Ch. 981..990

Chapter 981

Her hair was embellished with a pearl hair band, and her fair neck was exposed. She was wearing a flimsy, black dress that clung tightly to her body. There was a slit in the middle of the dress that showed off her tiny waist.

Although the gown reached her ankles, the slit on one end showed off her long, slim legs as she strutted.

The black silk ribbons of her heels were entwined around the woman's legs, and it created a striking contrast against her fair skin.

One look at her delicate feet, and it made one feel like kissing them.

That tiny face of hers had exquisite features, making her look as though a graceful painting. Her shiny obsidian eyes brought with them an alluring charm.

Everyone held their breaths when they saw the Chanaean lady stroll in elegantly.

There were a number of foreigners at Alston's birthday party that night, but none was as beautiful as that woman.

Johanna's beauty took their breaths away and captured everyone's attention, making people willing to do anything for her.

Zephyr was talking to someone when he noticed the commotion at the door. He cast a glance and he, too, was taken aback when he saw Johanna. Seconds later, he narrowed his eyes.

When she was in the castle, she always dressed conservatively, making sure every inch of her body was covered.

However, the gown that she was wearing that night was the exact opposite. It felt as though she could not wait to show off every inch of her skin.

She's doing this on purpose.

Everyone present was curious about Johanna. They were all whispering among themselves and wondered who she came with.

Just then, Zephyr called out, "Everybody! Make way for my kitty."

There was an undeniable hint of assertiveness in his gentle voice, and no one missed it.

As the head of the Carlo family, Zephyr might not be as influential as his father, but he was nevertheless a ruthless character.

The more gentle he smiled, the more ruthless he was.

In the past, Lostaria was controlled by the three families of the mafia. When Zephyr took over the family, he forged ahead to establish several connections. At the present moment, the Carlo family was the mos powerful family of all.

The other two mafia families were wary of the Carlo family given their current status.

It was only then some people in the crowd noticed the tattoo of a crow on Johanna's left arm. They looked warily at her before bowing to show respect and letting her pass.

When Johanna reached him, Zephyr took her hand and planted a kiss on the back of her hand like a gentleman.

Goosebumps rose all over Johanna's body, but she gritted her teeth and controlled herself.

"Osborn, looks like you have quite a thing for this kitty," remarked a blond-haired man. He also noticed the tattoo on Johanna's arm.

Zephyr chuckled and responded in Irushea, "Of course. It took me a long time to find her."

With his arm around Johanna's waist, Zephyr said in Ustranasion, "Come. Let me introduce both of you. Meet Leonardo Alston. This is his birthday party."

"Mr. Alston, happy birthday," wished Johanna with a polite smile.

Alston nodded. "Thank you."

Subsequently, a tall, burly man walked up to Alston and whispered in his ears before handing him a phone.

Johanna noticed that the man had black hair and eyes and deduced he was a Chanaean.

The man had tough-looking facial features, and his lips were curved downward. He did not look like the friendly type, but Johanna found him familiar. She seemed to have met him before. Alston excused himself and went to a quiet place to talk on his phone.

With his arm around Johanna, Zephyr began to show her off and introduced her to some of the guests, but the woman couldn't stop thinking about that Chanaean man.

She finally found her opportunity when Zephyr was busy chatting with a group of people. Finding an excuse of getting some champagne, she wandered off and began scanning the area for the man. Soon, she found him among the crowd.

Johanna walked up to that man with feigned nonchalance and asked him in Chanaean, "I have seen you before. Do you know Genevieve?"

Chapter 982

Seeing that the man said nothing, Johanna assumed that he did not understand Chanaean.

She was about to repeat herself in Ustranasion when he said coldly in Chanaean, "I don't care if you are here with Mr. Zephyr willingly, or you have been forced. The crow tattoo on your arm indicates that you are his property. No one here, including me, will help you."

In fact, Johanna already noticed that after she entered the dance hall.

Everyone present seemingly had high social statuses, and that included Alston. However, all of them were respectful toward Zephyr.

Johanna said in response, "I'm not hoping for you to help me. I'm only asking you if you know my friend."

She was certain that she had seen that man before in Genevieve's phone.

"I don't know her," the man replied.

"Fine." Johanna shrugged and began chatting with him, "My name is Johanna. What's yours?"

The man ignored her and continued to scan the dance hall with his sharp gaze.

Johanna took a sip of her champagne before revealing the truth. "You're right. Osborn has taken me against my will. I want to go back home alive. That's why I put up with him until now. I want to kill him."

The man glanced at Johanna and found her words absurd. "Many others have tried to hurt Osborn, but all of them failed. Instead of hurting him, they all ended up dying a horrible death."

Seeing that the man responded to her, Johanna smiled slightly. "Of course, I can't kill him. But, I can destroy everything he has."

The man noticed the immense rage and hatred in Johanna's eyes.

It was as if she would be able to pull it off.

Johanna turned around to make sure that Zephyr was not looking at her before she continued, "I just want to ask you a few questions. That's all."

After a moment of silence, the man said, "Ask away."

She enquired about Alston and the current situation of mafia groups in Lostaria. The man told her everything truthfully.

Very soon, Johanna found out that the Chanaean man's name was Frank. He had been Alston's personal bodyguard even before the latter rose up the ranks. There were three mafia families in Lostaria. The other two families were wary of the Carlo family.

Johanna asked again, "Do you know Evangeline?"

Frank replied, "She is the daughter of the Sheraton family and also the fiancee of Mr. Osborn. He should have brought Evangeline here tonight." However, Zephyr brought Johanna instead.

Johanna was aware that the Sheratons was also one of the mafia families. She did not expect Zephyr's fiancee to come from such a powerful background, too.

"If the Carlos and the Sheratons unite in marriage and they go against the Leonardo family..." Johanna paused for a moment before continuing, "In the future, only two mafia families will be left."

If Zephyr got his hands on the Sheraton family's power, he would definitely arrogate the Leonardo family.

After all, everyone loved to be the big boss.

Seeing no response from Frank, Johanna continued, "I can help to cause discord between Zephyr and Evangeline. In exchange, I hope you can help me to buy a type of medicine."

"I'm only a bodyguard," said Frank. "Furthermore, I won't offend Mr. Osborn because of a stranger."

Johanna said, "If the relationship between Zephyr and Evangeline turns sour, it will be beneficial for your boss. I don't think Alston wants to see his family being annihilated."

Just then, Alston was on his way back after the phone call, and Frank was about to return to his boss.

Johanna began panicking. She quickly grabbed his arm and said in a low voice, "I beg of you. Please get me two pieces of longterm contraceptive patches. I may be able to help you in the future if necessary."

Alas, Frank retracted his arm and left.

Johanna shut her eyes and felt depressed.

She thought she would be able to get help when Zephyr agreed to let her leave the castle. That was why she had deliberately cut her dress to attract attention.

To her dismay, Zephyr was a lot more terrifying than she had imagined. The Carlo family literally ran Lostaria.

Not long after Frank left, Zephyr approached.

He took Johanna's champagne from her, took a sip, and asked, "What were you and Alston's bodyguard talking about?"

Chapter 983

"I just wanted to have a chat with him since we're from the same country, but..." Johanna pouted. "He just has that grim expression on his face and refused to talk to me." Johana did all the talking when she tried to strike a conversation with Frank. Moreover, throughout the whole process, they had their backs facing everyone. That was why everyone present thought they did not talk much to each other.

"He's a Chanaean but grew up in Lostaria," Zephyr responded with a faint smile. He felt a surge of heat in his throat when he stroked Johanna's skin with his fingers. After putting the glass of champagne on the table, he wrapped his hand around Johanna's waist. "Come on, let's go and have fun elsewhere."

Johanna hummed in acknowledgment. Before leaving, she glanced at Frank and noticed he was standing next to Alston. He still looked indifferent even when he was listening to what his boss was saying. She could not help but wonder how Genevieve got to know Frank. How did they get acquainted since Genev had never been to Lostaria and Frank grew up in Lostaria? But if Genev knows these Lostarian mafias...

Johanna tilted her head to look at Zephyr, hoping he could answer her doubt. However, when she thought of how Genevieve nearly lost her life when Amanda faked her death and the fact that the sly and cruel Zephyr was with the mafia, she decided to keep mum.

She did not want to risk putting Genevieve in danger.

When they were both seated in the car, Zephyr made Johanna sit on his lap.

He stuck his fmgers into her bra strap and said, "Kitty, do you know the way you dressed today has aroused all the men? I could tell they all wanted to rip your skirt apart."

Johanna tried not to let his remark get to her. She responded with a faint smile and said, "I'm a fashion designer, so I know how to dress up well. I have to doll myself up a little to make you proud, right?" "Really?" Zephyr arched his brows and retracted his hand from the bra strap, which went loose and fell from her shoulder.

He asked with a smirk, "You dressed like this for my sake?"

"Of course!" Johanna ran her fingers across his lips and inched closer, but when they were about to lock lips, she pulled herself away. "Do you not like it?"

"I like it." Zephyr pulled her closer when she was trying to distance herself. "But I like your sweet nothings more."

The car drove out of the city, gradually passed through a forest, and headed to the castle on the mountain.

The next day, Zephyr received a call early in the morning.

He answered it with his eyes shut, and when he learned that he needed to make a trip to his office to attend to an emergency, he immediately ended the call and was about to get out of bed.

The woman beside him sensed his movement and embraced him.

"Where are you going?" she muttered while tilting her head to look at the man.

Her porcelain-white skin was exposed as only half of her body was covered in a blanket, and her black hair spread like feathers on a pillow. Her eyelashes remained cast downward as if she was not ready to wake up.

Zephyr was utterly fond of her delicate facial features. She looks gorgeous even without makeup.

He brushed the hair that was covering Johanna's face aside with his fingers, gave her a kiss on the lips, and smiled faintly. "I need to go to the office to do some work. You're free to do what you want for the entire day."

"But I want you to keep me company." Johanna pouted.

"Do you mean what you said?" Zephyr asked. "If you do, I'll stay here and send someone else to the office instead."

Johanna leaned forward and buried her head in his arms.

Three minutes later, she released the man and curled up in the blanket while exposing only her silky, smooth dark hair.

Zephyr chuckled as he was amused. He then got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

When Zephyr came out from the walk-in closet after he had suited up, Johanna had gotten out of bed.

She was wearing a thin ink-gray nightgown, with love bites dotting her collarbones.

After yawning, she noticed the necktie in his hands. She asked, seemingly interested, "I can help you with it."

Zephyr walked over and gave her the striped necktie.

The man was so tall that Johanna had to straighten her back even when she was kneeling on the bed. She then wrapped the tie over his neck, lowered her head, and focused on tying the knot.

Chapter 984

Upon noticing the love bites on her arm. Zephyr lifted his hand and caressed them.

"Stop it." Johanna dodged.

Zephyr felt a little choked on his neck. He lowered his head and saw Johanna keep tightening the knot as if she had no clue what she was doing. "Are you sure you know how to tie a necktie?" Zephyr was worried she might strangle him to death.

"Of course. It's a piece of cake. Stop rushing me." Johanna pouted coquettishly. Zephyr could not help but chuckle as he felt they were a couple of newlyweds. After tidying the necktie for about a minute, Johanna smiled delightfully. "Perfect!" Zephyr looked down and noticed his expensive tie had turned into a messy knot.

"Did you just tie a stopper..." Zephyr looked at the woman and tickled her chin. "You decided to torture the necktie since you didn't dare to kill me, huh?"

Johanna widened her innocent, puppy eyes. "Is that a stopper knot? But I thought that's how you tie a necktie..."

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me." She clasped her hands together and apologized to the man. "I haven't had any experience tying a necktie for someone. I'll learn how to tie properly next time." Despite what she said, she did not seem apologetic. Zephyr even noticed a glint of mischief in her eyes.

He wrapped his hands around her waist, pulled her closer, and bit her lips.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and entered the room.

Upon noticing how intimate the couple were, Anne froze right there and lowered her head.

Johanna instantly pushed the man away, grabbed her coat on the other end of the bed, and covered her body.

"If I didn't call you, do not come into the bedroom. You hear me?" Johanna expressed her dismay, seemingly unhappy that her intimate moment with Zephyr was disturbed.

Anne remained silent.

Zephyr grinned and spoke gently to Anne. "She's the boss here. Just do as she says."

"All right. I get it," Anne responded softly and left the room.

Zephyr retrieved another necktie from the walk-in closet and left the castle. After that, Johanna instantly got up from bed and went straight to the bathroom.

After removing her coat, she knelt before the toilet bowl and threw up.

She then walked to the basin and turned on the tap to fill a glass of water. Subsequently, she brushed her teeth repeatedly till her gum hurt before heading to the shower. After spending one and a half hour in the shower, Johanna went to the walk-in closet and intentionally picked a sleeveless dress.

It was almost eleven in the morning by the time she went downstairs.

"Ms. Joule," Anne walked over and greeted. She narrowed her eyes upon seeing the love bites on the other woman's collarbone and a crow's tattoo on her left arm.

When Zephyr carried Johanna upstairs last night, Anne did not notice the tattoo on her arm.

Only members of the Carlo family were allowed to ink the crow on their bodies. When Zephyr's fiancee wanted to tattoo the crow on her body, the Carlos forbade her from doing it. Why did he allow Johanna to carry the tattoo?

Putting her doubt aside, Anne asked respectfully, "What would you like to eat? Would you like to make it yourself?"

"Coffee and a boiled egg, please," Johanna said nonchalantly.

She walked up to Anne and demanded, "Don't call me Ms. Joule. I don't like it. Call me madam."

"I can't." Anne instantly realized her reply was a little harsh. She then toned down her voice and explained, "Mr. Zephyr has a fiancee, so we can only use that salutation on her."

"You mean that woman called Evangeline?" Johann chuckled. "She's just his fiancee. God knows if Zephyr would marry..."

She left the sentence hanging and went straight to the dining area.

Anne lifted her head and looked at Johanna's back. She's nothing more than just Mr. Zephyr's pet. Does she not know who she is? How dare she think so highly of herself? What a joke! Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Anne ordered a housekeeper to open the door.

Soon, the housekeeper walked in with a few books in her hand and spoke to Anne in Irushean, "Someone sent these books over on Mr. Alston's behalf. The deliveryman said it's for Ms. Joule."

Chapter 985

Anne took the books and flipped through them one by one, but she didn't hand them over to Johanna.

Instead, she first gave Zephyr a call to inform him that Alston sent something over. "He sent Ms. Joule a few novels."

On the other end of the phone, Zephyr chuckled. "Okay. Give them to her, then."

After making the call, Anne walked over to the dining table and placed the books on the table. "These are from Mr. Alston."

Johanna remembered that Alston was the man who had his birthday party last night.

But I only uttered a single remark to him last night since I met him until I left. Why would he send me books?

In the blink of an eye, understanding dawned upon the smart woman.

She calmly grunted in acknowledgment and slowly savored the cup of coffee. After that, she had Anne follow her upstairs with the books and place them in the room.

When Anne had left, she immediately flipped open the books and checked every page meticulously.

As she flipped open the second book, she noticed that the inside of the book cover was bulging slightly. Snagging a letter opener, she slowly cut open the page that stuck to the book cover. Two small pills fell out from inside. The letter "E" was emblazoned on top of them.

At once, Johanna knew the kind of contraceptive they were a single contraceptive pill was good for two months. She promptly swallowed one. At long last, her heart that had been lodged in her throat settled back into her chest.

Phew! Fortunately, Frank still lent me a hand!

Subsequently, she hid the other pill in a marker pen to consume after two months. Nonetheless, she fervently hoped that Zephyr would be dead by then.

She drew a portrait of Timothy and Asel. After gazing at it for a while, she burned it.

At a little over six o'clock in the evening, Johanna was still drawing in the room when Anne entered with a phone in hand.

It was a call from Zephy, saying that he wasn't coming back that night.

"Are you really that busy? I was planning to make spaghetti bolognese for you," Johanna lamented sullenly in slight disappointment. Zephyr loved her docility even if it was merely an act. "Be good. I'm eating with someone else tonight, but I'll be home tomorrow night." Johanna murmured an acknowledgment before hanging up the phone.

As she handed the phone back to Anne, she contemplated whether to snag an ornament from the table and knock her out, then seize the opportunity to make a call. But what if there's a regional lock, and the call can't go through?

She didn't want Zephyr to intensify the restrictions on her because of a moment of impulsiveness, so she smilingly returned the phone to Anne after a few brief seconds. That aside, she handed the woman a piece of paper. "Here. Get me the fabrics and tools listed on this piece of paper."

Taking the piece of paper, Anne glanced at it. Shortly after, she left.

Knowing that the man wasn't coming back, Johanna found even the air extraordinarily fresh. She didn't return to that repulsive room at night but stayed in her studio instead. Utilizing her superb memory, she drew the man in the photo.

She gazed at the man with a crew cut on the drawing paper, finding him young, cheerful, and carefree. He was wholly different from Frank, whose face was always set in a frown. Tearing off the piece of drawing paper, she stuffed it into the cover of a book.

After doing so, she touched the surface with her hand. Having ascertained that the page remained flat, she carefully glued the page to the book cover.

When she went downstairs for breakfast, she handed the books to Anne. "Please return them to Mr. Alston for me."

At that, Anne riposted, "Just keep them—"

Frowning, Johanna cut her off. "Shouldn't I be returning him the books after reading them when he lent them to me? Why do you love going against whatever I say? Give Osborn a call. I want to ask him what exactly is my status here!" she snapped coldly.

Her face was as black as thunder in her fury. Terrified by her determination to complain to Zephyr, Anne didn't dare say anything further.

She summoned a driver over and had him send the books back to Alston.

Johanna merely snorted without pursuing the matter.

In no time, someone delivered the items she wanted to her studio. After breakfast, she shut herself in the room.

Chapter 986

At half past ten, a luxurious car slowly drove into the castle.

The instant Anne spotted the luxurious car, she was over the moon. She went to the parking lot and watched as the driver opened the car door, upon which a blond woman alighted from the car. "Ms. Evangeline." She bowed at the woman.

The driver held an umbrella over the woman's head to shield her from the sunlight. Meanwhile, the woman whipped off her sunglasses. Her emerald green eyes were exceedingly beautiful, but they were stained with intense displeasure.

She was born into a mafia family, so she had an innate aura of oppression. "You're the housekeeper, yet you're pushed around by such trash?" Hanging her head, Anne explained in a whisper, "Mr. Osborn likes her a lot and allows her to do as she pleases. He even ordered us to obey her."

Evangeline lifted her head and stared at the huge and magnificent castle. "He's been staying here all this time?"

"Yes," Anne replied.

Sneering, Evangeline strode toward the castle on her high heels with a forbidding air emanating off her. In the house, the housemaids had long since lined up in a row. They all lowered their heads and greeted the woman.

Evangeline sat down on the couch and ordered icily, "Bring her down to me!"

In the past, even while Zephyr had been playing the field, he showed me some regard in the least. Every once in a while, he would take me out for a meal or shopping. But now, he can't even be bothered to answer my calls. On top of that, it was Alston's birthday yesterday, but he didn't bring me with him!

In the room, Johanna was cutting expensive fabrics to make a shirt. When Anne came to seek her out and said that Evangeline was there, she sneered inwardly.

She deliberately wore a sleeveless long dress to bare the hickeys on her and acted all coquettish while phoning Zephyr-that was all an act for Anne to see. Well, well, well... It seems that my guess was right. Anne reports everything here to Evangeline.

In truth, she had been waiting for Evangeline to come and seek her out.

She went to the walk-in closet and changed into a dress that looked costly before putting on some jewelry. Then, she went downstairs unhurriedly. Acting all haughty as the "mistress," Johanna swept a disdainful glance over Evangeline on the couch. "So, you're Osborn's fiancee?"

Evangeline was enraged by the provocation, her expression darkening in a flash.

"You're just a pet he rears. How dare you treat me with such arrogance?"

"Even if I'm a pet, I'm his most beloved pet that can make him happy," Johanna drawled with a smile, flicking the earring dangling from her ear. Snapping, Evangeline marched up to her and slapped her across the face.

Johanna fell to the ground. A palm print swiftly manifested on her face.

Touching her stinging cheek, she shrieked at Evangeline, "How dare you? Osborn loves my face! Yet, you dared to hit me?"

She proceeded to roar at Anne, "Quick, give Osborn a call! I want to talk to him!"

Anne instinctively took out her phone.

Although she often disclosed information to Evangeline, she was a housekeeper hired by Zephyr. Zephyr was ruthless, and he indeed doted on Johanna greatly. Therefore, she didn't want to be punished by the man.

"Don't call him! I'm his fiancee! Are you still afraid that I can't protect you?" Evangeline snapped her head back and bellowed at Anne.

That's true. Johanna is merely a pet. Contrarily, Evangeline is a member of the Sheraton family and Zephyr's fiancee. How could he possibly be mad at her?

Upon hearing that, Johanna flashed Evangeline a taunting smile and scoffed, "So what if you're his fiancee? He's been staying here with me all this while, and he even said he'd still be with me in the future. In his own words, I'm his most docile and beloved Kitty."

Noticing that the woman's lips were trembling with fury, as though she was on the brink of exploding, Johanna got up from the ground.

She strolled over to Evangeline and added with a snicker, "He never takes precautions to prevent a pregnancy with me. You can ask the housemaids if you don't believe me. Say, will you two still be able to get married if I were to fall pregnant?"

Provocation was written all over her face.

Chapter 987

Evangeline's patience snapped, and she abruptly slapped Johanna across the face once again.

"You despicable woman!" Evangeline seethed, her entire body quivering with fury.

Suddenly, she pulled a handgun out of her purse. She removed the safety and aimed it at Johanna.

"Ms. Evangeline! Please don't shoot!" Anne was almost on her knees as she pleaded, "Punishing her is enough. If anything happens to her, Mr. Osborn will flip his lid."

Evangeline snapped, "How dare she taunt and insult me! I'm going to kill her!"

Cold sweat beaded on Johanna's back, yet she assumed an air of nonchalance and smiled. "Do you dare to pull the trigger? Go ahead then! I'm still going to be with Osborn even in my next life!"

Her bet paid off. Evangeline suddenly thought she was giving Johanna an easy way out by killing her.

"Tie her up and throw her to the wolves in the forest!" Evangeline yelled her order at the housemaids in the castle. When they did not act immediately, she barked, "What are you all standing around for? Tie her up! I bear full responsibility if anything happens to her. I'm Osborn's fiancee for heaven's sake! He can't possibly get mad at me over this despicable b*tch!"

Alas, Evangeline threatened to shoot the housemaids if they did not tie Johanna up. Left with no choice, they hurriedly restrained Johanna under rounds of thick rope.

Evangeline glanced at Johanna before declaring, "Leave her in Harondell Forest."

Harondell Forest was a neglected forest not far from Zephyr's castle. It teemed with wild animals, including wolves.

A human being would not survive a night in the forest.

Before Anne could plead for mercy, Evangeline slapped her and silenced her.

Several housemaids threw Johanna into the car and headed for the forest.

Johanna appeared weak and pale in the backseat. Evangeline's slaps seemed to have knocked her out cold, and blood was seeping from the corner of her lips. Meanwhile, in Jadeborough, Genevieve was trying to translate a Frosan news piece to Chanaean at her office desk when loud noises outside disrupted her focus. She raised her head and looked out the window, shocked to notice that the sky was gray and howling winds threatened to blow the window blinds out of their frame. Genevieve hastily shut the window. Then, she stared out the glass panel, wondering if it would rain. The thought had barely crossed her mind when it began to rain cats and dogs. The air in the office instantly turned humid.

"This is the worst possible weather to have rain," whined a female colleague as she put on a jacket to ward off the cold.

When she spotted Genevieve standing beside the window, she asked, "Have you finished translating the news, Genevieve?"

"Mm-hmm." Genevieve quickly returned to her seat and emailed the translated digital news piece to the editor.

She not only translated but also proofread the document. Because she was proficient in the relevant jargon in both languages, the editor read through her piece once and posted it to the company's news site without further edits.

Soon, Genevieve ended work and began packing her belongings.

It was still pouring when she left the building. Alas, she had left the office too late, and all the shared umbrellas in the boxes outside were snapped up by others.

Genevieve sighed, regretting her decision not to drive to work that day.

She thought she would wait at the entrance and ask for a lift from any colleagues who happened to leave the office then.

Luckily, someone happened to come down.

A suit-clad man came to her rescue, his tall and broad figure somewhat intimidating.

As he lowered his gaze and stared at Genevieve tenderly, he asked, "Didn't get an umbrella?"

"Yeah." Genevieve returned his stare and explained curtly, "I came down too late."

A car slowly pulled up to the building's entrance. Armand naturally hooked his arm around Genevieve's waist, pulling her closer to him as he tried to shield her under his umbrella. Though Genevieve was not repulsed by his touch, she still shuffled away from Armand to put some distance between them.

He did not comment on her actions and kept his hands to himself.

After she got into the car, Armand kept his umbrella in a transparent umbrella pouch and followed her into the backseat.

Their close proximity meant Genevieve had a good whiff of his woody scent. She was struck by a pang of longing and impulsively wanted to hug him.

Instead, she repressed her desire and uttered, "I want to go to General Hospital. Please send me there."

Chapter 988

Genevieve immediately questioned the propriety of her request once the words left her mouth. He's my boss. Why am I ordering him around so naturally? In fact, he's the boss of a government institution. While she was lost in her thoughts, Armand had already instructed the driver to head to General Hospital. He even turned to look at her and asked, "Would you like to bring dinner for Cooper?" "Sure," Genevieve replied subconsciously. She was still confused about how she had so readily agreed to share a car with her boss.

While Armand made a call, she chanced a peek at him.

That man had been in her ward when she first woke up in the hospital twenty days ago. He introduced himself as Armand Faulkner and claimed to be Cooper's friend.

From his explanation, she learned that she had been kidnapped by Specter Corporation's nemesis. She later fainted from excessive shock, and Cooper now lay in the hospital recuperating from gunshot wounds he suffered while trying to save her.

Several days after she awoke, Genevieve received a call from a government institution checking in on her recuperation. The caller also instructed her to return to work once she was better. Genevieve recalled how perplexed she was. I was always working at Specter Corporation. How did I end up transferring to a government institution?

On her first day at work at the government institution, Genevieve attended a meeting and learned that Armand was her boss. She rarely saw him after that meeting as her workload became heavier. She did not think she would bump into him that day after work and even board his car.

Why wasn't I repulsed when he hooked his arm around my waist? He didn't even ask for my permission!

Armand seemed to sense her gaze and shot her a sidelong glance as he spoke on the phone.

Under the faint glow of the lights above the backseat, Armand's cold features appeared softer than usual. He stared tenderly at Genevieve with a smile in his eyes.

Genevieve's heart raced as she took in his expression.

She noticed his hair was a bit long and curled up near his ears. She found it adorable.

Genevieve hastily retracted her gaze and stared intently at her hands, which she had placed on her knees. She was gripping her right wrist tightly as though trying to prevent herself from doing something rash. Thank goodness I had the foresight to trap my hand, or I would've mussed his hair.

With her head lowered, Genevieve soon grew lost in her thoughts. Meanwhile, the car had arrived in front of Golden Restaurant, and Armand alighted to pick up the dinner he ordered.

Ten minutes after he returned to the car, they pulled up to the underground parking lot of General Hospital.

Armand got out of the car with the packed dinner. Then, he circled to the other side of the car and opened the door for Genevieve like a true gentleman.

Genevieve removed her hand from the door handle and got out. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

After that, Armand sent the driver home, saying he would drive back alone. He and Genevieve took the elevator to the first floor, where they walked through a corridor shortcut and arrived at the inpatient department where Cooper was warded.

Cooper had just finished a round of physical therapy when they arrived. Both he and his hospital gown were soaked in sweat.

Genevieve quickly filled a bucket with warm water in the restroom. Then, she returned to Cooper's ward and wet a clean towel in the bucket.

"Take off your sweaty clothes, Coop. I'll help you to clean up."

When Genevieve noticed Cooper made no move to remove his clothes, she dropped the towel and reached out for the button on his hospital gown. She muttered, "Your entire back is soaked. Don't you feel uncomfortable?"

"I'll do it myself," Cooper responded curtly while pulling his hospital gown out of her grasp.

He had not failed to notice the dark expression on Armand's face when Genevieve returned from the restroom with a bucket of water. He probably has a good mind to dunk my head in that bucket instead. Genevieve insisted, "You can't reach your back." Then, she tried to remove his clothes again.

Armand strode forward and grabbed Genevieve's arm, pulling her back.

"I'll help." He knew he would lose his mind if he had to watch Genevieve touch another man.

Genevieve felt the warmth of his palm through the fabric of her clothes.

Before she could react, Armand had already loosened his grip.

He grabbed the towel from the bucket, ready to order Cooper to undress. Genevieve stood beside him, clasping her hands behind her back.

Sighing, Armand said, "Go outside and wait for a while. I'll call you once we're done."

"Why should I go out?" Confused, Genevieve continued, "I grew up with Coop, and he gave me baths when I was young. Plus, he's my future husband. Why can't I stare at his back?" Cooper, who was drinking some water, promptly choked.

He might have been elated to hear these words from Genevieve's mouth in the past, but things had changed considerably.

Armand tossed the towel into the bucket, a thunderous expression on his face. Then, he threw Genevieve outside the ward before locking the door.

Genevieve was speechless. She wailed, "Hey! Why did you leave me out here? And why do you have to lock the door?"

What on earth could those two men be doing behind closed doors?

Chapter 989

Armand grabbed a new outfit from the closet and tossed it to Cooper. The latter took off his wet clothes and asked, "What are you going to do now?"

Armand had already told him the situation with Genevieve.

Cooper genuinely thought that peace would return after Silas and his son died. Who would've thought that Zephyr would have something up his sleeves and manage to slip away? I didn't expect Genevieve to be in such a bad mental state, either.

"The important thing is that she's safe," murmured Armand as he walked to the window. The sky had turned dark by then, but it was clear that the rain was pouring.

"My lack of consideration led to this," continued Armand. He massaged his head and sighed. "I should've had Rebecca stop her that day and told her my plan..." Genevieve wasn't like Zephyr.

She might be Silas' biological daughter, but she took after her mother, both in terms of personality and appearance. Genevieve was born kind.

Charice was Armand's biological mother, and Harry had, in essence, forced Genevieve to kill her lover's mother. It was only natural that she would be burdened with guilt. Her mental health further deteriorated when she thought she lost Amanda.

Cooper buttoned himself up and calmly replied, "You shouldn't blame yourself for this. If anything had gone wrong with your plan, Genev would've been fine, but Amanda would've been in trouble." That lunatic Harry is capable of anything.

Armand stood in front of the window for quite some time. It was not until he regained his composure that he said, "I didn't really get to court her in the past, so there is a silver lining here. I have all the time in the world to court her now."

"You may have the time, but what about the kids? Do they know what's going on?" asked Cooper while smiling wryly.

Armand murmured an affirmative reply. "The kids are geniuses and know what they should do. Besides, school starts in less than two weeks, so they won't feel bored since they have classes." Cooper suddenly thought of something and asked, "By the way, have you found Johanna?"

"Not yet," answered Armand. The mere thought of it brought a deep frown to his face. "I've checked every surveillance footage there is, but she's nowhere to be found. It's as though she has vanished into thin air."

Cooper thought about it, then pointed out, "Even if she's mad at Timothy, it's still not like her to go missing for so long..."

The truth was that both Armand and Cooper shared the same theory. They thought that Johanna wasn't missing simply because she was mad at Timothy and was avoiding him. Instead, she might have been kidnapped.

However, neither man dared to share their theory because they didn't even have a clue as to who might have abducted her.

The worst bit was that Timothy would likely go insane with worry if he ever entertained that idea.

The two of them were still discussing the matter when someone knocked on the door. Genevieve's dissatisfied voice came soon after. "What are the two of you doing in there? Open the door."

Only then did Armand remember that he had locked Genevieve out of the room. He made his way to the door to unlock it.

When Genevieve entered the room, she turned her attention to Armand immediately. She looked at Cooper after that and noticed that he had changed his clothes.

Her gaze shone with suspicion when she shifted it to Armand. "Did you...?"

Armand knew what she was hinting at and grew mad instantly. "No!"

"Then why did you chase me out of the place and asked to spend some alone time with Coop?" muttered Genevieve. She waited until Cooper had gotten out of bed before she opened the container with dinner in it.

It turned out that the vacuum container was filled with warm mushroom soup.

Genevieve scooped some up and blew on it before placing the spoon right beside Cooper's lips. The glow in Armand's eyes slowly turned less warm, and his tone was rather unpleasant when he spoke. "He can feed himself. It's not as if he lost a limb or something."

"That's true, but I enjoy feeding him," replied Genevieve while rolling her eyes at Armand. She turned to Cooper after that and said, "Here, Coop. Let me help you."

Cooper grabbed the spoon from her and replied, "Actually, I'd like to give my muscles a chance to move a bit. Let me do it myself."

Genevieve murmured an affirmative reply.

She grabbed an apple out of the fruit basket and peeled the skin, but she would sneak a peek at Cooper every now and then to watch him eat.

That was when she noticed something interesting. Cooper exuded a powerful aura that could dominate the entire room when he had his glasses on. Without them, though, he looked kind and gentle and was the kind of man that anyone would fall for.

Out of nowhere, Genevieve asked, "Coop, we've been engaged for so long. Perhaps we should start planning the wedding."

Cooper choked on his soup and started coughing.

Genevieve quickly grabbed some napkins and handed them to him. "I've dreamed of marrying you and giving you children ever since I was a kid, and I truly wish to realize that dream soon."

As Cooper wiped his lips, he snuck a peek at the man standing at the side. The latter's gaze had become even scarier.

Exasperation filled Cooper.

What the hell? You're the one who created this mess, aren't you? I'm just a bystander, so how am I the bad guy now?

Chapter 990

"I've already picked out the wedding dress," Genevieve went on as she fished her phone out of her pocket to show Cooper everything. "The green dress from the fashion show this year is so beautiful!" Genevieve was especially fond of green, and she never liked the idea of having a white wedding dress. She had always dreamed of wearing a color she loved and marrying the man of her dreams. She didn't actually feel much when she said those words to Cooper, though.

It was more of a rational statement than an emotional one. She enjoyed spending time with Cooper, even when she was just a kid, and the two of them had been engaged for so long that it just made sense to marry him.

"Uh, it is beautiful, and if you like that dress, I will buy it for you," replied Cooper. He held her hand and glanced at her before suddenly breaking the news. "But Genev, I can't marry you." Genevieve was taken aback. "Why not?"

Cooper was about to explain the situation when Genevieve asked in a horrified voice, "Wait, don't tell me... My dad dated someone else before he got married, and you're the son he had with his first love and, therefore, my half-brother. Hence, you can't marry me. Is that it?"

A thought flashed past Cooper's mind. Actually, the one who had another lover was your mother, and you do have a half-brother, but it's not me.

"No, that's not it," replied Cooper. He instinctively tried to push his glasses, but there was nothing there for him to push.

"Well, if we're not related, then everything is fine," said Genevieve as her frown relaxed. "I don't care. You promised you'd marry me when we were kids."

Cooper didn't want to die from Armand's wrath, so he had no choice but to lie. "I can't marry you because I'm in love with someone else."

"You're lying," commented Genevieve before she snickered. "Come on, you don't hang out with other women, and I know that all too well. Besides, we grew up together. Our love and history are strong, so there is no way anyone can compete against me."

"Why would I lie to you?" challenged Cooper. "We're adults now, and feelings change. Also, I've only ever seen you as a baby sister."

Genevieve's smile turned upside down immediately. "Have her come here, then. I'd like to meet her."

Cooper was lying to Genevieve earlier. He didn't actually have a girlfriend.

The poor guy was about to signal Armand and get the latter to come up with a solution when someone knocked on the door. Sally entered the room a second later.

She had a white formal outfit on and had rolled up her sleeves so her fair skin was exposed. When the light hit her and revealed her stunning face, her incredibly clear eyes came into view as well.

A container of food was in her hands. When she noticed Genevieve and Armand there, as well as the dinner placed on the table, she was surprised.

Ah, I guess I didn't need to get him dinner.

Cooper caught Genevieve shifting her gaze to Sally, and an idea came to his mind a few seconds later. "That is the woman I love. Her name is Sally Loake."

Armand was punching some numbers into his phone at the time, but he paused when he heard Cooper's words. Man, Cooper is making a tremendous sacrifice here.

Sally frowned. She saw the glow in Genevieve's eyes a second later and realized what was going on immediately, though. Hence, she nodded at Genevieve and greeted, "Ms. Rachford."

Genevieve sprung up from her seat and began scanning Sally from head to toe, her lips pursed.

Hmm... this woman is taller than I am and is quite beautiful. She also has a graceful aura and a style that is completely different from mine.

Strangely enough, Genevieve realized that she wasn't angry or heartbroken even though her fiance had had a sudden change of heart.

Still, she forced an angry look onto her face and turned to Cooper before saying, "I can change my style and be like her if that is what you're into. All you have to do is apologize, and I will forgive you for everything."

"I'm the one he loves, and a change in style won't help you," said Sally calmly. "Also, he doesn't need to apologize to you."

Furious, Genevieve roared, "You're the homewrecker! How can you act as though you're in the right?"

"He doesn't love you, and the two of you aren't married yet, so how am I the homewrecker?" challenged Sally. She scoffed and walked past Genevieve before placing the packed food she had brought on the table.

Leaning over, she caressed Cooper's face. "What's wrong? You seem pale. Did you not rest well?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night," replied Cooper, not pushing her hand away.

"This is all my fault. You must miss me so much that you couldn't sleep," commented Sally as she pushed on his brows to smooth away his frown. "Be good now. Next time, I promise I'll call beforehand if I can't make it to the hospital."

Cooper didn't reply to that, but the vein on his forehead was throbbing.