Ch. 111..120

Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Yelena's eyes lit up. Her heart was pounding.

"Dad, Zennie Hamerton... is the youngest heiress of the Hamertons, right?

"Mm-hmm." William said flatly, "I think she's only 18 and has yet to go to university. She's the youngest child of the Hamertons and Mr. Z's favorite sister. If you can get the favor of that princess, to get her to say some good words about you to Mr. Z, there's hope for you to marry him!"

"I know what to do now, dad!" Yelena bit her lip. She spoke after momentarily falling into deep thought. "I'll get someone to follow Ms. Hamerton, and I'll hold a dinner as soon as possible. It's best if... it's a charity dinner! I know the Hamertons love doing charity."

"That's great." William finally revealed a smile. "You'll send Zennie an invitation when you find her!"

"Certainly!"

"The sooner you hold the dinner, the better. Undue delay may bring trouble."

"Got it." She was secretly over the moon.

However, what William said next brutally crushed her joy.

"Tell Cordelia about it and get her to come to the dinner!"

"What?" Yelena almost screamed out loud. "But dad-"

William raised his voice and glared at her. "What, you don't want to?"

Joanne, who was next to him, was pissed too, but she did not speak.

Ever since the three of them had traveled all the way to Centrolis for Mr. Z's welcome dinner and had been stopped at the door, William felt humiliated. As such, he had been cold to Joanne. Therefore, she could only tolerate him at the moment.

'Be a good girl, Yelena!' She signaled to her. 'It's just a dinner. That little b*tch is not your match!'

Yelena gnashed her teeth. Her fists were clenched so hard that her veins were bulging.

William scoffed. "Yelena, no matter what, Cordelia is your sister. The two of you should be good with each other and take care of each other!"

"Okay..." It was difficult for Yelena to say that. "I'll inform her."

William nodded in satisfaction. He knew that Yelena would resent Cordelia now that he did that.

When one was under extreme emotions, they would lose control easily. It would be easier for him to control her.

To him, his daughters were just the tools that he could use.

A few days later, Cordelia stood at the hotel entrance.

Many guests came tonight, so it was lively.

However, she was in a different world.

She had been taking care of her mother at the hospital when Yelena called. Watching her gray hair and empty eyes, she recalled her devastating life and could not help but cry.

However, Yelena had called at that moment, telling her about the charity dinner that would happen the next day. She had even mocked her when she called.

"Dad did you a favor to get you to come. Otherwise, an illegitimate daughter like you would have no right to be there!"

"No need." Cordelia replied coldly, "I'm married. I've nothing to do with the Jenners anymore!"

"I'm warning you, Cordelia!" A scoff came from the other side of the phone. "This is what dad wants. If you dare to go against him, do you think he'll forgive you, given his temper? It's as easy as killing an ant fo him to fight you and your crazy mom!"

That jolted Cordelia's heart.

That was why she stood here tonight.

She had not told Marcus about it. She had merely mentioned that she had to work overtime tonight, asking him not to wait for her at dinner.

Chapter 112

Chapter 112

After all, it was just a dinner.

Taking a deep breath in, Cordelia forced a smile. She thought she would stay for a little bit and then leave with an excuse.

When she stepped onto the hotel stairs, a figure suddenly flashed by before she even got into the banquet entrance.

"Yo, you really came?"

Yelena crossed her arms and looked at her arrogantly. There was a disdainful smile on her face.

Cordelia was stunned. One must say that the former had dressed up well today. The bright red mermaid dress complimented her body, as well as her skin tone.

In comparison, Cordelia's ordinary black and white dress looked plain.

Yelena frowned. "Cordelia, didn't I tell you that Ms. Hamerton is tonight's guest of honor? Are you trying to humiliate the Jenners by dressing like this?!"

"You said it's a charity dinner," Cordelia said flatly. "Should I dress like a clown to a charity dinner?"

"What did you say!?"

"The dinner's main objective is charity, not some Ms. Hamerton." Cordelia glanced at her. "I think it's good enough as long as I look proper. The dinner's intention will be lost if one dresses too boastfully to gain attention."

Yelena's face was flushing and turning pale from the rage. However, she should hold it back since there were many guests around. She could only speak softly with a fierce tone.

"You b*tch! Do you think you know better than me?"

"I wouldn't dare." Cordelia chuckled. "You're the one who held the dinner. I'm just here to see how capable you are!"

Yelena squinted. Cordelia was going to walk by her, but Yelena rushed forward to stop her.

"The guests are entering. Your attire is a humiliation!"

"Okay." Cordelia stared into her eyes. "I'll leave, then."

"Wait!" Yelena was domineering. "Dad asked you to come, yet you're leaving. Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

Cordelia was rendered speechless. She stood where she was in silence.

"Okay." Yelena snickered. "I'll drive you home. We happened to be cleaning lately, and the maids gathered some old stuff... Hah, I thought they were your mother's stuff, so I asked them not to throw them out. saved them for you."

"What?"

Cordelia was quite shocked.

However, Xyla used to be the Jenners' maid. It made sense that she had left some personal belongings behind.

It was just that she could not understand. How would Yelena be so kind to keep those things for her mother?

"Why are you looking at me like that!?" Yelena pouted and walked in front of her intentionally. She had calmed down by now.

"Actually, I think dad is right. We're sisters, after all. We should take care of each other... That aside, I should repay you for going with the marriage with the Grists for me.

"Saving your mothers' things should be considered my repayment to you. Cordelia, we're even now!"

Cordelia pursed her lips. She figured perhaps Yelena was not entirely evil.

Humans were complicated, and one's heart would change.

No matter how evil a person was, perhaps she had a kind side.

"Come home with me now to collect your mother's stuff!" Yelena looked at her. "The guests should enter before we do that. You'll sneak in when the lights are dimmed. People won't see you dressed like this!" Cordelia was hesitating. She had a bad feeling.

Yelena stepped down the stairs. She snapped her head back to glare at her while saying in a shrill voice, "Are you coming? If you don't, I'll throw them out!"

"No..." Cordelia bit her lip and followed behind her. "I'll come with you."

Yelena looked at her, turned around, and continued forward. A cold grin appeared at the corner of her lips.

Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Cordelia followed behind Yelena. They walked around the hotel building and arrived at the basement car park.

It was dark and quiet around. There was hardly anyone who would come. Also, even if they did come here, they would use the elevator inside the hotel instead of taking the long way like they did. Cordelia slowed down. She could not help but get suspicious.

"What are you doing?" Yelena, who was walking in front, urged. "Quickly! I parked my car downstairs."

"Can you find it?"

"Do you think I don't know where I parked my car? What? Don't tell me you want me to pick you up with the car?" Yelena scoffed. "Cordelia, if I were to pick you up at the hotel entrance with a fanfare, everyone would see you dressed like this! Are you trying to humiliate our family?"

Cordelia pursed her lips and said nothing more.

The path toward the basement car park was dark. Like a black hole, they could not see the end.

Yelena was almost sprinting in front. It was a little tough for Cordelia to catch up with her. The former was turning here and there she had no idea where she went. It was dark in the surroundings, and she could not see the way at all.

Cordelia panicked a little bit. There was a damp smell in the area, making her even more uncomfortable.

"Sister..." she said, and the only thing that responded was her echo. "Where is this?"

After some time, Yelena's shrill and cunning laughter came into the dark.

"This is the place you should be!"

Cordelia's heart suddenly thumped. A chill coursed through her back to her entire body!

She was pushed by a force before she could react and screamed from the scare. Within the blink of an eye, she fell hard onto the uneven concrete ground. Her knees were hurting! Subsequently, a noise of a door being shut came.

Cordelia's head went blank. She struggled to get up from the ground and rushed forward. She heard Yelena saying coldly with a grin through a metal door.

"My dear sister, you won't be attending the dinner! I'll tell dad that you didn't want to come!"

"Yelena!" Cordelia slammed the door hard. "Where am I? Let me go!"

"You should enjoy yourself in this amazing place." Yelena scoffed and turned around to leave. All that was left were her footsteps on heels that were leaving further and further away. Leaning against the door, Cordelia sat on the ground.

It was cold, and there were only gray walls around. There was a thick stench of mold in the air. It was disgusting.

If not for the little light coming through beneath the door, it would be completely dark, as if she was in hell.

Wrapping around her legs, Cordelia tried her best to calm down. She felt her phone while shaking. However, she found out that there was no signal in there at all, as if she was being isolated from the world. She felt a chill all over her body. As she stared blankly at her phone screen, she finally failed to hold back and shed tears.

Yelena went back from where she came from. Someone met her halfway.

"We've prepared the stuff, miss. Should we send it over now?"

She grinned in joy and looked at the cage in the person's hand. There were squeaks coming from it.

"Wait here and release them later! This is our finale. How can we do it so quickly? Ha, let that b*tch enjoy the fun in the dark. Then we'll let these little cuties in... for more fun!"

"Roger that." The man looked up from his hoodie, revealing a similarly evil grin.

As she was walking back, Yelena could finally understand the high spirits one felt when they were happy.

Torturing Cordelia, imprisoning her, and infecting Marcus with the disgusting virus on her-that was the biggest joy for her!

Even if Cordelia were to die, she would not let that b*tch die so easily!

With her chest high and a bright grin, Yelena accelerated as she walked to the banquet.

However, she had no idea that someone had seen everything that she did under the banyan tree far away.

Cordelia was shaking as she curled up in a corner.

The room was small, but there would be chipped paint falling and the noise of water running through the pipe. The noise was extra clear in the dark of dead silence.

The environment reminded her of when Yelena bullied her in school. She would tell everyone that she was an illegitimate daughter. She had even partnered up with some friends to get her into an abandoned classroom in the school, locking her up for an entire day.

At that time, she had experienced helpless despair.

Since then, she had a phobia of dark, sealed places. Even during the time when she and Marcus slept in separate rooms after their marriage, she would not dare to shut the door entirely.

Now...

She thought of Marcus. She thought he must be looking for her everywhere in a panic. However, she felt sad that she could not contact him.

At that moment, some faint squeaking came from the door.

She was stunned and pricked her ears. The noise was getting closer and closer as if they were walking back and forth outside the door. They sounded like rats....

She suddenly felt disgusted and scared. The noise was chaotic, and it seemed there was more than one of them.

After a while, she mustered her courage, looked beneath the door, and looked around from the gap.

She happened to see a big rat staring at her with its red eyes!

"Ahh!" Cordelia lost herself and was scared. She had goosebumps all over from the scare and leaned against the wall.

After hearing the commotion, the rats out there began to slam against the door. They attempted to squeeze in from the gap.

Cordelia curled up tight as she covered her mouth, stopping herself from crying out loud. However, she could not hold back her tears. "Marcus, Marcus..." She called out his name in despair.

His embrace would give her a full sense of security every time she was in a crisis.

However, apart from the darkness and walls, there was nothing here.

Cordelia bit the back of her hand while tears were pouring.

Watching the rats' bare claws and tails squeezing through the gap with the disgusting squeaks, she seemed to be able to smell the foul odor on them.

She even thought of the consequences if she contracted the plague.

She kept backing up, but there was nowhere to go as it was a wall behind her.

"Go away..." she screamed while shaking. "Go away!"

However, she heard hurried footsteps outside the door at the moment. Subsequently, there was some thumping noise. The rats struggled while squeaking. The claws and tails were removed instantly. Cordelia was stunned, and her mind went blank for a few seconds.

Soon, the noise was gone, as if the world had fallen into a void. It was terrifyingly silent.

She could not stop shaking as she moved toward the door slowly.

"W-Who is it?"

Suddenly, the noise of the door being pried came!

"Who is it?!"

"Don't be afraid." A response came. "I'm going to get you out!"

Chapter 114

Chapter 114

Cordelia's heart was pounding, her mind empty.

The voice out there... sounded like a young lady.

Who was she? Why was she here?

"Ugh, this lock is so annoying!" The lady sighed. "Um... Please stay back! I'm going to use a rock to break the lock!"

Cordelia was stunned but did as she was told and backed up to the corner of the wall.

The sound of the lady slamming the door echoed throughout the entire basement. It was quite terrifying.

Soon, as a thud was heard and a chain fell, a crisp clang came.

The door opened, but Cordelia was stiff. Her arms and legs seemed to be frozen.

"Sis?" A pretty figure flashed by. "Why aren't you moving!?"

"You..."

"Let's go!" Before Cordelia managed to speak, a pair of soft, tiny hands held her.

She could no longer think about anything rationally. She could only follow that lady, escaping this dark prison.

There were many dead rats at the door, as well as a baseball bat and a big rock.

It seemed like the lady killed those rats.

Although her hands were skinny, they were very warm. Like a life savior, Cordelia held her tight. She suddenly had the urge to cry.

She ran with her through the darkness until they finally saw a subtle light.

"Okay, you're safe now." The two of them walked on the hotel corridor side by side. She smiled at Cordelia, pulled her into the elevator, and pressed the button to the highest floor. Only Cordelia saw the lady's face now.

She was beautiful, had a pair of smiling eyes, and her smile was as pretty as colored cotton candy.

Not only that, but she looked... familiar.

Cordelia was stunned, but she could not recall when she met this person.

"Are you all right, sis?"

"Oh, I'm okay." When Cordelia snapped back to her senses, she looked at her with gratitude. She gave her a deep bow.

"Hey, what's this!? You don't have to do that.

"My name's Zennie," she introduced herself while smiling. "What's your name?"

'So she is Ms. Hamerton!?'

Cordelia looked at her blankly. Her lips moved, but she could not say a word.

She only asked softly after a while. "H-How did you know that I was in the basement? You're a girl, and it's dangerous for you to go there! Did those rats hurt you? There's a virus on them, and they're infectious!"

Zennie did not think of the answers to those questions.

She did not know what to say.

She had no interest in the charity dinner. She had only agreed to attend after Yelena called her many times to annoy her. She had wanted to get some air in the garden before going. Never had she thought she would overhear Yelena getting someone to hurt Cordelia.

It was her sister-in-law!

How would she just let it be?

Therefore, she had secretly followed them to the basement and then got the hotel's security guard to get tools to kill the rats. However, her foolish sister-in-law did not care about herself. Instead, she worried about Zennie's life!

Her affection level for Cordelia skyrocketed instantly, and she revealed a sweet smile.

Cordelia's hair was messy, and her clothes were dirty. She looked beaten.

However, the light in her eyes struck Zennie's heart. She finally realized the reason Zephyr did not want to return to Centrolis.

At that moment, the elevator's bell rang, and the doors opened. Cordelia's eyes lit up at the top floor's sophistication. Zennie pulled her into the suite.

People were waiting inside, and they bowed at them respectfully.

Zennie placed Cordelia at the dresser while smiling, and the latter felt uncomfortable. "Ms. Hamerton, what are you doing?"

Chapter 115

Chapter 115

"Don't be shy," Zennie said with a smile. "This is my room. They're my stylists and makeup artists. You're here for the dinner, right? Look at you. You can't be going like this." Cordelia looked at herself in the mirror and revealed a helpless smile.

"Take a shower. Then I'll get them to style you beautifully! You can wear any of these gowns that you like!"

Cordelia felt bad but could not reject Zennie's kindness.

Moreover, she really needed a shower. She had to wash away the fear and filth from before.

"Don't worry, the evil woman who did this to you won't come here!"

"How do you know?" Cordelia widened her eyes.

Zennie revealed a mysterious smile. "I also know that you're the Jenners' heiress. You're Cordelia, right?

"Don't be shocked." Zennie patted her shoulder, casually picked up a stick of lipstick, and applied it.

"After all, it was Ms. Jenner who specially invited me here. Of course, I had to find out the backgrounds of everyone who was coming." Cordelia thought about it, and it made sense.

"Go take a shower, sis!" Zennie smiled and handed her a towel. "I'll pick a gown for you. I guarantee to make their jaws drop!"

The charity dinner went on for some time, but the star Zennie had yet to show herself.

William was impatient. He would warn Yelena by signaling with his eyes from time to time. The latter felt helpless. She called a couple of times, and Zennie's men told her that she was already at the hotel. "But where is she? Where is she now!?" Yelena yelled at the phone. "I don't see her!"

"Please calm down, Ms. Jenner. Perhaps there's a miscommunication..."

"Then deal with it! If Ms. Hamerton doesn't show up today, my dad is going to kill me!"

Yelena hung up the phone in rage, and her temples were twitching.

At that moment, someone ran over to inform her. "Miss, Ms. Hamerton is here!"

She widened her eyes.

Zennie walked into the banquet hall slowly. The pink gown looked pretty on her. The guests made way for her and clapped to show their respect.

William and Joanne rushed over to welcome her.

Yelena rushed over too, fawning over Zennie.

"I've heard that Ms. Hamerton is gorgeous. We've finally met today. You live up to your fame!"

"Thanks." Zennie was used to flattery since young and merely smiled.

Yelena went on with her performance. "Are you happy with the dinner, Ms. Hamerton? Ha... Jangasas can't compare with Centrolis, but I've given my all for this dinner! I prepared this all for you! "Over here, Ms. Hamerton. I've saved you a seat at the main table!"

"Okay."

Zennie was expressionless. She looked at Yelena after taking a few steps with disdain in her eyes.

"The dinner isn't bad. You're too kind, Ms. Jenner."

Yelena did not see that coming and expressed her loyalty instantly. "It's my honor to serve you, Ms. Hamerton! Just tell me if there's anything that you need. I'll do my best to fulfill it for you!" "Really?"

"Yes, I guarantee!"

Yelena's smile disgusted Zennie.

"I have a request now. I wonder if you can do it for me?"

Yelena's eyes lit up. She did not expect the opportunity to come so easily.

If she could do Zennie a favor, she could get close to the Hamertons.

Apart from that, Zennie was Zephyr's sister. If she wanted to marry into the family, she would have to use this young lady.

"Please, Ms. Hamerton!" Yelena could not wait. "Please name any of your requests!"

"Sure." Zennie scoffed.

"I brought a friend with me. I really want her to come to the dinner with me. I wonder if I can do that, Ms. Jenner?"

Chapter 116

Chapter 116

"Of course, you can!" Yelena replied without any hesitation.

She felt it was alright for her to bring her best friend. After all, she was certain that her best friend must be someone from a wealthy and powerful family.

'I wonder if she's one of the four big families from Centrolis or not. If I can gain her favor, it'll help me a lot in the future!'

With that thought in mind, Yelena approached Zennie and said, "Where is your friend now, Ms. Hamerton? If she doesn't have transport, I can send someone to pick her up! Don't worry. I promise you that I'll bring her here safely!"

"That's not necessary." Zennie smiled. "My friend came with me, and she's upstairs now. It's just that the Jenners are the hosts of this event, so I figured that I should get your permission first if I wanted to bring my friend here."

"Don't mention it, Ms. Hamerton," Yelena chuckled. She turned around and ordered a few waiters. "Bring Ms. Hamerton's friend to the main table later."

Zennie raised her brows. "Ms. Jenner, are you sure that your parents and you aren't going to sit at the main table?"

"It's okay!" Joanne chimed in. "It's our honor to have you and your friend with us here tonight, and your presence has brought light to this event!" She tried her best to curry favor with Zennie.

"Ms. Hamerton, you should call your friend and join us now. It isn't appropriate to leave her alone in the room."

"Alright, then."

Zennie turned around and made a call.

Soon, the door to the banquet was open once again. Everyone turned their heads around in chorus, curious about who Zennie's friend might be.

Yelena craned her neck and tried to look past the crowd.

However, little did she expect that the person who walked through the door was...

Cordelia!?

Yelena felt as if someone had bashed her head with a hammer, and her mind went blank for a moment.

William and Joanne's expressions changed as well. They all looked at Cordelia with their eyes bulging so wide that they might fall out of their sockets at any time. 'Zennie's best friend is... her? How can this be happening!?'

Everyone put their heads together and mumbled while observing Cordelia with a strange gaze.

Even though they were shocked by her presence, they had to admit that Cordelia indeed looked a lot prettier after Zennie helped her with her dress and makeup.

While she was walking side by side with Zennie, both of them looked just like a pair of sisters who came out of a fairyland, and everyone in the hall was dazzled by their beauty.

"This is my best friend." Zennie smiled. "I'm sure you don't need me to introduce her to you, right?"

Yelena's face turned pale. She clenched her fists tightly, and her lips were trembling so much that she could not utter a single word.

"C-Cordelia?" William's trembling voice wafted into their years. "You're Ms. Hamerton-"

"We've been good friends for a long time, Mr. Jenner," Zennie interrupted him. After that, she looked at Cordelia and asked, "Have you never told your family about me, Cordelia? How could you do this to me?" Cordelia just looked at her with a smile on her face.

"No way!" Yelena shouted, bringing everyone's focus back to her. "What the hell are you doing here, Cordelia? There's no way someone like you would be her friend! Besides, didn't you already-" "Already what?" William frowned.

Yelena stopped midway through her sentence, and her face became even darker.

"What are you so nervous about, Yelena?" Cordelia smiled gently while shooting a sharp gaze at Yelena. "Why do you look so surprised to see me here?"

Yelena shot daggers at her and bit her lips tightly.

"My sister brought me to the basement, so it took me quite a while to get out of there." Cordelia smiled coldly. "But my sister was kind enough to let in a few rats to keep me company. I guess they must be your pets, right?"

"You..."

"What did you say?" William's face sank, and he looked at Yelena. "You locked Cordelia up with a few rats in the basement?"

Yelena was shaking profusely as she looked fearfully at her father.

"How dare you!?" snarled Willian.

He was not interested to know how Cordelia had ended up becoming Zennie's best friend. He just knew that the person who was holding Zennie's hand right now was Cordelia!

Chapter 117

Chapter 117

William had always been a smart person. He knew exactly when to adapt to the circumstances.

Every guest in the hall looked at each other. There were smiles on their faces as if they were watching a movie. "Yelena, stop making a fool of yourself here!" William shouted, "Get back home now! I don't want to see you!"

"Dad-"

"Now!"

Yelena's face was livid with rage. Her eyes were misted over with tears. She glared at Cordelia before turning around and running out of the banquet hall.

Joanne wanted to help her daughter, but she did not know how. In the end, she could only stand at the sideline and watch as her husband scolded her. What's more, she had to force a smile on her face. Willian let out a sigh and whipped up a smile on his face. He turned to Zennie and said, "Don't worry, Ms. Hamerton. I promise you that I'll educate my daughter well in the future. I'm pretty sure that what happened today was just a misunderstanding, I—"

"Mr. Jenner," Zennie interrupted him with a cold smirk. "I don't think I have any right to poke my nose into your family affairs. But I'll never forgive anyone who tries to bully my friend! I hope you'll remember that!"

"Yes! Yes!" William said, his forehead filled with a layer of cold sweat.

Zennie glanced at him and led Cordelia to the main table.

The banquet continued, but a few people were looking at them.

"Mr. Jones, since when did Cordelia become Ms. Hamerton's friend?"

"That's right... This is so strange..."

Something flashed across Oliver's eyes as he frowned slightly.

Cordelia was Marcus' wife, but she was Zennie's best friend...

This could only mean one thing-Marcus was Zephyr!

Someone whispered, "Mr. Jones, now that everything has come to light, should we make our move?"

"No, stay put first," said Oliver. "We must not alert them unless we have concrete evidence to prove that Marcus is Zephyr. Otherwise, we might not be able to explain this to Mr. Hamerton. He might think that we're misleading him again."

"Then what do we do, Mr. Jones?"

"We need to play it by ear," Oliver said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Send more people to keep an eye on them. I'm sure we'll be able to find something!"

Zennie was happily telling Marcus about how she rescued Cordelia and helped her solve her predicament.

"It's such a shame that you were not there, brother. Yelena's expression was so funny. Her eyes nearly dropped out of the sockets, and I nearly lost myself there!

"But I have to admit that Cordelia is truly calm and collected. It was so dark in the basement, not to mention that there were so many rats running here and there. Even though she was scared, she was still trying to protect me and thinking it was her fault for putting me in that situation.

"Brother, I like her!" Zennie said, "She's a lot better than Nelly!"

"Ahem!" Fredric darted a glance at her and looked at Marcus, whose expression was dark.

Marcus was sitting there without saying anything, but the glass of wine in front of him was almost empty.

His brows were knitted together tightly as a dark glint crossed his eyes.

He did not expect Yelena to be so bold.

If Zennie didn't happen to be there, Cordelia might have been in big trouble.

Marcus clenched his fist tightly and put it beside his lips. The expression on his face suggested that he was not in a good mood right now.

Josiah grinned and looked at Zennie. "You like your sister-in-law? But there's no use."

In other words, Zephyr had no control over his own marriage.

"Yeah." Fredric laughed and said, "Besides, your marriage is invalid."

"What?" Both of them sprang up.

Marcus was stunned as well. Although he looked very calm on the surface, his heart was pumping rapidly in his chest.

"Invalid?" He asked, his voice hoarse, "What do you mean by that?"

Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Fredric did not dare to raise his head as he did not want to face Marcus' piercing gaze.

After a long while of silence, he stammered, "Z, you're not the true Marcus. You're just using his identity. Since you're using his ID card, you also registered your marriage with his ID card.

"So from the perspective of the law, the one who married Cordelia is Marcus, not Zephyr."

Josiah sprang up and said, "But the real Marcus is dead!"

"Yes..." Fredric's voice was getting lower and lower as he continued to speak. "So it's invalid. Because he's already dead."

A silence descended in the room.

Everyone turned their heads to look at Marcus, and then they lowered their heads.

Marcus' face was getting darker and darker with each passing moment.

'That's right... Why didn't I think of it earlier?'

When they were registering their marriage, they were not there. It was the Jenners who did everything for them with their ID cards. The people from the city hall did not check whether the real Marcus was still alive or was already dead either.

Therefore, the name "Zephyr" had never appeared on their marriage certificate.

Marcus pinched the center of his forehead, and the veins on his temples were throbbing.

"Z, but it doesn't matter either," Josiah said softly. "We... We just need to find a chance and redo the marriage certificate in secret."

"Can you use your brain and think? It isn't something that can be done that easily!" Fredric glared at him.

"Why not?" Josiah replied stubbornly, "Yes, the Hamertons won't accept Cordelia, but as long as Z likes her, nothing will be a problem!"

Fredric was rendered speechless. He darted a few daggers at him before turning his head back.

Josiah continued. "You don't know anything, Freddy. It isn't that easy to find the love of your life. Do you know what the most precious thing in our life is? It's love!

"Now that Z has finally found the woman of his life, he has to do everything he can to protect her and cherish her- Ugh!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Fredric covered his mouth.

It went without saying that he did not want to separate Marcus and Cordelia either.

But the Hamertons were not that easy to deal with. Nobody knew what they were fully capable of.

What Marcus needed right now was a calm and rational mind. He must not be driven by emotion. "I'm going home," said Marcus. He finished the red wine in the glass in one gulp and left the club. Josiah and Fredric's words were playing in his mind.

Since he was a kid, he knew that no Hamerton had not any control over their own marriage. If they wanted to get married, then the marriage must be able to bring profit to their family. Even though his father had abandoned his mother and married another woman, Zennie's mother came from a prestigious family as well. Her family was even on par with the four large families. Therefore, he did not have any expectations of his marriage, and he had never tried to get into a relationship before.

That was until he met Cordelia.

Marcus' eyebrows were tightly knotted, and his mind was a muddled mess right now.

Marcus did not know how it happened, but by the time he realized it, he had already arrived at his home. He took one last drag from his cigarette before entering the house. Once he stepped into the house, he was welcomed by the aroma of food.

Cordelia was rushing here and there in the kitchen. When she heard Marcus' voice, she turned her head around and offered him a sweet smile. After a short while, she carried a bowl of soup out of the kitchen and told him to wash his hands as the dinner was ready.

Marcus looked at her and let out a smile.

In fact, he hated yam root since he was a child. However, Cordelia kept making yam root for him in different styles and telling him the benefits of soup.

Not only soup, but he did not like other nutritious vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onions as well.

However, Cordelia treated them like some kind of medicine that would prolong their life, so she would try her best to persuade him to eat them.

Marcus' eyes were misted over. He went into the kitchen and hugged her from the back.

Cordelia was stunned for a moment and turned off the heat. Marcus rested his chin on her shoulder and took a deep sniff.

The smell of the food mixed with her body scent tickled his nostrils. For him, this was the most wonderful smell in the world.

"Honey?" She asked, her voice tickling his heart, "What's the matter?"

Marcus did not say anything but tightened his arms.

Cordelia was worried about him. She tried to turn around in his arms and cupped his face between her palms. To her surprise, his eyes were red around the rims!

She was shocked and asked, "What happened, honey?"

Marcus had always been a tough man. He did not even shed a single tear even though he was held at gunpoint.

"Did something happen at your workplace?" She blinked and patted his head like she was comforting a kid.

"If you're unhappy with your job, you can just quit. It isn't a big deal. After all, I don't like your job at all. You need to fight with so many people, which is dangerous. Other female trainees keep looking at you as well...

"It's okay, honey. If you don't like it, you can just quit. I can take care of you!"

Marcus chuckled and looked at her without saying anything.

Cordelia turned her eyes around and caressed his cheek. "But my husband doesn't need to rely on a woman. He's a man. It's just that he's a bit tired right now. After he has enough rest, I'm sure he'll become great again-"

Before Cordelia could finish her sentence, Marcus landed a kiss on her lips.

She was stunned for a moment, and her heart leaped into a gallop. Marcus was more enthusiastic today. As he deepened the kiss, he took off her clothes...

"Don't!" Cordelia huffed. She placed her hands on his chest and said, "I still have one more dish..."

But he could not wait any longer. He carried her into their room and closed the door with his leg.

Cordelia clutched at him tightly.

"Cordelia..." His voice was hoarse. "Why don't we have a baby?"

After everything had ended, Marcus stood on the balcony, his large stature merging into the boundless dark sky. He took another cigarette and stomped on the cigarette but on the floor.

'What would you do if you found out that your husband is rich one day?'

'We're two different people from two different worlds, so I'd break up with him.'

'From the perspective of the law, your marriage is invalid. Cordelia is Marcus' wife, but you're Zephyr.'

His heart skipped a beat, and he grabbed the railing so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

He turned his head around. Cordelia was sleeping soundly right now. When he thought of her reaction just now, a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

'If we have a child, everything will be different, right?'

Marcus took a deep breath.

He experienced a lot of things when he was in the Hamertons, and he even survived a plane crash.

But right now, there was a sense of fear tugging at the back of his mind. He was getting more and more afraid of losing her.

Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Cordelia turned around and slowly woke up. The first thing that appeared in her vision after opening her eyes was the figure of the man on the balcony.

A touch of embarrassment crept onto her pretty face, dying the tips of her ears red. She pursed her lips and chuckled. Then she felt something weird. Although they would have sex from time to time, he was able to keep his calm every time. He had never lost control like that before.

Cordelia got up from the bed lightly. She wanted to hug him from the back, but she did not expect that she would nearly fall when her feet touched the floor.

"Are you all right?"

Marcus hastily stretched his arm forward and grabbed her.

Cordelia was stunned for a moment. He pulled her into his arms and looked at her gently.

He chuckled and placed her back on the bed. As he tousled her hair, he said, "Why are you not sleeping in the middle of the night and trying to sneak up on me from behind?“

"I did not." Cordelia punched him with her little fists. Both of them played for a while, and then Marcus' gaze suddenly stopped on her body.

Her skin was fair, and it would become red easily.

Marcus' gaze was filled with desire as he collected her hair behind her ears. "You should wear something that can cover your neck tomorrow."

It took Cordelia a short while to realize what he was implying. Her face turned red with embarrassment. She threw herself into his arms and punched him with her fists again. "Alright, stop it!" He chuckled. "Your punches feel like tickles. Do you want me to lose control again?"

"Marcus, you!" Her eyes widened. "You're so bad!"

"So?"

"If you don't stop being so bad to me, I'll abandon you!"

She was just joking, but when Cordelia turned her head and looked at him, she realized that the light in his eyes had disappeared.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "What's the matter, honey?"

He looked stoic, and even though he kept silent, she could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"I'm just joking!" Cordelia looked at him and said, "I'll never abandon you."

"But what if I lie to you?" He asked, his voice cold, "Will you leave me?"

Cordelia did not know how to answer the question.

An awkward silence descended into the room and separated the two of them like an invisible wall. For a moment, this Marcus before her felt unreal, and a bad feeling rose from her stomach pit. She was nervous, and a chill was creeping down her spine.

Suddenly, Marcus let out a laugh and rubbed her head like he usually did. "Don't worry. I'm just joking as well."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said. "I just want you to remember one thing. I'll never ever lie to you."

Cordelia nodded blankly. She leaned on his bare chest, and the uneasiness in her heart slowly subsided as she listened to his heartbeat.

Marcus rarely smiled and was very serious about everything.

It seemed to her that she could not simply make this kind of joke with him anymore.

She grinned, and her heart was flooded with warmth. Leaning in his arms, she slowly closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep after a short while.

Marcus did not sleep all night.

When the sky almost dawned, his phone lit up, and he received a picture from Josiah.

There were a few men in black in the picture. They were sneaking around, and judging from the street, it was somewhere near this small apartment they were renting.

He became alert and got up to his feet. He walked toward the balcony and made a call to Josiah.

"What happened?"

"I received this image from my men," said Josiah. "Z, I heard that these people have been following your wife for a few days."

Marcus squinted as a dark glint crossed his eyes.

"Are they people from my uncle's side?"

"Well, you can put it that way." Josiah snorted lightly. "I've looked into them. They're Oliver's men."

"What is he trying to do?"

"Perhaps he wants to prove his worth in front of your uncle. After all, Matthew has always thought that you were in Chaiseland before this."

Marcus's face sank, and a cold smirk appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Since he wants to prove his worth in front of the Hamertons, he can do it to anyone as long as they are a Hamerton."

"What do you mean, Z?"

"Bring a few guys with you and go look for him."

Marcus pitched his voice low and said something into the phone.

Oliver was tied up and thrown into a room.

Initially, he was shouting and screaming arrogantly. They couldn't tolerate him anymore, so they stuffed a gag into his mouth and covered his head with a bag. He could not move at all. With a muffled thud, he made contact with the ground in a meaty smack, and he saw stars in his vision for a moment.

At that moment, they removed the bag on his head and stripped down the tape on his mouth.

Just when he was about to shout, he met Josiah's gaze.

"Mr. Bayer?"

"How have you been, Mr. Jones?"

Oliver's head went blank for a moment. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't think of when he had offended Josiah before.

He looked around and realized that a group of bodyguards surrounded him. All of them had stoic expressions on their faces, and he swallowed his question back down to his stomach pit.

"Mr. Jones." Josiah squatted in front of him and pulled a stack of photos out of his pocket. "Do you know them?"

Oliver took a look at the photos and realized they were all photos of his men following Cordelia.

"I... I don't understand. Did Ms. Jenner run into a problem?"

"Well, don't you know the best if she is in trouble or not?" Josiah replied as he smacked his face with the stack of photos.

Oliver panicked and hastily asked for forgiveness.

"Mr. Bayer, I really don't know what is going on! Ms. Jenner and I are just working partners. She's a very capable person, and we've had a great time working together several times in the past...' Josiah looked at him disdainfully. He knew he was lying.

"Oliver, let me make it clear for you. The reason you asked your men to follow Cordelia is that you want to find out Marcus' identity, right?"

Oliver felt a chill down his spine and did not dare to say anything.

"Well, you're right. He's Zephyr Hamilton!" said Josiah, emphasizing each word. There was a devilish smile at the corner of his lips, and it scared Oliver to the core.

It was only now Oliver realized that he was the clown here. He thought he was spying on Marcus in the dark, but little did he expect that Marcus had already noticed him.

11

Josiah pulled out a dagger, and it gleamed coldly in the dark, causing Oliver's hair to stand on end. After that, he pulled out a revolver, and the sound of loading bullets into the revolver was clear to the ears. Oliver tried to move away from Josiah, his eyes filled with fear.

"M-Mr. Bayer..."

Josiah chuckled lightly and said, "Z said that since there's someone who's so eager to reveal his identity, he figures that he should just get rid of that person. After all, only dead men tell no tales." After he finished speaking, he placed the revolver at Oliver's head.

Oliver was so scared that he peed his pants and screamed in fear.

Josiah placed the dagger on his neck.

"If I kill you with this revolver, your death will be quick. But stabbing you with this dagger is entertaining as well.

"Or maybe..." Josiah scoffed lightly and continued. "You can call Matthew and see how he wants you to die."

Chapter 120

Chapter 120

Oliver's head was filled with sweat. He knelt on the ground and begged for forgiveness.

Josiah had always been someone who acted according to his heart. It was not that he could not do something like commit murder or set a place on fire. Given the Bayers' power, even if Josiah killed him, it would only be one more missing person in this world, and the Bayers would suppress the incident very soon.

As for Matthew...

He would stop at nothing as long as he was safe. There was a possibility that he would turn against him and make him his scapegoat.

After all, Matthew had to keep a positive image in front of his father.

Oliver bit his lips and knocked his head on the floor hard. A wound appeared on his forehead, and blood was jutting out of it.

"Please let me go, Mr. Bayer! I... I promise that I'll do everything for you in the future without any complaints!"

"Then what about your Mr. Hamerton?" Josiah asked as he sat at the center with his leg crossed.

"I... I promise!" Oliver's face was pale. "I won't tell Matthew anything!"

"Do you think I'll believe you?" Josiah threw the dagger and the gun to the side. "But if you swear your allegiance to me, I can consider forgiving you." "What is your order, Mr. Bayer?"

"You know Yelena, right?" Josiah grinned.

Marcus had not gotten the chance to punish Yelena for locking Cordelia up in a basement with rats. After all, as the saying went, "Fighting evil with evil."

He was going to make Oliver get rid of Yelena. This way, both of them would be busy, and they wouldn't come to disturb Marcus and Cordelia anymore.

Oliver gulped hard and asked softly, "You... You want me to get rid of Yelena?"

"Mr. Jones, if you're willing to work for me and Z, we won't treat you badly.

"But you need to remember one thing. If you give even the slightest string of information about us to Matthew... Hah, if Z can let you go, he can get rid of you as well. Understand?"

Several days later, the news of Yelena getting cheated spread throughout the entire business circle in Jangasas.

Even the people in Bowfest had heard about it.

No matter where Cordelia went, she would hear people laughing at Yelena.

Initially, she was the one who served the customer, but Yelena snatched him away from her.

Two days ago...

Cordelia and Yelena appeared on the top floor of a building to visit a customer.

Cordelia was not very familiar with the customer. She just knew from the information given to her by David that Mr. Rudd came from Asperia. He came here to do business. David wanted her to pay a visit to him, so she came here.

She did not expect to run into Yelena at the front door.

"Are you here to visit Mr. Rudd too?" Yelena asked, her voice filled with mockery.

Whenever Cordelia recalled how Yelena locked her up in the basement, she felt a chill down her spine and just did not want to talk to her.

"I'll make it very clear first. Mr. Rudd is going to sign the contract with me!" Yelena smiled triumphantly. "The financial status of the Jenners is much stronger than that little company of yours."

"This kind of thing heavily depends on fate," Cordelia replied calmly. "Anything is bound to happen before the client signs the contract!"

Yelena glared at her, and then Mr. Rudd came out. Yelena hastily went forward and hit Cordelia in her stomach with her elbow.

Cordelia yelped out in pain, and before she knew anything, Yelena stepped on her feet, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the floor in front of everyone.

When she lifted her head, she saw that Mr. Rudd was looking at her like a clown.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rudd!" Yelena went forward. "She's my sister. Her mother has a mental illness, so there's a loose screw in her head!"