Ch. 561..570

Chapter 561

Plagued with guilt and heartache, all Curtis could do was try his best to comfort her, “It’s my fault for not arriving sooner. You can scold me however you like. You’ve been shot in the leg, so we need to get you to Jeremy’s place as soon as possible.”

As Rayna was injured while pregnant, Curtis didn’t dare waste a second and quickly carried her out of the building.

The intense pain coursing through her body caused Rayna to break out in a cold sweat as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Despite being in a lot of pain herself, she did not forget about Carl. “Where’s Carl?”

Before Curtis could even respond, Rayna noticed a man lying on the ground with blood pouring out of his chest.

Jefferson scooped Carl into his arms and wrapped him up with his shirt.

Rayna stuck her head out of Curtis’ embrace and asked anxiously, “What happened to him?”

“He fainted after having his neck twisted.”

Noticing the blood on Rayna’s calf, Jefferson tied his necktie around her wound like a tourniquet and urged Curtis to leave as soon as possible.

Just like that, they left the abandoned nursing home and headed for the hospital in two separate cars.

Curtis didn’t dare drive too fast due to Rayna being pregnant. His heart ached when he saw that she was drenched in cold sweat.

Upon arrival at the hospital, Curtis carried Rayna out of the back seat and ran straight inside.

Having received the call a while ago, Jeremy and his team were already waiting for him in the emergency department.

He quickly ran up to Curtis when he saw him running over with Rayna in his arms. Upon noticing Rayna’s pale face and the blood on her leg, Jeremy quickly had the doctors prepare the operating room.

Worried about Rayna, Curtis didn’t dare go anywhere and simply paced about outside the operating room. He would glance at it from time to time while his hands trembled slightly in anxiety.

It was the first time he had felt so anxious.

Thanks to Rayna’s ability to remain calm and stall Selena, she had bought him enough time to get there and save her.

The door to the operating room remained shut as time continued to tick by.

After handing Carl over to the doctors, Jefferson asked where Curtis and Rayna were and rushed over as quickly as he could.

“Is she still inside?”

“Yeah…” Curtis massaged his aching forehead as he asked, “How is Carl doing?”

“The doctors are tending to his injury. He should be waking up soon,” Jefferson replied as he stood next to Curtis and waited.

Neither of them said anything further after that.

Eventually, it was Jefferson who broke the silence in the corridor by asking, “That ring on her finger. She used to wear it on her finger all the time. She stopped wearing it after I bought her a pink diamond ring, so I thought she had gotten rid of it. I’m glad she has been keeping it with her all this while.”

Neither of them dared imagine what would happen if Rayna didn’t have the ring with her that day.

Curtis nodded. “Yeah, I’m glad too. I thought she’d be fine with Carl by her side, so I left my phone in my office during the meeting. That was a mistake on my part.”

I should’ve been more alert. If I had seen the distress signal sooner, I would’ve been able to stop Selena from taking her away!

Jefferson shot Curtis a glance and lowered his gaze.

He had assumed that his love for Rayna was equal to, if not more than Curtis’.

However, he had neglected her safety and didn’t think about giving her something to protect herself with.

Believing that Rayna would have the ability to hold her own, he even considered keeping her trapped in his circle.

“You were the one who paid for the wedding gown and the pink diamond ring, right?” Jefferson asked.

“None of that matters right now.” Curtis’ ambiguous reply was all Jefferson needed.

He let out a soft chuckle as he stared at the red light above the operating room’s door. “And here I thought you didn’t care about her. Who would’ve thought you’d resort to such petty tricks, eh, Mr. Faymon? By paying for the ring and wedding gown, you’re implying that she still belongs to you.”

“I never stopped caring about her. I just don’t express it openly, that’s all,” Curtis said calmly.

Jefferson couldn’t help but applaud Curtis as he said, “Heh… Well, whatever. At any rate, you did win this time.”

Their conversation was interrupted when the operating room’s door opened.

Curtis immediately stepped forward and asked Jeremy, “Is she all right?”

“Yes, but she needs rest to recover from the intense shock. We had the gynecologist take a look at her earlier. Fortunately, her babies are all doing fine.”

Curtis breathed a huge sigh of relief when he heard that. “Thank you so much. That must’ve been a rough one,” he said while patting Jeremy on the shoulder.

“Yeah, it was! What is going on lately? You guys have been coming to me so often that I hardly have any time to rest! I’m just a researcher, not a miracle worker!” Jeremy protested.

Curtis let out a chuckle. “Well, you can think of all this as part of your research and training.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes at Curtis before asking with a solemn expression, “Oh, please! Don’t give me that nonsense! Anyway, how did Ms. Garland get shot all of a sudden?”

“Selena abducted her. She’s dead now,” Curtis replied coldly, showing no emotion whatsoever.

Jeremy froze in confusion when he heard that. It wasn’t until he realized what Curtis said that he gasped in shock.

“What? Did you kill her? Have you lost your mind, Curtis? She’s Mr. Nicholson’s daughter!”

“She nearly killed my woman and my babies,” Curtis replied.

“You could’ve just broken her legs or something! Why did you have to kill her? Do you have any idea how much Mr. Nicholson loves his daughter? How will you explain yourself to him when he finds out? Curtis, everything we’ve been doing thus far is to prevent the Xavier family and the Nicholson family from collaborating. Mr. Nicholson won’t let you of if he finds out that you killed his daughter!”

Curtis narrowed his eyes as he said, “She had the audacity to kidnap Rayna, so I would’ve killed her no matter what. Let’s see if her father can really turn Norwal City upside down!”

Jeremy let out a huge sigh. “Curtis, I know that Selena had it coming for hurting Rayna, but you have no idea what you’re up against…”

As the Nicholson family had close ties with the military and the government, most people had no choice but to show them the utmost respect.

“I was in contact with Mr. Nicholson when I previously planned on expanding my business in Chanaea. Although we were on good terms with each other, I had my men conduct some research on him. You can just inform Mr. Nicholson to come collect Selena’s body. He won’t dare do anything to you now that I’ve got some dirt on him,” Jefferson said all of a sudden.

Jeremy nodded. “Mr. Nicholson probably wouldn’t dare do anything rash. I’m just worried that Selena’s death would disrupt the peaceful relationship you have with him.”

Everyone in Noel’s circle knew how much he loved his daughter. He would even go as far as siding with the Xavier family simply because Selena liked Theodore.

As such, one would expect Noel to utterly destroy anyone who dared kill her.

Curtis glanced at Jefferson and said, “Thanks. I’ll try my best to take care of this as soon as possible.”

“I can handle things in Norwal City, so you just focus on dealing with Mr. Nicholson. He holds a high position in the military, so he has a great lot of influence,” Jefferson replied.

Curtis held his hand out. “I know. Please look after her for me.”

 

 

Chapter 562

Jefferson frowned in displeasure and hesitated for a few seconds but shook Curtis’ hand anyway. “You are the father of her babies, but that doesn’t necessarily make you her man. It’s only natural for me to look after her.”

Curtis nodded. “That may be true, but I would suggest you not dwell on such thoughts.”

“Well, you know what they say about the law of attraction. I believe that thinking about it will help make it a reality,” Jefferson retorted.

“The law of attraction doesn’t work like that.”

Jeremy couldn’t help but find their behavior childish.

Seriously? These two have been fighting each other over a woman, and now, they’re forced to work together because of her.

“You know, you two do look quite alike from the side. I suppose you two truly are brothers with different fathers!”

Jefferson’s expression grew cold as he said, “I was planning to go for plastic surgery, but Belle told me that she likes my face.”

“Really? I didn’t know Rayna was this shallow. Is your face the only thing she likes about you? I’m curious. You and Rayna knew each other a long time ago and used to date each other in the past, so how did she end up falling for Curtis?” Jeremy asked.

Oblivious to Curtis’ expression, which was slowly turning gloomy, Jeremy continued, “Does she see Curtis as a replacement for you because of how similar you two look? Is that why she fell in love with

him?”

Jefferson glanced at Curtis before replying with a faint smile, “I never thought of it that way, but it does seem possible.”

“Jeremy…” Curtis placed a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze as he continued menacingly, “Are you bored? If you are, I can give you something to work on.”

Despite frowning from the pain, Jeremy refused to admit defeat. “What, are you jealous?”

Curtis simply increased the amount of force without saying a word.

“I’m kidding! I was just kidding! You’d better think twice for I need both my arms in order to look after Ms. Garland, so please let go of me!” Jeremy pleaded.

Curtis shot Jeremy a menacing gaze before releasing his grip on him.

Jeremy quickly stepped aside while rubbing his aching shoulder. “By the way, Jefferson, Curtis gave you the medication a while back, didn’t he? Have you taken it?”

Jefferson nodded in response.

“For how long have you been taking it? You’re not experiencing any more pain in your chest, are you?” Jeremy pressed on.

“I’ve been taking the medication for a long while now. It would hurt every once in a while, but not anymore.”

Jeremy’s eyes lit up with joy when he heard that the medication was successful.

“I brought my devices with me. Let me give you a thorough examination to see if there are any other issues with your health.”

“Aren’t you a researcher?” Jefferson asked in confusion.

“I am, but my medical knowledge is just as good!” Eager to see the results of his research, Jeremy quickly dragged Jefferson out of there, leaving Curtis all by himself.

Curtis let out a chuckle and made his way toward Rayna’s ward.

Rayna was lying on the bed with her wounded leg suspended when Curtis arrived. She tried to get off the bed upon seeing him come in, but Curtis was quicker.

With a stern look on his face, he ran forward and pushed her down on the bed. “You need to rest, so don’t move around that much.”

“I’m fine, though!” Rayna was about to protest further, but complied out of fear. “Why are you the only one here? Where’s Jefferson?”

“He went to get a physical examination.” Curtis felt a little unhappy when he recalled what Jeremy said earlier. “You’re just injured in the leg, so why would you want that many people looking after you?”

Rayna fell speechless when she heard that.

Says the guy who just forced me to lie down…

Figuring that Curtis was probably just feeling grumpy again, she changed the topic by asking, “How is Carl doing?”

“He’s fine. The doctors are treating him as we speak, so you have nothing to worry about,” Curtis replied as he adjusted her bed into a more upright position.

Rayna obediently drank half the glass of water in one go.

Curtis then handed her a container filled with oatmeal, but Rayna shook her head and said with a frown, “I don’t have the appetite for anything right now.”

“You have to eat something. The babies are competing with you for nutrients, so you need to eat, or you will collapse,” Curtis insisted as he poured the oatmeal into a bowl.

Rayna rubbed her tummy upon hearing that. Thank goodness my babies are all right…

Since Curtis was already holding a spoonful of oatmeal next to her mouth, she ate some and told him what happened that day. “Selena told Carl what happened. I don’t know if he can handle the truth…”

“You did what you could. There’s no way we can keep hiding the truth from him. Theodore is still unconscious, and we don’t know when he’ll wake up, so Carl needs to know the truth sooner or later,” Curtis reassured her while wiping the water off the corner of her mouth.

Rayna was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice how intimate Curtis’ action was.

“I know how much Mr. Nicholson loves his daughter. If he were to find out about Selena’s death… You don’t have a lot of connections in the military, right? What if Mr. Nicholson comes after you for revenge?” she asked worriedly.

Curtis let out a chuckle. “What? Are you worried about me?”

Rayna tried her best to remain calm as she said, “I’m just worried about myself and my babies. Mr. Nicholson will likely target me along with you.”

Of course, Curtis saw right through that little lie of hers.

She must still love me if she’s worried about me!

Whatever unpleasant feelings Curtis had up to that point were gone in an instant.

Feeling a lot better, he flashed her a smile and said, “You don’t need to worry about that. For now, all you have to do is eat your oatmeal and rest well.”

He then looked her in the eye and promised solemnly, “Such incidents won’t happen again.”

Rayna couldn’t help but feel like there was more to his promise than meets the eye.

“Well, I couldn’t care less about you. If I had to pick between you and my babies, I’d pick my babies any day!” she said coldly while rubbing her tummy.

This woman…

Curtis couldn’t help but laugh when he saw how hard she was trying to play it cool.

Rayna shot him a fierce glare and exclaimed in frustration, “Hey, I’m being serious here! Why are you laughing?”

“Yeah, I know.”

As Curtis held her hand tightly and gave it a kiss, he realized it was incredibly skinny.

“All you have to do is keep yourself and your babies safe.”

Rayna shuddered when she felt his scorching kiss on the back of her hand.

Before she could even respond, however, the door to the ward was opened.

“Ms. Rayna!” Carl called out to her as he came running in with a cervical collar around his neck.

His eyes went wide when he noticed them holding hands in an intimate position.

“Should I step outside for a moment?” he asked while taking a few steps back.

Rayna’s face was burning bright red when she pulled her hand out of Curtis’.

“Does your neck hurt?”

Carl pointed at the cervical collar and said, “A little. I can’t turn my neck with this thing on, so I can’t even aim when I’m peeing.”

Rayna chuckled in amusement. “It’s fine. You only need to keep it on for a few days.”

Carl then climbed onto Rayna’s bed and asked, “Ms. Rayna, was what that woman said true?”

Rayna felt Carl was simply too young to know the truth.

Unsure what to tell him, she turned toward Curtis and waited for him to say something.

 

 

Chapter 563

Instead of beating around the bush, Curtis said directly, “Carl, I know you’re still little, but I need to tell you about some unfortunate events, and you have to keep calm, okay?”

“Did something really happen to my parents?” Carl asked anxiously.

“Yes.” Curtis nodded.

Curtis told Carl about what had happened after Theodore arrived in Xyperia and their current situation.

Rayna couldn’t bear to hear it, so she quickly turned away.

Carl was in a daze after listening to what Curtis had to say.

“I know this is a lot to take it. I’m sorry.” Curtis caressed Carl’s head. “Jeremy told me they’re going to be fine. It’s just a matter of time before they wake up.”

Carl lowered his head and drenched his cast with tears. “I shouldn’t have let Daddy go there.” While holding back his tears, he asked Curtis, “Mr. Curtis, did they adopt my daddy? Why—”

He sniffled and continued with resentment, “Aren’t parents supposed to love their children? Why did my grandma do that to Daddy? Does a person’s family background matter so much?”

No wonder Mommy has been strict with me. She wants me to be an incredible person and be in control of who I end up with. It’s all because Mommy had gone through a tough time.

Curtis wiped his tears away and answered gently, “As long as you like her and she’s willing to grow with you, family backgrounds don’t matter. What matters is how parents educate their children. Your daddy is Mrs. Xavier’s biological son. In fact, he’s her only son. She also came from a prominent family,

so that was why she looked down on your mommy. However, that doesn’t matter anymore. What you need to know is that Mrs. Xavier is still your grandmother. She’s your daddy’s biological mother. Although you have to respect her and be nice to her, you can also disregard her if she doesn’t treat you right.”

“She made my parents suffer! I will never acknowledge her!” Carl fumed.

Curtis smiled. “Your parents are unconscious, but you aren’t alone. Kristie, Jeremy, Wyatt, and I are all here for you. We love you.”

“Okay.” Carl knew he had to stay strong. “I’ll wait for my parents to come back! I must grow stronger and taller so that I can protect my mommy in the future. I can’t let her get bullied by that old woman anymore!”

Curtis could finally breathe a sigh of relief after seeing that Carl had been consoled.

Rayna rolled her eyes at Curtis and grumbled, “Why didn’t you include me? Am I not a human? Do I not love Carl? How could you!”

After that, she said to Carl, “Thank goodness you aren’t staying with Curtis. Otherwise, he’s going to end up teaching you nonsense.”

Curtis smiled helplessly and held his forehead in response.

“It’s such a blessing to stay with you, Ms. Rayna! Your cooking skills are incredible!” Carl immediately uttered, then glanced at Rayna’s tummy. “How’s my wife, Ms. Rayna? Has she been good?”

“She has! Don’t worry!” Rayna was amused. “Are you hungry? There’s some food in the lunch box.”

“Are you serious? I want some!” Carl was thrilled when he craned his neck and saw the food in the lunch box. He then proceeded to complain, “You said you love me, right, Mr. Curtis? Why did you only

bring food for Ms. Rayna? Feed me, Mr. Curtis!”

Curtis took out some food and shoved the bowl into Carl’s hands. “Help yourself,” he said, looking cold.

“How am I supposed to eat on my own with my neck like this?”

“What does your neck injury have to do with your hands?” Curtis shot him a cold glance. “Is there anything wrong with your hands?”

Carl went quiet.

Seeing that, Rayna glared at Curtis. “He’s just a child. What’s the matter with you? Come here, Carl. I’ll feed you.”

Just when she was about to take the bowl from Carl, Curtis gently held her wrist before shooting Carl a look.

In response, Carl instantly got down from the bed and went to the side to eat.

“Do you see that? He can help himself. There’s nothing to worry about,” Curtis said casually.

Rayna was rendered speechless.

Curtis told her that Jefferson had taken Ixora, and Jeremy had brought Jefferson to do a checkup so that they could check the progress of Jefferson’s recovery.

Rayna was stunned. “Didn’t Jeremy’s lab explode into flames?”

“He managed to grab one Ixora and did some experiments with the new instruments. He succeeded in the end, so I got him to send it back.”

“I know he’s good, but I didn’t know he’s that capable.” Rayna was relieved because that meant that Jefferson could have a new life after taking the medicine. “Thank you, Mr. Faymon.”

Curtis pursed his lips. “Why do you address me in such a formal tone when you can address him so intimately? You’re bearing my child, and I don’t expect you to address me as your husband, but you’re being too formal.”

Rayna choked on his words.

She quickly glanced at Carl before whispering, “Are you mad? There’s a child here.”

“What, are you afraid after doing something wrong?” Curtis grumbled.

Seeing that Carl was present, Rayna didn’t want to argue with Curtis. She gritted her teeth and said, “I’ll address you as Mr. Curtis, okay?”

“That’s too formal too, so no.”

Rayna didn’t know what to say.

“You can either address me as Curtis or Darling. You choose.”

“Are you insane?” Rayna rolled her eyes at him. “I never had a problem with how you address me, no?”

“I’m changing it from now on.” Curtis stared into her eyes. “I’ll call you Darling, too, from now on.”

Rayna was rendered speechless.

“Ugh…” Carl made a sound of disgust. “Can you be any more shameless, Mr. Curtis? You haven’t even married Ms. Rayna yet. How could you address her that way? Nothing is free in this world!”

“He has always been this shameless!” Rayna chimed in.

“Can’t you just eat your food in silence?” Curtis said in a helpless tone. This child is always going against me.

Right then, his phone rang.

Curtis glanced at his phone before rising to his feet. “Carl will keep you company. I need to take a call.”

“Update me if you hear anything about Jessie,” Rayna said while grabbing Curtis’ sleeves.

“I will.”

With that, Curtis left.

Curtis left and never went back that day. Carl ended up accompanying Rayna the entire time.

The next morning, Kristie showed up and pouted when she said, “I wanted to visit you last night, but Curt stopped me and told me you needed rest. Are you all right, Rayna?”

“I’m fine.” Rayna flashed a smile and pointed at her leg, which was suspended. “My leg has been kept this way, so I couldn’t even sleep comfortably. How is Wyatt?”

“Jeremy’s friend is looking after him, and he’s still unconscious!” Kristie sighed and unpacked the breakfast. “Is there news about Jessica?”

Rayna shook her head in disappointment. “Curtis hasn’t called me yet, so I have no idea.”

“Huh?” Kristie was momentarily stunned. Thereafter, she chuckled mischievously.

Rayna soon realized what Kristie was laughing about. Feeling uneasy, she cleared her throat and asked for breakfast from Kristie.

Rayna was worried that Carl would get bored after being in the ward for a long time. She told Kristie to bring Carl out for a walk after breakfast.

A few hours later, Sandy and Linda showed up.

The moment Linda entered the ward, she saw Rayna’s leg that was suspended in the air. She jumped in alarm and was on the verge of crying. “My goodness! Curtis told me you were admitted because you weren’t feeling well. What happened?”

“It’s just a leg injury. I’m fine, Mom. Calm down.”

 

 

Chapter 564

What was Curtis thinking? Isn’t it enough to have Carl keeping me company? Why did he ask Mom to come over? To make matters worse, he even asked his mom to come along!

Linda had brought some soup, and she was adamant about feeding Rayna some. She was heartbroken, and she even said she wanted to stay to accompany Rayna.

Sandy was feeling the same way, and she helped Linda convince Rayna to move into the Faymon residence.

Rayna was having a tough time listening to both of them. She came up with some excuses to get them to leave.

Before Rayna could get some proper rest, someone violently pushed the door open. Instinctively, she turned to the door.

Rayna immediately furrowed her brows when she saw her visitor. With a grim expression, she asked, “Mrs. Xavier, aren’t you a sophisticated person? Don’t you think you should’ve knocked?”

“Rayna, I didn’t come here to talk nonsense!” In her purple dress and a string of pearls around her neck, Emma walked up to Rayna and glared at her. “Do you know Selena’s dead?”

Rayna maintained her cold expression. “Well, now I know. It’s such a shame you’ve lost a daughter-in- law.”

Emma was livid when she saw how indifferent Rayna was. “I know Curtis made her death seem like an accident! You’re involved in her death, aren’t you?”

“If you want to accuse me of causing Selena’s death, please show some evidence,” Rayna sneered. “I’m here thinking that you were the one who got rid of her because she lost her child.”

“You—”

Rayna lifted her gaze toward Emma and added, “That’s not something you’ve never done before, right?”

“How dare you!” Emma roared, then pointed at Rayna’s leg. “If Selena’s death had nothing to do with you, how did you end up lying here? I heard you had a fight with Selena in the restaurant!”

“That’s right. She wanted to kill me with a gun,” Rayna answered. “I should sue her because I’m the victim here, but I don’t know how she died.”

Rayna was sharp with her words, and what she said made sense. Emma couldn’t think of any comebacks. This damned girl! She’s as sharp-tongued as Jasmine!

Gripping her purse, Emma said in a cold tone, “Selena’s Mr. Nicholson’s favorite daughter. Now that she’s dead, Mr. Nicholson will surely get to the bottom of it! Rayna, do you really think you have absolute power in Norwal City?”

“Are you kidding me? Isn’t the Xavier family the most powerful force in Norwal City? Besides, is her death a threat to you? The most you’ve lost is a baby machine.”

Emma was so pissed off that she couldn’t utter a word in response.

“Aren’t you an incredible woman, Mrs. Xavier? I’m sure you can find a replacement in no time. Oh! I’m sorry. I’ve forgotten the fact that your son is now unconscious. Even if you find a replacement, there’s no use,” Rayna added.

“How rude of you!” Emma lost her composure and raised her hand into the air to slap Rayna.

However, Rayna held Emma’s wrist and grabbed a cup of hot water from the table before throwing it at Emma’s face.

Emma hurriedly whipped out her handkerchief to wipe herself dry. When she saw the wet patch on the collar of her dress, she glared at Rayna and roared, “Are you insane? This dress is handmade!”

“I’m sorry. The cup slipped out of my hand,” Rayna said calmly. “I’ll just buy you another one.”

While wiping her dress, Emma gritted her teeth and looked at someone she thought was disrespectful. “Rayna, who do you think you are? I can easily chase you out of Norwal City with one word!”

Unperturbed, Rayna smiled and said, “I know you’re capable of doing that, but you wouldn’t dare.”

Emma gave Rayna a death stare. When I met this woman last year, she was gullible and timid. She was nothing like Jasmine. Now, she’s being disrespectful toward me. Right, the Faymon family is backing her. No wonder she’s not afraid of me!

While Emma was staring at Rayna, a set of footsteps rang out from behind. It was then followed by a child asking, “Ms. Rayna, who’s this woman?”

Rayna didn’t expect Carl to return so soon. Before she could get him to leave, Emma was already exchanging glances with Carl.

In the next second, Emma lost her balance, and she almost fell to the ground.

“You… You…” Emma pointed at Carl and stared at him.

She was having trouble forming her sentence because she was stunned by the familiar facial features on Carl’s face.

Because of Emma’s intense stare, Carl felt a chill running down his spine. “Ms. Rayna, why is this woman staring at me?”

Rayna pursed her lips and answered truthfully, “She’s Mrs. Xavier.”

Mrs. Xavier? Daddy’s mom? Carl froze for a couple of seconds before regaining his senses. After that, his face turned solemn, and there was a hint of hatred in his eyes when he looked at Emma.

Emma staggered toward Carl and squatted down. She wanted to touch his face, but he quickly slapped her hand away.

Instead of getting mad, Emma asked in her trembling voice, “You look exactly like Theodore when he was little! What’s your name? Who’s your mother?”

Carl retreated and distanced himself from her. “Don’t you know my mommy? You’ve never liked her.”

“Jasmine…” Emma widened her eyes in shock and held a hand over her mouth. “Y-You’re her kid? How could this be? Didn’t she secretly marry someone else and got pregnant? Why do you look so much like Theodore?”

“Didn’t you do your investigation thoroughly, Mrs. Xavier? Carl looks exactly like Mr. Xavier, no? How could Carl be anyone else’s kid?” Rayna sneered.

Upon finding out the truth, Emma fell to the floor with no care for her image.

She merely stared at Carl in disbelief. “How could this be? I thought Jasmine was sleeping around with other guys before getting pregnant. Who would’ve thought…”

Fortunately for her, she didn’t send someone to harm the child. Otherwise, she would have to live with guilt for the rest of her life.

“If you thought she was fooling around with other guys, why didn’t you tell Mr. Xavier about it? Weren’t you hoping for Mr. Xavier to leave Jasmine because of this?” Rayna asked.

Emma was overwhelmed with guilt. “Jasmine’s friend told me Jasmine was fooling around. I was angry at Jasmine at that time because she was pestering Theodore.”

“A friend? Who? Didn’t you know from your own investigators?” Rayna frowned.

Emma shook her head, and she couldn’t remember who that person was. “I can’t remember her name. She told me Jasmine married someone secretly and gave birth to a child. I asked someone to investigate the matter and found out that Jasmine really gave birth to a child. I was worried that Jasmine would hold Theodore up, so I did as Jasmine’s friend had told me and tricked Theodore into going to Xyperia. I merely wanted to teach Jasmine a lesson. I didn’t expect the driver to be so ruthless. Also, I didn’t expect…”

Indeed, she didn’t expect Theodore to attempt suicide.

We were right! Someone instructed Mrs. Xavier! Rayna finally sensed that something was amiss after listening to those words. She recalled the conversation she had with Curtis the other day, and neither of them thought Emma was capable of such ruthless actions. They thought she was most probably following someone’s instructions.

With her face clouded over, Rayna asked, “Mrs. Xavier, tell me how you met that person, what you guys talk about, and what he asked you to do!”

 

 

 

Chapter 565

Emma knew she had committed a grave mistake, so she was no longer as domineering as before. She was willing to reveal everything to Rayna.

Rayna’s expression turned extremely grim after Emma told her everything that had happened.

She shut her eyes and said calmly, “You’ve been used. That girl knows how much you hate Jasmine, so she deliberately told you Jasmine had married someone and given birth to a child. Since Carl is always wearing a mask whenever he’s out, you couldn’t see his face. Naturally, you would think that Jasmine was cheating.”

Rayna’s tone became colder when she gritted her teeth and said, “That girl used you to murder Jasmine! How ruthless!”

Right then, Emma figured out what had happened, and she felt even more guilty. “How foolish of me… How could I have ended up being used? I even almost killed my own grandson…”

“Do you remember what she looks like?”

Emma thought about it, but she still couldn’t remember what that person looked like. “She dressed up differently every time I saw her. I can’t seem to remember her face, but I know she’s very pretty…” As she was talking, she suddenly remembered a piece of crucial information. “Back then, I saw her walking out of Faymon Group. I think she works there.”

Faymon Group? Rayna furrowed her brows. Faymon Group is huge, and the place is filled with female workers. Besides, they all look good. To search for the person Mrs. Xavier is talking about is like looking for a needle in a haystack!

“Did she look for you often?” Rayna asked.

“No. Most of the time, I was the one who looked for her.” Emma took out her phone. “I was on the phone with her on a few occasions.”

Emma looked through her call history, but she couldn’t find the contact she was familiar with.

“Wait… I talked to her on the phone a few times before, but her contact is gone.” Emma was utterly baffled when she handed her phone to Rayna. “I think her number starts with 136…”

Rayna looked through the call history and failed to find the said contact. Although the calls Emma made from a long time back were still there, Rayna didn’t see the number Emma mentioned. Either that person is just extremely capable, or she has a friend who works in the telecommunication industry. This mysterious girl is trying so hard to stay hidden. Could it be that she’s with Gianna? Or could this be Gianna herself?

Rayna had wanted to tell Curtis about it, but knowing how busy he was, she looked for Gabriel through WhatsApp and told him to find a female employee in Faymon Group who had been to a beauty salon and had a phone number starting with 136.

After that, she said to Emma, “The next time she looks for you, arrange for a meeting and inform me. I would like to see who this evil person is!”

Emma nodded. “I think she’s around your age. How vicious of her! She tricked me into killing Jasmine. I think that driver is actually working for her.”

Emma’s mistake had almost destroyed her son’s family.

“Your biggest mistake isn’t looking for someone to run Jasmine over. It was when you set Mr. Xavier up with another woman.” Rayna wasn’t sympathetic at all. “You forced Mr. Xavier to go against you.”

Emma had nothing to defend herself with. This is all my fault. I didn’t like Jasmine because I looked down on her family background. Conveniently, Selena was into Theodore, and she was from a prominent family. I was tricked into committing such a grave mistake.

Emma turned to Carl because she wanted to talk to him.

However, Carl put on a cold expression and distanced himself from her. “Even though you didn’t do anything on purpose, my parents are still unconscious because of you. I’m not going to acknowledge you. Please leave.”

“Carl…” Emma knew Carl’s name, but she didn’t know what to say to him.

Right then, Kristie came back with two bags of chips in her hand. Having already heard about Emma from Rayna, Kristie looked at Emma with contempt in her eyes and helped Carl chase Emma out as well.

Fearing that Carl would be sad, Kristie gave all the chips to him and coaxed him by saying, “Don’t be sad, okay? I love you. From now on, I won’t fight with you or hit you anymore.”

“As if.” Carl wasn’t convinced. “If you were to get mad at me tomorrow, you would still hit me.”

“Am I such a person?” Kristie glared at him.

“Yes.” Carl nodded unhesitatingly. Kristie ended up pinching his cheeks and calling him a mean child.

Rayna couldn’t help but smile when she saw the interaction between the two of them. At the same time, she was also feeling restless. It has been so long, and I still haven’t heard from anybody saying that Jessie has been found.

Since Jeremy was a researcher, the doctors he knew were all impressive professionals. In fact, the medicines they had given to Rayna were all newly developed and highly effective.

Consequently, the gunshot wound Rayna had suffered had healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After wearing a cast for a few days, Carl could finally remove it. Kristie made fun of him because a layer of gunk was left on his neck.

She had been bringing food for Rayna every day. Since Jeremy was taking care of Wyatt, Kristie would always visit Rayna. Neither Curtis nor Jefferson had shown up.

Rayna knew Curtis well enough to know that he was merely too busy to visit her.

However, the thought of Selena’s death quickly made Rayna grow anxious.

Although she didn’t say it out loud, she was actually extremely worried that Noel would go after Curtis and Faymon Group to avenge his daughter’s death.

“Rayna!” Kristie brought lunch over at noon. “Carl is with Jeremy, so we’ll eat on our own!”

Rayna hummed in response.

During lunch, Rayna asked, “Did Curtis look for you over the past few days?”

“No. I think Curt has his hands full.” Kristie took out some food from the lunch box and hesitated before saying, “There’s something I need to tell you about. Wyatt has regained his consciousness.”

“Wyatt is awake?” Because of his injuries, Rayna had thought it would take longer for Wyatt to regain consciousness. “How is he doing?”

“Jeremy and his friend are looking after him. He’s obviously doing well, but it seems that he has returned to his old, carefree self again. He was even joking with me.”

Rayna froze for a second before asking, “Did he ask about Jessie?”

“No.”

After keeping mum for a while, Rayna let out a sigh. “It’s all right, then. After all, we haven’t received any news regarding Jessie yet.”

Kristie wanted to say something, but she changed her mind after seeing that Rayna was busy eating.

Rayna felt that her leg had healed, so she requested the doctor. The doctor agreed with her and gave her permission to walk around the ward.

Although she still had to take tiny steps, she could at least get out of bed.

Rayna had wanted to look for Curtis on several occasions to ask about him. However, she thought she would make it too obvious, so she ended up looking for Jefferson.

Jefferson told her he was busy with work and that he would visit her the next day. Throughout the conversation, he didn’t tell Rayna if he had contacted Curtis.

That very night, James showed up.

Rayna wasn’t used to how old James looked. When he entered the ward, it took her a while to realize who he was. In fact, she found it slightly annoying. He’s my younger brother, but he ended up being older than me. I’m going to need quite some time to get used to this.

James had made dinner and brought the food along. He went to ask Carl to join them.

When he returned and saw that Kristie was still gaming, he pinched her ear and reprimanded, “Why are you still gaming? Are you not going to eat?”

Kristie immediately distanced herself from him as if he were a venomous snake. “I will! Don’t touch me!”

James’ eyes darkened when he saw how she acted. Ever since last week, Kristie has been avoiding me. In fact, she would jump every time we touch.

“Aunt Kristie, are you shunning Mr. Samson?” Carl widened his eyes, confused. “Before this, you were always so clingy with Mr. Samson. In fact, you even wanted him to sleep with you.”

“Pfft!” Rayna was so stunned by those words that she spat out the soup in her mouth.

 

 

 

Chapter 566

Rayna hurriedly wiped her mouth with a piece of napkin and stammered, “Y-You wanted to sleep with him?”

“No! No!” Kristie refuted. “I’m afraid of the dark! That was why I asked him to guard me while I slept! Don’t talk nonsense, you little brat!”

With that, she pulled Carl’s ear.

Carl yelped in pain before saying aggrievedly, “You could’ve just switched on the lights, no? You aren’t making sense, Aunt Kristie!”

“Shut up!” Kristie glared at him. “If you keep talking, I’m going to choke you!”

Hearing that, Carl quickly moved away.

Seeing that Rayna was still staring at her, Kristie felt embarrassed. She stomped her feet and complained, “Why are you staring at me? Do you think I’m into him?”

Rayna asked tentatively, “Then why did you—”

“No way!” Kristie retorted, shooting James a side glance. “He’s so old and ugly! Besides, he’s just a bodyguard! How could he ever be worthy of me?”

Rayna wanted to defend her brother, but she didn’t know what to say. She could only glance at James pitifully.

As a matter of fact, there was nothing she could do to help James.

James, on the other hand, didn’t say anything throughout their conversation. Instead, he pulled himself a chair and sat down to watch them eat.

At around eight in the evening, James wanted to bring Kristie away, so he said to Rayna, “I’ll bring her home to rest. Since Mr. York is in the hospital, you should be fine, right, Rayna?”

“Huh?” Kristie was stumped. Why did he address Rayna so? She then forgot about the fact that James was holding her hand when she grumbled, “Why did you address Rayna by her name?”

James quickly came to his senses and replied calmly, “I talk fast, so you must’ve heard it wrong.”

Thinking that she didn’t hear him wrongly, Kristie said, “But I heard—”

Rayna interrupted her by saying, “Kristie, you’ve been staying in the hospital all this while. You need some rest. Go home, okay?”

“I don’t want to go home!” Kristie pouted. “Can’t I just stay here with you and Carl?”

Rayna waved dismissively. “Listen to me. You can come over again tomorrow morning.”

“All right, then. I’ll bring Ms. Winton home now.” James pulled Kristie out of the ward.

Kristie only realized that James had been holding onto her hand after exiting the ward. His palm is so warm, and I’m getting a weird feeling.

She yanked her hand out of his grip. “W-We’re going back, but can you please stay away from me?”

Kristie distanced herself from him while mumbling something to herself.

James was at a loss for words. I haven’t pissed her off recently, right? Why is she acting this way?

Usually, Kristie would sit in the passenger seat. When she went back with James that evening, however, she sat in the back. She would always talk to him back then, but she kept to herself that evening.

James noticed all the changes in her behavior as he drove in silence.

After arriving at the condominium, James prepared some fruits and brought them to the living room for Kristie. When he saw that she was on her phone and ignoring him, he asked patiently, “What’s the matter with you, Ms. Winton?”

“I’m perfectly fine.” Kristie kept her head lowered and her eyes on her phone.

James frowned and sat next to her before snatching her phone. “You’ve been avoiding me since last week. You aren’t even talking to me. How have I upset you?”

“I just don’t want to talk to you! What’s wrong with that? Give me back my phone!”

When Kristie reached out toward the phone, James lifted his arm into the air. The moment she stood up, he also rose to his feet at once. In the end, she couldn’t even reach his arm.

Kristie grew frustrated due to the huge difference in height. She stomped her feet and glared at him. “What are you trying to do?”

“Tell me, how have I upset you? I can change.” James stared at her intently. “Don’t keep avoiding me and shutting me out.”

Kristie’s heart jolted when her eyes met James’. Averting her gaze as quickly as she could, she muttered, “I don’t need you to change. I’ll just ask Curt to find another bodyguard for me. Please leave.”

James was stunned. “What have I done wrong? Why are you getting rid of me?”

“You’ve done everything wrong!” Kristie shouted angrily. “All you need to know is that I don’t need you anymore. Pack up and leave!”

James noticed how worked up she was, but instead of arguing with her, he said, “Ms. Winton, even if Mr. Faymon could find you another bodyguard, he wouldn’t be able to find someone as impressive as me. Besides, I’m a great cook.”

After a pause, he asked, “Ms. Winton, are you shunning me because you find me old and ugly?”

Kristie kept mum and stared at the wall.

Based on her behaviors, James knew that was a silent agreement to his words.

He wanted to say something, but there was nothing he could say. He could only heave a sigh inwardly.

A few seconds later, he gave the phone back to Kristie and said, “It’s all right. I understand now. Still, Ms. Winton, I’m not leaving. If you don’t wish to see me again, I’ll stop appearing in front of you. When I accompany you to the hospital, I’ll cover myself up completely so that you won’t see my face.”

Kristie didn’t take her phone. She grumbled, “Why are you so annoying? Why can’t you just be a bodyguard? Why are you always minding my business? Also, why must you cook so well? I’m not deliberately trying to get rid of you. It’s just that I think I might’ve fallen for you.” She sniffled and continued in an aggrieved tone, “How can I fall for you? I have a boyfriend…”

Although she had never seen that boyfriend of hers, she had always thought she would wait for her boyfriend to show up after talking on the phone with him. However, she found herself wavering.

Before she said all that, James had felt horrible because he had thought she was disgusted by his looks.

Upon knowing that she was only chasing him away because she was falling for him, he was amused. “So, are you chasing me away because you’ve fallen for me? It’s not because you detest me?”

“Shut up! Don’t say those words out loud again!” Kristie wanted to tape up his mouth so badly. “Now that you know the truth, you’re over the moon, aren’t you? I must be blind. Why must I fall for someone like you? You’re so much older than me, and you aren’t even a looker!”

James couldn’t help but chuckle at that. While wiping her tears away with his fingers, he said, “I’m so happy to hear that you’ve fallen for me. I’m grateful that you’re still waiting for me. I like you too, Kristie.”

“Dream on! You’re not worthy of me!” Kristie slapped his hand away and held back her tears. “You’re not allowed to fall for me. I have a boyfriend, and I want to wait for him.”

“That doesn’t matter. After all, he’s not in Norwal City.” James was overjoyed when he teased, “It’s not like he can see us being together. You can always break up with him when he comes back.”

“Why are you so mean?” Kristie glared at him. “Put yourself in his shoes, will you? What if I cheat on you when you’re away? Would you feel nice?”

James wouldn’t mind that one bit because he was the boyfriend she was talking about.

“What should we do then, Ms. Winton?” James lowered his head and inched toward her. He then used his hoarse and seductive voice when he said, “I like you, Ms. Winton. I can’t wait to be with you.”

 

 

Chapter 567

James’ hot breath tickled Kristie’s cheeks. Her heart was pounding furiously like a runaway horse.

She continued to back away from him until her calves hit the couch, causing her to lose her balance and fall.

James loomed over her on the couch, and Kristie’s body stiffened in response. She stammered, “Get back. Don’t come near me…”

In response, he tucked her loose hair behind her ear and brought his lips closer to her face.

“You’re taking advantage of me again.” Kristie pressed her palms on his chest to keep him away. Her eyes reddened with tears as she pleaded between sobs, “Don’t force me to do this. I have a boyfriend. I don’t want to cheat on him.”

Her words drew a chuckle from James, who teased, “Don’t worry your pretty head about it. You won’t be a cheater as long as he doesn’t know about this. I can keep a secret.”

“You’re too much!”

The rest of Kristie’s protests were swallowed by James’ passionate kisses.

She breathed in his familiar scent and eventually gave in to pleasure.

Kristie hooked her legs around his waist to bring herself closer to him.

The couch proved too squeezy for both of them, and James stopped himself from taking things too far. Instead, he carried Kristie to the bedroom.

Kristie looked at him through half-lidded eyes. She simply could not tear her gaze away from his perfect abs as he took off his clothes. Her hands moved toward his torso, unbidden.

The feel of his rock-hard muscles drew an amazed gasp from Kristie. “I didn’t know you hid such a hot body under those clothes!”

James leaned over her and whispered in her ear, “It’s all yours.”

His flirtatious words brought a furious blush to Kristie’s face.

She buried her head in his chest and reveled in the warmth of his body. Still, once she closed her eyes, traumatic memories of her helpless shrieks suddenly filled her mind. Her body began shuddering uncontrollably.

“No, no…” She curled into herself and flailed around, screaming, “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!”

Amid her struggles, James took two scratches to his body, both deep enough to draw blood.

That did not deter James, who merely clasped Kristie’s wrist and coaxed tenderly, “Kristie, open your eyes. It’s me. Don’t be scared. There, there. Look at me.”

Kristie kept her eyes closed and sobbed. She struggled against his hold and wailed, “Don’t touch me… don’t touch me…”

Her anguished cries broke James’ heart. He could only comfort her and attempt to distract her with gentle kisses. He hoped she could think of herself instead of her memories.

James cupped her face and kissed her deeply.

When he sensed that Kristie was about to gasp for air, he let go and intertwined his fingers with hers. At the same time, he pressed more of his weight into her body.

Kristie furrowed her brows in confusion and slowly opened her eyes.

“It’s me. Don’t be scared.” James kissed her cheek and said, “I’ve always been here.”

Some light returned to Kristie’s eyes.

She gazed at him and abruptly sat up, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She was still shaking as she leaned into his embrace and croaked, “Hug me tightly. Don’t let go.”

James tightened his arms around her and stroked her long, black hair. “Okay, I will.”

Meanwhile, Curtis had rushed back from Jadeborough.

He immediately spied a familiar Maybach parked outside the airport, against which a tall, equally familiar figure leaned.

Curtis squinted in concentration before approaching the vehicle. “Why are you here?”

“Can’t you tell, Mr. Faymon?” As he spoke, Jefferson pushed himself away from the Maybach and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. He exuded elegance by the boatloads.

Curtis looked up at the clear, blue sky and muttered, “Hmm, it doesn’t seem as if it’ll rain anytime soon.”

“Cut the jokes. Get in the car.” Jefferson went around to the driver’s side before arching a brow at Curtis, deadpanning, “What? Do you need me to open the door for you, Mr. Faymon?”

Curtis smiled and opened the passenger side door.

Once they were in, Jefferson started the engine and drove away from the airport. He commented, “Bet you didn’t enjoy life in Jadeborough if you’re looking like this now. Have you settled all your matters there?”

“I could’ve flown on Wednesday, but someone held me back, so I had to fix that before coming back. It cost me eight hundred million, but at least it’s over now,” Curtis explained while leaning against the backrest in exhaustion.

Jefferson replied seriously, “Mr. Shawfield is notoriously difficult to convince. I can’t even get him to talk to me. I’d consider eight hundred million a pretty sweet deal.”

“Well, that’s just the first step. We still have to figure out a way to get Mr. Nicholson out of the picture.” Curtis’ gaze darkened as he continued, “I can’t rest easy as long as he’s still in power.”

Jefferson agreed. “Ditto. Still, Mr. Nicholson is putting up a polite front toward me, though that’s because Old Mr. Xavier isn’t on his side. He wouldn’t dare to come after you or me during this time.”

Massaging his temples, Curtis replied with a sigh, “Old Mr. Xavier has his hands full with Theodore’s affairs. Naturally, he won’t be on Mr. Nicholson’s side. I have no idea when Theodore will wake up from his coma.”

“That’s an unknown, so we can’t put all our eggs in that basket. We need another plan. Getting someone out of the picture is easy; doing it discreetly is an art.”

Curtis understood Jefferson’s words immediately and closed his eyes, deep in thought.

A long time passed before Curtis piped up, “I have someone who could take over Mr. Nicholson’s position. But suddenly promoting someone would be too obvious.”

“Let me deal with it,” Jefferson offered. “It’s easier for me to do things in the background. If you were involved, everyone would point fingers at you if something goes wrong. It’ll be a waste of our previous efforts.”

Curtis could only nod in agreement. He could not think of a better plan.

“Would it to be too much trouble for you?”

Jefferson replied curtly, “If I was doing this just for you, then absolutely. I wouldn’t even offer to help. But since this involves Belle, it’s no trouble at all. Plus, I hate Selena too.”

She almost killed the woman I love.

Curtis stewed in jealousy, though he kept his emotions off his face. “Once we’re in the city, let’s make a stop at Melody Restaurant.”

“I’ll send you there before heading to the hospital.” Jefferson checked his watch and realized it was already noon. “Both of us haven’t been to the hospital for a few days. She’ll be suspicious.”

“It’s fine. Let’s have lunch together before you head off.”

Jefferson shot Curtis a confused look and asked, “You’re treating me to lunch?”

“Can’t I?”

Soon enough, Jefferson stopped the car in front of Melody Restaurant.

The restaurant’s waiter recognized Curtis and greeted him warmly, “Good day, Mr. Faymon. Mr. Snyder arrived half an hour ago and is waiting in a private room on the second floor. I will show you the way.”

“Thanks.”

The waiter led Curtis and Jefferson to the private room and opened the door. Jasper was already inside, chatting on the phone.

He noticed their arrival and promptly cut his call short.

Then, Jasper approached Curtis and mock-complained, “How could you be so inconsiderate, Mr. Faymon? You invited me to lunch at eleven, yet you turned up almost an hour late. I almost thought you weren’t coming.”

“Apologies, my flight was delayed.” Curtis smiled and pointed to Jefferson, “I’m guessing you know who he is?”

Jasper glanced at Jefferson and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Who wouldn’t know about Glory Corporation’s CEO, Mr. Hamilton? I must confess, I’m more curious about why you came together.”

He had watched the live stream of Jefferson and Rayna’s eventful wedding ceremony, and he would not forget how Curtis had dashed into the church and whisked the bride away under so many pairs of eyes.

It was interesting to see two love rivals getting along with each other.

Curtis smiled warmly, though he clapped Jasper on the shoulder harder than usual. “Just sit down if you don’t understand, all right?”

Jasper frowned in confusion but remained silent.

What the heck? He’s the one asking me for a favor, but he’s ordering me around like some slave!

 

 

 

Chapter 568

After the trio found a table and seated themselves, Jasper picked up a coffeepot and poured the other two some coffee while saying lightly, “Mr. Winton has agreed to help, but he doesn’t care about the money. He wants something else.”

“What does he want?” Curtis asked.

Jasper shrugged in response. “You should already know he does not like to fight or want money at his age. All he wants is to spend his days drinking and playing chess with friends.”

“Mr. Winton…” Jefferson’s pupils dilated. “Could it be that Mr. Winton?”

Jasper gave a teasing smile. “For all the people in the world named Winton, he is the only one worthy of being addressed respectfully.”

Jefferson whipped around to face Curtis at those words with shock in his eyes. “You’re insane. You could have plotted a coup against Mr. Nicholson. Why must you ask for his help?”

“I think you’re both mad.” Jasper’s slim fingers rapped on the table as he sighed and shook his head. “Mr. Nicholson commands absolute power in Norwal City. How could he be brought down so easily?”

Curtis’ expression turned grim. “It will only take the slightest opportunity for them to rise again. Given his connections, Mr. Nicholson could find a way to reach out to his contacts even if you sever all of his ties. Make a clean break of it. The possibility of his comeback makes me uneasy.”

The incident of Selena abducting Rayna, which had put the latter’s life at risk, right under his nose rattled him to the point of being afraid to even recall the incident. It also revealed the frailty of the power under his command.

I will not let something like this happen again!

After several moments of silence, Curtis asked Jasper, “Does Mr. Winton want the ivory chess set?”

Jasper glanced sideways at Curtis after a sip of coffee. “Even I covet that. The chess set was made during the war and is one of the prized possessions of Yeringham Museum. How are you going to manage that?”

Jefferson massaged his brow. “I’d hazarded a guess based on what you said about chess. Who would manage to acquire a treasured possession of a museum? Could his taste be any more expensive?”

“Don’t you rarely visit Chanaea?” Jasper asked curiously, rubbing his chin with his fingers as he did so. “You appear familiar with all of these. You even know Mr. Winton.”

Jefferson gave a faint smile. “My visits are indeed sparse, but that doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention to things that happen here. I have once thought of a way to gain Mr. Winton’s favor and help my people by paving the way for an opportunity for them, but…”

His expression became increasingly dour, laced with a trace of helplessness. “Mr. Winton was too difficult to deal with.”

Jasper nodded in agreement before turning to Curtis. “Your love rival had also interacted with Mr. Winton before; he is indeed a wily old fox. Why don’t you go personally?”

“I’m not stupid.” Curtis glared at him. “He’s only taking it easy on you because he knows you’re poor. It won’t just be the ivory chess set when he finds out there’s something between us.”

Jasper spread his hands in exasperation. “Then what do you think we should do? Surely we can’t steal it from the museum?”

Curtis did not speak. He clasped his hands together and placed them on the table.

“I can’t get hold of the chess set, but…” Curtis paused before continuing quietly, “I know he is without an heir and is leaving everything to the son of his old comrade. He dotes on the little fellow.”

Jasper was taken aback. “Do you want me to lobby him?”

“There’s no need for that. Just have a chat with him, and he’ll be the one to approach you with an offer.” Curtis’ lips curled slightly, and his gaze flashed with confidence. “I have something he needs the most.”

“There’s something wrong with you!” Jasper could no longer be civil. “Why won’t you be direct and have him find the guy instead of beating around the bush?”

Curtis massaged between his brows and said wearily, “This is a gift I’m preparing on behalf of Mrs. Faymon. If I cannot get my hands on the chess set from the museum, I will not be able to bring my plans to fruition.”

If it were a vase or a painting, it would have been easy enough to find somebody to make a high-level forgery that would be adequately passable as the real thing.

Godd*mn it. An ivory chess set made during the war! How could this be forged?

Jefferson rapped on the table with his fingers, his expression turning cold. “You’re not married so watch your mouth!”

Curtis laughed. “I’m referring to my wife. Did I specifically refer to anyone?”

Jefferson reciprocated the smile, though it did not extend to his eyes. “Enough of speaking in parables, Mr. Faymon. Aren’t you aware of why we can sit at a table in peace?”

Curtis’ lips curled. He said carelessly, “Isn’t it because I, as your elder brother, am treating you to lunch?”

“Hah!” Jefferson sneered. “Don’t flatter yourself. That’s something I’ll never admit to. Don’t think I would overlook everything you do just because you gave me a pill! I still have a shot as long as Belle never says she would marry you. I would also be willing to be a stepfather to her child, so she would not have to go through the pain of childbirth again.”

Curtis narrowed his eyes. “It’s only a matter of time before she marries me. Don’t get carried away by your imagination.”

“We’ll talk about it when she actually marries you,” Jefferson retorted as he took another sip of coffee. “For now, she is not yet yours, so let us compete fairly. Don’t use the child as leverage. It does nothing to me.”

“Instead of being stubbornly set on having her, why don’t you go after another woman in Norwal City for a change?” Curtis scowled, displeased.

“With so many heiresses in Norwal City, why are you set on having her, Mr. Faymon?” Jefferson repeated those words back to him. “You’re already thirty years old yet you’re still deceiving young girls.”

Curtis was rendered speechless.

“That’s enough,” Jasper interjected hastily, worried that the private room would turn into a battlefield. “Can you talk about whatever that’s between you in private? We’re all here today to discuss something else, remember?”

At the thought of the important matter to be discussed, the pair ceased snapping at each other.

After a discussion lasting over half an hour, it was finally decided that Jasper would take care of asking Marcel for help while Jefferson would keep an eye on Noel’s people. Curtis would be making arrangements from the shadows for somebody to replace Noel when the time came.

Jasper was about to pass out from hunger when it was over. Taking advantage of Curtis’ hospitality, he ordered a feast.

While waiting for the food, Jasper drank coffee to pass the time and turned to Curtis. “I heard you mention that you’re Mr. Hamilton’s elder brother, Mr. Faymon. How did that come about?”

Curtis glanced at him. “What does this have to do with our discussion?”

“It’s unrelated, but it’s just something I’d like to know more about.” Jasper stroked his chin with a look of intense interest.

Bending over to take a sip of coffee, Curtis ignored him.

Jasper turned to the other side to ask Jefferson.

“I don’t know,” the latter said crisply.

Jasper was dumbstruck.

What is going on? I’m dying to find out!

Soon after, the servers entered the private room and brought their food to the table.

After setting down the plates, the door had barely creaked shut behind the servers when a tall figure pushed open the door and strode into the private room.

Seated opposite the sliding doors, Jasper was afforded a glimpse at the newcomer when he looked up.

After a startled pause, he smiled after. “Hello, Ms. Sainz. You must be here for Mr. Faymon, no?”

Wendella nodded and said in an alluring voice, “I’d heard from the manager that you are dining with Curtis here, Mr. Snyder. It simply wouldn’t do to leave without dropping by to say hello.”

“Why don’t you join us for a bite, Ms. Sainz?” Jasper offered courteously.

“Thank you, but no,” Wendella declined before walking over to Curtis. Leaning over, she whispered in his ear, “I have something to speak to you about, Curtis.”

“Just say what you will.” Curtis helped himself to the food expressionlessly, though his tone was polite. “You are acquainted with my guests. There’s no need to be shy.”

 

 

Chapter 569

Wendella’s fingers tightened around her purse.

I know Jasper, but could the person on the other side of the table be Jefferson Hamilton of Glory Corporation? The entire country knows Curtis crashed Jefferson and Rayna’s wedding to steal the bride, so why is Jefferson dining with Curtis at the same table? I wonder what these men are up to.

She knew that no matter how she pleaded, Curtis would not budge to have a private conversation with her.

Thus, Wendella stood beside him and spoke frankly, “I know about Selena’s death. The police and the media are telling the world that her death was an accident, but everybody in the industry knows the truth.”

Curtis merely grunted, his voice monotonous. “And?”

Wendella frowned at his apathy. “You know that Mr. Nicholson loves his daughter,” she said, almost yelling. “He’s not going to let you or Faymon Group off. The Xavier family will not side with the Nicholson family, but with Theodore still in a coma, who else can help you?” Wendella felt encouraged at the thought of Curtis without his allies.

So what if Faymon Group is rich? Mr. Nicholson’s fury cannot be appeased by money.

Since hearing news about Selena, she had been waiting for Curtis to come to her and ask for her help. Despite waiting in vain, the situation did not change, and she knew that Curtis would be worried about the matter.

She had taken a wager by coming to him by counting on the fact that Curtis had no connections and needed her father’s connections to get rid of Noel.

At the sight of Curtis paying attention to his food over her, Wendella snapped, “You know about my father’s prestige and connections, Curtis. He’s somebody Mr. Nicholson does not dare offend. A single word from my father would guarantee that he would not raise a finger against you—maybe he would even come to you with an apology.”

Before Curtis could speak, Jasper, seated across from him, laughed. “That’s true. We are aware of Mr. Sainz’s affection for his daughter. No ordinary people would dare offend you with your beauty and background, Ms. Sainz.”

Confident in her looks and background, Wendella could not resist reveling in the delight brought on by those flattering words.

However, the person whose attention she craved the most remained indifferent toward her.

Wendella could not bear his refusal to speak any longer. “I will ask my father to help you, Curtis, but I have one condition: I want you to marry me.”

Jefferson, who had been eating in silence, could not stifle his laughter.

He wiped his lips with a napkin and grinned. “Ms. Sainz is beautiful, of noble blood, and adores you, Mr. Faymon. Won’t you at least respond to a woman who would put aside her pride to confess to you?”

Jefferson then turned to Jasper. “What do you think about Mr. Faymon marrying Ms. Sainz, Mr. Snyder?”

“Eh? Not bad, I…” Jasper began but suddenly felt a venomous glare upon him. With a great shudder, the fork nearly slipped from his fingers.

He gripped his fork tighter. “It depends on what Mr. Faymon thinks,” he said with a cough.

Curtis set his fork down and turned to Jefferson with an inscrutable smile. “You seem awfully concerned about Ms. Sainz, Mr. Hamilton. Speak your mind if you’re interested in her. We’re no strangers, after all.”

“I am not interested in Ms. Sainz,” Jefferson retorted flatly. “You are the one she wants, Mr. Faymon.”

Curtis took a sip of coffee, his expression bland. “I, a commoner, am not worthy of Ms. Sainz. You seem much more suited for her, Mr. Hamilton, as it only takes a word from you to the queen to become a duke.”

Jefferson’s gaze turned dark, and his voice turned cold. “Ms. Sainz is a lady, Mr. Faymon. Surely you could find it in yourself to be a gentleman about it. Furthermore, Ms. Sainz is beautiful. Your children will one day rule the empire you build together.”

Curtis smiled. “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Hamilton, but I already have a child. I would love them as long as it was my wife who brought them into the world.”

Jefferson was rendered speechless.

Curtis placed the cup on the table and glanced at Jefferson before saying placidly, “Apologies, I forgot you don’t have a wife, Mr. Hamilton. You wouldn’t understand my feelings.”

Motherf*cker!

Jefferson was so angry he almost threw his cup of coffee into Curtis’ face.

Jasper, on the other hand, continued eating in silence.

At this juncture, merely spectating is the safer option. It’ll be the end of me if I say a word.

Wendella’s expression was stormy. I can’t believe how cold Curtis is being after I came to him and gave him the chance to court me. Even worse, he made me out to be a joke with another man!

Wendella scowled. “You’ve crossed the line, Curtis!” she fumed, her voice quivering uncontrollably. “My father is the only one who can help you now. Watch your attitude toward me!”

Curtis stifled a laugh, but his eyes remained cold. “We both know what you’re thinking, Ms. Sainz. The only reason why I’m not saying it aloud is that your father and I were once partners, and this is my way of saving you face.”

Wendella grew even angrier when her motive was seen through. “I’m beautiful and come from a powerful family. How am I not worthy of you? Marrying me is beneficial for you, too, as my father will help you.”

Helping himself to his food, Curtis replied at his own pace, “I was very clear earlier. I have a wife.”

Wendella did not respond. Her fingertips turned white from being clenched around her purse.

“You may have been influenced by Adrunian values for being willing to become somebody’s mistress, but I will not condone it,” Curtis continued while glaring at her. “Though we have once worked together, Ms. Sainz, it is not an invitation for you to inflate your ego. You’d better address me as Mr. Faymon when you see me in the future. Don’t give out the impression that your father did not teach you manners.”

Wendella turned pale at Curtis’ words. Prideful because of her position of prestige, she could not believe he would say such harsh things about her before people who were not privy to their affairs.

Livid, she snatched a cup of coffee from the table to douse him.

Curtis reacted swiftly. He grabbed her wrist, twisted it, and the warm liquid was unexpectedly redirected to her face instead.

Wendella shut her eyes when the coffee splashed at them. When she opened them again, they were filled with shocked disbelief.

How could he treat me this way?

Jefferson snickered. “How ungentlemanly of you, Mr. Faymon, to treat Ms. Sainz this way. You didn’t react this way when Belle flung water in your face.”

“That depends on whether I’m dealing with family or not.” Curtis released his grip and wiped his hands on the napkin with a look of disgust. “I can tolerate whatever my family does. An outsider, however…”

He gave a cold laugh before continuing, “What reason would I have for accommodating them?”

Jefferson went back to his meal without saying another word.

It no longer holds any meaning to pick a fight with Curtis. I have not only failed to anger him, but I have also let him get under my skin instead.

Wendella grabbed a napkin and wiped the coffee from her face. She was so angry that her body was shaking.

“Mr. Nicholson is a formidable enemy, Curtis. Do you think these two can help you?” she uttered, her eyes glinting with malice. “I want to help you, yet you treat me this way! You will regret this, Curtis. I will be waiting when you come begging me for help.”

At that, Wendella grabbed her purse and departed.

Jasper gazed at the door that had been violently thrown open, stroking his chin while his brows furrowed with displeasure. “Though Mr. Sainz’s daughter is beautiful, she’s not exactly the brightest.”

“Don’t sugarcoat it. She’s as dumb as a bag of rocks!” Jefferson pushed his glasses up, a sneer appearing on his handsome face. “Does she think nobody will find out about her little indiscretion?”

 

 

 

Chapter 570

Jasper said curiously, “Do tell me what it is.”

Jefferson ignored him. He pushed back his chair and stood up. “I need to visit Belle in the hospital. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave first.”

Curtis hummed in acknowledgment. “Take a look at how her leg injury is and let me know on WhatsApp.”

Jefferson glanced at him before striding away.

Jasper was dumbfounded upon hearing their conversation and seeing Jefferson leave. “I’m not hallucinating, am I? Did you just send your love rival to take care of your woman?”

Then, after a second of silent contemplation, Jasper said, “The two of you seem to exist in harmony. What’s going on? Are you planning to get into a polyamorous relationship?”

Curtis’ expression darkened, and he tossed his cup at Jasper.

Fortunately, Jasper saw it in time and hastily tilted his head to the side. The cup glided past his ear and crashed into the wall behind him.

Once Jasper registered what happened, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

Curtis snapped, “Shut your mouth if you’re not good with words. No one’s going to complain about how you’re not talking enough.”

Jasper was speechless at that.

After lunch at noon, Rayna started feeling sleepy, so she asked Kristie and Carl to play with each other while she took a nap.

When she woke up, she found Jefferson sitting beside her bed.

“How long have you been here?” Rayna sat up on the bed. Fearing that her hair had turned into a mess while she slept, she tried to comb it with her fingers. “I haven’t been able to do any tidying up of myself in the hospital lately. Am I uglier now?”

Jefferson shook his head and reached out to tidy the strands of hair by her ear. Then, looking right at her, he said, “You’ll always be the most beautiful person to me no matter when and where.”

Regardless of whether those words were simply flattery or sincere, Rayna flushed crimson.

She took the glass of warm water from Jefferson and slowly drank half of it before asking, “Have you been busy in the company? I texted you recently, but you were slow to reply, and you didn’t come to the hospital to visit me.”

“I’m busy. I have many things to work on when you took your leave,” Jefferson said as he peeled an orange. “If you’re bored, I’ll come to the hospital to keep you company from now on.”

“No, it’s fine,” she quickly said. “I have Kristie and Carl to accompany me. I’m not bored. You should just focus on managing the company.”

Jefferson passed her the orange slices. “How’s your leg?”

“I think it’s mostly fine now.” Rayna put a slice into her mouth before pulling away the blanket to show him her moving leg. “I’ve been moving around recently, and it feels fine. But Mr. York said it’s a gunshot injury, so even if it recovers, I still have to stay in the hospital for further observation first.”

“Okay. Just listen to him. You don’t need to worry about the company’s affairs,” Jefferson said before giving her a smile.

When his gaze landed on Rayna’s baby bump, the look in his eyes darkened.

It had only been a while since he had last come to the hospital, but Rayna’s stomach had become much bigger than he remembered.

Noticing that he was staring at her stomach, Rayna caressed it and uttered in resignation, “It’s really big, isn’t it? The doctor said it’s normal for my stomach to be this big at this point of the pregnancy since I’m having triplets. Every time I walk, I feel the weight of my stomach, and if I stand for too long, I feel the strain on my back. I’m guessing I won’t be able to walk by the time I’m seven months into the pregnancy.”

Jefferson sighed, the heartache he felt visible in his eyes. He took another piece of the orange for her. “It must be tough, right?”

Rayna nodded. “It is, but I can still endure it.”

The thought of the babies’ cute faces and them calling her Mommy made the tough time seem worth it.

Jefferson glanced at her stomach and fell silent as he peeled another orange.

He loved her, and he would love her children as well.

Even if the children were not his, he would love them still because they were hers. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

At Jefferson’s silence, Rayna realized she had said something wrong, and regret washed over her.

“Once I’ve given birth to them and recovered, let’s go to Nardor for a holiday.” Rayna held his hand tightly. “I’ve always wanted to go there, but I haven’t had the time to do so. Come with me.”

Jefferson knew that it was unlikely she would be able to part with the children once they were in this world.

Nevertheless, as long as those words were from her—even if they were untrue—he would believe in them.

A soft smile crept onto Jefferson’s face, and he kissed the back of her hand. “All right. I’ll buy a small island and build a house and a garden that you’ll like on it. I’ll sunbathe with you every day.”

Rayna chuckled. “Don’t. It’s a waste to buy an island. It’s not as if we’ll stay there forever.”

“It’s only tens of millions. It’s not much.”

While the two of them were chatting away, someone knocked on the door before coming in.

It was Sandy, and she had a lunch box in her hand.

Sandy spotted Jefferson holding Rayna’s hand from afar, and she halted in her steps. Still, her expression remained gentle.

“Rayna, how’s your leg?”

“Ms. Sandy.” Rayna was not expecting Sandy to come. She pulled her hand back and tried to get down from the bed. “What brings you here?”

Sandy quickly stopped her. “Why are you being such a stranger to me? You’re a patient here, so just lie down.”

Rayna lay back down meekly. “I’m fine now, but Mr. York asked me to stay for further observation.”

“That’s good.” Sandy smiled and walked over to put the lunch box on the table before opening it.

“Old Mr. Faymon misses you, but he’s in poor health. The doctor didn’t let him wander outside. He asked the kitchen staff to make some soup and insisted that I bring it for you when I come and visit you.”

“Please thank Old Mr. Faymon on my behalf.” Rayna was flustered to have the elderly man worried about him.

Things did not work out between Curtis and her, but Alfred was still genuinely nice to her.

It was something she knew well.

As Rayna took the bowl, she said to Sandy. “I’ll visit Old Mr. Faymon once my leg recovers.”

“Okay, okay.” Sandy nodded, all smiles. “Take a sip and let me know if you like it.”

Rayna drank two mouthfuls and sincerely praised, “It’s fantastic. I’m sure you feel at ease to have a cook as good as this to take care of Old Mr. Faymon’s meals.”

“Well, he’s getting pickier and pickier with his food the older he gets. It’s the same as Curtis,” Sandy said with a sigh. “He likes none of the cooks at home, and he doesn’t want my cooking either. He just keeps going on and on about how your cooking is the best.”

“But I’ve never cooked for Old Mr. Faymon.” Rayna froze. “How would he know if my cooking is good or not?”

A laugh escaped Sandy at that. “But Curtis has. He’s as picky as Curtis, and he never forgot about how Curtis said you cooked well. So, he keeps rejecting food from other people.”

“Is that so?” Rayna laughed.

It was then she noticed that Jefferson had been staying silent the second Sandy came. He even quietly walked away when Sandy came closer to her. It was as if he was invisible, and that made Rayna’s heart ache.

“Jefferson,” Rayna called out. “Get an orange for Ms. Sandy, will you?”

After a moment of hesitation, Jefferson took an orange from the fruit basket and passed it to Sandy.

“Thank you,” Sandy said as she took it and gave him a smile.

When Rayna saw that Sandy did not have a scowl on her face and was cordial with Jefferson, she let out an inward sigh of relief. “I’ll go and visit Old Mr. Faymon with Jefferson once I’m discharged. Does that sound fine, Ms. Sandy?”

“Of course.” Sandy still had a gentle tone in her voice and a smile on her face. “I’m sure he’ll be delighted.”

Rayna beamed. “As long as Old Mr. Faymon enjoys it, I’ll cook for him every day.”

Sandy shook her head. “That won’t do. You’ll spoil him. You’re pregnant, remember? You need more rest too.”

“I know.”

Jefferson was quiet again as he stood by the side of her bed.