Ch. 121..130
Chapter 121
Brittany sat on the ground and covered her swollen cheek, staring at Bonnie incredulously, “D–Did you just hit me? How dare you! Not even my parents had ever hit me.”
Bonnie scoffed and said, “That’s why you act so snobbish. You might’ve been born into a wealthy family, but that doesn’t mean you can treat others so poorly.”
Brittany retorted, “Not only did you insult me, but you also badmouthed my parents! Who do you think you are, you smart–mouthed bitch?!”
Brittany was about to lose her mind as she scrambled to her feet and lunged at Bonnie. However, Avril exclaimed, “Bonnie, watch out!”
Bonnie’s eyes were cold as she swerved out of the way and punched Brittany’s chest. As the latter wore high heels, the punch pushed her backward and caused her to stagger before losing her footing and falling on her ass.
Rip!
Brittany’s skirt tore from the bottom to the top.
“Ahh! No!” She tried to cover herself with her purse.
“You had it coming.” Avril had no sympathy for people like Brittany. Then, the former realized something and said, “Was that a kickboxing move, Bonnie? What a surprise! You’re excellent at it,
too.”
She knew Bonnie got to know Orson because Kay wanted to learn kickboxing from her. However, everyone thought Bonnie only knew run–of–the–mill moves and managed to fool Kay. That was why nobody thought anything of it.
Looking back, everyone had underestimated Bonnie.
“You bitch! Things won’t end well for you. Now, I know who you were talking about when you said you know a guy. It’s the same person who picked you up last night, isn’t it? Shame on you for becoming a homewrecker!” Brittany’s words were awful.
Avril did not even consider it until Brittany brought it up. The former believed Bonnie would never have done something like that. Avril said, “You don’t have any evidence, Brittany. So, stop accusing Bonnie of being a homewrecker. Your mom’s the only homewrecker here!”
“What did you just say?!”
“Do you think denying it will help? Everybody knows your mom was the homewrecker who wormed her way to marrying your dad. She did it by kicking your dad’s ex–wife out of the house. Good on you for sitting in your high horse!”
“That’s a load of crap! My mom was the woman my dad fell in love with! They’ve been friends since childhood. That bitch was the one who stole my dad away from my mom. That makes Bonnie the
homewrecker! If that isn’t true, why did her parents disown her?
“They did it because they feared she’d do something so shameful that’d bring the whole family down
with her!”
Bonnie had had enough of Brittany and texted Hamish. A minute later, a group of security guards entered the boutique. Brittany pointed at Bonnie and roared, “There’s the troublemaker who hit me! Hurry up and kick her out of here!”
Avril grew worried when she saw the security guards. She was about to explain the situation when she saw them carrying Brittany by her armpits and taking her away.
“L–Let me go, damn it! I’m a member of the Dyngard family. We’re the business partners with Tang Fusion Studios. Let me go, or I’ll make all of you regret this. Bonnie, you bitch! I’ll have my revenge someday!
“I’ll make you regret crossing me. You’ll kneel before me and beg for mercy! You’re not off the hook either, store manager. I’ll report you to my dad when I get back home. He’ll report you to the headquarters, and you’ll suffer the consequences of your actions!”
Avril shook her head helplessly. “Impressive. She never stopped running her mouth even while the guards removed her from the boutique. She’s only embarrassing herself. Do you want to follow them and see how the guards deal with her, Bonnie?”
“You can go ahead. I don’t like attention.” Bonnie responded lightly.
“Okay, I’ll be back before you know it. Stay put.”
When Avril left, Bonnie texted Hamish again.
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“The Dyngards are hurting my company’s reputation. Call off the collaboration with them. I no longer want them as our business partners.” After sending the text, Bonnie looked at the pale store manager and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I–I’m okay.” Although she said so, she looked a little miserable. The manager also came from the countryside. Still, she had to protect her dignity. She had been nothing but diligent, committed, and professional in her job. Even so, she got slapped over nothing.
“Let me see that. You’re pretty hurt. You’re not fine at all,” Frowning, Bonnie said, “I’ll have someone send you to the clinic. The company will cover all the medical expenses. Also, you did an excellent job today. I’ll put in a word with Hamish and tell him to give you a promotion.”
The manager forgot all about the pain and stared at Bonnie, dumbfounded. At that moment, Avril returned with her phone in her hand.
“Tsk tsk tsk… You missed out on the whole thing, Bonnie. Brittany looked so pathetic that I felt sorry for her. The security guards tossed her out of the premises, and she fell in the most embarrassing way
possible.
“Hahaha! Frankly speaking, she brought it on herself. Also, she’s my bitter rival. She had always
acted like a snob because her company’s net worth was higher than my family’s. I can’t believe they’re business partners with Tang Fusion Studios. The universe ought to be more fair!”
“They won’t be Tang Fusion Studios’s business partners anymore,” Bonnie responded lightly.
“Huh? I beg your pardon.” Avril was stunned. She wondered why Bonnie would say something like
that.
“Never mind. Come on, let’s continue shopping.” Bonnie had no intention of explaining herself.
“You betcha. I’m so happy today that I’m going to shop until I drop. Um, it’s just that I was supposed to buy you a dress, but you bought me one instead. Oh, that reminds me. How much did that blue and purple dress cost? I’ll transfer the money to you.‘
“I don’t have to pay for it,” Bonnie said casually.
Avril responded, “I’m serious, Bonnie. We’re talking about a dress from Bohemian Boutique. Am I supposed to think they gave it to you for free? You’re not the owner of Tang Fusion Studios, after all. Just tell me how much it is, and I’ll pay you back.”
The duo strolled away from the boutique as they chatted. Meanwhile, The manager was still staring at both of them, dumbfounded. She did not look away until they disappeared from her sight.
Then, the sales assistant came over, looking as shaken as she was. “Wh–what in the world just happened? Who is that Bonnie person?”
The manager fell into deep thought with her mouth slightly agape.
‘Who on earth is she?‘
Her eyes continued to widen as she pondered on it. A minute later, she raised her head and looked at the name of the boutique plastered over the door.
“That customer’s name was Bonnie… Our store’s called Bohemian Boutique…” The manager gasped.
“Gosh!”
‘Could it be?!‘
Brittany got home and started smashing things. “Damn that bitch! Ugh! I’ve never been this humiliated!”
Her mother, Nia Dyngard, came over and asked, “What’s the matter? Why are you so riled up?”
Seeing that her parents were home, Brittany started sobbing pitifully. “You have to stand up for me! Someone treated me very harshly today!”
Nia’s expression grew grim when she heard what her daughter said.
“Who would dare pick on my daughter?! They must have a death wish! Who was mean to you, Britt? I’ll teach them a lesson for you!”
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“It’s Bonnie!” Brittany gritted her teeth and roared.
“Bonnie Shepard? The one who got disowned by her family?” Nia was genuinely surprised.
“Yeah, she’s the one! I was shopping in the mall earlier and…” Brittany proceeded to recount everything to her mother.
Nia was furious by the end of it. “Damn that bitch! It isn’t enough that she tormented the entire Shepard family. Now, she has her eyes on you. She’s just a lowly and worthless country bumpkin. How dare she pick on you!”
Brittany’s father, Dermot Dyngard, exhaled a puff of smoke and said, “Let’s not be hasty. So, what you’re saying is Bonnie tried to steal a dress from you at Bohemian Boutique?”
Brittany added, “She’s such a shameless bitch! I’m sure you remember the Bentleys that night, Dad. I’m certain she has a sugar daddy. That explains how someone like her can afford a dress from Bohemian Boutique.”
Nia said, “That punk deserves to be disowned by her own family. I agree with their decision.”
“You have to avenge me, Mom!”
Nia frowned and asked, “Sure, but where am I supposed to find her now?”
Brittany answered, “Let’s start with the Shepards‘ villa. They might’ve disowned her, but she used to be one of them. For all we know, Bonnie could have returned to them.”
“You’re right. We’re going to the Shepards‘ villa to demand an explanation from them.”
Soon after, they marched into the villa together. Vera smiled and welcomed them charmingly, “To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Dermot and Ms. Nia?”
Dermot and Demetria were cousins. Both the Dyngards and the Rhodes were far more powerful and
influential than the Shepards. Naturally, Vera had to keep them happy.
“We’re here for Bonnie!” Nia said, exasperated.
Vera was stunned, and then her expression grew grim. “What did she do now? Did she offend you?”
“Good on you for knowing the kind of character your daughter has. She was mean to Brittany and
humiliated her!”
Vera grew more grim when she heard that. “As you know, Bonnie is no longer one of us,
Ms. Nia.”
“Are you sure about that? Do I have your word that you’d never welcome her back?”
“Not a chance.” Vera guaranteed.
“What makes you think I have to believe you?” Nia did not believe a word she said. “Bonnie might have trouble surviving alone in the real world and come crawling back to beg for forgiveness
Chantel 123
someday. I don’t see how you, her birth mother, would remain unfazed by it.”
Vera looked at Gresham, who sighed and said, “Give me a minute, Ms. Nia.”
He then instructed his assistant to make another announcement on Twitter.
“The Shepards won’t tolerate a troublemaker like Bonnie. If she comes crawling back to us and begs for forgiveness, we will never forgive her or take her back. You might accuse us of being
heartless, but you should know that she brought it on herself.
“Should she get into any messes or offend anyone in the future, we will not intervene. We, the Shepards, have nothing to do with her.”
Nia read the tweet and clicked her tongue. “What a heartless tweet! With that said, I fully support you. It’s the right thing to do. Since we got what we came for, rest assured we won’t be picking any bones with you.”
After resolving the conflict, the Dyngards and Shepards became friends again.
Gresham addressed Nia and her family, “Please, have a seat in the dining room, Mr. Dermot. Ms. Nia, let’s have dinner together. That reminds me. You secured a collaboration with Tang Fusion Studios, correct?”
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“Yeah, we finalized everything last month. We also signed the contract not long ago. It seems you’ve been keeping tabs on things,” Dermot knew Gresham was trying to butter him up, but he welcomed it
nonetheless.
“Excellent! You’re such a class act, Mr. Dermot! I can’t believe you locked in a collaboration with Tang Fusion Studios. I’m highly impressed!” Gresham took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
“It’s nothing remarkable. Perhaps Tang Fusion Studios liked our proposal. We put a lot of work into
it, after all.”
“That’s humble of you, Mr. Dermot. Tang Fusion Studios is one of the most prominent group companies in Pyralis. It’ll take more than a sound proposal to get their approval. I’ll bet it’s because of you and your reputable company.”
Gresham was about to continue praising Dermot when the latter’s phone rang. “It’s a call from my
assistant. Please excuse me.”
“Sure, go ahead. I’ll tell my chef to prepare more dishes for dinner.” Grasham turned and made his way to the kitchen. However, he had not even taken two steps when he heard Dermot’s agitated
voice.
こ
“Run that by me again! Why would Tang Fusion change their minds about our collaboration?”
Gresham stopped and turned to look at Dermot. Even Nia and Brittany looked at him. Dermot
reddened with anger as he asked, “Why would they claim we offended someone important? When did we do that? Did you ask for the details?”
His assistant replied, “I don’t know the specifics, Mr. Dermot. The project manager called me a minute ago and accused us of not respecting them. He also said they’d never work with us.”
Dermot began to panic and was about to lose it.
Gresham gulped and asked softly, “What happened, Mr. Dermot?”
‘How am I supposed to fucking know?!‘ Dermot almost lost his cool and roared at Gresham.
A moment later, Dermot glared at his daughter so fiercely that she felt goosebumps all over her body, asking, “Wh–why are you looking at me like that, Dad?”
“Did you offend anyone today?” Besides his daughter, who had a knack for picking fights, Dermot could not understand why Tang Fusion Studios would cancel their collaboration with his company.
“I–I didn’t offend anyone! All I did was have a little spat with Bonnie.”
“Bonnie?” Dermot frowned.
“It can’t be her!” Brittney was able to guess some of her dad’s thoughts based on his earlier phone conversation. “I mean it. I didn’t offend any important figure. As for Bonnie, she’s just a bumpkin. Do you honestly think she’s some kind of big shot?”
‘Bonnie? A big shot? It won’t take a genius to figure out the answer as a resounding no.‘
“Wait a minute. Could it be Bonnie’s sugar daddy?” Brittany had an epiphany. When she said it out loud, everyone in the dining hall was flabbergasted.
Dermot turned to look at Gresham and asked, “Does anyone know who Bonnie’s sugar daddy is?”
Gresham paled, saying, “Um, we’re not sure, but do you think Bonnie’s behind this? It’s Tang Fusion Studios we’re talking about here. I don’t think they would give up on collaboration because Bonnie asked them to.”
Dermot replied, “Regardless, she’s the prime suspect here. Also, she was mean to my daughter, and I won’t let that slide. Do you have her phone number? I want to talk to her in person.”
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“Well, I do, but…”
“But what? Are you still trying to protect her?”
“Why would I? There’s no way I’d protect that deceitful punk. Fine, I don’t care anymore! You can have her phone number.” Gresham took his phone and gave Bonnie’s number to Dermot.
Dermot made the phone call immediately after.
While Bonnie continued to shop with Avril, she got a phone call from an unknown number. “Hello? Who’s this?”
“Bonnie, I presume.”
“Yeah, that’s me. Can I help you with anything?”
“I’m Brittany’s father.”
“Did you call to pick a bone with me? Is this about Brittany?”
“Yeah, we’ll get back to that. Tang Fusion Studios called off collaboration with my company so suddenly. Do you have something to do with it?”
Bonnie raised her brow with a hint of mockery as she admitted, “Yeah, that was me.”
Dermot never expected her to admit it outright. He began to doubt her a little.
‘Did Bonnie really do it, or is she pretending to have done it to intimidate me? That way, I won’t dare to speak up for my daughter.‘
“You did it? How do you have that kind of power to pull it off? The collaboration is a multi–million – dollar project. My company made an intricate proposal to secure it. What makes you think I’ll believe you?”
Bonnie chuckled and said, “What makes you think I’ll tell you where I get my power from?”
“Why, you little-” Dermot turned red with rage. “I’ll repeat my question. Did you, or did you not have something to do with it?”
“Not at all.” Bonnie played him like a fiddle.
Dermot was at a loss for words for seconds before he stammered, “Y–You goddamn-”
“What’s wrong? Are you going to ask me the same question again? Then, yeah, I did it.” Bonnie
smirked.
“You’re fucking toying with me!” Dermot felt like he could just explode.
Meanwhile, Gresham and Vera exchanged glances when they saw how worked up Dermot was. That was why they hesitated to give Bonnie’s number to him. They feared she would drive him up the wall.
As expected, that was what happened.
“That’s just fine! This conversation isn’t going anywhere. Still, you picked on my sweet girl. What are you going to do about it?”
“Let it scab.”
“Listen here, you little shit-
”
Beep!
Bonnie hung up before he could finish.
“Son of a bitch!” Dermot smashed his phone, causing an awkward pin–drop silence to fall over the dining room.
Realizing that things had taken a bitter turn, Gresham hastily said, “That’s how she is, arrogant and unruly. It’s not just you, Mr. Dermot. Vera and I used to take her crap the whole time.”
He said this to emphasize the fact that they were not on Bonnie’s side. Instead, they agreed with Dermot and assured him that they had to suffer Bonnie’s insufferable behavior.
Initially, Dermot was about to let Gresham and his wife have it. However, the former decided otherwise after hearing what Gresham said. On the contrary, Dermot began to pity Gresham. “What a rotten luck to have a daughter such as her.”
“When you think about it, we’re quite fortunate. The universe gave us Trina. That girl makes us proud,” Gresham said gratefully.
“Hmph! I can’t believe Daken looked the other way when his daughter befriended Bonnie. He’ll feel my wrath soon enough. I’ll make sure he regrets it!” Dermot grunted.
Meanwhile, Avril looked at Bonnie with concern. “Are the Dyngards giving you trouble?”
“It’s just a minor hurdle. Don’t worry about it,” Bonnie reassured her.
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“Ah, it’s a pity that the Smiths aren’t as good as the Dyngards. Otherwise, we can compete with them.”
Bonnie silently contemplated, ‘Being inferior now doesn’t mean it’ll be the same in the future. Still, it’ll take a while to surpass them.‘
Bonnie returned to the Knights‘ residence at night after a day of shopping. Ivor’s tense and stern expression relaxed upon seeing her. He was genuinely afraid she would not come back. “Are you hungry? I’ll tell the kitchen staff to prepare a meal.”
“No rush. I need to use the restroom first.” Bonnie casually placed her phone on the coffee table and
entered the bathroom.
Immediately after, Ged appeared energetically. “Mr. Ivor, have you heard? The project on Lenfield Villa has just been finalized. The side whose racer wins the drift challenge will take ownership of the project.”
“I received the news not long ago,” replied the nonchalant Ivor.
“So, who are you sending to participate?” Ged asked curiously.
Ivor frowned. “If only we could find Windbreaker.”
“You mean the legendary car god?”
“If we can get her to participate, we’ll have a ninety–nine percent chance of winning.”
“Absolutely! My idol will guarantee victory!” Ged exclaimed excitedly, “Oh, I also heard that your family’s archenemy has found the Vulture. He’s a formidable opponent, too.
“Lately, he’s become the widely known racing king. He even claimed to make Windbreaker admit defeat,” Ged became increasingly frustrated as he spoke, “Vulture’s nothing special since he’s a
newcomer.
“He’s just undefeated in racing so far. It’s because my idol, Windbreaker, has been out of the scene for a few years. If she were around, he’d shut up!”
“All right, no need to get worked up. Besides, Windbreaker has been silent for two years. It’s probably hard to find her,” Ivor sighed in disappointment.
Ged also sighed, saying, “I’m upset. I’ll play a couple of rounds of Wildrift to soothe my angry heart. I wonder if Ms. Bonita has time to team up. I’ll send her a message and ask if she’s free.”
Ding!
Bonnie’s phone played a notification sound as it lay on the coffee table. Ged paused and looked at it, asking without much thought, “Why is Bonnie’s phone here?”
“She’s in the restroom.” Ivor raised his chin toward the bathroom.
2
“Oh. Hmm, I wonder why Ms. Bonita isn’t replying to my message.” Ged sent another message to ask Bonita if she was free to play with him.
Ding!
Bonnie’s phone rang again.
“Huh?” Ged was puzzled as he stared at Bonnie’s phone. From his angle, he could only see the screen light up but not the content.
Ivor also noticed something was amiss, wondering if it was just a coincidence.
Ged dared not overthink it and chuckled. “Mr. Ivor, who do you think is messaging Bonnie? Could it be your love rival?”
Ivor noticed Ged teasing him. The latter suggested, “Why don’t we take a look?”
Ivor squinted at Bonnie’s phone.
“Don’t just sit around. What if it’s really your love rival? Besides, Bonnie’s still in the bathroom. You can take a peek without getting caught.” Ged’s words tempted Ivor
After glancing at the bathroom again, Ivor reached for the phone.
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When the phone suddenly rang, Ivor instinctively retracted his hand, looking somewhat pale. Ged burst into laughter but quickly covered his mouth when he saw Ivor’s icy glare.
‘I can’t blame Ged for laughing.‘
The usually calm Ivor felt an unexpected guilt due to a phone call. Soon after, Bonnie came out of the bathroom and asked, “Was my phone ringing?”
“Yeah.” Ivor feigned ignorance and leaned into the sofa while stealing glances at Bonnie.
The latter picked up her phone and subconsciously looked at the duo when she saw the caller ID. “You two didn’t peek at my phone just now, did you?”
Ivor frowned, displeased. “Why, is there something you’re hiding, or did someone special call you?”
Initially, Ivor took Ged’s words with a grain of salt. However, he could not help but feel suspicious after seeing Bonnie’s reaction. She looked at him strangely, wondering why he would say such a thing.
Nonetheless, she ignored him and took her phone upstairs. She saw that Hamish had called her. Judging by Ivor’s expression, he probably did not see it.
“Hello, why’d you call so suddenly?”
“Why would you ask me that? Tang Fusion Studios is your company, not mine. Besides, if you can call
I can call you, too.” Hamish was puzzled.
me,
“So, what’s up?”
Hamish sighed. “All right, let’s get to the point. Do you know about Lenfield Villa?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“All of Pyralis‘ big shots are vying for its development rights. Whoever secures it will make a fortune. Ultimately, they agreed on a drag race competition. Whoever’s representative wins will get the Lenfield Villa’s development rights.”
Bonnie nodded and said, “Then, let’s find someone skilled enough to represent our company in the
race.”
“It’s not that simple.” Hamish frowned. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of Vulture, but he has gained a reputation in the racing world recently.”
“I haven’t paid attention to the racing world in the last couple of years.”
“You’re right. You probably don’t care, but Vulture is formidable and pretty ruthless. I heard those who race against him typically end up crashing. Sheffyn Entertainment recruited this tough guy, which caused headaches for various parties.
“I called you to ask if you know a skilled racer to recruit for our company. After all, you have a wide
network of connections.”
Bonnie rubbed her chin and considered it before asking, “Is Vulture as formidable as you say?”
“Give me a moment. I’ll send you a video of Vulture racing. You’ll know what I mean once you’ve
watched it.”
“Okay.” A few minutes later, Bonnie finished watching the short video Hamish sent. She turned solemn, muttering, “Yeah, he’s a formidable drive, alright. Ordinary people are no match for him.”
“Yeah! I think someone like Windbreaker is the only one who can beat him. Still, can we even find her?
Hamish sighed.
Bonnie smiled. “Windbreaker? I know her.”
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Hamish was stunned. “Do you seriously know her? Don’t tease me!”
“Not only do I know her, but we’re also pretty close,” Bonnie replied smilingly. Her confident tone assured Hamish that she was not joking.
“That’s impressive, Ms. Bonnie! Everyone’s searching for Windbreaker. I didn’t expect you to know her. Oh, even though you’re familiar with her, she supposedly retired two years ago. What if you can’t persuade Windbreaker to come?”
“Don’t worry. She’ll come.‘
Hamish still felt a little uneasy. “How sure are you, Ms. Bonnie? If you aren’t, I’ll need to prepare a few backup options. It’d be embarrassing if we don’t have a representative for the race.”
“You can relax. Windbreaker will one hundred percent show up.” Bonnie sounded confident.
“All right, I’ll stop worrying then.” Hamish then changed the subject, “Also, I’ve canceled our collaboration with the Dyngards. Since that’s the case, we need to find another company to partner with. Do you have any suitable candidates?”
The first person Bonnie thought of was Avril. Although Bonnie could have given the project to the Smiths directly, she was concerned about their capabilities.
After some thought, Bonnie said, “You can invite tenders and give favorable treatment to the Smiths. Choose them if their proposal is acceptable and won’t cause losses to our company.”
“Right away, Ms. Bonnie.”
Afterward, Bonnie called Avril, saying, “Visit Tang Fusion Studios with your dad tomorrow and participate in the bidding.”
Avril was puzzled, wondering what was happening. Before she could ask about it, she heard her father and his assistant discussing project matters as they entered the house.
“I didn’t expect the collaboration between Tang Fusion Studios and the Dyngards to fall through when they seemed so certain.”
Avril blinked and paused for a moment before regaining her composure. She said, “Um, Bonnie, are you talking about the project the Dyngards and Tang Fusion Studios were supposed to collaborate
on?”
Bonnie replied, “Yeah, that project. You should tell your dad to devise a proposal and apply for it. If the proposal isn’t rubbish, Tang Fusion Studios will collaborate with him.”
Immediately after, she heard a knock on the door and asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s me.” Ivor’s low and attractive voice echoed.
Bonnie spoke into the phone, “I still have something to attend to. Let’s talk later. I’ll hang up now.
What’s wrong, Ivor?”
“There was a sudden thunderstorm just now, and Tracey had an accident on the way here. Since there’s no one available to cook right now, I came to ask what you wanted. I’ll cook for you today.”
“You can cook?” Bonnie was surprised.
Although Ivor had references, he did not feel the need to bring it up. “I can make lots of dishes. Anything you want.”
Bonnie scrutinized Ivor skeptically.
“So, what would you like?” Ivor felt a little uneasy under her gaze, but he remained calm on the
surface.
After some thought, Bonnie revealed a mischievous smile and said, “I want clam chowder, lasagna, barbeque ribs, pot roast, and cobb salad. That should be all. You probably can’t make them anyway.‘
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Ivor’s heart sank when he heard Bonnie’s outrageous requests. On the other hand, the latter chuckled inwardly.
Ged, who had followed Ivor, slapped the staircase railing and laughed heartily, saying, “Damn, that’s hilarious!”
Bonnie suppressed her laughter and said, “How about something simpler, like chicken noodle soup?”
Ivor sighed in relief. He would rather be in an intense corporate meeting than cook the dishes Bonnie mentioned earlier. After all, he had barely cooked before.
“All right, wait a moment. I’ll be quick.” Ivor turned to Ged and said, “There won’t be noodles for you.
“Hey,
I wasn’t laughing at you just now! I was laughing at myself.”
Avril looked absent–minded after her call with Bonnie. The former had something to say but ended up swallowing her words. Daken noticed his daughter’s absent–mindedness and asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Ahem! Dad, did Tang Fusion Studios cancel its collaboration with the Dyngards?”
“I just got the news. Everyone suspects the Dyngards had probably offended someone they shouldn’t have.” Daken lit a cigarette as he spoke.
Avril recalled Bonnie saying something about the Dyngards no longer being business partners with Tang Fusion Studios yesterday. Bonnie’s words echoed non–stop in Avril’s mind, and she wondered if it was just a coincidence or if Bonnie was psychic.
“Avril? Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Daken’s voice brought Avril out of her thoughts.
“Um, Bonnie just called and said we should participate in Tang Fusion Studios’s project bidding
tomorrow.”
“What’s that?” Daken was stunned.
“She also said our company should devise a proposal and that Tang Fusion will prioritize cooperating with us if the proposal is decent.” Avril continued, her heart filled with unease.
Daken held his cigarette blankly for a moment. A moment later, he frowned and asked, “Is that a joke or something?”
“I don’t think Bonnie jokes around like that, Dad.” Avril’s words caused Daken to fall into deep thought again. She added, “Dad, there’s another thing. Bonnie and I ran into Brittany at the mall today.”
“So, you and Brittany had a conflict, and the Dyngards‘ collaboration got canceled?” Daken was
shocked.
Avril gulped and asked, “Do you think it could be a coincidence?”
“Not necessarily.” Daken pursed his lips and squinted. “Do you remember Bonnie picking you up in a Maybach yesterday?”
“I remember, 80- “Avril’s eyes widened. “Bonnie contacted someone in the store. It was most likely a higher–up of Tang Fusion, or maybe even the CEO!”
“That’s highly likely. Don’t spread this information for now. After all, that’s just our speculation. Even if it’s true, don’t discuss it with anyone. It’s Bonnie’s private matter. If she doesn’t want to disclose it, you shouldn’t either.”
“I understand, Dad. It’s just It can’t be Mr. Hamish of Tang Fusion Studios, right? He’s quite handsome and is also the chief designer. He’s skillful, but he’s already thirty–five.”
“What’s wrong with being thirty–five? Men age like fine wine, especially in their thirties. They’re at the peak of their charm by that age.” Daken disagreed with Avril’s viewpoint.
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“You are right. Thirty–five isn’t old, but the problem is Bonnie is only twenty. Mr.Hamish is fifteen years older than Bonnie.” Ariel expressed her disbelief. “Bonnie is at a disadvantage.”
“What disadvantage? Mr. Hamish is a business genius designer. Besides, he’s not married. Let’s not talk about such things. Things may not be as we imagine.” Draken rubbed his forehead.
“Yeah, you’re right. Hey, if I ask Bonnie how she knows so much, do you think she’ll tell me?”
“Why don’t you give it a try?”
“Never mind.” Ariel waved. “I’ve only known her for a day or two. Still, I want to become good friends with her. Considering the short time we’ve known each other, it’d be awkward if I were so direct with her. I’ll wait until we’re more familiar with each other. Maybe she’ll tell me when she’s ready.”
Draken was satisfied with his daughter’s considerations. “Well, you’ve thought it through. Go to Tang Fusion Studios with me tomorrow. You might run into Bonnie.”
“Okay, Dad.”
Bonnie sat on the sofa in the Knights‘ residence while waiting for dinner. Suddenly, she smelled something burning. At that moment, Ged put down his phone and looked at her. “Hey, Bonnie, do you smell something?”
Bonnie looked toward the kitchen and saw thick smoke coming from it. Immediately after, Ged bolted upright and ran toward the kitchen. “Oh shit! Fire!”
When Bonnie arrived at the kitchen door, she saw Ivor using a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. They exchanged awkward glances and then cleaned up the kitchen.
“Let me handle it.” Bonnie rolled up her sleeves and opened the refrigerator. She saw plenty of ingredients inside and realized nothing was missing or out of place.
“Can you cook?” Ivor was surprised this time.
“There’s no surprises there. I’m a country girl born and raised, after all. Being able to cook is an expectation, don’t you think?”
Ivor frowned. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”
Bonnie stopped and looked at Ivor. “You’re overthinking it. I’m just stating a fact.”
Ged sighed in relief. “Finally, we can have a normal meal tonight.”
Immediately after, he received Ivor’s deadly glare, and the former silently left the kitchen.
“Those eyes are frightening. I was just speaking the truth. My standards for food aren’t high anyway. I don’t have to eat a chef’s cooking. I just want something edible. With that raging storm outside, it’d
be inconvenient for us to go out for a meal.‘
Bonnie finished cooking various dishes an hour later. The food looked appealing to the eyes and taste buds as she arranged them on the table. Ged pointed at the carved patterns on the plate in surprise and exclaimed, “Wow, that’s unexpected! I didn’t know you could carve, too.”
He thought Bonnie could only make simple country–style dishes, but the results were pretty sophisticated.
Ivor was just as surprised. The color combinations and presentation of these dishes were meticulous, unlike everyday home–cooked dishes.
“Mr. Ivor, don’t just stand there. Grab your spoon and try some! Let’s eat together.” Ged picked up a piece of chicken and bit into it.
Ivor, on the other hand, took a piece of pork.