"It''s been some time, Ms. Smith. You still look amazing." The man stared at Yvonne''s exquisite face, smiling leisurely.


    "Thank you for your praise, Sir." Yvonne lowered her head, responding humbly.


    "This is expected of the child that Mr. Iverson personally nurtured for many years-gentle, elegant, dignified, and generous. Sometimes, I even think that she''s Ms. Thompson. Ms. Smith is truly the most perfect substitute I''ve seen."


    Yvonne''s expression remained unchanged, but her eyes darkened immediately.


    The word "substitute" turned all of the praise from the man into sarcasm.


    Christopher did not continue the topic. Instead, he opened the box and presented the antique vase to the man. "This is an 18th-century vase I acquired at an auction in Inalia. It''s a small token. Please ept


    it."


    rice raised her brows.


    She had kept an eye on this antique vase before for the man, but it was bought for a staggering $5 billion by an anonymous buyer. She did not expect the buyer to be Christopher.


    Christopher was indeed a considerate and dedicatedpdog.


    The man nodded slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Iverson. Please give your full attention to DAD0044."


    Christopher bowed deeply. "Rest assured. I will give it my all."


    After the two left, the aromatic room fell into silence.


    "Sir, between the face you bestowed upon me and Yvonne''s face, which resembles Be Thompson, which do you think is more beautiful?" rice''s hands rested gently on the man''s shoulders as she leaned and whispered into his ear.


    The man''s eyebrows arched slightly, and he patted hisp twice.


    rice obediently moved in front of him, kneeling at his feet. She lifted her radiant face and looked at him with eyes brimming with affection.


    "No matter how much Yvonne looks like Be, she will never be her. She''s only a low-tier substitute created to satisfy Christopher''s desires."


    The man leaned forward, his fingers lifting her chin slowly. "You are your own self, a work of art I carefully crafted. How could a boring replicapare to a thing that belongs to me?"


    Upon hearing it, rice''s dark eyes flickered slightly.


    The man was like a supreme being who looked down upon the world seeing everything in terms of whether it belonged to him or not. Therefore, she did not mind being called a "thing".


    "Sir, forgive me for being frank."


    rice knelt and massaged his legs with appropriate pressure. "I think now is the most suitable time for you to return. As Christopher said the best way to manipte a man is to y on his sympathy. I''m worried that Gregory will hand


    of the Salvador Corn Over the reins


    Justin out of guilt."


    The man chuckled. "He won''t."


    "Besides, now that Shannon haspletely fallen, Bethany''s existence in the Salvador family has no meaning anymore."


    rice said, "Why don''t you leak the secrets you know to take down both mother and daughter? Having useless chess pieces on the board will only get in the way." "How do you know she''s useless before the very end?"


    rice was shocked.


    "My grandfather always told me that we shouldn''t be wasteful. Being thrifty is a traditional virtue."


    The man''s tall figure leaned backfortably. "So I must use every piece to its full potential, to honor my grandfather''s teachings."


    rice could not help sneering. "Does it include Christopher?"


    The man coughed lightly, picked up his teacup, and sipped elegantly. "I hope he gives me a satisfactory result with the drug experiment. Otherwise, our rtionship will end here."


    On judgment day, Shannon appealed in court.


    Ten dayster, the second trial upheld the initial decision-the death penalty.


    From that moment on, Shannon felt as if she had gone blind. She curled into a ball at the corner of the cell from morning to night, nkly staring at the small iron window, watching from dawn till dusk. Then, everything she looked at was like a dark and filthy fog.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.