Ch. 21..30

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 21- Who’s That Woman?

The following night.

The charity dinner was held at the Majestic Hotel. It was organized by the top magazine in Parrington, BQ Magazine. When Alec arrived, the hotel entrance was surrounded by all sorts of paparazzi and reporters as he got off the car.

“BQ Magazine is so privileged to get Alec Faust to come!” someone exclaimed. After all, everyone knew that Alec had not always been a fan of this kind of event.

“I know, right? Too bad we can’t go in and check it out. The charity dinner tonight must be interesting.” another person said pitifully.

“Who’s that woman beside him? Could she be Alec’s girlfriend?” Some people noticed that Alec didn’t attend alone. He brought along a plus-one, and many were surprised about this.

Upon hearing the news, everybody else only noticed Faye standing next to Alec. It wasn’t that they purposely ignored her. It was just that Faye was too ordinary-looking, so she didn’t manage to capture their attention at first. Unfortunately, Faye didn’t know the truth. Standing beside Alec, she enjoyed receiving all their envious looks. She was utterly satisfied.

“You shouldn’t have come tonight,” Alec said while walking toward the dining hall. “You haven’t fully recovered. You should be resting more at home.”

“I’m fine, Alec. It’s too boring resting at home every day. Accompanying you here for this dinner will help me relax.” She flashed a smile at Alec, but it didn’t feel sincere.

If she hadn’t attended this event, there would surely be tons of women in Parrington who would find a way to seduce Alec. She had to come and keep an eye on him to eliminate all competition.

The two of them had just arrived at the entrance when Mr. Nelson, the editor-in-chief for BQ Magazine, rushed over after hearing the news. “Mr. Alec, I didn’t expect you to come. Thank you for gracing us with your presence.”

He never expected him to appear when he first sent Alec the invitation. Who knew The scale of this event had now been increased ten times more. As the main organizer, Mr. Nelson was, of course, very pleased.

“Mr. Nelson, you must be joking. BQ Magazine and the Faust Group have always worked well together. Of course I had to show up,” Alec nodded and smiled. Even though he was polite, his body language revealed a sense of distance.

“Hello, Mr. Nelson.” Faye noticed that he had ignored her presence and felt kind of neglected, so she initiated the conversation.

Mr. Nelson was slightly taken aback. He had only noticed her now. There was no other reason. It was purely because standing next to Alec caused her to be overshadowed.

“This is…”

“My little sister,” Alec answered. Ever since he had promised Anthony to take care of Faye, he had treated her like a younger sister, which was how he introduced her to others. But a bitter look flashed across Faye’s eyes. She didn’t want to be Alec’s little sister!

Mr. Nelson nodded, a little confused. Then, he said, “Mr. Alec, please come in. The dinner is about to start.”

He wanted to lead Alec to the first row. The seats there were the best. They would also provide the best view of the stage for the auction later. At this very moment, there was another commotion at the entrance.

“It’s Gilbert Hawthorn!”

“Gilbert Hawthorn? The upstart?” someone asked.

“That’s him!” The other person nodded before saying, “He built his company up from nothing in a few years and became the youngest self-made billionaire on Forbes. Who else would it be?”

There were people younger than Gilbert on that list, but each of them got on the list because of their family. Even Alec, who was top on the list, was no exception.

“That lady next to him looks very familiar. Is she that new star?” someone noticed the woman standing beside Gilbert and couldn’t help but ask.

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 22-Going Against Him

Next to Gilbert stood a woman wearing a pearl-white gown. She looked exceptionally elegant with her long hair, scarlet-red lips, and perfect white teeth. Except for the exquisite bangle on her wrist, she wore no other accessories. But even so, just her standing there was enough to captivate the crowd.

Alec was no exception.

He was stunned by her beauty every time she appeared. Although he had already decided not to inquire about her, he couldn’t help but want to learn more about her.

“Mr. Hawthorn,” Mr. Nelson greeted him with the broadest grin on his face. However, he wondered,” What’s going on? How come all the big shots decided to show up today?”

Gilbert nodded in response, “Mr. Nelson, I hope we’re not intruding on your dinner?”

“Of course not!” Mr. Nelson shook his head. He couldn’t help but glance at Jenny, who was standing beside Gilbert.

“This woman is so pretty. I wonder what her relationship with Gilbert Hawthorn is. Maybe I could sign her as a model for BQ Magazine?” he thought.

Feeling Mr. Nelson’s direct gaze, Jenny didn’t back down. Instead, she looked at him and smiled. “Hi, Mr. Nelson.”

“Hello, hello!” Mr. Nelson nodded. He looked at Gilbert with a curious gaze. “Mr. Hawthorn, this is your…?”

Gilbert lowered his head slightly to look at Jenny with an affectionate look in his eyes. He answered quickly, “My little sister.”

“Oh, I see,” Mr. Nelson was shocked. He suddenly remembered Alec’s little sister just now. What a world of difference it was between the two.

He complimented, “Your sister is beautiful. Your family has great genes.”

Gilbert smiled without saying a word but shifted his gaze toward Alec and Faye, who were standing next to Mr. Nelson. He looked a little displeased.

“Alec brought this woman along? Luckily Jenny had already divorced him. A man like him doesn’t deserve Jenny,” he thought.

“This is Mr. Faust. I’m sure you know him, Mr. Hawthorn,” Mr. Nelson introduced them. He couldn’t afford to offend these two big shots, so naturally, he had to be careful with his words.

Gilbert nodded and smiled vaguely, “Who wouldn’t know Mr. Faust here in Vale?”

“It takes one to know one. I’ve heard of Mr. Hawthorn too,” Alec didn’t back down either.

The two men stood face to face. Mr. Nelson wondered if he was overthinking things. Why did it feel like there was a strong tension between the two? Just as the two refused to budge, Jenny tugged on Gilbert’s sleeve.

“Gilbert, let’s go sit. The auction is about to start very soon.”

Even though she knew that Gilbert felt indignant on her behalf, Jenny felt there was no need. Since she had already divorced Alec, she didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore. She also didn’t want Gilbert to offend Alec because of this.

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s about to start.” Mr. Nelson nodded. It felt kind of suffocating being sandwiched between these two guys.

Mr. Nelson led the four of them to the first row. After allocating their seats, he found an excuse to leave to avoid getting involved if the two men decided to get into a fight.

Coincidentally, all four of their seats were right next to each other. Jenny and Gilbert went ahead and took a seat. Faye planned to sit next to Jenny, but she didn’t expect that Alec had already made a move and sat down next to Jenny. Faye bit her lip, reluctant to see the two sitting next to each other.

Jenny didn’t expect Alec would sit next to her either. She subconsciously shifted closer to Gilbert, creating distance between her and Alec She had initially planned to cut ties with Alec Combined with that incident with the Walker family, she despised him to the core. She just wanted to get as far away from him as possible. Her movement triggered Alec. Was she deliberately trying to go against him?

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 23- Whoever Pays Is a Fool

Faye noticed the subtle change in Alec’s mood and started to feel very anxious.

Jenny ignored Alec and Faye. She whispered to Gilbert, “I wonder when they’re going to auction off the goods I sponsored.”

She was pretty curious about what the bids would be.

“It’s still early. Mr. Birkett hasn’t released any new work on the market for so many years. Your painting is going to be the finale,” Gilbert replied.

Afterward, he shook his head helplessly and said, “Are you sure it’s not going to be a problem giving away Mr. Birkett’s painting just like that?”

“He’s my mentor. Surely he won’t beat me up for this?” Jenny pouted. “Besides, he already gave me that painting. Of course I have the authority to deal with it.

“That’s true. You’re his mentee. I don’t think he will blame you for it.”

“Why, of course. Mr. Birkett adores me.”

The two of them spoke softly, so Alec couldn’t hear what they were saying. He could only tell that they were enjoying the conversation. Inevitably, he found it annoying.

“Brother? Ha,” he thought.

As a man himself, he could tell from Gilbert’s eyes that he had feelings for Jenny. He wouldn’t believe it if Gilbert said he only had pure intentions.

Soon, the auction began. The hall went quiet.

The first auction item was a diamond necklace sponsored by some trust fund baby. When the emcee announced his name, he stood up and waved at the crowd. Gilbert asked Jenny if she was interested. Jenny shook her head. She had never fancied diamonds that much.

She didn’t like it, but Faye, on the other hand, was obsessed. Her eyes lit up when she saw the large diamond.

“You like it?” Alec asked.

“Yup.” Faye nodded. “I’m just admiring it.”

That sounded a little too fake. If she was really just admiring it, why did she have to tell Alec that she liked it? Alec made a bid. Unsurprisingly, he got the diamond. He didn’t even look at it and just handed it to Faye. This caused the people to doubt their genuine relationship

Was she indeed just his little sister? They found it hard to believe.

The auction carried on. The following few auction items did not pique Jenny’s interest either She was starting to get bored.

“The next item is a pair of emerald earrings. We’re going to start at five million dollars”

The emcee had just finished his sentence when someone made a bid. It seemed that everybody liked this pair of earrings. When Jenny saw the earrings, her eyes lit up as well. She was suddenly wide awake. She also liked this pair of earrings

Gilbert sensed her enthusiasm. He raised his bidding paddle without hesitation. “Ten million dollars!”

“Gilbert…” Jenny turned to look at him.

If you like it, then I’ll buy it. I may not have everything, but I do have money,” Ever since the auction had begun, this was the first item that Jenny liked. He was going to get it no matter what.

Upon hearing this, Jenny laughed. She didn’t refuse either. They didn’t have to act so politely with each. other. “Thanks, Gilbert.”

The bid price of ten million dollars caused many to back off. Although those were a great pair of earrings, it wasn’t worth more than ten million dollars.

“Ten million dollars. Calling once!”

“Calling twice!”

“Ten million dollars…”

“20 million dollars!” Somebody made another bid. The crowd was in shock. Nobody expected that Alec would go after the same goods as Gilbert. Jenny glanced at Alec beside her and frowned.

“Is this man intentionally trying to go against me? Or does Faye want this pair of earrings too?” she thought.

“Mr. Faust.” Gilbert gave a half-smile. Of course he could tell that Alec did this on purpose.

“It’s an auction, after all; the highest bidder wins. I’m sure you know the rules.”

In other words, he meant to say, “Fuck off if you don’t have the money”.

“Ha!” Gilbert chuckled lightly. He raised his bidding paddle the next second, “30 million dollars!”

“40 million dollars.” Alec was calm.

“50 million dollars!”

“60 million dollars!”

Gilbert wanted to make another bid, but Jenny stopped him, “It’s okay, Gilbert. The earrings are great, but it’s not worth that price.”

“60 million dollars…whoever pays the price is a fool,” she thought.

She didn’t want Gilbert to be that fool. As for Alec, he didn’t lack money. She couldn’t stop him.

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 24-We’re Not That Close

“But…”

“It’s okay, Gilbert. I don’t like it that much anyway,” Jenny said smilingly. After all, it wasn’t essential to her.

Since Gilbert didn’t make another bid, the goods belonged to Alec now. The crowd couldn’t help but sigh and be envious. Faye was also pretty worked up. She didn’t expect Alec to bid for such an expensive item for her. She was nervous yet excited at the same time. However, the earrings didn’t arrive in front of her

She watched as Alec paid without hesitation. Later, he whispered something to the attendant. After that, the attendant walked up to Jenny and said to her, “Hi, miss. Mr. Faust wants to give this pair of earrings to you as a gift.”

Gift?

Everybody else was astonished. A 60-million-dollar item as a gift? What was Alec’s relationship with this woman? Wait, Wasn’t she Gilbert’s sister? How did she get involved with Alec? Why did Alec choose to give it to Gilbert’s sister and not his own sister? The crowd was confused. The only conclusion they could come up with was that it was chaotic in the world of high society.

Jenny didn’t reach out to accept it, nor did she look a tiny bit happy about it. She frowned and looked at Alec as if to ask him what the meaning of this was.

“It’s just a small gift. You’ve saved Faye. Her life is worth more than this thing.” What he meant was very obvious. He bought this gift to say thanks for saving Faye’s life.

As he was saying this, he didn’t turn to look at Faye at all, so naturally, he didn’t see her pale face.

“You’re giving it such an expensive gift because she saved me? Alec, is that it?” Faye thought.

She suddenly felt like she couldn’t figure out this man in front of her. Out of nowhere, she felt a sense of insecurity.

“There’s no need. I’ve already got my payment for it,” she declined without hesitation.

Alec’s expression immediately turned ugly. “Must you piss me off in order to feel satisfied?” This wasn’t the first time he got rejected by Jenny.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Jenny looked at him with a cold gaze. “We’re not that close anyway. I ask that you don’t do things that will make others misunderstand.”

Everyone behind them was invested in this. They wished they could just go up to her and ask about her relationship with Alec. Her words “not that close” totally triggered Alec. He immediately got up angrily. “Alright! Very well!”

He hadn’t been enraged this way for years. Alec left the auction hall. The people behind them didn’t know exactly what had happened. They could only sense an air of coldness from Alec, which made them shudder. It appeared that woman had made Alec angry. He hadn’t been enraged this way for years.

At once, the crowd all looked at Jenny with different emotions. Some were curious, some admired her, but most of them sympathized with her.

“Pissing Alec Faust off? Good luck with that,” was what they were all thinking.

However, Jenny looked nonchalant. She returned her gaze to the stage, waiting for the next auction item. On the venue’s second floor, Alec was sitting in a private room. His face was livid with rage. Swirling the drink in his hand, he raised his head and gulped down the entire glass of wine.

“You lost control.” The man sitting across from him was also holding a glass of wine. His deep voice was enough to make someone tremble with fear.

“Yup.” Alec didn’t deny it. He had indeed lost control of himself. Every time he faced Jenny, he would always lose control. Paul Wagner raised his head and looked at the auction that was going on downstairs.

“Who’s that woman? Your attitude toward her…”

Paul didn’t finish his sentence. There was a hint of playfulness in his eyes. He had known Alec for so many years and rarely saw him so out of control. And it was because of a woman. Interesting.

“The doctor that performed Faye’s surgery,” Alec answered with a fierce look in his eyes. “I don’t know why, but I somehow feel she has something against me.”

“Oh?” Paul was intrigued. “It’s rare to find a woman who acts hostile toward you.”

This was probably the reason why Alec was so affected.

“Help me investigate her identity. I don’t think she’s as simple as she looks,” he said after gulping another glass of wine.

Paul nodded. “We should indeed investigate this. Who knows, she might have been sent by someone to get close to you.”

As they talked, something seemed to have happened downstairs at the auction. Chaos had ensued.

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 25-Do You Think We’re Fools?

“Mr. Birkett’s painting? It can’t be!”

Someone snapped, “Everyone knows that Mr. Birkett stopped auctioning off his artwork long ago. This can’t be his painting.”

“That’s right. Auctioning off a fake painting? Do you think we’re fools?”

Everyone who attended the auction today were all established figures. BQ Magazine couldn’t afford for them to get mad. Panicked, Mr. Nelson said hurriedly, “This painting by Mr. Birkett was sponsored by an anonymous person. That person has guaranteed that this is an authentic painting.”

“Just because that person says it is authentic doesn’t mean it is. Who’s going to believe it?” Someone refuted right away before they continued, “Who’s this anonymous person? Come out if you dare. Prove that this is an authentic painting.”

The attendees of this dinner sponsored all the auction goods tonight, so the anonymous person must be present. Were they auctioning off a fake painting using Mr. Birkett’s name? They wanted to see who this shameless person was. Gilbert frowned, looking upset. How dare they accuse Jenny’s painting of being fake?

He was about to get up when Jenny, who was beside him, got ahead of him.

“I was the one who sponsored the painting.”

Everyone else heard her voice and turned to look at her one by one. It was her! It was Gilbert’s sister and also the woman who infuriated Alec.

“This painting is indeed Mr. Birkett’s painting. It’s not a fake like everyone claims it is,” she said calmly without any signs of panic.

“What proof do you have? The whereabouts of all the paintings that Mr. Birkett auctioned off are clear. This painting,” that person contemplated for a moment before saying, “This painting of yours has never appeared before. Could it be Mr. Birkett’s new work?”

“It is indeed,” Jenny nodded. She thought to herself, “This person is quite familiar with Mr. Birkett’s artwork. He recognized that it was a new painting with just one look.”

Not only did she not refute, but she also admitted directly. Everyone looked at her as if she was mad.

“Mr. Birkett said earlier that he isn’t going to auction off any new paintings anymore. Before you use his name, you should at least get your facts right to avoid making a fool of yourself!”

“That’s right! Do you think we’re that dumb?”

The crowd started to speak their mind. They had already concluded that this was a fake painting. They even changed the way they looked at Gilbert. This was the person he brought along, so more likely than not, this was the kind of person he was involved with.

“Dr. Walter, although you have good intentions with your donation, this was inappropriate. Mr. Birkett is a renowned artist, and everyone likes his paintings. You’re going to cause outrage by deceiving the people with a fake painting. Just apologize.”

Faye seemed to be trying to help Jenny with her earnest words, but she had indirectly deemed it a fake painting. Jenny glanced at her and sneered, “We haven’t even confirmed the authenticity of the painting. and you already want me to apologize?”

“There’s no use in denying it. Many of the people here are fans of Mr. Birkett. They are familiar with his

work. What’s the use of denying it?”

Even though she seemed worried for Jenny, Faye was smiling inside. She had been stressed out trying to think of a way to humiliate Jenny earlier. Who knew Jenny had just made a fool of herself?

Jenny didn’t entertain her. She scanned the crowd for a while before she turned her gaze to Mr. Nelson. She said calmly, “Since everybody doubts the authenticity of the painting, let’s get an appraiser. What do you think, Mr. Nelson?”

“Alright, alright. I’ll contact one right away.” Mr. Nelson nodded repeatedly. He was also feeling super anxious. If this painting turned out to be fake, BQ Magazine would become a joke. He could only pray that Gilbert was reliable. After all, he was the one who made the guarantee back then. Worst case scenario, Gilbert had also been kept in the dark about this.

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 26-We Aren’t Close

Alec and Paul watched the drama unfold from the second floor.

“Seems like the woman who made you lose control has gotten into trouble. Aren’t you going to help her?” Paul smirked as he glanced at the man beside him.

“Help?” Alec sneered. He seemed to be enjoying the drama. “Why should I help her? We aren’t close anyway.”

“If that’s the case, why did you give her those 60-million-dollar earrings?” Paul chuckled.

Alec’s expression shifted. Then, he replied, “I’ve already explained this. I wanted to thank her for saving Faye.”

Paul didn’t argue with him. Only Alec himself would know the true reason. Soon, the appraiser that Mr. Nelson had contacted arrived. While waiting for the appraisal, the people whispered to one another. Faye was also waiting to watch the mayhem ensue.

In the crowd’s eyes, this was a fake painting. Jenny was just in denial. It didn’t take long before the appraisal report was out.

“Let’s see how you’re going to deny it now!” someone roared as he looked at the appraiser. “Mr. Jones, this painting is fake, right?”

Mr. Jones didn’t speak. He looked at Jenny, curious about this woman’s identity.

“Dr. Walter, what else do you have to say for yourself? The appraisal report is already out,” Faye couldn’t help but say. She didn’t understand why Jenny could be this calm.

Jenny shot her a glance as she answered calmly, “You’re being noisy.”

“You!” Faye got frustrated. Just as she was about to say something else, Jenny got up and walked up to Mr. Jones.

“Hello, Mr. Jones,” she greeted elegantly with a smile.

Mr. Jones nodded before turning to the audience. “After finishing my appraisal, I conclude that this painting is authentic.”

In an instant, the dining hall was filled with sounds of exclamation. Everybody was in disbelief.

“This is impossible!”

“Sir, are you doubting my skills?” Mr. Jones’ face fell immediately. Even though he wasn’t as famous as Mr. Birkett, he was still pretty well-known in the appraisal industry.

“That’s not what I meant…” That person was tongue-tied. “I just feel like it’s impossible. Why would she have Mr. Birkett’s newest work?”

“More importantly, she even gave it away for charity. Does this woman know the value of this painting?” he thought.

“Why is it impossible?”

Suddenly, somebody pushed open the entrance door. A tall, huge figure walked in. Dressed in casual clothes, he seemed out of place at this dinner event, but nobody dared say anything.

“James Windsor!” someone exclaimed. “That’s Mr. Birkett’s mentee. Why is he here?”

James directly walked up to Jenny and said in a somewhat accusing tone, “Why didn’t you contact me

when you got into trouble? Do you not take your senior seriously?”

Senior?

The crowd was in absolute shock.

“James, don’t be mad. I just didn’t want to disturb you. It’s just a small issue. I can handle it myself,” She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She didn’t expect her senior to be alarmed as well. James was annoyed, but he felt sorry for her more. Who dared to bully his junior? The audacity!

He looked at the crowd and said coldly, “I heard that someone doubted the authenticity of my junior’s painting?”

The crowd remained silent.

“What kind of joke is this? If you had told us earlier that this was your junior, who would have dared to do so?” they thought.

“This painting was specially painted by my mentor and gifted to my junior. Other than the value it’s worth, it’s also significant.” He scanned the crowd with a cold gaze before it landed on Mr. Nelson. “Jenny must have genuinely wanted to do charity. That’s why she sponsored it for the auction. Who knew it would cause such a huge misunderstanding!”

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 27-Very Interesting

“It was all just a misunderstanding,” Mr. Nelson said, sulking. He didn’t know she was Mr. Birkett’s mentee.

“It’s fine, James. It’s normal for people to have doubts. After all, Mr. Birkett has indeed not come out with new artwork for many years.” She could understand why these people doubted its authenticity, so she didn’t feel angry.

Seeing that she was still so calm and unaffected, James couldn’t stay mad at her. After a while, he finally sighed. “I’ve told you before that you don’t have to solve everything alone. Mr. Birkett and I are here for you.”

“I know, James.” Jenny smiled and nodded. “I’ll contact you if I ever face a serious problem.”

The reason why she didn’t contact him was also because she knew that the authenticity of the painting would be proven after an appraisal. There was no need for her to trouble him.

“So, that’s Mr. Birkett’s last mentee?” someone asked timidly.

Jenny smiled and said, “I’m glad everyone likes my mentor’s artwork. I’ll let him know about this. I’m sure he’ll be very pleased.”

The crowd went silent. Someone with insider information said softly, “I’ve heard before that Mr. Birkett took on his last mentee. The mentee is considered exceptionally gifted, and Mr. Birkett plans to train and make them his successor. Who knew we would see her in person today.”

They didn’t expect the mentee to be a woman, let alone such a beautiful one. The crowd was abuzz at once. The look that they gave Jenny had slightly shifted as well. They didn’t treat her as just eye candy anymore. Jenny didn’t acknowledge them. She was busy introducing the two.

“Gilbert, this is my senior, James Windsor.”

“James, this is my big brother, Gilbert Hawthorn.”

The two men nodded at each other and didn’t say much. James didn’t stay long. He left shortly after having a quick chat with Jenny. He was swamped. If it weren’t for the news he had received about someone auctioning off an imitation of Mr. Birkett’s painting, he wouldn’t have rushed over either. However, when he saw the people bullying his junior when he arrived, he couldn’t take it. He instantly backed Jenny up and realized there wasn’t any fake painting.

He had left, but the auction went on. After confirming the authenticity of the painting, the crowd went hard with their bids. Everyone wanted to get it. But the painting still ended up in Alec’s hands. After all, very few people in Parrington could compete against him.

“What was the reason for this bid then?” Paul asked as he looked Alec up and down.

“Grandpa’s birthday is coming soon, and he’s a big fan of Mr. Birkett. He would be over the moon to receive this painting as a gift. I was just worried about not being able to find a suitable gift, and now I’ve got it.” He laughed.

Paul was sipping his drink but was also thinking about something else. “I’m starting to become interested

in that woman.”

“What?” Alec thought he had misheard.

“Don’t you think that she’s very interesting?”

Paul looked at him and continued, “Not only is she a famous doctor, but she’s also Mr. Birkett’s last

mentee. Who knows, she might have some other identity. Who wouldn’t be fascinated by a woman like her?”

Alec’s expression immediately turned dark. “What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing much. If you’re not interested in her, I plan on getting to know her. It just so happens that my family have been urging me to find a girlfriend as well,” he said thoughtfully. He didn’t look like he was kidding.

Alec didn’t say a word, but his expression said it all. Paul was entertained by this gloomy face of his.” Alright, I was just kidding. She’s not my type.”

“What’s her name? I’ll get someone to look her up,” he said.

“Dr. Walter,” Alec responded.

Paul looked confused.

“I’m asking for her full name.”

Alec shook his head. “Couldn’t find it out.”

“You didn’t manage to find out? This must mean that she’s not as simple as she seems.” Just because Alec couldn’t find it out, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t. After all, they didn’t come from the same background.

“Let me know when you succeed.” He was also curious about how many secrets she was keeping.

Paul nodded. Sipping his wine, he said slowly, “Don’t you worry. I will make sure to find out everything about her.”

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 28-Can We Be Friends?

After the auction ended, it was time to socialize. Quite a few people were eager to approach Jenny. After all, she was not only Gilbert Hawthorn’s sister, but also Mr. Birkett’s mentee. If they could be together with her, wouldn’t it be easy for them to have a meteoric rise in their career?

Jenny didn’t know what these people were plotting. She was busy sulking. Ever since she knew Alec got the painting, she had been upset. Although it was for charity, and it shouldn’t matter who it was sold to, she still felt disgusted knowing it was sold to Alec.

“Does that guy even understand art? Don’t tell me he bought it for Faye again?” she thought.

For a moment, she regretted choosing this painting. She should have chosen another one. She went to hide in a corner with her drink in her hand. She smiled a little while watching Gilbert interact with the crowd with ease from a distance. Gilbert was starting to behave more and more like a high flyer.

She was deep in thought until someone came up to her. “Hi, miss. I’m Steven Dickman. Can we be friends?”

Jenny raised her head to look at him. She frowned a little. He was a slightly fat man, and Jenny found him repulsive. Especially those eyes that stared right at her, which made her highly uncomfortable. She stood up and responded directly, “Sorry, I don’t like making friends.”

After saying that, she was prepared to leave. She didn’t want to continue talking to him. However, Steven didn’t intend to let her go just like that. He immediately blocked Jenny’s way.

“Miss Hawthorn, Parrington is a huge place. Gilbert won’t be able to protect you all the time. You might want to think before you speak.”

While he was speaking, Jenny noticed a few more people had surrounded her. It was apparent that this fattie had come prepared. Jenny put down the glass in her hand and scanned the place. Gilbert was nowhere to be seen. Someone must have used an excuse to bring him somewhere else. She wasn’t worried about Gilbert’s safety. With his current status, nobody would dare to touch him.

Looking at Steven, she did not panic at all. Instead, she kindly reminded him, “Mr. Dickman, I don’t wish to be violent today. Please ask your men to fuck off. Otherwise, don’t blame me for not being nice.”

It was a charity dinner, after all. She didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere.

However, Steven didn’t take her words seriously. He got more excited instead.

“Feisty. I like that. I wonder if you’ll be this feisty too later in bed!” He snickered.

Jenny scowled immediately. She had already clenched her fists, ready to punch Steven anytime now.

“In broad daylight? Mr. Dickman, isn’t this a little inappropriate?”

At this very moment, a slightly frivolous voice rang. In the blink of an eye, this person appeared in front of Jenny. Even though Jenny had met many good-looking men, her heart skipped a beat when she saw this man in front of her. What a stud. Until today, the most handsome man Jenny had seen was Alec, but this man was actually on par with him. They were just two different types.

Alec looked more cold and intimidating. On the other hand, this man…looked a bit more gentle.

“Max Pearson!” Steven gritted his teeth. “Since when have you started to stick your nose into other people’s business?”

“How could you call this sticking my nose into your business? I’m obviously saving the damsel in distress.” After saying that, he even raised his brows at Jenny.

Jenny was speechless. That was unnecessary. She didn’t even take Steven and his men seriously.

“What if I say that I must take her away tonight? Are you planning to go against my family?” Steven looked at Jenny with a devilish look in his eyes.

He didn’t care who Jenny was. As long as this woman was pretty enough, he must have her!

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 29-Thwarted

“So what if I am? Do you think I’m afraid of you?” There was a sudden shift in Max’s aura. It was as if he had turned into Asura, which made her shudder.

Jenny turned to look at him. This man was…pretty intriguing. He appeared frivolous, but once he became serious, it was as if he had turned into another person. Just when the two men were deadlocked, Alec and Paul came down from the second floor. When they saw Max appear, the two of them were startled. “Yo, we’re late. He’s one step ahead of you,” Paul gloated, purposely teasing Alec.

Alec scowled, “You think Max Pearson would actually be so kind?”

“That’s true. He’s probably plotting something evil,” Paul nodded and continued. “Too bad Dr. Walter doesn’t know that. Who knows, she might get deceived.”

Alec didn’t say a word, nor did he go over there. He just observed from a distance.

“Alec.”

Faye walked over to Alec as soon as she saw him. Without Alec around, she seemed out of place at this dinner. Alec answered briefly, but he didn’t acknowledge her presence. Instead, he continued to observe Jenny’s situation.

“Max Pearson!”

Realizing that Max was really butting heads with him, Steven was furious. He asked, “Don’t tell me you’re interested in her too?”

Max kept quiet. After a while, he answered in annoyance, “Hurry up and fight me. Stop wasting my time.” “You!” Steven was hitting the roof.

But Max was not afraid of him. He just stared at him indifferently. Steven was about to ask his men to attack when an old man appeared in time and stopped him. He whispered in his ear, “Sir, it’s not worth it to offend the Pearson family.”

“But…” He couldn’t turn the other cheek.

“There will be plenty of opportunities in the future,” the old man spoke again but in a firm tone.

Steven’s face was livid with rage. His eyes darted back and forth between Jenny and Max. After a while, he finally said, “Consider yourselves lucky. I’ll let you guys off the hook today.”

After he finished his sentence, he left with his men. After he had gone far, Max turned to look at Jenny with a cheeky smile, “It seems like you weren’t worried at all.”

“Just a mob. Nothing to be worried about,” If it weren’t for Max’s sudden appearance, Steven and his men would already have been lying on the ground after being beaten up by her.

But she didn’t respond so directly. If she really said that, that would make her such a jerk. After all, he had helped her.

Max nodded. “A mob? You’re right.”

As he spoke, Max handed over a glass of champagne to Jenny. He was also holding a glass of wine himself.

“Max Pearson. Fancy getting to know each other?”

Jenny glanced at him as if considering his offer.

“Don’t worry. I’m not like Steven Dickman.” As if knowing what Jenny was worried about, Max explained laughingly.

Jenny smiled upon hearing this. She clinked glasses with Max.

“Dr. Walter.”

Although he had helped her, Jenny didn’t plan to give away too much about herself. It wasn’t that important to give her real name. Having a title was enough.

“Dr. Walter?” Max murmured. Then, he shook his head helplessly, “That will do.”

He had all the time in the world. He would take his time. He sat down next to Jenny halfway through the conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Alec from a distance. He raised his brows at him as if to brag. At this moment, Alec understood Max’s actions. He was trying to get close to Jenny on purpose! As for the reason behind it…

Hadn’t Max always liked to do stuff like this? He hated the entire Faust family because of that incident

years ago.

To Be Yours Again by Taylor Chapter 30-Killed His Father?

Jenny and Max were enjoying their conversation. She discovered that he was pretty interesting. At least he wasn’t repulsive. As the dinner had come to an end, Jenny followed Gilbert and left together. Before they left, Max said reluctantly to her, “Goodbye, Dr. Walter.”

“Okay, goodbye.” Jenny waved at him before she got in the car and left.

Max finally wiped the smile off his face when the car vanished in the darkness. He reached up to massage his face to relieve the numbness in his cheeks. He turned around just to see Alec standing behind him.

“Alec Faust. Are you trying to scare this late at night?” he said unhappily as he took a few steps back. After all, he couldn’t beat this guy. Alec stared at him with a dark expression.

“Don’t involve unrelated people in our business.”

Max laughed. He rubbed his ears and asked in disbelief, “What did you say? I must have misheard. You actually care about a woman?”

“Max, just because I didn’t bother about childish actions in the past doesn’t mean I won’t take action against you,” Alex said in a deep voice. For years, Max had been giving him trouble. Alec didn’t bother. After all, he was also one of the victims of that incident back then.

However, there was a limit to his patience.

Max’s expression turned ugly upon hearing Alec’s words, “So, you’re saying that I’ve only been getting away with it all these years because you didn’t bother to do anything?”

“Duh. What did you think?” He looked at Max like he was mentally-retarded.

He successfully triggered Max. Max pointed at Alec as he said, “Alec, stop acting like you’re so mature. Do you really think you’re all that? If you’re really such a tough guy, kill me then.”

“Otherwise, I’m going to kill you and your entire family sooner or later!”

After he finished speaking, Alec finally replied calmly with a look of disdain, “Is that so? I only fear that you don’t have that capability.”

“You just wait and see!”

Max turned around in anger. He had only taken two steps forward before he turned around again and said. to Alec, “By the way, you’re interested in Dr. Walter, aren’t you?”

“No,” Alec answered.

“No?” Max sneered. “Really? Well, I plan to go after her and make her my girlfriend. What do you think?”

As soon as he said that, Max felt a sudden drop in temperature, but his smile grew wider.

“Up to you,” Alec finally said after a long while. He didn’t say anything more and got up to leave.

Max clenched his fists tightly as he watched Alec walk away. He said through gritted teeth, “Up to me? We shall see if you really don’t care or you’re just acting like you don’t.”

On the other side of Gilbert’s car, Jenny massaged her temples, feeling a little tired. it seemed like she wasn’t cut out for dinners like this.

“How did you know Max?” Gilbert suddenly asked as he drove. He didn’t look too happy either.

“I met him at the dinner just now,” Jenny answered before she asked, “Why?”

“Nothing. He’s just an unpredictable person. You should stay away from him,” Gilbert said as he knitted his brows.

Jenny nodded. She never planned to get close to Max anyway.

“The Pearson family wasn’t doing well a few years back. Max suddenly killed his father when the family was about to go bankrupt and successfully took over the company. That’s how the family became what it is today,” Gilbert continued, afraid that Jenny wasn’t taking it seriously. At present, the Pearson family was also a force to be reckoned with in Parrington. They may not be as powerful as the Faust family, but they shouldn’t be underestimated.

“He killed his father?” Jenny was in disbelief.

“That’s what everyone says. There must be some truth to it then,” Gilbert answered. He continued, “He’s exceptionally dangerous, not as harmless as he seems.”

Jenny nodded, indicating her understanding.

Soon, the car stopped outside the entrance to the neighborhood. Jenny waved goodbye to Gilbert. It was only after the car disappeared from sight that she walked to a store on the other side of the road for some food before walking back.

What shocked her was that Alec was standing before the elevator doors, looking as though he’d been waiting for her.

Jenny shook her head. It must be a coincidence. After all, Alec lived here as well.

She walked over without looking at Alec, pretending that she didn’t know him.

However, Alec didn’t behave the same way. Ever since Jenny showed up, his gaze had been glued on her.

That deep and unflinching gaze made Jenny feel uneasy all over. Just as she was about to ask what Alec meant by this, the other spoke up first.

“Is that that you’d accept any other man as long as it’s not me?” he asked casually.