about launching my company’s new product as there are lots left to do. How could you call yourself useless when you managed to bring up three smart and capable children? Why don’t you continue preparing our meal? I’m famished!”

“All right, all right. I won’t dwell on this topic any longer.”

Rayna was ushered out from the kitchen by Linda shortly.

She washed a plate of fruits and accompanied Jefferson to watch television in the living room as there was nothing left for her to do.

Rayna snuggled next to Jefferson and was almost in hysterics when she saw that he was searching on his phone “what suitable gifts to bring when meeting one’s in-laws” and “how to please your mother-in- law.”

“Come now. My mom is happy with you! There’s no need to search up all of these!”

“I found out that the male counterpart in a relationship is expected to bear gifts when visiting their partner’s mother to prevent being looked down upon.” Jefferson pinched Rayna’s nose affectionately. “To think I believed you when you said it was acceptable to arrive empty-handed. Ms. Linda is probably thinking about how miserly I am despite being cordial.”

 

 

Chapter 504

“Our family is the exception. Don’t overthink it!”

Jefferson replied, “That won’t do. I have made a list and asked Ringo to pick up the items at the mall. He should be back soon. I’m just afraid your mother will dislike me and won’t approve of our marriage.”

“Ugh, you’re really…” Rayna did not know what to say, so she decided to let him have his way.

“When are you returning to Jetroina?”

“I’m not returning, but Ringo will be returning after a few days. Since there’s work at the company here, I’ll stay here and accompany you. Then, we will leave together.” Jefferson peeled a grape for her.

Rayna hummed in acknowledgment. “Let’s go and pick out our rings in the afternoon after we eat.”

Jefferson’s fingers brushed across her face, and his eyes twinkled with joy.

“Okay.”

“Lunch is ready.” Linda brought out a bowl of soup from the kitchen, interrupting their intimate moment.

Rayna pulled Jefferson to the dining room to have lunch.

She scooped a bowl of soup for Jefferson. “Mom made this soup. It’s really delicious. Try it!”

Jefferson had a few sips and praised Linda with a smile. “It’s scrumptious. I realize you inherited your excellent cooking skills from Ms. Linda today.”

Rayna elbowed Jefferson and scoffed. “Hey! You can praise my mother without making fun of me! I might not bring you over in the future. Then, you won’t get to taste my mother’s cooking anymore!”

“Fine, fine. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said this.”

Linda, who was sitting opposite them, watched them bicker with each other.

There was always a smile on Jefferson. It was as if all he could see was Rayna.

Afraid that Rayna’s hair would fall into the soup, he used a scrunchy to tie it up.

Every move of his was gentle.

Linda watched their interactions. It’s good if Rayna marries a man like this.

After lunch, Rayna helped Linda clear the table.

Linda glanced at her and realized Rayna’s stomach was slightly rounder than usual. She immediately came to a realization and pulled Rayna to a corner. “Belle, a-are you pregnant?”

Rayna did not hide the truth since Linda found out. “Yes, I am.”

“How many months?”

“A little over five months.”

Linda stared at Rayna’s stomach for a long moment. She did not know how to react to this news. “Who’s the father?”

“I already brought my boyfriend here. Who do you think the father is?” With that, Rayna turned around and opened the tap to wash the utensils and plates before continuing, “I’m only pregnant. You don’t need to freak out.”

“Let me do it. Stop doing the dishes, as dishwashing liquid is harmful to your hands. You shouldn’t touch it since you’re pregnant.”

Rayna frowned. “This won’t hurt the baby. Don’t freak out, Mom.”

“You don’t need to do so many chores at home. It’s not as if I can’t wash them.” Linda washed the plates and asked, “Are you getting married because you’re pregnant?”

“No, I really want to marry him.”

Linda looked at her stomach and grumbled, “Then, why did you not tell me about such a big matter? You won’t tell me if I didn’t notice it, right?”

Rayna could feel a headache coming. “I’m just afraid you’ll be concerned about me, so I decided not to tell you. You also seem to be very busy with your store.”

“My grandchild is far more important to me than the store. Why don’t you apply for leave and come back so I can look after you? It will be simpler for me to manage your nutrition.”

Rayna remained silent.

“Oh, right. Belle, how many children are you having? Have you gone to the hospital for regular check- ups?”

Rayna did not reply to her.

She couldn’t stand Linda bombarding her with questions and slipped out of the kitchen. She took her belongings and urged Jefferson to leave.

“What happened? Ringo isn’t here yet,” Jefferson asked.

Rayna wore her shoes and pushed open the door. “Mom found out I’m pregnant. She’s nagging at me, and I can’t stand it anymore. Let’s go. You can let Ringo send the items up here later.”

“Okay.”

Rayna had put on her jacket and was about to leave the house when she noticed the woman walking over to her. Her expression froze over.

“Rayna, you’re back?” Sandy greeted Rayna.

Rayna nodded. “Mrs. Verlice.”

Sandy raised the basket in her hand. “A business partner from the company has given us a box of crabs. There are not enough people at home to finish it, so I brought some for your mother to make dishes.”

At this moment, Jefferson also wore his shoes and walked out of the house. He immediately noticed Sandy.

When Sandy saw Jefferson, the smile on her face faded slightly.

Jefferson didn’t pay attention to who Rayna was talking to, so he was surprised when he saw Sandy.

He felt discomfort in his chest as he recalled his previous conversation with her.

Rayna felt the change in atmosphere and immediately grabbed Jefferson’s hand. “Mrs. Verlice, you can go in. We have something else to do first, so we will be leaving first.”

Sandy stood rooted to the spot, and her gaze fell on Rayna’s and Jefferson’s intertwined arms. “Are you guys dating?”

Rayna could not just ignore her and leave without responding to her.

Therefore, she grabbed Jefferson’s arm tightly and nodded lightly. “Yes. We’re about to get married.”

“Get married?” Sandy repeated Rayna’s words before mustering a smile. “Then, I have to congratulate you guys.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Verlice.”

After saying that, she left with Jefferson quickly.

She heaved a sigh of relief after entering the elevator.

Sandy was looking at Jefferson strangely just now, so Rayna was afraid Sandy would say some hateful words that would hurt Jefferson.

“Shall we go to the mall to choose our rings?” Rayna asked.

When she turned around, she noticed that Jefferson was in a daze. He did not seem to have heard what she was saying, so she gave him a light pat. “Jefferson?”

Jefferson instantly jolted back to his senses and asked her softly, “What’s the matter?”

“I’m asking where you want to go and choose our rings.”

Jefferson smiled. “It’s up to you. We will go to the place you like.”

Rayna knew he was forcing a smile and felt sorry for him. She locked her fingers with his and uttered, “Don’t think about the past. Let bygones be bygones. You won’t be lonely in the future.”

“I’m not overthinking. I’m just—” Jefferson swallowed and did not know what to say.

He only felt resentful.

He was aware Sandy had returned to the Faymon residence and that Curtis did not frequent the Faymon residence. However, since Curtis did not chase her out of the residence, it meant that he acknowledged her as his mother.

Although she gave birth to Jefferson, she hated and did not acknowledge him as her son because of his father. She only saw Curtis as her son.

He did not understand why he had to live with such unfair treatment.

Rayna held Jefferson’s face and forced him to look at her. “Look at me. Am I pretty?”

“Of course. You’re gorgeous.”

Rayna gave him a kiss and grinned. “That’s it. Aren’t you satisfied having such a gorgeous wife who is spending the rest of her life with you?”

Jefferson’s discomfort in his chest dissipated as he looked at Rayna’s smile.

That’s right. I already have her. That’s enough.

Jefferson smiled back at her and kissed her hand. He touched her chubby hands. “Yes, I’m satisfied. If we buy the rings now, won’t your ring get stuck on your finger once you gain weight from your pregnancy?”

Rayna glared at him. “What do you mean by this? Are you not going to buy the rings? I can keep the ring when I gain weight and wear it after giving birth.”

 

 

Chapter 505

“All right, all right. I’ll stop.” After getting chastised by Rayna, Jefferson dared not utter another word.

When the elevator arrived on the first floor, he led her out.

Standing outside the elevator’s doors was a man who seemed to be waiting to take the elevator. He was tall but plain-looking, had some wrinkles around his eyes, and appeared to be about fifty years old.

It just so happened that Rayna glanced at the man at the same time he gazed at her. He looked exceedingly familiar to her.

By the time they stepped out of the elevator, the man had already gotten into it.

Still sensing that something was odd, she could not refrain from turning around to take another look at the man. However, the doors had already slid shut.

Jefferson noticed her strange behavior and asked, “What’s the matter?”

She withdrew her gaze and responded teasingly, “Oh, it’s nothing. A guy just went into the elevator, right? Well, I was merely wondering whether you’ll be as robust and dashing as him when you get old.”

Since there was no saying how long he had to live, the words “getting old” did not apply to him.

However, her inadvertent mention of it weighed heavily on his heart, and a thought popped into his mind. I want to live and spend the rest of my life with her.

Struck with the belated realization of what she had just said, Rayna paled and held his hand tightly. “Will you look at what nonsense I’m saying? You’re far more handsome than that guy, so in the future…”

The more anxious she got, the more confused she was. She did not even know what to say anymore.

“Relax. I know what you mean.” Smiling tenderly, Jefferson brushed the stray strands of hair on her cheek behind her ear. “No matter how old or wrinkled I become, you’ll never shun me. Am I right?”

She nodded vigorously. “I’ll never shun you. I can even keep a close eye on you every day.”

Taking her hand, he led her outside while saying with a smile, “That won’t do. You’ll be tired of me if you stare at me so much. Do you feel like having spicy stew? After picking out the ring, let’s go to the supermarket. We’ll have stew tonight.”

“Really? Why are you suddenly allowing me to eat that?” Indeed, she had not eaten stew in a long time and craved it badly.

“It has been a while since you got your injections. Having spicy food occasionally should be fine.”

Rayna smiled without saying anything. She held his hand tightly and leaned against him.

Now, this is the life I desire. I want a man who loves me, dotes on me, and only has eyes for me. With a man like that caring for and protecting me, I won’t have to worry about anything.

The pair headed to the Cartier store by car, and a sales assistant welcomed them when they arrived.

After learning they were looking for a wedding ring, the sales assistant brought out all the best-selling rings over the past two years and helped Rayna try them on one by one.

However, Jefferson frowned as he stood and watched, clearly dissatisfied.

“This style is all right, but the diamond looks too small and isn’t brilliant enough. Are these all the best ones you have?” he asked the sales assistant.

Glancing at the ring on her finger, Rayna thought it looked fine. “A one point three-carat diamond has quite a bit of weight already. This ring looks rather nice. Why don’t we get this one?

Nonetheless, he shook his head.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Didn’t you say I could pick what I wanted? Why are you shaking your head now?”

“It’d be meaningless to buy an ordinary ring. If we’re going to buy one, we should get the best. It’s not like I can’t afford it,” he replied.

His response left Rayna speechless.

Seeing that none of the rings in the box had caught Jefferson’s eye and that he seemed as though he was about to leave with Rayna, the sales assistant suddenly thought of something and asked Jefferson in a cautious tone, “If you don’t have a budget, we do have a pink diamond. Would you like to have a look at it?”

Jefferson looked displeased. “If you still have nicer pieces, why didn’t you bring them out?”

The sales assistant smiled apologetically and hurried off to get the ring, returning less than a minute later with a ring box.

As soon as the sales assistant gently lifted the lid, Rayna found her gaze instantly drawn to the pink diamond lying on the black velvet.

Real pink diamonds had a soft hue with relatively higher clarity.

After laying eyes on it, Rayna finally realized how gorgeous a diamond could look with just a difference in color.

“This pink diamond weighs one point six carats and is uncut. The petal-like pattern is completely natural. Do you like it?” the sales assistant asked while slipping the ring onto Rayna’s finger.

Rayna nodded. “It feels a little heavy on my finger, but it’s truly stunning. I felt the urge to buy it the second you brought it out.”

I can finally understand why women are so obsessed with jewelry.

She held up her hand with the ring in front of Jefferson and tilted it this way and that. “What do you think? It’s a veritable treasure. An absolute beauty, isn’t it?”

He chuckled in amusement.

Grabbing her hand, he held it close to his lips and kissed it. In a satisfied tone, he responded, “An absolute beauty. Let’s buy it.”

Seeing that she had closed a big sale, the sales assistant beamed. “Your husband treats you so well! Please come this way to our VIP room. The paperwork for buying this pink diamond is a little complicated.”

Hence, the couple followed her to the VIP room.

The sales assistant registered Rayna’s details and was about to charge the purchase to the credit card when the door to the VIP room opened. A woman in uniform who looked capable and experienced walked in. She had a tag on her chest that indicated she was the manager.

“I’m sorry for interrupting,” she said, shooting Rayna and Jefferson an apologetic smile while approaching the sales assistant. Once she was standing behind the sales assistant, she hissed angrily, “What do you think you’re doing? Someone has already reserved that pink diamond!”

“Huh?” Panicking, the sales assistant lowered her voice and said to the manager, “I didn’t know that. I thought the central store sent it over. What shall we do now? They’ve already signed the agreement.”

“The person who reserved it is Mr. Faymon. What do you think we can do?”

“M-Mr. Faymon from Faymon Group?” The sales assistant was dumbfounded.

If I’d known that a bigshot like him has reserved it, I wouldn’t have dared to sell it even if it meant tens of thousands in my sales performance!

“Couldn’t you have asked me before bringing out the pink diamond?” the manager demanded, glaring at her.

When the manager raised her head a moment later, she was all smiles as she turned to Rayna and Jefferson.

“My apologies, sir. My staff is new, so she wasn’t aware that someone had already reserved this pink diamond. We’ll take down your information and contact you as soon as there’s another one available.”

Jefferson was annoyed when he heard that.

Finding pink diamonds with such high clarity during mining is scarce, so there’s no saying when we’ll come across another one. Even if we end up waiting for a year and a half, that’d be considered quick. However, Rayna and I are getting married soon.

Although Rayna also felt disappointed, she said nothing and moved to take the ring off.

I like this pink diamond quite a lot, but someone has already reserved it, so there’s nothing I can do about it. Besides, it’s rather heavy. And if I lose it at a party or something, I’ll be devastated.

“Keep it on,” Jefferson told her, placing a hand over hers. Then, he turned to the manager and said, “Then, he turned to the manager and said, “Give that customer a call. Tell him that if he lets me have this pink diamond, I’ll give him double the price of this ring.”

The manager looked troubled. “That… The customer is incredibly wealthy and not short on money.”

“Give it a shot. After all, no one will say ‘no’ to money. If the customer refuses to let us have it, we’ll take off the ring,” Jefferson replied calmly.

Here, Rayna moved closer to him and said softly, “Never mind. Let’s go check out another store.”

Stroking the pink diamond ring on her finger, he responded gently, “Wait just a little longer. It’s not every day that you find something you like so much. I’ll look like an incompetent id*ot if I don’t buy it for you.”

The manager was silent.

Seeing how willful Jefferson was acting, the woman had no choice but to bite the bullet and call Curtis.

Once the call went through, she heard a deep male voice on the other end of the line. “Hello.”

“Mr. Faymon, I’m Ms. Zablinsky from the Cartier store,” she said, giving her name. In a cautious tone, she continued, “Do you still remember the pink diamond ring you ordered from us?”

 

 

 

Chapter 506

Curtis hummed an answer coldly and murmured, “I don’t want it anymore. You can sell it off.”

The manager froze, thinking she had misheard Curtis’ words. “Mr. Faymon, are you sure you don’t want this pink diamond?”

“Yes. Is there anything else?”

When the manager heard the coldness in Curtis’ tone, her heart tensed. “All right, Mr. Faymon. The deposit will be—”

…

Alas, the call ended before she could even finish.

The manager was left dumbfounded for a long time. She could not understand why Curtis asked them to pick a pink diamond months ago and give it an extremely high price only to say he did not want it anymore now.

Nonetheless, she put away the phone and returned to Rayna’s and Jefferson’s company. “Sorry for keeping you waiting. The customer says he doesn’t want the pink diamond anymore. You may purchase it at the normal price.”

Jefferson was slightly puzzled, but he quickly put on a smile and said, “He doesn’t want it anymore? Very well. I’ll pay by card.”

After going through a thirty-minute payment process, the pink diamond was finally in their possession.

Rayna felt a little nervous walking out of the store wearing such a large pink diamond. “This pink diamond looks rather loud in broad daylight. Perhaps I should keep it and bring it out again during the engagement ceremony.”

Jefferson took her hand. “It’s okay. Just keep it on. Let the other women see it. Let them envy you for having such a great husband who bought you such a big pink diamond.”

Smiling, Rayna shot him a glare jokingly. “You’re so childish!”

When they both arrived at the supermarket, Rayna received a call from Carl.

He complained about Kristie constantly bullying him. Aside from that, he also asked when was Rayna returning, for he wanted to have her cooking.

Glancing at Jefferson who was pushing the cart and picking the ingredients, Rayna had no choice but to hold her tongue. “Maybe a few days later. Please have your meals at your aunt’s for a few more days. I’ll make you all kinds of delicious food when I’m back.”

Rayna figured Carl would not be lonely with Kristie around. After all, the former wanted to spend more time with Jefferson.

“Okay!” Carl agreed without hesitation. “Anyway, don’t forget that you’re pregnant, Ms. Rayna. Make sure you get more rest, okay?”

“Yeah, I know.”

As soon as Carl hung up, Kristie, who had been holding her breath by the side, rushed over and asked expectantly, “So? Did Rayna say when is she coming back?”

Carl merely threw her a glance. “Aunt Kristie, do you think you’re more important than her fiancé?”

“Tsk. Watch your mouth, you brat.” Kristie pinched his ears and taunted, “I can say the same for you! Look at you. You’ve become a kid no one loves and even comes to my place for free meals every day.”

“You’re my aunt! It’s only right that you feed me!”

Kristie rebuked, “All you know is eat. Why use do I need you when you can’t do anything?”

Carl argued, “If you’re so capable, why don’t you call her yourself? Look at you whining away when you’re not the one who made the call. From my point of view, you’re the one who’s useless.”

“Say it again!’

“You’re stupid! You’re picky and spoiled! No one loves you!”

Kristie let out a shriek and leaped off the couch to chase after him. “You little twerp! Don’t you dare run away!”

“I’m not stupid. Why shouldn’t I run away?” Carl made a funny face at her.

The duo ran around in the living room, chasing after each other. They made so much noise it made Larissa, who was making dessert in the kitchen, feel dizzy.

Upon hearing the doorbell ringing, Larissa cleaned her hands and went over to open the door.

“Huh? Who are you?” She was stunned to see a middle-aged man standing at the door. “Have you gotten the wrong house?”

“I’m Samson. Mr. Faymon sent me over to take care of Ms. Winton,” he informed.

At the same time, he handed a contract to her.

After flipping through the contract and making sure there were no errors, Larissa opened the door wider and invited Samson in. “Ms. Winton is quite easy to take care of. It’s just that she can be a little picky with her food. You’ll get used to it—”

“Does she need anyone to keep her company when she sleeps?”

“In the past, yes. But not anymore.” Larissa scrutinized him, thinking it was Curtis who told him about that fact. “Oh, right. Ms. Winton still needs to take her medicines. You’ll need to put it in her milk every night.”

Suddenly, Samson stopped in his tracks and watched the duo messing around in the living room. A pained look appeared in his eyes.

“Does she still have nightmares often?”

“Yes. The kitchen’s here.” Larissa pointed at the kitchen and continued, “I’ll need you to prepare a meal for me to review. If Ms. Winton doesn’t eat your cooking, then I’m afraid I can’t let you stay.”

“You brat! Don’t run away!” Kristie shouted as she ran in their direction.

She was too focused on running after Carl that she did not see the person in front of him. In the end, she slammed into a wall of sinews.

The impact caused her to fall backwards.

Thankfully, Samson swiftly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

A shocked look spread across her face. As she patted her chest to calm herself down, she wondered how did Larissa have so much strength. The moment she looked up and saw Samson’s face, her eyes widened.

“Perv*rt! Why are you in my house?”

Larissa piped up, “Please don’t scold him, Ms. Winton. He’s the one Mr. Faymon sent to take care of you. I can’t come in the future since I have to take care of my grandson. His name’s Samson, by the way.”

“What? I don’t want him to take care of me. He’s a perv*rt!” Kristie grumbled.

Just then, she realized Samson’s arm was still around her waist. Thinking back to the intimate position they were in earlier, Kristie hastily leaped out of his embrace and complained to Larissa. “Look! He touched my waist! He’s so shameless!”

“Don’t be so narcissistic, Aunt Kristie. He was only helping you up when you almost fell just now. Stop thinking that everyone’s interested in you just because you’re pretty,” Carl uttered with disdain.

Kristie gave him a gentle smack on the head. “You twit. I am the most beautiful person on earth. Why? Can’t you accept it?”

Carl was caught off guard by Kristie’s smacking, so he held his head and wailed.

“I’ll borrow him for a while.” Samson smiled and swooped Carl up. “I have something to tell him.”

Then, he brought the child to a bedroom and shut the door.

In the meantime, Kristie froze for several seconds before she finally registered what Larissa had said. She turned to look at Larissa and asked, “Isn’t he sent here by Curt? How is it that he knows that brat? And what’s with that ‘I have something to tell him’? Why does he have to go to my room?”

Alas, Larissa shook her head. “I’m not too sure either.”

Kristie conjured up all kinds of crazy ideas, which made her rush over and knock on her bedroom door. “Hey, open the door! I won’t let you off if lay a finger on my nephew! Open the door, you perv*rt! I’m going to call the police if you don’t! I mean it!”

Kristie banged the door frantically for a long time until her hands were sore.

Just as she was about to make a police report, the door finally opened.

Immediately, Carl scurried out of the room, picked up his baseball cap from the living room, and fled.

“Where are you going, you brat?”

Seeing that, Kristie attempted to run after him, but her wrist was caught hold by someone.

“Don’t worry. He’s just going to discuss something with Mr. Faymon. Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll cook for you,” said Samson.

“Ugh! I don’t want you to take care of me.” Kristie pulled her hand free. Everything about him disgusted her. “I want Curt to find me someone younger. You’re too old!”

“Do you want to have some pork chop with cream sauce?”

Kristie was dumbfounded; she did not know how to talk back all of a sudden. Instead, she began salivating over the mere thought of the food. “Is it yummy?”

Smiling, Samson said, “Yes. I promise you’ll love it.”

“Oh, please.” Kristie snorted, unwilling to believe him. “Mdm. Lovett’s cooking is great, but I can only take a few mouthfuls.”

“What about this? If the food I make is yummy, then you’ll have to let me stay.”

After giving it some thought, Kristie agreed, “Remember what you said! Don’t go saying that I’ve bullied you when things don’t turn out the way you wanted.”

Fine. I’m going to make him accept the reality and get lost sooner.

When Larissa saw how well Kristie got along with Samson, she left the house quietly. Well, there’s nothing much I can do here now. I’ll just come over tomorrow if his cooking is not acceptable.

 

 

 

Chapter 507

Kristie slumped on the couch. She was bored out of her mind flipping through the channels on the television and peeping into the kitchen.

This weirdo’s cooking skills seem deft.

About half an hour later, Samson served the dishes in the dining area. “Ms. Winton, the food is ready.”

As the irresistible smell filled the air, Kristie hurriedly got up and strode toward the dining table.

When she saw that it was pork chop with cream sauce, her stomach started rumbling.

Samson passed her a fork and urged, “Have a bite.”

“It smells good, but I’m sure it tastes bad.” Kristie scoffed, “You’d better start packing and get ready to leave.”

Then, she had a piece of piping hot pork chop.

It was unexpectedly delicious! The insults she was ready to hurl at him immediately turned into compliments. “Wow! This is superb! Hang on… Why does it taste exactly the same as the food you ordered for me the last time?”

Kristie took another bite and confirmed that the food tasted just like the one she had before. At that instant, she shot Samson a death stare and bellowed, “I can’t believe that you ordered take-out and pretended you cooked it! Shame on you!”

“I was here the entire time. How could I have ordered food delivery?”

Kristie was stumped by his question. She pointed at the window next to the kitchen and claimed, “I bet they were outside, and you used a rope to collect the food from them discreetly. Otherwise, how do you explain the identical tastes of the food I’ve tasted both times?”

Left with no choice, Samson told her the truth. “I know that you’re a picky eater, so I told a lie. The dish you had the last time was also prepared by yours truly. “

“Did I ever say that I’m a picky eater?” Kristie was fuming.

“Mr. Faymon told me that.”

What?

Upset, Kristie sulked as she ate her food.

How dare Curt tell this old fellow everything! He even arranged for him to take care of me without seeking my opinion first!

Samson took a chair and sat beside her, asking, “How is it? Can I stay?”

“Hmph!” As much as Kristie wanted to reject him, she knew she did not like Larissa’s cooking. Hence, she snorted coldly, ignored him, and continued eating the pork chop.

Samson was a patient man. He waited for her to finish her food before lovingly pouring her a glass of orange juice.

“Wash it down with something sweet.”

Kristie accepted the glass and gulped it down. Then, she said placidly, “You can stay and cook whatever I demand. You’re not allowed in my bedroom, and don’t touch my things.”

Samson acknowledged. “Anything else?”

“Keep your distance!” Kristie cast him an unfriendly look. She lifted her chin and threatened, “Let me tell you something. My boyfriend is incredibly strong. He can knock you out in just one punch. Therefore, don’t you covet me. Understand?”

“You have a boyfriend?” Samson’s expression darkened. “Since when?” he asked in a cold tone.

“That’s none of your business. All you need to know is he’s not one to be trifled with.”

Samson gripped her wrist with force. “How did you know him? What’s his name?” His gaze was so frightening that he looked like he was going to eat someone up.

“Ouch! You’re hurting me!” Frowning, Kristie almost teared up. “Let me go!”

“Tell me now or I won’t cook for you anymore.”

“How dare you show me your attitude! You’re just a bodyguard hired by Curt. Don’t be so insolent. What gives?” Kristie cried.

At that point, Samson was still glaring at her and holding her wrist with a vice-like grip. It made her blaze in fury.

“I tell you, my boyfriend’s name is James, and he’s super impressive. I’m going to call him if you don’t let go of me.”

Upon hearing that, Samson was stunned.

He released Kristie, and the latter quickly rubbed her hurting wrist.

“Hmph! You’re scared out of your wits now? Try it again, and my boyfriend won’t let you off so easily.” Kristie side-eyed him.

“Yes, I’m afraid.” Nodding, Samson chuckled. “Your boyfriend is great, indeed.”

“Why are you laughing if you’re terrified?” Kristie widened her eyes and huffed in anger. “Are you assuming that I lied to you? Fine, I’ll give him a call now and ask him to come over.”

Samson proceeded to clean up the table. He asked, “Would you like some cream puffs? I’ll make some later.”

“Sure! I want strawberry flavor.”

“Okay.”

Kristie rested her chin on her hands as she watched the man bring the dishes back to the kitchen. She felt something was off.

Eh, why does something feel amiss?

…

After leaving Kristie’s place, Carl hastily took a cab to Faymon Group.

Earlier, Samson led him into a bedroom and requested that he visits Faymon Group to find out more information from Curtis. At the same time, Samson also wanted Carl to tell Curtis about Rayna’s arrest. Surprisingly, Carl did as he said without asking why.

Carl scratched his head, completely baffled. “Isn’t he one of Mr. Curtis’ men? Why doesn’t he ask Mr. Curtis himself?”

Soon, the cab pulled over by the roadside.

The driver turned around and looked at Carl in the passenger seat. “Hey kiddo, you’ve arrived at Faymon Group.”

“Thank you, Mr. Driver.”

After paying, Curtis got out of the cab. He texted Curtis while heading toward Faymon Group.

As soon as he entered the company, a receptionist approached him and said, “Hi, kiddo. This way, please.”

“Thank you, Miss.” His eyes curved into a crescent when he smiled. “You’re not only beautiful, but you’re also kind-hearted too,” Carl praised her sweetly.

The receptionist blushed sheepishly. Then, she led Carl into an elevator and swiped the access card. “The elevator will bring you straight to the correct floor. It won’t stop along the way, so I won’t be going up with you.”

“Okay.”

When the receptionist returned to her desk, a few other staff huddled over her and gossiped. “Hey, isn’t that the kid who came last time? He’s here to see Mr. Faymon again?”

The receptionist nodded. “Although he had a mask on, I think it’s the same person.”

“Why is he looking for Mr. Faymon?” The chattering continued. “He’s always wearing a mask. Do you think that he’s—”

“Is that possible? The child seems five or six years old already. I doubt Mr. Faymon could hide about his marriage.”

“Precisely. Mr. Faymon has patched things up with Ms. Sainz, hasn’t he?”

Several staff were curious about the identity of the little boy who had been seen visiting Curtis at his company multiple times.

Meanwhile, Carl strode toward the CEO’s office after getting out of the elevator.

He knocked on the door and waited for the person inside the room to answer before turning the door knob. “Oh, you seem busy, Mr. Curtis.”

Curtis closed the document he was reading and massaged his temple, asking, “Anything?”

“I was worried that you’d miss lunch because of work. Hence, I got you some chips.” Carl smiled and put the snacks he brought on the table. “See, Mr. Curtis, I’m so nice to you, right?”

“Spill.” Curtis would not fall for his tricks. “Why are you here?” he asked, deadpan.

Carl took a seat and started spinning on the chair. “Well, I’m too bored, and I wanted you to play with me.”

“Why don’t you ask your Aunt Kristie to accompany you?”

“She bullies me all the time. She even beat me when she lost to me in a video game. It sucks to play with her.” Carl muttered, “Should I stay at her place any longer, you won’t get to see my cute face anymore.”

Curtis’ gaze darkened. “Aren’t you staying at Rayna’s? Isn’t she home?”

“Ms. Rayna hasn’t been home for more than a week,” replied Carl. “She has a fiancé, so I’m sure she would rather live in his house. That was why I went to Aunt Kristie’s place, but who would have known she’s such a bully.”

She’s been away for a week?

Curtis was annoyed. She said she was going to take good care of Carl. In the end, she left him all alone in the house the moment she got herself a fiancé.

With his chin in his hands, the inquisitive Carl posed Curtis another question. “You don’t look too good. Are you not well, Mr. Curtis?”

“I’m fine!”

“Could it be that you’re displeased because Ms. Rayna is getting married to someone else?” Carl’s words hit Curtis’ sore spot. “Do you still have feelings for her?”

 

 

 

Chapter 508

Curtis lowered his head and read his document with the hope that he could be distracted. “You think too much. She was the one who initiated the break up, and I agreed. Moreover, she’s pregnant with another person’s child and is tying the knot soon. I should give her my blessings,” he replied calmly.

Carl was dubious about his answer. “Mr. Curtis, that’s not what is currently written all over your face.”

Since Curtis deliberately ignored him, Carl leaned forward and tested the waters. “Mr. Curtis, did you know that Ms. Rayna was arrested previously?”

“Was she?” Curtis raised his head and looked at the young fellow. “When was that?”

“Huh? You didn’t know about this, Mr. Curtis?” Carl widened his eyes in shock. “It happened during your business trip. The incident created a big hoo-ha, so I thought you knew!”

“How did she get arrested? Tell me everything.”

Thus, Carl updated Curtis on everything, starting from how Egret Scents alleged Glory for plagiarizing their products. The former also shared that Rayna was in lock-up for ten days upon being suspected of murdering a pregnant lady.

Carl added, “When Ms. Rayna got into trouble, Aunt Kristie contacted you umpteen times, but to no avail. Your phone was completely switched off the whole time. In the end, Ms. Jessica was the one who met up with the other party and requested they drop the charges.”

“I was dealing with some work matters abroad, and the phone was not allowed then.” At that moment, Curtis’ face was as black as thunder. “I didn’t expect such a thing to happen.”

When he was negotiating with Vivi’s family, he agreed to compensate them fifty million. Out of guilt and goodwill, he also gifted them another property located in the city center of Summerbank.

With that, Curtis thought that the matter was resolved amicably. Unbeknownst to him, the other party became so greedy that they went after Rayna.

“Aunt Kristie and I could not contribute much, and we watched them take Ms. Rayna away. Thankfully, there’s Ms. Jessica. Had she not made them withdraw the charges, Ms. Rayna would have suffered a great loss in her career and reputation as soon as the case was brought to court.”

Curtis asked, “Was there a media frenzy when I wasn’t around?”

“Of course! The news was trending all over Twitter and appeared as the ultimate headline on many other websites,” answered Carl. “The reporters even camped outside of Glory to ambush the top management. You won’t be able to imagine how outrageous those people were.”

“There was such an uproar. Yet, I didn’t even hear the slightest update about it since my return.” Curtis chuckled coldly as a menacing gaze flashed across his eyes. “It seems like someone knows my schedule like the back of his hand.”

The news spread like wildfire when I was abroad, and everyone in the country was aware of it. Conversely, everything went silent the moment I’m back.

Carl was not a fool. He could read between the lines, and he knew exactly what Curtis was implying. “Are you saying that somebody had it all planned out to hurt Ms. Rayna in your absence, Mr. Curtis?”

“There’s no need for you to be concerned. I’ll deal with it myself,” Curtis said indifferently.

He had always suspected that someone purposely included harmful ingredients in the duck stew, but he did not pursue it further. Now, Curtis was a hundred percent sure that it was not an accident.

With that, he was intrigued to find out the identity of that person with such an impressive gut.

Carl shrugged his shoulders and said under his breath, “What’s the point of you tackling this issue right now? She’s going to get hitched soon.”

Curtis shot him a glance and demanded, “Say it louder.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Immediately, Carl snapped back to his senses and jumped out of his chair. “It’s still early. I’d better make my way to the hospital and see if I could get any medicine. I’d also seize the opportunity to go to Ms. Rayna’s and visit my future wife.”

“Get back here!” instructed Curtis. “What hospital? What medicine do you need?”

“Ms. Rayna got them from the hospital once. I assume it’s the labor suppressants.” Carl explained, “I noticed she has finished the two boxes left at home. She probably needs to continue eating them.”

“Show me.”

Carl obediently swiped open his phone and clicked on the photo of the medicine box he took, saying, “This is the one.”

After scrutinizing the image, Curtis frowned. “There aren’t a lot of varieties of labor suppressants in the market. How come I’ve never heard of this brand? Are you sure it’s prescribed by the hospital?”

“Yes, it’s from the dispensary.” Confused, Carl scratched the back of his head. “This is strange. How did you know that there are only two types of labor suppressants, Mr. Curtis? Why did you read up on this? Mr. Curtis, are you—”

“No!” The latter cut Carl off and returned him the phone, looking grim.

“I haven’t even said anything, Mr. Curtis.”

“I’ve got work to do. You should leave now.” Curtis hung his head low and started working as he spoke.

Carl was rendered speechless.

Since he had been ignored, Carl responded with a shrug and left the CEO’s office at once.

Meanwhile, Curtis had no peace at work.

Moments later, he put his pen down and clicked on Jeremy’s WhatsApp. Then, he sent Jeremy the name of the medicine he got from a search. Curtis texted: Help me check whether this is a type of labor suppressant. I also want to know which company produced it.

Jeremy did not reply him.

By the time Curtis came back to his senses and realized the message he had sent, it was too late for him to recall.

Annoyed, he massaged his temple.

I must be out of my mind. That woman isn’t even pregnant with my child. Why should I care so much?

Right then, he received a phone call.

“Hi, it’s been a while, Mr. Faymon.” Jasper asked with a smile when the line was connected. “Are you busy? Shall we meet over a meal?”

“No, I am busy.” Curtis gave him a curt reply.

Jasper scoffed and remarked, “What a pity! I was thinking of treating you to lunch and telling you something about Ms. Garland. Oh well, there’s nothing I can do since you’re not available.”

Curtis narrowed his eyes and asked, “Did you know that she was arrested?”

“You didn’t know, Mr. Faymon?”

A long silence ensued.

Two minutes later, Curtis hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket, and headed to the door.

As he was leaving his office, he ran into Gabriel.

“Are you going out, Mr. Faymon?” Gabriel asked, “Will you be coming back? There’s a cocktail reception tonight…”

“Attend the function on my behalf.”

When he walked past Gabriel, Curtis looked him in the eye and asked coldly, “How long have you been working for me, Mr. Tylinski?”

“Very long.” Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat at his question. “Mr. Faymon, are you sending me to the branch in Norham again?”

“Indeed, it’s been a very long time.”

Curtis recalled the day he took over Faymon Group. At that time, Gabriel was already present in the company.

Gabriel was Curtis’ most trusted aide. He would keep track of all core company operational matters even when he was on business trips.

Curtis patted him on the shoulder and expressed his appreciation. “Thank you for all of your hard work over the years.”

Dumbfounded, Gabriel watched Curtis leave while being rooted to the spot. Curtis’ words kept playing in his mind like a broken record. What does Mr. Faymon mean? Have I stepped on his toes lately? Am I going to be sacked?

He tried his utmost best to recall if he had upset Curtis, but he failed miserably.

Meanwhile, the marketing of Glory’s new product was very successful. The pre-orders made available in each district were reportedly sold off within two minutes of its launch.

Initially, Rayna did not get her staff to promote much on Twitter because there was a lack of budget. Unexpectedly, the promotional video went viral and received an overwhelming response from the netizens who forwarded the video widely and went into a frenzy discussing the products.

Within several hours, Glory’s new product line had become a trending topic which garnered over a hundred million views and topped all discussion boards.

Never in Rayna’s wildest dreams did she imagine that her products would become a massive hit in the market.

Due to the incredible success of the pre-orders, the top management at the headquarters requested Rayna to add two more rounds of sales. They wanted her to reach out to other manufacturers and expedite the production should the current supplier have their hands full.

Rayna was not a tad bit surprised at how greedy those investors were. Eventually, she accepted their demands.

While Glory’s products were being sold like hot cakes, Rayna ironically learned that things turned awful for Felipe. The perfumer from Egret Scents, who plagiarized his classmate’s graduation project and also copied the perfume sample received to make his own fragrance was charged with tax evasion.

His conduct led to an investigation into Egret Scents, exposing many issues within the company. Alas, the company was declared bankrupt. Consequently, all the shareholders demanded their money to be returned, and Felipe was sent behind bars because of tax evasion.

When she read the news, Rayna commented contemptuously, “You reap what you sow. Serves you right!”

“Ms. Garland.” Ella entered the room after knocking. “There’s a new trending topic on the Internet. Though it’s a good gimmick to boost the sales of our newly launched products, it’s a blow to your personal life…” She hesitated and found it hard to complete her sentence.

“Someone is trying to check my family background again?” Rayna asked while trying to stay collected.

“No.” Ella handed her the tablet and replied, “It’s about you and Mr. Faymon… You both just made headlines.”

 

Chapter 509

“Why would I get on the trending topic with him?” Rayna was confused.

Only when she took over the tablet and looked at it did she understand what it was about.

It turned out that the promotional video about the new product of Glory had been widely spread across various video streaming websites and Twitter. Some of the netizens were guessing who the actor and actress were by judging from their side profiles.

Surprisingly, they got them right.

Initially, the netizens didn’t think there was anything wrong with Rayna being the female lead. However, when they found out that the male lead was Curtis, their curiosity was piqued. They started discussing why Curtis, who was such a busy man, would make time to take part in the video.

In the end, they concluded that Rayna was in a relationship with Curtis after talking about the video and the scandal Rayna had with Curtis when she was working at Faymon Group. That was how she ended up on the trending list with Curtis.

Rayna’s lips twitched as she read the comments.

Back then, it had never crossed her mind that Curtis would play a role in the video.

It was all because of that day when Curtis went to Glory for the meeting. She got into a dispute with him when they discussed who to cast as the male lead for the short film and even challenged him to play that role himself.

If she knew that it was going to cause an uproar on the internet, she would’ve calmed herself down at that time instead of getting into a fight with him.

Her assistant glanced at her. “Ms. Garland, the news…”

“Don’t have to do anything about it.” Rayna gave back the tablet to Ella. “Let them say whatever they want. It’s not going to cause me any harm anyway. We can seize the opportunity to use Mr. Faymon’s reputation to promote our new product too.”

“Aren’t you afraid that Mr. Hamilton will be jealous?” Ella joked.

Jefferson had been taking great care of Rayna since he joined the company. The employees were aware of it and used to gossip about them.

Never did they expect that Rayna would really get into a relationship with their new CEO.

Rayna laughed. “It’s just a trending topic. He isn’t someone who would get jealous easily.”

However, after Ella left, Rayna felt that something was amiss; thus, she rang Jefferson up using the internal line to tell him about it.

“I know what happened.” Jefferson knew the situation she was in.

Rayna thought that he was really fine with it, so she didn’t think too much about it.

Only when the news about her and Curtis remained on the trending list on Twitter for about four to five days did she realize that Jefferson was angry. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to her whenever she looked for him.

“Alas, I’m here with you, aren’t I? I’m not going to run away with another man.” Rayna was at a loss when she sensed his jealousy. “I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t for the new product.”

“I know, and I understand too,” Jefferson said. “I’m not jealous. Don’t overthink things.”

Rayna was rendered speechless.

Afraid that he would drown in jealousy, Rayna got Ella to contact various media outlets and ask them to come to Glory.

She’d be holding a press conference in the conference room in the afternoon.

At the press conference, she stated that her relationship with Curtis was nothing more than business partners. She continued to explain that Glory Corporation was still involved in business cooperation with Faymon Group, and the rumors about her being together with Curtis were fake.

One of the reporters spotted the large pink diamond on her finger and asked loudly, “Ms. Garland, who gave you the diamond, then? Don’t try to gloss it over by saying that you bought it yourself. We’re not going to buy that answer!”

“You’re so observant.” Smiling slightly, Rayna lifted her hand and showed the crowd the jewelry on her finger. “My fiancé gifted this to me. it is beautiful, isn’t it? I purposely wore it today.”

“Ms. Garland, who’s your fiancé?”

“Pardon me for not telling you about this previously.” Rayna looked into the camera; her eyes were gentle. “He’s the new CEO in Glory, Jefferson Hamilton. You know him too.”

At the mention of that, the media reporters below the stage gasped in shock.

“Ms. Garland, are you guys planning to tie the knot?” another reporter asked.

Rayna didn’t frown at all. Nodding, she smiled and said, “Yes, we’re selecting the wedding gown at present. We’ll be getting married at St. Paterlica’s Church on the twenty-fifth of this month. Everyone is invited to the ceremony.”

Wow!

The reporters were stunned upon hearing her reply. Shutters and flashes from the cameras began to aim at her non-stop.

This is mind blowing news!

“Ms. Garland!” a reporter called. “We heard that you were once in a relationship with Mr. Faymon. Does he know that you’re getting married soon? Is he invited to your wedding ceremony?”

Still smiling, Rayna tucked her hair behind her ear. “Mr. Faymon and I are just friends. We have never dated each other. Of course, I’ll invite him. I’ll even welcome him warmly if he comes.” Glancing at her watch, she said politely, “Sorry, guys. I have got to go. If there’s anything else, feel free to approach my assistant.”

Rayna didn’t linger around on the stage.

Only when she exited the conference room did she let out a long sigh of relief.

Holding a press conference is so troublesome. I couldn’t even show a slight change in my expression regardless of how blunt the questions were. If something wrong were to be caught on camera, the reporters would definitely create stories out of it.

“Belle.”

Jefferson strode over in Rayna’s direction. He was in a good mood.

“You rushed over after watching the live stream, right?” Rayna glanced at him. “If I knew the reporters would be so troublesome, I should’ve brought you to the stage for you to speak to them yourself!”

Jefferson gently tugged on her hand and kissed it several times. “Didn’t you say that our engagement is at the end of this month? Why did you change it?”

“I feel that it’s too much work to have the procedures twice,” Rayna said. “Let’s skip the engagement part and get married straight.”

Every time she lay in bed at night, she felt empty and lonely. She didn’t know what exactly she wanted, nor did she understand her feelings toward Jefferson.

So she thought of getting wed to Jefferson as soon as possible. If it was delayed for too long, she might waver even more.

Rayna spared him a glance. “Why? You don’t want to marry me?”

How is that possible?

Jefferson had been dreaming of marrying her over the years. It just didn’t seem real that his dream was coming true.

When he thought of how she talked about getting married to him in front of the reporters, he couldn’t suppress the excitement in his heart. Leaning closer, he kissed her. “I want to do it so much, Belle. I love you.”

“We’re still at the office. Surveillance cameras are everywhere.” Rayna pushed his face away. “Mind your image!”

“All right.” Jefferson chuckled and drew himself slightly further away from her. Nevertheless, he was still holding her tightly. “I don’t think I can sleep tonight. What should I do?”

Rayna was stunned for a moment. After understanding what he meant by that, she was speechless.

She was about to get married to Jefferson soon and begin a new life. She was supposed to be happy, but she did not feel any hint of excitement. She was still feeling empty inside.

She had gotten the man who loved her and the life she wanted. Why am I still dissatisfied?

The new product of Glory was attention-grabbing. Hence, a lot of people were interested in it.

After the press conference at Glory, Rayna got on the trending list on Twitter an hour later.

The news about her tying the knot with the CEO of Glory was everywhere.

So there wasn’t a need for Curtis to check on it purposely. He got to know about it through his connections in the media industry.

He got on Twitter and saw the news about them, including the part of the live stream where Rayna happily showed her pink diamond to the reporters.

It was so big and brilliant that one could get mesmerized by it at first sight.

Staring at the diamond, Curtis slowly furrowed his brows. He felt that he had seen that piece of jewelry before.

He immediately took out his phone and clicked on his gallery.

The diamond in his photo album was exactly the same as the one on Rayna’s finger.

Curtis looked for the number that called him that afternoon.

“This is the Cartier store,” someone said politely on the other end of the line as soon as the call was connected. “Mr. Faymon, what’s the matter?”

 

 

 

Chapter 510

Curtis said coldly, “Help me find out who bought that pink diamond.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t have the authority to do so. Please hold on.”

A minute later, the shop manager came to talk to Curtis.

Since Curtis was an important customer of the brand, the manager did not dare to make any delays in his request. After looking into it quickly, the manager informed, “Mr. Faymon, the pink diamond was purchased by a man called Jefferson Hamilton.”

I knew it!

Curtis’ expression darkened, and his blood boiled.

He originally wanted to give the diamond to Rayna, and it took six whole months for it to arrive. When he broke up with her, he had no plans to keep it. Hence, he told the manager to sell it when the latter called in order to save himself the heartache when he saw it again.

Still, after all the events that happened, the pink diamond was still purchased by Jefferson and gifted to Rayna.

“Mr. Faymon…” Seeing that Curtis still had not said anything, the manager could not help but ask, “Is there any problem?”

“That’s all,” Curtis uttered coldly and ended the call.

Curtis got busy for a while, yet he could not calm down. Thus, he launched WhatsApp to reply to some messages.

That was when he noticed a heated discussion going on in a group chat.

One big shot said that Rayna was going to his wife’s studio to pick a wedding gown tomorrow.

If Rayna were to wear their wedding gown, they could gain many new customers by riding on the news’ popularity.

Curtis exited to the app’s main page, wanting to send Wendella a text.

However, he hesitated for a moment and opened the chatroom he shared with Kristie.

Around ten o’clock in the morning the next day, Rayna and Jefferson went to a high-end wedding gown studio to pick the wedding gown.

Along the way, she said to Jefferson, “Our marriage is important, but please don’t tell your father about it. We can return to Yartran and hold a wedding ceremony when we’ve settled everything.”

“I know what you’re worried about.” Jefferson squeezed her hand to help her relax. “All I need is you. I won’t bother about their matters.”

Hearing that, Rayna hummed in response, though she was still feeling worried.

Everyone in the country knows of her marriage with Jefferson that was happening soon. Naturally, Arnaud should know about it.

However, Arnaud was being too silent these days, and it made Rayna feel that he was scheming a big plot. She also feared he would tell Boniel about it and stoke the already burning fire in Jefferson’s and Sandy’s relationship.

Ah, hopefully, I’m just overthinking it.

The owner of the studio had already received a call from Rayna yesterday. Knowing Rayna and Jefferson were coming to pick a wedding gown, the owner decided to close the studio partially and not accept any customers for that day.

When the couple arrived, the owner brought them to the second floor.

The second floor was decorated in an Epeanic style, which was very pleasing to the eye. Every wedding gown displayed in the glass cabinets was absolutely beautiful and dreamy.

“Ms. Garland, there is only one gown for each design in our studio. Please feel free to pick anyone you like. We’ll help you alter it if it is necessary,” the owner said with a smile.

Nodding, Rayna said awkwardly, “I’ve gotten a lot fatter recently. It might make the process of picking a gown more troublesome.”

“It’s okay. Just focus on picking the one you like and let us handle the rest,” said the owner.

Rayna felt much at ease to hear that.

After all, every woman wanted to show off their prettiest side in front of the cameras while wearing a wedding gown.

However, Rayna had no choice because she was pregnant.

Moreover, she realized her belly was more obvious ever since she had gotten that jab a week ago. Even loose clothes could barely cover it.

She did not want to walk down the aisle with Jefferson with a big belly.

Just then, she spotted a diamond-studded wedding gown that had a train. She then turned around to ask Jefferson, “Does this look nice? It has quite a lot of diamonds on it. Will it be too fancy?”

“It won’t.” After asking the owner to take the gown out, Jefferson told Rayna, “Try it. I want to have a look.”

The gown was too heavy, which made it hard for Rayna to get into it with her baby bump. Hence, she called the owner into the fitting room to help her out while Jefferson waited outside.

Just as she entered the fitting room, someone arrived on the second floor.

“Mr. Faymon, Ms. Winton, this way.”

Jefferson, who was reading a magazine, subconsciously glanced in the direction when he heard someone mention the words “Mr. Faymon.” The moment he saw an employee of the studio leading Curtis and Kristie over, his pupils constricted.

Why is Curtis here?

“Wow! These gowns are so gorgeous!” The beautiful gowns in the glass cabinets made it hard for Kristie to turn her eyes away from them. Still, she could still ask rationally, “Curt, why did you bring me here?”

“To pick a wedding dress.”

Stumped, Kristie grunted and asked innocently, “I’m getting married? With whom?”

“Who do you think?” Curtis already noticed Jefferson, who was sitting on the couch. The former’s gaze darkened, and he asked Kristie nonchalantly, “Didn’t you always want to marry me?”

As if trying to avoid being the source of gossip, Kristie pulled her hand out of his arms and placed some distance between them. “Jeez. I was too young back then and knew nothing about love. I don’t want to marry you. You’re basically an old man.”

To her horror, Curtis pinched her cheeks and growled, “I’m going to marry you. I’ll kidnap you to a church and get us married there.”

“Ouch! It hurts!” Kristie smacked his hand and warned him, “I’ve got a boyfriend, okay? Don’t be so rude or he won’t let you get away with it.”

“Huh? Since when do you have a boyfriend?”

Kristie snorted. “That’s my private matter. Why should I tell you? My boyfriend, James, is incredible. He’s undefeatable!”

When Curtis found out who the boyfriend was, his expression turned as grim as death.

He did not expect it to be James.

“Stop talking about him! If I hear his name one more time, I’ll make sure you two won’t ever get to see each other for the rest of your life,” Curtis threatened coldly.

His words shocked Kristie. “Curt, you—”

Curtis instantly shot her a cold, warning look, which made her cower and shut her mouth.

Seeing the employee walking over with the duo, Jefferson rose from the couch and greeted, “Hello, Mr. Faymon.”

“Hello, Mr. Hamilton.” Curtis shook Jefferson’s hand politely before quickly releasing it. “What a coincidence,” he added with an indifferent expression.

With a warm smile, Jefferson responded, “It is. I’m getting married at the end of this month, so I’ve brought my fiancée to pick a wedding gown. I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Is this young lady here getting married?”

Curtis hummed a response and pushed Kristie to the employee. “Take a look and see which one you like.”

Kristie recognized who Jefferson was.

After all, it was a big deal when Rayna announced her marriage to the media. Hence, it was hard for Kristie to not notice it.

Now that she saw Jefferson there, Kristie was sure that the person trying on the wedding gown was Rayna. Of course, she was no fool. Naturally, she figured out Curtis’ purpose for bringing her to the studio.

Tsk, tsk. Looks like Curt still cares for Rayna.

“Uh, I’ll go pick a gown then.” Kristie chuckled discreetly and went off with the employee to pick a gown.

Curtis and Jefferson were the only ones left waiting in the lounge.

Both men had long legs and an incredible aura. They looked no different from top models while standing there. Yet, neither of them spoke.

The calm atmosphere gradually changed.

“Mr. Hamilton, your wife has finished changing into the gown,” said the owner, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Immediately, the two men turned around at the same time and saw Rayna stepping out of the fitting room in the wedding gown.

The chandelier’s light shone on her fair and smooth skin, which made her look as if she was glowing.

Since the train was too long, she grabbed the hem with both hands and walked out carefully. At the same time, there was a smile on her pink, moist lips. At that moment, she looked like a blissful bride about to enter the wedding hall.

“The train is so heavy,” Rayna complained while lifting her head. “Jefferson, how do I look—”

The moment she noticed another man was standing beside Jefferson, the sentence halted in her throat. Even the smile on her face froze.