Ch. 1021..1030

Chapter 1021

Chapter 1021

The scene caught Fred off guard. He slowly raised his head and squinted. His smile was skeptical. "Mr. Hamerton, you're so young. How did you..."

"Ahem, ahem!" Zuko coughed heavily.

Lina tightened her hand that was holding his arm and desperately gave him a look.

"Uh, yes." Zuko managed to squeeze out a few words with difficulty. "I... can't eat sugary foods."

He comforted himself inwardly. Yes, he never liked sweet things anyway! After speaking, he looked at Lina. The young woman was smiling brightly. She was really asking for a beating! That was right! He must teach her a lesson when they got home while Melissa could not see them!

"So that's how it is." Fred, astute as he was, immediately understood the reason, but he played along. "Shall I change a few dishes for you then?"

"No need to trouble yourself!" Zuko replied calmly. "My wife and I didn't come here today for this meal. Mr. Grist, just say what you want to say. My wife and I have other matters to attend to." Fred paused, his eyes flickering.

Zuko exuded a chilling sense of oppression, with sharp features and deep eyes that made it difficult to guess or understand him. He was unlike anyone Fred had met before. As for Lina beside Zuko, she was cute and beautiful, like a docile little bird. She did not seem to match this cold and rough man at all.

For some reason, Fred felt a bit uncomfortable. A girl like Lina should have a better man to love and care for her. If it were not for his niece's bullying, she would not have married Zuko. With these thoughts in mind, Fred smiled faintly at Lina with a slightly apologetic gaze.

"Alright, I won't beat around the bush with you two," he said softly. "I invited you here today because of my niece, Violet. Her situation's recently caused quite a stir on the Internet, so I thought..." "Hah!" Zuko sneered. "Do you think that we played a role in Violet's downfall?"

"I"

"Do you think my wife and I have the spare money to hire paid posters?" Zuko asked, pulling Lina's hand and holding it tightly.

Lina was taken aback for a moment before she lowered her head and smiled, discreetly placing her other hand on top of his.

Zuko's smile was ambiguous. "Mr. Grist, your niece brought her own misfortune upon herself. She's in this situation entirely due to her own actions. So there's really no need for you to come to us!"

"I understand!" Fred hurriedly said, "But it started because of Ms. Jenner, after all. Violet wouldn't have copied it if Ms. Jenner hadn't drawn it."

"What kind of logic is this?" Lina scoffed. "Had I drawn something original, does that mean I deserve my work being plagiarized?"

"I don't mean it that way..."

"Then what do you mean?" Zuko raised his voice.

Fred said nothing, silently looking at the couple. They were right. The Grists were in the wrong in this. However, it would be fine if Violet was the only one affected. She had dragged the whole company down! The Grist Group's shares had been plummeting, and busybody netizens had dug out the issue of the company's problematic beverage from the last time too.

Fred was completely occupied, having a lot to do himself, yet he had to clean this mess up for Violet. He was annoyed as well.

Fred forced a smile. "Mr. Hamerton, Ms. Jenner, I just hope to play this matter down. If you could come forward and clarify that the painting was actually a copy of a famous artwork you've been practicing with and explain for Violet, Ms. Jenner, then—"

"That's impossible!" Zuko coldly interrupted him.

Chapter 1022

Chapter 1022

"Violet brought upon herself this whole situation!" Zuko pulled Lina up with him with a smirk. "Let's end this meal here. My wife and I will pretend we didn't hear anything you said. If you insist on causing us trouble, I don't mind meeting you in court!"

"Mr. Hamerton, please wait!" Fred called out to him. "Is there really no room for negotiation?"

"If my husband says there isn't, then there isn't." Lina chuckled lightly. "Mr. Grist, I understand your desire to protect your niece, but we shouldn't abandon our sense of right and wrong as a person, should we?' "What if I offer you an internship position at the Grist Group, Ms. Jenner?"

"What did you say?" Lina halted her steps and glanced at the man beside her.

Zuko furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze filled with suspicion. He discreetly held her small hand tightly and gently squeezed it twice as if telling her not to worry and that he had everything under control. "An internship position at the Grist Group isn't just open to anyone." Fred smiled. "If you're willing, you can have an internship position, and I can reserve a permanent job for you after graduation. "Ms. Jenner, what do you think?"

"A position in the Grist Group is rare." Zuko chuckled softly. "But not to the extent that we'd compromise our principles.

"On the contrary, Mr. Grist." He looked at Fred with a sharp gaze. "You have exceptional abilities. How did you end up being PR for someone like Violet?"

Fred's expression froze, and he spoke with a dignified tone. "She's my niece, after all. I might have a lowly background, but my brother and I are still family."

"Is that so?" Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Even if the Grist Group is handed over to Violet in the future, you won't compete or fight for it? Are you content with being beneath others?" Fred's expression suddenly changed.

He had to admit that Zuko had seen through him. He had countless grievances, but he was an illegitimate child at the end of the day and had to suppress his own brilliance. No matter how capable he was, he was always marginalized in the Grists. He could only bide his time now, help the Grists on the surface, and secretly accumulate his own power and connections, waiting for an opportunity.

However, Zuko had seen through all of these matters!

Fred squinted, examined Zuko, and doubts overwhelmed him.

Zuko gave a cold smirk, holding Lina's hand as they passed by Fred.

He suddenly stopped and whispered in Fred's ear, enunciating each word, "Mr. Grist, please stop. If you come looking for us again because of Violet, I'll reveal even more scandalizing news about your niece. Heh! When she falls from grace again, I wonder how the outside world will view the Grist Group."

Fred raised his eyes and found himself met with a chilling smile that sent shivers down his spine. Politely, he had no choice but to let Zuko and Lina leave.

He stared at their receding figures for a long time until his assistant came to remind him that the food had gone cold and asked if they should be replaced. Only then did Fred snap out of his daze. "That guy's... Zeke?"

The assistant was momentarily surprised but nodded.

Fred frowned. "Who is he?"

"He doesn't have any remarkable background. He used to work as a truck driver for the Grist Group. Because he's tall and doesn't talk much, everyone made fun of him and called him a big idiot. But he doesn't work here anymore."

"What?" Fred cried out in amusement. This was no big idiot, but a negotiation expert who tightly grasped the initiative!

The assistant asked in a low voice, "Sir, is there anything else you need?"

"Have the HR department retrieve Zeke's previous records and notify the security department that I want all surveillance footage related to him!"

The assistant was somewhat surprised and did not understand why they needed to make such a big fuss.

"Oh, one more thing..." Fred remembered. "Every truck at the Grist Group is equipped with a tracking device. Check which truck Zeke used to drive and thoroughly investigate every place he's been to!"

Chapter 1023

Chapter 1023

Back in Centrolis, Toph had been waiting at the entrance of the Thompsons for quite some time. He was about to lose his patience when he suddenly caught sight of a fair and petite figure.

He immediately perked up and quickly got out of the car, blocking the girl's path.

The girl was caught off guard and visibly startled by him.

Toph was taken aback for a moment, finding her frightened appearance quite cute. She had fair and rosy cheeks, a pair of beautiful, clear eyes, and shoulder-length hair, accentuating her pure and smart vibe.

Her appearance was not stunning but rather pleasing to the eyes. However, her lips appeared slightly pale, giving the impression of poor nutrition.

Toph couldn't help but show off his social skills. He waved his hand casually, crossed his arms at his waist, and tossed his hair, revealing a mischievous smile. "Hey, Pammy!"

The girl stared at him blankly, instinctively crossing her arms in front of her chest and showing some wariness toward him.

"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?" Toph took a step closer. "It's me, Toph! Hey, I came to your house with my brother last time. You only remember him and not me?"

Pamela remained silent.

"And I've almost been coming to your house every day these past few days! You should be familiar with me, right? It's just that you seemed to be hiding in your room every time I came..."

Pamela examined him from head to toe, her expression relaxed slightly, but her hands in front of herself were still up.

"I mean..." Toph slowed down his voice. "You shouldn't be so biased! When you were a child, I played with you more often than my brother did!"

Pamela took two steps back, her big eyes filled with caution.

Toph furrowed his brow. Before coming here today, he had decided to heroically sacrifice... his charm to fulfill the mission his brother had asked of him. Since Zuko was unwilling to have a fake relationship with Pammy, then it would be him!

As long as he could get even a single strand of hair from this girl.

After all this effort, however, the girl was still wary of him and looked at him as if he were crazy!

Toph could not understand it. By right, his looks were not bad at all. Since he was young, people always said he resembled his maternal grandfather. One should know that his grandfather only turned into a pufferfish when he got old. When he was young, he was a recognized handsome guy in Southeast Aciatic!

Moreover, he had plenty of girls chasing after him when he was in college. There were more than enough of them lining up from east to west.

Why did his good looks not work on Pamela?

Toph refused to believe it!

He raised an eyebrow and decided to change his approach. He had been enchanting and cold just now, so now he would try a campus heartthrob style... There must be one that suited this girl! "Pammy, where do you want to go?" He spoke gently and smiled at her. "I drove here. Shall I take you?"

"Uh... there's no need." Pamela refused decisively and sidestepped him.

Toph was not giving up and intercepted her on the side. "Pammy, it's not safe for you to be alone. It's better if I accompany you."

"There's really no need!"

"Hey, I'm telling you—"

Before Toph could finish his sentence, several burly men walked out from the gate and stood in front of Pamela.

He stood still in surprise.

Those men looked unfamiliar, but each one of them seemed like someone not to be messed with. They had shaved heads and tattoos on their arms.

One of them, who appeared to be their leader, stepped forward with a cold and respectful demeanor, nodding slightly to Toph.

"Mr. Toph."

Toph was taken aback. "You know me?"

"You're the second heir of the Hamertons. Who in Centrolis doesn't know you?"

"Then you..."

"We're ordered to protect Ms. Pamela. Please step back!"

Toph felt a sense of unease. He had been going in and out of the Thompsons' residence just like he did at his own home since he was a child. How could he not recognize the bodyguards hired by the family? He had never seen these men before, so under whose order were they protecting Pamela?

Despite that, whether this was truly "protection" or something else entirely...

"Hmph, step back?" Toph sneered. "Since you know who I am, how dare you speak to me like this?

"I'm here to take Pammy out to play today. I've already informed Uncle Nicholas and Aunt Linda about it! Pammy just returned to Centrolis and is still unfamiliar with everything. As her old friend, of course, I have to take her out more!"

As he spoke, he approached to grab Pamela's hand, but one of the bodyguards grasped his wrist tightly!

Caught off guard, Toph winced in pain, preparing to test his strength against this bulky man. However, a slender, fair hand firmly slapped the bulky man's shoulder! "Stop it!"

Toph froze.

Although Pamela appeared delicate, she was quite fierce when it came to fighting.

The bulky man dared not disrespect her and immediately released Toph, stepping aside with his hands down at his sides.

Before Toph could react, the Thompson driver pulled up in a car, and Pamela instantly hopped into it like a timid rabbit.

The bodyguards followed closely behind and got into the car behind.

The cars moved slowly, departing from the private road in front of the villa.

Toph stood there dumbfounded. Just as the cars were about to disappear from sight, he noticed that the front car briefly stopped, and a window seemed to roll down, but it quickly drove away again. He sighed. The girl was like a doll encased in glass. He could see her but could not reach her.

10:00 p.m. was the scheduled time for Toph and Zuko's phone call.

However, Zuko had been busy with inventory in the supermarket on this particular night, and it was already close to midnight when he finished everything.

He pulled down the rolling shutter door, preparing to head back, when he noticed that he had over 20 missed calls from Toph on his phone.

He called back, and his younger brother's lazy voice came through. "Bro, can you please not bother me in the middle of the night? I just fell asleep!" "Weren't you trying to reach me urgently?" asked Zuko.

"I..." Toph yawned and could not be bothered to explain. He quickly reported the situation. "I've exhausted all my charms, Zuko, but I still can't get close to Pammy!" Zuko's gaze darkened.

Toph continued, "There are several bodyguards at the Thompsons that I don't know. They claim to be protecting Pammy and don't let me near her. And Pammy is also highly alert. I can't get close to her. Every time I went to the Thompsons' house, I couldn't even enter her room. I wanted to take a cup she used, but... the nanny around her seemed to have eyes on the back of her head and took the cup away before I could grab it!"

Toph smirked. "Hehe... Bro, I think, perhaps, it's up to you, her fiancé, to take action personally!"

Chapter 1024

Chapter 1024

Zuko fell silent for a moment.

If that girl was truly Pammy, despite being away from home for many years and being unfamiliar with everything, she shouldn't be so fearful of the outside world, especially since she was found and had her parents' love. Her reaction should not be as intense, or at least that's what Toph thought.

However, according to Toph, Pammy seemed to be cautious everywhere, more like she was afraid of being discovered by someone.

"Hello, Zuko? Are you listening?" Toph called out.

"Yes, I'm here," Zuko replied in a deep voice.

He locked the rolling shutter door of the shop and stood at the entrance, continuing the phone call.

He ran his hand through his hair. "Toph, I think we might still have to rely on you about this."

On the other end of the line, Toph let out a cry of despair.

Zuko stifled a laugh and pretended to be serious as he said, "Think about it. You've already made so many attempts. Maybe if you just try one more time, you'll succeed. If I go back, I'll have to start from scratch again. It's not worth it!"

Toph did not fall for it. "Well, maybe if you try once, it'll work better than if I try a hundred times? After all, you're the esteemed son-in-law of the Thompsons..."

"What are you saying?!" Zuko growled.

Toph fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter. "You're not coming back because you don't want to be the Thompsons' son-in-law but rather want to be one for the one in Jangasas?"

"You..."

Zuko could not do anything to his brother over the phone, so he let him have his moment.

"I'm asking you. Can you bear to see your little brother sell his looks and still not find out the truth? Can you bear it? Can you?"

Faced with his brother's scorching questions, Zuko replied without hesitation, "We can't both sell our looks, can we? One of us has to use his brain..."

"Then why is it you who gets to use your brain?" asked Toph.

"Because I've been smarter than you since we were kids!"

"You!"

"But you've been more handsome than me since we were kids!" Zuko chuckled. "Much more handsome than me!"

Toph thought for a moment and realized there might be some truth to it.

When their parents took them out when they were kids, regardless of gender or age, everyone preferred to gather around Toph. Zuko, who was cold and distant, made people feel a certain distance from him. "Oh, well..." Toph reluctantly agreed. "Then, should I continue?"

Zuko could not be happier. "Yes, go on!"

Toph gritted his teeth. "You really are my dear brother!"

Zuko secretly laughed.

Suddenly, he remembered a doubt. "By the way, what do you think of Pammy's appearance?"

"What do you mean? Didn't I say it before? She does resemble Uncle Nicholas a bit and is also quite like Melvin. But..." Toph paused, momentarily considering his words, then added, "But without a specific context, it's hard to determine her exact appearance."

"What do you mean?" asked Zuko.

"For example, if you just put Pammy alone in a different environment, you definitely wouldn't think she looks like Uncle Nicholas or Melvin. But when everyone's sitting together, it naturally becomes apparent who resembles who!"

Zuko furrowed his brow, pondering over it. It seemed to make sense. He and Toph were real brothers, but nobody would say they looked alike if they did not stand together or if people did not know their relationship.

"So, appearance is a matter of comparison." Toph explained, "When family members sit together, outsiders can easily tell who belongs to the family."

Chapter 1025

Chapter 1025

"Hmm." Zuko nodded after a moment. "You're right..."

For some reason, Lina's face flashed across his mind at that moment. He recalled sitting together with the Jenners for meals. Jesse, Melissa, and Dave looked like a family because Dave's appearance combined the characteristics of his parents, but Lina was different.

It was often said that daughters resembled their fathers more, but this law seemed ineffective in Jesse and Lina's case.

"Hey, bro?" Toph did not hear Zuko's voice for a while and grew concerned. "What are you doing over there?"

"Oh, nothing," replied Zuko. "I'm almost home. Let's end here. You should rest too."

"Well, I'm already awake. Let's chat for a while more!" Toph lazily suggested, "You live alone in a big villa, and there's no one else around. How about we have a video call?"

"I don't want to chat with you!" Zuko emphasized. "I don't live in a villa, and... people at home are asleep. I don't want to wake them up!"

"What?" Toph suddenly became fully awake. "People at home?"

"Yeah, people at home... What's the big deal?"

Zuko had already entered the alley and came to the entryway as he spoke.

As Toph exclaimed, Zuko mercilessly hung up and turned his phone off directly. He chuckled lightly and tiptoed into the house. His first task was to quietly go upstairs and take a look at her.

Because of the hot weather, Lina rarely closed the door completely when she slept, always leaving a small gap. Zuko stood outside, peeking inside through the gap.

He saw Lina sleeping soundly and noticed that she still kept the banknote with her name on it, the one he had drawn, by her pillow. He also saw her occasionally turning over with a smile on her face.

A sudden thought flashed through Zuko's mind, and he could not help but smile along with her.

He never expected that he would one day linger in a foreign city, and the reason for him staying there would be a moment of heart-pounding attraction.

Jesse had accidentally hurt his waist, and Melissa had to put everything aside to scold him for being useless while taking care of his daily needs.

There were also two children in the house who needed to go to school, so the responsibility of running the small supermarket was fully entrusted to Zuko. Zuko had multiple roles, including moving and unloading goods, organizing the shelves, counting the inventory, and handling the cash register.

He also had to escort Lina to the university before opening the supermarket and temporarily close it to pick her up at a certain time in the afternoon.

Despite all this, he managed to handle each task meticulously and never made a mistake with the accounts.

After Melissa saw his well-kept records, she began to praise him even more.

"Zeke not only has a way with household chores but also keeps such good records! Look at these clear and precise account entries, even calculating to the decimal point! "You never attended college, right, Zeke? How come you're so professional at this?

"Oh, I understand now. When you used to make fake IDs for people, you must've charged, right? Look at this. I've always said you're a talented techie, and it's true!"

Zuko felt embarrassed but managed to squeeze out a few words with a forced smile, "Auntie, you're too kind."

"I'm not flattering you!" Melissa could not stop smiling. "Zeke, you have a clear mind! Uh, I suggest that when you and Lina start your own little family in the future, let her manage the money, and you can keep track of the accounts. When you need money, just tell Lina and then record it yourself. Lina can allocate the funds to you... This way, you two can supervise each other! How does that sound?"

Zuko was taken aback for a moment.

Did this mean that when he was with Lina in the future, she would know every detail of their spending?

What kind of mutual supervision was this?

Zuko laughed inside and looked at Melissa as he said softly, "Auntie, why don't you just have Lina give me $70 every month?"

"$70?" Melissa frowned. "Isn't that... too little?! Which family man's so miserable nowadays that he only has $70 pocket money?"

Chapter 1026

Chapter 1026

Zuko's expression changed as he tried hard to hold back his laughter.

He thought he should have recorded that just now and let his father listen to it!

Which family man was in such a miserable state aside from Zephyr?

"Zeke!" Melissa smiled and looked at Zuko. "What would you like to have for lunch? I'll make it for you!"

"Oh, no need." Zuko quickly got up. "Auntie, you take good care of Mr. Jenner. I'll go to the supermarket."

After saying that, he hurriedly walked out of the house and did not hear Melissa calling out from behind, "Lina doesn't have classes in the afternoon. I'll let her come to the store too and work with you!"

The sound of her voice grew distant, and Zuko had no idea what she was shouting. She probably wanted to keep him for lunch!

Zuko chuckled and quickened his pace.

There were not many customers in the small supermarket in the afternoon, and he had a rare moment of leisure. When someone suddenly entered, he sat bored behind the cash register, flipping through his phone.

"Oh, Zeke, you're here alone!"

Zuko paused for a moment and looked closely.

The middle-aged woman was slightly chubby with an exaggerated attire, draped in bright red and purple colors. She carried a branded handbag, but it looked like a fake when she held it-it gave off a counterfeit vibe.

The woman's eyes curved with a smile. They were fixed on him as soon as she entered.

Zuko could not stand her gaze and immediately retreated.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that Melissa's permed hair was much more pleasing to the eyes compared to this woman's exaggerated hairdo!

"Zeke, why are you spacing out?" The middle-aged woman looked at the young man in front of her like a son-in-law, becoming more satisfied the longer she looked. "Don't you remember who I am? I'm Mrs. Nash!"

Zuko struggled to extract the memories related to "Mrs. Nash" from his brain.

Several families lived along the lane, and one of them seemed to have the surname Nash. The woman of the household seemed to be... Mary Nash?

The Nashes owned a hair salon, and their shop was also on this street.

Melissa often made appointments with Mary to go dancing, but Melissa did not like Mary and vice versa. In short, they were friendly rivals who competed openly and secretly.

Mary also had a daughter who was similar in age to Lina.

However, unlike Lina, the Nash daughter did not attend an elite university but went to an ordinary vocational school to learn a trade and earn money.

Mary often made fun of Melissa, saying, "You spent so much money on tuition fees on a lost cause."

Melissa did not back down and mocked her in return, saying, "We're raising our daughter to let her broaden her horizons, so she won't be fooled by someone offering her a piece of candy in the future! Unlike some people who treat their daughters as money-making tools!"

In spite of it, the reality was that after Mary's daughter graduated from vocational school, she returned home to take over the family's small shop and ran it successfully, even preparing to open a third branch. While the Nash daughter was making a lot of money for her family, Lina was still struggling with her thesis, spending a lot of her family's money.

Every time Mary's daughter came back dressed lavishly, Melissa would tightly shut her own front door.

Recently, though, Melissa's proudest moment was when Zuko appeared, holding up the family's pride!

What about Mary's daughter? It was said that her boyfriend had recently dumped her!

Although Melissa did not show it on the surface, she was secretly delighted that she finally had the chance to triumph over Mary.

With this thought in mind, Zuko smiled lightly, more or less understanding Mary's purpose for coming to him.

It turned out that the competition between the housewives was so intense, and the hierarchy of disdain among them was so real.

"Mrs. Nash, hello." Zuko respectfully nodded. "Feel free to look around if you want to buy something."

"Oh, sure! Sure!" Mary smiled and walked in, but her gaze never left Zuko.

This young man was truly wonderful! How did he become the Jenners' son-in-law?

It was said that Lina was forced to accept this marriage. Everyone on the street knew that she had offended the Grist heiress and that the Grists had matched her with a truck driver with a criminal record. It was just that... with such looks, temperament, and capability, a criminal record could be forgiven!

Moreover, it was not like it was the type of criminal record involving murder and arson. It was just bad luck, getting caught by the police forging fake credentials, which led to his imprisonment. The young man was clearly a talented technician!

The more Mary thought about it, the happier she became, pondering how to make Zuko divorce Lina until she accidentally bumped her head against a shelf with a loud "thud"!

"Ouch, oh my... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!" Ignoring her reddened forehead, Mary hurriedly picked up the items that fell on the ground and placed them on the cashier's counter. "Okay... I'll buy all of these. Calculate the amount!"

Zuko looked at her and started ringing up the items.

Since there were quite a few items, he had to go through them one by one. With a smile, Mary leaned in and asked him, "Zeke, where are you from?" "Centrolis," Zuko coldly replied.

"Oh, Centrolis is great! My daughter took beauty and hairstyling courses there! You see, you have such a connection with my daughter!" said Mary. 'What?' Zuko frowned, not quite understanding the logic behind this.

Mary placed her bag on the counter and continued smiling. "Zeke, you've been with the Jenners for a while, right?"

Zuko simply nodded without saying a word, not even bothering to lift his eyes.

"Oh, then, have you noticed something is wrong with them?"

Zuko's hands paused.

Mary continued on her own. "Anyway, everyone in our neighborhood feels something wrong with them! The problem lies with Lina..."

Zuko grew annoyed, his gaze cold and his voice low. He pushed all the items into a bag and placed it in front of her. "Mrs. Nash, it's a total of $46.50. I'll round it down for you. $46 is fine."

"Okay, okay!" Mary hurriedly paid and then said mysteriously, "Zeke, you've only been here for a short time, so you don't know... But once you spend more time with them, you'll realize what the problem with Lina is!"

"Mrs. Nash, are you done?"

"Not yet!" Mary could not see his increasingly gloomy expression at all. "Let me tell you. Based on how Jesse and his wife are, how could they raise an exceptionally talented girl like Lina? Everyone in the neighborhood can see it, but they just don't say it!"

Zuko had wanted to push her out earlier, but his gaze slightly darkened after hearing these words, and he watched Mary quietly.

"Why do you say that?"

Chapter 1027

Chapter 1027

Mary was delighted and spoke more, seeing that Zuko was interested.

"Let me tell you secretly... Actually, we all suspect that Lina's parents kidnapped her!"

"What?" Zuko was somewhat shocked, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Mrs. Nash, you can't make baseless accusations! I know best what kind of people my parents-in-law are!"

"You, child, I knew you'd take your mother-in-law's side!" Mary pouted. "But I see that you're an honest child and don't want you to be deceived by them! Those two, they may look honest, but who knows what they're really like? Only time will reveal their true nature!

"Besides, I'm not making baseless accusations. Just 20 years ago, they didn't have a child yet. They went to the big hospital in Centrolis for medical help, and when they came back after several months, they were carrying this girl!

"Hah!" Mary became more excited as she spoke. "They insisted that they were already pregnant before going to Centrolis, but they didn't notice it, and she was born in Centrolis. Hmph! Who are they trying to lie to!? That girl was at least two years old and could already walk! Zeke, have you ever seen a child in any family who can walk just a few months after being born?"

Zuko furrowed his brows, his heart involuntarily beating faster.

He felt as if he were surrounded by fog, knowing that the exit was right in front of him, but the fog blocked his vision, and he could not see anything.

"Zeke, considering all this, do you think what I'm saying makes sense?" Mary asked when Zuko remained silent.

Zuko did not say anything.

Mary took his silence as agreement and grew even more excited, continuing to talk nonstop. "Zeke, you need to be cautious with this family! If those two country bumpkins, Jesse and Melissa, could give birth to such a golden girl, they must've saved the world in their previous life!

"So, I'm sure Lina isn't their biological child. Hah! If she's not biological, she'll definitely be treated differently! Don't be fooled by how nicely they treat her now. They have a son in the family! This shop and their meager assets will all go to their son in the future! Lina won't get anything, and you won't have anything, either!

"But it's different in our family." Mary smiled until the lines around her eyes were showing. "We only have one daughter and all the family assets will belong to our daughter in the future!"

She was convinced that the several hair salons owned by the Nashes would have great appeal to this silent and reserved young man.

However, Zuko gave her a cold glance.

Mary's heart skipped a beat. She had never seen such a chilling and sharp gaze in her life, especially coming from a young man in his 20s.

Zuko spoke, and there was an inexplicable sense of oppression. "Mrs. Nash, do you need anything else? Recently, we have cooked food in the supermarket, like... sausages and such!" "Oh, no need, no need!" Mary quickly stepped back, forcing a smile. "I was just browsing, just looking around... Zeke, you go about your business, don't mind me!"

After saying that, she grabbed her large bag and hurriedly fled from the supermarket as if escaping.

Zuko stared at her retreating figure, and a trace of gloom crossed his sharply defined face.

'Lina was... kidnapped?'

He found it really hard to believe.

Usually, Jesse and Melissa showered this daughter with endless love and care, almost to the point of spoiling her. Who would treat a child who was not their own so well?

If someone said Dave was adopted, it might have some credibility.

Yet... Lina indeed did not resemble them. How could that be explained?

Zuko felt like a heavy rock was weighing on his heart, and his mind was confused for no apparent reason.

After being lost in thought for a while, he suddenly discovered the petite figure standing at the shop entrance when he looked up!

"Why are you here?" Zuko was taken aback.

Lina looked at him silently, her face expressionless. Her lips curled up slightly, but it was not her usual smile.

"What's wrong? Can't I come? Or am I here at a bad time?"

"Uh..."

Chapter 1028

Chapter 1028

Zuko was stunned, and a chill ran down his spine.

Lina approached slowly, her smile growing, but her eyes were ice-cold. "Oh, Zeke, such a talented person wasted in our small shop!"

The corners of Zuko's lips twitched. "What... are you saying?"

"I'm saying..." Lina fixed her gaze on his face. "Someone has an only daughter in their family, and all the family assets will belong to the daughter in the future! Heh! What a great deal! Isn't it?"

"Well..."

Facing Lina, who only reached his chest, Zuko did not even dare to move, standing there obediently like an elementary school student being scolded.

However, he felt like laughing seeing Lina, who was full of jealousy. She was jealous, but what he felt was sweetness.

Zuko could not help but curl his lips, but his smile annoyed Lina.

She bit her lip, tightly gripping the lunchbox in her hand until her knuckles turned white.

When she returned home after her lunch break, she heard that he was alone in the shop. Worried that he would not eat properly, she picked the largest pieces of chicken Melissa had made and packed them in a container and a full bowl of noodles, rushing to bring it to him.

Even her father, who was lying in bed with a waist injury, had never been treated like this!

What did she see when she arrived at the entrance of the supermarket?

Mary, whose wish was for the world to go down in flames, was actually instigating Zeke to dump her! It was simply unacceptable!

Lina took a deep breath. Although she knew it was not Zuko's fault, she also knew that the group of housewives in the alley were always watching him, coveting him as their son-in-law.

She just felt uncomfortable, annoyed, and uneasy! She could not help being jealous.

Why should others covet her husband?

If those housewives knew that their marriage certificate was fake, they would surely come and snatch him away!

The more Lina looked at Zuko's handsome face, the angrier she became!

Why did he have to look so good for no reason? Was it fun for him to attract attention in the shop!?

Zuko looked at her puffed-up face, cautiously approached her, and grinned, seeing the food container in her hand. "You brought me food?"

Lina widened her eyes. So, it was only about the food in his eyes!?

"What are we having today?" Zuko saw that her expression was worsening and wanted to change the subject quickly. He suddenly reached over and snatched the food container, saying, "Hmm... honey chicken? Your mom made it? The smell alone is delicious! Hehe..."

Lina could not hold it in. She glared at him and turned her head to walk away.

Zuko had just put a piece of chicken in his mouth when she left. His cheeks puffed as he watched her go.

'Uh-oh, did I anger her?'

He had clearly tried to be humorous just now and brush off the matter about Mary... His sense of humor was picked up from Toph.

Why did this trick work with Toph coaxing girls but failed when he used it?

Chapter 1029

Chapter 1029

That evening, after Zuko finished his work and returned home, Lina was still sitting on the couch with the TV on, but her mind was not on the television at all. She watched as the man entered the house, changed into slippers as usual, and took the empty food container into the kitchen, washing it leisurely.

He acted as if nothing had happened! He had even eaten up all the chicken and noodles!

Lina bit her lip and waited for him to come and coax her.

After a while, the sound of running water stopped in the kitchen, and Zuko dried his hands and walked out. He actually sat down beside her.

Lina was slightly appeased, and her lips were about to curl up when the man suddenly blurted out, "Are you still angry?"

Lina thought that he was not completely clueless. She responded with a muffled hum and turned away to avoid looking at him.

Zuko cleared his throat, and a hint of gentleness appeared on his cold face, though he still maintained a serious expression. "Um... let's talk about it?"

Lina was taken aback, and a smile she could not hide formed at the corner of her lips.

Countless classic scenes from the romance dramas she had watched in the past played out in her mind. When the female lead was angry, the male lead would lower his stance to coax her, but the way of coaxing would be different. She wondered what approach Zeke would take.

Judging from his clueless appearance, he probably would not be too romantic. She would already be satisfied if he was willing to say a few sweet words. Besides, this man was someone of action. He might even use his actions to "force" her not to be angry, like....

Lina's face turned red, and her ears seemed to be burning. She made an effort to suppress those fanciful thoughts.

"Um, alright," she said calmly. "What do you want to talk about? I'm listening."

"I know why you're angry," Zuko said in a low voice. "I suppose you overheard what Mrs. Nash said to me this afternoon."

"Mm..."

"If my deduction is correct, the sentence you heard was precisely her saying that she has an only daughter, and in the future, all their family assets will belong to the daughter, while your family's assets will go to Dave, and you won't get anything. So, you thought she was instigating me to leave this family, right?"

Lina furrowed her brows. He said so much in one breath, but his expression was serious, as if he had no intention of coaxing her.

As expected, Zuko continued with reasoning.

"Since you heard all that, didn't you listen to what followed?" He looked at her seriously. "I made her leave. It seemed she was quite afraid of me and ran off with her things... How come you didn't notice any of that?"

"Hold on..." Lina was a bit perplexed. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"I'm analyzing the cause and effect, my attitude, and the unreasonable part of your behavior."

"You..."

"The cause and effect, I just mentioned. My attitude is quite clear. I won't leave this family." His gaze was stern. "But you misunderstood me and made yourself angry. That's something I find hard to understand."

Lina was rendered speechless.

"Now that we've discussed the situation, you should understand my thoughts. In the future, you can't easily misunderstand me, let alone give me a cold shoulder. Understand?" said Zuko.

"Zeke Hamerton..."

"Lina, you misunderstood me this time, but I won't hold it against you. Just don't make the same mistake again!" he added.

Lina looked at him silently.

Zuko thought his lecture was successful and even patted her head at the end with a gentle smile. "That's a good girl!" However, the air stilled instantly.

The girl's expression became increasingly strange, and he could also hear his own increasingly rapid heartbeat...

After a while, Lina sneered and softly asked, "Finished talking?"

"Uh... yes," he replied.

"Very well, go to bed early," Lina said as she stood up but did not move toward the stairs.

Zuko did not manage to react. He suddenly saw her forcefully grab the folding bed leaning against the wall and throw it to the entryway with a loud bang!

He was dumbfounded. He had no idea that this seemingly delicate girl would have such strength!

"Say, you-"

Lina shouted angrily, "Sleep outside tonight!"

Zuko stood frozen in place.

After she huffed and puffed her way upstairs, Zuko finally loosened his stiff neck and limbs, recalling everything that had just happened as if it were a dream. Then, he walked to the entryway and carefully unfolded the folding bed. He covered himself with a sheet and lay down.

His mind was still in turmoil... Had he said something wrong just now?

It should not be. He always had sufficient points and logical reasoning when he argued with someone. He had never lost in that regard.

He knew Lina was jealous, but she did misunderstand him! If he did not point it out to her this time, what would happen if she got angry again next time?

Zuko scratched his head, feeling frustrated. He had never been this tired, even when writing his thesis back then.

He tossed and turned for a long time, unable to fall asleep. Suddenly, he remembered a high-quality question-and-answer website and logged in to ask another question. [What should I do if I make my girlfriend angry? Online and waiting.]

In no time, there were many replies and comments. He skimmed through them and explained the cause and effect of Lina's anger.

Then his post exploded with responses.

Everyone unanimously mocked his actions as those of a clueless straight guy and wished him happiness in his singledom.

Zuko was furious and wanted to fight them. Then he thought, since he could not sleep anyway, he might as well engage in an argument with these people!

However, a response with just a few likes caught his eye.

[There's no other way when you make your girlfriend angry. Regardless of who is at fault, just apologize.]

Zuko thought for a moment and replied: [What if she's not my girlfriend yet?]

The person quickly replied: [Bro, if you dare to do something like this while having a one-sided crush, I'll give you some advice-If you really like her, confess to her quickly. Don't hesitate!] That sentence suddenly struck Zuko.

'Confess...'

In fact, ever since Toph made that joke about kissing her, Zuko had subconsciously had that thought. It was just that this person today was the one to voice it for him.

Zuko turned off his phone and blanked out, lying on the bed. Before long, he turned his head and looked outside. The starry night was beautiful and breathtaking.

He smiled, rested his arm on his forehead, and his mood became as clear as the starry sky.

Fred was in his office looking at reports when one of his subordinates knocked on the door and walked quietly to his side.

Without lifting his head, Fred asked, "Did you find everything?"

The subordinate stammered and could not say anything.

Fred pressed his pen a bit too hard, tearing through the paper, then slowly raised his eyes to look at him. "What happened?"

"Sorry, Mr. Grist..." stammered the subordinate. "We've investigated everything we could but couldn't find anything. The tracking device on the truck Zeke drove... was broken!"

Chapter 1030

Chapter 1030

"What? Couldn't find anything?" Fred was shocked.

The Grist Group's surveillance system was considered top-notch in the industry, using various means to monitor employees, and it had become an open secret throughout the entire group.

In the face of this invasion of privacy and violation of human rights, most employees dared not speak up and chose to endure silently.

Yet, these methods seemed to have no effect on Zeke?

Fred regained his composure and continued to ask, "What's the reason... that nothing can be found?"

The subordinate answered, "We first checked Zeke's date of employment, and based on that date, we retrieved all the surveillance records, but we found nothing... It's as if this person had never been to the Grist Group!

"And his truck... We've checked it too. The tracking system on the truck has been malfunctioning all along, and besides that truck, he hasn't driven any other vehicle, so..."

Fred could not stand to listen any longer and snarled, "Useless bunch of trash!"

The subordinate knew he had failed in his duty and hung his head, not daring to argue.

After a brief silence, the subordinate hesitantly said, "Mr. Grist... actually..."

Impatiently, Fred glanced at him. "Actually, what?"

"Although we couldn't trace Zeke's whereabouts, we did find out some news."

"Go on."

"The eldest son of the Hamertons in Centrolis is named Zuko!"

Fred was taken aback, furrowing his brows tightly. "Are you saying that Zeke Hamerton is Zuko Hamerton?"

The subordinate awkwardly smiled. "No... We just thought that these two names sounded similar! There might be some connection!"

Fred widened his eyes, suddenly furious, and grabbed a file from the desk to throw at his subordinate. "Is the name Zuko Hamerton copyrighted? Is it exclusively for him, and others can't use it?!" "Mr. Grist-"

"Centrolis has millions of people. Is it difficult to find a few people with the same name? Is it!?"

The subordinate, still terrified, quickly ran out. Fred finally sat on the chair, loosening his tie and taking a deep breath. He was nearly driven to madness by this group of useless people...

How could a truck driver with a criminal record who got married and started a family here be compared to the high and mighty eldest heir of the Hamertons?

Fred rubbed his temples. However, as he calmed down, he found the situation more and more suspicious.

He carefully recalled the scene when he met Zeke that day. The young man exuded an air of nobility with deep and determined eyes as well as a strong and cold demeanor...

What about the truck drivers at the Grist Group? They often wore random clothes to be quick, and their bodies were covered in dirt from transporting the goods. They would nod and bow when they saw him, constantly flattering him.

Some spoke rudely, some were servile, and some had a quick temper, but none had the presence Zeke possessed.

A sudden realization struck Fred... Could the Hamertons' eldest son have truly descended to the mortal world? What was his purpose in doing so? Could it be that he had come to experience the hardships of society?

He squinted and got up to walk to the liquor cabinet, retrieving a bottle of mediocre-quality brandy.

As the hot and spicy taste passed through his throat, his expression became even more solemn. He looked at the bottle of liquor. This was the liquor Violet's father had given him, also known as his elder brother, whom he had never met.

His elder brother was arrogant and especially cold toward him, the illegitimate child who had been kept outside all along. He had repeatedly stated in public that allowing Fred to bear the family name Grist was already a great favor to this illegitimate child.

This bottle of brandy was meant to humiliate him. His elder brother wanted everyone to see that a b*stard son was only worthy of drinking this inferior liquor and that he would never inherit the Grist Group. Fred took a deep breath and fiercely threw the glass on the ground, shattering it into pieces!