Ch. 521..530

Chapter 521 Nick’s Help

At that moment, the man’s perfect plan was being shattered into pieces—his sister had indeed died from cancer.

Then, Colton tugged on Nicole, making her snap out of her trance. She quickly walked up and said, “There is nothing wrong with our vaccine. Prior to using it in our clinical trials, we went through several experiments.

This batch of vaccines is made to save lives. We don’t need to be famous for it, but we want to help those innocent lives with all our might.” Her words won the applause of the reporters.

Seeing that his plan had failed, the man was devastated. After some time, he felt his strength coming back. Then, he raised his head and looked at Colton. “President Gardner, I didn’t know that my sister died from cancer. I said those words only because someone told me that she died from taking the vaccine.”

There’s no way back for him since he had offended the Gardner Corporation, but the man hoped that Colton could let him off the hook. In his heart, he was cursing the unknown man who had ordered him. Even though he told me nothing would happen, Colton still found out about it! That man is useless! he thought.

When Colton heard the man’s words, he looked at him coldly; there were no emotions in his eyes. Then, he spoke icily, “I gave you a chance before. Had you told the truth, I would’ve let you go. However, you didn’t. You did this to yourself, and I guess you’ll have to stay in prison for the rest of your life now.”

Hearing his words, the man fell to the ground. I’ll be in prison for the rest of my life… No, absolutely not. My days are just beginning. How can this happen to me? he thought.

As the man struggled to say something, Colton cut him off mercilessly. “This batch of vaccines is supposed to save lives, but it has been delayed because of you. Based on the situation in Espad, thousands of lives are being lost every single day. Do you think you can bear the consequences of this?” As Colton spoke, the police arrived and took the man away.

On the other hand, Nicole looked at him. She had to admit that he was indeed charming; no matter what happened, he always looked triumphant.

After this matter was clarified, the vaccine that had been detained was immediately sent to Espad.

Meanwhile, Pierre thought that he would bring Nicole down with this matter. After all, he had cleared out the hospital’s system. As for the doctor, he had thought about doing something to him, but since there was no evidence, people would suspect that Nicole had bribed the doctor instead. Never did he think that all that information would be unraveled.

It angered Pierre as Nicole and Colton had turned the tables over when he had the upper hand!

This made him furious. Then, he found the hacker who helped him with the information and scolded him, “Didn’t you say that nobody will ever find the information you’ve deleted? Why did they manage to recover it?”

When faced with Pierre’s questions, the hacker was confused too, for he was a renowned hacker in the community. How did things go wrong? he thought. Then, he investigated and discovered that the one who had decoded the information was Nick!

Immediately, the hacker sent the money back to Pierre. “I can’t do anything about it if Nick’s the one who retrieved it. Here, I’ll give half of your money back as a refund.”

At that moment, Pierre was going crazy. Initially, he was going to rake Nicole’s reputation into the mud and make her the target of scorn. However, not only did he fail, he even dragged himself into this mess. Norman had been urging him for a long time. If he didn’t do anything to get him out yet, Norman might spill the beans.

As Pierre thought about it, his eyes darkened. I cannot let Nicole ruin my future. Even if she’s suspicious of me, it’s useless since I used Norman to do all of those things back then!

 

Chapter 522 A Kiss

Then, Pierre curled up his lips. Don’t blame me on this, Norman. Instead, blame Nicole for being so lucky. If that’s the case, I will have to kill you to save myself!

…

As ‘Colton’s’ wedding was approaching, Anna was getting better. Although she was still wearing a cast on her leg, she was in good shape by the care of the servants. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Nicole bid her goodbye to Anna and prepared to take Hayden back home.

When Colton knew about this, he didn’t stop her but insisted on taking her back home. “I’ll send you back home. Otherwise, I will miss you.” He had always been cheeky with the way he spoke.

As Nicole heard his flirtatious words, she didn’t say anything and nodded. When they finished dinner at the Gardner Residence and were ready to head home, it was already nighttime. It was a moonless night, as if God had draped a blanket over the world. It was rare that it wasn’t raining at night, as it had been raining these days. Still, it was cold outside.

Nicole thought that Colton was going to drive them home, but when she carried Hayden into the car, Colton found a driver and sat in the back with them. Then, it was as if Hayden had read his mind when he sat next to the driver’s seat, leaving the two adults at the back.

As the driver drove the car, they arrived at Nicole’s place in 20 minutes since it was not far from the Gardner Residence.

When they arrived, Hayden carried his things and said, “Mommy, I’ll go and put my things. Why don’t you talk to Daddy?” With that being said, he darted into the house while the driver knew better and drove off.

There weren’t many people in the high-end residential area at night. The road lights were dim, and there was a hazy sensation as they looked into each other’s eyes. Colton lowered his head and looked at Nicole’s pretty face.

Both of them felt awkward while being in this semi-dark environment. Lastly, Nicole broke the awkwardness between them. She raised her head and looked at him, saying, “Thank you back there about the research center, President Colton.”

Hearing the sincerity in her voice, Colton smirked and leaned down. “Don’t you think a thank you isn’t enough, Nicky? Maybe… you could try to be more sincere?” His voice was deep and husky.

At that moment, Nicole’s breath hitched as Colton was talking beside her ears. Since her ears were sensitive, they turned red when Colton’s hot breath brushed against them.

“What are you trying to do?” Nicole looked directly at him to see her own reflection in his eyes.

Smiling, Colton raised her chin and slowly closed in on her. “I wonder what your lips taste like.”

When he teased her, Nicole felt that he was shameless. If you want to kiss me, just do it! There’s no need to say such cheesy words! she thought.

“Was that a question or a statement?”

“Statement,” said Colton. With that being said, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her deeply.

Nicole widened her eyes as her words were muffled. This darn man!

After giving her a little peck, Colton released her while poking her nose affectionately. “Close your eyes now. It feels even better.” Then, he kissed her again. Rather than the soft kiss he gave her, it was possessive and intimidating this time, rendering her out of breath.

As Nicole was getting out of breath from the kiss, she closed her eyes obediently.

Little did they know that just by the tree not far away, a man was watching on with fury in his eyes.

Chapter 523 Can You Look at Me?

After embracing each other for a while, Colton released Nicole while licking his lips. He was smiling as he reached out to touch her cheek. “You should head inside. I’ll come to you when Queenie’s matter is over,” he said softly.

As Nicole heard the words she was longing for, she smiled. Her face was still slightly red from the kiss. “Queenie has invited me too. We’ll meet again in two days.”

Queenie wanted the world to know that she was the one who’d marry Colton. As the one who surpassed her in every way, it was only natural that she would invite Nicole to the wedding as she wanted Nicole to watch her marry Colton!

When Colton heard Nicole’s words, he had a slight grin on his face. “Okay, I know that you don’t want me to leave,” he said with a raspy voice.

Nicole had goosebumps from his cheesy lines. She rubbed her arms and pushed him away. “You can go now. I’m heading back since it’s getting late,” she said disdainfully.

Colton didn’t persuade her to stay and said softly, “Okay. Goodnight, Nicole.” With that, he turned around and left.

As Nicole watched him leave, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Colton was an unseemly person. Then, she regained her composure and was about to head inside when a tall figure appeared from the dark and stood in front of her. She raised her head and saw that it was Zachary!

He is back! she thought as she opened her mouth in shock. “Zach, you’re back?” she asked.

There were no emotions on Zach’s face as he nodded. There was a pang of anger in his heart as he saw the whole interaction between the couple. He couldn’t understand why Nicole would fall in love with someone else when he had done so much for her.

Surpassing his anger, he looked at her with a hurt look. After a moment, he said slowly, “Nicole… Do you love him?”

This was when Nicole realized that he had seen Colton kissing her. As Nicole thought about Zachary’s question, she didn’t know how to explain it to him. If it were before, she would be disgusted by Colton’s kiss. However, she couldn’t say it now because she didn’t hate Colton when he kissed her.

“Zach, I…” Nicole stammered.

There was hurt in Zachary’s eyes when he saw that she was hesitant. Seeing her reaction, he knew the answer in his heart.

“I love you, Nicole, and you know that. I have loved you for so long. I will do anything for you!” All of a sudden, he was emotional as he grabbed her shoulder. However, even if he was emotional, he didn’t dare to put any force on her, afraid that he might hurt her.

Seeing that Zachary was getting emotional, Nicole gulped and said softly, “I’m sorry, Zach.”

Hearing her words, Zachary smiled bitterly. Then, he held her tightly, saying, “Go back with me, Nicole. I have already taken the Yates Family’s company in my hands. Soon, I will have complete control of it. At that time, no one will stop us anymore.”

When Nicole saw that he was emotional, she reached out her hand and comforted him. “Calm down, Zach. I can’t go back now. I still have things to do.”

At that moment, Zachary felt helpless when he heard her rejection. After a moment, he blinked and murmured, “Nicole, can’t you let him go? He is already married to Queenie. Can you just look at me?” His last words were soft, with a hint of pleading.

 

Chapter 524 An Explanation

Nicole’s heart ached when she saw Zachary in this state. He was an outstanding man; she knew he loved her and did everything for her. However, she was not in love with him, so she couldn’t get her words out of her words when she looked at his hurt expression.

Seeing that she had hesitated, Zachary was unwilling to accept this. Then, he quickly walked toward her and covered her with his figure. Before Nicole could react, he leaned down and kissed her.

The kiss wasn’t domineering like Colton, but it was filled with his love and even a slight wave of temptation. When Zachary kissed her, she stiffened and pushed him gently. Then, Zachary stood back.

He was hurt that Nicole had pushed him away, pursing his lips only to end up looking wretched. After a while, he asked, “Did you refuse me because I’m not him, Nicole?”

When he was under the shade of the tree, he saw clearly that Nicole didn’t fight back when Colton kissed her and was even happy that he did. Their kiss was filled with passion and mutual affection. When I kissed her, she couldn’t do it.

At that moment, he felt that things had changed since he went abroad, realizing that the girl he loved was slowly slipping through his fingers. In the past years, he had never felt intimidated by other men, thinking he was the only remarkable man besides Nicole. However, Colton’s existence threatened him. She’s getting further away from me by the day.

While Zachary was in thought, Nicole’s throat felt dry. She couldn’t deny the fact that she enjoyed it when Colton kissed her, but she didn’t feel anything when it was Zachary. “Why don’t we go inside and talk about it, Zach?” Nicole stood on her ground, not knowing how to explain it to him.

Zachary lowered his eyes and nodded before they entered the house. When Hayden was watching a movie, he heard the door opening and thought that it was Nicole. So, he raised his voice, “Mommy, how did it go with Daddy?” He turned around in excitement and noticed that Zachary was behind Nicole. At that moment, his expression stiffened. After a moment, he twitched his lips and said, “Mr. Yates.”

However, Zachary was not deaf and had heard what Hayden said when he entered the door. He walked toward Hayden and asked, “Hayden, did you just say daddy?”

Hearing his words, Hayden blinked and acted dumb. “No, I didn’t. You must be hearing things, Mr. Yates.”

Seeing that he was unwilling to say anything about it, Zachary fell silent but didn’t force him in the end. He ruffled Hayden’s hair and whispered, “I have something to say to your mommy, Hayden. Why don’t you go back to your room? It’s getting late.”

When Hayden heard his words, he nodded obediently and darted up the stairs. By then, there were only the two of them in the spacious room. As Zachary sat on the sofa, Nicole sat in front of him.

Silence emitted between them before Nicole broke it. “Hayden’s father is Colton,” she said.

Although Zachary sustained his composure and didn’t act surprised, his knuckles that were gripping tightly had exposed his emotions. After a moment, he asked, “Are you going to let Hayden accept him?”

 

Chapter 525 Unforgettable

Hearing his words, Nicole pursed her lips and felt guilty when looking at him. “Zach, he is Hayden’s biological father. I couldn’t stop Hayden if he wanted to accept him.”

At last, Zachary didn’t say anything and closed his eyes in exhaustion. “That’s enough, Nicole. I’m a little tired as I just got back from abroad. I’m going to take a rest. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

Looking at the exhaustion on his face, Nicole nodded. Then, Zachary stood up and walked up the stairs slowly without a word. The dim lights in the house dragged his shadows, making his figure look lonely.

After sitting on the sofa for some time, Nicole stood up and walked up the stairs.

…

Ever since Whitney had slept with Douglas, she hadn’t heard from him, which hurt her. Recalling his expression after the night, she felt that she was a loathsome person.

She returned to the empty villa, as she couldn’t get Douglas off her mind. However, he was already married to another woman and had started a family. If she still loved him, she would be the third wheel. Even so, Douglas kept his word and withdrew his appeal against the Campbell Family, but she would still have to pay off Michael’s debts. Under her constant demand, Jonathan finally took Aaron’s identity out of the company’s representatives, but the household registration remained.

On the weekend, it rained in the morning. So, when it was nighttime, coldness filled the air. After being apart for almost a week, Douglas suddenly called her. “Tonight at nine, meet me at Twilight Club,” he said before she could even say a thing.

When Whitney heard his words, her breath hitched. Twilight Club? she thought. That place was chaotic, and many bad things happened there. She gulped and asked nervously, “Is there something you need?”

“Just do as you’re told and stop rambling. Remember your place,” Douglas replied in annoyance and hung up the phone. Then, he sat in the office chair while looking troubled. He reached out his hand and touched the side of his head as he closed his eyes.

For the past few days, he couldn’t get Whitney’s sobbing face and moans out of his mind. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would remember what had happened that night. It was as if he was under a spell.

Just as he thought about it, a woman’s clear voice sounded. “I heard your secretary say that you had been joining that party for the past few days. I thought you didn’t like it? You can refuse to go if you dislike it. You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”

Hearing her words, Douglas opened his eyes and looked at the spokesperson. When he saw that it was Emily, his troubled expression vanished as he looked at her gently. “It’s okay. I only had a few drinks. The business was quick to end,” he said.

As Emily looked at him, she felt that he had changed. She hummed in response to his words before asking, “Are you going to Twilight tonight?”

“Yes. Mr. Booth and the others will be there.” Douglas didn’t deny it and nodded. Then, Emily took a few steps forward and stood before Douglas. “Okay. Be back soon. Lucy’s birthday is around the corner, and I hope you will squeeze some time out for her,” she said.

Hearing her words, Douglas nodded and said with a smile, “Of course, I will remember my daughter’s birthday. Otherwise, she will throw a fit.”

“Then, I’ll be heading back.” Emily nodded and left. However, as she left the room, the smile on her face was replaced with worry. She pursed her lips and continued walking with an emotionless expression.

 

Chapter 526 Drinking

At 9.00PM, it was supposedly summer when one could wear short sleeves, but because of the bad weather, where it kept raining, one should still wear a coat at night.

Whitney arrived at the entrance of Twilight Club, a club that took up quite a large area. Various kinds of luxury cars and sports cars were parked at its entrance, and lots of young people were gathered there, chatting away happily.

Whitney had never been to such a place before. She had only heard of it in the past, so when she arrived, she felt a little helpless. She stood stiffly at the entrance and waited for almost half an hour before Douglas came over.

He could spot Whitney in front of the club at a glance because Whitney was a stark contrast to the people beside her. She wore a casual outfit, and she didn’t put on any makeup.

The poor girl merely stood without doing anything. Compared to those flirtatious women who were all decked out, she did look quite innocent. Douglas didn’t know what was wrong with him. When he saw Whitney looking so pure, he somehow felt dissatisfied inside.

He stepped forward and pulled her to a corner, then immediately began mocking her. “Why? You’re coming to a place like a club, but you didn’t dress up? You’re dressed so innocently. Are you going to toy with someone’s heart?”

Whitney frowned slightly, opening her mouth to retort, saying, “I always dress this way. Don’t look for trouble.”

Douglas chuckled, then reached out and held her cheeks between his two fingers. He slightly pinched her cheeks, leaving two marks on her tender skin.

“Whitney, remember your current position. I can always continue suing the Campbell Family.”

Whitney gritted her teeth and said no more. Seeing her silent, Douglas let go of her and said coldly, “Go in.”

With that, he stopped minding Whitney and walked inside right away. Whitney hastily followed behind Douglas, going in with him. As soon as she entered the club, she could clearly hear the cacophony inside.

The loud and booming music was giving her slight migraines. Douglas had reserved a private room, and there was already a man and two women inside. The man looked to be in his thirties, and he had a bulging stomach that somehow made him look like a rich man.

The women beside him were young and had amazing figures. They stuck close to the man, whispering suggestive words to him. Whitney felt uncomfortable as soon as she entered the room.

When Mr. Booth saw Whitney entering the room, his eyes lit up. He narrowed his already small eyes as he examined Whitney from head to toe. Then, he said to Douglas, “Mr. Lane, where did you get this beauty from? She looks quite different from the rest.”

Douglas slowly walked forward, then took his time as he sat on a couch opposite Mr. Booth, saying calmly, “Since we’re here at the club already, of course, I should bring a woman along.”

When Mr. Booth heard Douglas’ words, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Just as expected. Every man here is the same. Come, Mr. Lane, drink up.”

Douglas turned to glance at Whitney, then said, “I need to watch my health these days, so I can’t drink alcohol. She’ll drink in my stead.”

Mr. Booth was already eager for something when he saw Whitney’s shy and innocent behavior. When he heard Douglas say that, he more or less understood those words as he hastily smiled. “Yes, yes, you’re right, Mr. Lane. Since you’re in ill health, I’ll have this little beauty drink with me.”

Douglas turned up the corners of his mouth in a faint smile. He looked toward Whitney, and when he saw her still standing there, he said in dissatisfaction, “What are you doing just standing there? Come here, sit down, and drink with Mr. Booth.”

Whitney pursed her lips and took a seat, gritting her teeth. Her backside had just touched the seat when a glass was stuffed in her hands. The alcohol was a shade of brown, and it didn’t look like beer. Whitney was a heavyweight, but drinking wasn’t her hobby because alcohol didn’t taste too good, in her opinion.

 

Chapter 527 You’re Not Worthy

Mr. Booth leered at Whitney from head to toe. Even though he had seen countless beauties before, this was his first time seeing a type like this. Ever since Whitney was young, her family was exceedingly well off. So, there was a slight hint of nobility on her.

“Come, little beauty, I’ll toast to you.” Mr. Booth raised the glass at her, and before Whitney could respond, he was already throwing his head back and downing the wine in one go.

Whitney had no choice but to grit her teeth and drink as well. The two women beside Mr. Booth also seemed to catch on, so they coaxed the two to keep drinking. Whitney hadn’t sat down for long, but there was already more than two bottles’ worth of wine in her stomach. Her gaze was bleary as she could only repeat her actions mechanically, lifting her head and drinking glass after glass.

At the side, Douglas remained silent all this while. Whitney had drunk quite a lot, and her gaze was beginning to waver. After concluding the business talks with Mr. Booth, Douglas stood up.

“That’s settled, then. It’s getting late, so I’ll be going back now.”

Mr. Booth had already set his sights on Whitney. After the successful discussion, he didn’t say anything else as he nodded.

“Sure. Have a safe trip, Mr. Lane. You two, see Mr. Lane out.”

The people in the room all walked out. The huge private room was soundproofed very well, and the booming music outside could only be heard faintly within. Hence, no one in the room would hear any form of sound. Douglas exited the club, feeling somehow irritated. He took out a cigarette and lit it, then began taking slow puffs.

His looks and aura were among the best, so as he stood at the club entrance, he instantly attracted a number of women who approached him.

“Hey, handsome, interested in a drink?” Douglas looked indifferently at the flirting woman in front of him, exuding a pressuring aura that warded strangers off.

“No!”

The woman originally wanted to try again, but when she saw his foul expression, she backed away in the end. When the secretary received Douglas’ call, he rushed to the club to pick Douglas up. After Douglas got into the car, he kept feeling a little uneasy in the back of the car.

He kept puffing on the cigarette, feeling extremely upset inside. After a while, he seemed to have regretted it as he said to the secretary at the front, “Turn around. Go back to the club.”

Even though the secretary was curious, it was still his boss’ orders, so he braked and made a sharp turn back to the club.

Whitney had a little too much to drink, and her whole body felt heavy as she half-leaned against the couch. The lights in the private room were a little dim, and when her pale face was illuminated, the pink tint on her face was clearly visible.

Now, Whitney was a little confused in her mind. The alcohol caused her body to heat up, so she reached up and placed a finger on her collar, tugging slightly at it.

But today, she was wearing a T-shirt, so the collar couldn’t be opened. She could only tug at it, feeling extremely horrible. Seeing her hot and bothered, Mr. Booth grinned obscenely as he took a step forward, teasing, “Little beauty, it feels hot, doesn’t it? If so, I can help you.”

With that, he moved forward in an attempt to help Whitney remove her clothes, but she was in a daze because of the alcohol. She widened her eyes to look at the figure looming in front of her. She could still recognize who that was, and she pushed the person away, saying in disdain, “Get lost.”

With that, she struggled to get up, ready to leave.

However, Mr. Booth couldn’t possibly just let his prey go. He grabbed Whitney, who was trying to leave, then said fiercely, “You wretch, you’re already selling yourself, so why are you still pretending to be pure? Do you think you’re honestly clean just because you wore an innocent outfit?”

When the unbearable words made their way into Whitney’s ears, fury raged within her as Whitney glared and said in a bitter voice, “Even if I’m really selling myself, you’re not worthy!”

 

Chapter 528 Feel Better

Whitney’s words angered Mr. Booth, and he pulled her over, trying to do something. Just as his hands were pulling her clothes, the door was being kicked open, and Douglas entered with a gloomy face.

Seeing that it was Douglas, Mr. Booth was displeased. “What are you doing, Douglas?” he questioned.

However, Douglas didn’t reply to his words. When he looked at Whitney, he stepped forward and pulled her to his side, saying, “I’m afraid that I can’t give her to you, Mr. Booth. If there’s anything you want to say, we’ll talk about it next time.” After finishing his words, he was going to leave, but Mr. Booth wouldn’t let him do so. After all, he almost got his hands on Whitney. How could he watch as Douglas took her away?

“Think it through, Douglas. If you are to take her away, there’s no way we will be working together!” Mr. Booth threatened.

When Douglas heard his words, he didn’t seem to care as he turned around and said, “Working with you isn’t the only option for F&R Enterprise. Think about it, Mr. Booth. Goodbye.” With that being said, he walked away with Whitney, not caring about what Mr. Booth would think.

Although Whitney’s mind was hazy, she could still sense the familiar scent of Douglas. At that moment, she staggered and would have fallen to the ground if it weren’t for Douglas pulling her. However, under the influence of alcohol, she swatted his hand away. Then, she frowned and said with displeasure, “Let go of me.” With that, she continued walking while staggering along the way.

Seeing that she was stumbling forward, Douglas took a step forward and pulled her by her arm. “Listen to me.”

Liquid courage made Whitney swat his hand away again. She looked at him red in the eyes and couldn’t surpass the anger in her anymore. “Douglas, I admit I’m sorry for what I did back then. I’m willing to accept whatever punishment you give me. However, you don’t need to act as if you care about me.” As she spoke, she was getting hysterical. “You have already started a family, and nothing will happen between us. If you want to take revenge, you should have given me to that man. I don’t need you to discipline me!” She was rambling and couldn’t sustain the words that were deep in her heart.

Listening to her words, Douglas was silent. Then, he took a step forward and carried her on his shoulder, still not saying a single word. Whitney tried to struggle, but he held her firmly as if his hands were metal.

Then, Douglas carried her and walked outside. When the secretary, who was waiting by the car, saw him carrying out a woman, he was momentarily stunned.

After putting her in the backseat of the car, Douglas said coldly, “Go to South Ring Road.”

The secretary quickly regained his composure and drove off at lightning speed. When they arrived, Douglas got out of the car and looked at the secretary. “I’m sure you know what to say and what not if President Phoenix asks anything.”

Hearing his icy cold words, the secretary shivered. He had always thought that Douglas was clueless about what he was doing. Never did he expect that Douglas knew it all along. With that thought, he nodded hastily and said, “Understood.”

Douglas didn’t say anything more and carried Whitney into the room.

At this moment, the alcohol was getting to her. She felt herself getting hotter and mumbled incoherently as she touched herself. Seeing her doings, Douglas didn’t move and just looked at her face under the lights. A few years ago, they were so in love with each other. Yet, they became strangers after that incident.

After glancing at her several times, Douglas slowly stood up and left the room.

When he left, Whitney slowly opened her eyes. Looking at his figure, she covered her eyes with her arm and sobbed softly. If giving myself to another man makes him feel better, I’ll be happy to oblige.

 

Chapter 529 Wedding Preparation

After sobbing for a while, Whitney took out her phone and searched for Nicole’s phone number. Now that Aaron was not the company’s representative, he would not need to stay in prison even if the household registration remained. For the past few years, she had earned a lot of money with the help of Nicole, Zachary, and her hacker skills; it was enough to raise Aaron.

However, Whitney felt she couldn’t stay there any longer, as she didn’t dare to face Douglas. When she saw him with Emily together, her heart ached in pain, which in turn made her feel as if she was a third-wheeler.

After the phone rang for a while, Nicole picked up the call. “How’s everything going there, Whitney?” she asked.

For some reason, Whitney’s tears fell uncontrollably as soon as she heard Nicole’s voice. She sniffled and said saddeningly, “I want to go back, Nicole.”

When Nicole heard her words, she knew that something was off. So, she frowned and asked, “Did something happen?”

Whitney didn’t hide anything from her and told Nicole that she had slept with Douglas.

After hearing it, Nicole fell silent as she didn’t know what to say. After a moment, she sighed. “Do you still love him?” she asked.

Whitney didn’t know how to answer her. After some time, she drawled, “I don’t want to intervene in his family, Nicole. Now that Aaron is fine, I want to disappear from Douglas’ life. I don’t want to be a third-wheeler.”

“Okay, Whitney. Just go back. I will handle Douglas’ matter, so don’t worry.” Nicole comforted her as she knew Whitney. After all, Whitney was by her side for a long time.

Listening to her words, Whitney choked on her sobs and thanked her softly. “Thank you, Nicole,” she whispered.

When Nicole hung up the phone, she called Douglas. As soon as he picked up the call, she went straight to the point. “Douglas, leave Whitney alone.”

Douglas was surprised that Nicole had called him, but he had never expected her to talk about Whitney. After pausing for a moment, he said to her, “This is my private matter with her, Nicole.”

“You already have Emily and Lucy. Nothing will end well if you insist on staying by Whitney’s side.” Her words seemed to clear Douglas’ head as he gripped his phone and went silent. Nicole sighed and continued, “Maybe something is going on with the two of you, Douglas. However, it’s not appropriate right now.”

After a long moment, Douglas finally said, “I understand.” Then, he hung up the call. Seeing that he had hung up, Nicole didn’t say anything more.

…

On the day of Queenie’s wedding, the weather was perfect. The sun shone above the sky, warming the people that arrived.

The Anderson Family had invited many with high status. Since it was Colton’s wedding, they were willing to participate. What surprised Queenie the most was that Nicole was present too, and she had dressed up nicely. When she gave Nicole the invitation, she didn’t expect her to arrive; she just wanted to humiliate her.

On this day, William was looking high-spirited. He wore an expensive suit that Colton had given him. Although none of the Gardners came, he was still beaming happily.

After all, the Anderson Family would be wealthy if they were to have the Gardner Family by their side. When he saw Nicole coming over, he pulled her aside and warned, “Today is Queenie’s wedding. Don’t you dare do anything funny!”

When she heard his words, she couldn’t help but chuckle as she looked at him, her supposed father. “Do you think I can do anything? Or is that why I should do it?” she asked.

Hearing her words, Willian glared at her, and his face turned gloomy. “I know that you were with Colton five years ago and had given birth to an abomination. However, that child is just an illegitimate child. Now, Queenie is the legal wife of Colton!”

 

Chapter 530 Can He Satisfy You?

Nicole knew William favored Queenie, but she never thought he would be blatantly biased. She curled her lips in a sneer and said mockingly, “Don’t you feel embarrassed that Queenie had lied to him while using my body?”

When William heard her words, he did not feel ashamed and even emphasized his warning. “No matter what happened in the past, she is his wife now. Her child will be the heir of the Anderson Family. Don’t you dare do anything about it!”

Listening to his words, Nicole scoffed and thought, Looks like Lydia and Queenie are still hiding it from him, making him believe that the child in Queenie’s womb is Colton’s. That’s just hilarious.

“I’m just here for the wedding. I’m not going to cause a stir,” Nicole whispered. When William heard her words, he thought that she had surrendered. Then, he breathed a sigh of relief and didn’t say anything more.

After that, Nicole found a place to sit. The wedding scene looked excessively posh. It was perfectly made in every way possible; even the desserts were said to be shipped from abroad. Colton spent tens of millions just to make her fall for it. How thoughtful of him.

Lydia was dressed to the nines as the Anderson Family’s status would be heightened with Queenie’s wedding. At that moment, many people were flattering them, hoping to have a connection with the Gardner Family through them.

In the dressing room, the makeup artist was putting makeup on Queenie while flattering her. “You have such nice skin, Miss Anderson. It is so soft and smooth.”

Queenie was currently wearing an expensive wedding dress with a huge diamond necklace. Overall, she looked majestic and elegant. It was her wedding with Colton, so she was also happy with the makeup artist’s words. “Yes. Please help me be the most beautiful woman today,” she said.

As soon as her words fell, the dressing room door was pushed open. At first, Queenie thought it was Colton, but when she turned around, she saw Bryan standing there. When Queenie saw him, her face went pale. I didn’t invite him. Why is he here?

Seeing that she was dressed nicely, Bryan gave her a mocking smile. “What should I call you now? Miss Anderson or Mrs. Gardner?”

Queenie was afraid he would say something absurd, so she shooed the makeup artist. “Why don’t you leave first? I have something to say to this gentleman.”

The makeup artist hurriedly left, as she could also sense that something was off between them. As soon as she closed the door, Bryan walked toward Queenie and grabbed her by the neck. “How capable of you to cheat on me. Are you so horny that you had to f*ck Colton after ditching me?”

Queenie’s expression changed when she heard his mockery. “I’m now Colton’s wife!” She gritted her teeth out of dissatisfaction. Hearing her words, Bryan looked at her stomach, but it wasn’t visible as it was still at the beginning. “You are marrying Colton while carrying my child. What’s with that? Do you really want him to be the heir of the Gardner Family?” He smiled eerily, scaring the lady.

Listening to his words, Queenie trembled, after which she pushed him away while saying, “Stop talking nonsense. This is Colton’s child!”

The smile on Bryan’s face widened as he saw that she was tricking herself into believing such a lie. At that moment, his hand lifted her skirt and went inside.

Feeling his movements, Queenie was scared. “What are you doing?!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“I’m just curious as to how he would satisfy you when you are such a wh*re.” Bryan grinned like a wicked wizard.