Ch. 1021..1030

Chapter 1021

Evangeline pointed at Johanna, wishing she could kill her with a single look. "She even claimed you'd stay here with her in the future, and she would have your kid!"

"Really?" Zephyr turned to Johanna, stroking her hair with his hand. "You love being with me so much?"

Suppressing the repugnance within her, Johanna lowered her eyes and replied, "What can I do when you refuse to let me go? I only hope that I'll slowly fall in love with you as we interact more." That remark of hers was meant especially for Evangeline, for she wanted to antagonize the latter.

"Ms. Evangeline slapped me so hard that I can still feel my face stinging now." Johanna lifted her hand and stroked her face, sounding all pitiful.

"How dare you!" At the sight of Johanna looking all aggrieved, Evangeline flew into a rage.

"I didn't mind those two slaps, but you shouldn't have thrown me into the forest, Ms. Evangeline. I'm Osborn's most beloved pet, after all. When he learned that I had gone missing, he went into the forest in search of me and almost lost his life in an ambush." Johanna pressed her lips into a thin line.

Her eyes flashing, Evangeline hissed through gritted teeth, "You were the one who provoked me first!"

Puzzlement was written clearly in Johanna's eyes. "I was merely speaking the truth. Was that even considered a provocation? Is Osborn not staying with me and doting on me exclusively?"

If it weren't for the bodyguards holding Evangeline back, she truly wanted to rush forward and tear Johanna's face into ribbons.

Zephyr silently watched them both arguing with a smile tugging at his lips.

Every so often, his gaze would fall on Johanna. She's very intriguing indeed.

"Osborn..." Johanna whined, suddenly tugging at Zephyr's arm. "I don't mind that I suffered two slaps, but Ms. Evangeline almost got you killed."

"Yeah, those two slaps of hers were really hard." Zephyr held her chin and studied her dainty face. "Anne," he called out without warning, summoning the housekeeper over. "Slap Evangeline twice on behalf of Kitty. Put some strength into it and leave marks that won't subside even after three days."

"M-Mr. Zephyr..." Anne dropped to her knees with a thud, going as pale as a sheet.

"Can't I even get you executing my orders when you're under my employ?" Twirling his finger around Johanna's hair, Zephyr drawled nonchalantly, "Slap her. Otherwise, I'll have you thrown into Harondell Forest to be fed to the wild wolves in ten seconds. My men will only leave after laying eyes on your remains."

A shudder ran through Anne, and she prostrated herself before him. "Ms. Evangeline paid me, asking me to keep her abreast of the "

"I didn't ask you that." Zephyr grew a tad impatient.

He's not someone I can afford to offend, but the same can be said of Evangeline since she's a member of another mafia family. Still, if I were to do as he ordered, I'd still live. If I were to go against his orders, no one would be able to find my remains tomorrow...

Anne struggled up to her feet from the ground and walked over to Evangeline.

"Don't you dare!" Evangeline was born into the mafia, so she had always gotten whatever she wanted. Since young, it had only been her picking on others, and no one had ever dared to slap her. Having bellowed that, she swung her gaze at Zephyr on the couch. "How could you treat me in such a manner when I'm your fiancee, Osborn?"

"I could because you hurt my Kitty's face." Zephyr brushed his fingers across Johanna's face with affection etched across his features.

When Evangeline saw how he defended Johanna, rage and envy swamped her. "If you dare hit me, Osborn, my father will never let you off the hook!"

"Have him come and confront me, then." Zephyr sniggered. He then said to Anne, "You've got three seconds left."

His words were airy, but they felt like a knife pressing against Anne's neck. Apologizing to Evangeline, she lifted her hand and slapped the latter across the face.

Zephyr narrowed his eyes a fraction. "It was too light, so that didn't count."

Trembling all over, Anne screwed her eyes shut and slapped Evangeline across the face hard. If it weren't for the bodyguards holding her up, Evangeline would have been knocked to the ground by the blow.

Chapter 1022

Evangeline had delicate skin, so the slap had her face swelling at lightning speed. That aside, it even broke her skin.

Lifting her left hand, Anne slapped Evangeline hard on the other side of her face. The two slaps disheveled Evangeline's hair, and she couldn't quite turn her head back right away.

Johanna watched that scene, her expression solemn and grim.

She had provoked Evangeline because she wanted to sow discord in her relationship with Zephyr. As long as the latter were to make a move against her out of anger again, she would have the opportunity to escape.

Unexpectedly, Zephyr did exactly what she wanted and even had Anne slap Evangeline.

Evangeline is a member of the Sheraton family and his fiancee. Why did he avenge me instead of defending her?

She didn't believe that he did so out of love for her, but she couldn't fathom his motive either.

After Evangeline was slapped, Zephyr waved a hand, signaling for the bodyguards to take her away.

The bodyguards dragged her out of the house and stuffed her into a car before instructing the driver to send her back.

The driver had just left the castle and was heading toward the city when a few on-coming cars switched lanes and surrounded him. When he spotted a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes getting out of one of the cars, he didn't dare make any rash moves.

He recognized the man.

The man hurried over and opened the car door. As soon as his eyes fell on the unconscious Evangeline in the backseat, his expression changed drastically.

"Evie..."

Only when Alston had brushed her hair away did he notice that her cheeks were red and swollen. On top of that, splotches of blood marred them. He hastily carried her out of the car. Right after he got into his car, Frank immediately closed the car door for him.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Alston carried Evangeline to the ward and had the best dermatologist come over to treat her injuries.

Evangeline's skin was delicate. She started shrieking in pain once the salve came into contact with her injuries. Clutching her hand, Alston brought it to his lips and dropped a kiss on it.

"Bear with it for a bit, Evie. You'll be fine after applying some salve." He kissed her hand incessantly.

Evangeline was in such excruciating agony that she wept and shook her head, refusing to allow the doctor to apply the salve on her. Having no other recourse, Alston could only lean over and gather her into his arms, holding her head in place.

Evangeline had never been hit or slapped since young.

Her bloody cheeks were like a knife to Alston's heart, yet he could only kiss her on the forehead in consolation. "I'll kill him. I'll definitely finish him off!"

The doctor spent half an hour applying salve on both sides of her cheeks. When he finished doing so, he left the room.

Evangeline was drenched in sweat. Worried that it would drip into her injuries, Alston wiped the blood and sweat on her face with a towel.

When Evangeline snapped out of her pain and gathered her wits about her, her gaze darkened no sooner had she made out the man beside her. She shoved him away forcefully. "Get lost!"

Restraining her hands as she wanted to touch her face, Alston urged lowly, "The doctor applied some salve on your face, Evie.

Don't touch it with your hands. I'll help you wipe your sweat away."

"I told you to scram! Are you deaf?" Evangeline roared.

Still, Alston held her hands without dropping his hold on them. He stared at her face, his gaze menacing. "He got physical with you, did he? I'll kill him!"

However, Evangeline merely demanded icily, "You were the one who arranged for those assassins to go into the forest, weren't you?"

"Yes," Alston admitted. It was the first time Zephyr had brought so few men out, and he even went to such a remote place. Alston naturally couldn't miss such a golden opportunity.

"Who told you to make a move against him? Are you trying to get me killed and the Sheraton family ruined?" Evangeline snarled through gritted teeth.

Alston's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice tinged with a hint of torment as he said, "Evie, I can't just watch as you marry Osborn. The mere thought of you both together makes me crazy and want to kill someone I love you, Evie. I really love you." He pulled her into his arms, mindful of her injured face. "I'll have someone send you to Mapleton. Just stay there. I'll settle everything here, killing Osborn Carlo and bringing the mafia together."

Chapter 1023

"How are you capable of going against the Osborn family? If Zephyr hadn't some capabilities, those in the Carlo family wouldn't have submitted to him!" Evangeline sneered. Shoving Alston away hard, she enunciated, "I don't want to be with you either. I find you repulsive!"

"You're merely afraid. It's okay. I've long since killed all those people, so no one knows. I don't mind having no children for the rest of my life," Alston coaxed softly.

"Shut up! Get out of here! Get out!" Evangeline screamed, throwing everything in her reach at him.

She was so livid that she lost control. Glimpsing the pair of scissors on the table, she grabbed it without hesitation and stabbed herself.

Seeing the blood gushing out of her neck, Alston threw herself at her without even thinking about it. While pressing against her bleeding wound with a hand, he bellowed for Frank to summon the doctor. In no time, the doctor hurried over and rushed Evangeline to the emergency room.

Alston wanted to follow, but the doctor stopped him from doing so. He gazed at the emergency room doors separating him and Evangeline, pain and regret written all over his face.

Frank handed him a towel, but he remained motionless, staring at the emergency room obstinately.

Hanging his head low, Frank then reported, "I just received news that the two slaps Ms. Evangeline suffered were courtesy of a housekeeper on Osborn's orders because she previously went to the castle and sought his lover, slapping the latter twice."

Alston slammed his fist into the wall, his expression as dark as thunder. "No one has ever lifted a hand against Evie. How dare he get a housekeeper to slap her so severely!"

Immediately, he whirled around to leave.

Aware of his intentions, Frank strode ahead and blocked his path.

"Get out of my way!" Alston roared. He swung his fist at the man, but Frank caught it squarely.

"You can't act recklessly, Mr. Alston. Osborn dared to make a move against Ms. Evie because he wasn't at all afraid that Mr. Sheraton would confront him. If Mr. Sheraton really did that, perhaps he would have an excuse to shed all pretense of civility with the Sheraton family." Frank's voice was chilly. He then cast a glance at the blond man with red-rimmed eyes. "As for you, he has probably long since known of your relationship with Ms. Evie, considering his brains. Ms. Evie is most concerned about her image. If this matter were to circulate widely, not only would you be unable to kill everyone, but Ms. Evie would also lose her mind."

The ward wasn't soundproof, so he had heard how a few words from Alston had Evangeline backed into such a corner that she had stabbed herself.

"What do you want me to do, then?" Alston snarled.

Why am I not smart enough? Every time I go up against Osborn, I always end up losing thoroughly!

At the thought of Johanna, he said to Frank with a grim expression, "The fact that Osborn dared to have a housekeeper strike Evie for the sake of that eastern woman shows that his relationship with her must be special. Figure out a way to kidnap her!"

Frank's eyes flickered. In the next second, he countered, "You think too much. That woman is just a pawn to him. She's his pet, so Ms. Evie barging into his territory openly and striking his woman was tantamount to slapping him in the face. He had the housekeeper humiliate Ms. Evie because he wanted to anger Mr. Sheraton and you. He has set up the trap long ago, lying in waiting. If you make a rash move, he'll get you in one fell swoop."

The previous head of the Carlo family had some conscience and was unwilling to further stain his hands with blood. He wanted to legitimize the family businesses and had worked hard to that effect for many years.

Alas, Zephyr was far more ruthless and cold-blooded than his father.

He was a selfish businessman who wanted to be the leader himself, unwilling to share any money with others. He wanted to shatter the equal footing of the three mafia families in Lostaria.

Not only did he fantasize about doing so, but he also put it into action and succeeded with flying colors. At present, neither of the two major mafia families, the Sheratons nor the Leonardos, were his match.

If it weren't for the previous heads of the three major mafia families having sat down and signed a contract decades ago to jointly managed the businesses in Lostaria and for fear that violating the contract would first cause his own family to fall apart, Zephyr- as the head of the Carlo family-would've probably made a move against the other two major mafia families ages ago. The only thing he currently lacked was a suitable opportunity.

As long as it was the other two major mafia families who first violated the contract, he wouldn't need to worry about anything else when making his move against them.

Chapter 1024

Hearing Frank's deduction, Alston gradually calmed down. He, too, thought it was weird for Zephyr to make someone strike Evangeline for a lover.

That man's methods and schemes are rather frightening.

Suddenly remembering something, Alston asked abruptly, "He's a cautious man... Would he have guessed that the people in the forest were sent by me?"

"It doesn't matter," Frank responded. "The people who failed the assassination have been already taken care of. He has no proof or the gall to make a move on you, so don't worry."

Only then did Alston stop fretting, and he patted Frank's shoulder. "I'm glad that you're here."

Before Alston became the president, Frank had taken a lot of hits for him and had resolved a lot of issues for him as well. However, as Frank was from a different country and little was known about him, Alston had always avoided trusting him completely.

But now, Alston realized he could put his faith in his trusted aide.

Frank said, "On your birthday that day, Ms. Joule came to me. She told me she was forcibly brought back by Osborn and despised him. We can rope her in since she is always by his side and knows his movements. Who knows? She might be of help to us one day."

Alston considered that idea and thought that it would work. "You'll be in charge of contacting Ms. Joule, then. Just use whatever you need to get the job done."

"Understood."

Right after their conversation ended, the door of the operating room finally opened.

Alston made a beeline toward the doctor and asked nervously, "How is she?"

"Good news is that the wound is not that deep. Her carotid arteries are fine, and she's basically out of the woods," the doctor said.

However, before Alston could finally feel relieved, the doctor ushered him to a corner and added, "You should already know that Ms. Evie has the extremely rare Phnull blood type, so I hope you can find a few people with her blood type and store some of this type of blood. Otherwise, if she were to lose too much blood again, sending her to the hospital wouldn't be of much use..."

The Sheratons' bodyguards and his bodyguards could easily protect Evangeline from bodily harm, but he could not guarantee that Evangeline would not harm herself.

Seeing Evangeline's blood gushing out in the ward a moment ago was enough to cause Alston's heart to clench.

Evangeline was his life. He could not let anything happen to her.

After the doctor left, Alston beckoned Frank over and uttered lowly, "Use whatever available connections. I need you to find someone for me, and I'm willing to accept any requests the other person might have. She needs to be in Lostaria no matter what. If she refuses, we can just chop off her legs and take her here."

"I understand." Frank nodded. "I've already asked Ms. Evie's housekeeper to be here. It's best if you don't stay here any longer."

Knowing that Evangeline did not want to see him, Alston left the hospital with Frank.

Stepping out of the hospital, Frank sent Alston to the armored vehicle in front of them. He then got into the car behind the armored one after watching it leave.

As he got into the car, his subordinate in the driver's seat handed a cake box to him and said, "Frank, I got you the cake you wanted. It's from that particular store too." Frank murmured a reply and took the box.

"Oh, here." The subordinate also gave Frank a book. "This was sent over by Mr. Osborn's driver. We left it in the car and forgot to give it to you."

Frank took the book, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver lighter before passing it to his subordinate. "Go to the black market and give this to Bourbon." "Understood." The subordinate got out of the car after taking the lighter.

Frank casually watched as the subordinate got into a taxi through the rearview mirror. He then flipped open the book, his fingers running along the inside of the book cover. The moment he felt something in the back, he ripped open the paper adhered to the book cover.

A piece of paper fell out. Frank unfolded it, and his pupils constricted when he saw the hand-drawn portrait.

Chapter 1025

The next morning, Genevieve checked her makeup in the mirror and only left her room when she was completely satisfied with it.

The moment she walked into the living room, she caught a glimpse of a tall silhouette busying away in the open kitchen.

There was no telling what the man was cooking. He was stirring the contents in the pot with his head lowered.

Genevieve felt a sense of reassurance when she noticed the sweat on his forehead. For some reason, she was already used to seeing him make breakfast for her every day. She strolled over to him and asked, "What are we having today, Chef?"

"Morning." Armand turned his head to see Genevieve smiling expectantly. He felt the urge to rub her face but dismissed the idea as his hands were oily from cooking.

He scooped up some soup and blew on it, then brought the spoon to Genevieve's lips. "It's mushroom soup. Here, try some."

Genevieve lowered her head to sip the soup, her eyes sparkling. "Yummy. It's really fresh!"

Armand chuckled and took out two bowls from the cabinet, then scooped up some of the soup from the small pot.

Genevieve quickly brought the bowls to the dining room before the bowls became too hot to carry.

Other than the soup, Armand had also made omelets with meat in it.

Taking a gulp of the mushroom soup right after taking a bite out of her omelet, Genevieve groaned in satisfaction. "The breakfast you made has been getting me out of bed recently instead of my alarm clock." "Oh, I don't think I'd be able to come in the next few days," Armand said.

"Why?" Genevieve lifted her head to meet his gaze. Various thoughts flitted across her mind. "Do you perhaps think that making breakfast for me every day as a way of pursuing me is tiring and a waste of time?"

Catching sight of the way she furrowed her brows, Armand intentionally contemplated for a long time. "I need at least twenty minutes to get here from where I live. Since I need to get up early and have a lot of things to do, cooking is indeed tiring."

"But you've only been pursuing me for a couple of days." Genevieve pouted, her heart feeling slightly heavy as the thought of him not visiting anymore crossed her mind. "Back when I was studying in Dartan, there was a rich guy who would ask me out relentlessly. He would give me expensive gifts every day, and he did it for a month."

Genevieve had always been attractive. Armand could easily imagine how popular Genevieve had been when she was studying abroad.

I'm glad that Genevieve only had Cooper in her heart and was not interested in other men.

Yet, thinking about how she had been persistent in her love for Cooper, Armand felt extremely bitter. He shifted his dark eyes to Genevieve. Genevieve was focusing on eating her omelet when she noticed the man looking at her.

Her body stiffened, and she found it hard to swallow the food in her mouth.

She could tell that Armand was upset, but she did not know what caused the sudden change of emotions.

Genevieve clarified, "Despite the rich guy's relentless attempts to pursue me, I never accepted anything from him. I rejected him clearly all the time."

Forming a conclusion from her words, Armand said, "You've been eating the breakfast I made every day, so..."

"How can food be enough?" Upon realizing that his gaze had softened, Genevieve breathed a sigh of relief. "Have you ever met a girl who was won over by food? You should try harder to show your sincerity. I'm actually considered pretty easy to pursue."

Armand laughed in response. I guess preparing three meals a day for her every day is not a waste of effort. Thank goodness for my culinary skills. If not, I'd never picked up my wife.

After the meal, Armand loaded the dishes into the dishwasher.

He then called Genevieve over and opened the freezer. "I made some meatballs and beef pie. Get Melissa to heat them before you eat." Then, opening the refrigerator, he pointed inside. "This is braised beef, grilled pork, and some other foods. They are all vacuum packed, so they can last about five days."

After glancing inside the refrigerator, Genevieve turned her head to look at him. "What's the meaning of this? Are you... really not coming anymore?"

Chapter 1026

"I'm going to Baykeep for a meeting. The round trip will take about five days." Armand closed the refrigerator. "It's not a lot of work, so you don't have to go with me. I was worried that you'd be hungry, so I made and packed a lot of food this morning."

The refrigerator was packed with quite a bit of food. Genevieve guessed that he had probably come around four or five that morning to make everything.

At the thought of something, she said somewhat aggrievedly, "Why didn't you explain yourself earlier? I thought..."

"You thought I wasn't going to pursue you anymore?" Armand queried with a smile, his hand tapping her nose. "How could I give up midway when you're so beautiful?"

Genevieve grabbed his hand and glared at him. "Oh, so you only fancy my face?"

"That's not completely true." Armand lowered his head as his gaze fell on her body.

She was wearing a white shirt that day and an A-line skirt. Her top two buttons were unbuttoned, revealing her collarbones and elegant necklace.

If beauty could be measured, Genevieve's looks would be considered off the charts.

Abruptly pulling Genevieve into his embrace, Armand lowered his head and planted a forcefill kiss on her clavicle.

Genevieve could feel his hot lips on her skin. He seemed to have even bitten her.

Exasperated, she shoved Armand away before clutching her collar. "You want my face and my body? You animal!"

"You can want me too." Armand chuckled.

"Shut it!" Genevieve looked daggers at him, turned on her heels, and left in a huff.

Upon entering the elevator, Genevieve checked her collarbone in the mirror and spotted the red patch. It was obvious that it was a hickey.

She hastily buttoned up her shirt and kicked the man out of anger.

After sending Genevieve to the government building, Armand went to the airport at around ten.

Genevieve was efficient in completing her work. The emails that needed to be sent to Armand had been sent, and the instructions that needed to be conveyed had been given. She started to slack off comfortably.

When she saw Melissa making breakfast the next morning, she was stunned for a moment before remembering that Armand had left. Immediately after, she felt empty.

At least Armand went to Baykeep and not to the moon. He would text me to ask me if I'd eaten or if I missed him whenever he was free.

That day, when Genevieve arrived at the government building, she received a text from Armand which read: Remember to receive your gift.

Upon reading that message, Genevieve eagerly went upstairs.

Just as she entered the office, she caught sight of a box on the table. She opened the box with the logo of an expensive brand, and a tube of lipstick caught her eye. The casing of the lipstick resembled a bright starry night, while the shade of the lipstick was an attractive deep red. She also spotted a pair of star-shaped pearl earrings.

On the other side of the box, there were a packet of nuts and a small pink object.

It's a pink... pig?

She picked up the little pig and examined it. Then, looking at the nuts, she finally put two and two together and was elated to find out that the item could be used to crack open the nuts.

Not only did he get me lipstick and earrings, but he also got me something this adorable. I can't believe it.

After she was done with work, she tore open the packet of nuts and dropped some nuts into the pig's belly. Soon, out came some unshelled nuts. This is so fun!

She picked up her phone to record the nuts coming out of the pig before sending it to Armand.

Some time later, Armand texted: Are you done with work?

This despicable boss...

Genevieve grumbled while replying: Don't worry. I would never dare to slack off before my work is done. I don't want to get fired so soon.

Armand: Yeah, I get that you want to stay by my side.

Genevieve realized that the man was getting better at teasing her as time passed. She replied: Nope. I just want to contribute to my social security for fifteen years and retire early.

A period of small talk later, Genevieve asked: Are you coming back tomorrow? Can you send me a voice message?

It's been a while since I've heard his voice.

Chapter 1027

A few seconds later, she received a voice message. The man's voice sounded nasal and deeper than usual as he uttered, "I'll reach Jadeborough tomorrow afternoon. Are you coming to pick me up?" Genevieve did not want to go since Armand was not the only government official returning.

Since he can send me a voice message, that should mean that there is no one around. She called him and asked, "Your voice sounds nasal. Did you catch a cold?"

"Yeah. The air conditioning in the meeting room yesterday was way too cold." Armand coughed a few times after speaking.

"Have you taken any medication?"

"I have, but it's not taking effect yet." Changing the topic back to her, he asked, "What did you have for lunch?"

Genevieve said that Melissa had someone send over some food and the grilled pork he had made.

She had eaten most of the food he had made in the refrigerator.

A knock on the door soon sounded from Armand's side, prompting them to end their call.

As soon as Genevieve got off work, Cooper came to pick her up so that they could dine at a Ferropenian restaurant for dinner. Their signature steak was decent.

It was already eight in the evening by the time they went back.

Genevieve grabbed her pajamas and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Perhaps the air conditioning was too cold in her bedroom, for she shuddered immediately after coming out of the bathroom. She recalled Armand's nasal voice and wondered whether he had gotten better.

Right as Genevieve was about to send him a message, an idea popped into her head. Why don't I just go see him and see for myself whether he's fine?

Unable to abandon such a thought, she swiftly applied her makeup and entered the walk-in closet.

On the way to the airport, Genevieve started to consider her actions. He's my boyfriend, so it's only natural for me to go look after him. I just have to take the earliest flight tomorrow morning to come back to work.

Even though Armand did not take Genevieve with him on the business trip, Genevieve was in charge of his itinerary. She knew where the meeting was being held and which hotel the people attending the meeting were staying at.

Upon arriving at the hotel where Armand was staying and presenting the relevant documents, Genevieve got the hotel room number from the front desk.

She watched as the elevator rose, wondering how Armand would react when he saw her. When the elevator doors opened, she stepped out. Upon lifting her head, she stopped in her tracks.

The standard room Armand was staying in was in the same corridor as the elevator. It was about twenty meters away from the elevator.

Genevieve saw Eurydice standing in front of Armand's door. Her mouth was moving, so she was likely speaking to the person inside. After a few exchanges, she walked into the room.

For some reason, Genevieve found herself back in the elevator and on the first floor. She sat in the lounge for a long time.

That b*stard said that he had nothing to do with Eurydice and insisted there was a clear line between them. Yet, I found her visiting his room at such a time at night, and he even let her in! Did he lie to me? Good thing I only ate his food. I was forced to kiss him a couple of times, but I didn't really lose anything. Otherwise... Wait, I can't just leave like this. It's too humiliating.

She rolled up her sleeves and planned to teach the man a lesson.

As she exited the lounge, a few people coincidentally came in through the revolving door while chatting.

The people who came in seemed to be staying at the hotel. At the sight of Genevieve, a middle-aged man, surrounded by a few other people, strode over.

He looked at Genevieve in puzzlement and asked in a gentle tone, "Genev, what are you doing here alone?"

Genevieve was stunned. She was sure she did not know the man.

Before Genevieve could respond, the man continued, "Armand is in Baykeep for a meeting too and is staying in this hotel. You're here to look for him, aren't you? Do you not know his room number?" Right then, the manager came over, and Felix asked the manager for Armand's room number.

"There's no need for that." Genevieve quickly stopped him. "He has a visitor..."

Felix had been through a lot in his line of work, so he immediately assumed that the visitor in Armand's room was not there for work purposes when he heard Genevieve's tone of voice. His face darkened, and he immediately gave Armand a call.

"Uncle Felix, what's the matter?" Armand answered his phone rather quickly.

"Who are you calling your uncle? I am not your uncle!" Felix said coldly. "I'm in the lobby of the hotel you're staying at. Get down here this instant!"

Chapter 1028

Seeing the frosty look on the middle-aged man's face, Genevieve could not help but hold her breath and her tongue as the man's authoritative air was too intimidating.

About two minutes later, Armand came down and walked over in large strides.

His brows were furrowed, and he looked unwell. When he spotted Genevieve who was standing next to Felix, he was a little surprised. But gently, he asked, "Genev, what are you doing here?" "It doesn't matter what she's doing here," Felix snapped. "Who's in your room?"

Glancing at Genevieve, Armand quickly understood that the woman had come to visit him and had seen something that made her misunderstand something, which in turn caused Felix to misunderstand him as well.

He beckoned the manager over and had him summon whoever was in the room upstairs.

After the manager walked away, Armand said to Felix, "The room was booked by a secretary. I was assigned to stay with Mr. Lewis. Ten minutes ago, Ms. Eurydice Gaudette brought over some documents and some supper. It was Mr. Lewis who opened the door."

Despite feeling unwell from his cold, Armand had no choice but to keep working in the hotel room since he had work to finish after his meeting.

At that time, John Lewis had allowed Eurydice to come in, as it was not polite to chase people away.

Genevieve tried to remember the moment she asked for the hotel room number from the front desk. They had indeed told her it was a standard room, but she did not take note of that.

I was overthinking! He was not cheating in the first place.

Just then, the manager brought over John, who was staying in the same room as Armand, and Eurydice.

Having learned what had happened, Eurydice said with a smile, "Ms. Rachford, since you're here, you should have knocked on the door and looked at the truth with your own eyes. That is always better than overthinking by yourself."

Genevieve frowned and wanted to say something, but Felix beat her to it.

He said coldly, "Genev doesn't have to do that. As for you, Ms. Gaudette, what document is so important that you had to deliver it in the middle of the night to a room with two men? If it was something urgent, you could have asked the hotel staff to send it. It's not like you're delivering the launch codes for nuclear weapons, so why care about people seeing it?"

Felix knew that Eurydice had an uncommon background, but he could not allow anyone to bully his niece.

The smile on Eurydice's face faded slightly as she uttered, "I was inconsiderate."

"Being inconsiderate is one thing; Genev's reputation could have been tarnished." Felix sounded solemn.

"You are beautiful and unmarried, but both Armand and Mr. Lewis are married. Even if they are upright, sending them documents in the middle of the night may cause people to misunderstand." Having been chided by an elder, Eurydice started to feel embarrassed.

Nonetheless, she could tell what Felix was trying to say. She glanced at Genevieve and asked, "Are you and Mr. Faulkner in a relationship?"

Armand grunted in response. "We've been in a relationship for a long time, but she didn't want to make it public."

Hearing that, Felix shot Armand a glance, looking rather displeased.

Eurydice had thought that Genevieve was just a substitute for Cali. Little did she know that Genevieve and Armand were in a relationship and that Felix treated Genevieve as though she was his own daughter. How did Genevieve get to know Felix anyway?

Once the misunderstanding was resolved, John left with Eurydice.

Felix then dragged Armand to a secluded corner and fumed in a suppressed tone, “Haven't you two been together for a while now? Why aren't you married yet? Also..."

Turning his head to glance at Genevieve, he continued softly, "Why didn't she address me as Uncle Felix?"

Back when Genevieve had gone to the Zeigler residence to see Herbert, if he had been there, he would have been delighted to hear her address him as Uncle Felix. However, when Genevieve saw him that day, she acted as if she did not know him.

Chapter 1029

Armand didn't want to tell everybody about Genevieve's issue, but he also didn't want to keep it a total secret lest it cause further misunderstandings in the future.

He leaned into Felix's ear and told the latter about the matter roughly.

Upon listening to the story, Felix was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. He didn't expect so many things to have happened between the couple. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

On the contrary, Armand was quite relaxed. He even comforted Felix, saying, "She's doing quite well now. Don't worry, Uncle Felix. I've already talked to Granddad."

Felix sighed and patted Armand's shoulder. "You must've been through a lot, Armand."

"It's nothing. I love her for who she is now," Armand said earnestly.

He wasn't able to spend much time with Genevieve due to their on-again, off-again relationship over the years, and he had hurt her too badly before. Whenever he remembered the children they lost, he felt terrible.

It's for the better that Genevieve doesn't remember anything. From now on, I'll give her everything good in this world.

After Felix left, Armand approached Genevieve.

He took her hand and caressed it with his fingers, asking, "Are you hungry? Want me to take you out for some midnight snacks?"

Genevieve shook her head. "No. I want to lose weight."

Armand was a very good cook. After her period, Genevieve had been jogging and practicing yoga, yet she still put on weight.

"Did you gain weight?" Armand wrapped his hand around her waist and felt her skin through the fabric. Genevieve hurriedly slapped his hand away as there were people going in and out of the lobby. "You pervert!" She rolled her eyes at him.

Armand chuckled and led her to the front desk. Then he took out his ID card and booked a suite at his own expense.

While they were in the elevator, Armand turned his head to the side and coughed.

He immediately let go of Genevieve's hand and stepped away from her. "Stay away from me. I don't want to pass it to you," he uttered hoarsely.

"Why didn't you tell me to stay away when you held my hand twice and even touched my waist earlier? It's too late now." Genevieve inched closer to him and stood on her tiptoes, placing the back of her hand against his forehead.

"Your forehead is warm. Do you have a fever?"

The hotels had strict regulations nowadays, and they did not provide cold medicines in the suites in case any accidents happened after the guests took them. Genevieve left in a hurry after walking Armand to their suite.

There was a pharmacy nearby that was open all day. She headed there and bought a thermometer and some other medicines. The entire process only took around ten minutes.

Upon returning to the suite, she removed the thermometer from its packaging and let Armand place it under his armpit.

Knowing it had been a few hours since he had last taken some cold medicines, she got two pills from the box and handed them to him.

Armand furrowed his brows. "Can I not take them?"

"Are you a child? Even kids are more obedient than you." Genevieve raised the pills to Armand's lips, but he still wouldn't cooperate. Genevieve stared at him coldly.

The next moment, she leaned down and pecked his lips. Having distracted him, she put the pills in her own mouth and drank a mouthfill of water. She then held his chin and fed him the medicine. "There you go." Genevieve grinned smugly, feeling proud of her cleverness.

However, when she met his eyes and saw the sly glint in them, she came to a realization. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"What did I do on purpose?" Armand smiled, feigning ignorance.

"Indeed, older men are cunning!" Genevieve huffed. When it was time, she took the thermometer from him and examined it under the light.

Although Armand's temperature was slightly higher than normal, he did not have a fever.

Seeing that it was past eleven, Genevieve asked him to return to his room. In response, he complained, "I don't feel well. I can't walk anymore."

"I'll ask the staff to wheel you out in a wheelchair." Genevieve stepped away to call the front desk, but Armand suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to sit on his lap.

Without giving her the chance to react, he clasped her cheek with one hand and sealed her lips with a fervent kiss.

As Genevieve took in his pleasant scent, she started to feel lightheaded.

Chapter 1030

After their lips parted, Genevieve punched Armand in frustration. "You're trying to infect me with your cold, aren't you?" she grumbled, her lips swollen.

"You probably got infected already when you fed me the medicine," Armand said. He stroked Genevieve's cheek and pulled her closer with his other hand. "Why did you come all the way to Baykeep at this hour?"

"I was bored."

Armand pressed his forehead against hers and chuckled. "You're worried about me, and you miss me," he pointed out in his deep voice.

With her thoughts exposed, Genevieve moved away from Armand. "I wouldn't have come had I known you'd be such a jerk."

"I miss you too. I think about you all the time," he whispered before landing another kiss on her lips.

They cuddled each other affectionately, leaving almost no space between them.

Although Armand's hair was dark and smooth, the hair beside his ears had slightly curled ends, making his sharp features look softer.

Genevieve couldn't help but reach out and tousle his hair.

At the sight of Armand's disheveled hair, she burst into laughter. "Right when I first met you, I noticed that your hair was curly and wanted to mess it up."

"Go ahead," Armand said. "I grew my hair on purpose since you said you wanted to see my curly hair."

Genevieve frowned in confusion. "Did I?"

"Yes. You forgot because you have too many things going on," Armand said softly. Then he stood up and carried her into the bedroom.

Genevieve immediately tensed up and wriggled out of his arms. "I may have agreed to date you, but that doesn't mean I consent to other things! If you dare to mess around, I'll make you regret it!" The truth was, Genevieve liked Armand a lot. Not only was she dependent on him, but she was also secretly attracted to his body.

However, she found those thoughts to be inappropriate.

It's only been a while since we started dating. If things progress too quickly, I'll appear unchaste!

Armand couldn't hold back his laughter when he noticed Genevieve's wary yet conflicted expression. She looked way too adorable to him. "I just wanted to carry you to the bedroom. I wasn't thinking of anything else."

"You men are liars!" Genevieve retorted. This old man is too sly. I don't believe him!

"Okay, fine. Can you just let me take a bath, then?"

"That's the same thing! Do you think I'd be fooled? After you're done bathing, you'll get into my bed."

Before Armand could respond, she added, "Go take a bath in your own room. Bye." With that, she shut the door and left Armand standing outside and smiling helplessly to himself.

Armand's clothes were in the room he shared with John, and he was too lazy to go downstairs. Since he didn't sweat that day, he decided there was no need to change and made do by sleeping on the couch. The next day, Genevieve wanted to return to Jadeborough on a morning flight, but Armand told her to leave with him in the afternoon since she was his assistant.

The meeting in the morning lasted for half an hour, and they spent the next hour summarizing the discussion and decisions made during the meeting.

Afterward, Felix came to look for Armand. Apparently, the previous mayor of Baykeep wanted to invite his friends to a dinner celebration of his fiftieth wedding anniversary.

The previous mayor of Baykeep had been relocated from Jadeborough. Throughout his almost twenty years of service, he had secured countless investments for Baykeep. As he was quite close to Herbert, he was like a mentor to Felix. Herbert wouldn't be attending because of his health, so he sent Felix, Phineus, and Cyrus instead.

Aside from them, Gerald and Robert, who were also good friends of the previous mayor, would be coming from Jadeborough to join the celebration as well.

At seven in the evening, Genevieve headed to the restaurant with Armand for the dinner.

There were three tables in the private room on the second floor, and the guests inside were all men. Since they would be drinking and smoking, they had arranged a separate private room beside theirs for the ladies.