Ch. 1441..1450
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1441
Mr. Saldana was cunning, and no one liked him.
Nobody dared to do anything against him since they needed him to earn a profit, and he had something to blackmail them.
However, if he was going to use the same tactic on Nolan, then he was terribly wrong.
Nolan looked at Kevin and said, “Hydra Lake is a great location in Hewston. Since you have a dispute with the people over there, you should consider taking them for yourself, Mr. Washington.”
Kevin fell silent.
Their meeting ended half an hour later.
Nolan came out of the restaurant, and Quincy was waiting for him in front of the door.
After Nolan got into the car, he asked, “How is the Saldanas’ situation?”
“They're pulling out of the business in Hewston. Mr. Saldana has gained a few million in profit there and is afraid of getting into trouble now.”
After Quincy finished speaking, he asked, “Can we trust Mr. Washington, Mr. Goldmann?”
Nolan loosened his tie and said, “It doesn't matter if he's trustworthy or not. The enemy's enemy is my friend. The Eastern Business District has been monopolizing the market, and because of that, his business hasn't been improving for years. Now that there's a chance, do you think he'll let it go?”
Quincy did not say anything.
‘Well, Mr. Saldana, it seems like you've picked the wrong opponent. You could've gone for other people, yet you chose Mr. Goldmann to be your opponent.
Sure enough, Mr. Goldmann has been keeping a low profile for too long. Many people seem to have forgotten about his wrath.’
• • •
At 10:00 p.m., when the staff was closing the coffee shop for the day, two black-clad men barged into the coffee shop and said that they were looking for Ian.
Ian came out of his office, and since he had just finished his job, he rolled his sleeves down slowly and asked calmly, “Can I help you?”
“Mr. Saldana wants to see you.”
Ian raised his eyebrows and asked his staff to go home first, when his staff was gone, he said, “I’m not free.”
One of the men went closer and said, “Mr. Ian, if you're not coming with US, then please don't blame us.”
Ian’s face sank.
Just when they were about to do something, he grabbed a wine bottle from the table and smashed it on the man’s head without any hesitation.
The man dropped to the floor and covered his head in agony. Blood was oozing out of his wound and streaming down his face. It was a horrible scene to look at.
At that moment, Elaine came in and was stunned.
She had just gotten off work and habitually passed by the coffee shop. She had seen that although the signboard of the coffee shop had been turned off, there was someone inside.
She walked into the coffee shop because she saw Ian. It was just that she did not expect to witness the scene where Ian smashed the bottle on the man's head.
This side of Ian was the side she had never seen before.
He portrayed himself to be a gentle yet poised man. She did not expect him to be so ruthless when it came to fighting.
When Ian noticed Elaine standing by the door, he was stunned. However, the expression on his face remained the same as he threw what remained of the wine bottle into the trash can.
“Go out.”
He was talking to the men.
The other man picked up his injured companion and said through gritted teeth, “Young Master Saidana, Mr. Saldana will hear about this. Hmph! Just you wait!”
When they exited the coffee shop, Elaine turned her body sideways.
Everything had happened too suddenly, and they didn't notice Elaine. Both of them got into the car and drove away.
Before Elaine could come around to her senses, Ian appeared in front of her and asked, “Did you see everything?”
She was stunned. “Yeah.”
“So, are you not leaving?”
It was only then Elaine came around to her senses. “ So, are you chasing me away, Mr. Saldana?”
He did not say anything.
After a short while, she asked again, “Did I see what I shouldn't have seen, and you want to kill me?”
Ian chuckled. “Are you not afraid at all?”
Elaine looked at him and raised her eyebrows as she smiled, “We have no grudges against each other, so I'm sure you won't hurt me. Besides, I've spent so much money in your shop. I'm your VIP customer.”
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1442
Ian closed both the doors and replied, “Build on interest?” He cocked his head and looked at Elaine. “ There isn't a permanent interest in this world.”
She did not say anything.
He turned around to look at her and smiled. “Do you want to stay back and help me to clean up the mess, Ms. Xavier?”
Elaine looked at the mess on the floor as well as the cups on the table that hadn’t been cleaned, she let out a chuckle suddenly and said, “I can’t believe that you’re asking your customer to help you clean your shop, Mr. Saldana.”
He returned to the front desk and replied, “You’re not my customer now, and I’m not the boss.”
In other words, since his shop was closed, she was not his "customer" anymore.
Elaine then went forward and helped him clean the cups on the table. Although there were maids in her house, washing a cup or something was not difficult for her.
She looked toward Ian, who was cleaning the sink, and asked, “Who were those two men? And did they just call you ‘Young Master Saldana’ just now?”
Ian was momentarily stunned, and something flashed across his eyes. “I’m not a young master.”
“Seems like you’re rather mysterious, Mr. Saldana.”
“Are you interested in me?” He looked at her.
She froze and chuckled. “Nobody likes a mysterious person, including me.”
“Really?” I thought it was that kind of interest.”
“What do you mean?” she was baffled.
Ian smiled and replied, “Nothing.”
After they finished cleaning up the mess, he turned off all the lamps except the ones on the wall. Then, both of them came out of the coffee shop.
As she was walking, Elaine rubbed her wrist. She did not expect that washing some cups and plates would be so tiring.
Ian walked up to her side, keeping a rather comfortable distance from her, and said, “To express my gratitude, let me buy you a meal tomorrow.”
She raised her head to look at him. The neon light backlighted his face, and the outline went from blurred to clear to deeply defined.
She was stunned for a moment before quickly averting her gaze. “Tomorrow, huh?”
“Yeah, tomorrow,” he replied.
“Sure.” Elaine walked to her car and opened the door. She turned her head around to look at him as if she remembered something. “I get off work at 7:00 p.m.”
After that, she drove her car and departed, leaving Ian to stand there as he watched her car disappear into the corner.
The next day, at Blackgold...
Kevin came to look for Nolan. After thinking for a night, he decided to work with Nolan. They signed the contract, and Nolan asked him how much he knew about them.
He fell silent for a moment before replying, “I don’t know much about them. However, I’m familiar with the customers that had fallen into Juan’s scheme before.”
Nolan leaned against the back of the chair and continued. “How about his family?”
Kevin was stunned for a few seconds. “Are you going to target his family?”
“Well, just in case,” replied Nolan.
It took Kevin a long while before he replied, “I’m not very familiar with Juan’s family. I just heard that he has a son. However, his son has some mental problems, and he has never mentioned him before to the public.”
Many people suspected that Juan did not have a son because he had never attended any occasions with his son before. As for his wife, both of them had been estranged for years. Although they hadn't gotten a divorce yet, their marriage was basically dead.
“Where is his wife living?”
“She’s staying in the Riverside Residential in Hewston.”
Quincy came back into the office when Kevin left. “Are you looking for me, Mr. Goldmann?”
Nolan gave the document to Quincy and said, “I want you to go to the Riverside Residential in Hewston and pay a visit to Mrs. Saldana.”
The weather was hot and stuffy in the early autumn.
A rain shower fell in the evening.
As soon as Elaine got off work, she received a call from Ian. His white Range Rover was parked in the pouring rain, and it looked sparkling clean as if it had just been washed.
Ian got out of the car, holding an umbrella. He was wearing a black trench coat and looked even more mysterious and melancholic on this rainy day.
The rain splashed on his black leather shoes as he continued to walk under the eaves. He moved his umbrella over to her side and said, "Let's go.”
Elaine was stunned for a moment before walking under the umbrella. The umbrella was mostly slanted over her side. It protected her from the rain but exposed his shoulders and arms as well.
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1443
Elaine moved the umbrella to his side a little bit more and said, “Your shoulder and arm are all wet.”
Ian squinted and replied, “It’s fine.”
Sitting in the car, Elaine watched as he ran over to the driving side and got into the car. “You should’ve waited for me at the restaurant since it’s raining.”
She did not understand why he had gone to the extent of coming here to pick her up himself.
“Well, I’m the one who wants to buy you dinner,” he replied as he buckled up. “So, I need to show some sincerity.”
Elaine looked at him but did not say anything.
Both of them walked into a restaurant. Although it was not an up-scaled restaurant, the ambiance was cozy and quiet.
The waiter led them to their private room on the second floor and handed the menu to Elaine with a smile on his face.
Elaine took the menu and looked at Ian. “Do you have any recommendations?”
He looked at her and chuckled. “Well, it depends on what you want to eat, Ms. Xavier. ”
Elaine then ordered the dishes under the explanation of the waiter.
After the waiter left, she looked around and commented, “I like this place. It’s quiet.”
After all, most restaurants were noisy and filled with people.
Ian smiled and replied, “That’s what everyone said after they came here.”
She looked at Ian and asked, “In other words, you’ve brought many people here before, Mr. Saldana?”
“Yeah,” Ian replied, “Customers, colleagues, bosses )) • • •
He poured himself a cup of tea and looked at her with a smile on his face. “Does that count?”
Elaine was stunned. She responded to him with a smile and did not say anything.
“Ian, it’s really you!”
A muscular man appeared outside of the private room. He was holding a walkie-talkie, and it seemed to Elaine that he was the manager of this restaurant. He walked over to talk to Ian for a while before his gaze fell on Elaine. “Girlfriend?”
Ian’s hand holding the cup froze for a moment before he replied, “Nope. We’re just friends.”
Elaine nodded and smiled at the man as well.
The man patted his shoulder and continued. “I thought she was your girlfriend. By the way, I couldn't believe you would resign. You could be promoted to deputy director if you worked for another two years.”
However, it seemed like Ian did not want to answer his question.
“But your job is dangerous. Being an undercover agent isn't easy, and you'll lose your life at the slightest slip-up. I truly admire you from the bottom of your heart. Although it's a pity that you've resigned, it's also a good thing since you can finally live a normal life. You can get a wife and get married.”
Ian chuckled. “I didn’t know that you’re so talkative.” The man put his arm on his shoulder and continued. “ Well, it has been a long time since we last saw each other. If I hadn’t seen your name on the booking list ...” He suddenly paused and looked at Elaine.
As if he realized something, he said to her apologetically, “I’m sorry, miss. I just can’t help myself.”
Elaine replied with a smile, “It’s fine.”
At that moment, Ian’s phone rang, and he went out to answer the call.
“Sir, you just said that Mr. Saldana was an undercover agent?”
Elaine had been feeling that he was mysterious and was curious about him.
The man asked in return. “I thought you’re friends? Did Ian not tell you before?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say we’re friends.” Elaine said after she thought for a while, “I’m a guest in his coffee shop.”
“I see...” replied the man.
Seeing that Elaine was curious about Ian, he continued with a smile. “It has been a long time. After Ian graduated from the police academy, he was assigned to the narcotics department on the eastern side. At that time, he was a hot-blooded young man. In order to gain the boss' trust, he became an undercover agent and joined the drug smugglers. He was successful, and the boss trusted him a lot.
“The boss didn’t suspect him at all, and Ian successfully raided all eight drug possession sites and destroyed all of them in just two years. After that, he was assigned to the serious crime unit in Rowel City. Due to his excellent performance, he went to the ministry and soon became the higher-ups' undercover agent, and he would be sent to the side of those corrupted bigwigs.”
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1444
Elaine was shocked after listening to the man’s narration. She did not expect that Ian was used to being an undercover agent at all.
Being an undercover agent indeed was a dangerous job. Once they were busted, their life would be in danger. When she first met Ian, he was gentle and exuded a scholarly aura, she thought he was just an ordinary owner of a coffee shop until she saw with her own eyes last night he used a bottle to crack the man's head without any hesitation.
The man looked at Elaine and grinned. “Honestly, I really thought you were Ian’s girlfriend. After all, all the people he’s ever brought here were men.”
“None of them were women?”
“Nope, but I can understand why.” The man threw his arms up and shrugged. Then, he said worriedly, “ When he was an undercover agent, he could barely keep himself alive, so he couldn't be bothered with other people. Once people like him fall in love, it's similar to having a weakness that the enemy can exploit.
“Nobody could catch him for so many years when he was an undercover agent because he did not have anything to worry about.”
Elaine listened to the man but did not say anything.
He was right. An undercover agent was a special profession. Once they became emotionally attached to someone, they would easily be dragged down and distracted. If they got targeted by their enemy, it would put them in great danger.
Ian returned to the private room after finishing the call.
The man got up and grinned at him. “You’re back. Well, I need to return to my workstation.”
He turned his head around and waved his hand at Elaine.
The waiter came in with their food as soon as he went out. The man said something to the waiter, and the latter nodded.
After serving the dishes, he brought them a bottle of red wine.
Apparently, it was a gift from that man.
Elaine picked up the wine bottle and took a look at it.
“It seems like you have a good friend.”
Ian looked at her and asked, “What did he tell you just now?”
As Elaine poured the wine, she replied, “He told me about you.”
When Elaine saw Ian fall silent as if he was thinking about something, she explained, "I asked him about you. After all, I was just curious.”
He chuckled. “Seems like you're really interested in me, Ms. Xavier.”
“Well, can I not?” Elaine asked him back.
“Sure, you can,” he replied.
Elaine shook the glass and glanced at him. “It seems to me that you're at the age where you should form a family. Are you not planning to get married at all, Mr. Saldana?”
It was normal for a man not to get married in his 30s or 40s. However, they should at least have a girlfriend, especially someone like Ian. He was handsome, mature, and had a strong physique.
To marry or not to marry was a personal choice, but not having a girlfriend was a little strange.
With his appearance, he should be very popular amongst women. Even though rich women might prefer pretty boys, young girls liked a man like him a lot.
Ian asked in a low voice, “Are you urging me to get married?”
She was stumped and said, “I’m just asking.”
Ian took a sip of wine and lifted his eyelids to look at her. “What about you then, Ms. Xavier? why have you not gotten married?”
Elaine was stunned and lowered her head. To the public, she was a spinster since she was already 31, and it would be risky if she wanted a baby afterward.
However, that was not what she wanted, she did not want to live an ordinary life or be like her mother, who had lived a miserable life. She might be unable to do it if she had to give up her career.
She parted her lips and said, “A married woman has no freedom.”
They needed to take care of their kids and their families. Every small thing in life would become a “ shackle” that chained the woman down.
Ian looked at her for a while and asked, “what about a marriage of convenience?”
She was stumped for a moment before chuckling. “ Using marriage to get what you want won' t last long. ”
Ian placed his arm on the back of her chair and leaned closer to her. “I mean you and me.”
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1445
Elaine was stunned, she jerked her head up and looked into his deep-set eyes in astonishment.
She took a deep breath and asked, “You are messing with me, right, Mr. Saldana?”
‘A marriage of convenience? With him? A man who I've only seen a few times and known for less than half a month?’
He fixed his gaze at her and continued in a calm voice. “I’ll give you all the freedom you want after our marriage. You can do whatever you want.”
Elaine fell silent for a long while. “Are you talking about a deal? Like a fake marriage?”
He lowered his head, and although he did not say anything, Elaine knew what he was trying to say.
“Why me?” asked Elaine.
Ian retracted his gaze and turned his eyes to look at the wine glass. “You don't want to be bound by marriage, and I don't like other people to tell me what to do in my life. If I have to make a choice, I think you're a very suitable person, Ms. Xavier.”
Elaine did not say anything.
A marriage of convenience... In other words, they would get what they wanted and needed. Although they would be a couple on the marriage certificate, they would not be related to each other.
She never wanted to get married. This was because she had her own goal in life. A woman could live her life freely without getting married. No matter how the world looked at her, she was going to live the life she wanted.
She rested her forehead with her hand and smiled mischievously, “what if you come across a woman in your life? Are you not worried that she might not like it when she finds out you're married?”
He was stunned, and a figure flitted across his mind before disappearing into oblivion.
He took a sip of wine and replied, “Don’t worry. It won’t happen.”
Elaine frowned and looked at him speechlessly.
‘Why is he so sure that it won’t happen?’
Cocking his head, he looked at her with a faint smile on his face and said, “However, you can let me know if you come across a man that you like.”
She chuckled and picked up the wine glass. As she shook the glass in her hand, she said, “I’m the daughter of a businessman. Even if I’m going to have a marriage of convenience, I need to get some of the benefits I deserve.”
She did not know why he wanted to have a marriage of convenience with her, but she did not want to get taken advantage of.
Ian was stunned and seemed to be a little surprised by her. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he said, "How about 5% of the Synergy Group's shares? Is that enough?"
Elaine nearly choked on the wine she just swallowed and looked at him in disbelief. “You’re giving me shares?”
He ran his finger over the rim of the glass and added, “5% of the Synergy Group should be enough, right?”
“What is your relationship with the Synergy Group?”
She had heard of the Synergy Group before. It was a large corporation in Hewston, but Juan Saldana was someone that even her father was very wary of. If even her father was not willing to do business with Juan, one could imagine how bad Juan’s reputation was in the industry.
‘Hold on a second. Saldana... Isn’t Juan one of the Saldanas? Besides, those two men called him “Young Master Saldana” that night... what is his relationship with Juan?’
Ian replied flatly, “Well, if you say we're related, we're not really related. If you say we're not related, we're somehow related.”
Elaine did not know what he was talking about at all.
After finishing their meal, they came out of the restaurant. The rain had stopped. The dark night was dyed with neon lights, and the wind was cold.
Ian drove the car to the entrance, and she went inside. He started the engine, and they left in the car.
When they arrived at the gate of the Xavier mansion, Ian turned his head to look at her. There was a smile on his face as he said, “If you make up your mind, you can come and look for me anytime you want.”
Elaine was stumped for a moment, but she still got out of the car in the end.
She watched as the car disappeared from her vision before she went inside her house.
Edward was reading a newspaper in the living room. He lifted his head and asked, “Why are you so late today?”
At the same time, Jenna came out with a plate of fruits in her hand, she placed the plate on the table and said with a smile, “Maybe Elaine worked overtime? That’s why she’s late tonight.”
Edward did not say anything.
Elaine put her purse on the couch and replied, “Nope. I just went out to have dinner with a friend of mine.”
After sitting on the couch, she picked up a slice of apple and asked, “Dad, does Mr. Saldana have a son?”
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1446
Edward’s hands, which were flipping through the newspaper, stopped moving, and he frowned, “why are you asking this?”
As Elaine chewed, she asked bluntly, “If the man I want to marry is his son, what will you do?”
Edward was astonished and then slammed the newspaper on the table. “Have you lost your mind!?”
Jenna was frightened, she did not understand much about her husband's industry, so she did not interrupt, still, she was a little surprised that Elaine took the initiative to bring up the word “marriage”.
Elaine knew that her father did not like Mr. Saldana, so this marriage was an almost impossible task.
Nonetheless, she thought about Ian’s words.
‘I really don’t want to get married. If Dad were to arrange for me to marry a man that I’ve never met before or something, I might as well choose Ian over that fate.’
“Dad, he said that he would give me 5% of the Synergy Group’s shares if I were to marry him. Are you not interested in that?”
Edward’s expression became quite excited but also indescribable at the same time. “Who told you that?”
She shrugged. “Young Master Saldana.”
Edward took a deep breath. If he were not strong and healthy enough for the news, he would have kicked the bucket at this moment. He stared at his daughter and said earnestly, “Elaine, are you messing with me?”
“No.”
“A-Are you sure that the man that you’vé seen all this while is the genuine young master of the Saldanas?”
Elaine did not understand what her father meant, “ What do you mean?”
‘I heard someone address Ian as “Young Master Saldana”, and Ian promised that he would give me 5 % of the Synergy Group’s shares. If he has nothing to do with the Saldanas, why would he mention the shares?’
Edward calmed down and explained earnestly, “ Elaine, Juan has only one son, and you can’t possibly have met him.
“As far as I know, Juan’s son, Marco Saldana, has a serious mental illness. So, no one from the outside world has ever seen him. Elaine, you must’ve been deceived by some b*stard.”
Elaine was shocked.
At the same time, at the Saldanas...
“You useless piece of sh*t! I asked you to bring him back, yet you can’t accomplish even such a simple task! ” Juan kicked the bodyguard.
The bodyguard took a few steps backward, fell, and hit the floor heavily. He then lowered his head. “Mr. Saldana... We didn’t expect him to make a move on us.”
Juan snorted, walked to the leather chair, sat down, lit a cigarette, and took a puff. “That brat, he’s been left in the outside world for a long time and has grown too bold. Since the easy way won’t work, we can only hit him hard.”
He dusted off the ash, and his eyes looked merciless. “ No matter what, you are to bring him back even if it means using some ruthless means.”
The man in black responded timidly, “Yes, sir.” When the man left the study, Juan gloomily extinguished half of the cigarette in the ashtray.
‘The cooperation in Hewston has been interrupted. Once someone discovers that Hydra Lake Eastern District’s tax fraud has something to do with me, I won’t be able to get out of this mess unscathed.
‘I’ve finally climbed to where I am today after so many years. I mustn’t give up so easily. I must find someone to take the fall for me.’
The next day...
Elaine came to look for Ian in order to settle the accounts between them exasperatedly, and the store manager told her that Ian was in a separate office upstairs.
She went upstairs and pushed open the door of the office. Ian’s back was facing her as he was just taking his shirt off. The collar had been loosened, and it was hanging on his elbows. His complexion was not fair, but it looked healthily tanned. He had a perfectly built body, as expected from a graduate of the police academy who had joined the army. He looked robust, strong, and well-proportioned.
It was only then that Elaine noticed there was an old scar on his waist. Even his back was covered in scars of different sizes and lengths, which he had accumulated over the years.
Thinking of his former occupation, Elaine began to understand him in an instant.
Ian turned around and saw her standing at the door, but he calmly changed into the shirt and buttoned it up slowly. “Ms. Xavier, have you thought it through?”
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1447
Ian’s voice pulled her back to reality.
Elaine frowned, walked up to him, and crossed her arms. “Mr. Saldana, I tried to look past your lack of sincerity, but you actually lied to me?”
“I lied?” Ian’s hands, which were holding the hem of the collar and adjusting his shirt, stopped moving, and his eyes were fixed on her face.
Elaine looked up at him. “My father said that Mr. Juan Saldana has only one son, and he’s mentally ill. So, Mr. Saldana, are you trying to make a fool out of me?”
Ian gave off a soft chuckle and said nothing.
“What are you laughing at?” Elaine wondered.
He walked aside and poured a cup of coffee calmly and slowly. “I didn’t make a fool out of you.”
“Then I... I don’t think you look like a mentally ill person,” she murmured.
‘What’s going on here?’
Ian took the cup of coffee, walked to the couch, sat down, laughed, and explained calmly, “Juan Saldana does only have one son, but that’s the life that he discloses to the public.”
Elaine stared at him and sank into her thoughts for a long time.
‘His eyes look indifferent, and there’s no warmth in the bottom of his eyes when he mentioned Mr.
Saldana.
‘The richer men get, the more “fun” they tend to have. So, Mr. Juan Saldana maybe no exception.
When a man has the power and the money, having extramarital affairs might become an achievement that fulfills their “sense of accomplishment”. Mr.
Juan Saldana having an extra “son” doesn’t sound too baffling.’
“So, are you saying that you’re an illegitimate child?” She immediately regretted it after asking the question, thinking she might have put it forward too bluntly.
Ian did not mind it and drank his coffee slowly. “Ms. Xavier, haven’t you thought about it?”
Elaine put down her bag, propped her arms against the desk, and leaned forward. “Mr. Saldana, let’s talk about the purpose of you doing so first.”
“Take advantage of the situation and seize power.” Ian leaned half an inch closer to her. “Are you satisfied with my answer?”
She was astounded. Ian was only a few inches away from her, and when he spoke, his mouth smelled of vanilla-flavored coffee. There was also a hint of refreshing mint fragrance from the toothpaste he used, and there was no smell of cigarettes.
Although she did not mind men smoking, she would never kiss a man who smoked.
Elaine’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of kissing.
Her gaze was accurately fixed on his lips, so she quickly shifted her gaze away and straightened her posture. “You want to obtain the Synergy Group?”
“That’s pretty much it.” He did not even try to hide his scheme, and his gaze caught a glimpse of her flushed ears.
On the surface, she looked extremely calm. “I’m not in charge of my own marriage. That’s unless you can convince my father to let go of his prejudice for your father. He doesn’t like Mr. Juan Saldana, and you’re related to him, so he might not agree to it.”
Ian let off a smirk. “As long as you believe in me.”
She choked on her own words.
‘I wanted to make things hard for him to see if he would back down. I didn’t expect him to make such a promise! Is he that determined in marrying me?’
Ian added calmly, seeing her stand in place without saying anything, “I’ll keep my word. You’ll definitely get the benefits that I’ve promised to give you.”
At Blackgold...
Quincy pushed open the office’s door. “Mr. Goldmann.”
Nolan did not lift his eyelids and continued going through the documents in his hands. “You’re back.”
“I went to visit Mrs. Saldana.” Quincy stood in front of the desk and said calmly, “Mrs. Saldana and Mr. Saldana had a divorce a few years ago. It’s just that it hasn’t been made public yet.”
Nolan tapped the document with his fingertips. “ They’re divorced?”
“Yes, Mrs. Saldana hasn’t been in contact with Mr. Saldana all these years, she didn’t look very happy when I mentioned Mr. Saldana.”
It was conceivable that the relationship between the two had long crumbled and ended on rather unpleasant terms.
Nolan lifted his head, “what about their son?”
“Their son, Marco Saldana, is being treated in the Hewston’s Psychiatric Medical Center, but they’re still raising their son together. Mrs. Saldana visits her son every month. Mr. Saldana has never been there, but he pays the mental hospital an exorbitant amount of money monthly.”
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1448
Although Juan had never visited his son, it was uncommon for him to have not abandoned him. The amount of money he paid to the psychiatric hospital every year was worth millions of dollars.
Marco had someone to personally serve him in the psychiatric hospital. After all, his father was the well- known Mr. Saldana —the hospital would definitely not treat him badly, and he would surely not suffer while staying there. Marco’s mental illness was congenital. Sometimes, he would act normally, but the onset would send him into a rampage from time to time.
There was no other way but to place him in a psychiatric medical center and provide him with quality food, drink, and treatment.
Nolan laughed. “What a pity.”
“But Mr. Saldana has another son.”
“Another son?”
Quincy remembered something. “Yes, Mrs. Saldana said that Mr. Saldana was quite a playboy in private back then. He had an extramarital affair with another woman when Mrs. Saldana was pregnant, and the affair went on for six whole years. That woman even secretly gave birth to a son to challenge Mrs.
Saldana’s position in the Saldanas.
“However, Mr. Saldana’s career was not as successful as it is now, and he still needed to rely on Mrs.
Saldana’s connections to support his career. So, although the son his legal wife gave birth to has mental problems, he still needed her support. As for his mistress and the illegitimate son, why would he care? He only paid her a huge amount of money to drive her away.”
Nolan did not speak another word.
Quincy left the office and met Maisie and Saydie in the corridor. He smiled and moved forward. “Mrs.
Goldmann, you’ve come. Mr. Goldmann is in the office.”
Maisie asked Saydie to wait for her outside and pushed open the office door.
Nolan put down the documents, lifted his gaze, looked at the woman walking toward him, stretched his arms, and took her into his arms. “Aren’t you busy?”
“Today is an exception.” Maisie wrapped her arms around his neck. “Our father’s birthday is just around the corner, so I want to pick him a birthday present.”
Nolan paused for a split second and asked with a grin. “Don’t you give him a present every year during his birthday?”
“Yes.” Maisie pinched the front of his shirt. “But I want to organize a huge party for him this year, so I can’t just buy him the things that I used to buy in the past, right?”
He laughed out loud. “What a daughter-in-lawyou are.”
She gave off a smug scoff. “He’s been treating me like his biological daughter throughout all these years, so I can’t just let his love for me be flushed down the drain, right? So, no matter what, I should be in charge of this year’s birthday celebration, shouldn’t I?”
Nolan felt helpless and caressed her cheek with his fingertips. “You can do whatever you want.”
“But the present is an issue.” she hugged him coquettishly. “Hubbyyy! Please give me some ideas. I don’t want to give him something twice. I want to give him something special this year! ”
Nolan held her in his arms, rubbed his chin against her hair, and the joy in his eyes almost overflowed. “ You can also give him an old wife as a present.”
Maisie was at a loss for words.
‘Isn’t he afraid that his father will beat him to death?’
After a while, Maisie walked out of Nolan’s office. She lifted her head and saw Saydie pressing Quincy against the wall.
Saydie clutched his hands with one hand and removed his glasses with the other hand.
Quincy looked as weak as a woman when he was standing next to Saydie. The huge contrast surprised Maisie.
When Quincy saw Maisie, he exclaimed anxiously, “ Mrs. Goldmann, please save me!”
She sneered and walked over with her arms crossed. “ Did you provoke Saydie again?”
Saydie released him.
He took his glasses back, took out a handkerchief, and cleaned them. He wondered what she ate when she was growing up—her strength was scary!
“I didn’t provoke her. she just doesn’t like me. That’s why she wants to practice her martial arts with me.”
Saydie looked at him. “Do I look that idle? why would I find myself a weakling to practice with?”
“A weakling?” Quincy choked on his own words and then laughed angrily. “I’m not a weakling, okay? It’s just that I’m in charge of being the brain instead of the brawn here!”
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1449
Quincy put his glasses back on.
Saydie always felt that it was very awkward for him to wear glasses, she felt that it was not pleasing to the eye, so she stretched out her hand, intending to snatch them off his face again.
“Stop it. Mrs. Goldmann is here.” Quincy evaded her hand.
She explained bluntly, “You look even uglier with glasses on.”
Quincy was rendered speechless while Maisie burst into laughter.
She walked to Saydie and patted her on the shoulder. “ Saydie, don’t keep bullying Quincy just because you think he’s a pushover. If you were to bully him until he loses his mind, he’d lose his job as the person in charge of Blackgold’s brain.”
Saydie nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”
Quincy was at a loss for words.
Maisie left Blackgold with Saydie and got into the car. Her gaze landed on Saydie while they were in the car, and she asked meaningfully, “Saydie, do you really hate Quincy that much?”
Saydie paused for a bit, wondered for a while, and replied, “No.”
Maisie supported the side of her forehead with one hand and looked out the car window. “You’re always bullying Quincy, so I was under the impression you hate him.”
She kept quiet for a split second and responded, “It’s not that I hate him. I just think it’s fun to bully him.”
‘It’s just to relieve my boredom. Since I can’t fight anyone so casually now, I want to bully someone for the fun of it.
‘In fact, I’m very curious too. No matter what I do to bully him, he just won’t get provoked, nor will he get angry and fight back. He has an extremely good temper. Much better than those people that I had bullied before.
‘Before I went to the Metropolis with strix, I wandered around the country and would take on any job for a living, even if it was a life-threatening one. ‘I had always been very straightforward, so many people didn’t like me. They often bullied me, but I would always retaliate against them in the end.
‘All those people had a temper, and they would fight with me whenever we couldn’t reach an agreement. However, after working for strix for several years, I finally understand that those who wish to accomplish great things must always stay calm, and only those who have a steady temper can achieve greatness.
‘Quincy’s skills are indeed not as good as mine, but if he were to take me on seriously, he would be able to hurt me at least.
‘Quincy has no temper, however. But perhaps it’s not that he has no temper. It’s just that he’s a magnanimous man and someone who can keep his head cool at all times, otherwise, Mr. Goldmann wouldn’t have kept him by his side for so many years.
‘Everyone has a bottom line, and so does he. I won’t step on his bottom line just because I want to bully him. I bully him just to make fun of him. ’
Maisie smiled and said nothing. She then inadvertently glanced out the window and saw a white Land Rover pass them. The car’s window was half-lowered, and the driver’s side profile looked extremely familiar to her, not to mention that the woman sitting in the front passenger seat was Elaine.
Ian parked the car outside the Xavier mansion. Elaine unfastened her seat belt, looked to the left, and her gaze landed on him as she inquired, “Are you really this confident?”
Ian laughed. “Are you worried about me?”
She choked on her own words and laughed. “I’m afraid that you’ll get rejected and embarrassed.”
He claimed that it would be impossible.
Elaine got out of the car and watched him drive away before stepping into the courtyard.
As soon as she entered the living room, she realized that the atmosphere in the mansion was lively as Lucy had brought Hector back to the mansion to visit her mother.
Jenna prepared snacks while Edward stayed at home deliberately to welcome them.
Jenna looked up, saw Elaine come in, and gave a merry smile. “Elaine, you’ve come back.”
Elaine responded with a hum and walked up to the couch. “You guys are truly developing at lightspeed. You guys are already meeting each other’s parents?”
Hector turned his head to look at Lucy. “Everything has been made public, so there’s no need to hide it anymore.”
Lucy’s cheeks were on fire.
“It’s normal for a man to date a woman at this age.” Edward laughed, took a look at Elaine, and stopped laughing instantly. “Not everyone’s like you. I would feel a lot more at ease if only you could be a little more like Lucy.”
The Three Little Guardian Angels Chapter 1450
“What makes you think I’m the same as Lucy?” Elaine crossed her arms. “Lucy has had a hard life, and now that there’s a man who can take care of her, you can finally rest easy. But just in case you don’t know this, I don’t need it.”
“You...”
“Dear, there’s no need to rush Elaine. In fact, it’s not a bad thing to get married later in life. It won’t be too late for Elaine to think about it when she meets her Mr. Right.” Jenna tried to persuade Edward gently.
Edward snorted. “If she had the ability to think about it, she wouldn’t have been deceived.”
“Dad, I didn’t lie to you.”
“You didn’t lie? You’re doing so because you deliberately want to piss me off. Are the Saldanas a family that you can think about marrying into? You didn’t even go around gathering more information about Juan’s son, and you’ve chosen to believe in him!”
‘Sure enough, he still cares about the Saldanas.’ Lucy wondered. “What about the Saldanas?”
Elaine did not answer Lucy but explained, “Ian is the other son of Juan Saldana. I don’t want to get married anyway, but the conditions he offered piqued my interest.”
Edward’s expression changed slightly. “You... Do you think marriage is a child’s play?”
“Isn’t marriage a process in which we humans find someone to live with for the rest of our lives? Anyway, I have to live the rest of my life no matter what, so if you want me to get married, it’s equivalent to you asking me to find a man to live with. Then I’ll just get myself a man who meets my requirements and makes do with it, won’t that do the job too?”
“You... ” Edward was so furious that his face was ashen.
Lucy and Hector looked at each other, and Hector held the back of her hand as if he was reassuring her.
At this time, Edward received a call.
He got up and walked to the side to answer it. The person on the other end of the call said something to him, and he frowned, “okay, I’ll head to the company right now.”
He ended the call, turned his head, and said to Hector, “You make yourself at home. Something just came up, and I have to deal with it.”
Hector nodded.
Elaine went upstairs without eating any of the snacks.
Lucy leaned over to Hector’s ear and said something to him. Hector then smiled. “Go ahead.”
Lucy went after Elaine and called her at the door of her room.
Elaine leaned against the door. “What’s up?”
“I should be the one asking you what’s up. who are you going to marry?”
She tucked her hair behind her ears and laughed. “A man.”
Lucy asked, “And you’re just making do with what you have?”
Elaine did not say anything.
‘I’m indeed making do with Ian. I’ve found a man who meets my requirements to live with, I can continue to do the things I want, and I don’t need to abandon my career for my marriage.
‘It’s said that all marriages should be built on a base made out of love, but people who love each other might still face estrangements after marriage because of the little things they face in life.
‘So, instead of finding someone I love, I might as well give up on love. This will save me a lot of trouble.’
Lucy asked again just to be sure, “Elaine, are you serious?”
“Lucy, just leave me alone and worry about yourself more.” Elaine closed the door.
Lucy stood at the door, she always felt that Elaine had never considered herself.
‘A marriage that’s held together and maintained by the interest of both parties is beneficial to her only because it will save her a lot of trouble.
‘But isn’t she worried about herself? Isn’t she worried she’ll fall for that man after marriage?’
On the side of the city, at Beyond Tech Corporation...
Ian was already waiting in the office. Edward and his secretary came in and were both stunned when they saw the man sitting on the couch.
Ian stood up. “Mr. Xavier, it’s nice to finally meet you.”
“And you’re...” Edward took a good look at him. His secretary had called and told him that a distinguished guest had come to discuss a collaboration with him.
Ian took a business card out of his chest pocket and handed it to Edward. “I’m Ian Saldana.”
‘Saldana...’
Edward could not help but think of something and frowned. “Are you the Mr. Saldana my daughter, Elaine, mentioned to me?”
Ian gave off a faint smirk. “Has Ms. Xavier mentioned me to you?”