Ch. 121..130

Chapter 121

Chapter 121

"Yelena!"

"Alright! Alright!" Mr. Rudd waved his hand impatiently and pointed at Cordelia. "You can go back now. I'll only talk to Ms. Yelena today."

Yelena let out a smile, and before she entered the meeting room with Mr. Rudd, she darted a mocking gaze at Cordelia.

Cordelia felt humiliated and sad at the time. That being said, she still collected all her stuff and limped out of the building.

Little did she expect that....

Mr. Rudd was a swindler!

It was only after Yelena had signed a contract with Mr. Rudd that she found out his company was a shell company. It might look impressive on the surface, but it was nothing on the inside!

However, Yelena was desperately trying to change her father's view of her, so she had already made the first payment right after he signed the contract to facilitate their cooperation. This proved to be a wrong move and caused the Jenners to lose nearly several million dollars.

Cordelia felt like she was having a dream when she heard the news, and she could not come around to her senses for a long while.

She told the story to Marcus and said, "Actually, I wanted to try to fight for it that time. After all, the conditions offered by Mr. Rudd were too tempting. It's just like a pie falling from the sky!

"But now, when I think about it again, there's nothing such as a free lunch in this world. Just like the old saying goes, 'Gifts given by fate have already been secretly marked with prices"!"

"That's right." Marcus chuckled. "Make sure to be more careful next time. Just like you said, there's nothing such as a free lunch in this world."

"Well, I have to thank Yelena for this," she said, grinning from ear to ear. "If not, I'd be the one who caused my company to lose millions of dollars."

'It can never be you, you silly girl.'

The smile on Marcus' face deepened.

Other than Yelena, that person would not swindle another person.

Cordelia hummed as she did her chores. She was deeply grateful for the close call this time.

Marcus' phone rang, and he went to the balcony to answer the call.

"Z, we've done as you said. That guy was found by Oliver." Josiah chuckled, "Yelena is in big trouble this time. I heard that William was so angry that he nearly disowned his daughter. Well, I can understand why he is so angry. After all, nobody would still be able to stay calm when they lost nearly a million dollars."

"Yeah," replied Marcus. "Send my regards to Mr. Jones and help me to thank him as well."

Josiah grinned.

He always thought that he was a genius at pranking other people, but now it seemed to him that Oliver was even better than him.

Josiah added, "Oh yeah, Z, I've already found the shop lot you want. Do you know how hard it was to find one that matched your criteria? I almost turned the entire Jangasas upside down, and I only managed to find a few."

Josiah sent the images to him. Marcus looked through the images, and he had his eyes set on one.

Ceiling-to-floor windows and a courtyard filled with irises.

The interior was decorated with light-colored wood. There were two large coffee machines behind the bar and a big oven. Just by looking at the picture, he felt as if he could smell the fragrance of coffee and pastries through the screen.

The window frames were painted apple green, and the curtains were light yellow, giving a refreshing feeling.

Marcus knew that Cordelia would like this shop at a single glance.

"This is it! This is the one!" he said.

"Sure." Josiah smiled. "Z, if you don't mind me asking, are you sure you want to open a coffee shop yourself? Are you not going back to inherit your family business?"

Marcus' eyes were deep, but there was a smile on the corner of his lips.

Chapter 122

Chapter 122

"Z?" Josiah called out to him several times. "Z? Are you there?"

Marcus snapped himself back to reality and cleared his throat.

Josiah chuckled and said, "Well, I finally understand what they mean by 'losing in your own thoughts'. Even though I'm not there, I can imagine you staring at your wife right now."

Marcus said with a grim voice, "Josiah, if you're asking for a beating, you can just let me know. You don't have to remind me so euphemistically."

Josiah let out a few dry laughs. He knew that Marcus was going to enjoy the rest of the day with his wife, so he hastily ended the call.

The next day, Linda ran into Yelena at an open-air western restaurant below the Jenner Building.

"Ms. Jenner." Linda smiled at her and pulled out a termination contract. "We've already talked to your secretary, so we just need your signature. Please sign your name here!"

Yelena's expression was already dark, and her face was even more contorted by her rage.

The Jenner Group had become a laughingstock in the business world after the man from Asperia swindled her.

William could not hold his head up whenever he went, so he took his anger out on Yelena. Not only did he reprimand her severely in the board meeting, but he also took away a few of her profitable projects. When they were at home, she needed to be very careful so that she would not get him angry again.

At present, even Bowfast had taken the opportunity to cut ties with the Jenner Group like other companies did.

Yelena gnashed her teeth and looked at Linda, who was smiling at her. She grabbed the pen tightly and signed her name on the contract.

"Thank you," Linda said with a smile on her face after checking through the contract. "If nothing goes wrong, you'll receive a formal termination letter from us within three days. Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Jenner. Let me buy you a meal this time."

"That's not necessary." Yelena crossed her arms in front of her chest and said, "I still can pay for my own meal. I'm not that poor yet."

"This is what I should be doing," Linda said as she went to settle the bill. When she returned, she offered Yelena a smile and prepared to leave.

However, Yelena's sharp voice rang out behind her. "Is there no one else in Bowfast anymore? How can they send someone insignificant like you to sign an important contract such as this one?" Linda stopped in her tracks.

"You really are such a poser!" Yelena harrumphed coldly. "I remember you guys weren't like this when you asked and begged me for cooperation."

Linda took a deep breath.

She knew that Yelena was someone very difficult to deal with, but she did not expect her to be so difficult. She had fallen low enough, yet she still refused to admit that it was her fault and had to make a few sarcastic remarks.

That being said, Linda was not a pushover either.

She turned around, whipped up the biggest smile on her face, and said, "Ms. Jenner, it's two different situations.

"We've received our lesson as well this time. We must check the... What is it called again? Oh yeah, the intelligence level of our partner! After all, there's no way we can continue to work together with someone who can't differentiate right from wrong and get cheated out of a few million dollars."

Yelena's face sank, and she stared at her fixedly.

"Besides, we must let the chairman know who we're working with before signing the contract. As far as I know, your father didn't know about it when you were trying to strike a deal with Bowfest, right? "Well, if I'm not mistaken, it's the chairman who has the final say in everything in the Jenner Group. I guess you don't have any right to make any decision, right, Ms. Jenner?"

"Are you done talking?" Yelena smacked the table hard, causing the forks and spoons to clink with each other.

Linda looked at her coldly. At the very least, she managed to help Cordelia get her revenge.

Suddenly, the expression on Yelena's face changed. Her anger ebbed away and was replaced by a triumphant smile. She snorted and said, "Linda, look over there."

Linda was stunned and turned around. Two girls were talking happily while eating ice cream under a sunshade not far away. The sky was blue, and the trees looked like green umbrellas behind them. Even the flowers around them were in full bloom.

Chapter 123

Chapter 123

Just by looking at the smiles on their faces, one could know how delicious and sweet the ice creams in their hands were.

Linda frowned and felt a bit uncomfortable.

Yelena let out a long sigh and said, "You treat her like your own sister, but she didn't even invite you when she came out.

"Linda, do you know who that woman in front of Cordelia is? She's Zennie, the youngest daughter of the Hamertons from Centrolis! The last time our family held a charity dinner, she came hand in hand with Cordelia. She even called Cordelia her best friend! Hah, who knows what kind of trick that b*tch used to turn Zennie into her friend?

"Your best friend has a new friend now, and not only that, but she has a better family background than you! Of course, she wouldn't care about you anymore!" Yelena patted her shoulder and continued. "Well, I guess this is it. After all, human hearts are the hardest to see through."

After she finished speaking, she went away in her stilettos.

Linda fixed her gaze on Cordelia and Zennie.

She admitted that she was a little upset. After all, she and Cordelia often came to this ice cream parlor. The friendship between women was sometimes more fragile and delicate than love. You called me your best friend, yet you brought someone else to a restaurant that we always came to without inviting me.

Linda did not know why, but she felt jealous.

Then, she turned her head around and focused on Zennie.

She frowned.

She felt that this woman was familiar and that she had seen her somewhere before.

When they were at work in the afternoon, Cordelia ran into Linda in the canteen and greeted her happily.

However, Linda just nodded at her coldly.

Cordelia was slightly stunned, but she still made Linda a cup of black tea like she usually did. Then, she asked gently, "What happened, Linda?"

Linda was never someone who would beat around the bush, so she told her everything she saw this afternoon.

"Oh, you saw us?" Cordelia smiled at her and said, "Why didn't you call me? I wanted to call you this afternoon, but the people in your department said that you had already left, so..." "Alright, you don't have to explain it to me!" Linda's anger came quickly, but it also disappeared very soon.

It turned out that Cordelia wanted to call her as well.

She was satisfied as long as she knew Cordelia did not forget about her.

Linda smiled at her, and then she remembered something. "By the way, why would you go out with the girl this afternoon?"

"She's Zennie," Cordelia replied honestly. "I wanted to introduce you guys to each other. When I was locked in the basement by Yelena, she was the one who saved me!" "Is she really Zennie?"

"What's wrong?" Cordelia blinked.

The more Linda thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong, and she frowned.

"I just suddenly remembered something. Do you still remember the nurse who came out of the ward when we went to visit your husband last time?"

Cordelia thought for a while and shook her head.

"She wore a short skirt and had a pretty face!" Linda said, "I took a few glances at her that time. Although she was wearing a mask, I'm sure she's the one!" "Are you saying that Zennie is that nurse?"

Linda was stunned for a moment and was tongue-tied.

"It's impossible!" Cordelia laughed. "Zennie is the daughter of the Hamertons. There's no way she can be a nurse!"

Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Linda hoped that she had made a mistake as well.

However, she had a very good memory since she was in high school, and she never forgot the people she had met before.

Even if someone was wearing a mask, their eyes would not change.

The more Linda thought about it, the more skeptical she became. She pitched her voice low and said, "In any case, just keep an eye on her. We still don't know if she really is the daughter of the Hamertons or not."

Cordelia's eyes went big in shock.

"What I'm trying to say is that you should always stay vigilant so that bad people won't take advantage of you!"

"But Linda..." Cordelia mumbled after a short while, "If she really isn't the daughter of the Hamertons, then what is her purpose in approaching me? Besides, the charity dinner last time was specifically held for her, and Yelena personally confirmed her identity!

"Even if she can deceive me, can she lie through the eyes of the Jenners and everyone else?"

"How can you trust your sister? She's an idiot!" Linda chuckled. "This isn't the first time she has recognized the wrong person! Isn't she the one who recognized the boss of that shell company?" Cordelia bit her lips and fell silent.

"Trust me, Cordelia. I'm just worried about your safety!" Linda said, "Sigh, you have many good qualities, but one thing bad about you is that you're too trusting. Even though this Zennie saved you before, it doesn't mean that you need to pay her back the favor and treat her as your friend.

"For example, Marcus..." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Although he's your husband, you can't treat him with all your heart. We can't read other people's minds. What if something happens to your marriage? You'll be devastated. How are you going to live then?"

"What are you talking about, Linda?" Cordelia raised her head and looked at Linda, her gaze so sharp that it made Linda's face red.

She knew that Linda was outspoken, but she did not expect her to defame her husband.

Cordelia frowned. "Linda, I know you're worried about me, but aren't we talking about Zennie? Why did you suddenly bring Marcus into this? "You'll never get rid of your prejudice against him, will you?"

"Cordelia, I-”

"You're my most important friend, but why must you point fingers at my marriage and the man I love?"

Cordelia's chest was huffing up and down rapidly. She was both sad and disappointed.

No matter how close they were, they must not cross the line.

Linda took two steps back, and her face sank.

However, she did not apologize to Cordelia.

Cordelia looked at her and returned to her office. Linda wanted to stop her, but no words could come out of her mouth.

The next weekend, Linda went hiking alone.

When she and Cordelia were in college, they would go hiking together on weekends. They had left their footprints on nearly all of the hills and mountains in Jangasas. But now, she was left alone.

Linda did regret what she had said that day. Her emotions had gotten the best of her, and when she calmed down, she realized that the things she had said were rather hurtful for Cordelia. However, she still could not bring herself to apologize to Cordelia.

No matter if she was in college or at work, she had always been the leader. She had never lowered her head at other people before.

In any case, Cordelia had a new friend right now. She would not want her anymore.

The more Linda thought about it, the more upset she became. She picked up her pace and got faster and faster.

However, when she reached the mountain's halfway point, she instantly lost her balance and fell on her butt in a bush.

Then, a sense of pain spread from her ankle.

Chapter 125

Chapter 125

Linda tried to snap her ankle back into position, but a sharp pain instantly shot up her leg as soon as she tried to move her ankle. She raised her head and looked into the sky. It was already afternoon, and the fog had started to rise in the mountain. Due to her experience in hiking, she had chosen a track that no one had ever taken before.

It occurred to her that she was going to get stuck in the mountain!

She quickly pulled her phone out of her backpack, but there was no signal there.

She tried to stand up, but she could barely stand up, even if she tried to grab the tree beside her.

Linda panicked. There was no one else on this mountain, and as the sky got darker, she could hear the cries of the animals.

Her scalp tingled, and tears began to gush out of her eyes uncontrollably. She turned the phone on and off to find a signal, but the battery of the only phone that could save her life was running out.

She dragged herself forward on the ground and tried her best not to make any sound that might attract the wild animals.

However, she could not even differentiate the direction, so how was she going to get out of this mountain by herself?

Just when Linda felt hopeless, she heard a series of hurried footsteps.

She held her breath, and her hair all stood up.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer until they stopped right before her. She was stunned, and then a hand appeared out of thin air.

The fingers were long and slender, the bones were well-defined, and the skin was fair. It was a very beautiful hand.

Linda was stunned, and then she met glance with a pair of gentle eyes.

"It's you?" She was shocked. "Dr. Stafford?"

"What's the matter? You look surprised," asked Seth, a smile dancing on his lips. He squatted next to her and tried to lift her injured right leg. "Argh!" Linda yelped out in pain. "Dr. Stafford, it hurts!"

"Relax," said Seth. He touched her ankle a few times, and after ascertaining her condition, he said, "Your joint just dislocated. You didn't hurt your bone. Don't worry. I'll help you put it back in place. You'll be fine soon!"

"Huh? You-"

Before Linda could say anything, Seth grabbed her ankle and twisted it.

She felt that there was a fire burning her ankle. She bit her lips tightly, and her face turned pale. Droplets of cold sweat were oozing out of her forehead. Seth grabbed her ankle and twisted it a few times again, and she could only put it up with the pain.

The way she endured the pain aroused Seth's curiosity about this woman.

"You really are a tough woman." Seth chuckled. "When I was treating my patients in the past, and if they were young girls, the entire emergency room would be filled with their screams."

Linda's lips were turning purple because she was biting them so tightly. She released them slowly, took a deep breath to calm herself down, and said, "It's getting darker. There are a lot of wild animals here, so do you expect me to scream and attract those wolves?"

Seth looked at her and smiled.

She tried to move her ankle. Although it was still very painful, it was a lot better than earlier. Seth helped her to her feet.

She grabbed her hiking stick with one hand while holding his arm with another. Then, both of them slowly limped down the mountain.

"I don't have my instruments with me, so I can only give you some basic treatment," said Seth. "Your ankle is swollen, so remember to put some ice on it when you get home. Also, don't do any strenuous exercise for a few days so that the joint doesn't get dislocated again."

"Okay."

Seth thoughtfully helped her to move the tree branches out of her way and encircled her in his arms.

Since he was a doctor, he carried a faint disinfectant smell on his body. Linda chuckled secretly. When she was a child, she was most afraid of this smell, but now...

"What are you laughing at?"

Linda was stunned. She raised her eyes and looked at the handsome face. It seemed like there were stars in his gentle eyes.

Chapter 126

Chapter 126

Linda felt as if her heart was hit by something.

She had not had this strange sense of urgency since the fight with that man.

She frowned, instinctively wanting to push Seth away. However, he held her hand even tighter.

"Hey..."

"You're hurt and can't walk," he explained flatly. "Stop being stubborn."

She pursed her lips and saw his clean and slender hand.

That was the hand that held the scalpel. It was beautiful.

Meanwhile, Seth was gentle, handsome, and elegant.

If it was not him who saved her like a savior today, she might still be stuck on the mountain.

As she thought to herself, a subtle sense of pain came from her ankle. She frowned and almost lost her balance.

"Watch out!" Seth quickly held her waist.

He found a big rock and helped her to sit after dusting it off.

"It looks more swollen now." Seth removed her sock and checked thoroughly. "Go to my clinic later. I'll get the nurse to handle it."

"Hmm, thanks." Linda's voice was soft. She suddenly recalled something and asked, "How did you find me?"

Seth smirked and took out his phone.

They were close to the mountain foot now, and there was 1.5 bar of signal. She was stunned. At the top of his feed, she saw her post that was posted before she got up the mountain. "I saw you went hiking with the geotag in your picture," Seth said softly. "So I followed you."

"W-Why did you follow me?"

"It's dangerous for a girl to be in the wilderness alone."

Linda was intrigued by what he said.

He smiled at her and squatted down with his back facing her. "Get on!"

"What are you doing?"

"It's difficult to walk here. I'll carry you."

Linda admitted that she was moved for a second.

His back was small, but it felt safe.

However, compared to that man...

She bit her lip and snapped back to her senses.

"It's okay." She gently rejected him. "I can walk on my own."

"Don't be stubborn!"

"I'm not!" She suddenly raised her voice. It was of a terrible tone, but she dared not look at him.

"Thanks for your kindness, Dr. Stafford. But we're arriving at the bottom. I can totally walk myself. Don't worry."

"But..."

"I'll do as you said when I get back." Linda forced a smile. "Ice it, apply ointment, and go for a check-up every now and then. Don't worry. I travel alone. I know that!"

She turned around after she was done. She staggered down the mountain while holding the trekking stick.

Seth stood there, stunned. His eyes had a complicated expression as he watched her thin and stubborn back left.

He did not have much experience in love. Not knowing why he could not forget her since they first met.

He had come here intentionally to spend more time with her.

Pursuing a girl should start with unconditional company, right?

However, there seemed to be a huge, invisible gap separating them into two different worlds.

On Monday noon, as Cordelia was going to the canteen, she saw Linda walking toward the pantry as soon as she got out.

She went to her, smelling instant noodles when she arrived at the door.

Cordelia sighed and placed her food in front of her. She said nothing.

Linda was stunned. She opened the box, and it was a delicious pork chop.

Chapter 127

Chapter 127

"Cordelia, what's this?"

"Eat it." Cordelia was expressionless. "It's bad to eat instant noodles so frequently. How many times have I told you that!?"

Linda felt a lump in her throat. There were tears in her eyes.

Cordelia looked at her for a long time. She finally stopped pretending and chuckled out loud.

"What's this? It's not the first time I brought you food. Must you cry?"

Linda swallowed the food in her mouth. Lifting her red eyes, she finally spat out two words.

"I'm sorry."

Cordelia felt her heart thumping.

She knew how proud Linda was. She never stepped back and apologized whenever they fought. However, she also knew how much she would be willing to bend over for her.

In reality, it was just an argument between two good friends.

It was not as serious.

Cordelia smiled. She held Linda's hand-her eyes were mischievous yet gentle. "Okay, all friends fight, don't they? Since when do we hold grudges?"

"Mm-hmm!" Linda chuckled with all her heart.

"Cordelia, the pork chop you make is the best!"

"Then stop eating this trash! I'll bring you food whenever I cook.

"Hehe..." Linda revealed a big smile.

'Gifts blind the eyes.' After taking two bites, she instantly raised three fingers to swear. "Cordelia, I promise I won't b*tch about Marcus from now on! He's my brother-in-law from now on. I'll side with him no matter what!"

Cordelia was not sure whether to laugh or to be mad. She finally laughed out loud after looking at her for a while.

"Speaking of that, I have a question for you. Why did you always despise my husband?"

"I don't..." Linda smiled in guilt. "Perhaps I have too many hopes for you. I always thought you'd marry someone better!

"Marcus isn't bad," she whispered.

"Yes, yes, yes, as long as you like!"

She had almost finished the food when she burst into joy. However, she did not see the subtle change of expression in Cordelia's eyes when she looked at her.

"Hey, enough about me!" Cordelia poked her with her elbow. She asked while smiling. "Do you have a crush that you didn't tell me about?"

Linda almost choked and coughed hard.

"Don't deny it!" Cordelia lifted her chin. "Seth went hiking too when you went during the weekend!"

Linda panicked. "It's not what you think it is..."

"He panicked when he found out that you went hiking alone. He kept asking me what you usually bring when you go hiking, especially in case you hurt yourself. He brought first-aid-kit and went looking for you right away!"

Linda was stunned. Her cheeks were flushing as if she had a fever.

It was no wonder Seth had not only appeared when she sprained her ankle, but he had even brought medical supplies for her emergency.

Meanwhile, she was so naive to think that perhaps doctors would usually bring backup supplies along.

Which doctor would bring ointment for sprains along for nothing!?

Linda secretly smiled.

Cordelia closed in. Their heads leaned on each other, shoulder-to-shoulder, just like when they were in school.

"Linda, you like Dr. Stafford, right?"

"Stop it." Linda suppressed her smile. "I'm only focusing on work now, nothing else!"

"But you are blushing..."

"Ahh, it's too stuffy in here!" She ran away with the food container. "I'll eat in the office. I'll return the container after I wash it!"

Cordelia revealed a helpless smile as she watched her leave.

She told Marcus what happened when she got home at night.

Suddenly, there was a smile on his usually cold face.

"Hmm, I think they're a match," he said with a deep voice. "Lately, Seth always mentions her whenever I talk to him. So, they have liked each other since earlier." "What?" Cordelia widened her eyes. "Dr. Stafford has had a crush on Linda since the beginning?

"But she's stubborn. She definitely won't confess first. Dr. Stafford looks like a gentleman and not the kind who would confess first, either... Ugh, they're so annoying!"

Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Marcus had a pampering smile on his face as he looked at the woman in his embrace gently. "Hubby." Cordelia looked mischievous and rubbed against him. "Why don't we help them?"

"Help them?" He was stunned. How would one help such a thing? He did not have experience in this.

"That's right!" His cute wife was serious about it. "If not for Dr. Stafford, we wouldn't be together. Now that I think about it, we must thank him, the matchmaker!

"It would be perfect if we could matchmake him and Linda!"

Marcus' eyes turned grim. He said nothing.

He thought more than she did, and his thinking process was more complicated than hers. He did not want to be dragged into things like this for nothing.

After all, he did not know much about Linda. Moreover, Seth had saved him. He could not drag him into trouble.

However, Cordelia was excited. She was eager to play matchmaker.

Marcus smiled and played with her hair.

Cordelia leaned on his shoulder like a cute kitten. "Hubby, I thought of a great idea. Let's travel together. We have annual leaves, and I've even found a place!" She showed him her phone excitedly.

It was a beautiful hot spring hotel on the outskirts of Centrolis. It happened to be across from Hamerton Manor on Splendor Mountain.

Cordelia had wanted to go there. Her eyes lit up while looking at those beautiful pictures.

"Why did you pick this place?" Marcus' eyes dimmed. "You like it?"

"It's famous!" she explained in excitement. "This hot spring hotel gets five-star reviews on many sites! You'll have to book it half a year in advance if you're going during the holidays.

"If we go now, we can avoid the peak season. We don't have to be with the crowd. It'll be quiet and fun!"

"So you've got it all planned?" Marcus chuckled.

It seemed she really liked this place.

However, would she still like it if she found out that Zephyr was the owner?

Seeing his facial expression, Cordelia thought he was unwilling to go. She dove into his embrace coquettishly. "Hubby, let's go together! Even if you don't like matchmaking, h-how about we treat this as our honeymoon? How about that?"

"Honeymoon?"

"We never did that since we got married..." Cordelia's voice was getting softer. She was blushing like an apple.

Marcus was stunned. He suddenly laughed out loud and softly pulled her into his embrace.

That was right. Not only did he owe her a wedding, but he also owed her a honeymoon.

He would compensate her whatever that he could now!

"Sure." He pecked her nose, speaking with a gentle voice. "Go tell Linda, and I'll tell Seth. We'll depart when everything is ready!"

Three days later, the plane landed at Centrolis International Airport. They took the airport's train and a bus. They finally arrived at the hot spring hotel before the sun set after the long journey and thought to take a stroll nearby after dropping off their bags.

Mountains surrounded the place-it was scenic. While they were walking among the mountains, indulging in the breeze blowing by their ears, they could smell the summer scent in the air.

They could see mountains stretched far away and flowers blooming along the way. Everything was great with the exquisite pavilion where the hot spring hotel was before them, as if they were in a fairy tale.

Cordelia and Linda took pictures excitedly along the way while Marcus and Seth followed behind them, like knights protecting their princesses. They only had their lovers in their gentle eyes.

Seth patted Marcus' shoulder. "This is such a great place. I'm sure you weren't the one who found this place, right?"

Marcus smiled at him. He merely responded with silence.

Chapter 129

Chapter 129

"You're definitely not the one who suggested this!" Seth knew him well.

"Indeed. It was Cordelia," Marcus said softly. "She's eager for you to be with Linda, so she suggested that we travel together so that you guys can spend time together."

"She's so nice." Seth smiled and lifted his eyes to look around. "It's pretty great here... It's just that it's a little strange."

"What is it?"

"I looked it up. This hotel is very popular. I thought it'd be crowded. However, apart from us, there's no one else here! Even if it isn't peak season, it shouldn't be this quiet, right?" Marcus coughed twice. He had gotten his people to clear the place before coming. Of course, they did not see anyone here.

"Sigh, it seems it's in bad shape. Is it going to go out of business?"

Marcus frowned and rolled his eyes at him.

"What? Do you like crowds and crowded places?"

Seth shrugged. "Perhaps people are used to conformity. Hehe. After all, I definitely won't go to a restaurant with fewer people when I eat out!"

Marcus released a low hum. "There are fewer people at 7-star hotels, but you can't afford to eat there."

"Hey, why you..." Seth was not sure whether to laugh or cry. Forget that he did not speak, but he would always startle one when he did.

He regretted taking care of him day and night back then to save his life.

"Hey, why are you guys dilly-dallying?!" Cordelia's voice came from in front.

Marcus lifted his eyes. She was waving at both of them.

Cordelia and Linda stood by the street. Apart from them, there seemed to be another person there.

His eyes turned grim, and he instantly had his guard up.

He had cleared the place. No one was supposed to be here, so what was happening?

"Come here, hubby!" Cordelia held his arm. "This old lady does palm reading!"

He was stunned. There seemed to be a temple not far away from here.

It made sense that there were fortune tellers around this area.

However, he was still worried. He wanted to pull Cordelia away, but she was smiling at him, insisting that he should show the old lady his palm.

"Please take a look, granny!" Cordelia showed her right hand as well. She put her palm together with Marcus' left palm. "I'd like you to look at our marriage!"

She did not care about anything else. She only cared whether she could be with her husband forever.

She looked at the old lady with anticipation. However, the old lady lifted her head a moment later, looking at her with sadness in her eyes. At the same time, she revealed a strange smile. "I see that you have the life... of an empress! You're destined to prosper!"

"What?" Cordelia was stunned and laughed. "You must've made a mistake! We don't have empresses in this age."

The old lady waved, her old voice trembling as she spoke. "That's not what I meant... Young lady, I'm saying you'll marry well. Your husband is definitely a ruler of the world!"

"What!?" She held Marcus. "This is my husband! Hah, he's just a regular man."

The old lady looked at Marcus blankly. A light suddenly flashed through her cloudy eyes.

"This is your husband?" Her pitch went up at the very end. The atmosphere turned extremely eerie.

"Hah, When pretense receives credence, even honesty is mistrusted; Where we pretend to have, what we have is lost... Hah, husband? He's your husband here, but he's no longer who he is when he's away from you!"

Chapter 130

Chapter 130

What the old lady said confused Cordelia.

She looked at her with doubt. She wanted to ask but was startled by Marcus, who was next to her.

The man looked grim, his eyes ferocious, as if he could start a storm.

Cordelia held his hand softly and whispered close to him, "Perhaps she's so old that she doesn't know what she's talking about... Don't take it personally."

Never had they thought the old lady had sharp ears that she heard what she said. She smirked.

"You're so kind, young lady. You'll be rewarded for your kindness."

"Thanks, granny." Cordelia revealed a courteous smile. "My husband is actually nice. It's just that he looks a little scary. He's too serious sometimes, which is why he is often misunderstood." "Hah, you want to look into your marriage, right?"

Cordelia quickly nodded.

The old lady peeped at the lines on her palm and slowly took two red string bracelets out of her pocket.

The bracelet made from a chaste tree was striking. There was a cute bell hanging on each knot. They would make a crisp ring whenever one touched them.

"Tie this around your wrist." The old lady taught her word by word. "No matter how far away you two are separated, you'll know where each other is when the bells ring."

"What nonsense is that..." Seth frowned and mumbled softly, "If there's something this magical, then we can get rid of our phones!"

Cordelia was stunned. She turned her face to smile at the old lady. "Granny, I won't be too far away from my husband. We're always together!"

"You'll be separated one day."

Cordelia's face turned pale, and she held Marcus' hand tightly.

"But..." The old lady looked into the distance and said while smiling, "You two will live happily ever after eventually."

Only the frown on Cordelia's face relaxed slowly. The faint dimples appeared again.

Marcus looked moody. He squinted as he looked at the old lady and then took Cordelia away.

"Hey, old lady!" Seth interrupted. "Are you confused because you're old? But what you said at the end was pretty great. Haha!"

"Hey, you're leaving?" The old lady suddenly called out to them.

They stopped walking. They saw her losing her unfathomable stance earlier. She had her hands on her hips, staring with her eyes wider than a camel bell.

"I told you so much, and I even gave you guys the string bracelets! Aren't you going to pay me?"

"Wow... You're a scammer, alright." Seth was not sure whether to laugh or cry. "How much do you want, old lady?"

The old lady looked serious now and merely said, "It's up to you."

Seth was dying from laughing.

Marcus looked calm. He took a $ 10 note out of his pocket and handed it to her. The old lady smiled and looked at Cordelia in a cryptic manner before leaving happily. Since then, they stayed silent as they walked.

Seth could not hold back and took the initiative to break the silence. "Don't mind what she said! I've been to many temples. There are always scammers like this at the door, deceiving people. You can't believe what she said! You guys will definitely live happily ever after!"

Linda peeped at him. She showed approval in her eyes.

He blushed and scratched his head shyly.

Cordelia smiled and kept holding Marcus' hand tightly. "Thanks, Dr. Stafford. I don't really care, to be honest. Moreover, what she said was pretty great. She even gave us a beautiful red string bracelet." She turned her face to look at Marcus, who was still serious. He was as cold as ice and intimidating.

She knew he usually would not believe in that mumbo jumbo, let alone tying the bracelet around his wrist.