Ch. 2221..2230

Chapter 2221 Decline His Invitation

This amusement park was not too big nor too small.

Nicole never saw the hunched back of that lonely person again.

The two children had a great time playing and were obedient.

Thus, Nicole rewarded them with a balloon each.

When they went out, they walked hand in hand on the street.

The sun was shining gently on their shoulders. She felt the soft breeze and smelled the fresh air.

Chatty talked while Fischer enthusiastically echoed whatever she said.

Nicole could not help but smile.

The man in the front saw this scene and stood there without moving.

Chatty saw him first. She also saw the little boy beside the man.

"Oh, that weird uncle and his son..."

Fischer's fair and tender face was instantly filled with displeasure.

Chance ran over happily and looked up at them.

"Hello, Auntie, Chatty, and Fischer! This is a gift for you."

Chatty tilted her head and smiled at him. Without any hesitation, she politely accepted the gift from him.

It was a pretty rainbow cotton candy.

"Thank you!"

Fischer let go of Chatty's hand angrily, turned his head away, and went to hold Nicole's hand.

He was angry because Chatty had such little willpower.

Chatty also ran over and handed the cotton candy to Fischer.

"Hey, it's the big cotton candy you like..."

Fischer's eyes lit up in surprise. He stopped being angry for a moment and happily took it over.

Chatty was speechless.

Fischer reconciled with her too fast.

Chance looked at Chatty with a smile.

Eric also walked over and coughed.

"What a coincidence! Chance wanted to go to the amusement park. I didn’t expect you to leave so soon.”

Nicole was not in a good mood. She looked listless. Although she still looked gentle and beautiful, people who cared about her could sense the change in her mood.

She did not have time to speculate Eric's purpose for showing up here, but she was not happy about it.

If she had known that Eric would be here, she would not allow Roland and Logan to leave first.

They should have gone in the car and should not have walked.

Nicole slightly raised her eyelids and looked at Eric.

"Really? We’re already tired, so we're going back now. If you want to go, you should go in as soon as possible."

Eric paused and said with a smile, "Chance doesn’t want to go anymore."

Chance, who was smiling at Chatty, slowly retracted his smile.

Children still could not control their emotions or act as if nothing had happened.

Eric asked someone to bring Chance over and said that he was going on vacation.

Chance had always been in awe of his father and dared not approach him.

After all, it was normal to crave affection from his family as a child.

Thus, at this moment, although he was excited to meet Chatty, Chance was even more excited that Eric was willing to accompany him to the amusement park amidst his busy schedule.

However, Eric said that Chance did not feel like going anymore.

Before Chance could say anything, he turned to look at Eric.

Chance's features were beautiful, and his skin was fair and tender. His innocent smile was replaced with shock.

Before his innocent smile fully dissipated, he had to withdraw all of his expectations for Eric.

Chance seemed to be kicked down from the pedestal and beaten back to his original position.

However, Eric did not even look at Chance before he made this decision, as if he did not care at all whether Chance wanted to go to the amusement park or not.

Chance slowly retracted his gaze and stared at the pebbles on the ground in a daze.

Eric smiled and looked at them. His voice was gentle as he said, "Since we can meet here, it must be fate. I booked a restaurant on the Champs- Elysees, where you can overlook the scenery of the whole city. Why don't we have dinner together?" 1

He looked at Nicole sincerely and looked forward to her answer.

The sunset colors enveloped Nicole's beautifully and hazily that it seemed unreal.

The glowing red light reflected on her skin and made her look like she had just stepped out of a portrait.

Eric was infatuated with her.

Nicole looked up at him and said in a cold voice to distance herself from him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ferguson. We're busy."

As she said, she wanted to walk past him and move on.

However, Eric squatted down in front of Chatty this time and smiled gently.

"Chatty, there's a prince that can do magic and Snow White at the restaurant that I booked. Don’t you want to see it?"

Chatty touched her hair in a daze.

She tilted her head in bewilderment, looked at Eric with pity, and said," Weird Uncle, there's no such thing as magic or Snow White in this world. These are just lies in fairytale stories. You're so old and still believe this? Have your daddy and mommy been lying to you?"

Chatty looked at him sympathetically and held Nicole's hand.

"Mommy, this uncle is so pitiful. He's so big yet he still believe this!"

Nicole twitched the corners of her mouth and glanced at Eric speechlessly.

Eric’s face and smile were very stiff at this time.

He did not know how to describe what he was feeling for a while.

Did kids these days not believe in fairytales?

He thought kids loved Snow White and the Prince.

How could his method be wrong?

His face slowly sank.

Nicole took a deep breath, and her mood unexpectedly improved.

She looked down at Chatty and said with a smile, "It's a good thing that he has a childlike innocence. Don't laugh at someone else's fantasy world. If you don't want to go, then you should thank him for his invitation and say goodbye to him."

Chatty nodded obediently and waved her little hand.

'Thank you. Goodbye!"

Nicole smiled and looked at Eric.

"Goodbye."

After that, she motioned for Fischer to pull Chatty's hands.

Fischer could not wait to pull Chatty and leave.

Chance looked in the direction of the amusement park in disappointment and then at Eric. He said with a cautious voice, "Daddy, can I still go to eat?"

Nicole, Fischer, and Chatty had not gone far.

Naturally, they could still hear the conversation between Eric and Chance.

Eric put away the little patience he had and glanced at Chance irritably.

"We can eat at the hotel."

After he said that, Nicole paused for a moment. She suddenly turned her head and looked at Chance with a smile.

"Chatty, do you want to invite Chance to a picnic?"

Chatty liked this handsome and approachable boy, so she nodded immediately.

She ran over and said, "Chance, do you want to play with US? We won’t bring this weird uncle!"

Chatty finished speaking and did not notice that Eric’s face turned glum.

When he heard Nicole's words, he thought that she was giving him a chance.

As a result, Chatty actually excluded Eric from their picnic.

Chapter 2222 Revealed Secret

For a while, Eric did not know what to say to get out of this awkward situation.

Obviously, Eric was the one who wanted to eat with Nicole and the kids in the first place.

In the end, Nicole and the kids only invited Chance, that little brat!

Chance looked at Chatty, who took the initiative to invite him, and felt the gloom in his heart disappear.

He nodded happily.

Then, he cautiously looked at Eric and mustered up the courage to say," Daddy, I'll follow Chatty then. Goodbye!”

After that, Chance held hands with Chatty and went to chase Nicole and Fischer.

Fischer was displeased to see Chance.

His dislike for Chance was so obvious.

Nicole did not arrange a proper dinner at first. There was a very distinctive street nearby that was very similar to Chinatown, so she planned to go there for a stroll.

Chance was so happy that he could not hide his smile, and Nicole felt a little sorry for him when she saw this.

Nicole did not have an opinion on Chance.

Although Chance's mother had done horrible things to her, Angie had already received retribution.

It was impossible for Nicole to attribute all her hatred to a child.

Chance was an ignorant child who was walking on eggshells around everyone, but what did he do that was so wrong?

Thus, she decided to invite Chance in a moment of impulse.

Eric's indifference toward Chance made Nicole feel a little sad.

That man had always been like this. He would not waste a little more time and energy on people or things that he did not care about.

Chance, who was raised in such an environment, would grow up with personality problems.

Perhaps it was better if Chance stayed in school more often.

Chatty went to watch someone make candy and looked so excited as if she wanted to eat it.

Chance also ran over happily and looked at her with an ingratiating smile.

Fischer pouted, held Nicole's hand, and said aggrievedly, "Mommy, I don’t like him. Why did you invite him? He was the one who pushed Chatty into the water!"

He always remembered this clearly, so he was hostile toward Chance.

Fischer thought that Chance only smiled harmlessly on the surface but was capable of bullying Chatty at any time when he was not around.

Thus, Fischer did not want such a person to get close to Chatty.

After all, Clayton had entrusted him to protect Chatty and keep her away from Chance.

Nicole saw the two children smiling happily and squatted down to pat Fischer's head.

"Fischer, if he really did it, I’m sure he must feel remorseful about it, so we should give him a chance to correct it. If he didn't do it, we would've falsely accused him.”

Fischer frowned. "But...”

At this moment, Chance took two lollipops over.

He handed one to Nicole and the other to Fischer.

Nicole smiled and took it.

Fischer turned his head away and refused to accept his show of goodwill. Chance paused, bit his lower lip, and finally looked at Nicole.

"Auntie, my mother did ask me to push Chatty into the water back then during my birthday party."

Chance did not get much love and attention since young and was used to reading people's expressions.

Thus, he could keenly feel Fischer's hostility toward him. Fischer even accused him outrightly last time.

Back then, Chance felt guilty about the accusation and dared not answer.

However, when Nicole invited him over, Chance noticed that Chatty did not hold any grudges against him because of that incident, so he suddenly felt like being brave this once.

If he did not dare to admit it, would he have to live with this secret that made him guilty all his life?

Chance looked at Fischer, then at Nicole. He said in a low voice, "My mother wanted to use that opportunity to save Chatty so that she could get close to you. Although I don’t know why she did this, I knew that it was wrong to do that. When Chatty was running by the pool, I didn't push her. I was just afraid that she would fall, so I wanted to grab her. But I didn't expect that when I touched her, Chatty had already fallen into the pool, and I was one step late. Afterward, I found out that my mother poured a lot of slippery soap by the pool. Chatty was not the only one who fell. Other children also fell into the water..."

Chance's voice became weaker as he spoke, and he kept his head down like he had done something wrong.

Telling them this secret made his face hot.

Chance clearly knew what his mother was doing, but he hid it for her.

For so long, Chance felt guilty and uncomfortable everytime he saw Chatty.

He did not push Chatty, but it felt as if he did.

Perhaps Nicole and Fischer would not believe his words, but if he did not tell them now, he would miss the opportunity to explain himself, and he did not know when he could get the chance again.

Seeing his expression, Nicole was slightly stunned.

Nicole knew that Chance was not bad by nature. His environment affected him.

If Chance took the initiative to tell them this, it meant that he had been thinking about this for a long time.

That was not easy for him.

Nicole sighed and said softly, "It’s okay. Everyone has made mistakes before. What’s important is knowing your mistakes and correcting them. Besides, I believe that you didn't push Chatty."

Chance had been hiding this simply because Angie was his mother and his nanny at that time.

He could not and did not dare to tell anyone because he did not want to leave his mother's side.

What was wrong with that?

Nicole looked at Fischer and smiled.

"Fischer, you're very brave and you've been protecting Chatty. That's why you kept this in mind for so long. But will you forgive Chance seeing as he voluntarily admitted his mistake?”

Fischer paused and reluctantly raised his eyes to look at Chance.

Chance looked at Fischer nervously and excitedly. Fischer hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded slowly.

Fischer decided not to target Chance anymore for the sake of his sincerity.

However, it was also impossible for him to like Chance.

After all, Fischer remembered Clayton's words clearly.

Chance smiled happily and handed over the lollipop to Fischer.

Fischer licked his lips and took it.

He did not have any resistance to candy. That was his weakness.

Seeing them reconcile, Nicole felt that a child's world was so simple.

Nicole asked Fischer and Chance to play with Chatty while she sat on a chair by the entrance of the store next door.

The store happened to be an authentic tea house.

She did not drink tea in a while, so she ordered a drink and sat there.

As the sun set, the sky darkened. The dim light seemed to stretch time for a long time, and everything seemed extraordinarily delicate and beautiful.

Nicole was stunning as she sat there with her aloof temperament and gorgeous face. She looked more like a movie star who came to shoot a blockbuster.

Passersby could not help but take another look at her.

Nicole sat there and watched the three children chatting and laughing. She could not help but smile.

Someone watched this scene as well.

However, that person hid in the shadows for fear of being seen.

Chapter 2223 Take Another Look

This hiding figure was captured by another man.

Eric squinted his eyes and saw the man that was hiding in the shadows not far away.

The man bent his body and looked sneaky, but his eyes were staring in Nicole's direction.

Obviously, this man had bad intentions.

Eric immediately became alert.

He could not let Nicole be in harm's way.

Eric took out his phone and asked his bodyguards to rush over.

Then, he strode over to Nicole.

Nicole squinted lazily and looked at the beautiful scenery when someone suddenly appeared in her sight.

She frowned and looked annoyed.

Why was this man haunting her? Did he really not understand what she meant when she rejected him?

'You..."

Nicole was about to curse at him, but Eric pulled her up and walked toward the center of the street.

Eric carried Chatty, who was playing happily, and looked at the other two boys. He said in a serious tone, "Stop playing. We have to go back now because there's danger here."

Nicole was startled and looked around with a puzzled face.

"Danger? What danger?"

She did not understand where the danger came from.

Although the law and order here was not as good as it was in Mediania, she would not be so unlucky to encounter danger again, right?

However, there was no sign of panic on the streets. So, where was this danger?

Eric held Nicole's arm tightly and walked out. He pointed to the place where the sneaky figure was just now.

"Look..."

As soon as he pointed to the spot, he noticed that it was empty.

No one was there.

Nicole took a look, and her face turned cold instantly.

She frowned and looked at Eric.

"Mr. Ferguson, were you upset that I refused your invitation to dinner? That's why you thought of using this ridiculous reason to disturb US?"

Eric's face darkened. "I didn't..."

His face was a little gloomy and impatient.

He did not know how to explain it.

While Eric looked tangled, Chatty broke free from his hand.

'Weird Uncle, my arm hurts!" 1

Chatty looked up at him with teary eyes and accused him bluntly.

Fischer quickly caught up to them and took Chatty's hand. Then, he gently rubbed her little arms.

Chance looked at his father in shock and did not know what happened.

Eric's expression changed. He let go of Nicole's hand and looked at the corner where that person was.

It was impossible.

Eric did not make a commotion from the beginning and did not startle anyone. How did that man disappear in such a short period of time?

"I'm not lying. Someone was watching you this whole time. I suspect that he was waiting for an opportunity to do something to you. You're alone with the kids, and you certainly don't look poor, so you're a good target for

robbers. Luckily I showed up here. Otherwise, you all would've been in danger!" 1

Eric stood there and explained what happened to her calmly.

Nicole glanced at him and curled her lips.

"So, I should thank you for saving my life because there was no danger?"

Nicole did not know when Eric had become so shameless.

What danger?

Nicole watched the bustling street. People were laughing and chatting.

It had been so long since Eric showed up, but she did not see any disturbance or unrest.

Obviously, Eric was talking nonsense.

Eric was stunned for a moment. His expression was indescribably glum.

However, Eric had always lost to Nicole, so he did not mind embarrassing himself again.

Eric was silent for a moment. He raised his eyes slightly.

"I know you're repulsed by me now, but can you trust me this once?"

Guilt and affection stirred in his eyes.

However, Nicole looked away the moment she saw it.

She pursed her lips and looked at the children.

"Nevermind, it's getting late. Let's go home. Grandpa is still waiting to video call you guys!"

Nicole patted Chatty's head, and Chatty nodded immediately.

Chatty was tired, and she missed her grandfather very much.

Eric opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but when he saw Nicole’s doubtful expression, he swallowed the rest of his words.

Forget it. He would prove it to her.

Nicole called the driver and waited on the side of the road for the driver to pick them up.

Eric insisted on standing and waiting with them.

The two adults did not speak to each other, which made it awkward.

Chance did not dare to say a word.

Chatty and Fischer shared their lollipops as if the different shapes of lollipops would taste different. Their expressions were very amusing.

Through the glass window of a shop not far away, the limping man stood there and looked at their figures through the special glass.

He felt like someone had stabbed him in his heart.

Those two people seemed to look perfect together.

At least, that man was more suitable than his current self.

His eyes felt sore, and his calm eyes had no fluctuations.

Was his happy and blessed life about to be snatched away by another man?

The driver arrived.

Nicole let the two children get into the car and said goodbye to Chance, who waved at them.

Eric looked at her and hesitated to speak.

"I know you won't listen to me about that private reception, but I hope that you can consider it carefully. There are many dangers on the cruise, so don't risk your own life."

Nicole glanced at him, pursed her lips, and said indifferently, "I also hope that you can consider what I said carefully. Stop watching me. What I want to do isn't up to you!"

She stretched out her hand to close the car door and did not even look at him.

Nicole knew that she might have lost her composure, but she just could not help it.

She would not mind having a good talk with him if he was still the same as before and knew his sense of proportion.

However, Eric had clearly crossed the line.

Thus, she did not want to put up with him anymore.

Chatty looked at her from the side.

"Mommy, why does that weird uncle show up all the time?"

Nicole paused, then looked at her daughter.

"He’s also doing business here."

"I don't like him. He looks like a monster when he doesn't smile. He's so scary!"

Chatty was trembling with her two small fists clenched on her chin.

Nicole smiled helplessly.

"Don't talk about others behind their backs. Otherwise, I'll tell Grandpa!"

Chatty made a face and said, "Grandpa loves me the most!"

Fischer pinched Chatty's cheek and smiled. In the blink of an eye, Chatty turned around and fought with him again.

Nicole smiled and looked past the car window.

When she passed by a store not far away, she suddenly looked up.

The man in a black suit leaned on a cane as he limped out of the store and walked in the opposite direction. 1

For some reason, her heart suddenly clenched. 1

It hurt badly.

Nicole pressed one hand on the window and looked at the man's lonely back. He looked so lifeless as if he was shrouded in darkness.

She suddenly shouted, "Stop the car..." 4

Chapter 2224 Hallucination

Nicole did not know why she had such a big reaction to a back figure.

However, she had an intuition that she would regret it if she did not stop him.

The car braked suddenly.

Nicole pushed the door open, got out of the car, and looked back in the opposite direction. At this time, that man had already disappeared.

That limping figure left so quickly.

Nicole felt an inexplicable sense of loss in her heart.

It was as if she was stripped of something important.

However, she could not understand what this feeling was.

"Miss, what's the matter?"

Luca got out of the car and looked around vigilantly. He thought that something happened!

Nicole looked at the empty street. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she shook her head.

"It's nothing."

Her voice was low, and she sounded so lonely.

Was it her illusion?

For a moment, Nicole felt that the limping figure looked like Clayton.

However, Clayton was someone who cared most about his appearance and had never looked so wretched.

Nicole returned to the car and looked at her phone. The messages she sent were like stones that sunk into the sea.

She never got any response.

[I miss you so much. Why don't you come back?]

(Chatty beat up some kids at school. I think you have to come back and scold her!]

[I saw someone who looked like you today. I thought you came back!]

At night, everyone was already asleep.

Nicole returned to the room with a glass of milk.

She looked at the medicine in front of her with narrowed eyes.

Then, she took out her phone and called the psychiatrist.

The doctor was very responsible. Even if she called late at night, he did not show any displeasure.

"Ms. Stanton, you can’t sleep?"

Nicole paused. "Yeah."

'You told me a few days ago that you can fall asleep normally. Why can’t you sleep today? Is it because of some external stimulus? Did you encounter anything today?”

Nicole blinked as she listened to the doctor's gentle voice.

She suddenly wanted to talk to someone, and an ethical psychiatrist was obviously a good confidant.

"I met someone who looked a lot like him, but it couldn’t be him. I think he might be watching me somewhere."

The psychiatrist was silent for a while. His voice became serious.

"How long did this last?"

"Since I came to France."

The psychiatrist exhaled slowly.

'The change in the environment might have caused some mental rejection. That’s why you tend to find a sense of dependence. This might not be a bad thing. Ms. Stanton, you should try to blend into the vibrant surroundings and reduce your chances of being alone so as to prevent

your mind from running wild."

Nicole responded. The doctor was satisfied with her proactive behavior.

At least, Nicole was willing to get out of the inextricable pain.

She pursed her lips. "Are you saying that it’s just my hallucination? It would be great if I could confirm it. What if it's really him?"

The psychiatrist was silent for a moment before he spoke in a gentle voice.

"Ms. Stanton, you're thinking about a hypothetical situation. This person may not exist at all, and you may be pouring your thoughts about Mr. Sloan onto an insignificant passerby. This gives you a strong sense of

anticipation. That's when you'll create an illusion that makes you think that he may be paying attention to you. But in fact, this is all in your mind. Is this person different from others?"

Nicole frowned slightly. Her blood felt stagnant.

"Mm."

"He probably looks and acts differently from others, right?"

The psychiatrist accurately described the person she saw today.

Nicole responded, and the anticipation in her heart gradually faded.

The psychiatrist could describe the situation so accurately, which meant that it was false.

Did she really imagine that person?

Was it really her mind playing tricks on her?

Nicole was terribly disappointed.

Why was it not him?

As long as he could come back, she could accept him no matter what he looked like.

The psychiatrist slowly explained the changes in her mental state to her.

Nicole could not listen to anything he said.

She put down the phone and let him talk to the air. Then, she went to the bookcase next to her and took out a bottle of red wine that she hid there long ago.

Then, she poured the milk in the glass out the window, refilled the glass with red wine, and drank it in one gulp.

After she did this, she felt her stiff body slowly relax.

It seemed that even the air around her became lighter.

The moon and the stars were bright against the dark sky.

She looked out the window in a daze and let her tears fall uncontrollably.

"Ms. Stanton, don't take that medicine anymore. Now that you've stopped taking it, don't be dependent on it. Drink some milk and try to make

yourself fall asleep. Ms. Stanton, are you still listening? Ms. Stanton?"

Nicole took a deep breath.

She wiped away her tears, picked up the phone from the side, and responded with a gentle and obedient voice, which gave the psychiatrist the illusion that she was listening to him. "Okay. I won't take the medicine.

I just drank a glass of milk, and I’ll go to bed now...”

The psychiatrist breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay. I won't bother you then. Goodnight."

"Okay."

After Nicole finished speaking, she hung up the phone.

She raised her head, looked out the window, and hugged herself.

At that moment, she felt extremely vulnerable.

It seemed like a slight force could break her.

However, she did not dare to be vulnerable in front of anyone.

Nicole had seen Floyd stay up for days and nights because of her. She also saw Grant leaving Aida alone while he went back and forth to the office.

How could she use her own life to torture other people?

She opened WhatsApp and went into her private message with Clayton.

As always, there was no response.

She typed slowly as her eyes blurred with tears.

[How could you abandon me after I fell in love with you?]

He was such a gentle, attentive, and romantic person, so how could he do such a cruel thing?

Clayton filled her with hope for the future. She fantasized about how they would grow old together, but she could not wait for this day to come.

The pain that came from her heart spread all over her body.

They clearly agreed to be together forever, and they had no obstacles, but why did they still end up like this?

[If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have married you in the first place...]

After typing this, she immediately deleted it.

Her tears fell uncontrollably.

Her pain doubled under the influence of alcohol.

For a while, she cried so hard that she could not breathe, but she did not make a sound.

She endured the pain alone.

If Clayton really saw that message, he would be devastated.

It was a long night in this foreign land.

The man in the suit left such a strong impression on her because of his loneliness and lifelessness.

The emotions that she suppressed all day burst out uncontrollably. 1

Chapter 2225 The Vagrant

If Nicole knew this would happen, she would probably still choose to be with Clayton.

She had never regretted her decision to be with Clayton back then.

On the contrary, she regretted her three years of marriage with Eric countless times.

However, she was never sad every minute she was with Clayton.

All he brought her was endless joy and happiness, and she had long been addicted to it.

She re-edited that sentence.

If I'd known this would happen, I would’ve been with you sooner...

After the message was sent successfully, she slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was as if a burden had been lifted.

She found an answer for herself.

It was just too bad that he could not see it.

Nicole did not fix his phone and only left it in the Stanton Mansion, so no one would receive her messages.

However, she knew that someone would know her secret.

Nicole lay on the bed with her eyes open. She looked stunning and fragile, like a flower that was about to wither.

At the same time, Eric listened to his subordinate’s report with a cold expression on his face.

"You couldn’t find him? How could it be?! He's a cripple in black clothes that's around 50 to 60 years old. He wore a hat and a mask and obviously looked like he had bad intentions. Have you searched all the vagrants nearby?"

The subordinate nodded.

"We did, but we didn’t find the person you described or anyone like him. According to your description, if he was a cripple, he wouldn't have gone too far, and someone around would've seen him. But I went to the shops on both sides of the street to ask around, and they insisted that they had never seen this person."

Eric's face was dark and gloomy as if he did not believe this at all.

"What about the surveillance cameras? This is a big city, so they must have surveillance, right?"

The subordinate’s face changed slightly.

"No, the surveillance system at the location you mentioned was hacked a few days ago. The police here are laid back and don't pay attention to these things, so they just let it be. There's no trace of this man in other cameras either. Mr. Ferguson, were you perhaps mistaken?”

Eric's face turned cold instantly.

"Are you saying that I'm blind?"

His subordinates immediately lowered their heads. "No, sir."

Eric gritted his teeth, and his voice was extremely cold.

"I don't believe someone can disappear in plain sight. I must find this person! I can't let Nicole be in any more danger. Go to all the places Nicole has been to today and check the surveillance footage. If that person

wanted to stalk Nicole, then he must’ve appeared in other places as well."

The subordinates were a little surprised at Eric making this a big deal.

It might just be a vagrant passing by.

However, they did not dare to disobey Eric's order, so they could only nod and oblige.

'Yes, Mr. Ferguson."

Eric waved them away.

His face was extremely gloomy.

Eric had a vague intuition that the stranger's back was familiar.

It was a familiar hostility that made him feel that the man had bad intentions.

Eric had missed his opportunities with Nicole many times.

This time, no matter what the danger was, Eric wanted to stand in front of her to protect her. The night sky was as dark as ink.

In the dark, a man looked at the countless lines of code on the computer and tapped on the keyboard quickly.

Soon, a familiar page quietly appeared again.

It was a list of familiar contacts.

Next to that familiar profile picture was a red dot with countless unread messages.

He had been afraid to read them, but today, he finally could not restrain himself.

He wanted to talk to her, hug her, and kiss her, but he could not.

Thus, he could only look at those good memories from the past.

When he opened it, he found that they were all messages that Nicole sent to him.

Sometimes, it was about the little things in life.

Sometimes, it was just a few words.

There were no paragraphs.

Nicole never liked long paragraphs and liked to keep things simple.

However, she was patient. She had been sending messages to him from the day he disappeared.

Time froze at the previous second.

[How could you abandon me after I fell in love with you?

When these words popped out, his eyes instantly became sore.

The gut-wrenching pain that pierced his heart instantly made his body feel cold.

Soon after, he saw that she was typing.

After a long time, he thought that she had given up.

However, in the next second, her message popped out again.

[If I'd known this would happen, I would've been with you sooner...]

In an instant, he felt as if his heart had been swept away by a tornado.

She took all of his sorrow and pain with her.

His tears fell uncontrollably.

It was as if something in his chest was about to break through and rush out.

That kind of sorrow was uncontrollable.

However, he was just dejected.

How could he return to her side at this moment?

The next day, Nicole woke up in good spirits.

It seemed that the glass of wine played a role in making her sleepy.

Since she had a private reception, she got up early in the morning.

The makeup artist had already been waiting outside.

She took a bath first. She was just exuding lazy vibes.

Then, she left the room to see what Chatty was up to.

Grant called early in the morning.

She could bring two people with her to the reception. Thus, she decided to bring Roland, Clayton's assistant.

There was no need to question the security system on the cruise ship.

Whoever was hosting the dinner party was not stupid enough to let the most important and rich people in the world go down on that cruise ship.

Moreover, many bodyguards were protecting them covertly. Thus, Luca did not have to follow.

Nicole went downstairs in a long casual dress to have breakfast.

However, as soon as she went downstairs, she did not hear Chatty's or Fischer's voices, so she was a little confused.

When she arrived downstairs, Logan asked the butler to pour tea.

Logan saw her walking down, so he raised her head and smiled. "President, are you well-rested?"

Nicole was a little embarrassed that they had to wait for her.

'You don't need to stay here the whole time. If you’re bored, you can go out for a stroll..."

Logan smiled. "It’s fine. I still have to deal with some urgent emails from headquarters, so I'll wait until you go to the reception before I go shopping. By the way, Fischer's parents are here. They're sitting there...” He pointed in the direction of the living room.

Nicole frowned. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? It’s rude to make them wait so long." If she had known, she would have come down earlier.

Logan scratched his head.

"President, they're here to pick up Fischer."

Nicole froze for a moment and saw the two adults sitting there.

The woman looked beautiful and intellectual.

The man next to her looked meticulous with handsome features.

Fischer perfectly inherited his parent's advantages.

Nicole seemed to be able to foresee that Fischer would definitely be goodlooking in the future.

Seeing Nicole, the woman immediately stood up, smiled, and stretched out her hand.

"Hello, Ms. Stanton. My name is Camille Malone, and this is my husband, Leighton Malone."

Chapter 2226 His Parents

The man on the side also stood up and shook Nicole's hand.

It turned out that Fischer's parents shared the same last name, which was a coincidence.

Nicole shook his hands with a smile and looked around.

"Where's Fischer? He misses you two very much, so why isn’t he here?

Camille and Leighton looked at each other. Camille curled her lips and said, "Last time, we had something urgent to do, so we sent him back. He's mad at US because of that and refuses to see US this time."

Nicole paused and smiled.

"Don't worry. He'll be here in a while. He's a sensible child."

Camille smiled and looked at Nicole with sincerity and gratitude.

"I heard from my father that your family took really good care of Fischer during this time. I really don't know how to thank you all. We're really too busy, and because of what happened last time, my dad scolded US and insisted that we spend a day with our kid. I discussed it with Leighton and finally managed to squeeze out some time today. We want to accompany him and bring him around. Do you think it's okay?"

Nicole was stunned and suddenly laughed.

"You don’t need to ask me this. Of course, I won’t prevent you from seeing Fischer. I know you’re both busy, so I brought him on this business trip intending for you all to meet each other. Fischer is a clever kid with his

own mind, and we love him. He's already my godson, so we'll naturally take good care of him. You guys should go out and have fun. You can send him back here anytime."

Camille looked at her gratefully and nodded.

'Thank you so much. We know we owe him a lot, and I also know how much harm it'll do to a child without parental love, but there's nothing we can do. Leighton and I have devoted our whole lives here, so we can't just walk away from all this."

Leighton put his elbows on his knees and nodded.

"Back then, our father accompanied Fischer, and now we have you. We're very relieved that Fischer is in such good care, and we hope he didn't bring you too much trouble.”

Nicole smiled. "It’s no trouble at all. My daughter also likes to play with Fischer. We have a few kids at home, so it's very lively and not troublesome."

Camille looked at Leighton and smiled. The both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, Logan held the hands of the two children and led them out of the small living room next door.

"President, here are the kids."

Nicole gave him an appreciative glance. Logan was very tactful and quick to catch on.

Chatty looked normal. She was fair, tender, and adorable. She looked at the two strangers with her beautiful eyes and smiled sweetly, "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie..."

Camille's heart melted when she saw Chatty. Then, she happily went over to hug her.

"Hello! You must be Chatty, right? You're so pretty and adorable! You're the cutest little angel I have ever seen!"

Chatty knew that it was a nice compliment and nodded with her chin raised high, expressing her approval of Camille’s compliment.

Camille turned to look at Fischer. Just when she was about to touch him, Fischer dodged to the back. His big eyes were watery, and his fair and tender face looked so aggrieved, which made the others feel distressed.

At this time, Fischer looked at them with an unhappy face.

Camille was guilty and sad. She withdrew her hand, squatted on the ground, and looked at him.

"Fischer... Daddy and Mommy purposely took time off today to be with you.

I'm really sorry about what happened last time, and it certainly won’t happen again today. We promise not to leave you behind. We can accompany you wherever you want to go."

Fischer's eyes were red, but he stubbornly refused to forgive them.

He was left behind so many times that it left a deep imprint on his innocent mind.

His distrust for them grew day by day. His parents could even lie to children, so Fischer no longer wanted to get close to them.

However, the parents he missed so much were right in front of him.

This was something that he could not even dream of!

If he missed them this time, would it be years until he saw them again?

Fischer looked like he was in a pickle.

Chatty tugged on Fischer’s arm.

"Fischer, you should go! Don’t you miss your daddy and mommy very much? They're such great scientists. Don't you want to be like them too?"

Camille was slightly shocked.

She subconsciously glanced at Chatty.

Tears filled her eyes instantly.

She covered her mouth and stood up to look at Leighton.

"Leighton, I always thought he hated US as scientists..."

Leighton was also touched. He stood up and went to hug Fischer.

"I'm sorry, Fischer. You are Daddy and Mommy's little angel. Although we don’t spend much time with you, we still love you the most. Will you forgive us if we accompany you today?"

Fischer sniffled and obediently leaned on his dad's body.

"Mm...”

A child’s forgiveness was that simple.

Fischer also knew that throwing a temper tantrum was useless.

He should cherish the days when he was with his parents.

Fischer looked down at Chatty and had an idea.

"Chatty, will you go with me?"

Just as Chatty was about to agree, Nicole quickly interrupted her.

"She can’t go out today. Fischer, you should follow your parents. I have to attend an event today and was going to take you and Chatty. Since you can't go, I’ll just take Chatty with me."

Nicole smiled. She could not let Chatty interrupt their little family reunion.

Chatty tilted her head to look at Nicole and nodded obediently.

"I'll go with Mommy."

Fischer was a little disappointed.

"Okay then. I'll be back soon!"

Chatty nodded.

Camille looked at Nicole and said gratefully, "Ms. Stanton, we’ll get going then. I'll send him back in the evening. Please continue to take care of him."

"Don't worry. There are so many people here, and everyone can take care of our little fish."

Camille nodded and touched Fischer's face.

Seeing that he had such a good relationship with Chatty, she suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, we came in a hurry and didn't get to buy any presents. But we brought a gift for Chatty."

Camille took out a book from her bag and handed it to Chatty.

Chatty planned to receive the gift with great interest, but the moment she saw the book, she raised her head in shock.

Her beautiful big eyes were full of fear and shock as she thought, 'Fischer's mommy is really not cute!'

Seeing the little girl's resistance, Camille looked at Nicole in confusion.

The corners of Nicole's mouth twitched as she quickly took the book over.

"Thank you. Although she doesn't know much at the moment, she really likes to read. She’ll be very happy when she's old enough to understand this book."

Camille nodded without a doubt.

"Leighton and I picked this book for a long time. It’ll be a useful book for her to read from elementary school to university."

Chapter 2227 Private Reception

Nicole thanked Camille again and sighed in her heart.

This was probably Chatty's first blow.

They sent Fischer and his parents away, then Chatty turned around and ran away.

She was afraid that Nicole would give her the book she was holding.

Nicole was speechless.

Logan smiled at the side. "President, why don't you leave Chatty to me?"

Nicole raised her eyebrows.

"Forget it. I’ll bring her with me. She's not so young that she can't control her emotions. It’s also good for her to get more exposure and get to know more people so that she won’t be shy when she goes to kindergarten.

Logan laughed. "Chatty even beats people up, so how could she be shy?"

Nicole glared at him.

Logan shut up immediately.

"Right. You're more thoughtful. I’ll get someone to prepare Chatty's clothes right away."

He quickly fled the scene.

Nicole looked away, put the book on the table, and went to the dining hall.

Roland came back looking tired and listless. There was something indescribably off about his expression.

Nicole did not notice it at first and greeted him.

"Roland, have you eaten yet?”

"Oh, yes I've eaten. Enjoy your meal."

Roland walked in dispiritedly. He was wearing yesterday’s clothes, and his coat was wrinkled.

To a senior assistant, this was very out of character.

Nicole glanced at him and did not say much.

She just called Logan over.

"How's your relationship with Roland?"

"Not bad. Because of you and Mr. Sloan, the two of US can be regarded as partners at most."

Logan said after thinking.

Nicole pursed her lips. "He didn’t come back last night?"

Logan was shocked. "He didn't come back last night?”

Nicole was speechless.

Seeing Nicole's speechless gaze, Logan immediately reacted and said, "I...

I don’t know. We don’t live together, so I don’t know if he came back yesterday. I don't even know when he went out!"

Nicole glanced at Logan and sighed in her heart.

She wanted to take back her praise for him just now.

"President, if you think there’s something wrong with him, why don't I go with you tonight? I'm not assured to let you go alone."

Nicole paused. "No need. There's nothing to worry about. If Roland is not a good man, Clayton wouldn't have kept him."

She believed in Clayton, so she believed Roland.

Logan nodded.

The maid next to her brought her an acai bowl. Nicole stirred it and asked," Did you see when Roland left?"

Nicole was uneasy about this, so it was better to ask.

The servant paused. "He left at 4:00 am. I had just gone to the bathroom at that time."

Nicole’s hand froze slightly. She nodded, so the maid retreated.

Logan looked at her. "President, why don't I ask him?"

Nicole looked at him meaningfully.

"Logan, I think it's better to forget it. If you ask him, he might suspect that I’m spying on him.”

Logan was speechless.

Nicole sighed. "Was he out to have fun? I didn’t hearthat he has a girlfriend here...”

Logan said, "He went out at 4:00 am, so I don’t think that's possible."

Nicole said, "Okay. Tell him our departure time later so that he can get ready."

"Yes, President."

Logan was a little disappointed because Nicole obviously did not want to gossip about others with him anymore. Thus, he was forced to suppress his nosy heart.

He went upstairs and knocked on the door. The person who opened the door was not as wretched as he imagined. Instead, he looked refreshed, and he had also changed his clothes.

"Logan, is Ms. Stanton looking for me?”

Roland looked at him with a smile.

Logan paused and said, "We’re leaving in two hours. The President asked me to tell you to get ready, but I think you're prepared."

Roland nodded.

"After all, this is my first time attending such an important event with Ms. Stanton. I can’t embarrass her."

"It's good that you have such high self-awareness, but this time, you have to take Chatty with you too. So, you have one more task, which is to protect Chatty."

Roland smiled without showing the slightest worry or fear on his face.

"Of course. That won't be a problem. Chatty is so obedient, so it'll go smoothly this time."

"I hope so."

Nicole thought, ’Chatty is obedient? Who are you kidding?!'

However, with Roland around, she might be able to relax a bit.

In the afternoon, Nicole asked Luca to send them to the port where the cruise ship was docked.

The port had been cleared long ago and was surrounded by bodyguards.

Luxury cars parked there one after another, and everyone showed up in expensive and beautiful dresses.

Nicole did not wear a particularly stunning dress. Instead, she wore a long white dress that was simple and elegant.

Compared to those colorful dresses, Nicole looked more solemn and calm.

After all, this was a business trip.

Nicole would lose her sense of authority if she wore something too fancy and eye-catching.

She was very fair, so when she accessorized the dress with a series of emerald jewelry, she looked even more regal and elegant. She had such a clean and glamorous temperament that resembled a low-key and fragrant lily.

When Nicole got out of the car, she walked on the passage to the other cruise ship.

There were two passages.

One of them was a more secure passage that was specially reserved for the guests of the private reception. Only ten people who attended the dinner could use it.

The other passage was used by others who were entertaining in the banquet hall below the cruise ship.

This way, the two groups of people would never meet each other even if they were on the same cruise ship.

The organizer's arrangement was ingenious.

Nicole and the others went in from there. After Roland brought Chatty inside, he went to the room that was arranged for them.

Roland and Chatty were just there for moral support.

Nicole looked at this distinctive cruise ship and was secretly surprised.

The cruise ship was luxurious, and the high-tech elevator and visual effects were eye-opening.

A butler-like person stood there, looked at Nicole, and smiled.

"Ms. Stanton, welcome to The Myriad."

Nicole nodded and walked in with a smile.

After walking through a long transparent corridor that resembled the bottom of the sea, she turned around and saw some waiters standing there.

However, the waiters were carrying weapons, so it was obvious that they were not just ordinary waiters.

They also doubled as bodyguards.

The butler said politely from behind, "Mr. Shaw said that you are a distinguished guest. The other guests have arrived. If you have no objections, shall we go straight to the banquet hall?"

Nicole nodded.

"Sure."

She walked over with the hem of her dress in her hand.

The butler opened a transparent elevator. However, the scene inside and outside the elevator was like an underwater world.

Nicole knew that the cruise ship had already set sail, but it was so stable that she felt like she was on flat ground because she did not feel any swaying.

She had an inexplicable fear of the sea because of her previous incident, so when she got on the elevator, she looked a little nervous, and her breathing was a little rushed.

Chapter 2228 The Special Guest

The butler was attentive enough to notice Nicole's reaction and hastily pressed a few buttons on the elevator.

The outside of the elevator instantly turned into a desert.

There was even an oasis in the desert. Nicole could see the wind blowing up the sand and dust, and the oncoming heat created the illusion of a real desert. She was slightly startled by this, so much so that she forgot about her fear just now.

Nicole raised her eyebrows in shock. "So, we're not at the bottom of the sea?"

Even the scene where they were at the bottom of the sea turned out to be fake, but she could not tell the difference.

She had to admit that she did not expect such advanced technology on this cruise ship.

However, she felt much better facing the desert.

The butler smiled and said, "We are at the bottom of the sea. We shot high- definition videos through a private submarine so that our guests can see scenes that can't be seen on the shore. It was arranged to prevent guests from getting bored when they take the elevator."

Nicole smiled and was a little surprised.

"So, this desert scene is also live-streamed?”

The butler smiled and nodded humbly.

"Yes, but since the distance is too far, there may be a slight delay of more than ten seconds. But rest assured that it's real footage. Oh, the scene of the galaxy was shot on a communication satellite sponsored by Mr. Shaw."

As they spoke, the elevator had already arrived.

The long red carpet was laid out to the majestic banquet hall.

It was a little quieter inside, but the sound of the live orchestra could be heard. It was performed at the best angle, but that was not the main point.

The butler led Nicole inside, and almost everyone had arrived.

It was not exactly a lively scene, but out of habit, these business people greeted each other as if they were close to one another.

The butler retreated tactfully.

As soon as Nicole walked over, many people greeted her with a smile.

"Ms. Stanton, I've admired you for a long time!" "Ms. Stanton, it’s a great honor to meet you..."

Although Nicole had never met them before, she still knew of these people.

She greeted them politely and exchanged pleasantries with everyone.

There were a few people who were not only famous in Medianía but also abroad. They often appeared on the Forbes list and make the headlines of major magazines. They were regarded as the best in the industry.

There were bigwigs from the technology industry, the oil industry, and the investment world.

The background of the host was the most lackluster among this group of people.

Sebastian Shaw, the boss of Myriad Group, was from Mediania. However, he had always been developing in Europe and had been committed to the research of new technologies.

Myriad Group was quite well-known in the industry.

However, it was obvious that Sebastian came prepared since he was able to invite so many bigwigs in different industries to appear at the same time.

Sebastian was in his early forties. He looked calm and dignified, and his neat suit made him look like a scholar. He was impeccable when he spoke.

However, in the next second, an unexpected person came in behind Nicole.

It was Eric Ferguson.

Nicole did not want to show her disdain for him in front of everyone, so she just smiled faintly and pretended that he was a stranger.

Eric did not tell her that he would come too.

Instead, he advised her not to come.

Was it because Eric had his eyes on Sebastian’s project?

Did he ask her to stay on the shore just so he could reduce one competitor?

Nicole thought to herself as her eyes darkened.

This was something that Eric was capable of.

However, where did he get his invitation?

Nicole swept her gaze around the banquet hall and did not see another woman. Michael's aunt did not come. Did Eric take the invitation from her?

How was Eric connected to Michael’s aunt?

However, it was no use in thinking so much at this moment. Nicole could only go back and investigate it later.

Eric wore a suit and black trousers as usual. He exuded a cold and strong vibe which attracted a lot of attention as soon as he appeared in the hall.

He was different from others who cared about appearances. No matter how rich or high their status was, the other guests were polite when they saw people who were of similar net worth as them. It was as if they regretted not knowing each other sooner.

However, Eric was different from the rest. He looked handsome and indifferent, and he exuded a chill.

Eric was not enthusiastic about other people perhaps because of his previous experience.

The other guests were helpless toward him.

Thus, they gave up socializing with Eric and went to greet Nicole instead.

Nicole nodded politely and was very friendly.

"Mr. Shaw, what kind of achievement do you have that you can bring all of us here today? Although it’s rare for everyone to get together, we're more interested in your achievement!"

One of the bigwigs, Zuthi Camus, could not help but speak.

Zuthi was the most enthusiastic among so many people. He was the one who made his fortune in the oil industry.

Since he was so rich, he wanted to be more tech-savvy to improve his reputation. Thus, he accepted the invitation to the reception.

The environment of the reception was impeccable.

However, there were just too few people.

If Zuthi were to host this event, he would invite the most beautiful celebrities in the world to perform.

What a pity...

Although he regretted it, he did not say it out loud.

He just urged Sebastian to move on to the next agenda.

Sebastian smiled calmly and looked at the others. He said in a serious voice, "Please wait a moment. There's still one more guest who hasn't arrived yet."

Everyone was puzzled.

Zuthi could not help but say, "Isn’t it just ten people? Is your invitation worth nothing?"

Everyone realized that he was joking and laughed along.

The awkward atmosphere relaxed for a while.

Sebastian also bowed his head and smiled. He apologized politely.

"Sorry, but this is a distinguished guest that I wanted to invite a long time ago. He has never agreed to meet me. This time, I heard that he was here, so I personally invited him. It took a few tries for him to agree to come!" "We're a little curious to see who is the person that you had to invite personally."

Sebastian smiled and did not announce it at the beginning.

"His identity can't be disclosed, but I’m very glad that he’s willing to attend this banquet."

Nicole frowned and was more puzzled.

There was even a mystery guest.

This time, there were so many surprises.

Nicole lowered her head and sipped on the glass of champagne slowly.

Eric sat next to her for some reason and said in a low tone, "I was just too worried about you."

Nicole did not even lift her eyelids. She said blankly, "Mr. Ferguson, let's just pretend that we don’t know each other."

She did not want to hear what he wanted to say.

The security system here was better than expected, so why should she worry?

While she was deep in thought, Zuthi came over with a smile and said, "Ms.

Stanton, I've admired you for a long time!"

Nicole paused slightly and smiled politely.

"Mr. Camus, I don't think we know each other."

Zuthi did not notice that Eric's face had darkened.

The reason why Eric insisted on coming was that he was afraid that something might happen to Nicole.

The second reason was that he was afraid that other men would take advantage of her.

Thus, he bought over an invitation from someone that had planned to come.

However, he did not expect such a tactless person to approach Nicole.

Zuthi smiled.

"We don't know each other, but I've long wanted to get to know you. I started my business in South Africa, and I heard that your husband used to do business there. We knew each other."

Chapter 2229 Distinguished Guest

Nicole was stunned. Her smile froze on her face.

It felt like someone triggered something in her heart.

"Really?"

Nicole did not hear Clayton mention Zuthi before, so she was not familiar with him.

However, judging by Zuthi’s behavior, Nicole thought that he seemed to be very familiar with Clayton. His overly-friendly character was not annoying after all.

Now, few people dared to mention Clayton in front of Nicole.

Thus, Nicole's attitude toward Zuthi eased a little.

Zuthi sat on the side and said, "Of course! But he doesn’t go there very often anymore. I still miss those times when he was around. By the way, do you know how I got to know you?"

Nicole shook her head.

"You know Samuel Lindstrom, right? Back then when the Lindstrom family invested in the oil industry in South Africa, they took my shares. Later, when he got into an accident, the Lindstrom family withdrew their shares, so I became the main shareholder."

Zuthi told her about such private business matters to her without any concerns.

She smiled. "Oh? So, you're Mr. Lindstrom's acquaintance?" "We're not just acquaintances. Samuel Lindstrom is my nephew! We're very close. It's just that our direction of development is different. I like the freedom abroad, but they can't let go of everything in Mediania, so we don't really get together often.”

Nicole nodded with understanding.

However, what was surprising was that the Lindstrom family was not considered powerful in Mediania, yet they had such an influential relative.

This blood relationship was quite impressive.

"Have you heard? I heard that whatever Sebastian has in store today is illegal in Europe, but he didn't want to give up, so..."

When Eric saw Zuthi and Nicole whispering and laughing joyously, he stared at Zuthi coldly. His eyes became darker and colder.

Eric's gaze was so intense that it could bore a hole through Zuthi’s head.

However, Zuthi had always been rich and powerful, so he did not care about what others thought of him.

Zuthi did not notice Eric’s gaze at all.

Finally, Eric could not bear it anymore. He coughed heavily and interrupted their conversation.

"Mr. Camus, I heard that your third wife is going to have a second child soon?"

Nicole was taken aback. She looked at Zuthi in shock.

'Third wife?"

Eric smiled and said in a cold voice, "In South Africa, men are allowed to marry several women. It's a free country. If it weren't for this, Mr. Camus wouldn't have stayed there for so long! I heard that his wives can get along peacefully at home. Mr. Camus, you're really capable. I should go to you for advice sometime...”

Zuthi paused and did not notice Eric's hostility toward him.

However, he had a feeling that Eric was not a good person.

They were in public. Even if there were only a few people around, Eric should not have revealed their private affairs in front of a lady.

Moreover, the topics they talked about did not involve their personal relationship status.

Eric was really annoying!

Zuthi took a deep breath, maintained a polite smile, and said to Eric, "Why, Mr. Ferguson, are you envious?"

He sighed and showed off seemingly unintentionally.

"I can’t help it. My wives are precious to me, and they insist on following me. If I didn't agree to marry them, they would rather die. It's truly different from Mediania. By the way, Mr. Ferguson, I heard that you've been divorced twice? Hahahahaha..."

Zuthi raised his head and laughed while Eric's expression became darker and colder.

Nicole, who was sitting in the middle, slowly calmed down and wanted to watch this show unfold.

Only a frivolous person like Zuthi could diss Eric so smoothly.

Zuthi would not want to build a relationship with Eric just because Eric was more powerful than him.

He simply disliked Eric's pretentious attitude.

Nicole did not care about Eric’s glum expression.

Even if she was the one who divorced Eric the first time, this did not even feel like it had anything to do with her.

Could she really stay indifferent about their past?

Zuthi did not let Eric go and continued to diss him.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed at you. Mr. Ferguson, you’re good at obeying the law, but it's a pity that you can't deal with women. Now that I see you in person, I'm afraid that the women who like you didn't end well, right? The person you like probably doesn't like you back either. After all, no one wants to sleep next to a block of ice every day. They'll freeze to death!"

Eric's face was visibly hostile.

It seemed that a terrifying chill enveloped his whole body.

Zuthi continued to joke with Nicole as if he did not notice.

At this moment, Sebastian quickly walked toward the door from the other side.

"You're finally here! We’re all waiting for you!"

Nicole subconsciously looked over.

The moment she saw that person, her face instantly became stiff and cold, and the blood all over her body froze.

She seemed to be numb and only felt cold.

The man in the wheelchair was wearing a mask and a hat. He also wore a decent black suit. He was hunched over, but he tried to sit upright. However, Nicole could tell that he was trying his hardest to control his body.

The man looked tense as he tried to look his best.

That kind of persistence made her feel an inexplicable pain in her heart.

His legs were covered by the trousers, but his right trouser leg was obviously a little more empty than the left.

For some reason, Nicole's eyes turned red.

The rapid throbbing in her heart made her spiral into self-doubt.

Was it him?

Nicole did not care about Zuthi’s chatter and immediately stood up to walk toward the man in the wheelchair.

Whether it was him or not, Nicole had to see it with her own eyes.

Otherwise, how could she give up?

She thought, 'Clayton, did you come back to find me?'

Sebastian happily introduced the man in the wheelchair to the people around him.

'This is the mystery guest that I mentioned earlier. His name is Jeff Lieberman, and he has helped me get through my toughest time. This time, I truly want to thank him most for my success today. He helped me during the most difficult times and has given me unlimited opportunities.”

When everyone saw the man in the wheelchair, they were obviously a little disappointed.

However, no one showed it because of their good upbringing. They just nodded with a smile and said a few words in agreement with Sebastian.

Nicole stood there and looked straight at the man in the wheelchair.

"Jeff Lieberman..."

She murmured to herself, frowned, and took a step forward.

"Do we know each other?"

She asked bluntly.

Jeff did not answer.

Sebastian, who was next to him, said, "Ms. Stanton, Mr. Lieberman has been living in Canada and has never been to Mediania. I'm afraid you’re mistaken.”

Nicole looked at Jeff seriously without any fluctuations on her face.

"Am I really mistaken? I’ll know once I take a look at your face. Why are you still wearing a mask and a hat here? Why don't you want people to see your face?"

Nicole was a little agitated. That feeling in her heart was getting stronger, and her emotions were difficult to control.

Chapter 2230 Was It Him or Not?

Sebastian was taken aback for a moment.

The man sitting in the wheelchair raised his head slowly and looked at Nicole deeply. His eyes were dark and deep. They were gloomy and completely unfamiliar to Nicole.

However, Nicole did not believe it.

She took a step forward and almost lost her composure, wanting to rip his mask away.

However, the man blocked her.

His hands were extremely rough with scars of varying shades.

It was completely different from her impression of Clayton’s slender hands, which looked like works of art.

One was perfect, while the other was scarred.

Soon, the man put his hand on his mask and slowly took it off.

Nicole was nervous and started to breathe carefully.

She stared at him without blinking and watched him take off his mask. He did not look away from her either.

The face under the mask was completely unfamiliar to Nicole.

Although the man looked clean and handsome, his face was pale, and his lips were white. He looked very weak.

There was a shallow scar near his eye that had already healed, but it seemed to have ruined his gentle temperament.

Nicole was stunned for a moment.

Her hands froze in place, and she did not know whether she should retract them or not.

Meanwhile, Jeff showed a pale smile without the slightest reproach.

"I'm sorry for being rude. It's indeed strange to wear a mask and a hat here.

But I don't like being seen because of my body. That's why I wore them."

He nodded slightly, and his attitude was unexpectedly gentle and friendly.

Everyone immediately had a lot of compassion for him.

After all, they could understand why a disabled person did not want to be stared at.

Standing there, Nicole felt that she was too impulsive just now. She had gone overboard.

Fortunately, there were not many people present, and Jeff would not be disturbed.

The other guests smiled and went elsewhere to mingle.

Sebastian smiled and sighed.

"Ms. Stanton, you don't know him, right?"

Nicole withdrew her hand and nodded.

Her nervous heart instantly sank like a rock in the sea.

She did not want to admit it, but she felt so disappointed when she thought she saw a sliver of hope.

He was not Clayton. He was not the person she kept in her heart.

Nicole was in despair.

It turned out that the psychiatrist was right.

She had projected her fantasies onto a stranger thinking that Clayton was watching her.

In fact, it was all her imagination.

After tearing off the veil, Nicole found that the man under the mask was not Clayton.

He was just a listless stranger.

Clayton was such a gentle and bright person, so how could he look at others with such gloomy eyes?

Jeff Lieberman was not Clayton.

Someone noticed her disappointed look.

Jeff's lips were pale, but he still smiled and said, "We don't know each other. Maybe Ms. Stanton recognized the wrong person."

Nicole suddenly raised her head. "How do you know my name?"

Jeff looked at Sebastian.

Sebastian immediately said, "Ms. Stanton, please don't be offended. I was the one who told Jeff. The guest list for this banquet was kept secret, but I told him anyway. You're the only woman invited, so Jeff remembers you."

Nicole frowned slightly, and Jeff nodded lightly.

She retracted her disappointed gaze.

No matter how many times she looked at Jeff’s face, she found that he had nothing in common with Clayton, but for some reason, that familiarity would appear when he wore a mask.

It seemed that she was out of her mind and began to have hallucinations.

Nicole took a deep breath and showed an apologetic smile.

"I’m sorry for being impulsive."

Jeff was not angry and smiled amicably.

"It's okay."

Everything went back to normal.

Eric walked over. His eyes were alert and cold.

"It's you! You're the vagrant that stalked Nicole?"

For a split second, the air became stagnant again.

Nicole frowned and looked at Eric.

"Mr. Ferguson...”

She wanted to interrupt Eric, but Eric was unpredictable and self-centered.

He said bluntly, "Why did you come here? How dare you show up? You must be the man who was stalking Nicole yesterday in Chinatown. I can't

be mistaken!"

Eric's eyes were cold, and his expression was indifferent.

He looked disgusted by Jeff.

Eric did not feel any pity for the man in the wheelchair and was subconsciously repulsed by him, especially when he actually had an interaction with Nicole.

Sebastian's eyes flickered slightly when he looked at Eric. However, he maintained a calm expression and said, "Mr. Ferguson, you must be mistaken. Jeff is my friend."

Jeff was not angry, but his gaze when he looked at Eric turned dark and gloomy.

His gaze was completely different from when he looked at Nicole.

Jeff looked at Eric with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Chinatown? I went there yesterday to meet a friend, but I didn't see Ms. Stanton. I don't know her either. Why would you say that, Mr. Ferguson?"

Eric gritted his teeth. His eyes were sharp and gloomy.

"Why are you pretending? My people couldn't find you. Did you deliberately hide your whereabouts to cover your tracks? Otherwise, why didn't the surveillance cameras capture you? I'm afraid your identity isn’t so simple, huh?"

Sebastian frowned. He noticed that something was wrong and wanted to smooth things over.

However, Eric was too unpredictable.

Sebastian’s invitations were targeted to companies and wealthy businesspeople who were interested in this project, but no name was written on them.

Thus, he acquiesced to his invitations changing hands.

That was because an invitation without a name was more valuable than an invitation with a name on it.

Although Ferguson Corporation was a great company, its direction was not related to Sebastian's project.

Ferguson Corporation was unlike Stanton Corporation, which already had a great foundation in the medical field. Thus, Stanton Corporation was one of the companies he was willing to cooperate with.

Since Eric managed to attend this banquet, it only meant that he was capable enough to get an invitation from someone else. Thus, Sebastian would not reject a potential partner.

It would be bad if Eric made a scene at the reception, but Sebastian could not afford the consequences of offending Eric either.

While Sebastian was contemplating what to do, Nicole could not help but interrupt him. She looked impatient.

"Mr. Ferguson, I didn't see this gentleman in Chinatown and only saw you coming uninvited. Besides, that street isn’t restricted, so others can show up there as well. Don't you think you're being a bit too much?"

There were other people present, so Nicole was being as nice as she could to Eric.

If she was not on someone else's territory, she would have started cursing at Eric a long time ago.

Eric went berserk but still wanted to implicate her.

Was he sick in the head?