Ch. 1381..1390: Chapter 1381-1390

Chapter 1381

"Have you forgotten about it? Your brother's death anniversary is in a few days. You've always gone back to Pyralis yourself. Now that I'm around, I thought I'd invite you to come along with me.

"At least you won't feel too awful when you're on the flight back to Pyralis."

Yasmine pursed her lips as a hint of melancholy flashed in her eyes. "I would've forgotten about it if you didn't bring it up. My brother's death anniversary is upon us again."

Ivor looked at Yasmine's ashen face and felt a little bad as well.

'Her brother wouldn't have died if he wasn't trying to protect me. Yasmine also wouldn't have had to be alone at Yale for such a long time.'

"I'm sorry, Yasmine. I—"

To Ivor's surprise, Yasmine cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Then, I guess I can go back to Pyralis with you. I know you've always felt lousy over that incident, boss. But I've never blamed you for it. So, don't overthink it."

Then, Yasmine flashed him a relieved smile.

"It wasn't your fault, boss. However, that doesn't stop you from looking after me on my brother's behalf for such a long time.

"You made it possible for me to find my place in Yale, and gain the required skills to establish a life here. You're the reason I am where I am today.

"I would've ended up in some nasty place if it wasn't for you. Not only do I not blame you, but I'm very thankful.

"So, don't treat yourself too harshly. If you're sad, I'm sad."

Ivor was aware that Yasmine had never blamed him for what happened to her brother. But he was still shocked when he heard her say it.

He stared at her with unblinking eyes. For a moment there, he didn't know what he should say.

Yasmine tried to lighten up the mood.Chapter

"Are you very moved by what I said, boss? If you dig it, I'll make sure to tell you more in the future."

Ivor heard what she said and chuckled.

Then, he took a plane ticket from the drawer. He had prepared it beforehand.

"Take it. We're boarding in an hour."

"I appreciate it, boss!" Yasmine smiled and took the plane ticket. Then, something popped into her mind.

"Speaking of, you and your wife have been together for a long time, but I don't even know what she looks like. You have to introduce me to her when we get back to Pyralis."

Ivor nodded and said, "Okay,"

"Given your good taste, I'm certain that your wife is extremely beautiful."

Yasmine made a heart shape with her hands. "Yippee. I can't wait to get close to your beautiful wife."

Ivor immediately thought of how Yasmine kept pestering Boyd.

He was worried that she would do the same thing to Bonnie. So, he looked at her warily.

"She's my wife! Don't even think about it!"

"Sigh..." Yasmine waved nonchalantly. "Both of us are ladies. It doesn't matter if I get close with her."

The wariness in his eyes grew. "My point is, you'll obey me and behave if you want me to introduce her to you. Otherwise, I won't let you guys see each other."

Yasmine pursed her lips in dissatisfaction, but she agreed to it eventually. "Understood, boss."

 

Chapter 1382

Yasmine might've said what she said, but she couldn't help but grumble internally.

'If Vic cherishes his wife to this extent, she has to be the most beautiful woman on the planet. If that's the case, I have to see her.

'I'm not coming back to Yale if I don't see Vic's wife! I'm going to pester him until he agrees to let me see her.'

Ivor saw how Yasmine was still standing there after he had finished talking. He frowned.

"You said you were coming back to Pyralis with me. So, why aren't you hurrying off to pack up your stuff? Are you not planning on taking anything with you?"

"Geez." Yasmine smacked her head. "It's a good thing you remind me. Otherwise, I would've forgotten about something this important.

"Give me a minute. I'll pack up my stuff now."

Then, she ran out of his room in a hurry.Chapter

Ivor watched as she left, and he shook his head.

He recalled what she said earlier, and his lips curled into a grin.

"Yasmine might've been mischievous, but she knows how to be grateful. This makes it worth it for me to keep tolerating her temper.

'Of course, it doesn't matter if Yasmine blames me for her brother's death. I'll still keep my promise to him and take good care of her.'

Seven hours later, Ivor and the others landed at Pyralis.

Yasmine went ahead to buy some beverages while Ivor and Floyd stood where they were and waited for her.

All of a sudden, Floyd saw something and said excitedly, "L-Look over there, Mr. Ivor. Is that Boyd?!" "Boyd? Is he here at Pyralis as well?"

A hint of bewilderment flashed in Ivor's eyes. He followed Floyd's gaze and saw the slender figure.

He immediately confirmed that that was Boyd. There was no doubt about it. Ivor grew more bewildered when he realized it.

'I've asked Boyd multiple times about where he's from. However, he sidestepped my question and never give me a straight answer. Is this just a coincidence? Or, is it something else...?

'But it doesn't seem like Boyd followed us here. This would mean he actually lives in Pyralis as well. I have no idea which part of the city he lives in, though.

'Is it possible that he also lives in the capital?'

Ivor was in the middle of forming his theory when he heard Floyd's voice again.

"Mr. Boyd is leaving. Should we follow him?"

Ivor responded swiftly, "Follow him and see where he's going."

"Roger," Floyd responded and he went after Bonnie.

At the same time, Bonnie was with an underling, Angelo, whose job it was to escort her back safely. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure moving behind them.

His eyes darkened before he approached Bonnie and whispered, "Someone's following us, Mr. Boyd."

Bonnie squinted. She quietly followed Angelo's gaze and looked behind her.

She couldn't help but be stunned when she saw Floyd, who camouflaged himself. "I can't believe it. Is that one of the Dark Knights? What are they following me for?"

Chapter 1383

Angelo mulled it over and responded swiftly, "I think they probably took a flight to Pyralis as well. Then, they saw you by chance and got curious about where you're going next."

"Hmm... That's a sound analysis." Bonnie rubbed her chin gently. "Vic has shown great interest in where I come from, but I managed to fool him."

'If Angelo hadn't reminded me, I would've completely forgotten about it. I have to say that Vic has such a strong curiosity.

'I've lent them the chip without any delay. I can't believe he'd send his man to find out where I'm going. I'm on my home turf. It's very annoying to have someone monitoring me here.'

Angelo asked in confusion, "What do you think, Mr. Boyd? Should we ignore him, or...?"

He didn't finish his sentence because he wanted direction from Bonnie.

"Needless to say, we can't let them follow us," she said firmly. Then, something popped into her mind, and a hint of playfulness flashed in her eyes.

"Come over here. I'll tell you what to do."

Angelo leaned in, and Bonnie whispered something in his ear. Once she was done talking, he nodded in understanding.

"You got it, Mr. Boyd. I'll do as I'm told."

Bonnie reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "There's no need to feel nervous. Just do what you're supposed to do and follow my plan."

"Copy that." Angelo nodded again.

"Alright," Bonnie responded. Then, she snapped her finger. "Let's split up,

then."

Angelo nodded and walked briskly in another direction. Meanwhile, Bonnie went into the restroom.

Floyd had been following them closely. He saw what happened and didn't follow Bonnie in. Instead, he waited in a corner that was near the restroom door.Chapter

'There's nothing to worry about. I'll just follow Boyd again when he's out of the restroom. Then, I'll find out where he's going.

'Once Boyd is done, he'll probably leave the airport and go to his next destination.

'Then, I'll have a pretty good idea about where he stays and report back to Ivor.'

Floyd was still in the middle of his thoughts when he saw something in a daze. All of a sudden, an elegant and beautiful lady boasting long hair walked out of the restroom.

At first, he was stunned. Then, he raised his head and looked at the sign that said it was a male restroom. After that, Floyd looked at the graceful lady walking out of the restroom. He suddenly felt like he had seen something that expanded his worldview.

'Hot damn! Is that guy a cross-dresser? You just don't see this every day.

'This person looks quite beautiful. Actually, their looks aren't the biggest deal here. What matters more is that I actually find them familiar. It's like I've seen them before.'

Floyd was in the middle of his thoughts when Bonnie turned around abruptly and looked at him. All of a

sudden, Floyd felt as if he had been charmed a little and shifted his gaze elsewhere.

'This is such an unbelievable feeling. Not even I know what happened exactly. All I can say is that this person is simply so enchanting that they managed to charm me.'

At that point, Floyd stopped his train of thought. He didn't forget about his task.

What was more important was that he had to monitor Boyd.

 

Chapter 1384

Bonnie brushed past Floyd. She saw out of the corner of her eyes that he wasn't aware that she had left.

Her lips curled into a grin. 'This henchman is quite vigilant, but I'll bet he didn't expect me to come out of the restroom, looking like this. Tee-hee... I managed to shake off a stalker.'

Bonnie's grin grew wider. She turned her gaze away from Floyd and picked up her pace.

To her surprise, she had just taken two steps ahead when she sensed a cold gaze on her.

Bonnie turned around as if she felt something.

She didn't expect to see a guy staring at her the moment she turned around. His eyes were gloomy and cold. It felt as if he could freeze people up with just one glance.

It was as if he could read people's minds and see through any and all intentions.

Bonnie was usually calm and collected. However, her heart couldn't help but race when the guy stared at her like that. She was feeling a little guilty, too.Chapter

What was more, Bonnie looked closer and saw that the guy was Vic!

'I might've successfully shaken off Vic's man. Judging by his stare, however, it won't be as easy to fool him. I have to get out of here, pronto. Otherwise, he might see through me!"

Their gazes merely met for two seconds before Bonnie shifted her eyes away. She picked up her pace and left the place.

Yasmine, who was sitting next to Ivor, noticed how he was staring elsewhere. So, she immediately followed his gaze.

She saw a lady with long hair and a rocking body. Her gaze gradually became a profound one.

Yasmine used her elbow to poke at Ivor's arm. He turned around to look at her calmly. "What's the matter?

"Have you forgotten that you're a married man, boss? Why are you staring at another woman like that? "How will you look your wife in the eye later? I know that lady has a curvaceous figure, but it's not right for you to do this!" Yasmine said.

Then, she stood up from her chair and blocked Ivor's vision.

"Nuh-uh! I have to stop you from doing this if I want to safeguard you and your wife's happiness. You have to stop staring at that lady."

Ivor's vision was obscured. His lips twitched in response. Then, he raised his head and stared at Yasmine profoundly.

"Do I look like someone who's that shallow?"

Yasmine rubbed her chin and trained her eyes on him. Then, she gave him an honest response and shook her head.

"You don't seem like a shallow person, but you did stare at that lady with unblinking eyes. It really makes me wonder if you're going to abandon your wife and fall in love with her."

Ivor's lips twitched again.

Then, he shook his head and said, "What a sound analysis. I'd appreciate it if you didn't do it again."

Yasmine broke out laughing. "Hahaha! I didn't take you for a humorous guy."

She asked him again, "Then why did you keep staring at that lady, boss?"

"Don't you find her frame extremely familiar?" Ivor thought back to the moment when he met the lady's

eyes.

'The expression she wore looked so familiar at that moment. It's as if I've seen her before. However, I can't remember where I've seen her.'

 

Chapter 1385

Yasmine gave it a long, hard thought and shook her head.

"I don't quite remember it, and I don't find her familiar, either. Moreover, her breasts are so big and bouncy. I'm sure I won't forget her if I've actually seen her."

Ivor looked at her with an inexplicable gaze. "Sometimes, you make me wonder if you're actually a girl. You just keep looking at the strangest things ever."

"Come on, boss... I'm just telling the truth. If I've seen someone as gorgeous as that lady, I'll surely remember her."Chapter

Ivor felt a headache coming on and rubbed his temples. "Forget it. I can't be bothered to talk about this further with you. I'm staring at that lady because her frame reminds me of Boyd's."

"Huh?" Yasmine's eyes widened in shock, as if she had heard something that she couldn't believe.

"Are you making a joke, boss? Boyd is a man! That lady has such a voluptuous body. How could she be Boyd?"

Ivor also started feeling it was impossible. 'However, I can't shake the feeling that I've seen the lady before. Furthermore, if we can just put her gender and figure aside, she really reminds me of Boyd.' Ivor was in the middle of his thoughts when Floyd ran over from the restroom.

"This is bad, Mr. Vic. I lost him!"

"You lost him?"

Ivor frowned.

"Haven't you been following Boyd? How did you lose him?"

"That's right. I also find it strange!" Floyd said. He proceeded to analyze the whole time he had been following Boyd.

"I followed him to the restroom. I intended to follow him and see where his car would go once he exited the restroom.

"I waited for nearly ten minutes, but he still had not come out. So I went into the restroom to check, only to discover it was empty! This is just so strange. How did he vanish into thin air?"

"Did someone else come out of the bathroom while you waited for Boyd?"

Ivor found it strange. 'Airport restrooms are generally enclosed. If Boyd isn't in the restroom, then where could he be?

Floyd searched his memories and quickly found something.

"Someone did come out of the restroom, but he was a cross-dresser..."

Then, something occurred to him. His eyes widened in shock. "Is it possible that the cross-dresser is Mr. Boyd in disguise?"

The more Floyd thought about it, the more possible he thought it was. Then, he smacked his head as he became deeply confused.

"It's no wonder I found the cross-dresser familiar when he came out of the restroom. It turns out it was Boyd in disguise! How have I not thought of it just now?"

 

Chapter 1386

"Uh..."

Yasmine knew just the kind of emotional roller coaster Floyd had just experienced. Then, she recalled what Ivor said, and it hit her.

"That means... the elegant lady with the rocking body was actually Boyd?"

'Boyd went through such a tremendous change and was unrecognizable. We can't fault Floyd for it. Who would've thought that Boyd would come out of the restroom looking like that?'

"That lady's probably him. I didn't think Boyd was this good at disguise. He's better than I thought."

Yasmine was shaken.

"Isn't Boyd incredible? Did he really just change himself into a girl without a single flaw? On top of that, his disguise as a lady has such a voluptuous figure. Even I can't hope to compare with that figure!"

Ivor agreed with Yasmine wholeheartedly.

"Mm-hmm. He's very good at it. His disguising skill is nothing short of flawless."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ivor." Floyd rubbed the back of his head and apologized for his carelessness. "If only I thought of this sooner... I was too careless. I missed out on the best window to follow Boyd."

"It's okay. He walked past me a minute ago and I didn't know it was him either," Ivor said, rising slowly from his chair.

"Furthermore, we don't really have to follow him and find out where he's going. I was just curious about where he stays in Pyralis.

"I was thinking about visiting him if

had a chance in the future. I'll forget about it if you can't find out

he lives. It's no big deal."Where

 

Floyd nodded slightly. "Copy that, boss."Chapter

"Okay." Ivor responded calmly and started walking out of the airport.

"Let's go home. I need to see Bonnie."

Yasmine walked side by side with him and asked excitedly, "What about me, boss? What are your plans for me? Will you take me home with you?"

Ivor stopped dead in his tracks. Then, he turned around and rejected her I'm not

thout a second thought ret

doing that."

"Why?" Yasmine puffed up her cheeks, feeling puzzled.

"Didn't you say you're going to introduce your wife to me? Are you going back on your word?"

Yasmine always said things that no one expected.

The veins on the side of Ivor's head popped.

"I did say that I'm going to introduce her to you, but not now. I've asked Floyd to arrange a hotel room for you.

"When the time is right, I'll ask Floyd to inform you."

"Why can't I see your wife now?"

 

Chapter 1387

Yasmine couldn't help but grumble. "You have no idea how much I want to be close with your wife."

Ivor raised his hand. He felt a headache coming on and rubbed his eyes.

He realized that Yasmine wasn't letting this one go. Eventually, he had to explain it to her.

"It's been a long time since I've left home. What is Bonnie going to think when she sees me bringing a woman back? What would my family think?

"I don't intend to create any unnecessary misunderstanding or trouble. So, it's better for you to stay in the hotel. I'll let you know when the time is right."

Yasmine mulled it over and found that he was right. "Alright, then... Remember, you have to arrange for me to meet with your wife as soon as possible. I can't wait to see her."

"Fine." Ivor didn't really want to let Yasmine meet Bonnie. He was worried that the former might say something baffling again.

However, he did promise that he'd introduce them. So, he couldn't reject her now.

All he could do was prepare Bonnie for the meetup. Otherwise, she might be startled by Yasmine's character.

"Should I send Yasmine back to the hotel first? Or head to the Knight Villa?" Floyd asked Ivor.

Ivor responded quickly, "Send her back to the hotel first."

"Roger," Floyd said.

He had asked someone to prepare a car for them beforehand. So, he drove it to her hotel.

Once they arrived at the hotel entrance, Yasmine stepped out of the car.

She reminded Ivor, "Remember, boss. You have to move fast and arrange for me to meet with your wife."

"Mm-hmm..." Ivor felt a little speechless. He ordered Floyd, "Start driving. Take me home."

"You got it, Mr. Ivor." Floyd stepped on the gas pedal and drove swiftly.

Yasmine watched as they left. She couldn't resist grumbling, "Hmph He left in a hurry. It's like he can't stand to see me a second longer. Am I really that unlikable?"

An hour later, back at the Knight Villa.

Sigmund was drinking tea in the living room when Alfred rushed inside and said to him, "Mr. Sigmund. Mr. Ivor is back."

"Ivor's back?" Sigmund's face immediately lit up. "I'm going outside to see him."

At the next moment, he heard Ivor's voice.

"You don't have to go outside, Grandpa. I'm already here."

Sigmund looked at Ivor and his smile grew wider. He walked briskly toward his grandson, raised his hand, and smacked the latter on his shoulder. "Ivor, you punk! You've been away for far too long! People are going to think you've abandoned your family and your wife if they don't know any better."

"My family and Bonnie are the most important things in my life, Grandpa. How could I abandon you?"

Ivor's eyes were always filled with tenderness when he talked about Bonnie.

"Moreover, Bonnie kept you company while I was not around. I'm sure you're thrilled."

"Geez. It would've been great if she was here with me." Sigmund sighed subtly.

"You're not here, and Bonnie hadn't visited me at all. You have no idea how lonely I was after you left. Age has truly caught up to me. I prefer it when my house is bustling and

lively."

"What did you say, Grandpa?" Ivor frowned. "Are you telling me that Bonnie didn't even visit you once while I was gone?"

'Bonnie has been great with Grandpa. It's impossible that this would happen. Is it possible that Bonnie was also not in Pyralis while I was gone?'

"Yeah. Bonnie was only here when you came back for a brief period of time. I haven't seen her after that."

Sigmund was worried that Ivor

would overthink it. So, he comforted his grandson, "It's okay. Bonnie has to go to the university for classes and work at the research institute. I can understand if she couldn't find the time to visit me." Chapter

 

 

Chapter 1388

"Bonnie might be busy, but she's not so busy that she couldn't find the time to visit you."

Ivor pondered on it. He thought back to his previous speculations as his eyes glinted with a dim light.

Then he looked at Sigmund and said, "I'm heading out, Grandpa."

"Huh?" That stunned Sigmund. "For heaven's sake, you've just come back, Ivor. Where are you going?"

"I'm looking for Bonnie," Ivor said, leaving in a hurry.

"Don't start a fight with her just because she hasn't visited me lately!"

Sigmund was very worried. He continued, "Talk to her nicely. Do you hear me? Don't say anything harsh and make her mad." "Understood, Grandpa." Ivor waved at Sigmund while his back was still turned to him. Then, he left the living room swiftly. Floyd had just parked the car outside when he saw Ivor trotting toward him. He couldn't help but stand up straight. "You've just gone inside for less than a minute, Mr. Ivor. What are you doing out here? Is Ms. Bonnie not in the villa?"

'Ivor and Bonnie are hopelessly in love with each other. There's no way Ivor would come outside this fast.'

"That's right," Ivor responded calmly.

He opened the door and got into the car. Then, he brought up his chat history with Toby and searched for the location the young man sent him.

'This is the address for Bonnie's new research institute. She's probably there if she isn't in the villa. I'll try my luck there. If not, then she's probably at the university.

'If she's not even on campus, then.....'

Ivor didn't continue his train of thought. A hint of gloom flashed in his eyes.

"Where are we going next, Mr. Ivor?" Floyd asked.

Ivor didn't respond at first. He lowered his head and tapped on the screen of his phone. "I've sent you the location. Take me there."

Floyd's phone vibrated. He lowered his head and looked at the location Ivor sent him.

Then, he asked in a puzzled tone, "Isn't this the countryside, Mr. Ivor? Why are we going to the countryside...?"

Then, something flashed in Floyd's mind. "Is this Ms. Bonnie's new research institute? Are you looking for her here, Mr. Ivor?"

Ivor gave Floyd a sidelong glance.

His voice was laced with coldness when he spoke. "You've developed stating the obvious,

the habit

Floyd." Chapter

Floyd chuckled dryly. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove out of the villa. With an embarrassed smile, he said Heh heh... I'm driving there right now, Mr. Ivor."

Ivor shot him a glance, but he didn't say anything. Then, he shut his eyes and leaned back on his seat to take a rest. An hour later, they arrived at their destination.

Floyd looked at the barren place and widened his eyes. Then, he turned around and looked at Ivor.

"A-Are you sure this is really where Ms. Bonnie's new research institute is, Mr. Ivor? Did Toby send you the wrong address?" There were only some shoddily constructed residential houses. The place looked so barren that it was hard to look at.

'It's true that Bonnie has always

chosen the location of her research institute in an arbitrary manner, But how could she choose somewhere this miserable?' Floyd thought to himself.

'This could only mean one of two things, either Toby gave us the wrong address or he was simply trying to pull a fast one over us...'

Chapter 1389

Clearly, Ivor was also having the same concern as Floyd did. He looked at the shoddily constructed houses, and his brows knitted tightly.

'I thought about reuniting with Bonnie the entire time I was in Yale. However, she's not here. I don't even know where she is.Chapter

'Bonnie's not toiling away at her new research institute, nor has she visited Grandpa once at the villa. Where on earth has she been while I was away?'

Floyd watched as Ivor grew increasingly somber. He couldn't help but remind him, "How about you give Ms. Bonnie a call and find out where she is, Mr. Ivor? We can't find her if we just roam around aimlessly."

"I'm not calling her. We're going to drive everywhere until we find her." Ivor shut his eyes as a hint of bitterness flashed in them.

'Bonnie has always been like this. She never tells me anything and just keeps everything to herself.

'Now, she won't even tell me where she is. I'm well aware that she won't do anything to harm or betray me. But I can't help but feel disheartened when Bonnie's just going to hide everything from me.'

"Huh?" Floyd rubbed the back of his head, feeling puzzled. "Why, Mr. Ivor? You can find out where she is by calling Ms. Bonnie and asking her about

it."

'Calling Bonnie is the fastest way to know her location. Why won't Ivor do it, though? It's so confusing.'

"You don't have to know about it." Ivor still sounded calm, but his gloomy expression was more than enough to tell Floyd that he was unhappy. "W-Well. Where are we going next, Mr. Ivor?"

Ivor pursed his lips. He mulled it over for a brief moment before he responded.

"Take me to Pyralis University. We'll see if she's there. If she isn't, we'll pay her old research institute a visit."

'Actually, Bonnie might not have been keeping anything secret. She could be at her campus or her old research institute.

'It's obvious that this location can't

าวน์

be where Bonnie's new research institute is have no idea if it's because Toby sent me the wrong address or because of some other reason. I'll have to ask Bonnie about it when I find her.'

"Roger, Mr. Ivor." Floyd went over to open the car door for him.

Just as Ivor was about to get into the car, he heard a crisp voice. "Ivor?"

His body trembled at the sound of the voice.

Then, Ivor turned around and looked at Bonnie in disbelief as she came out of one of the shoddily constructed houses.

"B-Bonnie?!"

It wasn't just her, either. There were several researchers behind her as well.

Bonnie say Ivor and became overjoyed. She raced over and stopped in front of him. "What

กอน ว

you doing here? Why didn't you wait for me back home?"

As a matter of fact, Bonnie had gotten news that he would be here. So, she made preparations for it.

She brought several researchers with her to keep up the pretense.

Ivor went over to hold her hand. His tone was laced with a hint of helplessness.

"Wait for you, you say? You hadn't

even visited Grandpa the whole

time. I waited for you to come

home, then I'm afraid I'll have to wait for ages to see you."

 

Chapter 1390

A hint of guilt flashed in Bonnie's eyes when she heard Ivor mention Sigmund. Then, she hid her emotions by clearing her throat.

She responded, "I've been too occupied with my research. That's why I couldn't find the time to visit Grandpa. I wouldn't have left him alone if I could find a little free time on my hand."Chapter

"Just what research is it? How are you this busy?"

Ivor had never seen Bonnie this occupied with a particular research. She didn't even step outside for almost two weeks.

Obviously, he was still skeptical if Bonnie was at Pyralis at all while he was gone. So, he was looking at her inquisitively while he spoke.

Meanwhile, Bonnie realized that Ivor must've been suspicious about something. She might've felt a little guilty, but she didn't let it show.

"It's the research about the augmentation of the latest nanomaterial. We want to see if we can make a breakthrough and surpass our current technology. That way, we can develop an upgraded version."

Then, Bonnie pretended to have a headache and rubbed her temples.

"I've overestimated myself. I researched it for a long time, but I just couldn't make a breakthrough. I can't develop a new version of the nanomaterial."

Ivor realized how crystal clear her eyes were and knew that she wasn't lying. Seeing her this troubled about the research, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

"The things you have developed so far are more than enough to impress the entire world. Relax. Take it easy. Given your capability, it's only a matter of time before you achieve what you set out to do."

Bonnie pretended to be sad and sighed.

"It's easier said than done. Anyway, you have a point. Good things come to those who wait. I'll just take it easy."

"Yeah. Don't exert yourself too much. You'll break my heart." Ivor patted Bonnie's hair tenderly. Then, he swept his glance across the researchers standing behind her.

Bonnie sensed his gaze and thought he saw through something. Her heart skipped a beat.

"What's the matter?"

"I asked these researchers over on short notice to help keep up the pretense. I have no idea if Ivor will ask them something that happened in the past two weeks."

'Will they blow my cover? But it’s pointless to get nervous. I’ll have to think on my feet.'

"Didn’t you say that there’s a new guy called Allen at your new research institute? Why am I not seeing him?"

'I still remember that I talked to Allen on the phone back then. His voice sounded quite similar to that of Collins’s. I don’t think there’s anything suspicious between them, but I might as well pose the question since I’m already here.'

"Allen..."

Bonnie remained quiet. For a moment, she couldn’t think of an answer. So, she was still racking her brain to come up with an explanation.

'I didn’t count on Ivor remembering it after such a long time. I’ve totally forgotten about that.'

Ivor realized that Bonnie wasn’t speaking. He couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

"What’s the matter? Is it a difficult question?"

"Allen was still around yesterday, but his mom fell ill out of the blue. So, I sent him back to look after her." Bonnie reacted swiftly and came up with a reasonable excuse.

Instead of suspecting her, Ivor believed her.

"So, that’s what it is. I recalled that he was quite enthusiastic when we talked on the phone. I was hoping I’d get to chat with him in person." Bonnie couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.