Ch. 1301..1310

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1301-Corinne’s expression soured. “Who are you calling a pig?” Jeremy smirked. “Who’s sitting on a swing chair?” No woman would be happy after being called a chubby pig, and the same went for Corinne. She might have gained some weight because of her pregnancy, but her arms and legs were still slender. It was only her face and belly that became rounder.

“You should keep your mouth shut if you can’t hold a conversation like a normal person. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of being cursed at.” Jeremy grinned when he saw how angry she was. “What’s wrong with being a little chubby pig? It’s adorable.”

Corinne gritted her teeth and shot back unhappily, “Wow, thanks for your compliment! Well, you’ve seen me on the swing, right? Is there anything else you want from me? If that’s all, I’ll be hanging up now.” Jeremy stroked his chin languidly. “You should maintain this weight after giving birth.” Corinne’s anger had hit the roof. “What did I do to piss you off? Do you have to jinx it like that?” Jeremy sat up straight and got closer to the camera. “I like you this way. The chubbiness feels good to the touch.” “Whether or not my chubbiness feels good to the touch is none of your d*mn business! You’re such a jerk!” Corinne frowned in anger.

Jeremy chuckled in a low voice. “Okay, I won’t tease you anymore. Make sure not to stay in the sun for too long. Head back into the house when it gets hot.” “You’re not the boss of me!” Corinne shot back. “I can stay in the sun for as long as I want!” Jeremy frowned and pretended to be serious. “And become a roast pig?” Corinne gritted her teeth unhappily. “I swear, if you call me a pig again, I’ll—” Jeremy did not let himself get too carried away. His gaze softened, and he said in a persuading tone, “Okay, okay. You’re not a pig, and you’re not fat. Your figure right now is perfect. You were too thin in the past, like you could come crashing down if the wind was a little too strong. I like it when you have a little meat. It makes you look adorable.” ‘Why is he talking to me like that? I’m not a child! I’ve already made myself very clear in the car yesterday! Why can’t he take the hint? Does he have to keep making all these cheeky statements?’ Corinne scrunched her nose in annoyance.

She felt that she was blushing, so she did not look at the camera as she did not want Jeremy to notice anything. Jeremy remained silent for quite some time, too. ‘I suppose I can end the call now if he has nothing else to say?’ Corinne looked at the screen and saw that Jeremy was no longer there. The cell phone was still placed on the desk, and it was facing his empty office chair.

‘Where is he? Why didn’t he say anything if he wanted to leave? He could’ve just ended the call then! What a weirdo.’ Corinne was prepared to end the call when she remembered his threat from the previous night. He had warned her that he would burn the painting if she hung up.

She soon hesitated as she did not want to take a chance with her mother’s painting. After thinking about it, she decided to put the phone to one side instead of hanging up.

At that moment, Sunny ran over and panted heavily as he opened the umbrella.

“You were here all along! I searched everywhere for you!” Corinne looked at his sweaty face and realized his simple straightforwardness was his charm.

It was not surprising that Xante would fall in love with him. Naive and simpleminded boys like him were far and few in between. Most of them were rotten, scheming men like Jeremy.

Sunny held up the umbrella to shield Corinne from the sun. As soon as he stopped panting, he asked again, “Can’t I go out for a while at noon? I want to have lunch with Xante…” Corinne rocked gently on the swing. “What do you like about Xante?” Sunny was taken aback by the question. It was something he had not yet considered.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1302-Corinne looked at the blue sky beyond the umbrella in silence. “You like Xante because she’s beautiful, independent, and she’s different from the annoying group of girls at school?” Sunny felt that Corinne described Xante perfectly and nodded right away. “Yeah, you could say that!” Corinne grinned. “You might like her maturity now, but will you continue to like that in the future? What if you go to college and meet better, more independent girls? Will you fall for them too?” Sunny frowned and objected. “Why do you say that? Are you telling me Xante is the kind of girl you can compare with any random girl on the street?”

Corinne looked at Sunny. “Of course not. I think she’s one of a kind. You’re the one who might mistake this newfound feeling for love.” Sunny raised his chin proudly. “No, that’s not how I feel! I’m not the kind of guy who will get attracted to just anyone. I’m either in it for the long run, or I’m not. I don’t do things halfway. I take my relationship with Xante very seriously. I’m going to marry her!” Corinne did not intend to look down on Sunny or scoff at him. She merely felt that he was a little too naive. All young people believed they would be with their partner forever, but they would break up later. It was especially true of men— always very fickle.

The best-case scenario for two people in a relationship would be to either enjoy their time together while it lasted or have the same mindset of going the distance. The worst-case scenario would be if only one of them was committed to going the distance.

Xante might be a mature, level-headed, and independent woman, but there was no telling whether or not she might fall head over heels for him and end up getting heartbroken. Corinne used to be confident in herself too, believing she would neither fall in love that easily nor let men deceive her. In the end, she suffered heartbreak all the same.

When Sunny saw Corinne space out, he asked in irritation, “Hey, Corinne! Will you let me meet her or not? Newmoon Group isn’t very far away. I’ll just be out for an hour at noon, and I promise I’ll come back on time!” Corinne recovered from her sentimental thoughts and smiled when she looked at the simpleton in front of her. “Go ahead, then.” For the moment, at least, Sunny was still too naive to lie to Xante. Whether or not their relationship would develop into something more would remain to be seen.

Sunny grinned when he received her permission. “I knew you’d let me! Xante told me you’re a softie at heart even though you look intimidating. I guess it’s true, then!” Corinne snorted. “I’ll tell Lucas if you’re even a second late!” “I won’t, don’t worry!” promised Sunny. “Oh, but you have to hold the umbrella by yourself, though. Since I can finally get to meet Xante, I need to choose some good clothes and do my hair too!” He handed the umbrella over to Corinne and turned to leave.

Corinne was speechless. When Sunny said he was going to choose an outfit and style his hair, she felt that he was acting like one of those young girls going on their first date. It was a good thing, though, as it meant his love for Xante was pure and unadulterated.

Corinne then remembered her cell phone and picked it up to look at the screen.

She was surprised to discover that she was still on the video call. There was also someone on the other end of the call, but it was not Jeremy.

The person was none other than Sophia, who sat on Jeremy’s office chair in a dignified manner and was applying her lipstick in front of a small mirror

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1303-The lipstick on Sophia’s lips was a little smudged.

When Sophia sensed that someone was looking at her, she placed the mirror to one side and looked into the camera to greet Corinne.

“Hi, Corinne!” said Sophia with a smile. “I saw you chatting with Sunny earlier, so I thought I wouldn’t bother you! How are you feeling? You left early yesterday, so I was wondering if you managed to get a good night’s sleep.” Corinne frowned and said, “Thanks for your concern. I slept very well.” Sophia smiled. “That’s good! I was worried you would have insomnia if a certain incident left you in a bad mood yesterday.”

Corinne scoffed. “And what incident could ruin my mood and make me have insomnia?” Sophia shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe you’d get angry after seeing Jeremy celebrate my birthday. To be honest, I understand how you feel. If I were you in your shoes, I’d be fuming if I saw my ex-boyfriend celebrating another girl’s birthday!” “You worry too much.” Corinne chuckled. “I’ll still sleep soundly even if you tell me that you’ve slept with him!” Sophia smiled and rested her hand on her chin. “Oh? What if I told you that we did sleep together last night?” Corinne cocked an eyebrow. “Last night?” Sophia nodded. “Yup! I didn’t want to tell you that at first. But since you don’t seem to mind, then I might as well be honest with you! I slept with Jeremy last night!” Corinne narrowed her eyes and looked at her. “Did you remember correctly? Are you sure it was last night?” Jeremy could not have slept with Sophia while he was still on that video call with her all night. Perhaps they did it ‘live’ after she had fallen asleep.

Sophia smiled bashfully. “Well, this is how it went down! You left early last night, didn’t you? Jason came to me and asked me if I saw you, so I went with him to check the hotel surveillance. We saw from the recording that Jeremy had carried you away…” Her tone was somewhat insinuative.

Corinne explained, “That’s because I fainted after my blood sugar level was too low. He wouldn’t have carried me if I was still conscious.” “You don’t need to explain yourself, Corinne!” Sophia beamed with a smile. “I know everything, and I’m not angry at all! Jeremy told me everything so I don’t have any misunderstandings!” Corinne’s lips twitched. ‘No one cares if you’re angry or not. I’m just stating the facts.’ Sophia held her face like a lovesick woman and continued, “Jason and I went out to find you two. By the time we located Jeremy’s car, you were already gone. Jason continued to look for you, but I got into Jeremy’s car. He sent me back to the hotel after that.” Corinne remained expressionless. “Oh.” Sophia then winked charmingly. “Is that all you can say? Aren’t you curious about what happened next?” “Not at all,” Corinne answered.

‘I’m still going to tell you anyway!’ Sophia thought to herself and smirked. She continued, “Jeremy then told me that he was in a bad mood, so he wanted to rest in my room and share a drink with him. Then… Well, you know what happens when a lonely man and a single woman share some drinks. It all happened so naturally…” Sophia covered her face in ecstasy as though reminiscing about it, even though she felt all shy.

Corinne was speechless.

“Come to think of it, I have you to thank too!” “For what?”

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1304-Sophia rubbed her fingers all over the lipstick on the corner of her lips. “For giving me this opportunity, of course! I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of the situation if you hadn’t made Jeremy feel bad yesterday! Once he got a taste of my body, his attitude toward me changed completely. As soon as I came in, he got up, hugged me, and kissed me so deeply that my lipstick was all smudged!” ‘Oh, so he left the camera just to kiss Sophia?’ Corinne felt nauseated.

Jeremy continued to lead Corinne on just to keep her grounded and ensure the baby was all right. Perhaps he might still have feelings for her, but she was not the only person he had feelings for. That Sophia could enter and exit his office on a whim was a clear sign of that.

Corinne smiled. “Congratulations on finally getting your man, then! Although, I must say that your sultry appearance is ill-suited to your shy act. Try to be more straightforward next time!” Sophia’s expression froze for a moment, but she smiled and said, “Corinne, you —” The call ended right away.

Sophia stared at the blacked-out phone screen and snorted. Corinne might act as if she did not care, but Sophia knew she felt otherwise.

Jeremy never actually accepted her invitation to have a drink with her at the hotel. He asked his driver to leave as soon as Sophia had been dropped off.

However, the truth was not important as long as Corinne’s misunderstanding was perpetuated. Her refusal to forgive Jeremy was essential as that was the catalyst for increasing the distance between them. Sooner or later, they would continue to drift apart.

At that moment, Jeremy pushed the office door open and came back. He had left to meet an unexpected guest earlier. As soon as he saw Sophia sitting on his desk, his expression sank, and he asked coldly, “Why are you here? Who let you in?” Sophia stood up nervously and pretended to smile naturally. “Jeremy! You’re finally back! I just came in less than a minute ago! I noticed that your secretary wasn’t around, so I tried knocking on your door. No one answered me, so I opened the door and came in to see if everything was alright. I was a little tired from wearing high heels, so I accidentally sprained my foot when I went up the stairs. It was a little hard for me to walk, so I thought I could rest my feet and sit here. We’ve been friends for so many years now. You don’t mind me sitting in your chair, do you?” Jeremy walked over. He glanced at the chair that she had sat on and looked at the phone that was placed on the desk. He asked in a deep voice, “Did you touch my phone?” Sophia shook her head. “I didn’t! The screen wasn’t lit when I sat here. I thought it was a bit strange that you’d place your phone on the pen holder like that, but I didn’t dare to touch it. I know you don’t like other people touching your belongings.” Jeremy narrowed his eyes. “Why are you here?” Sophia walked across the table with a smile and held up a bag of exquisite gifts she brought. “I brought you some black truffle chocolates. They’re birthday presents from my friends abroad. I have two boxes here, and I’d like you to have one. They’re delicious!” Jeremy did not even look at what Sophia was holding. He strode over and took his hand out from his trouser pocket to grab his phone. He glanced at the call duration and said, “I don’t want you coming here and giving me these things anymore.” Sophia lamented, “I’m just trying to be nice, Jeremy. Can’t I share some good food with you? I’m worried you’re working too hard too. Don’t you consider me your friend anymore?” Jeremy clicked on Corinne’s profile and saw that she made a post just a minute ago.

[I used to be afraid of snakes when I was a child. Now that I’m an adult, I’m more afraid of snakes in suits.] Jeremy narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, ‘Who is she talking about?’

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1305-Jeremy commented on Corinne’s post, [Don’t be afraid. I’m here.] When he ignored Sophia and focused entirely on typing something on the phone, she became a little impatient and said to him, “Jeremy? Are you listening to me?” Jeremy glanced at her and asked, “Have you gathered all the documents?” A guilty twinge flashed across Sophia’s eyes. “Umm… It’s a little difficult to reissue everything across countries. It would take a while for them to send it over.” She had lied that she had lost her certificate and used that as an excuse to keep procrastinating as there was no way for her to revoke the marriage. She also

‘lost’ her passport, so it was very difficult for her to fly back to make a new application.

Jeremy said, “Get it done as soon as you can.” Sophia nodded, but she then said to him, “I don’t mind maintaining things as they are now, Jeremy! I can always help you and Corinne to avoid certain issues. Isn’t that a good thing?” Jeremy answered coldly, “I mind.” Sophia had an awkward expression and forced a smile. “You’re worried that Corinne might misunderstand us, right? I get it. I’ll tell my dad later and see if he can get someone to fast-track the process!” Jeremy grunted absent-mindedly and stared quietly at his phone. He was waiting for Corinne to reply to his comment.

When Sophia saw that Jeremy was in no mood to talk to her, she finally seemed to be able to read the room. “In that case, you should continue with your work then, Jeremy! I won’t bother you anymore. See you some other time!” “Wait.” He looked at her and stopped her.

Sophia halted her footsteps with surprise on her face. “Yes, Jeremy?” He gestured to the gift box on the table with his chin. “Take those away. I don’t eat that sort of thing.” Sophia’s expression froze, and she said hypocritically, “Let Corinne try them, then. Girls love chocolate!” “I’m not going to give her something I don’t want. If she wants some chocolate, I can always buy them for her,” Jeremy said pointedly.

Sophia just picked up the box of chocolates to avoid any further embarrassment. “You’re right. I didn’t consider that. I’ll take it away then! See you some other time!” Jeremy nodded. “I hope your certificate has been reissued the next time I see you.” Sophia had an ugly look on her face. Jeremy was implying that he would only see her if he was able to revoke that meaningless marriage certificate.

Although her mood had been ruined, she pretended to stay calm and said, “Okay. Don’t worry so much about it!” When Sophia left, Jeremy stood by the desk and continued to stare at the phone. He wanted Corinne to reply, but she never did. He tugged on his tie and felt a little annoyed.

He reached out to dial a number in the office telephone on his desk and called for his secretary. “Get some guys to replace my office chair with a new one.

Throw this old one away.” His secretary was a little puzzled, but she kept quiet and refrained from asking her the reason. “Understood, sir.” Minutes later, a new office chair was brought in, and the old one was disposed of.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1306-It was only then Jeremy sat on the new chair. Failing to get a reply from Corinne, he rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly before taking out an anonymous letter from his suit pocket.

The anonymous letter was delivered through the crack of the door by a stranger who kept their face hidden. The security guard immediately alerted Jeremy of the existence of the letter when he found it because it was addressed to him.

What was even more unsettling was there were a few drops of blood on the letter.

Jeremy ripped open the letter and read the printed words.

[I already know what’s most important to you. You work in the light while I work in the dark. Just how long do you think you can guard against me? This will be your last chance to give me an answer that can satisfy me. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless because you’ll surely come to regret it. It’s our hope that you won’t push us to the edge, dearest eldest brother!] He crumpled up the letter and threw it into the trash can after he finished reading it. He then put his hands behind his head and leaned against his desk to get some shut-eye.

‘A person becomes vulnerable when they have something to lose. That’s why many people live in fear of losing the people or things they love the most,’ thought Jeremy.

After a while, he sat back up and called Tommy. “Tommy, how’s the investigation going?” “We’re still going through the surveillance footage. It’s taking some time as more people came to the company than usual.” “Look into anyone who’s even remotely suspicious. We must find the culprit before Corinne gives birth.” “Yes, Mister Jeremy!” … Meanwhile, back at the Riveras’ mansion.

Corinne had already seen the comment Jeremy left her, but she chose not to reply to him out of spite.

‘Huh! The nerve of him leaving me a comment like that!’ thought Corinne.

After sunbathing for a while, she went back inside the mansion and asked a servant for a glass of orange juice. She was sitting on the sofa drinking the orange juice when she heard the sound of footsteps coming down from the stairs.

A few seconds later, Sunny appeared in front of her to show off his look. He had put a copious amount of wax in his hair and combed it back to look more mature. To complete his look, he wore a suit and a pair of leather shoes.

“What do you think? Do I look mature enough now? No one will say Xante is a cradle-snatcher if I go out with her looking like this, right?” he asked with a wink, his thumb and index finger under his chin.

With the straw still in her mouth, Corinne looked at him and calmly said, “You look like a secret agent.” Not every man could pull off a combed-back hairstyle. As a matter of fact, Sunny looked like a toddler wearing his father’s clothes.

‘He can pretend to be mature all he wants, but he’ll never fool anyone,’ mused Corinne.

The only man Corinne knew who could pull off the look was Jeremy. He would always sport a combed-back hairstyle at work as it made him look mature and authoritative.

However, he would favor another look while he was at home. After showering, he would let his hair hang down naturally and when dressed in a simple t-shirt and shorts, he looked to be, at most, in his mid-twenties.

Even though he would have liked to dress more casually at work, he knew the board of directors—which mostly consisted of old men—and the customers would not respect him or would question his capability if he did not look the part of a CEO. Thus, he had no choice but to make himself look older than he really was.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1307-‘Wait, why am I thinking of that jerk again? Ugh, he’s like a ghost that just won’t leave me alone!’ grumbled Corinne mentally.

Sunny was not happy at being likened to a secret agent.

“Oh, come on. You don’t really think I look like a secret agent, do you? I mean, have you ever seen a secret agent as handsome as me? Plus, Jeremy wears his hair like this too. Are you saying he looks like a secret agent as well?” Corinne became annoyed at the mention of Jeremy. “You should learn from Lucas instead of someone else.” Sunny lifted his chin. “Lucas doesn’t need to comb his hair back because he already looks mature! I’ve seen Jeremy without his hair combed back, and he

doesn’t look a day over thirty. What’s wrong with me imitating his style?” Even though Corinne agreed with his words, she still said, “I suggest that you go as your usual self. There’s no use pretending who you’re not.” “Hmph! I don’t believe you. After all, you were so smitten by Jeremy’s look back then,” said Sunny confidently.

Corinne was speechless.

“I’m pretty sure Xante’s going to fall head over heels with me if she sees me like this,” proclaimed Sunny.

“I’m pretty sure she’ll think you’ve lost your mind if she sees you like this,” countered Corinne.

Sunny decided to ignore Corinne. He ran over to a mirror to admire his looks before waving goodbye at her. “I should get going now. I promise I’ll be back in an hour.” Corinne ignored him and continued to sip her orange juice. Knowing Xante, she was sure she would not be happy with Sunny’s look. She would not be surprised if Sunny came back looking sad.

She leaned back lazily against the sofa and grabbed her phone to see if there were any messages. There was indeed one sent by Jeremy from 10 minutes ago.

[Are you going to ignore me again?] Corinne frowned and deleted his message. ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’ she thought.

However, one second later, she received a text message from Jason.

[Corinne, where are you right now?] Corinne replied, [I’ve already eaten.] Jason sent her a teary-laugh emoji along with the message, [Here you go changing the topic again. I’m asking where you are.] [I don’t want to have lunch with you. Mister Jason, I suggest you put your time to some good use instead of texting me. You really shouldn’t harass a pregnant lady like me, you know.] Jason sent her another teary-laugh emoji. [How did you know I was going out for lunch?] [Lucky guess. That’s why I told you I’ve eaten.] [Corinne, are you really not going to tell me where you are?] [Don’t worry. All you need to know is that I’m in a safe place and lack for nothing. Thank you for your concern, though.] [Fine. I guess I have no choice but to enjoy these delicious foods alone.] Jason then spammed her with pictures of tantalizing food to whet her appetite.

Corinne simply replied with an annoyed emoji and stopped messaging him after that.

She was very well aware Jason had a crush on her, but he was starting to get on her nerves. She decided that it was best to keep her distance from him.

However, she would still help him should he run into any trouble since he did help her when she was at her lowest, even though doing so would put him at Jeremy’s wrath.

She put down her phone and nodded off on the sofa. The servant placed a blanket over her when they saw she was sleeping.

In her dream, a group of people with guns in their hands were chasing after her in a maze while she had nothing to protect herself. The only thing she could do was to run and hide.

Suddenly, she heard a gunshot.

She thought she had been shot, but when she turned back, she saw Jeremy falling backward to the ground while blood gushed out from a hole in his chest.

She was only alive because Jeremy had saved her from the bullet.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1308-Corinne panicked and tried to stop Jeremy’s bleeding by pressing one hand onto his gaping hole while she called the emergency hotline with the other hand.

However, her hand was shaking so much that she kept pressing on the wrong number.

Jeremy’s face became paler as he lost more blood, but that did not stop him from feebly smiling and saying weakly, “Little rascal, can you forgive me now?” Corinne nodded rapidly as tears streamed down her face. “Please don’t die…” Jeremy’s eyes gradually lost focus before he closed them for the last time.

“No!” screamed Corinne, waking up in shock.

“Miss Corinne, are you okay?” Corinne opened her eyes and saw the maid looking worriedly at her “Miss Corinne, you’re sweating a lot. Are you unwell? Shall I call for the doctor?” Corinne shook her head and shakily replied, “I’m fine.” The maid passed her some tissue to wipe away her sweat before pouring a glass of water for her.

Corinne was still slightly breathing hard while the pain in her chest never subsided. The dream was so real that she could not shake off the feeling, even though she kept telling herself it was just a dream. She just wanted him to stay away from her, not die!

‘Ugh, this is so suffocating. But why would I dream about something like this?’ wondered Corinne.

She took the glass of warm water from the maid’s hand and drank it before letting out a long sigh of relief.

At that moment, Sunny came back looking sad.

‘Huh? Have I slept that long?’ thought Corinne.

Corinne took another sip of water before asking Sunny, “How did it go? Did you manage to make Xante fall head over heels with you?” Sunny ignored her and strode up the stairs forlornly.

Not only did Xante not fall head over heels with him, but she completely ignored him! She would not even go to lunch with him!

‘Do I really look ridiculous dressed like this? Sh*t! Women are so hard to please!’ thought Sunny.

Corinne raised an eyebrow as she watched Sunny go up the stairs like a sad puppy. She was not surprised at the outcome at all. She knew Xante hated pretentious people the most, so it was not surprising she would ignore Sunny.

Corinne checked her phone again. There were no more messages from Jeremy.

‘Huh… This is rare,’ she thought. However, she could not help but feel anxious at the same time. ‘No, I shouldn’t overthink things.’ After all, no one in the world would dare to cross Jeremy. Doing so was as good as courting death.

Corinne rewatched some of her favorite series to stop herself from overthinking after she had her lunch, which had been specially prepared by the nutritionist Lucas hired for her.

When evening came, Lucas walked in with Edmund, who was carrying two bags full of groceries in his hands.

Lucas walked over to her and stroked her hair. “Corinne, I’m back. I’ve bought all the ingredients for the barbeque you’ve been craving for. It’ll be ready soon.” “Oh, thanks,” said Corinne absent-mindedly.

Lucas sat gracefully beside her after one of the servants helped him out of his jacket.

“I’ve also brought you something you’ve been wishing for!”

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1309-Corinne finally shifted her gaze from the television to Lucas. “Something I’ve been wishing for?” ‘Could it be…’ Lucas snapped his fingers, and the servants immediately brought in and lifted off the white dust-proof fabric covering the painting.

Corinne’s eyes instantly lit up. It was the self-portrait of Nellie Nymphaea!

The woman in the painting was looking down despairingly, yet her body language showed an unyielding thirst for life as though there was still something holding her back.

There were fine lines around her eyes and the two sides of her nose, so Corinne guessed her mother should be in her mid-thirties when she painted this selfportrait.

‘If this is Mom’s self-portrait, that means she managed to escape from being killed after she left me with the Carews,’ thought Corinne. She could not help but hope that her mother was still alive even until then.

Lucas’ expression subtly changed when he saw the painting. There were so many things he regretted when it came to his mother. Being 10 years older than Corinne, he remembered much more about Emily than his little sister.

After a while, Corinne snapped out of her trance. She then turned to Lucas and asked curiously, “How did you manage to get the painting in one day?” She thought Jeremy would not give her the painting no matter what.

Lucas thought it was surprising too. “Things went better than I expected! I went to find Jeremy this afternoon, and after I told him the purpose of my visit, he straight away ordered his men to bring the painting to me.” Corinne found that incredulous. “Really? He didn’t ask for anything in return?” Lucas shook his head. “Nope. He didn’t even ask for payment.” Corinne frowned. “How can you not pay him? Didn’t I tell you I’d pay you back no matter how much it costs? I don’t want to owe him anything!” Lucas looked deeply into her eyes as he explained, “I did give him the money, but he said he didn’t want it. He even told me to give the money to you since you’re the one who holds the purse strings in the relationship.” Corinne frowned and pursed her lips. ‘Why does he still say that when we’re not together anymore?’ Wanting to draw a clear line between them, Corinne muttered, “Who wants his money? Forget it. I’ll just ask him how much he wants for the painting and wire him the money later!” “Do you need money from me?” asked Lucas gently.

Corinne waved her hand. “No. I have my own money.” Lucas sighed helplessly. He really looked forward to the day when Corinne would accept his care and money since that would mean she accepted him as her brother.

“Alright, then. I’ll go get the barbecue going and call you when the food’s ready.” Corinne nodded. After he left, she picked up her phone again.

She hesitated for a while before shooting off a message to Jeremy.

[Mister Jeremy, how much did you buy the painting for?] A minute later, he replied, [Not much.] [Tell me now. I don’t want to owe you!] [You don’t owe me.] Corinne thought it was going nowhere, so she wired him a sum that she calculated by doubling the amount of money Nellie Nymphaea’s previous paintings went for.

… Meanwhile, a black car was driving along the country road. Jeremy frowned, and his expression darkened when he received the money transfer notification for a huge sum. He did not even bother to click on the notification before putting his phone away.

At that moment, Tommy—who was sitting in the front passenger seat—turned back to report to him, “Mister Jeremy, we’re nearly there. We managed to track down the suspicious guy who dropped off the letter for you to the location up ahead.”

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 1310-Jeremy narrowed his eyes when he saw the abandoned factory in front of him.

A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of the factory, and he got down.

… Meanwhile, back at the Riveras’ mansion.

Lucas was supervising the kitchen staff. He wanted to make sure all the ingredients were prepared safely and correctly for Corinne’s consumption.

After a while, he brought out some meatballs and called toward the living room, “Corinne, dinner’s ready!”

“Coming!” said Corinne. She then turned off the television with the remote and walked toward the dining room. Recently, she was quick to hunger, but she just chalked it down to the baby needing more nourishment.

After he called Corinne over, Lucas ordered one of the servants to ask Sunny down for dinner.

Sunny was still in his room sulking at that time. However, as much as he was not in the mood to eat, he dared not defy his brother’s order.

As soon as he came into the dining room and smelled the barbecue grilling, he found his appetite came back. In fact, he was even hungrier than before since the whole thing with Xante caused him to skip lunch.

Sunny sat and poured some sauce onto his plate. “Lucas, didn’t you use to stop us from eating barbecue food because of how unhealthy it is?” he asked curiously.

Lucas’ face instantly darkened. He gave Sunny a side-eye while saying, “It’s fine if we eat it once in a while.” Sunny did not dare to say anything else after that. He was so afraid Lucas was going to lecture him again that he decided to do the smart thing by moving to sit next to Corinne.

The Riveras’ dining table was so large that they had to stand up to get the food from the tabletop grill. Thus, Lucas thought it would be easier if he sat next to Corinne too so that the servants could help them grill the food from the other side.

Lucas placed some steak onto Corinne’s plate. “Corinne, I’ve booked a room for you at the hospital. You just need to tell me when your water breaks, and we’ll go straight to the hospital.” “Thank you. That’s very kind of you,” said Corinne serenely. After that, she busied herself with eating.

Lucas could not help but feel Corinne was trying to distance herself from him, so he said, “You don’t have to thank me. I’m just doing what any brother would do.” Corinne pretended she did not hear what he said.

Lucas sighed softly and left it at that. ‘I wonder when she’ll stop treating me like a stranger…’ he thought.

Halfway through their dinner, Edmund suddenly walked into the dining room and whispered something into Lucas’ ear.

Lucas’ eyes immediately widened. “When did that happen?” “I’m not sure as I just received the news,” answered Edmund gravely.

Lucas quickly put down his fork and knife before glancing at Corinne with a complicated look on his face.

Noticing something was off, Sunny asked, “Edmund, did something happen?” Edmund did not know how to answer him, so he chose to stay silent.

Lucas glanced coldly at Sunny. “This doesn’t concern you. Eat your dinner!” Sunny pouted and did as he was told.

Lucas picked up his napkin to wipe his hand. After that, he stood and said, “Corinne, take your time with your dinner. I need to step out for a moment to do something, okay?” “Okay,” replied Corinne with a nod. Knowing where her boundaries were, she did not ask Lucas what happened or where he was going. Instead, she picked up another piece of steak from the grill and put it on her plate.

Sunny still felt the whole thing was off as he watched Lucas leave. “I wonder what happened to cause Lucas to dash off like that.” “Mind your own business, kiddo!” warned Corinne with a glance.