Ch. 51..60

I Will Spank You

He walked straight over and tugged Rayna onto her feet.

“Hey, who the f*ck are you?” A man to the side instantly got bristled when he saw Curtis snatch her from his table without explanation. “Let go, or you will get it!”

Curtis shot out the bottom of his foot and sent the man crashing back into the booth. While keeping a firm hand on Rayna, he regarded the man with a frosty gaze. “She’s my friend and I’m taking her with me. Any objections?”

As he swept his eyes across the way, all four of them within his sight barely let out a whimper.

Merely being paid to do a job, they recognized that Curtis was not someone they wanted to mess with. Thus, they opted to slink off quietly into the crowd.

Cillian went up and slung Jessica over his shoulder. “Shall we go now, Mr. Faymon?”

That rubbed Curtis the wrong way. “She’s wearing a skirt. Do you realize how’s that going to look? People in the bar are going to start wondering what we’re doing if you were to carry her out like that. On top of everything else, this is going to cause her to puke later.”

Reflexively turning to check, Cillian saw that lifting Jessica that way was indeed rather inappropriate. He swiftly set her down on the couch and, with some unease, picked her back up in a princess carry.

He was about to run it by Curtis when he saw the latter holding Rayna up and forcing her to walk on her own. That got Cillian thinking as he inexplicably felt something amiss.

“Ugh… My head.” Seemingly in a daze, Rayna was enfeebled and unsteady on her feet. All she felt was that strong hand around her shoulder spurring her forward.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she then cast her groggy eyes over. The person who was holding her seemed to tower way over her. With his lips pursed, he seemed so unapproachable, albeit in a familiar way.

“What are you doing here, you brat?” In those precious few seconds, Rayna mistook him for James and reached out to pinch him in the face. “Didn’t I tell you to go back to school?”

Her intoxication greatly boosted her grip, so much so that it really stung when she tugged at his cheeks.

Curtis was pissed. Never in his life had he ever been pinched in the face like that before. He slapped her hands off and shoved her straight inside the car after he opened the door.

Rayna wriggled her body in protest when she got tossed into the backseat. “Throw me around like that again, and you’re going to get spanked!” she mumbled in disgruntlement.

That left Curtis quite flabbergasted.

“We’ve one more here, Mr. Faymon.” Cillian hurried over with Jessica in his arms with the intention to stick her inside the car too, only to see the sullen-looking Curtis slam the door in his face.

Immediately, Cillian turned and set her inside his own car instead.

As if clocking this much overtime isn’t tiring enough, I’m still being asked to send her back. Boo hoo, freak my life.

The car soared over the asphalt like a bat out of hell. Although the road was even, the suddenness of those rapid braking at traffic lights finally sent Rayna tumbling off her seat.

“How the hell did you manage to earn your driver’s license? Get your act together, brat.” Mildly irked after having to endure that helter-skelter braking for the umpteenth time, Rayna reached over the

backrest to the front and rubbed Curtis’ face between her palms. “We’re going be so screwed if the traffic police were to catch us!”

Twisting his body sideways and out of her grasp, Curtis then regarded her frostily. “Sit back down.”

“You’ve got some nerve trying to tell me what to do!” The cussing Rayna took advantage of the litheness of her body to squeeze through the gap between the front seats.

“What the hell, Rayna?” the man bellowed in surprise while he promptly slowed the car down.

“I-I’m going to monitor you.” Rayna clumsily secured her seatbelt before she regarded him gleefully. “You’re too young to drive and have to be supervised.”

Being aware that she had a brother and judging by the way she has been calling him “brat”, he reckoned that she must have mistaken him for her younger sibling. That only dampened his mood further.

There was nothing more he would have liked than to boot that drunken woman out.

A hard bump felt against the rear of the car threw Rayna’s upper body forward, but the effectiveness of the seat belt yanked her back into the seat. “Hey, watch it,” she fumed.

Swiftly switching lanes, Curtis stole a glance through the rear-view mirror.

A sedan racing a short distance behind them was close enough that he was able to see who was behind the wheel.

Jefferson Hamilton.

Seemingly almost expectant that Curtis was looking back toward him, Jefferson let out a smirk. He then sped up to keep pace with Curtis’ car, increasingly narrowing the gap between them.

Realizing that his counterpart was attempting to force him to a stop, Curtis stepped on the gas. He then gave Cillian a call.

“See that car next to mine? Get rid of him.”

“Yes, Mr. Faymon.”

It did not take long for Cillian to catch up from the position he was maintaining at the rear. While he tailgated Jefferson, he also started honking at the latter non-stop. He also harassed him by ramming into his car’s rear end repeatedly. Curtis seized the opportunity to push his own car onward, taking frequent glances through his rear-view mirror.

Jefferson kept up the chase at first but gradually fell behind as the traffic grew heavier. Finally, he seemed to give up, driving off after he turned the car around at a junction.

“Ugh. Not good. Can’t hold it in anymore.” Rayna suddenly held a hand to her mouth as though she was in extreme discomfort.

An ominous premonition crept over Curtis. He skidded the car to a halt by the roadside, but only in time to see Rayna empty the contents of her stomach onto the car’s mat with aplomb. She even used her sleeve to wipe off her mouth before she leaned back into the seat and fell fast asleep.

A sour putridness began to permeate the insides of the car.

The smell was enough to make Curtis grimace. Realizing the importance of that woman, however, he held his breath and opened up all the windows. Then he resumed driving once more, all the while wishing that he could arrive at his destination as soon as possible.

That same salty expression never left Curtis’s face even upon the car’s arrival below the condominium.

Dragging Rayna off the car, he then patted her on the cheeks. “Which floor?”

“Uh…” Rayna mumbled out a number before she conked out once more. She looked rather ridiculous clinging onto him with her softness pressed up against his arm.

A fiery desire was stoked within Curtis’ body.

“Mr. Faymon.” When Cillian carried Jessica over, his nose twitched as though it caught a whiff of something foul. “There seems to be some smell coming off you, Mr. Faymon. Did this lady throw up?”

Those words did much to smother the embers inside Curtis’ heart as he turned to regard Cillian coldly. “Why is it that Gabriel and you both enjoy talking so much?”

“Oh. Maybe it’s because he and I are cousins,” Cillian replied.

That only compounded Curtis’ exasperation.

After he made their way upstairs and into the house, Curtis unceremoniously ripped Rayna off his arm and chucked her onto the couch. In response, Rayna merely murmured under her breath and adjusted her own position while she resumed her slumber.

Considering that it was the residence of a woman, Cillian was quite apprehensive about wandering around needlessly. Hence, he placed Jessica down on another couch before he slipped out alongside Curtis.

“May I go home now, Mr. Faymon?” Cillian probed cautiously.

I’m dead tired already.

“Go on ahead.” Curtis proceeded to swap keys with him and spoke with a straight face. “Help me get the car cleaned up in the morning when you are able to. Thank you.”

Cillian was left staring mournfully at the set of keys to the Pagani inside his own hands.

Without having to do much, Curtis was already able to pick up on the smell emanating from his suit. Though he was not overtly obsessed with cleanliness, he still found the prospect of carrying that stench all the way home with him a little too daunting. Thus, he took another elevator.

Upon arrival outside Kristie’s condominium, he pressed the doorbell.

Soon, the door was answered by a well-built youth with a healthy tan. Dressed in baggy shorts and a short-sleeved top, he regarded Curtis with an unfriendly demeanor. “What can I do for you at this hour, mister?”

Curtis’ brows reflexively creased up, but he quickly figured out who the youngster was. “Why have you put yourself up here? Haven’t Gabriel already made alternate arrangements for your accommodations?”

Hearing Gabriel being referred to so casually gave James a hint about who the man opposite him was. “Mr. Tylinski did arrange for me to stay in a unit downstairs, but Ms. Winton wouldn’t allow me to leave.”

 

Chapter 52 Do We Understand Shower Differently

Having said that, James could not help but complain, “Mr. Faymon, don’t you think she’s too spoiled? She’s afraid of the dark, but she wants to turn off the light and wants me to stay on guard. I have to respond immediately when she calls me. I don’t think I can work here for much longer.”

James was not a fussy person. He did not mind sleeping on a chair. However, Kristie was too spoiled that he could not bear with her anymore.

“She just lacks a sense of security,” said Curtis. Curtis had a good impression of James after talking to him for a while. “I’ll ask Gabriel to increase your monthly salary to fifty thousand. Take good care of her.”

James did not respond for a while.

What? Did he say he wants to double my salary? I’ve only told him what happened. D*mn it! I should’ve said more.

Seeing that Curtis took off his jacket and headed toward the guest room, James asked, “Do you want me to wake Ms. Winton up? I’m sleepy too. I want to go down to sleep.”

“No need. I’m just here to take a shower.” Curtis walked in and shut the door right away.

James rubbed his nose in confusion.

I did notice that Mr. Faymon has an unpleasant smell when he came in just now. But did he really just come here to take a shower in the middle of the night? Do we understand “shower” differently?

…

When Rayna woke up in the morning, she felt pain all over her body.

Maybe I fell from the couch and slept on the floor all night long? But how did I come back from the bar? I was pretty drunk last night. I think it was James who picked me up. Didn’t he go back to school already?

Rayna was a little confused about what happened last night. She then saw Jessica lying on the floor with her limbs spread out right in front of her. She hurried over to help Jessica up and patted her face. “Hey, do you remember how we got back last night?”

“I don’t know! Didn’t we come back in the pumpkin carriage?” said Jessica confusedly, rubbing her eyes.

“Are you still dreaming?” Rayna slapped Jessica on her shoulder.

With that, Jessica finally woke up. She tried hard to recollect her memories while brushing her messy hair with her hands. “I remember someone carried me back, and I think I heard someone calling ‘Mr. Faymon’.”

Curtis?

Hearing that, Rayna seemed to remember that it was Curtis who dragged her out of the bar last night. She then felt nauseous and threw up in his car…

While she was trying to recall, the phone in the corner of the couch vibrated.

Rayna pulled out the phone and saw a new WhatsApp message. It was a message from Jonathan, asking her to go to the office. Unable to think much, she hurried to the office with Jessica after washing up.

While she was on the way, she spent some free time to reply a few text messages. Then, she received a greeting message from an unknown number.

She clicked on the contact info and saw Curtis’ name.

Although Curtis would ask her for help sometimes, they usually communicated via email. Rayna could not understand why Curtis contacted her through WhatsApp.

When she was still wondering, her phone vibrated again. Curtis sent her a series of photos.

Rayna clicked on the photos and was shocked to see that they were all her photos. There were photos of her looking drunk, throwing up in his car, and sleeping on the couch in the condominium. She was extremely mortified by those photos.

She was now certain that it was Curtis who came to pick them up from the Heavenly Palace, and not James.

Rayna replied with her trembling hands: Thank you, Mr. Faymon.

Curtis: I’m surprised that you like to get into trouble at the same place twice. I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about you anymore after this.

Rayna instantly blushed.

It was really an accident last night! I did not plan to go to the bar at all. It was Jessica’s fault!

However, Curtis really kept his word. He promised Rayna that he would protect her for a month. He was afraid that she would get into trouble at the bar, so he went to find her middle of the night. He also did not mind that she throwing up in his car.

In the next second, Curtis sent her another text message.

Curtis: Ms. Garland, my car is a Pagani. The car mat is damaged now, and it costs thirteen thousand.

What? Thirteen thousand? Even Rolls-Royce’s pure wool mat doesn’t cost this much!

Rayna: Mr. Faymon, I was hurt by Ms. Winton, and my injury is not healed yet.

Curtis: Do a check-up at the hospital and see Mr. Tylinski for reimbursement. These are two different matters.

“Rayna, your hands are shaking. Do you have a cramp?” Jessica leaned forward and asked with concern.

“Not only my hands, but even my brain has a cramp!” Rayna glared at her, gritting her teeth. “Why did you want to go to Heavenly Palace? Did you have nothing better to do? Had you ever thought about what would happen if you were kidnapped by some bada*s?”

“Yes, yes. I promise I’ll never go again!” Looking at Rayna’s expression, Jessica chickened out a little. After she woke up this morning, she actually felt that she went a little overboard last night.

Right then, she handed her phone to Rayna. “Hey, take a look at this!”

It was news about Meredith. After being dismissed by Faymon Group, Meredith was invited by Manstow Corporation to join them and became a manager again.

However, not long after she joined the company, she was exposed by someone that she slept with one of the executives to get into the company. Even the hotel that they often visited was revealed. The executive’s wife went to the company and slapped Meredith in the public.

Rayna remained calm after reading the news.

Meredith was indeed an outstanding person. She entered Faymon Group with her ability, although she was promoted to manager by relying on someone else. Rayne heard that Meredith’s performance in the planning department over the past few years was pretty good.

If it was not because Meredith and Julian wanting to hatch a plot to ruin her reputation, Rayna would not have been so cruel to her.

In short, Meredith asked for it.

“She really likes to fawn upon influential and powerful men. I don’t think she has ever liked Julian. I guess she approached him because he is Curtis’ nephew. I heard that the executive’s wife has a very strong background. She has spread the news to the entire financial industry. No company will hire Meredith unless she goes abroad. She is done for,” said Jessica.

Rayna responded lightly, “I have to thank the executive’s wife for helping us to destroy this troublemaker.”

“But I think Julian deserves a heavier punishment. He had an affair and defamed you. In the end, he was only transferred to the Horington branch. Is that even a punishment? After all, he’s one of the Faymons,” Jessica was dissatisfied with the outcome.

Even though Julian is just a relative of the Faymon family, as long as he shares the same family name with them, Curtis will do his best to protect their family’s reputation. But I think that’s enough to teach Julian a lesson.

Julian was indeed a bad husband. However, Rayna actually used Julian to avoid Jefferson at first, so Julian had indeed helped her a lot indirectly. Therefore, she did not want to pick on him anymore after the divorce.

After arriving at the company, Rayna saw fresh camellias and gifts on her table again.

She knew they were from Jefferson.

Rayna was a little annoyed, and she threw the flowers and gifts into the trash can as usual.

“Rayna, this is the twenty-third time you’ve thrown away these flowers and gifts!”

The colleague sitting next to her turned around in her chair and looked at the camellias in the trash can with a sad face. “Do you want to tell the suitor not to send you flowers anymore? It’s such a waste that they also end up in the trash can.”

Rayna twitched her lips. “I’ve told him, but it’s useless.”

She even reminded the guards not to let anyone deliver camellias to the translation department. Despite her numerous reminders, she still saw camellias in the office every day!

She was deeply traumatized by that incident. Besides, she was also not the kind of person who would go back to her ex.

That was impossible!

 

Chapter 53 Errors In The Contract

Rayna went to Jonathan’s office to look for him, but he was not there.

“Are you looking for Mr. Lawson? He just left an hour ago. But he told me that he left a few documents on his desk and he wants you to work on them when you’re here,” said a colleague who came earlier.

“Thanks.”

Jonathan’s desk was very clean. There were two folders next to the keyboard. Rayna guessed those were the documents that he wanted to pass to her.

So she took the documents back to her seat to work on them.

There were two copies of the contract about the sale of goods. They were in Ferropenean and needed to be translated into Anglandurn. She also had to highlight the important terms in the contracts. Jonathan had worked on half a page only.

Initially, Rayna thought it was just an ordinary contract, and she would be able to get it done in a short time. However, when she turned to the back, she realized the number of goods and contract sum did not tally. Oh dear, this is serious!

It seemed like someone was trying to use this shipment to do money laundering!

Rayna immediately gave Jonathan a call.

“Mr. Lawson, there’s something wrong with the 0237 documents you asked me to translate,” Rayna immediately told Jonathan the problem that she spotted in the contract as soon as he answered her call.

“Oh, d*mn it! Mr. Faymon sent me the document yesterday and said that they’re going to sign the contract one week later. I wanted to let you translate the document and hand it over to Mr. Tylinski. But the other party came to Norwal City earlier than scheduled, and they want to sign the contract today. The secretarial department quickly translated the document, and I believed they’ve taken the document out this morning,” said Jonathan anxiously.

“It should be all right. The secretarial department should’ve realized the issues in the contract too when they did the translation. I believe the contract that Mr. Tylinski brought out must be a revised version,” said Rayna.

Jonathan said solemnly, “Rayna, you amend the contract immediately and print it out. Then, you send the contract to Grasim Hotel for Mr. Faymon. They’re going to sign the contract there at eleven o’clock.”

“Mr. Lawson, do you think there’s a problem with the contract prepared by the secretarial department?” asked Rayna concernedly.

“Let’s not get there and get it done as soon as possible.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Rayna immediately started working on the contract.

When printing the contract, it was already nine-twenty. She was afraid that she could not reach there on time, so she sent a text message to Curtis, telling him that there were some errors with the contract in Gabriel’s hands.

As soon as Rayna got the contract printed, she grabbed her bag and ran out. When she finally took the elevator to get out of Faymon Group, she couldn’t hail a taxi.

She looked at her phone again and decided to run while looking for a taxi.

Why is it so hard to get a taxi today?

As Rayna ran too fast, she accidentally rubbed her arm against a telephone pole. Her skin immediately turned red. When she saw a taxi approaching, she endured the pain and waved with her other hand.

However, the taxi drove past her like a gust of wind.

There was also a black minivan that whizzed past behind the taxi, but the minivan quickly reversed. The car window was rolled down, revealing a beautiful and delicate face.

“Oh, look who’s this! Why are you in such a mess?” Kristie looked at Rayna and saw that her arm was scratched. “Are you not able to hail a taxi?” said Kristie gloatingly.

Rayna’s lips twitched.

Why do I always bump into her?

“Ms. Winton, I’m in a hurry. Can I take a ride?” Curtis did not reply to her WhatsApp message, and it was almost eleven. Rayna was afraid that Curtis would sign the contract with errors with the other party.

“Why should I give you a ride?” Kristie glared at Rayna.

I wrote one hundred apology letters while crying because of you!

“It’s not impossible for me to give you a ride. If you try to beg me, maybe I’ll consider it,” said Kristie arrogantly while raising her chin.

“Let’s forget it if you don’t want to help.” Rayna waved the document in her hand in front of Kristie. “I’m actually rushing to send this urgent document to Mr. Faymon, but it’s so hard to get a taxi today. I’ll just have to tell Mr. Faymon the whole situation when I meet him later.”

“You’re lying!” Kristie gave her a dubious look. “There are people from the secretarial department as well as Mr. Tylinski who can deliver the document. Why does he need someone from the translation department to do the delivery?”

“There’s nothing that I can do if you don’t believe me.” Rayna put away the document and walked away hurriedly.

Kristie looked at the leaving figure of Rayna and hesitated.

What if she’s really sending the document to Curt? She looks anxious, and she’s even injured her arm. Maybe she was telling the truth.

After struggling for a while, she decided to give Rayna a ride. Kristie asked the driver to pull over and opened the door. “Hey, come in! I want to go with you. If you lie to me, I won’t let you off easily!”

Rayna heaved a sigh of relief. She quickly got into the car and gave the driver an address.

“Stay away from me! You’re so dirty.” Kristie moved inside a little and said petulantly, “There is a first aid kit at the back. Take care of your wound yourself.”

“Thanks.” Rayna saw a small first aid kit behind her. She took out the iodine and smeared some on her wound.

While sitting and swaying with her legs crossed, Kristie made a call.

“Gray Wolf, I’m busy now. You bring the lunch to the film crew and wait for me there. I want to eat the gumbo from last time, but non-spicy this time.”

“I’m not your chef. You can order takeout yourself.”

“But you can cook, and it’s so delicious! I don’t eat takeout. If you don’t send me the food, I’ll keep calling you to disturb you. I’ll also call Curt to complain about you.”

“Ms. Winton, people like you should just stay on Mars and don’t come to Earth to trouble ordinary human beings like me.”

“I’m so pretty. What a waste if I stay on Mars!”

Kristie wanted to refute a few more words, but the call was abruptly hung up by James. She stared at the phone and yelled, “How dare you hung up on me! You should treat me nicer after your pay raise! How could you hang up on me?”

Unable to hold back herself, Rayna lowered her head and laughed.

Rayna wondered where Curtis found such a courageous man who dared to be so rude to Kristie and even hung up on her.

“What are you laughing at? Don’t you forget that you’re in my car? How dare you laugh at me!” Kristie shot Rayna a fierce look.

“I’m just laughing at my wound. Don’t you think it looks funny?” Rayna showed Kristie the wound that was covered with iodine.

Kristie snorted and kicked the back of the chair with her foot.

It’s all James’ fault! How dare he humiliate me in front of my love rival. It’s so embarrassing!

The minivan arrived at Grasim Hotel at ten o’clock. As soon as the door was opened, Rayna immediately rushed out of the car. Kristie put on her shoes and ran after Rayna.

Curtis was meeting the other party in a small conference room on the thirty-third floor of the hotel.

After Rayna arrived at the floor, she looked at the closed door of the conference room and ran even faster. She pushed the door open and strode in without knocking as she was too anxious.

There were several men in suits sitting at the rectangular conference table. The sudden appearance of Rayna disrupted their discussion.

“Sorry to disturb you!” After entering, Rayna bowed to the representative of the other party and apologized. Seeing that the contract was still with Curtis, she breathed a sigh of relief and walked over quickly.

Curtis frowned. “What’s going on?”

“Mr. Lawson said there are some issues with this contract. He asked me to bring over these two revised copies,” said Rayna in a low voice while replacing the contract she brought over with the original ones.

 

Chapter 54 Apologize

Curtis took a glance at Rayna.

In just a few seconds, he seemed to understand something, and his eyes turned gloomy. “Thanks. You go out first.”

“Yes.” Rayna lowered her head and walked out. After she closed the door of the conference room, she slumped against the door and took a deep breath.

Thank god. I made it!

Soon, Kristie rushed over too. Noticing that Rayna was still holding documents in her hands, she was fed up. “Didn’t you say that you want to deliver documents to Curt? Why are you still standing here?”

“This is the document with errors. I’ve replaced it.” Rayna saw the lounge chair next to the conference room. She walked over to sit down and quickly flipped through the contract.

Her expression turned serious when she saw the errors.

The secretarial department translated the contract without amending the errors.

How could this be? The people in the secretarial department are all top performers. The translation department won’t even make such a mistake. It’s impossible that the secretarial department did not notice those issues during the translation.

“Hey, why do you look like that?” asked Kristie. She leaned over to look at the contract but later found it troublesome. Hence, she directly grabbed the contract from Rayna’s hands.

Rayna was speechless at her action.

After reading the contract, Kristie was shocked. She turned to look at Rayna and asked, “The quantity and the contract sum don’t tally. Am I right?”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“Oh…” Kristie stared at the document in her hands and stomped her feet. “D*mn! These people want to use Faymon Group to do money laundering!”

If this contract was signed, the funds would be transferred to Faymon Group’s account, and the company under Faymon Group would deliver the goods. However, the number of goods in the contract was wrong.

When the goods were loaded onto the ship, another person could transfer the excess goods and prepare another contract. Then, the large sum of money would be transferred into a private account, and it would be impossible to trace.

Rayna said, “It was the secretarial department that prepared this contract.”

“No wonder.” Kristie had been by Curtis’ side for a long time, and she knew a lot of things. She wanted to tell Rayna at first, but she decided not to say it in the end. “Forget it. I shouldn’t talk about these with an outsider!”

Rayna was speechless.

After an hour, Curtis finally came out of the conference room. They exchanged smiles and shook hands politely. Gabriel was then asked to take the other party to the restaurant downstairs for lunch.

After Gabriel led the people away, Curtis pulled his tie. Apparently, he did not feel comfortable being restrained by the tie. He glanced at Kristie. “Why are you here too?”

“I met Ms. Garland on the way. I saw she was in a hurry to deliver documents to you, so I gave her a ride,” said Kristie coyly while holding Curtis’ hand.

Rayna chuckled.

Why didn’t you tell Curtis how you bullied me just now?

“Then I should thank you too!” Curtis stroked Kristie’s hair and said to Rayna, “Ms. Garland, let me buy you lunch to express my gratitude.”

“Mr. Faymon, there’s no need for that.” Rayna felt that this was what an employee should do.

Before she told Curtis she wanted to return to the company, Kristie grabbed her arm and said, “Please don’t turn down Curt’s invitation. Let’s go!”

Then, Kristie leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, “But I won’t let you and Curt get along alone!”

Rayna heaved a sigh.

Isn’t it better to let me go back to the office?

They came to the hotel restaurant which was huge and could accommodate thousands of people. Kristie found a seat by the window and sat next to Curtis. She kept giving Rayna a provocative look, but Rayna completely ignored her.

“When did you find out that there’s something wrong with the contract?” Curtis asked Rayna.

“This morning. Mr. Lawson was away, so he asked me to amend the contract and send it over quickly. Luckily, I made it on time,” Rayna explained the whole situation to Curtis.

After she finished speaking, Rayna glanced at Curtis quietly.

After coming out of the conference room, Curtis’ expression had been gloomy. It was obvious that he was annoyed by the issue with the contract.

Rayna was so curious about what happened. However, Kristie was reluctant to say it. She supposed Curtis would not say it too.

“Curt, why don’t I go to Faymon Group to work for you? You’re going to stay abroad for a long time, and Mr. Tylinski will definitely follow you. I am tired of acting all the time. I can help you with a lot of things! I’m smart!” said Kristie while holding and swaying Curtis’ arm.

“You’re only good at having fun and not cut out to do serious work. You’ll only create trouble at Faymon Group. So please stay with your film crew,” said Curtis.

Kristie pouted unhappily, “Am I really that terrible?”

Curtis did not say anything further. He poured a glass of red wine and handed it to Kristie. “Since Ms. Garland is here today, I think you should apologize to her.”

“I’ve written one hundred apology letters. Why do I still need to apologize to her? I haven’t settled the score with her on how she slapped me on my face!” Kristie folded her arms and looked displeased.

“Kristie, do you know that you almost broke her leg?” Curtis’ voice was commanding.

Kristie bit her lip and took over the wine glass unwillingly.

“I’m sorry! But you’ve slapped me too. So we’re even now!” Kristie quickly touched Rayna’s wine glass on the table with hers.

“No manners! Stand up!” said Curtis coldly.

“Okay!” Kristie pouted, but she dared not disobey Curtis. She stood up slowly and glared at Rayna.

Kristie raised her wine glass and articulated each word clearly, “Ms. Garland, I’m sorry!”

Rayna was bewildered.

She thought that matter was over. She did not expect Curtis would ask Kristie to apologize to her face to face. This was the third time she witnessed Curtis being so harsh to Kristie.

It felt as though he was protecting her.

When Rayna lowered her head, her eyes met with Curtis’. His eyes were cold, and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly withdrew her gaze.

Rayna stood up with her wine glass and touched Kristie’s glass. “I hope you can behave well in the future because not everyone is as nice as me.”

Kristie shot her a furious glance.

“Kristie, do you remember what Ms. Garland said?” asked Curtis.

“Yes, I do!” After sitting down, Kristie held Curtis’ arm again and acted cute. “Curt, I’m feeling a little dizzy. Can you send me back to the film crew?”

“Go back yourself.”

“I’m not willing well. I can’t walk. I have apologized to her. What else do you want me to do? You don’t love me anymore. If you don’t send me, I’m not going anywhere today!” said Kristie, feeling aggrieved.

Curtis rubbed his eyebrows and put down the knife and fork in his hands eventually. “I’m sorry, Ms. Garland. Please enjoy your meal, and I’ll get Gabriel to send you back.”

“It’s okay. I can go back myself. It’s not hard to hail a cab at this hour,” said Rayna.

“All right then. Take care, Ms. Garland.”

Curtis picked up his jacket and Kristie walked away with him happily. She even turned around to make a funny face at Rayna..

 

Chapter 55 Such A Cheapskate

After Curtis left with Kristie, Rayna placed a hand on her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness they’re gone. It would’ve been so awkward. The food is amazing though, but it’s no surprise considering this hotel only hires the most renowned chefs. I should call Jessica and tell her that I’ll be bringing her lunch when Mr. Tylinski gets the bill.

Soon, a waiter came over with some food that had been packed up and handed them to her. “Here are the seafood spaghetti and desserts you ordered to be taken out, Miss.”

“Thank you.”

With a smile, Rayna turned around and was about to leave with the food when two women walked over from the opposite direction. One of them who had a long, tight-fitting dress on and was pushing a baby stroller turned out to be Astrid.

Rayna pretended not to see her, but as soon as she headed over, Astrid glanced up and noticed her. “Oh? You’re here too, Rayna?”

Rayna could only stop in her tracks and nod. “Julian and I are already divorced, so maybe you should just call me Ms. Garland.”

She had stopped contacting Astrid ever since she paid the latter a hundred thousand to help her film the incident where Rolanda had cheated in the card game. She had also helped Astrid move her brother to Norwal City.

Yet, here they were bumping into each other again.

Realization dawned on Astrid. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Garland. I forgot about the divorce. Anyway, would you mind staying for a chat? I have something to talk to you about.”

Despite sounding polite, she wasn’t giving Rayna a chance to say no and had already told her friend to give them some privacy.

She then pointed to where Rayna had been seated earlier. “How about we sit here, Ms. Garland?”

“If you have something to say, get to the point,” Rayna countered frostily with pursed lips. “I thought we became even after I helped you with your brother’s household registration details.”

“Oh, I’m definitely thankful for that,” Astrid replied with a chuckle. “But this time, I’d like to make a trade with you. Would you perhaps be interested?”

A waiter approached them with two glasses and poured them some tea.

Rayna took a seat facing Astrid.

“I saw what happened at the baby welcoming party,” the latter began while pushing the stroller gently in an attempt to let the baby sleep. “I saw Uncle Curtis come out of the girls’ restroom, and then you followed him out soon after.”

Rayna felt her stomach drop. I thought no one was there. She actually saw us?

However, she quickly composed herself. “Maybe Mr. Faymon went into the girls’ restroom by accident.”

Astrid shot her a glance and smiled faintly. “I’d believe that, but you know what’s weird? Would he have gone into the wrong restroom and come out with a lipstick stain on his shirt?”

Rayna thought back to the incident. My lips must’ve accidentally brushed against his shirt while we were hiding inside that tiny storeroom.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything either,” Rayna stated calmly. “It’s not like I’m capable of winning someone like Mr. Faymon over.”

“You have a point, Ms. Garland,” Astrid responded, smiling with a hint of disbelief and arrogance in her eyes as though Rayna was nowhere near how distinguished she was. “If you could even get Uncle Curtis’ attention, you wouldn’t have married Julian in the first place. Julian is nothing compared to him, after all.”

“If you have nothing else to say, I’m leaving.” Rayna wasn’t going to waste her time with this woman.

Who cares if she saw what happened that day? She’d only get on Mr. Faymon’s bad side if she decides to spill. She’s not that dumb.

“You’re a translator, aren’t you, Ms. Garland? I’d like your help with something,” Astrid continued. “My husband cinched a huge deal and will be shipping goods to Tyrandas, but as you know, the people there only speak Tyrandasian. My husband can’t speak it, so he’s looking for someone who does to go with him.”

While speaking, the woman reached into her tote bag and took out a heavy, black sack with both hands. “Here’s one hundred thousand in cash. You’ll get another two hundred thousand when you come back.”

“I’d get three hundred grand just from making a trip over there? Your husband sure has a lot to spare, huh?” Rayna scanned the sack being pushed toward her but chose not to touch it.

Three hundred thousand for a translation job was good money, but she wasn’t interested.

That was because she had taken note of the main keyword: Tyrandas. Curtis was also going to take her there for some business deals. Something’s definitely up.

“Is it not enough, Ms. Garland?” Seeing Rayna refuse to accept the cash, Astrid let out a pretentious sigh. “My husband won’t make a lot this time around. Three hundred thousand is quite a huge deal already.”

Rayna’s lips curled.

Look at that. Now she’s making it seem as if I’m trying to take advantage.

Then, she spoke after a long while. “You know something, don’t you, Astrid? If your husband really needed someone to be his translator, you wouldn’t have come looking for me in the first place. You’re such a cheapskate that you’d rather keep all of this money for yourself, so why would you offer me this much?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Astrid’s expression took a turn, but she continued to feign innocence.

However, Rayna wasn’t having it. “Someone told you to approach me, didn’t they? The only person who can build up such a connection with you and Shawn would have to be his foster mother.”

Rayna had heard bits and pieces about the Faymon family after getting married to Julian.

Sienna Faymon had adopted Shawn into the family, believing in a superstition that doing so would cure her sick biological son. When her son did get better, she then continued to raise Shawn and give him the last name Faymon too.

Although she treated him well, she prohibited him from calling her his mother and only considered him a distant relative. That was why he could only refer to Curtis as Uncle Curtis, just like Julian did.

By now, Astrid was beginning to lose her cool and eyed Rayna several more times. “I didn’t think Julian would be so nice to you. It looks like he even let you in on the Faymon family’s secrets, huh?”

“That’s only normal,” Rayna answered blandly. “We were husband and wife, and I was part of the family too.”

“Yes, it was Ms. Sienna who told me to see you,” Astrid confessed. “She wants your help and says you’re free to charge however much you want.”

Rayna’s expression clouded over in an instant.

I knew it. Ms. Sienna, Mr. Faymon, and Jefferson all have the same goal, but only Jefferson is supposed to know that I speak Uronian. He came to Hawen to see me for that same business deal, so there’s no way he would’ve told Mr. Faymon and Ms. Sienna about this. How did they find out, then?

Rayna couldn’t figure it out.

“Did Ms. Sienna tell you what the deal is going to be?” she asked.

Astrid shook her head and couldn’t help but advise, “She may have said to name whatever price you want, Rayna, but I believe three hundred thousand is more than enough. It’s not like you’d ever make that much in a year as a translator, anyway. Also, I heard you’ve agreed to help Uncle Curtis, but what is he offering you in return? Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused Faymon Group because of your divorce from Julian? Uncle Curtis might just kick you out once the deal is done.”

“You’re such a cheapskate that it blows my mind, Astrid!” Rayna exclaimed in amusement. “First, you offered me only three hundred grand, and then you brought up the fact that Ms. Sienna’s given me the complete freedom to name my price only after you realized that I wouldn’t fall for your tricks. So, if I took this money, are you going to ask Ms. Sienna for the exact same amount in my name?”

Chapter 56 Jonathan Lawson

Astrid was thick-skinned enough to say in a joking manner, “Oh, I was just joking.”

“Really? Well, I don’t want to talk to you anymore.” Rayna got up from her seat and said calmly, “Tell Ms. Sienna to find someone else. I can’t help her.”

Curtis might’ve laid several traps in wait for her and didn’t promise her anything besides the five hundred thousand he got from Roxanne, but she felt he was far more reliable than Sienna.

If Curtis hadn’t protected her, Jefferson would’ve shown up personally instead of just sending her flowers.

She refused to believe that Curtis would kick her out of Faymon Group.

“Rayna, are you saying you’re going to take Uncle Curtis and help him?” Astrid grabbed her arm. “Think about this carefully. You don’t want to burn your bridges, do you?”

“If you agree to help Ms. Sienna, you’ll get a reward. You can ask for her help anytime in the future. If you help Curtis, she won’t let you off easily,” Astrid warned.

“Oh, I see.” Rayna was unfazed as she pried Astrid’s hand away. “If I have to make a choice, I’ll choose Mr. Faymon.”

“Rayna, I knew it. You have a relationship with Curtis,” Astrid sneered. Her voice dripped with disdain as she said, “You kept saying Julian cheated on you, but you did the same thing too. You must’ve done something with Curtis in the restroom that day, right?”

Rayna pursed her lips.

She said nothing, so Astrid assumed she felt guilty. Her voice grew steely as she added, “I took photos that day. What will everyone think of you if I were to send those photos out?”

“I said, I don’t have anything to do with Mr. Faymon.” Rayna shot Astrid a look. She had to be careful with her words in case Astrid had a recording device with her.

“Julian and I are divorced, so your photos will only stir up gossip about me for a few days. After that, I will still go to work as usual. However, your action will affect Mr. Faymon and Faymon Group greatly. Since it’s fake, Mr. Faymon won’t admit to it. He will even investigate the matter thoroughly.” Rayna’s lips curled. “Even Ms. Sienna dare not offend him. Are you sure you want to be the target of his wrath?”

Shocked, Astrid took a few steps back as fear rose in her heart.

Even though Curtis wasn’t born a Faymon, he ended up inheriting Faymon Group. Alfred’s brothers dared not express their displeasure. In fact, they were terrified of Curtis.

Curtis was a talented businessman who expanded their business into Epea and increased Faymon Group’s sales every year. Without him, Faymon Group wouldn’t be doing this well.

He seemed friendly but rarely had any contact with the other Faymons unless it was during the holidays. He also hated being in the headlines, and the media outlets knew about that. Even if he were to bring Kristie out for a meal without asking her to put any disguise on, no one dared to write an article about them.

If I were to leak the photos and put Curtis in the spotlight, Rayna wouldn’t be affected. Shawn and I will be the ones who suffer.

“Rayna, you’d better stay out of this.” Instead of threatening her, Astrid said, “If you refuse to help Ms. Sienna, you shouldn’t help Curtis too. Don’t land yourself in hot water.”

“That’s my business. Don’t you worry about that.” Rayna flashed a smile and left with her takeaway food.

Astrid watched as Rayna left the restaurant.

She then fished out a recording pen from her bag and scowled unhappily.

A relative of hers lost her phone, so she checked the surveillance cameras and saw Curtis exiting the restroom after Rayna.

Astrid initially planned to sound Rayna out and threaten her with the information.

Alas, Rayna wasn’t someone to be trifled with. She kept her guard up and ended up giving Astrid a warning instead.

It looks like Rayna is not a pushover. She has finally shown her true colors!

No thanks to Astrid’s meddling, it was already one in the afternoon when Rayna reached her office.

She could tell something was off when she entered the company.

The receptionists were huddled together as they chatted in hush voices. They bore sympathetic but shocked expressions. Even the other employees chatted among themselves. It seemed as if something big had happened in the company.

When Rayna was waiting for the elevator, there was another employee beside her. Curious, she asked, “What happened?”

“Which department are you from?” the employee asked.

“The translation department.”

“Oh, dear. Don’t you know something terrible happened to your department?” The employee stared at her incredulously. “It seemed that your supervisor was unwell on the way back. He was already dead when the driver sent him to the hospital. I think he died from a heart attack. The whole company knows about this. Don’t you know?”

What? Mr. Lawson is dead?

The news was so shocking that it took a long while before Rayna returned to his senses.

After the employee entered the elevator and left, Rayna hurriedly fished out her phone.

She muted it because she was too busy recently, and there were too many WhatsApp messages from the group chat.

After clicking into the group chat, she realized it had gone wild an hour ago. She read the messages, saying their supervisor was in danger and Curtis was on the way to the hospital. The translation department was in an uproar.

Edith tagged everyone and told them to attend a meeting at one in the afternoon. A few colleagues agreed to her suggestion.

Rayna couldn’t help but furrow her brows. She didn’t know what right Edith had to call for a meeting, but if everyone else but her was there, they would most probably talk about her behind her back again.

After asking someone to deliver lunch to Jessica, she returned to the translation department. The office area was empty as everyone gathered in the conference room with glass walls.

Rayna hurried over and knocked on the door. “Sorry that I’m late.”

“Rayna, what is this? Didn’t you read the WhatsApp messages in our group chat?” Edith glared at Rayna in displeasure as the latter came to the meeting late. Everyone was seated while Edith leaned on the desk as though she was their superior.

“I went out to get something done,” Rayna explained briefly. She then went in and found herself a seat.

Edith’s expression turned dark.

“Edith, everyone’s here,” someone spoke up. “Hurry up and make the arrangements. What should we do now?”

Edith straightened her back and swept her gaze around everyone. In a solemn voice, she announced, “I believe everyone knows that Mr. Lawson passed away an hour ago due to illness. I know you must be upset, but death is unavoidable. Mr. Faymon is dealing with this, so we can only decide who will be taking over Mr. Lawson’s spot after his funeral.”

After a pause, Edith added, “But the department cannot run without a leader. There are many things waiting to get done. I entered Faymon Group a few years earlier than everyone, and I’m also older than you. Before the higher-ups select our next supervisor, I shall be managing the department for now. Any problem with that?”

Silence ensued.

Shortly after, someone broke the silence. “I agree. Edith is the most competent and most senior employee in our department. You know more than us, so you’re the best candidate to manage us.”

“I think so, too Edith, you should just be our supervisor.”

“I agree.”

A smug grin nudged Edith’s lips when she heard everyone praising her and giving her their support.

Clapping her hands, she raised her voice to say, “All right. I shall be the acting supervisor as of now. Please do your work well and show me all the important documents.”

 

Chapter 57

Chapter 57 Disappear Into Thin Air

The meeting ended in less than thirty minutes.

Rayna listened quietly and didn’t express her opinions. When she was about to head out, Edith called her.

“Rayna, if possible, you should stop heading out that often.” Edith stood with arms akimbo, seemingly displeased with Rayna’s attitude. “Faymon Group pays your salary, so it isn’t suitable for you to do something else during working hours.”

Before Rayna could reply, she continued, “If Mr. Faymon needs you, tell me ahead of time. The department has other interpreters, so sometimes you need to delegate your task to others.”

Rayna nodded calmly. “Got it.”

“Rayna, are you upset?” Edith snapped suddenly. Her arrogance had intensified since everyone else had left. “I am capable of being the acting supervisor, so it means that I will be elected to be the supervisor in the future.”

“I’m not upset. You’re more competent than me, so I should congratulate you if you were promoted to supervisor,” Rayna responded. She wasn’t even interested in the post. I only agreed after considering the matter as Mr. Lawson asked for my help. I had no idea this would happen to him.

Edith was pleased with her answer. She bragged, “Even if nothing were to happen to Mr. Lawson, I would still get promoted to his position after he leaves for Norham.”

Patting Rayna’s shoulder, she flashed a smile. “Unlike you, I’m not alone. I value talents, so I’ll definitely groom you if you don’t go against me and show me respect.”

“Thank you, Edith.” Rayna returned a smile. “If you’re done here, I shall get back to work.”

Rayna had other projects to work on. That afternoon, she didn’t have time to rest as she was busy with work. Edith later handed her a few documents, so she kept herself busy until six in the evening.

Jessica had been waiting for her downstairs for some time.

When she saw Rayna kneading her shoulders as she stepped out of the elevator, she hurried over and asked, “You used to be able to leave at five, why did you get off work later than me today?”

“I was busy with work. It was late when I finally got them all done.” Rayna was really tired after sitting at her desk for the entire afternoon. She took Jessica’s water bottle and gulped half of the content.

“What about your supervisor, Mr. Lawson? Is he dead?”

“Mm. It was a heart attack,” came Rayna’s solemn answer.

Earlier, she sent Gabriel a text to ask about the matter. The doctor said that her supervisor stayed up several nights to work, and his body couldn’t cope with it. That was why he passed away around noon.

“What a pity,” Jessica said sadly. “I met him a few times in the elevator. He was a nice man. I heard that he was pretty protective of his subordinates. I used to think that I should’ve majored in translation to be his subordinate.”

Rayna’s chest felt tight and heavy.

After getting a job in the translation department, she learned many things from Jonathan. That was why she never turned him down whenever he asked for a favor.

I can’t believe the kind Mr. Lawson is dead. I heard that he has a twelve-year-old daughter. His wife and daughter must be in despair when they learned about his death.

“Rayna, are you all right?” Jessica asked in concern when she saw Rayna’s eyes turning red.

“I’m fine. Let’s buy some ingredients. Our fridge is empty.”

They bought some ingredients and cooked dinner at home. By then, it was nine at night. Jessica had some work to do, so she returned to her room after washing the dishes. Rayna also returned to her own room.

After taking a shower, Rayna got her phone to see if there were any important emails to reply to.

However, her mind was still in turmoil.

She couldn’t help but recall many things—the loopholes in the contract, the conversation with Astrid at the restaurant at noon, and Jonathan’s sudden death. Something felt amiss.

Is Mr. Lawson’s death a coincidence?

She was getting drowsy when something vibrated by her ear.

Rayna fumbled and found her phone. She squinted her eyes and glanced at the caller ID.

It was a call from an unknown number.

Answering the call, she placed her phone by her ear and said, “Hello, who is this?”

“Ms. Garland, this is Gabriel Tylinski,” Gabriel’s low voice sounded on the other end of the line. “Please pack up your stuff and come down now. I’m waiting in front of your condominium.”

“Huh?” Rayna opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. Scowling, she demanded, “It’s one in the morning. Are you seriously asking me to travel overseas with you at this hour?”

“That’s right, Ms. Garland. Please come down now.”

After the call ended, Rayna lay in bed for a while before getting up. She quickly washed up and changed her clothes. She then stuffed her usual beauty products and clothes into her luggage before leaving her house.

Outside, she saw a car parked below the stairs. Gabriel had been waiting there all the while.

“Why is he taking a red-eye flight overseas?” Rayna mumbled. Curtis hadn’t called her for some time, so she assumed the job was delayed. To her surprise, he summoned her past midnight!

“Mr. Faymon just finished work.” Gabriel took her luggage and opened the door so she could get into the back seat. Rayna roasted Curtis inwardly before she got into the car.

It took forty minutes to get to Norwal City Airport using the expressway.

It was still dawn, but the airport was brightly lit and bustling with people. Most of them were taking red- eye flights. Rayna followed Gabriel into the VIP lounge.

A woman holding a cup of coffee came to Rayna.

They bumped into each other, and the woman’s coffee spilled on Rayna’s clothes.

“I’m sorry,” the woman apologized hastily as she offered Rayna a pack of tissues.

“It’s fine.” The woman didn’t do it on purpose, and her apology was sincere, so Rayna didn’t make things difficult for her. She got a piece of tissue to wipe at the coffee stain on her top.

As Rayna was wearing a white chiffon shirt, the dark brown stain was pretty obvious. She got a short- sleeved shirt from her luggage and told Gabriel that she had to change her clothes in the restroom.

“Go ahead, Ms. Garland. I’ll wait for you here.”

Not long after Rayna went to the restroom, Curtis arrived at the airport. He was dressed in a suit and looked weary. As Gabriel was alone with a suitcase, he asked, “Where is Rayna?”

“Someone stained Ms. Garland’s clothes, so she went to the restroom to get changed.” Puzzled, Gabriel glanced at his watch and commented, “She’s slow, though. It has been ten minutes since she went to the restroom.”

Curtis’ expression turned grim as an ominous feeling rose in his heart. “How did she get her clothes stained?”

“I was walking in front of her and busy texting you, so I wasn’t sure what happened. It seemed that a woman accidentally spilled coffee on Ms. Garland,” Gabriel explained.

His heart sank when he noticed Curtis’ grim expression. “She should be fine, I guess?”

Curtis summoned a female flight attendant.

The flight attendant brought Curtis and Gabriel to the female restroom. They waited outside while she entered the restroom. Less than a minute later, the female attendant came out with two ladies.

“Sir, these are the only ladies inside.”

The two ladies were displeased to be asked to leave the restroom suddenly. Gabriel had to apologize to them profusely before accompanying Curtis to search for Rayna.

The VIP lounge wasn’t big, but they couldn’t find Rayna anywhere.

In the end, they had to check the surveillance cameras.

The surveillance footage showed a woman entering the restroom not long after Rayna went in. A while later, the woman helped Rayna out of the restroom.

Rayna was wearing a headscarf and sunglasses. The tall woman had wrapped her arm around her shoulders, so it seemed that she was walking with the lady. They didn’t attract any attention.

 

Chapter 58

Chapter 58 A Deal

The stranger was wearing a skirt and a headscarf, but it was obvious that he was a man judging from his muscular build.

“Mr. Faymon, I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention.” Gabriel lowered his head fearfully as Curtis’ intense pressure loomed over him. “It was my fault that they managed to kidnap Ms. Garland.”

“Why are you such a fool?” Curtis glared at him. “The lounge is brightly lit. Is the woman blind? Why would she bump into Rayna? Do you think Jefferson doesn’t know that we’re going overseas?”

Gabriel’s head was so low that it was about to touch his stomach.

There was no time to yell at Gabriel. Curtis continued checking the surveillance cameras and saw the man hoisting Rayna into his arms outside. Under the flight attendant’s lead, they boarded their plane elsewhere.

The medium-sized aircraft wasn’t scheduled to fly today, but Jefferson chartered a flight and left with Rayna when Curtis got there.

Their destination was Tyrandas.

Gabriel checked their route and told Curtis, “They should be reaching Avenport Airport at noon. Our flight will depart half an hour later, so we’ll land one hour after their plane lands.”

As Curtis’ expression grew icier, Gabriel couldn’t stop cold sweat from beading on his forehead.

Steeling himself, he asked, “Mr. Faymon, should I get Wildjet here? I can inform Mr. Caulker and get the flight procedure approved quickly.”

“That won’t do. There isn’t any pilot around,” came Curtis’ frosty answer. “You don’t have a license, and I’m too tired to fly the plane. Why? Can you make it fly by itself?”

Gabriel was speechless.

He’s right. Where can I find a pilot?

“Mr. Faymon, I know someone!” Gabriel immediately gave someone a call. He talked on the phone softly for three minutes before heaving a sigh of relief.

Curtis arched a brow and asked, “Who is it?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

When the pilot arrived, Gabriel had already got someone to fly Wildjet over without attracting any attention. It was parked in the corner of the airport.

Forty minutes later, Curtis finally saw the pilot Gabriel contacted—James Griffith.

The young man was clad in a short-sleeved T-shirt and casual slacks. Despite his simple clothes, he looked handsome thanks to his good looks. Curtis glanced at him thoughtfully.

His eyes look familiar. They remind me of someone.

“Mr. Tylinski, you really got Wildjet? The one from the base?” James asked earnestly. He couldn’t believe his ears. “That jet is amazing. Are you sure this is the one?”

“I borrowed it. The rate is calculated per second,” came Gabriel’s answer.

He wouldn’t have borrowed this jet from the base if the matter wasn’t urgent. After all, it was super expensive to fly it around.

“Let’s go. What are we waiting for?” James was all boosted. Earnestly, he declared, “I used to imagine what it is like to fly Wildjet. I finally get the chance to do it now!”

Curtis asked, “Do you have a pilot’s license?”

“I won’t be flying the jet if I don’t have one,” James snapped impatiently. “I have a family, so I don’t want to die yet.”

He showed Curtis his pilot’s license.

James was an ace student who scored straight As at the famous academy. He was ranked among the top five in sniper training and jet training.

Gabriel inched nearer to Curtis and commented, “Students from that famous academy must train for at least five years to pass the jet training. Nevertheless, it only took him one year to pass the training. If I hadn’t asked his academy to confirm it, I would’ve thought that he was boasting!”

“Let’s go.” Curtis returned the pilot’s license to James. “There’s no rush. Just arrive at Avenport Airport before eleven o’clock.”

They exited through the fast lane and soon arrived at the apron where Wildjet was parked.

It was a black fighter jet hidden in a corner without attracting any attention as it seemed to have blended into the dark. James couldn’t keep his eyes off the jet.

This new jet developed by the base hasn’t been launched yet. I can’t believe I can touch and fly it!

“Are you sure I can fly this?” Worried, James asked Curtis in the cockpit, “Flying this jet is like flying a ticking time bomb across other countries’ airspace.”

Curtis grunted in acknowledgment. “Don’t worry. They arranged a special route for you.”

James was relieved to hear that.

He wanted to earn some money but had no intention of losing his life.

Wildjet was a jet with a two-seat tandem cockpit. Gabriel had to take the commercial flight to meet Curtis in Tyrandas, so he stood aside and watched as the jet took off.

Rayna felt uncomfortable in her sleep and opened her eyes groggily. She realized she was in someone else’s arms. No wonder it feels so uncomfortable.

“Are you up?” The gentle but familiar voice caused Rayna to go stiff.

She lifted her head to meet Jefferson’s gaze.

His gaze was as gentle as usual, like he would never fly into a fury.

She glanced around and discovered they seemed to be inside a plane’s first-class cabin.

“Wasn’t I changing my clothes in the restroom?” Rayna muttered under her breath. I was about to take off my clothes when someone knocked me out. I fainted immediately.

Recalling what happened, she regained her senses and clenched her teeth. “You sent me camellias every day and now, you’ve kidnapped me and brought me on a plane. What do you want?”

Does Mr. Tylinski know that I’ve been kidnapped?

“Are you thirsty?” Jefferson asked and offered her a glass of juice. Instead of taking it, Rayna struggled to sit up, but he held her tightly.

“Belle, we haven’t met for three years. All I want to do is hug and talk to you.” Jefferson rested his chin on her shoulder. The intimate gesture made Rayna extremely uncomfortable.

Her body was stiff, Rayna said, “I remember what you said during the cocktail reception that day. This plane is headed for Tyrandas. You want to beat Curtis to it and get that deal for yourself.”

“What a smart girl.” Jefferson ruffled her shiny, black hair. He couldn’t get enough of her hair. “Belle, you and Curtis have a deal, but I’m different. What’s mine is yours.”

“Even if you’re right, I don’t want to help you.” Rayna’s teeth were chattering in fear when she recalled what happened three years ago. “I don’t want anything that belongs to you.”

Jefferson brushed a hand across her skin. It was initially warm but felt cold now. She was trembling in his arms. The realization sent prickles of pain all over his heart.

Did she suffer badly that night?

“I’m sorry.” Jefferson pressed a light kiss to her nape.

He had many things to tell her but couldn’t do so. I shall shoulder all the bad things, and I just want my dear girl to be safe and sound.

“Jefferson, let’s have a civilized discussion.” Rayna pushed him. His breath fanned her neck, and she couldn’t help but shudder in disgust.

No matter what she said, he refused to release her.

“Let me lean on you. I’m sleepy after watching you for so long,” Jefferson said in a low voice. He removed his glasses and leaned on her shoulder.

Rayna’s body remained stiff. She dared not move at all.

A while later, she heard the sound of his soft breathing. It seemed that Jefferson had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

 

Chapter 59 Getting Rough

Rayna tried to move his arm away, but his arm was as strong as steel. She couldn’t pry him off and could only stare at his sleeping figure.

His features, no longer covered by his glasses, looked like they were sculpted and pared to perfection. Even in his sleep, he was frowning. Dark eye circles underlined his eyes, telling her how busy he was.

The sleeping man gave off an aura of an academician and looked like a distinguished gentleman.

Rayna gazed at him as her thoughts flew back to three years ago. Back when they were still a couple, he spoiled her so much. She remembered how anxious he was even when she just had a cold.

One Christmas, she mentioned, “Oh, I wish I could watch the sunrise in Livingsfill, Pandera.” The following day, she woke up in Livingsfill with Jefferson asking her if the sunset was pretty.

Memories flooded her head, reminding her how attentive Jefferson was. He had never mistreated her.

Rayna couldn’t help but reach out to caress his cheek. Her fingers froze inches away from his cheek and trembled slightly when she recalled how he almost killed her that night.

Why did he do that that night?

Rayna still couldn’t understand his actions that night. She was about to kick up a fuss and demand that he let her go when she spotted a necklace hanging on his neck. The pendant was a tiny tear-shaped pendant.

It was a cheap gift from her a long time ago, but he still had it with him.

“Why…?” Rayna murmured as she touched the teardrop pendant.

He could tell me if he wanted something. We were lovers, so I wouldn’t reject him.

Rayna was still reeling from the shock of Jonathan’s death. Gabriel then forced her to come to the airport with him past midnight, but she ended up getting kidnapped by Jefferson. She was exhausted by now.

She stopped struggling and fell into a deep sleep.

“Belle, we’ve arrived.”

Rayna was sleeping when someone patted her cheek twice.

Before she realized what was going on, she was lifted up. Instinctively, she flung her arms around the man who picked her up. She then opened her eyes and realized it was Jefferson.

It seemed that the plane had landed.

“I can walk.” Wide awake, Rayna struggled to get to her feet. Jefferson’s lips curled as he placed her down obediently. Once Rayna regained her balance, she immediately scooted aside.

The cockpit door was opened. Rayna followed Jefferson out of the plane.

They had arrived at Avenport Airport.

Dark clouds loomed above them, and it seemed that it was about to rain any minute. Rayna’s mood was as dark as the weather.

It took over ten hours to fly here from Norwal City. Mr. Tylinski should still be on the way.

“Belle, don’t try to escape. They won’t be here for some time,” Jefferson reminded her in a gentle voice. It only took him one look for him to know what was going on in her mind.

Rayna pursed her lips and asked, “What is the minimum profit you stand to gain from this deal?”

“One billion.” Jefferson made no move to conceal the truth from her. “This is just an estimation. The profit will increase if we get research teams to join in later.”

“I’ve never seen that much money in my life,” Rayna said as she chuckled lightly. Her gaze slowly turned cold. “No wonder you and Curtis need me. I have no idea I’m that in demand.”

The deal might be lucrative, but it was also risky.

“Belle, I’m not interested in the money. I just want to complete the mission.” Jefferson’s voice was tender. He never had to put his guard up before Rayna. “Just wait for me, all right?”

“What is your mission?”

Jefferson stared at her but didn’t say a word.

Rayna’s lips twitched as she mocked, “You aren’t interested in money but still want to close the deal. Isn’t that contradictory?”

Her heart had softened when she saw the teardrop pendant earlier, but it was long gone.

“Mr. Hamilton.”

They were in the middle of a stalemate when a calm but icy voice cut in.

Rayna couldn’t hide her surprise when she saw Curtis approaching them. She assumed Gabriel and Curtis would be at least one to two hours behind them, but Curtis had arrived before them.

He came to a stop and wanted to pull Rayna to him.

Sensing his intention, Jefferson took Rayna’s hand to avoid her from being dragged away.

Jefferson flashed a smile. “Mr. Faymon, where did you borrow something that incredible to get here quickly?”

“My friend is in trouble, so I have to hurry here as soon as possible,” Curtis answered politely.

He tugged at his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. His voice sounded intimidating as he warned, “Mr. Hamilton, you’ve bothered my friend for a long time, so it’s time to let her go. We’re in a huge space, so I don’t mind getting rough with you.”

“I’m a gentleman, so I won’t get rough with you,” Jefferson replied. He refused to let Rayna go. “Besides, Rayna is my ex-girlfriend. All I want is to talk to her.”

Curtis snorted. “Did you ask whether she is willing to talk to you?”

“Mr. Faymon, you’re a big shot. You don’t seem like the type to snatch someone in broad daylight.”

“She’s my friend, and I’m responsible for her safety.”

Rayna couldn’t help but tremble in fear.

She was afraid that the two men would end up fighting and rip her in half.

“Ms. Garland.” Curtis turned to Rayna and said solemnly, “Please let me know if you need my help.”

He was holding her hand but didn’t exert any force. Rayna looked into his deep and determined gaze and felt utterly safe. It seemed like he would protect her if Jefferson dared to lay a hand on her.

Rayna’s heart skipped a beat.

“Jefferson, I won’t help you no matter what your goal is—to complete your mission or get the money.” Rayna didn’t want to waste time any longer. She told Jefferson, “Release me.”

Her demand caught Jefferson by surprise. He gripped her wrist and said, “Belle, please reconsider your decision.”

“I’ve made up my mind.” Rayna’s brows snapped together at the pain flaring up her wrist. “I won’t wait for you, so please stop sending me camellias.”

Hearing Rayna’s words, Curtis unleashed a vicious aura in his spot. “Mr. Hamilton, please let her go.”

If Jefferson didn’t do as told, he would get rough with him.

A murderous aura flashed across Jefferson’s eyes.

Before he could take action, Ringo dashed over and whispered something in his ear hastily.

Something urgent cropped up, so Jefferson had to leave immediately.

Before leaving, he gazed at Rayna intently. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, “Belle, are you sure?”

“Sir, we need to go,” Ringo urged.

Jefferson had no choice but to release his grip on her. He spun on his heels and left the airport with Ringo.

Even after his figure disappeared from sight, Rayna could still hear his voice ringing in her ear. His voice was devoid of emotions, but she couldn’t stop a chill from running down her spine.

Curtis released her and asked, “Ms. Garland, are you all right?”

Rayna shook her head.

Curtis escorted Rayna out of the tarmac. He turned in the direction Jefferson left as an unreadable expression crossed his face.

The deal is right before Jefferson. Why did he leave?

Outside the airport, there was a car waiting for them. A man clad in a casual outfit was driving the car. He didn’t seem like an ordinary man, but Rayna didn’t ask any questions.

The air-conditioner was on full blast. There were also some food and drinks available. Curtis told Rayna to grab a bite if she was hungry.

Rayna didn’t feel like eating anything. She hesitated for a long while before asking, “Mr. Faymon, you and Mr. Tylinski went to the hospital to visit Mr. Lawson. Did he really die of a heart attack?”

Chapter 60 A Listening Device

“Yeah, the myocardial infarction was caused by overworking,” explained Curtis with a deadpan expression. “The company will compensate Mr. Lawson with a sum that is enough for his daughter to finish university.”

Thinking about the contract with the loophole, Rayna was convinced that things were not as simple as they seemed. However, she did not know much about the matter or how to tell Curtis about it.

“Edith is the acting supervisor of your department, isn’t she?” inquired Curtis calmly.

To that, Rayna nodded in response.

“Nobody informed me about it. They just assigned her the position,” scoffed Curtis, whose face turned even grimmer. We just lost someone in the upper management, and some people are already losing their nerves.

“Edith is indeed very capable. In fact, she’s one of the oldest employees in the translation department.” Rayna spoke the truth. Even though Edith’s social skills were questionable, her capability was undeniable.

“Your supervisor should’ve told you. Edith belongs to Mr. Grant, who’s already placed several of his people in other departments, so there’s no way I will promote her,” responded Curtis solemnly.

Rayna simply listened and did not speak. Sometimes, the conflicts at the top management are worse than the ones at the bottom. Even though the vice CEOs all work for the same company, they’ve formed different factions. I guess that can’t be helped. Mr. Fayman is too busy expanding the business in other parts of the world to do anything about it.

“After we’re done discussing the contract, I’ll be stationed in Chanaea. Somebody else will oversee the Norham branch,” informed Curtis. “Your supervisor mentioned you several times when we were dining together.”

It was not just Jonathan but Curtis too noticed that Rayna was a talent when she helped out at the mansion. The woman was not only efficient but also dependable.

“I’m not interested in the position, Mr. Faymon,” stated Rayna in a lowered voice. She would have fought for the position if she had the ambition. Instead, she had suspicions about Jonathan’s death.

Work was hectic in the translation department as a translator would sometimes be required to work in the middle of the night. Still, Rayna thought something seem off when she heard that Jonathan’s myocardial infarction was due to him staying up late.

“Your supervisor had high expectations of you, so you should consider.” Curtis decided not to keep pushing Rayna. “We have to stay in Tyrandas for a while, so we’ll deal with these matters when we get back.”

“Thank you, Mr. Faymon.”

Tyrandas was situated right in the middle of Epea and Aploth. Thus, it had the world’s fastest economic development. Even though the country was full of exotic cultures, it was not as beautiful as described in words.

Other than those in main cities like Irethiel and Illianor, the locals did not appreciate foreign visitors. Hence, tourists dared not roam around freely in the country.

The two arrived at the Machika Park Hotel in Irethiel.

Since there were not a lot of guests at the hotel, it did not take long for the receptionist to get them checked in. An attendant asked Curtis if the man needed him to show him around, but Curtis said no.

“I feel like I’ve seen this hotel somewhere before.” Rayna furrowed her eyebrows as they took the elevator.

Curtis glanced at the woman. “You’ve been to Irethiel?”

“No. This hotel just feels familiar to me.” Suddenly, Rayna’s head shot up before she exclaimed, “I remember now! One of Daniel Craig’s Bond movies was filmed here!”

“I didn’t take you for someone who likes action movies,” teased Curtis. “You and Kristie are very much alike. She looks like someone who enjoys animated films but is actually a fan of horror movies.”

Rayna could not help but pursed her lips when the man mentioned Kristie. “Mr. Faymon, you seem close with Ms. Winton. Are you two dating?”

“What makes you think we’re dating?”

“From her attitude.” Rayna’s lips twitched slightly when she thought about how Kristie looked at her. “No matter what I tell her, she keeps treating me as if I’m her rival.”

In response to that, Curtis smirked. “She gets jealous easily whenever the person she likes is involved. However, we’re not dating. I simply want to treat her like a princess.”

Rayna did not understand what that meant. Why would he treat Kristie like a princess if he didn’t have feelings for her? The woman’s probably going to shout for joy if she heard that.

“Huh?” Curtis suddenly frowned as though he had noticed something strange about Rayna. Then, the man got so close to Rayna that she almost backed away.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Faymon?”

After Curtis gestured to her, Rayna immediately stopped talking and watched as the man reached out for her sleeve.

Curtis then withdrew his hand before opening it to reveal a listening device.

“Jefferson’s probably responsible for this,” stated Curtis only after destroying the device.

“He’s so immature,” remarked Rayna coldly. Even though she did not expect Jefferson to plant a listening device on her, she guessed the man only did it because of business.

When the elevator finally reached the designated floor, Curtis handed Rayna a keycard, held firmly between his slender but strong fingers. “Don’t worry. I’m just next door. Get some rest first, and I’ll get you when it’s time for dinner.”

“Okay,” responded Rayna before taking the keycard.

Like the country they were in, the design of the hotel room was rather exotic. Even though Rayna wanted to take a bath in the large bathtub, she did not do so because she had no fresh clothes.

As soon as Rayna turned on the roaming feature on her phone, countless WhatsApp messages popped up. No one was more worried about Rayna than Jessica, who asked if the woman had been abducted by aliens.

Also, Edith tagged Rayna on WhatsApp, trying to find out what happened to her subordinate.

Rayna dared not mention her trip overseas without Curtis’ permission, so she had no choice but to lie about returning to her hometown for a few days for her relative’s funeral.

After washing up, Rayna took some snacks from the refrigerator. She was rendered speechless when she checked her phone again and got hit by Edith’s mockery.

Rayna had sent Edith several text messages on her way to the airport early in the morning. She told Edith that she had to take leave because of an urgent matter and was sure her superior had seen her messages since the woman was chatting in a WhatsApp group. Even though Rayna responded to Edith in the group, she still got mocked.

“This is all Roxanne’s fault. That idiot!” Rayna bit down on her apple angrily. If she weren’t so greedy, I wouldn’t have to leave the country to help Curtis.

The woman then exited the app before calling James, who was just three floors away from her.

Since the boy’s room was below Rayna’s, she could see him lying on the balcony just by looking down.

James removed the magazine covering his face and reached out for his phone.

When he saw Rayna calling, he immediately bolted upright and cleared his throat before answering the call.

“What’s up, Rayna?”

“What? Do I need a reason to call you?” questioned Rayna rhetorically and impatiently. “I’m on a business trip, so I want to know if there’s anything you want.”

What a coincidence. I’m on a business trip too. Naturally, James decided to lie to Rayna. “No. Just take care of yourself, okay? I have everything I need for school. The amount of homework I have is crazy though.”

“I’ll see what I can get you then,” insisted Rayna. “It doesn’t seem right to go back empty-handed. Let me know if you need money, okay? And don’t skip class just because you’re bored.”

“I’m not going to do that,” sighed James, scratching his head. Only kids do something like that.

James was still on the phone when somebody knocked on his door. “I have to go to class now, Rayna. Talk to you again.” With that, the boy hung up on Rayna.

“Mr. Faymon,” greeted James when he saw the man at the door. “Is there anything I can help you with?”