《The Divorced Heiress’s Revenge》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Anna Brown looked at the divorce papers on the table that her husband had already signed. She looked in the direction of the window with tears in her eyes. Justin Salvador was standing there in the glow of the afternoon sun, looking as perfect and cold as a stone sculpture and emanating an oppressive vibe. ¡°I¡¯ve signed the papers. You should sign them as soon as possible so that we can finalize the divorce before Rosees home.¡± Justin put his hands behind his back and said, without ncing at her, ¡°Since we had a prenuptial agreement, there won¡¯t be any issues with property division. But aspensation, I will give you an additional $20 million as well as the vi in the western suburbs. After all, I won¡¯t be able to exin it to Grandpa if you leave without taking a cent.¡± Anna was dumbstruck. ¡°Does Grandpa know that you want to divorce me?¡± ¡°Grandpa¡¯s opinion won¡¯t affect my decision.¡± Anna¡¯s slender body shook, so she could only hold onto the edge of the table to stabilize herself. Tears streamed down her face as she asked, ¡°Justin, can we please stay married?¡± Finally, Justin turned around and looked at her doubtfully. He pursed his thin lips and narrowed his dark eyes. His handsome face still made Anna¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I love you.¡± Anna¡¯s eyes were red and tearful. ¡°Justin, I love you. I still want to be your wife even if you don¡¯t have feelings for me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this, Anna. A marriage without love is torture for me.¡± Justin waved her off. He did not even have the patience to listen to her. ¡°Our marriage was a mistake from the start. You knew that I was just fighting with Grandpa back then. You also knew that I liked Rose. I just couldn¡¯t be with her back then for certain reasons. She¡¯sing back from Meridan soon, and I n to marry her, so you have to leave now that our three-year contract period is up.¡± Anna lowered her head. Large teardrops fell on the table, but she quickly wiped them away. Justin noticed it, but he did not say a word. At this time, his phone rang. He quickly answered the call when he saw the name on the screen. ¡°Rose, have you boarded the ne yet?¡± He had such a gentle tone that Anna wondered if it came from the same man who was so cold to her moments ago. Rosalind Gold said in a cheery voice over the phone, ¡°Justin, I¡¯m already at the Savrow Airport.¡± ¡°What? Weren¡¯t you supposed to get in tonight?¡± ¡°I wanted to surprise you!¡± ¡°Wait for me, Rose. I¡¯ll pick you up now!¡± After that, Justin left in a hurry. When the door mmed shut, Anna felt heartbroken and abandoned. She had sacrificed so much for the Salvadors and had devoted herself to Justin during their marriage. In the end, he only thought of her decade-long crush and three years of marriage as torture. Justin acted as if he had been released from serving a three-year prison sentence and hurriedly abandoned Anna at the first opportunity. This was so that he could marry his childhood sweetheart, Rosalind Gold, whom he had been longing for. Anna was crushed and disheartened to find that she could not do anything to win over Justin¡¯s heart. She took a deep breath, smiled wryly, and shook her head. Her indignant tears smudged Justin¡¯s beautiful signature on the divorce papers. In the evening, Justin brought Rosalind back to Tideview Manor. Justin, the second son of the affluent Salvador family, carried a demure woman in bridal style as he walked into the manor, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. 1 ¡°Justin, you¡¯re not divorced yet, so we shouldn¡¯t be so intimate. Otherwise, Anna will resent me if she sees us.¡± Rosalind rubbed Justin¡¯s chest as she spoke softly. ¡°She won¡¯t.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes turned cold as he said, ¡°So what if she sees us? I don¡¯t love her. She¡¯s only my wife in name, so she should know her ce.¡± The Salvadors gathered around Rosalind and greeted her while Anna was setting the table in the dining room. Justin caught a glimpse of his wife¡¯s lonely figure and smirked, thinking, ¡®How could Anna be so servile to my family? Did she think that doing so would make me change my mind about the divorce? How ridiculous!¡¯ ¡°Young Master Justin!¡± After a while, the butler ran over to Justin. ¡°Young Madam just left!¡± ¡°She left? When?¡± ¡°Just now! She didn¡¯t take anything with her. She just took off her apron and left through the back door. A ck car picked her up.¡± Justin hurried back to the bedroom, which was clean and tidy. He saw the signed and tear-stained divorce agreement on the bedside table. He frowned and walked over to the window, just in time to see a ck Rolls-Royce driving away from Tideview Manor. Soon, its tail lights disappeared into the night. Justin thought to himself, ¡®Wasn¡¯t she reluctant to leave in the afternoon? It looks like she can¡¯t wait to leave right now!¡¯ 1 He felt that Anna had yed him like a fool, so he took out his phone and called his secretary indignantly. ¡°Check whose car this belongs to. License te number SA9999.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Five minutester, Justin¡¯s secretary called him back. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I found out that the car with that license te number belongs to the CEO of KS Group.¡± KS Group¡¯s CEO was the eldest son of the Thompson family, Asher. Anna came from a small town. She was poor and did not have any connections. During the past three years, Justin noticed that Anna did not even have a social circle because all she did was stay at home. How did she manage to get acquainted with Asher Thompson? Justin thought that Anna had already found herself a rebound guy. ¡°Mr. Salvador, did you bring up the divorce with the young madam today?¡± His secretary asked tentatively. ¡°Of course! Why would I drag it out?¡± Justin felt frustrated. ¡°Oh¡­ But it¡¯s the young madam¡¯s birthday today.¡± Justin was taken aback when he heard this. In the back row of the ck Rolls-Royce, Asher, the eldest son of the prestigious Thompson family, gently held Anna¡¯s hand. ¡°Your second brother prepared a fireworks show for you tonight to celebrate your return.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not in the mood to watch fireworks.¡± Anna resumed her identity as Be Thompson, the heiress of the Thompson family. She leaned on her eldest brother¡¯s shoulder and burst into tears. She nced at her old phone and read thest message she received, which was from Rosalind. [You stole Justin from me. I told you that I¡¯d make you give him up sooner orter. Justin is mine, so stop pestering him!] She smiled tearfully with her eyes closed and came to a realization. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you still miss him after all he has done to you?¡± Asher hugged his sister in distress. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ash, it¡¯s my birthday today¡­¡± ¡°I know. Justin is a jerk for choosing to divorce you today of all days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I have no regrets. Justin just killed Anna Brown.¡± When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer Anna Brown, the dutiful wife of Justin Salvador. Instead, she was once again Be Thompson, the proud heiress of KS Group. This time, she would no longer be hung up on that man. Be said, ¡°I¡¯m over him. I¡¯ll be damned if I ever go back to him.¡± Chapter 2 Rosalind was Mrs. Salvador¡¯s niece, so she stayed and enjoyed a nice family dinner with the Salvadors. Justin was the only one with a frown. He had no appetite because Anna left with Asher Thompson. She did not even take anything with her, nor did she ept his $20 millionpensation or the vi. ¡°Where¡¯s Anna? Why didn¡¯t shee down for dinner?¡± Gregory Salvador, Justin¡¯s father, asked in surprise. ¡°We¡¯ve already signed the divorce papers.¡± Justin lowered his eyes and replied, ¡°I will finalize the divorce as soon as possible.¡± Gregory was stunned. ¡°Divorce? Why?!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Oh, Greg, I already told you a long time ago that Justin and Anna aren¡¯t suited for each other. Your father was the one who forced them to get married.¡± Justin¡¯s stepmother, Shannon Quarry, sighed and continued, ¡°That poor child has been suffering for three years. Now that she¡¯s willing to let go of Justin, they could both live their own lives. This is actually a good thing for them. As you know, Justin has always been in love with Rose.¡± ¡°Justin, marriage is not child¡¯s y. Anna is also¡­¡± ¡°Dad, we have signed the divorce papers, and Anna has already left.¡± Justin frowned in frustration. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect that country bumpkin to have the backbone to leave.¡± Bethany Salvador, Justin¡¯s half-sister, sneered. ¡°Is she just trying to y the pity card? Will she go around saying that our family mistreated her?¡± Justin was infuriated when he heard this. ¡°Justin, you¡¯re too rash. Your grandfather is still ill. How are you going to exin this to him without aggravating him?¡± Gregory was afraid of angering his father and felt a little anxious. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell Grandpa the truth. I will also publicly announce my marital news with Rose next month.¡± Rosalind stared at the man¡¯s handsome side profile,pletely smitten. ¡°That¡¯s absurd! Your reputation will be ruined if word gets out that you abandoned your wife of three years!¡± ¡°I never cared about my reputation, and I never loved Anna.¡± Justin was resolute. He showed no trace of regret. ¡°Uncle Greg, please don¡¯t me Justin. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Rosalind leaned her head on Justin¡¯s broad shoulders and added, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee back to Justin¡­ I¡¯ll go back to Meridan first thing tomorrow. Justin, you should get back together with Anna. I don¡¯t want to be the one who breaks you up¡­¡± ¡°Rose, none of this is your fault.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened as he held her slender hand and said, ¡°Anna and I are over. You¡¯ve been patient enough to wait for me for three years, so I won¡¯t let you suffer for another day.¡± The evening breeze was cool and rejuvenating. Asher took Be on a yacht on the Moon River to enjoy the city¡¯s magnificent night view. ¡°Ash, are you trying to rub it in my face?!¡± Be looked at the couples around her, feeling dejected. ¡°This is a popr dating spot! I don¡¯t even dare toe here because of all the PDA.¡± ¡°Oh? Well, you can me your second brother for that. He said that he would set off fireworks here at 8:00 p.m. sharp.¡± Asher elegantly raised his wrist and looked at his watch. ¡°Five, four, three, two, one¡­¡± ¡°Boom!¡± A huge disy of purple and red fireworks bloomed in the sky. All the young couples on the deck gradually gathered on the river bank. ¡°This is some.¡± Be clicked her tongue and shook her head, but she was touched. ¡°Think about all the weird gifts you¡¯ve received from him over the years. This is quite an improvement.¡± Asher put an arm around his sister¡¯s shoulder and gently pulled her closer. ¡°You have more gifts piled up in your room. Be, there are a lot of people who love and care about you, so you should focus on that instead.¡± Be suddenly felt a tingling sensation in her nose. She was touched by her brothers¡¯ support. At this moment, a ck Maybach stopped on the roadside. Justin took Rosalind¡¯s hand and stepped out of the car. It was chilly at night, so Rosalind stuck to Justin¡¯s chest. ¡°Wow, those fireworks are beautiful! Justin, look!¡± Rosalind was always so cute and innocent in front of Justin, which was what he liked most about her. On the other hand, Anna was in boring. Justin did not like her at all. In their past three years of marriage, the only advantage was her obedience and subservience. But to Justin, that was not worth anything because he was in love with Rosalind. Justin and Rosalind walked to the railing and saw that the fireworks formed the words ¡°Happy Birthday!¡±. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s someone¡¯s birthday! I wonder who¡¯s so lucky to get such a gift.¡± Rosalind sighed enviously. Justin narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips into a thin line. He felt a little frustrated. It was Anna¡¯s birthday. Did Asher prepare this fireworks show for her? Suddenly, a familiar and pleasant voice reached Justin¡¯s ears. A yacht passed by in front of them, and Justin saw the outstanding couple that was standing on the deck. It was none other than Anna and Asher. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that Anna? Who is the man next to her? He looks really familiar. They also look very close,¡± Rosalind said innocently. Justin¡¯s face turned glum. The veins on the back of his hand were bulging from holding onto the railing too hard. He thought, ¡®I knew it! We haven¡¯t finalized the divorce, but that woman couldn¡¯t wait to run into another man¡¯s arms! Why did she have to cry so pitifully this afternoon then?¡¯ 2 The yacht went around the bay twice and docked at the shore. After the crowd dispersed, Asher put an arm around Be¡¯s waist and led her down the steps. ¡°Anna Brown!¡± Upon hearing that name, Be felt her body tense up. She looked back slowly and saw Justin striding toward her under the dim street lights. His handsome face still stunned her every time. But even so, her 13 years of infatuation for him were over. Justin hadpletely broken her heart. ¡°Who is he?¡± Justin¡¯s expression was cold and oppressive. ¡°Mr. Salvador, it seems like you have a poor memory.¡± Asher hugged his sister tightly and smiled handsomely. ¡°We¡¯ve met more than once, being rivals in the industry.¡± ¡°Anna, answer my question.¡± Justin ignored Asher and pressed forward. ¡°We are divorced, Mr. Salvador. Who this gentleman is has nothing to do with you,¡± Be retorted in a cold voice. Justin looked shocked. He could not believe that the submissive Anna would talk to him in such an indifferent tone. ¡°We haven¡¯t officially divorced yet, and you can¡¯t wait to be with another man?¡± Asher thought, ¡®How could this jerk sound so righteous when he was the one who had an affair first?!¡¯ Asher¡¯s eyes darkened. Just as he was about to step forward, Be stopped him. Seeing this, Justin became more upset because she defended another man. ¡°Mr. Salvador, we¡¯re not officially divorced yet, but you couldn¡¯t wait to bring your sweetheart back home. I didn¡¯t even say a word about that, so what right do you have to stop me from being with someone else?¡± Be¡¯s ck hair swayed in the wind. Her red lips curled up into a sneer, but she was so stunningly beautiful. Justin had never seen her so untamable and bold. 1 Be continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a double standard?¡± Justin was rendered speechless. Rosalind, who had lost track of Justin earlier, finally caught up. She was angry when she saw Justin with Anna, so she stomped on her high heels and identally sprained her ankle. She fell to the ground and screamed. ¡°Ah! Justin! My feet hurt so much!¡± Justin returned to his senses and hurriedly turned around to help Rosalind get up from the ground. When he turned back, Be and Asher had already disappeared. Chapter 3 The Rolls-Royce drove to Yara Park, which was the Thompson family¡¯s residence in Hatchbay. The car stopped in the middle of the red carpet that wasid out at the front entrance. In the center stood Axel Thompson, Be¡¯s second brother. He opened the car door for Be and greeted her. ¡°Wee home, Princess!¡± Be looked stunning under the bright lights in the mansion. She had taken off her sneakers and changed into stilettos earlier in the car. When she got out of the car, she looked like a proud queen. ¡°Ax, how have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m feeling much better now that you¡¯re back! Are the fireworks nice? My birthday gift for you has gone viral online!¡± Axel¡¯s handsome face was filled with excitement. ¡°Yeah, I saw it. People are saying that you¡¯re a filthy rich bastard trying to win over someone¡¯s heart. That¡¯s quite an achievement, huh?¡± Be pped her hands and smiled brightly at Axel. Axel ignored her mockery and hugged her tightly. ¡°Be, you won¡¯t leave again, right?¡± ¡°Where else will I go now that I¡¯m divorced?¡± Be patted her second brother¡¯s back and sighed in relief. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve let everyone down. I thought I could win him over if I put all my effort into this marriage. But in the end, I failed miserably.¡± Only God knew how devastated she was at the moment. She wanted to cry, but she held back. Be swore that she would never shed another tear for Justin after she left Tideview Manor because he was not worth it. ¡°That asshole! How dare he cheat on my sister?! I¡¯ll start a thorough investigation on Salvador Corporation tomorrow and get your fourth brother to assassinate Justin when he¡¯s free!¡± When Asher heard this, he lowered his eyelids and said, ¡°Amen.¡± ¡°Ax, don¡¯t create trouble! You¡¯re a public prosecutor!¡± Beughed bitterly. ¡°Can you be a little more ¡®peace and love¡¯ like Ash?¡± ¡°What the fuck! Your eldest brother only became a saint after he stopped being a mobster!¡± Axel tugged on his tie angrily. ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t let this go! I won¡¯t stand by and watch Justin bully my sister. The Salvadors are on my radar now.¡± Be held Asher and Axel¡¯s hands as she walked into the home she had not returned to in a long time. When Wyatt Thompson, the chairman of KS Group, heard that his daughter was back, he could not hide his joy and paced around the study excitedly. ¡°Wyatt, I¡¯m back!¡± The Rolls-Royce drove to Yara Park, which was the Thompson family¡¯s residence in Hatchbay. The car stopped in the middle of the red carpet that wasid out at the front entrance. In the center stood Axel Thompson, Be¡¯s second brother. He opened the car door for Be and greeted her. ¡°Wee home, Princess!¡± Be looked stunning under the bright lights in the mansion. She had taken off her sneakers and changed into stilettos earlier in the car. When she got out of the car, she looked like a proud queen. ¡°Ax, how have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m feeling much better now that you¡¯re back! Are the fireworks nice? My birthday gift for you has gone viral online!¡± Axel¡¯s handsome face was filled with excitement. ¡°Yeah, I saw it. People are saying that you¡¯re a filthy rich bastard trying to win over someone¡¯s heart. That¡¯s quite an achievement, huh?¡± Be pped her hands and smiled brightly at Axel. Axel ignored her mockery and hugged her tightly. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Be, you won¡¯t leave again, right?¡±. ¡°Where else will I go now that I¡¯m divorced?¡± Be patted her second brother¡¯s back and sighed in relief. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve let everyone down. I thought I could win him over if I put all my effort into this marriage. But in the end, I failed miserably.¡± Only God knew how devastated she was at the moment. She wanted to cry, but she held back. Be swore that she would never shed another tear for Justin after she left Tideview Manor because he was not worth it. ¡°That asshole! How dare he cheat on my sister?! I¡¯ll start a thorough investigation on Salvador Corporation tomorrow and get your fourth brother to assassinate Justin when he¡¯s free!¡± When Asher heard this, he lowered his eyelids and said, ¡°Amen.¡± ¡°Ax, don¡¯t create trouble! You¡¯re a public prosecutor!¡± Beughed bitterly. ¡°Can you be a little more ¡®peace and love¡¯ like Ash?¡± ¡°What the fuck! Your eldest brother only became a saint after he stopped being a mobster!¡± Axel tugged on his tie angrily. ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t let this go! I won¡¯t stand by and watch Justin bully my sister. The Salvadors are on my radar now.¡± Be held Asher and Axel¡¯s hands as she walked into the home she had not returned to in a long time. When Wyatt Thompson, the chairman of KS Group, heard that his daughter was back, he could not hide his joy and paced around the study excitedly. ¡°Wyatt, I¡¯m back!¡± Be walked into the study with her two brothers. She no longer had to act demure, like she did when she was living with the Salvadors. Now, she simplyy on the sofa, lifted her legs, and kicked off her high heels. Asher sat down next to her and started to give his sister a foot rub. ¡°Can you sit properly? Did you join Doctors Without Borders or the militants?¡± Wyatt deliberately kept a straight face. He was always at odds with Be. He would miss her when she was not around, but when she was at home, he would always get agitated. ¡°Are you showing signs of Alzheimer¡¯s? I used to sit like this all the time!¡± Be raised her eyelids and looked up at the wall. Her heart trembled when she saw the ¡°poem¡± she had written more than ten years ago hanging there. Unexpectedly, her father actually framed it. The first line of the poem was: Were you trying to emte Henry VIII with all your wives? The second line was: Here¡¯s hoping that your heart doesn¡¯t go into overdrive! The final line was: One day, you¡¯ll pay your penance. This was the wedding ¡°gift¡± that Be gave to her father when he got married for the third time. Wyatt Thompson had four wives, which had be the talk of the town. Be was dissatisfied with her father¡¯s polygyny, so she went abroad and joined Doctors Without Borders, helping the world in her own way. ¡°The first thing you do after three years of being out in the wild is curse me to get Alzheimer¡¯s. How considerate of you!¡± Wyatt shouted angrily. ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Daddy!¡± Be pretended not to understand Wyatt¡¯s sarcasm and smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Dad, now that Be is back, some things should be expedited.¡± Asher put on his sister¡¯s shoes and said seriously, ¡°I decided to give up my position as CEO of KS Group to Be.¡± Be narrowed her eyes and stared at her eldest brother¡¯s handsome side profile. ¡°You!¡± Wyatt was so angry that he did not know what to say for a moment. ¡°I only promised to run KS Group for 3 years. Now that the three-year period is up, I¡¯m going back to the church. As you know, being a CEO isn¡¯t my ambition. My lifelong dream is to be a pastor.¡± At this moment, Asher radiated such holiness and determination that his decision seemed unquestionable. ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to be CEO, then Ax can take over!¡± Wyatt was forced to choose his second son. ¡°No, no, no, no, no! I¡¯m a public servant, so I can¡¯t hold such positions in a conglomerate. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get suspended!¡± Axel quickly deflected this responsibility. His face turned pale with fright. Wyatt was vexed. What was the point of having so many sons if none of them were willing to take over the family business? His health was deteriorating by the year, and he had long nned to retire. But none of his children were capable enough to inherit his business empire. Wyatt had an old-fashioned belief that his heir should be one of his sons. ¡°Who says women are inferior to men? I will be the CEO!¡± Be curled her red lips and raised her chin proudly. ¡°Do you think you can just be a CEO if you want to? Do you think this is child¡¯s y? Will you be able to lead thepany to sess? Do you even know how to do business?¡± Wyatt was a wise old man. He could barely hide his anger and disappointment. ¡°Also, you¡¯re temperamental! You disappear for years whenever you disagree with me! Do you know how worried your stepmothers and I were? We thought you were blown to pieces at the border!¡± Be¡¯s heart ached, and her eyes turned slightly red. Even though she held a grudge against her father for being unfaithful to her mother, she still felt guilty for keeping her marriage to Justin a secret from him. ¡°Dad, Be is just as capable as I am.¡± Asher gracefully picked up a teacup and took a sip. ¡°Do you still remember the financial turmoil our company faced four years ago? Be was the one who proposed various effective control measures. Be also pulled several all-nighters working on the Walter Group acquisition n two years ago.¡± Wyatt was surprised to hear this. ¡°Dad, in fact, Be is the calmest and most resourceful person in our family. You¡¯ve always had a reputation for hiring the right people, making good use of them, and recruiting talent. Why won¡¯t you use a talent that is right in front of you now?¡± Axel also tried his best to persuade Wyatt. Wyatt pondered for a while. Then he said in a resounding voice, ¡°Fine. Be, if you want to run the company, then you¡¯ll have to pass my test. Consider this your birthday gift from me!¡± Be sat up straight, and her charming eyes lit up. ¡°You can take a few days off before you report to work at the KS World Hotel in Savrow next week. If you can revamp the hotel within six months and make it profitable, I will consider making you the CEO of KS Group!¡± When the Thompson siblings came out of the study, Asher and Axel immediately ced their hands on Be¡¯s shoulders. Asher said, ¡°God only gives big responsibilities to great people.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ll have to clean up that mess of a hotel first.¡± Axel sighed. ¡°I know. That old geezer is just trying every possible way to make me back down, but it¡¯s a pity that his tricks won¡¯t work on me. I¡¯m like a diamond that forms beautifully under pressure!¡± Be clenched her fists. Her ambition, which had been hibernating for the past three years, was finally awakened. Her brothers looked at each other and smiled. ¡°Great! We¡¯re counting on you to grant us our freedom!¡± Chapter 4 Five dayster, Justin called his secretary, Ian Harris, to the office after breakfast. ¡°Did you find out more about Anna?¡± The man faced the floor-to-ceiling window and looked out at Savrow¡¯s city view. His big and tall build exuded an extremely oppressive vibe. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Salvador. There has been no progress.¡± Ian wiped his sweat nervously. ¡°After the young madam left that night, she didn¡¯t go back to the nursing home where she used to work. I also went to Fogville, her hometown, to investigate in person, but the address she provided before was fake. The Brown family didn¡¯t exist in that small Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. town. ¡°The address was fake?!¡± Justin turned around abruptly. His eyes were dark and terrifying. ¡°Yes. I went to the local police station to check her details, but they couldn¡¯t find anyone that fit the young madam¡¯s description.¡± Ian had addressed Be as the ¡°young madam¡± for three years, so it took some time to change this habit. Justin was shocked. He thought, ¡®Who the hell did I marry? A spy?¡¯ ¡°She left with Asher Thompson that night. Couldn¡¯t you find any clues from him?¡± ¡°If Mr. Thompson has the intention to hide the young madam, we probably won¡¯t be able to find anything¡­¡± The words ¡°hide the young madam¡± made Justin¡¯s eyebrows shoot up in anger. ¡°Asher Thompson has always been a decent man. How could he steal my wife?¡± ¡°Well¡­ It doesn¡¯t really count as stealing. It¡¯s more like picking up the baton¡­¡± Justin shot daggers at Ian, who was so terrified that he choked on his breath. The image of Asher protecting Anna that night was still vivid in Justin¡¯s mind. Asher looked so in love with Anna. For some reason, Justin was upset about that. How could his boring wife charm Asher Thompson? In the elite circle, Asher was infamous for being emotionless. So why did he help Anna? Justin recalled a scene from the night they signed the divorce papers. ¨C¡°Justin, can we please stay married?¡± ¡°Because I love you!¡± ¡°What a liar!¡± Justin squinted his eyes. His body exuded a chill. 1 The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. It was a vicious cycle. At this time, his phone vibrated on the table. Justin shoved his thoughts aside and saw Rosalind on his caller ID, so he hurriedly answered the call. ¡°Rose, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Justin, I¡¯m in your office lobby. Can you take me upstairs? I made you some snacks, and I want you to try them as soon as possible.¡± Rosalind¡¯s overly sweet voice over the phone made Ian shudder. ¡°You¡¯re downstairs?¡± Justin frowned in surprise. ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t you want to see me?¡± Rosalind asked softly. ¡°I do. I¡¯ll getn to bring you upstairs.¡± After hanging up the phone, Justin looked a little glum. He had yet to finalize the divorce with Anna, and the news of their divorce had not been made public. If Rosalind came to visit him at the office at such a delicate time, it might stir up unnecessary trouble, even though Justin could handle it. At this time, his phone vibrated again. Justin looked down at the screen and felt nervous. ¡°Yes, Grandpa?¡± ¡°You bastard! Did you ignore everything I said?!¡± Nigel Salvador, Justin¡¯s grandfather, yelled over the phone. ¡°I told you that you¡¯re not allowed to have any contact with that Rosalind girl since your married Anna! You broke your promise and even brought her to the office?! I don¡¯t care about your reputation. Think about how Anna would feel about this! You¡¯d better get your ass over here now!¡± The air in the reception room was suffocating. Nigel leaned on a cane and sat down in the chair with the help of his personal secretary and his son, Gregory. His face was gloomy. Justin stood in front of his elders while Rosalind was locked outside because in Nigel¡¯s words, ¡°This bitch isn¡¯t worthy of my time!¡± ¡°Tell me! What¡¯s going on with you and that woman?!¡± Nigel mmed his cane on the ground. ¡°Dad, please calm down¡­¡± Gregory hurriedly patted his father¡¯s back and red at Justin. ¡°Grandpa, our three-year marriage contract has expired.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse as he replied, ¡± You promised me that I only needed to marry Anna for three years. When the three years are up, up to me to continue the marriage or get a divorce.¡± it¡¯s Nigel¡¯s face turned pale. He felt like he had been struck by lightning. Anna had apanied Nigel daily for the past three years. He was so happy with her he did not even realize that his grandson¡¯s marriage contract had ended. that Justin added indifferently, ¡°Now, I choose to end this marriage and be with the woman I truly love. You shouldn¡¯t object because Anna has also signed the divorce papers. We¡¯ll finalize the divorce soon.¡± ¡°What?! You¡¯re already divorced?!¡± Nigel was furious. When he stood up, he almost copsed. Justin rushed forward to help his grandfather, but Nigel pushed him away angrily. ¡°Dad! They haven¡¯t finalized the divorce yet. They only signed the papers. Don¡¯t get too aggravated. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get a stroke!¡± Gregory was afraid that his father¡¯s chronic illness would rpse, so he hurriedlyforted the old man. ¡°Damn it! I already have an obnoxious daughter-inw. Why can¡¯t I at least have a granddaughter- in- law that I like?!¡± Justin froze, not knowing whether to stretch out or let go of his grandfather. Gregory was implicated for no reason in his father¡¯s wrath. ¡°I want Anna! Go and find her! I can¡¯t eat or sleep well without Anna. I don¡¯t want anyone else to be my granddaughter-inw. I just want my Anna!¡± The older Nigel got, the more he acted like a child. He even threw a tantrum. ¡°Justin, why don¡¯t you call Anna and bring her over to see your grandfather?¡± Gregory urged. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s useless for you to act like this. Even if I ask her toe back to apany you now, our marriage is over. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll continue it.¡± Justin thought that it was better to rip off the Band-Aid. Instead of dying the news, it would be better to just tell his grandfather to stop thinking about her. As time went by, his grandfather¡¯s reliance on Anna would fade. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Nigel¡¯s body trembled, and he fell backward. This time, Justin and Gregory were frightened. They called a doctor and looked for Nigel¡¯s medicine. Justin felt helpless. He had no choice but to call Anna. As a result, Justin only heard an automated voice saying, ¡°The number you have dialed is no longer in service.¡± Anna disappeared and even canceled her phone number. ¡°Damn it!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were red with anger, and he clenched his fists fiercely. On the other hand, all the senior executives of KS World Hotel were gathered outside the main entrance to wee their new general manager. ¡°I heard that the new general manager is a young woman!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that the new manager will be able to turn the hotel around. The past four managers failed to do it. They either resigned or got transferred. How could a young woman turn the tide?¡± ¡°I heard that she is Chairman Wyatt¡¯s daughter¡­¡± ¡°Chairman Wyatt has so many wives. I guess this general manager is one of his unfavored illegitimate daughters. Why else would he send his daughter to clean up this mess?¡± Everyone snickered. ¡°Here shees! The new boss is here!¡± A top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce came to a stop at the main entrance, followed by several top-range Maybachs. The convoy was quite spectacr. When everyone saw the ¡°9999¡± license te, they were silent for a moment and held their breaths. The first thing that came into view was a sky-high ck Louboutin. The next second, a stunning woman with an amazing figure and lush ck hair stepped out of the car. Her sharp eyes were cold, which made the crowd avert their gazes. ¡°Hello, everyone.¡± Be parted her rosy lips and shed a beautiful smile. ¡°I am your new general manager, but I am not an illegitimate daughter. Sorry to disappoint!¡± As soon as she said this, the people who were gossiping about her moments ago were so frightened that they broke out in a cold sweat. A few minutes ago, Be was in the car, using herptop to hack into the two surveince cameras at the hotel entrance. Chapter 5 As a result, the senior executives were embarrassed to be caught red-handed gossiping about their new boss. ¡°That¡¯s absurd! Ms. Thompson is the only legitimate daughter of the Thompson family! What¡¯s going on in their heads?!¡± Asher¡¯s secretary, Steven Lovett, was fuming in the passenger seat. ¡°Being ¡®legitimate¡¯ or ¡®illegitimate¡¯ doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re no longer in the Middle Ages! Why are you so worked up, Steve?¡± Be narrowed her bright eyes and reached out to pinch Steven¡¯s cheek. His cute face instantly turned red. ¡°Be, you are the future CEO of KS Group. Will you act the part? Don¡¯t harass Steve.¡± Asher frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? No one says anything when a male boss teases a female secretary!¡± Be clicked her tongue and added, ¡°Also, it¡¯s his honor that I touch him.¡± Asher shook his head and looked dotingly at his sister. The Thompson siblings walked into the hotel, surrounded by senior executives. Michael Gordon, the vice president of the hotel, kept leading them toward the VIP elevator. However, Be suddenly said, ¡°I want to see the restaurant first.¡± Be cut right to the chase as soon as she entered the hotel and started the inspection. Michael led the Thompson siblings to the restaurant apprehensively. Asher remained calm and yed his part as an ¡°invisible man¡±, allowing his sister to take the reins. However, he had a strong presence. There were no customers in the restaurant before opening time at noon, but the waiters were already cing some dishes on the counter. Be¡¯s sharp eyes swept over the dishes and suddenly stopped at the live seafood section. She rolled up her sleeves, stretched an arm into a small aquarium, and urately picked out a dead shrimp from hundreds of other shrimp. ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not dead¡­¡± Michael stumbled. ¡°If it¡¯s not dead, why don¡¯t you eat it?¡± Be curled her red lips. ¡°Ms. Thompson, there are so many shrimp in this aquarium. There will inevitably be a few dead ones here and there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal for shrimp to die in an aquarium, but do you think it¡¯s alright that a customer eats a dead shrimp and gets food poisoning?¡± Be¡¯s smile instantly faded as she continued, ¡°Also, there are a total of 356 shrimp in this aquarium. I took a nce and found five dead and no less than 30 half-dead ones. I don¡¯t know how the guests will feel about eating this kind of food for $100 per person. But if I were a customer, I would never set foot in this hotel again!¡± Finally, she added, ¡°Check all the ingredients in the seafood section immediately and rece the supplier. If I see another dead shrimp tomorrow, I will make sure you eat them in front of me.¡± Michael was so frightened that his legs wobbled. All the other senior executives were also shocked. Only Asher and Steven knew that Be had a photographic memory. Back when she was young, she even used her ability to help the police solve a major criminal case. Counting a few shrimp was nothing to Be. When they arrived at the guest rooms, Be asked Steven for a white handkerchief and gently wiped the wall and picture frame. ¡°The cleaning isn¡¯t done properly. There is still dust on the surfaces, so it needs to be redone.¡±. The senior executives were secretlyining about Be. ¡°I know that you all must be cursing me secretly, thinking that I¡¯m just making a fuss out of nothing and being picky, right?¡± Be looked calm, but her tone was extremely serious. ¡°Our hotel has been around for a century. It¡¯s the details that often get overlooked. If the star ratingmittee does an inspection, these two problems will be enough to strip us of our star!¡± She shot a look at Steven, who understood what she wanted and instructed in a deep voice, ¡°Open the door to this guest room.¡± The head of the housekeeping department came to open the door apprehensively. In previous inspections, they would just show the boss two sample rooms. However, this new boss was unpredictable and did not follow conventional methods. Be walked into the guest room. She inspected the bathroom before walking into the bedroom and sitting on the bed. Her delicate face instantly turned gloomy. However, she did not say anything and ended the inspection. Then she went to the general manager¡¯s office with her eldest brother. ¡°What do you think after one round of inspection?¡± Asher asked with a smile. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s an absolute mess!¡± Be sat listlessly on the sofa and leaned on the armrest. She sighed and said, ¡°Is Wyatt testing me or ying with me? This hotel is dreadful! I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s under KS Group!¡± ¡°Be, Grandpa founded this hotel. KS Group relied on this hotel in the early years to expand to our current scale. This hotel is not a mess, but a sentimental ce for three generations of our family. But because KS Group is too big and the hotel industry has been in recession for the past two years, we have neglected the hotel¡¯s management.¡± Asher med himself and sighed helplessly. ¡°Sorry, Be. You¡¯ll have to work harder to get it back into shape.¡± Suddenly, Be noticed the ck piano in the corner and gasped. ¡°I got someone to ce this piano here. I remember you would y the piano or go for a fewps at the racecourse when you were in a bad mood back then.¡± Asher blinked. ¡°I think you¡¯ll be very busy in the next two months, so horseback riding isn¡¯t a realistic option. If you¡¯re tired, you can y a few songs on the piano. I remember that you y the piano very well.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ash. But I haven¡¯t yed the piano in a long time.¡± Be¡¯s throat tightened. The scar deep in her heart that had finally healed split open again, burning her chest. ¡°Howe?¡± Asher was surprised. ¡°When I was with Doctors Without Borders, I identally injured my hand while rescuing the wounded on the battlefield. I tore a ligament in my pinky, so it¡¯s not as sensitive anymore. I could no longer manage an octave, so I just stopped ying the piano.¡± Be tried her best to exin calmly. Asher¡¯s heart ached. He quickly held his sister¡¯s hand. ¡°Did you get hurt because of Justin?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± When Be heard Justin¡¯s name, her heart still ached. However, she still shed a bright smile. ¡°I got hurt for the sake of world peace. I¡¯m trying to make my family proud!¡± Five years ago, Be met Justin, whom she had longed for, again on the battlefield at the border of Kridor. She was a field doctor, and he was a soldier in the peacekeeping force. He fought for peace, and she almost lost her hand trying to bring a seriously injured Justin to safety. Back then, Be regarded this as a great honor. Now, her heart ached every time she saw her numb pinky. However, that was all in the past. She would not cry or regret having fallen in love with the wrong N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. person. Steven knocked on the door and hurriedly walked in. ¡°Ms. Be, I¡¯ve checked the suppliers of our hotel¡¯s bedding and furniture as per your request. They are called Alia Furniture, and Mr. Gordon is the person in contact with them.¡± ¡°Haha, so it¡¯s Alia Furniture.¡± Be crossed her slender legs and narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°Tell the finance department to go through the hotel¡¯s ounts in the past two years. Also, contact a new bedding supplier immediately and rece Alia Furniture.¡± ¡°Such a big move?¡± Asher raised his eyebrows. ¡°Alia Furniture was founded by Justin¡¯s sweetheart¡¯s brother.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a personal vendetta, huh?¡± Asher and Steven spoke at the same time. ¡°No! It¡¯s because Alia sold us cheap and shoddy bedding. I just want justice!¡± Be snorted. She got angry just thinking about that hard and shabby mattress. An ufortable stay would give guests a bad impression of the hotel. No wonder there were so many bad reviews online! ¡°By the way, there¡¯s one more thing¡­¡± Steven added, ¡°Mr. Asher asked me to pay attention to the Salvador family¡¯s movements. I just received news that Nigel Salvador was hospitalized due to a stroke. He happens to be staying in a hospital under KS Group.¡± ¡°Grandpa is in the hospital?!¡± Be stood up anxiously. At this moment, Asher¡¯s phone rang. He looked at the screen and snickered. ¡°Be, it¡¯s your ex-husband.¡± Chapter 6 Be was shocked to see Justin¡¯s name on Asher¡¯s caller ID. ¡°Should I answer?¡± Asher asked. ¡°Yup!¡± Asher put the call on the speaker. ¡°Mr. Thompson, is my wife with you?¡± Justin asked in a hoarse voice. Be was infuriated because she was annoyed that Justin called her his wife. ¡°Mr. Salvador, please watch your words. I am your EX-wife now.¡± ¡°Anna Brown! So you really are with him!¡± Justin¡¯s voice became deeper. ¡°Where else can I be? Should I stay in your house and wait for you to kick me out?¡± 2 How mean of him! Justin¡¯s expression was gloomy. ¡°Stop being so impatient. We haven¡¯t finalized the divorce yet, so you are still my wife in name. You should at least care about Salvador Corporation¡¯s image and your own reputation!¡± ¡°You carried Rosalind into Tideview Manor while we were still married and forced me to sign the divorce papers. Justin, did you even care about my feelings?¡± Be sneered. ¡°I always treat people as they treat me. Why should I care about yourpany¡¯s image now? After all, I have given up my title as the CEO¡¯s wife to your beloved Rosalind. Go to her if you¡¯re so worried about thepany¡¯s reputation!¡± Asher raised his eyebrows and took a sip of tea. This was the real Be Thompson. The well-behaved and docile wife who neverined about anything during the three years of her marriage was just a persona she created exclusively for Justin. Although Asher loved his sister no matter what, he still preferred it when she was a force to be reckoned with. Fortunately, that bold and fearless Be was back. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to argue with you now.¡± Justin¡¯s voice sounded a little tired. ¡°Grandpa is hospitalized, and he has been asking to see you. He refuses to take his medicine until he sees you.¡± [1 Be¡¯s heart trembled. Even though she and Justin had parted ways, Nigel had been nice to her during the three years she stayed with the Salvadors. When Be left, she gave up everything. The only person she missed was Nigel. ¡°He¡¯s in KS Hospital, right? I¡¯ll go over to see Grandpater.¡± After hanging up the phone, Be sighed deeply with a heavy heart. ¡°Be, I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Asher offered. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m going to see Grandpa, not to provoke Justin. If you send me there, the conflict will only intensify.¡± Be waved her hands in distress. ¡°I¡¯ll just drive there myself.¡± At the hospital, Justin and Ian stood guard in front of Nigel¡¯s ward. Be hurriedly walked over. She had not seen Justin for a few days, but she could tell at a nce that he had lost weight. She thought, ¡®Damn it! Why should I care? It has nothing to do with me whether he lost or gained weight! I don¡¯t care if he dies!¡¯ The two men only looked up when they heard the clicking of her high heels against the floor. They were both startled, especially Justin. He almost did not recognize that the woman in front of him had been his wife for three years.. ¡°Mr. Harris, how is Grandpa doing?¡± Be did not even look at Justin and only spoke to Ian. ¡°Young Madam, is that you?¡± Ian was dumbfounded and asked a particrly dumb question. Thedy in front of him was stunning, with exquisite makeup. Her red lips were incredibly sexy, and her slim ck suit made her legs look so long. She looked like a hotshotdy boss. The butterfly ruby brooch on her chest was also extremely dazzling, but it did not outshine her bright eyes. Only then did Be realize that she had forgotten to change into a white dress and sneakers-the typical attire for the docile Anna Brown-because she was in such a hurry. ¡°Yes, in the flesh. Why are you so shocked? Do you not like my new look?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ You look much prettier than before! You also look more confident and energetic dressed like this.¡± Ian voiced his thoughts. ¡°Really? That might be because I just got divorced.¡± Be smirked and added, ¡°I climbed out of a hellhole and saw the light of day again, so of course I¡¯d look more energetic.¡± Justin¡¯s handsome face darkened for a moment. He felt frustrated. ¡°If you thought my house was a hellhole, why did you stay with me for three years? I¡¯ve told you more than once that you¡¯re free to break the contract. I could¡¯ve taken you to see Grandpa at any time. You didn¡¯t need to stick around like you¡¯re serving a three-year sentence.¡± Be¡¯s heart ached. This was Justin Salvador. No one could sway him from his decisions. If he liked someone, he would treat them like a treasure. If he disliked someone, he would ignore them, no matter what they did for him. Be fell head over heels in love with this cold and aloof man. The price she paid for this love was also unforgettable. ¡°I promised Grandpa that I would stay with you for three years, so I wanted to keep my word. But you¡¯re finally free, Mr. Salvador. From now on, you can bring any woman home, and you no longer have to sneak out to meet your lover.¡± Be sneered, but she still looked gorgeous. Justin felt his throat tighten. He thought, ¡®Why was this woman so two-faced? Did she think that she could be reckless after our divorce? But I have to admit that she¡¯s much more eye-catching with this fierce personality than her meek look before.¡¯ Justin¡¯s eyes shone with admiration. ¡°Justin!¡± Be looked back to see Rosalind and Shannon walking over in a hurry. Seeing that Be was there, Rosalind looked a little hostile, but she quickly hid it behind a lovely smile. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Justin asked in surprise. As soon as he finished speaking, Rosalind threw herself into his arms and hugged his waist. ¡°Justin, why didn¡¯t you tell me about such a big incident? Do you not think of me as your family?¡± ¡°Justin, you didn¡¯t see how worried Rose was when she heard that your grandfather was admitted to the hospital. She even puked some of her lunch¡­¡± Shannon looked at her niece with distress. ¡°Why did you throw up? Is everything okay?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were filled with concern. ¡°Rose always had stomach issues. She gets nauseous whenever she¡¯s afraid or nervous. She has gone to many doctors, and they all said it¡¯s not a serious problem. There¡¯s no cure for it, though.¡± Shannon sighed. ¡°I will find a doctor to treat Rose. If there are no results, I will take her abroad to see a specialist.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was soft. He put his arms around Rosalind¡¯s waist.1 Be sneered and recalled the time that she had gone to the hospital alone due to the stomach flu. She was sweating profusely and looked very weak and pale. But Justin did not even ask about her. It turned out that Justin knew how to care for people. But to him, Be just did not deserve his attention. Rosalind leaned closer to Justin and looked at Be with a sly smile. She thought, ¡®Wait a second! Why does Anna look like this now? How did she be so beautiful? That butterfly brooch was thetest work of Alexa, the best jewelry designer in Orbia. It was worth $5 million! How could this poor country girl afford such luxurious jewelry? How could this bitch be so rich?!¡¯ ¡°Justin, let Rose apany you to see your grandfather. Rose cried once on the way here because she was so worried.¡± Shannon encouraged her stepson to be with her niece andpletely disregarded her ex-daughter-inw, who had taken care of them for three years. Be¡¯s face was cold. She did not care about Justin anymore, let alone the rest of the Salvador family. At this time, the door to the ward opened. Nigel¡¯s secretary, Matt Upton, came out. ¡°Mr. Salvador asked me to check if his granddaughter-inw had arrived.¡± When Rosalind heard this, her expression stiffened, and she could not hide her jealousy. ¡°I¡¯m here, Uncle Matt.¡± Be stepped forward anxiously. She was worried about Nigel, so she did not bother to correct Matt¡¯s address for her. ¡°Young Madam.¡± Matt gestured politely toward the ward. ¡°Pleasee in with Young Master Justin.¡± Be walked into the ward without saying a word. Justin pursed his thin lips and followed her in. ¡°Justin, wait for me¡­¡± Rosalind wanted to follow, but Matt stopped her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Mr. Salvador only invited his grandson and granddaughter-inw inside. He won¡¯t see anyone else. You may leave. Chapter 7 In the ward, the sickly Nigel immediately looked energetic again the moment he saw Be. His eyes lit 1. ¡°Anna! Come to Grandpa!¡± Be switched her persona in a split second and sat obediently next to Nigel. ¡°Grandpa, how are you feeling? Do you have any difort?¡± ¡°I feel much better now that I can see you!¡± Nigel held her hand and asked anxiously, ¡°Anna, this punk told me that you two are divorced. Is it true?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa. We are divorced.¡± Be¡¯s long eyshes trembled, and her heart felt empty. ¡°Justin, you imbecile! Why would you divorce such a good wife?! Anna is the best there is!¡± Nigel struggled to sit up, and he red at Justin. Justin was worried about his grandfather¡¯s health and dared not retort. ¡°Grandpa, please don¡¯t get mad. I didn¡¯t want to continue this marriage, and Justin went along with it.¡± Beforted Nigel in a soft voice and gently patted the old man¡¯s back. Justin was shocked that Be did notin to his grandfather or use his grandfather to get her revenge on him. He thought, ¡®Was she trying to use an unconventional way to capture my heart and save our marriage? Did she think that I would be attracted to her?¡¯ 1 ¡°Anna, did they bully you at home? Did Shannon treat you badly?¡± Nigel asked in distress. ¡°No, Grandpa. Justin and I just have different views. We don¡¯t love each other, so it¡¯s in both our interests to go our separate ways.¡± Be¡¯s bright eyes held a hint of grief. ¡°Don¡¯t me Justin. We¡¯ve had some wonderful memories. over the past three years, and that¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t have any regrets.¡± Justin frowned as he felt a surge of mixed emotions. He did not recall having any good memories with Anna. They did not even have a wedding when they got married. They only got their marriage license hastily at Nigel¡¯s insistence. Then she moved into Tideview Manor with a small suitcase. Just like that, she became his wife for three years. Did she really have wonderful memories with him? She was probably saying the exact opposite. ¡°Anna¡­ Did I make a mistake?¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes were watery as he sighed in remorse. ¡°I really wanted you to be happy. That¡¯s why I insisted that the two of you get married. I didn¡¯t expect this punk to be so rude! I¡¯m so sorry¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Grandpa. Everything happens for a reason. I¡¯ve let the past gopletely.¡± Be let go of 13 years of infatuation. Only God knew how much it hurt her. Justin was determined to get a divorce. If she kept pestering him, she would only lose her dignity. Be did not want to turn into a resentful woman just to win over a man¡¯s heart. ¡°Matt, bring me the birthday gift I prepared for my granddaughter-inw!¡± Matt quickly put on some white gloves and took out an exquisite red velvet jewelry box. He opened the box to reveal an exquisite emerald-green jade bracelet. Be knew how to appraise treasures, so she could tell at a nce that this jade was an antique that was at least a hundred years old. ¡°Grandpa, isn¡¯t this Grandma¡¯s¡­?¡± Justin was stunned to see the bracelet. ¡°Yes, this is the bracelet I gave your grandmother back when we first started dating. It¡¯s a family heirloom that was passed down from your great-grandfather.¡± As Nigel spoke, he picked up the bracelet and looked at it under the light. His gaze softened as he continued, ¡°Your grandmother told me that this was her favorite jade bracelet among all her jewelry. She hoped that I could give this bracelet to my favorite granddaughter-inw. Now that your grandmother is gone, I want to give this to my favorite girl, Anna. Only she deserves this treasure.¡± ¡°No, Grandpa! This is too expensive. Not to mention, I¡¯m no longer Justin¡¯s wife.¡± Be refused in a panic. ¡°Even if you and Justin are no longer together, you are still the only granddaughter-inw that I will ever acknowledge!¡± When Nigel saw Be¡¯s refusal, he immediately pretended to get angry and said, ¡°Fine. If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll just break it!¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Be hurriedly grabbed Nigel¡¯s raised hand. Her heart trembled with fear. ¡°I¡¯ll take it, Grandpa! Thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡± Nigel slipped the bracelet onto Be¡¯s wrist. Be had fair and smooth skin. The translucent emerald-green stone made her skin glow brighter. Justin had never noticed her hands. Now that he was staring at the bracelet, he noticed that her skin was soft and fair. It was not at all dulled by the bracelet. Her hand was indeed beautiful. ¡°Punk, what did you give Anna for her birthday?¡± Nigel asked angrily. ¡°Grandpa, Justin gave me an unforgettable gift.¡± Justin secretly clenched his fists and pressed his thin lips so hard that they turned white. On her birthday, he did give her a big ¡°gift¡±-the divorce papers. Justin thought, ¡®Anna is certainly great at mocking me!¡¯ ¡°Anna, are you and Justin really over? You can¡¯t get back together?¡± Nigel still refused to give up. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Be gently held Nigel¡¯s wrinkled hand. ¡°If you really love me, you should support me and let me live the life I want.¡± ¡°Sigh! Since it hase to this, there is nothing that I can do. I just have one small request. Can you wait until after my 80th birthday to finalize the divorce? It¡¯s only a slight dy¡­¡± Nigel tried his best to keep Anna around because he was extremely reluctant to give up such a brilliant granddaughter-in w. ¡°Grandpa, this is inappropriate.¡± Justin frowned and spoke decisively. ¡°Why is it inappropriate? Is it only appropriate if you bring that Rosalind girl over to me and force me to acknowledge her as my granddaughter-inw at my 80th birthday party?! Rosalind and Shannon think that they can do whatever they want because they¡¯ve got you and your father whipped! They can dream on!¡± Nigel was so angry that he pounded the bed. ¡°If you still respect me as your grandfather and want me to live for another two more years, you¡¯d best stay away from that bitch! I will never acknowledge her as my granddaughter-inw!¡± Outside the door, Rosalind paced around anxiously. She gritted her teeth and stomped her feet in anger. ¡°Stop pacing around! I¡¯m feeling dizzy just looking at you.¡± Shannon rubbed her temples and shook her head. ¡°You need to be more patient. You know that Nigel doesn¡¯t like you. How long will he be able to call the shots when he already has a foot in the grave? You just need to put up with him for a while and keep Justin¡¯s heart.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah, but if that old man doesn¡¯t die, I can¡¯t marry Justin because that old fart will never recognize me as part of the Salvador family!¡± Rosalind quickly covered her mouth and looked around nervously when she realized she had a slip of the tongue. ¡°Back then, he also refused to ept me, but what could he do? In the end, I still married Gregory.¡± Shannon admired her newly-done manicure. ¡°Humans are emotional beings. Justin is his grandson, so as long as Justin insists on you, you don¡¯t need to care what that old man thinks.¡± Rosalind thought what her aunt said made sense and finally calmed down. At this time, the door to the ward opened. Matt sent Justin and Be out. Rosalind hurriedly hid her scheming expression and stepped forward, looking meek. She was shocked to see the jade bracelet on Be¡¯s wrist. It was so beautiful that she could not take her eyes away. It was so much nicer than the so-called family heirloom she was wearing at the moment. Be did not wear this bracelet when she went into the ward. Who else could have given it to her if not that old man? Rosalind was so jealous that she could barely think straight. She suddenly had a wicked thought. She walked in front of Be and pretended to slip. ¡°Ah!¡± Rosalind wanted to pretend that she had slipped and fallen on Be so that she could pull out Be¡¯s bracelet and break it. However, Be squinted her eyes and gracefully avoided Rosalind, so Rosalind fell t on the floor. Suddenly, Rosalind heard a crisp clink. Rosalind¡¯s bracelet had broken into two pieces. Chapter 8 ¡°Oh, no! Are you alright, Rose?¡± Shannon was shocked, but she wanted tough. Upon seeing this, Justin hurriedly stepped forward to pull Rosalind up from the floor, but she refused to move. Rosalind cried, ¡°Justin, it hurts¡­ Will you carry me?¡± Her knees were numb from the fall. Be crossed her arms and stared at the woman on the floor. Rosalind was such a fake bitch in front of Justin. ¡°Justin, Ms. Brown pushed me!¡± Rosalind timidly hid in Justin¡¯s embrace and nced at Be sinisterly. ¡°Rose, what did you say?¡± Justin was startled. ¡°Are you sure that I pushed you?¡± Be smiled. She did not get angry. Instead, she was enjoying Rosalind¡¯s acting. ¡°Why would I fall all of a sudden?¡± Rosalind was so angry that her usually soft voice rose in pitch. ¡°That¡¯s notpletely impossible. After all, you look so weak that a gust of wind can blow you over.¡± ¡°How dare you insult me?!¡± Rosalind was so angry that her face turned red. ¡°I clearly felt your hand pushing me from behind. Why aren¡¯t you admitting it?¡± ¡°Ms. Gold, there are surveince cameras everywhere, so stop using me.¡± Suddenly, Be¡¯s bright and clear eyes darkened. She looked intimidating. ¡°I can sue you for defamation once I get the evidence.¡± Justin blinked in shock. He felt that Anna waspletely different than before. She was no longer the boring, honest, and humble wife who stayed alone in an empty house. Rosalind was obviously intimidated by Be and hurriedly looked to Shannon for help. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± Shannon nced at the surveince camera above her head and smiled to smooth things over. ¡°Rose must have identally slipped because she didn¡¯t stand firm. She probably bumped into Anna and thought that Anna pushed her. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°Rose, did you slip by yourself?¡± Justin lowered his eyes and stared at the woman in his arms. His tone was a little cold. ¡°I thought she pushed me¡­¡± Justin narrowed his eyes. Rosalind was flustered and simply med Be. ¡°If she didn¡¯t move out of the way, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen! She obviously did it on purpose. The bracelet my grandmother passed on to me is also broken now. It¡¯s a Gold family heirloom. It wouldn¡¯t be broken if it weren¡¯t for her. Ms. Brown, I know that you¡¯re mad about the divorce, but you shouldn¡¯t vent your anger on me. Is it my fault that you got divorced?¡± Rosalind cried again. She really had an endless supply of tears. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not mad about the divorce. On the contrary, I¡¯d like to thank you for helping me escape that hellhole. I no longer have to wait from dusk to dawn like an abandoned wife.¡± Be raised her chin slightly and retorted. ¡®Wait from dusk until dawn?¡¯ Justin was puzzled. ¡°Secondly, if this bracelet is really a family heirloom, you should be thanking me. Be walked over, picked up half of the bracelet, and put it under the light. ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Rosalind and Shannon were stunned. ¡°This bracelet is filled with toxic glue, so prolonged exposure is detrimental to your health.¡± Be casually threw the bracelet into the trash can. The emerald-green jade bracelet on her wrist was the biggest mockery to Rosalind. ¡°Mr. Salvador, since you want to marry Ms. Gold, why don¡¯t you buy some decent jewelry for her?¡± ¡°Anna!¡± Justin frowned angrily. ¡°I have a jade toad on my dressing table at Tideview Manor that I think suits you, Rosalind. You can make it into a bracelet if you wish.¡± Be patted the dust off her hands as if the bracelet she touched earlier was contaminated. Rosalind thought, ¡®A toad?! This bitch is clearly trying to insult me in a roundabout way!¡¯ Rosalind was furious. She tried to retaliate, but Be had already left. Outside the hospital, Be could not help butugh when she thought of Rosalind¡¯s expression. ¡°Anna!¡± Be looked back indifferently when she heard Justin¡¯s deep voice. The breeze blew a few strands of her ck hair, adding a hint of messiness to her wless beauty. Justin narrowed his eyes and walked up to her. ¡°Yes, Mr. Salvador?¡± Be was expressionless. ¡°If Ms. Gold is still hung up over her bracelet, you can tell her that I will send her a cart of bracelets tomorrow.¡± ¡°When we were in the ward, you told Grandpa¡­¡¯ 3) N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t think too much about it. I just didn¡¯t want to make Grandpa angry.¡± Her eyes softened when she mentioned Nigel. ¡°We¡¯re even now.¡± Be looked confused. ¡°You faked your identity and went out of your way to marry me. I won¡¯t tell Grandpa or anyone else in the family about that.¡± Justin¡¯s expression was gloomy and dangerous. Be widened her eyes in shock. ¡°But you have to tell me why you used a false identity to marry me. No, I shouldn¡¯t ask that.¡± Justin slowly approached her. ¡°What was your motive for using a false identity to get close to Grandpa?¡± Be¡¯s heart clenched, and she took a step back. As a result, she forgot that there were some steps behind her. She lost her footing and fell backward. The next second, she felt a warm hand on her waist as Justin pulled her up. When their eyes met, Be blushed, and Justin¡¯s breathing became erratic. Until this moment, she still thought that Justin was handsome. Everything about him was to her taste. Be remembered the first time she saw these bright eyes. It was 13 years ago, and she was just 11 years old back then. She was lost in the dark forest, and it was raining heavily. Justin had saved her life once. Without him, Be would not be alive today. Now, Justin had broken her heart and hurt her so badly that she thought it was the worst thing she could experience. Justin withdrew his arm and helped Be stand upright. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Answer the question I just asked.¡± Justin was persistent. ¡°I am no longer your wife, and I have the right not to tell you.¡± Be smiled coldly and turned around. ¡°Since you said that we¡¯re even now, why bother? Even if I married you with a fake identity, I haven¡¯t done anything to hurt you in the past three years, right?¡± Suddenly, Justin grabbed her arm and said solemnly, ¡°We haven¡¯t finalized the divorce yet, so you are still my wife in name. You have an obligation to let me know who you really are!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± Be¡¯s breathing quickened, and her eyes turned red. ¡°Mr. Salvador, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being ridiculous by mentioning obligations? You haven¡¯t once fulfilled your obligations as a husband in the past three years, so what gives you the right to ask me to fulfill mine as a wife?!¡± ¡°Anna, don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t do anything to you!¡± Justin suddenly pulled her into his arms. They were so close that their breaths intertwined. Justin was not someone who would get angry easily, but this woman had been stepping on his toes lately. She surely was capable! ¡°Then go and investigate. Why bother asking me?¡± Be forcefully broke away from his grasp and left without looking back. Justin stared at the woman¡¯s graceful back and remembered her ming red lips and those sharp heels. His chest tightened. He thought, ¡®Why did she adopt this style? Was she catering to Asher Thompson¡¯s taste? She¡¯s evil and unfaithful. I really don¡¯t know what Grandpa sees in her!¡¯ ¡°Mr. Salvador, Ms. Gold said that she has sprained her ankle. She wants you to apany her.¡± Ian ran over, panting heavily. Suddenly, there was a loud roar from a sports car engine. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s the young madam!¡± Justin was stunned when he saw his ex-wife driving a ck supercar. She passed him by, looking so arrogant. She was driving a top-of-the-line limited-edition supercar-a Bugatti La Voiture Noire. ¡°OMG! It turns out that the young madam is a low-key tycoon!¡± Ian¡¯s eyes widened. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, and he slowly clenched his fists. ¡°Follow her!¡± Chapter 9 Be held the steering wheel with one hand and sped down the road. She sted ¡°Survivor¡± by Destiny¡¯s Child on the car¡¯s speaker. She was not afraid of Justin investigating her background. She just did not understand why a man. who had ignored her for three years started to be curious about her only after their divorce. Justin was a total jerk. He only looked at her with disgust when she cared about him. But when she treated him coldly, he kept pestering her. Be frowned slightly when she nced at the rearview mirror. Justin¡¯s Lamborghini was not far behind her. ¡°Hah! He thinks he can catch up to me, huh? Dream on!¡± Be smirked and floored the gas pedal. Her Bugatti shot forward like a bolt of lightning and disappeared in the blink of an eye. ¡°Quick, follow her closely!¡± Justin, who was sitting in the passenger seat, urged Ian. Ian had never driven so fast before. He felt like his heart was about to leap out of his body. Ian tried his best to catch up to the Bugatti and finally saw its taillights. Justin¡¯s face was expressionless, but he was secretly relieved. ¡°Mr. Salvador, the young madam has such amazing driving skills! No wonder she has the Fujiwara Tofu Shop sticker!¡± Ian sighed in admiration. ¡°What tofu shop?¡± Justin frowned in confusion. ¡°Look at her booty!¡± Justin¡¯s face darkened instantly. Ian was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Sorry, I meant her car bumper¡­¡± Justin took a closer look and saw that there was indeed a white sticker on the back of the Bugatti that read, ¡°Fujiwara Tofu Shop AE86¡±. It was kind of funny. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The young madam likes to watch anime, especially ¡°Initial D¡±. This anime was always ying on the living room TV every time I saw her.¡± Ian became more excited. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the young madam to be such a skilled driver! I always thought she was a weak girl who couldn¡¯t take care of herself.¡± Justin was also deceived by this woman. What irritated Justin more was that his secretary knew more about his wife than he did. ¡°Oh no! Young Madam is speeding up!¡± ¡°Follow her! If you can¡¯t keep up, I¡¯ll deduct your annual sry!¡± Justin clenched his teeth. His handsome face was as perfect as a sculpture. Ian was afraid of having his wages deducted, but he was even more afraid of getting into an ident and killing them both. In the end, Be made two sharp turns, and they could no longer see her taillights. ¡°I lost her¡­¡± Ian shrank back. Justin pounded the car window. The veins on his forehead were bulging. He thought, ¡®Anna, what are you hiding from me? What is your true identity?¡¯ * At night, Asher and Axel went to their sister¡¯s private vi. The Thompson brothers were busy cooking in the open-concept kitchen while Be was ying video games. She sucked on a lollipop while watching her handsome brothers cook. ¡°Woohoo! Aced it!¡± Be looked at her achievements on the screen and pped her hands proudly. ¡°You¡¯re not at all rusty, Be.¡± Axel looked at her with his bright eyes. He had the most charming smile among her brothers. ¡°Look at my score! It¡¯s perfect!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Be looked so cute kneeling on the chair and swinging the lollipop like a wand. Axel retorted, ¡°Hah! How smug of you! Let¡¯s y a game, and I¡¯ll put you in your ce!¡± ¡°Be won by so muchst time that your name is no longer on the ranking. So, don¡¯t embarrass yourself,¡± Asher said as he cut up a cube of steak and fed it to Be. ¡°Hmph! That was only because Drew backed out! He suddenly had a mission. Otherwise, we would definitely win!¡± Axel was quite unconvinced. ¡°I¡¯m going to start cooking. Be, you should wait in the living room because you¡¯re allergic to smoke.¡± Asher gently reminded her. Be was stunned for a moment. She suddenly felt like crying. She did not dare tell her brothers that she had been cooking for the Salvadors for the past three years, even though she was allergic to smoke. She had been smelling cooking fumes for three years, so she gradually became immune to them. Her hands also had callouses. If she told them, Asher might show some mercy because of his faith, but her three other brothers would probably crush the Salvador family. Be was the Thompson family¡¯s princess. They never asked her to lift a finger, so how could they allow the Salvadors to treat her like a ve? Fortunately, Be returned home. She promised that she would never humble herself for a man she would never get. At this time, Asher¡¯s phone rang. He quickly wiped his hands on his apron and took out his phone. Then he looked at Be with a complicated look. ¡°Be, it¡¯s your ex-husband again.¡± ¡°What the fuck?! Does he think that he can just call you whenever he likes?!¡± Be¡¯s face turned red with anger. The lollipop in her mouth fell to the table. ¡°What do you mean? Is that jerkface pestering you, Ash?¡± Axel sat next to Be and picked up the lollipop from the table, putting it in his own mouth like it was normal. ¡°No way! Did that asshole think that Asher was your boyfriend after he saw you guys watching fireworks by the Moon River?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Axel shouted. ¡°What the hell?! Is he blind?!¡± ¡°What? Am I not handsome enough to be Be¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Asherughed. ¡°Justin must be blind. You don¡¯t look like boyfriend material. You look more like Be¡¯s father with the way you act around her!¡± Her brothers joked around, trying to make her feel better. Be was so touched that she was going to burst into tears. They were so entertaining. ¡°Should I pick it up?¡± Asher asked. Axel said, ¡°Hell no!¡± Be said, ¡°Yes!¡± Asher listened to his sister and put the call on speaker mode. ¡°I¡¯m looking for my wife.¡± Justin sounded calmer than he did in the morning. He even sounded at little possessive. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Axel was so angry that he was about to cuss Justin out, but Be mmed his head down on the table. ¡°Mr. Salvador, Anna is no longer your wife. You¡¯re divorced now.¡± Asher reminded Justin calmly. He also remembered to use Anna¡¯s name so as not to reveal Be¡¯s true identity. ¡°She knows that she¡¯s still my wife.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was so cold that the Thompsons felt a dip in temperature in the kitchen. ¡°Justin, why were you chasing me so aggressively just now?¡± Be switched off the speakerphone and asked irritably. ¡°I have something to say to you in private.¡± Be walked into a room, closed the door, and took a deep breath before she replied, ¡°I¡¯m busy, so cut to the chase.¡± ¡°Why did you change your phone number?¡± Justin asked in a stern voice. ¡°I just want a fresh start.¡± ¡°How will Grandpa contact you? Give me your new number so that I can contact you next time.¡± Justin spoke righteously. ¡°That¡¯s easy. You can call Mr. Thompson if you want to contact me.¡± Be smiled mockingly. ¡°Anna, is this your way of getting revenge on me?¡± Justin clenched his teeth and said resentfully, ¡°Are you so excited to move in with Asher that you can¡¯t wait for us to finalize the divorce? I wonder if you¡¯re still Anna Brown with Asher, or have youe up with another fake identity?¡± ¡°Justin!¡± Be was infuriated. She clenched her fists. ¡°You¡¯re being naive if you think that you can retaliate against me like this. Do you think I care about the men you¡¯re with?¡± Justinughed angrily. ¡°I just don¡¯t want Grandpa to be disappointed in you. I don¡¯t want him to find out that the woman he adores is just a slut! If you want to whore yourself out, please watch yourself before Grandpa¡¯s 80th birthday. Don¡¯t let these rumors reach Grandpa¡¯s ears!¡± Be was so angry that she could not say a word and hung up directly. She pressed her back against the wall and took a deep breath. But she could not make the pain in her heart disappear. Why did it still hurt so much? She had promised herself that she would no longer care about Justin. Be rubbed the corners of her eyes, which gradually turned red with disappointment. ¡°Justin, how could you think of me that way? It turns out that my 13-year crush on you was a big mistake¡­¡± Chapter 10 On the other side at Tideview Manor, Justin was stunned for several seconds when his ex-wife hung up on him. She was so decisive and cold. How was she the same woman who cried and begged him not to divorce her? In the past three years, did she not have any feelings for him? Did she just put up with his family for the past three years for some reason? Justin felt angrier the more he thought about it. ¡°Mr. Salvador, your coffee.¡± Ian walked in and saw his boss¡¯ solemn expression, so he asked tentatively, ¡°Have you contacted the young madam? Did you get her new phone number?¡± Justin held his forehead in frustration. He was so angry earlier that he forgot the purpose of his call. He thought he would be happy after Anna left, but he was just angry and annoyed because she was with Asher. How dare she manipte his emotions? ¡°Maybe next time. I don¡¯t want to deal with that woman now.¡± Justin picked up the coffee and frowned after taking a sip. ¡°What happened? The taste isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°But I made it ording to the recipe that the young madam gave me.¡± Ian scratched his head in confusion. ¡°Recipe?¡± ¡°The young madam gave me a small notebook before she left. She wrote down your food and drink preferences and restrictions. She even noted down everything you ate with a detailed date and time.¡± As he said this,n took out the small notebook and handed it to Justin. Justin took it and hesitated to open it. What he saw were rows of neat handwriting that was just as disciplined as Anna was before the divorce ¡°Add a pinch of salt to the coffee to enhance the vor. Justin likes it that way.¡± ¡°Justin drank two bowls of seafood chowder with fresh scallops this afternoon. I should make it for him more often in the future.¡± -¡°Justin doesn¡¯t like sweet foods. Next time, I¡¯ll make cheese crackers or butter cake for teatime. Maybe he¡¯ll like them.¡± ¨C¡°I bought several ties for Justinst year, but he has never worn any of the ones with red elements. Justin probably hates red.¡± Justin. Justin. Justin. Every sentence in the notebook was about him. Justin was shocked as he flipped through the pages slowly. He held his breath as if he were afraid that he might identally blow the words on the pages away. His eyes gradually darkened, and he held the book so hard that the paper wrinkled. ¡°She¡¯s studying me in detail. This just proves that she has ulterior motives!¡± Although Justin had mixed feelings about what was recorded in the notebook, he was still angry at Be. So he simply threw the notebook into the wastebasket. ¡°Mr. Salvador, don¡¯t throw it away! The young madam has worked hard to gather all this information about you over the past three years. If she doesn¡¯t care about you, why would she bother to remember your preferences? It shows how much she loves you!¡± Ian hurriedly picked it up, feeling sorry for Be. ¡°Stop calling her Young Madam. She doesn¡¯t deserve it!¡± At this time, they heard noisesing from outside the study. It seemed to being from the right side of the corridor. That room used to belong to Anna. ¡°Go and check out what¡¯s going on.¡± Justin rubbed his temples tiredly. Ian hurriedly walked out of the study and returned in a hurry with aplicated look. ¡°Mr. Salvador, Ms. Gold caused the noise. She¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Rose?¡± ¡°She¡¯s throwing away everything in Young Mad¡­ I mean, your ex-wife¡¯s bedroom.¡± At this moment, Rosalind was throwing a fit in Anna¡¯s bedroom. ¡°This bitch! She¡¯s just a country girl! How can she be so arrogant just because the old man favors her? What¡¯s so great about that stupid bracelet anyway?! How dare she look down on me!¡± When Be signed the divorce papers, she left the house empty-handed. This gave Rosalind the opportunity to throw Be¡¯s skin care products and the bedside decorations on the floor like garbage. The room was trashed when Justin walked in. ¡°Rose! What are you doing?¡± Justin frowned. ¡°I hate that there are traces of her in here!¡± Rosalind cried again when she saw Justin. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, we wouldn¡¯t have missed out on three whole years together. She stole my ce, but she¡¯s acting like I¡¯m the bad guy! She makes me look like a homewrecker!¡± ¡°Rose, you¡¯re not a homewrecker. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. He leaned over to pick up the jade toad that had been smashed to the floor. He was startled to find that the toad sculpture had a wink and did a peace sign. It made him smile. At this time, Rosalind opened the closet and threw out Anna¡¯s clothes. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Rosalind casually opened arge box and saw a nicely tailored men¡¯s suit made of high-quality fabrics. ¡°Hah! Is this a gift Anna prepared for Mr. Thompson? Has she already found herself another husband so soon?¡± Upon hearing this, Justin looked gloomy and walked over to take the box. ¡°Justin, this woman is despicable! I thought she married you because she loved you and would sincerely take care of you. It turned out that she was just ying you like a fool!¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were red. She picked up the fruit knife on the coffee table and rushed forward to sh the suit. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Justin had quick reflexes, so he shielded the box with his body. As a result, the knife shed Justin¡¯s arm, and bright red blood soaked through his white shirt. ¡°Ah! OMG! I¡¯m so sorry, Justin!¡± The knife in Rosalind¡¯s hand fell to the floor. She was so scared that she covered her mouth, and her mind went nk. All she could do was cry. ¡°OMG! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Shannon came in with a few maids. She was frightened when she saw that Justin was injured. Blood was dripping on the white carpet, staining it red. ¡°Justin, how did you cut yourself?!¡± ¡°Ian, get a car to take Ms. Gold home.¡± Justin endured the pain and sighed helplessly. ¡°Justin, I don¡¯t want to go home. I want to be with you!¡± Rosalind hurriedly hugged Justin. ¡°Right. You should let Rose stay here. It¡¯s sote. She can take care of you since you¡¯re injured.¡± Shannon saw an opportunity to help her niece. It was in Shannon¡¯s interest that Justin and Rosalind got married, so she wished that Rosalind could stay over and sleep with Justin tonight. ¡°No, she should go home.¡± Unexpectedly, Justin was firm on his decision. ¡°Rose will marry you sooner orter anyway.¡± ¡°When we get married, we¡¯ll have all the time in the world to be together. Now, she should stay at home so that she can spend more time with her family. Secondly, Anna and I haven¡¯t finalized the divorce, so it¡¯s inappropriate for Rose to stay here.¡± At the mention of this, Shannon had nothing else to say. After sending Rosalind off, Justin looked at the state of the room and sighed. He ordered the maids to tidy up the mess. ¡°Mr. Salvador,e and take a look!¡± Ian stood in front of the closet with a look of surprise and took out an intricate costume. Justin walked over and looked at the costume closely. The dress was made of a soft-pink, smooth fabric and embroidered with lifelike peonies. He could tell at a nce that it must be very expensive. Peonies symbolize true beauty. His long eyshes trembled, and his thoughts wavered. ¡°Does the young madam perform on stage? If that¡¯s the case, she¡¯s amazing!¡± Ian expressed his admiration. He always had a renewed impression of his boss¡¯ ex-wife. Ian also could not understand why his boss looked down on such a cool and beautiful woman. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of a saying?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Performers are great liars.¡± Justin pressed his thin lips into a straight line and felt inexplicably irritated. Chapter 11 At this moment, Be tied her hair up in a casual bun and embellished it with a diamond hair clip. She wore a sky-blue costume and sang ¡°Think of Me¡± from ¡°Phantom of the Opera¡±, with Asher as her audience. Her eyes were so expressive and charming. After the song ended, Asher apuded and smiled endearingly. ¡°Not bad! Celeste taught you well. If we were in ancient times, you could definitely win the heart of a prince!¡± ¡°Who wants to be a princess? If I get to choose, I want to be a ruling queen!¡± Be snapped her fingers loudly. ¡°Well, our three stepmothers certainly treat you like a princess.¡± Asher smiled helplessly. 1 Be lowered her eyes and sat next to her eldest brother. She felt sorry for her three stepmothers. ¡°Be, they missed you dearly over the past three years. They care a lot about you and have asked me about you in private.¡± ¡°What did you tell them?¡± ¡°Be, when you left home and joined Doctors Without Borders, I knew that you were doing it because you were mad at Dad.¡± Asher raised his arm and gently held her shoulders. He furrowed his brows and said with a hint of sadness, ¡°But we can¡¯t control our father¡¯s behavior. What¡¯s more, no one in this world is wless. Even Justin has his faults. You¡¯ve loved him for many years. Didn¡¯t you notice all his faults after being married to him for three years?¡± Be¡¯s long eyshes trembled. She held the cool jade bracelet on her wrist. ¡°The only difference is that you can choose to leave Justin, but you can never sever the blood rtionship with our father. Since you can¡¯t cut off ties with Dad, why don¡¯t you try to ept him as he is? Dad loves you very much. His three wives are also kind people. They¡¯ve kept the house in good order all these years, and they¡¯ve been nothing but humble. I can vouch for them.¡± In fact, Asher did not know that Be had already epted her three stepmothers as early as two years ago. Ian bandaged Justin¡¯s wound and left the room. Justin got a headache when he thought of Rosalind crying, making a fuss, and smashing things. In his memory, Rosalind was gentle and sweet. She would not do anything out of character. He sighed and thought that it was only natural for people to change. Even so, Rosalind was his childhood sweetheart. She apanied him through his darkest and most desperate days, so he was obsessed with her. Justin was insistent on marrying Rosalind, no matter what. He endured the pain and signed off on some documents. Inadvertently, Justin¡¯s eyes fell on the suit that was ced on the sofa. Justin stood up and walked over to pick up the clothes. He looked at them carefully. Although he was about the same height as Asher Thompson, his shoulders were a little wider than Asher¡¯s, and he had a bigger build. Justin examined the suit and noticed that it was more his size. ¡°How ugly.¡± He sneered. A few minutester, Justin tried on the suit. He stood in front of the full-length mirror and took a look while stretching out his arms. It fit perfectly, and the workmanship wasparable to high-end brands. How could a country girl have such good taste in suits? At this time, there was a knock on the door. Wilma, Justin¡¯s nanny, came in with a ss of warm milk. ¡°Oh? Young Master, you finally wore the suit that the young madam made for you! She¡¯ll be very happy when she finds out!¡± Wilma could not hide her joy. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. No one at Tideview Manor, besides Wilma, took Anna seriously. Wilma was Justin¡¯s nanny, single- handedly raised him. ¡°What did you say?¡± Justin was startled. who had ¡°Isn¡¯t this the suit that the young madam made for you? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m mistaken¡­ The young madam asked me to pick it up from a tailor a month ago and told me to keep it a secret, saying that it¡¯s your birthday gift.¡± ¡®Birthday gift?¡¯ Justin was stunned. His birthday was still quite far off. ¡°Wilma, I know you¡¯re close to Anna, but she has left, so you don¡¯t have to side with her anymore.¡± Justin frowned. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ve watched you grow up since you were a baby. If there is anyone I have to side with in this family, it¡¯s definitely you!¡± Wilma came over and looked at the handsome man in the mirror. ¡°The young madam said that it takes a long time to make a suit. She sewed every stitch by herself and even selected and customized the fabrics and buttons. She is usually busy with household chores and can only spare a little time every day to go to the tailor¡¯s. That¡¯s why she made it a month in advance and hid it in her closet for fear that you¡¯d find it before your birthday.¡± Justin felt like someone had punched him in the chest. He widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, take a look at thebel. It even has your name on it.¡± Justin quickly took off his suit jacket and threw it on the sofa as if it had caught on fire. ¡°We¡¯re divorced. I¡¯m not interested in knowing what she has done for me. You should go back to your room and rest.¡± ¡°Young Master, why do you want to divorce the young madam? She¡¯s a good wife who ispletely devoted to you.¡± ¡°Devoted to me?¡± Justin sneered. ¡°How could she be devoted to me when she threw herself into another man¡¯s arms right after she left me?¡± ¡°The young madam wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± Wilma was shocked. ¡°It takes a while to see someone¡¯s true colors.¡± Justin stopped thinking about Anna. The blood rushed to his head. ¡°Since she didn¡¯t love me, why did she have to pretend for so long? Did she think that I would fall in love with her over time? Did she think that I was easy to fool and that she could manipte me easily?!¡± ¡°Young Master, I think there must be some misunderstanding. I could tell how much the young madam loved you.¡± Wilma shook her head in regret and walked over to fold the suit. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop defending her.¡± ¡°Young Master, you¡¯ll regret having lost her one day.¡± Be wanted to sleep in, but her biological clock woke her up at 5:00 p.m. Usually, at this hour, she would have to make breakfast for the Salvadors. Now, she no longer had to breathe in cooking fumes and cook for arge family. She no longer had to care about them. Divorce was great! Be simply washed up and put on tight-fitting sportswear. Then she went paddle-boarding on the Theke was surrounded by beautiful flowers, and the birds were chirping away. Be¡¯s graceful and lean figure crossed the calmke quickly, leaving behind some ripples. After finishing her exercise, she ate breakfast and washed up. Then she went downstairs, looking rejuvenated. Steven¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Be on the stairs. Today, Be tied up her long hair and wore bold makeup. Her skin was wless, and her eyes were gleaming. She wore a long ck coat with a redce dress underneath that showed off her slim curves. Her long and toned legs made Steven swoon. ¡°Hey, wipe off your drool.¡± Be walked up to him and snapped her fingers. Steven blushed with embarrassment. ¡°Ms. Be, you look beautiful today.¡± ¡°Steve, you¡¯re Asher¡¯s chief secretary. Can you please stop looking like a lovesick idiot whenever you see a beautiful woman?¡± Be shook her head in disappointment. Be¡¯s Rolls-Royce drove to the KS World Hotel. The beautiful boss appeared in the restaurant without notice. Although she was a world-ss beauty, none of the employees dared to look at her. They were frightened, like mice that saw a cat. They did not even dare to breathe too loudly. The employees had learned their lesson yesterday and did not dare to cut corners at work. The marble floor of the hotel was perfectly polished, and all the ingredients prepared were fresh. Be inspected the hotel, gave some instructions, and returned to the office. ¡°Steve, I¡¯ll be fine here for the time being, so you can go back to my brother.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to go back.¡± Steven said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Asher said that I will be your secretary from now on.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Asher said that he has a gift for me today. Could it be you?!¡± Steven blinked his big eyes innocently and nodded. Be thought, ¡®What the hell! Asher really has a knack for giving gifts. He gifted me an actual person!¡¯ Seeing that Be was silent, Steven panicked a little. ¡°Ms. Be, do you not want me because I¡¯m a second-hand secretary?¡± Be scowled. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! It¡¯s called having a rich work experience!¡± ¡°Hehe, right. I hope I¡¯ll learn a lot from you in the future! I won¡¯t ask for much, just a higher sry increment!¡± Steven joked. ¡°Is money even a problem? If you do well, I¡¯ll make you filthy rich. But If you don¡¯t do well, I¡¯ll make you a third-hand secretary.¡± Be rested her chin on her hands and curled her beautiful red lips deviously. Steven gasped and quickly reported on the hotel¡¯s current progress. ¡°As you requested yesterday, all the bedding from Alia Furniture has been reced. We have also notified all hotels under the KS Group to rece their bedding within a week.¡± At this time, there was an urgent knock on the door. Chapter 12 Be nced at Steven. Steven understood and walked over to open the door. ¡°Ms. Thompson!¡± The vice president of the hotel, Michael Gordon, who was responsible for the mistakes yesterday, barged in. He was so quick that Steven could not stop him. Be frowned and watched as Michael rushed over to her desk. ¡°Mr. Gordon, why are you still here? I¡¯ve approved your resignation, so you may find another job.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson, you can¡¯t do this to me! I have worked for this hotel for almost 20 years! I worked so hard for the hotel that I developed many illnesses due to exhaustion. Even your father wouldn¡¯t fire me. How could you just fire me like this?!¡± Michael was sweating profusely as he yelled at Be. ¡°I¡¯ve read the details of all the hotel¡¯s top executives. Your illness includes fatty liver and galldder polyps. It looks like you¡¯ve got quite a big appetite.¡± Be sneered. Michael heard the sarcasm in her words and shuddered in fear. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that Alia Furniture has been selling poor-quality bedding to our hotel! Alia Furniture has been cooperating with us for the past three years, and they quoted us a reasonable price. They are also a well-known brand in Savrow, so I¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Be flicked her hand and threw a document at his feet. ¡°This is a detailed ount of all the transactions between the hotel and Alia Furniture in the past three years. Can¡¯t you see that the financial report is full of loopholes when you¡¯re in charge of the finance department?¡± Michael picked up the document apprehensively and looked through it. The pages felt like red-hot coals in his hands. ¡°I also received an anonymous report.¡± Be picked up the coffee mug and casually took a sip. Her eyes shone coldly. ¡°Someone reported you, saying that you¡¯ve had close contact with Alia Furniture and received a huge bribe from them to purchase Alia¡¯s second-rate bedding in bulk.¡± Michael was so frightened that his teeth chattered, and he almost lost his bnce. ¡°I won¡¯t fire anyone for no reason if I don¡¯t have evidence. But I have the evidence, so I won¡¯t show any mercy. Mr. Gordon, if you still have any objections, we will resolve the matter through legal means.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson, I¡¯m sorry! I was blinded by the benefits and made the wrong decision. Please spare me! If this gets out, I won¡¯t be able to find a job again in Savrow.¡± Michael was so frightened that he almost begged her on his knees. ¡°Alia Furniture approached me first, saying that they would make me a fortune! Mr. Gold came up with this idea. I thought that all mattresses were pretty much the same, so I didn¡¯t think much about it and fell for his tricks.¡± Beughed. A vice president who had been in the hotel industry for 20 years started to act dumb in order to protect himself. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mr. Gordon. You know what you¡¯ve done. Rather than wasting your time with me, it will be more practical if you go back and submit a few more resumes. Mr. Lovett will see you off!¡± Michael¡¯s face was filled with despair as he was driven out of the office like an unwanted dog. Outside the office, Michael immediately changed his expression and took a deep breath. ¡°That bitch! I¡¯ll teach her a lesson!¡± Be resented seeing the hotel¡¯s executives fill their own pockets while disregarding the hotel¡¯s interests. ¡°Michael Gordon must have a bad reputation among the staff to have a whistleblower stand out as soon as you investigate him.¡± Steven looked excited, like he had gotten his revenge. ¡°No one reported him.¡± ¡°What?! Were you just bluffing?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Be responded nonchntly and started to y video games. Her way of de-stressing was to vent her anger by killing zombies. ¡°Even if I was bluffing, he wouldn¡¯t have admitted his fault if he was innocent.¡± Steven could not help but apud this move. Be was certainly a risk-taker. He said, ¡°Michael and Alia Furniture have been working together for three years. It looks like he¡¯s taken quite a big cut. We should sue him and make him spit out everything.¡± ¡°We should leave some room for maneuver, just in case. If I press on too hard, the other hotel. executives may form a coup! Also, Wyatt was the one who promoted Michael back then, so I should show my father some respect.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Be said nonchntly while chasing some zombies in the game with a big axe, ¡°During this period, get someone to keep an eye on Michael. If he contacts Rosalind¡¯s brother again, report it to me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss!¡± At this moment, Be¡¯s phone kept beeping with messages from a group chat. ¡°Steve, I¡¯m not free now. Will you help me check who¡¯s messaging me?¡± Be concentrated on her game. Steven hurriedly came over to take Be¡¯s phone. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a group chat called ¡®The Thompson Family Secret Bureau¡¯. Your brothers are messaging you.¡± Axel was the one who created this group chat, with members including Be and her four brothers. The reason it was called the Secret Bureau was because her marriage to Justin must be kept secret from everyone else. Be was so shocked that she could not care less about the game and hurriedly grabbed her phone. After all, Steven was not aware of her marriage and divorce yet. The fewer people who knew about it, the better. Otherwise, she would be in big trouble if this news reached Wyatt: [Axel (Be¡¯s second brother): I can¡¯t stand it anymore! Justin Salvador is aplete asshole!] [Den (Be¡¯s third brother): I¡¯ll check if Salvador Corporation has any illegal dealings and will try to make them bankrupt within a month!] [Drew (Be¡¯s fourth brother): I will try to break Justin¡¯s bones within a week.] [Asher (Be¡¯s eldest brother): Amen.] [Be: Stop! Someone tell me what¡¯s going on!] A few secondster, Axel sent her a link. [Axel: That jerkface has already announced his new marriage. Not only that, some anonymous people commented that you were the homewrecker who stole someone¡¯s love and forced that jerk¡¯s hand in marriage. That was the reason they separated in the first ce.] [Drew: Oh? Separated, huh? I¡¯ll show them what real separation is¡­] [Asher: Drew, fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.] [Asher: Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.] [Axel: Ash, please stop talking. You¡¯ll grow a halo soon if you continue.] [Drew: Be, I will take down all negative news about you in half an hour and remove news of Justin¡¯s remarriage from trending topics.] [Be: Drew, don¡¯t.] [Be: Let the storme.] Axel sent a confused emoji. [Be: Because this has nothing to do with me! Justin¡¯s ex-wife is Anna Brown, and I am Be Thompson, heiress of KS Group.] [Axel: Right! You¡¯ve never made a public appearance with Justin in the past three years, and no outsider has ever seen you. It¡¯s unlikely that anyone will find out your true identity, so this news doesn¡¯t affect you at all!] [Be: But a certain ungrateful bitch is going to have a headache because of this.] She curled her red lips smugly. Be thought, ¡®Justin, I¡¯ve given you a chance to be with your childhood sweetheart. But that woman is ungrateful, so don¡¯t me me for retaliating.¡¯ Everyone at Salvador Corporation was caught off guard by the sudden news of the CEO¡¯s marriage. The public rtions department and Ian¡¯s phones were bombarded by the media. This news also shocked Savrow and the whole country. Justin Salvador was getting married, again! Before the media could ask about his first marriage, he had already gotten divorced. Was it a secret marriage? ¡°Savrow Daily was the first to release this news. I heard that Ms. Gold personally went to the director of the news channel before the news was released.¡± Ian stared at his phone intently. ¡°Now, this article has exceeded one million retweets, but the number one trending hashtag is #whoIsJustinSalvadorsExWife. Theizens are also criticizing the young madam.¡± ¡°Sue them!¡± Justin¡¯s handsome face was as cold as an ice sculpture. His eyes were so dark that they looked bottomless. Savrow Daily was under Salvador Corporation. This media channel had been advocating for them. ¡°Who do you want to sue?¡± ¡°Everyone who is involved in spreading this news!¡± ¡°Yes, sir. But what about the public opinion? I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t control it¡­¡± Ian could not help but worry. ¡°Sigh¡­ I wonder what the young madam thinks when she sees this. She must be very sad.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened. He immediately picked up his phone and called Asher. Damn it! Justin was calling Asher so often that people might think he had a crush on him. Justin hesitated. Then he saw Rosalind¡¯s name on the caller ID. He frowned and had an inexplicable feeling. Chapter 13 ¡°Rose?¡± Justin calmed down. ¡°Justin! Come help me!¡± Rosalind cried for help. ¡°I¡¯m in your office lobby, surrounded by reporters! I¡¯m so scared!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up now!¡± Without hesitation, Justin grabbed his suit jacket and walked out the door. ¡°Mr. Salvador! You can¡¯t go!¡± Ian hurriedly stepped forward to stop him. ¡°Just send your bodyguards to pick up Ms. Gold. If you go in person, the reporters will bombard you!¡± Justin¡¯s face was gloomy as he rushed out without any hesitation. ¡°Ms. Gold! When is the wedding date with Mr. Salvador?¡± ¡°You and Mr. Salvador are said to be childhood sweethearts. How many years have you known each N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. other?¡± ¡°What do you think of Mr. Salvador¡¯s ex-wife? The article wrote that his ex-wife got between you and Mr. Salvador. Is this true?¡± The reporters¡¯ cameras and microphones almost hit Rosalind¡¯s face. Although the bodyguards acted as human shields, the scene was still very chaotic. Rosalind pretended to be meek, but in fact, she was overjoyed. She was the one who announced their marital news to the media. She also revealed that Anna was a third party in her rtionship with Justin. She thought, ¡®That bitch dared to take the bracelet that belonged to me and even humiliate me. So I¡¯ll make her a homewrecker that everyone hates!¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. Mr. Salvador and I will inform you of the good news as soon as possible.¡± Rosalind shed a demure smile that she thought was particrly pretty in front of the camera. ¡°As for Mr. Salvador¡¯s ex-wife, Ms. Brown, I know very little about her. Please stop attacking her. After all, they are divorced now, so please let her live in peace.¡± Once she spoke, all the reporters became even more excited. The scene also became more chaotic. Just when Rosalind retreated like a frightened bird, a solid chest shielded her. Justin put his arm around her shoulders and walked quickly toward the door. ¡°Justin, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were teary, looking as if she were about to cry. Justin clenched his chiseled jaw and remained silent. Suddenly, he stopped and could not help but turn to look around. He had a feeling that Anna was nearby, watching everything that was happening. But how was that possible? The surveince camera at the entrance to Salvador Corporation moved slightly. Be sat in her office and saw everything that had happened outside Salvador Corporation¡¯s lobby door clearly. She watched helplessly as Justin shielded Rosalind in his arms. It was a lie to say that Be was not upset by this. ¡°Justin, you¡¯re so protective of her, but have you ever protected me once?¡± Be¡¯s eyes turned red. She thought, ¡®Two years ago, on that stormy night, when I was almost dying from pain, I called you in hopes that you would show up. Even though I knew it was a slim chance, I still tried to call you. But you rejected my call. After devoting myself wholeheartedly to you for three years, I was just a tool for you to please Grandpa and dy time. You¡¯re not worth it, Justin. You¡¯re the biggest mistake of my life.¡¯ At this time, she received a message from the Thompson Family Secret Bureau. [Asher: Be, the director of Savrow Daily, who exposed the marital news, has been reced. Your ex- husband ordered this. It seems like his girlfriend released this news, and it has nothing to do with him.] Be¡¯s long eyshes trembled as she replied. [Be: It¡¯s all the same whether it¡¯s his girlfriend or him.] [Axel: Yeah! They¡¯re the same kind of people!] [Axel: Be, I just found some important information. I¡¯ll tell you in private.] [Drew: Just say it here.] [Axel: No! I found this out, so don¡¯t you all dare to take credit from me! Find out for yourself!] After speaking, Axel sent Be a voice message. ¡°Be, I found some interesting things about Rosalind.¡± On the surface, Axel was a public prosecutor, but only the Thompson siblings knew that he was also a hacker. Although Axel was not as good as her fourth brother, Den, he was still useful. No criminal would escape punishment. It was the same in the case of Rosalind. He sent over a few photos. One of them was a photo of Rosalind dressed scantily and making out with another man. ¡°Not bad, Ax! You know your stuff!¡± Be whistled and flipped through the photos happily. ¡°Where did you get these?¡± ¡°Rosalind Gold has hundreds of followers on Instagram. I spent thest few days checking them one by one. Then I found out that this man looked suspicious, so I hacked into his ount and his phone¡¯s photo library to find these treasures. This man is a fitness instructor and has a lot of fans.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Ax. I¡¯ll treat you to a big dinner tonight!¡± ¡°What about drinks too?¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go for drinks too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited now. I have something even more jaw-dropping. Even I was shaken.¡± As he spoke, Axel sent over a medical report, followed by several pictures of a woman¡¯s abdomen. ¡°This is¡­¡± Be was startled. ¡°Can you believe it? Rosalind gave birth to a child in Meridan. These photos are her stretch marks after giving birth.¡± Be¡¯s shoulders shook. She erged the photo and looked at it carefully. ¡°That woman wasn¡¯t sick at all. She just made excuses to go to the hospital frequently. In fact, she went to the stic surgery department to remove the stretch marks on her belly. Hah! I guess advanced technology just makes things easier for these people with ulterior motives. I have been handling cases for so many years. I¡¯ve heard of secretly swapping paternity tests, but I¡¯ve never heard of removing stretch marks! I guess this just means that Rosalind and Justin have yet to sleep with each other. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve been exposed long ago.¡± Be breathed a sigh of relief and said, with mixed feelings, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°How is that good?! Does it matter? He cheated on you anyway. Be, you have to change your way of thinking. Why would youfort yourself with this?¡± Axel was afraid that his sister would be soft- hearted and forgive Justin. He just wished that he could run over and shake some sense into her. Beughed. ¡°Ax, you misunderstood me. I don¡¯t love Justin anymore. I just feel less disgusted that he hadn¡¯t touched Rosalind while we were still married.¡± ¡°Haha! I guess it¡¯s karma that Justin¡¯s sweetheart cheated on him!¡± Axel continued his rant. ¡°That motherfucker deserves it! He doesn¡¯t want the gorgeous daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay and instead insists on marrying a tramp like Rosalind!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s how Justin is. Money can¡¯t buy his love.¡± Be sneered, feeling bitter in her heart. After all, she had been in love with Justin for 13 years, so she would need time to get over him. But no matter what, she promised that she would never fall in love with Justin again. ¡°That tramp is attacking you now, so let¡¯s dish this out and teach her a lesson!¡± Axel was eager to kill Rosalind. ¡°I¡¯ve had a habit since I was young to always save the best-tasting food forst.¡± Be squinted her charming eyes and smiled dangerously. ¡°This trump card should only be used at a critical moment so that it¡¯ll give her a lethal blow.¡± Chapter 14 Justin brought Rosalind into his office under everyone¡¯s gaze. As soon as the door closed, Rosalind burst into tears and threw herself into Justin¡¯s arms, hugging his waist tightly. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m d you came to pick me up. I was really scared just now¡­¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. He raised his hands and put them on Rosalind¡¯s shoulders, slowly pushing her away. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Rosalind looked confused. ¡°Why did you do this?¡± Justin¡¯s tone was cold, and his eyes were intimidating. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Why did you go to Savrow Daily to expose our marital news?¡± Rosalind secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him again. ¡°Because I can¡¯t wait to marry you. Do you not want to marry me?¡± ¡°I want to, but releasing the news like this is inappropriate.¡± Justin¡¯s expression was stern. He was not as gentle as he was before. ¡°Why is it inappropriate? You and Anna are already divorced!¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t finalized the divorce yet, and we promised Grandpa that we wouldn¡¯t finalize it until after his 80th birthday.¡± Justin subconsciously withdrew from Rosalind. ¡°Before that happens, she is still my wife in name. Now that you have exposed our marital news, all three parties will be affected. Grandpa will be even more against you now.¡± Justin was a direct man who always considered the pros and cons of everything. He was only gentle to Rosalind, but what he said just now was a bit harsh on her. That was because he thought that his childhood sweetheart would understand him. As a result, Rosalind could not grasp the point. Her eyes turned red with anger. ¡°Three parties will be affected? Justin, did you feel ufortable when you saw people criticizing Anna as the third party? Do you feel sorry for her?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. But Anna isn¡¯t the third party. The situation shouldn¡¯t have turned out like this.¡± Justin pinched the center of his eyebrows, feeling a dull headache. ¡°Why not? She obviously came between us!¡± Rosalind was so angry that she stomped her feet. Her voice was shrill and unpleasant, piercing Justin¡¯s eardrums and making his headache worse. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, I would have been with you! It¡¯s all her fault! She upied my position for three whole years!¡± ¡°Anna was only my wife in name for three years. It was so that Grandpa would give in. Without her, you and I would never be together.¡± After Justin finished speaking, his heart clenched. Right. If Anna had not left him by the end of their three-year contract marriage, his grandfather would never let him and Rosalind be together. That woman was always the first to greet him with a smile when he came home. She helped him change, heated his bath water, and quietly took care of everything so that he would never have to worry. There was no fighting, crying, or fuss. Even after she signed the divorce papers and left Tideview Manor, she did notin at all. Even though Anna chose to be with Asher in the end, she had fulfilled her duties as a wife in the past three years. Justin, on the other hand, had only used her since the beginning. He had only looked forward to the end of their three-year marriage contract every day so that he could be with someone else. Justin knew that he owed Anna much more than she owed him. ¡°Justin, are you siding with that woman now?¡± Rosalind was stunned. She felt that she could no longer understand what Justin was thinking. ¡°No, I¡¯m just stating facts.¡± At this time, the phone rang. Justin took it out and saw that it was his grandfather calling. He frowned. He opened the door and saw Ian standing outside. ¡°Ian, get more bodyguards to escort Ms. Gold home.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Salvador.¡± Ian then gestured for Rosalind to walk forward. ¡°Justin! I don¡¯t want to go back¡­ I¡¯m so scared!¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she held his hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Just don¡¯tment on anything the reporters say. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± Justin sent her out with a stern look on his face, closed the door, and answered his grandfather¡¯s call, enduring the pain from his headache. ¡°Hi, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Justin! How dare you break your promise to me? Are you so eager to marry that bitch?!¡± Nigel was so angry that he yelled over the phone. ¡°If you marry that Rosalind girl, I will never acknowledge you as my grandson!¡± ¡°Grandpa, today¡¯s news has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°I think that Rosalind girl released it! She couldn¡¯t wait any longer because you haven¡¯t proposed to her yet, so she wanted to force your hand in marriage!¡± ¡°Rose didn¡¯t do it. Please don¡¯t use her.¡± Justin felt that his headache was getting worse. He tugged on his Windsor knot tie and slowly returned to the sofa, holding onto the wall as support. He lied to his grandfather, who loved him the most, and he felt so guilty that his throat tightened. However, he had no choice. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to marry Rosalind! I want you to get back together with Anna!¡± Nigel did not care about what Justin thought and only wanted his grandson to be with his favorite Anna Brown. ¡°Grandpa, you promised me before that you¡¯d let me make my own choice after three years.¡± A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his breathing was unsteady. ¡°I don¡¯t have a chance with Anna. Rose is the only one for me.¡± ¡°Fine! You blind bastard! I¡¯ll make sure to stay alive so that I can witness the day you regret losing Anna!¡± After saying that, Nigel hung up the phone. Justin exhaled slowly and covered his forehead. He walked to the desk and hurriedly took out a painkiller. Ian had just returned from sending Rosalind to the lobby and happened to see Justin in pain. He hurriedly came over to help him. ¡°Mr. Salvador, how are you feeling? Do you have another headache?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Justin sat down slowly, closed his eyes, and rubbed his swollen temples. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t keep taking painkillers. I remember that the young madam used to give you massages and acupuncture over the past three years, which relieved your headaches. Why did it rpse?¡± Ian sighed in distress. ¡°It would be great if the young madam was here. You were always able to sleep peacefully after her acupuncture sessions.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention her name.¡± Justin took a deep breath and felt frustrated. ¡°By the way, I have sent someone to investigate what you asked for.¡± Ian¡¯s eyes flickered, and he hesitated to speak. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°The person behind the two ounts that exposed the young madam was Ms. Gold.¡± Justin looked up abruptly. His heart clenched. ¡°Are you sure? How is that possible?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve triple-checked¡­¡± Ian said in a low voice, ¡°Otherwise, how could everything be such a coincidence? As soon as your marital news was announced, someone exposed the young madam. It¡¯s clearly a nned move.¡± Justin froze for a moment and slumped over, feeling powerless. ¡°Rose, why would you do this?¡± He knew that Rosalind loved and cared about him. He also knew that Rosalind did not like Anna, but Rosalind should not have vented her anger like this. ¡°Go and deal with it, no matter the cost. I don¡¯t want to see any of that negative news before sunset!¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. When Rosalind returned home, her parents and her brother, Zeke, were overjoyed to see her. ¡°Oh, Rose! This trick of yours is so effective!¡± Zeke was so happy that he grinned from ear to ear. ¡°As soon as you announced your marriage to Mr. Salvador, ourpany¡¯s predicament was easily resolved! Now, many hotels and guesthouses are looking to ce orders with us. We¡¯ll be filthy rich now!¡± Her father also praised her. ¡°You make our family proud!¡± Previously, KS Group¡¯s hotels returned all of Alia Furniture¡¯s bedding products and permanently canceled the contract, which made other industry yers question Gold Corporation¡¯s standards. Many hotels that had already ced orders with them also canceled their orders. As a result, Gold Corporation suffered heavy losses. Zeke and his father were also anxious. Therefore, Rosalind thought of announcing her marital news to save her family business. Sure enough, the results were remarkable. Being affiliated with Salvador Corporation saved them. However, Rosalind was not happy about this. She looked glum. ¡°Do you know how much it costs me to save our family business? Justin quarreled with me today, and that old man will probably hate me even more!¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? How many more years can that dying old man be around? Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be gone soon!¡± Zeke smiled sinisterly. ¡°As soon as that old man is dead, Aunt Shannon will control Gregory Salvador, and you can control Justin. That way, the entire Salvador Corporation will be under our control!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Rosalind¡¯s mother came over to stroke Rosalind¡¯s hair. Her eyes shed with greed as she said, ¡°As long as Justin loves you, his grandfather won¡¯t be able to stop you from marrying into their family. Your Aunt Shannon is the best example.¡± Rosalind feltforted after hearing this and nodded confidently. This time, she would marry Justin no matter what and be the CEO¡¯s wife that everyone envies! Chapter 15 The sun was setting, tinting the sky a golden hue. Justin sat tiredly in the back seat as the luxury car drove toward Tideview Manor. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I have dealt with the people who defamed the young madam. Their ounts have been blocked, and we have sued them. But the trending topic of your marital news couldn¡¯t be suppressed.¡± Jan looked troubled. Justin looked out the window with dark eyes. On the way home, Justin had the impulse to contact Anna. But he recalled how badly theirst conversation ended, and he felt somewhat embarrassed to go through Asher to talk to her again. Even if she answered the call, what would he say? Should he apologize for what happened today? Justin could not bring himself to apologize, but he also felt guilty and suffocated. When the Rolls-Royce was about to arrive at Tideview Manor, Justin suddenly frowned and said, Stop here.¡± The driver stepped on the brakes and stopped on the side of the road. Before Ian could ask anything, Justin opened the car door and stepped out. He crossed the road and went straight to a retro-looking tailor shop. Well-tailored suits were disyed at the translucent window, and a signboard hung overhead that read, ¡°Wisteria¡¯s¡±. Justin suddenly remembered seeing this name on the gift box that Anna left behind, which held the suit she made. He pushed open the door and walked in. The wind chimes rang, and an old tailor came out. ¡°Sir, are you here to pick up clothes or looking to make clothes?¡± Justin was in a daze for a moment. He asked after a short hesitation. ¡°Did a woman in her twenties make a men¡¯s suit at your ce about a month ago?¡± ¡°Yeah! There was a youngdy who came every day. I had a deep impression of her because she was so skilled!¡± The old tailor¡¯s eyes lit up when he thought of Anna. ¡°That girl is very talented in design as well. I¡¯ve been doing this for 40 years, but to be honest, I can¡¯tpare to her!¡± ¡°Did shee here every day back then?¡± Justin asked in a low voice as his throat tightened. ¡°Yes, she came on time every morning and worked on the suit until we closed in the evening. There The sun was setting, tinting the sky a golden hue. Justin sat tiredly in the back seat as the luxury car drove toward Tideview Manor. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I have dealt with the people who defamed the young madam. Their ounts have been blocked, and we have sued them. But the trending topic of your marital news couldn¡¯t be suppressed.¡± Ian looked troubled. Justin looked out the window with dark eyes. On the way home, Justin had the impulse to contact Anna. But he recalled how badly theirst conversation ended, and he felt somewhat embarrassed to go through Asher to talk to her again. Even if she answered the call, what would he say? Should he apologize for what happened today? Justin could not bring himself to apologize, but he also felt guilty and suffocated. When the Rolls-Royce was about to arrive at Tideview Manor, Justin suddenly frowned and said, ¡± Stop here.¡± The driver stepped on the brakes and stopped on the side of the road. Before Ian could ask anything, Justin opened the car door and stepped out. He crossed the road and went straight to a retro-looking tailor shop. Well-tailored suits were disyed at the translucent window, and a signboard hung overhead that read, ¡°Wisteria¡¯s¡±. Justin suddenly remembered seeing this name on the gift box that Anna left behind, which held the suit she made. He pushed open the door and walked in. The wind chimes rang, and an old tailor came out. ¡°Sir, are you here to pick up clothes or looking to make clothes?¡± Justin was in a daze for a moment. He asked after a short hesitation. ¡°Did a woman in her twenties make a men¡¯s suit at your ce about a month ago?¡± ¡°Yeah! There was a youngdy who came every day. I had a deep impression of her because she was so skilled!¡± The old tailor¡¯s eyes lit up when he thought of Anna. ¡°That girl is very talented in design as well. I¡¯ve been doing this for 40 years, but to be honest, I can¡¯tpare to her!¡± ¡°Did shee here every day back then?¡± Justin asked in a low voice as his throat tightened. ¡°Yes, she came on time every morning and worked on the suit until we closed in the evening. There were a few times I caught her resting on the table because she was so exhausted. Sometimes, she would even forget to drink water all day. That poor child.¡± The old tailor recalled, ¡°I asked her whether it was for her father or her boyfriend. She blushed and said it was for her husband. I didn¡¯t expect her to be married at such a young age! I wonder who¡¯s the lucky man!¡± Husband. This word was like a thorn in Justin¡¯s heart. ¡°Her eyes sparkled when she talked about her husband. I think she must love her husband very much. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t make everything from scratch, right? Every stitch was made with love. Oh, right. Who are you? How do you know about her?¡± Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. Somehow, he blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m her husband.¡± The old tailor was dumbfounded. He took a hard look at Justin and said, ¡°Well, you two are the best- looking couple there is! What a perfect match!¡± When Justin came out of the shop, the afterglow of the sunset shone on his face. Everything felt like a dream. Anna had put him in this state. Did she really love him? But was she schizophrenic? If she loved him so much, how could she cut off all ties with him and throw herself into the arms of another man? Justin felt that his heart was empty. It was something he had never felt before. ¡°Mr. Salvador, why did you go to a tailor? You usually wear high-end brands. When did you change your taste?¡± Ian waspletely oblivious. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Suddenly, his phone vibrated. Justin almost got PTSD from his phone today. He frowned and took it out to take a look, then heaved a sigh of relief. It was a call from his best friend, Ryan Hoffman, heir to Hoffman Corporation. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go out and celebrate tonight!¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was cheery and yful. ¡°What are we celebrating?¡± ¡°Well, that depends on you. We can either celebrate your uing wedding or your divorce!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Haha! Just kidding! My new nightclub is opening today. Why don¡¯t youe over to support me? You haven¡¯t seen me in so long. Have you forgotten about me? Do you not love me anymore?¡± Justin hesitated for a moment and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. That night, Be took charge and cooked a sumptuous dinner for Axel. ¡°Be, you¡¯re allergic to smoke. Although it¡¯s not a severe allergy, you should avoid it as much as possible.¡± Axel looked at the table of delicious food and became concerned about Be¡¯s health. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to it¡­¡± [1: Only then did Be realize that she had spilled the beans. She was so rxed with her brother that she let down her guard. ¡°What the hell?! Have you been cooking for that jerk every day for the past three years?! I¡¯ll fucking kill him!¡± Axel was so angry that he almost flipped the table. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s normal for a wife to cook for her husband. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I won¡¯t ever do such a thing again.¡± Beughed heartily, but she could not hide the sadness and disappointment in her eyes. Axel, who had always been a jokester, suddenly became serious. He walked up to her, opened his arms, and hugged his sister like an oyster shell protecting a pearl. ¡°Just treat the past three years as volunteering for a dog shelter. The four of us will pamper you for the rest of your life, Princess!¡± At 9:00 p.m. sharp, Hoffman Corporation¡¯s newly opened nightclub, ACE, was filled with celebrities. After all, everyone wanted to support Ryan Hoffman. A global limited-edition Bugatti roared to a stop at the entrance to ACE. Axel, who was in the passenger seat, was the first to get out. He was wearing casual attire, which was different from his usually meticulous and solemn getup when he went to work as a prosecutor. He looked young, handsome, and aristocratic. At this time, the driver¡¯s door opened. Be put her hand on Axel¡¯s palm and stepped out of the car, revealing her long legs. Tonight, she wore a tight and sexy silver spaghetti-strap dress. It was dazzling in the dim light. Her long ck hair was styled into big waves, and she wore a pair of unique diamond tassel earrings, which made her face glow. Every guy standing outside the nightclub was drooling when they saw Be. Axel was so frightened that he pulled his sister closer and said, ¡°OMG, I think your dress is too revealing. Look at them!¡± ¡°Is it? But I think I look pretty!¡± Be raised her eyebrows charmingly. ¡°You are! But you¡¯re so pretty that I¡¯m afraid these wolves will pounce on you and eat you if I¡¯m not careful!¡± ¡°If anyone dares to pounce on me, I¡¯ll pluck out his teeth one by one!¡± Be smiled deviously. The nightclub was buzzing with excitement and adrenaline. Axel did not dare sit at the bar with his sister, so he booked a booth and ordered a table of expensive alcohol. He sat there sternly to keep the lewd men away. ¡°Sigh¡­ I regreting with you, Ax. There are so many hotties here!¡± Be shook her wine ss and smiled dejectedly. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t be cockblocking me now that I¡¯m divorced.¡± ¡°What the hell! Be! Getting divorced doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re not worth anything! Can you please stoping to this sort of ce to choose a man? You need to have higher standards!¡± Axel sat closer to Be because he could not stop the lustful gazes that were sizing her up. At this moment, Ryan and Justin walked to the rtively quiet luxury booth on the second floor. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡¯re dressed so meticulously in a suit.¡± Ryan sized Justin up, shaking his head. ¡°Are you glued to your suit? You came here to have fun, not to discuss acquisitions!¡± ¡°Almost all the nightclubs in Savrow are losing money every year. Your ce isn¡¯t worth my money.¡± Justin sat down gracefully. ¡°Haha! Do you think I¡¯ll lose money?¡± ¡°Are you not losing money now?¡± ¡°I am, but I¡¯m not afraid. All I have is money! Hahahaha!¡± Ryanughed heartily. He picked up the whiskey ss and scanned the crowd downstairs while drinking. Suddenly, he squinted his eyes and eximed, ¡°Damn! She¡¯s fucking hot! She dresses like she owns the ce!¡± Justin had never been interested in women, but Ryan forced him to look. When he saw who Ryan was referring to, Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, and his blood boiled. It was Anna Brown! Who was the man next to her? Asher Thompson?! Chapter 16 ¡°Who is sitting next to that hottie? Wait. Isn¡¯t that Asher Thompson, the CEO of KS Group from Hatchbay?¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows and said in a yful tone, ¡°I thought Asher was an ascetic who had never set foot in a club. Haha! Did he finally give in to temptation?¡± Justin and Ryan had both mistaken Axel for Asher. 1 That was because Be¡¯s brothers were actually quadruplets. Among them, Asher and Axel were identical, so people who were unfamiliar with them could not tell them apart. ¡°Damn! I¡¯m so jealous. That hottie should be my girl. It¡¯s a waste for her to be with Asher!¡± Ryan became more enthusiastic as he spoke. Downstairs, Be was smiling sweetly at Asher. Justin just felt annoyed. Back then, that smile belonged to him alone. What annoyed him even more was that the online nder seemed to have no effect on her. She was still in the mood to have fun. On the other hand, Justin had been worried all day. He was either busy cleaning up the mess or thinking about how he should exin it to her. ¡°I should hook up with her tonight. I don¡¯t care that she is Asher¡¯s woman. I can still score even if there is a goalkeeper!¡± Ryan licked his lower lip, ready to make a move. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with her. She¡¯s my wife.¡± 1 Ryan widened his eyes in shock. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Ex-wife,¡± Justin added. He felt as if his throat was burning. ¡°What?! She¡¯s your nonsensical and boring ex-wife?! Bro, are you blind or stupid?! I think you must be blind and stupid! Look at her! She¡¯s such a rare treasure! She¡¯s a hundred times better than your beloved Rosalind!¡± Justin shot Ryan a cold look. Ryan stuck out his tongue and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m just stating the facts. Also, I asked to meet her back then, but you said there was no need for that. So I thought she must look like a beast. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Hey! Where are you going?¡± Before Ryan finished speaking, Justin rushed out. Be and her second brother, Axel, had a few rounds of drinks. Her fair cheeks were tinted red. ¡°Be, are you okay?¡± Axel asked with concern when he noticed that she was a little drunk. ¡°Roll the dice!¡± Be could hold her liquor, but she was purposely drowning her sorrows. At this time, Axel¡¯s boss called, so he had to answer it because there might be an urgent case. He said apologetically, ¡°Be, wait for me here. I need to answer this call, but I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Be waved her hand nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. As soon as the ¡°cockblocker¡± was gone, the men around Be gradually approached her, like sharks smelling blood. Be¡¯s eyes twitched. She nced at them idly, studying them. She thought, ¡®This one is too short¡­ This one is too thin¡­ His nose bridge is too t¡­ His eyes are too small¡­ No one canpare to my ex-husband¡­¡¯ It was too bad that Justin¡¯s good looks turned out to be aplete waste. Justin failed to live up to Be¡¯s expectations. At this time, Be noticed several young men making noises in the booth next to her. Another man was forcing a woman to drink. The man with the lecherous smile was none other than Rosalind¡¯s brother, Zeke Gold. What Be could not stand was seeing a man secretly spike the drink before handing it to Zeke, Be was furious. She stood up and walked toward them. 1 ¡°Yo! What a hottie!¡± The young men were drooling when they saw Be. As soon as Zeke saw Be, he instantly thought that the woman in his arms was subpar. ¡°Can I join you guys? You seem like you¡¯re having so much fun!¡± Be¡¯s drunken look added to her charm. ¡°We¡¯ll do whatever you want us to.¡± Zeke licked his lips. His eyes were lecherous. Be picked up the spiked drink and said, ¡°Simple, just drink it all.¡± The few people around them fell silent. Zeke¡¯s lewd face darkened. All of them knew that the drink was spiked, so only a fool would drink it. ¡°Shall I feed you?¡± As soon as Be said that, she narrowed her almond-shaped eyes and raised her hand to ssh the drink on Zeke¡¯s face. Everyone was shocked. The woman on the side screamed in fright and shrank back. Chapter 17 ¡°You bitch! How dare you ssh that wine on me?! Do you know who I am?!¡± Zeke was so angry that he cursed at Be as he wiped his face. ¡°Why would I care who you are? You¡¯re a lowly bastard who wants to spike her drink!¡± Be casually flipped her long hair. Her eyes were seductive. Zeke was infuriated that a woman was insulting him. If it were not for the crowd around them, he would have pped her. At this time, two of Zeke¡¯s bodyguards came forward after getting Zeke¡¯s signal to remove Be. Zeke wanted to punish Be-better yet, on a bed. The two burly bodyguards rushed forward but missed. Even though Be was drunk, she dodged quickly due to her muscle memory. ¡°Too slow.¡± Be yawned. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Get her!¡± Zeke yelled while wiping his face. One of the bodyguards got up and grabbed Be¡¯s shoulders. Unexpectedly, another man stood in front of Be and twisted the bodyguard¡¯s arm. The bodyguard, who was about 180 cm tall, was knocked to the ground in the blink of an eye. ¡°Nice one!¡± Be hupped and squinted her eyes. Her limp body leaned back. Suddenly, a strong hand held her slender waist. She could feel the man¡¯s warm breath against her cheek, which tickled her. ¡°Um¡­ Who are you? Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Be struggled for a moment. ¡°Anna! Open your eyes and see who I am.¡± It was such a familiar voice that was so cool, deep, and captivating. Be¡¯s heart was beating wildly. She raised her eyes little by little, meeting Justin¡¯s ruthless yet charming eyes. The man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly and darkened. Be¡¯s ming red lips were so sexy. If it were not for her clear and innocent doe-like eyes, Justin would not have recognized that she was Anna Brown, the woman whom he had been married to for the past three years. ¡°Anna, you¡¯re really something! Are you so reckless now because you have Asher Thompson¡¯s support?¡± ¡°Yeah, so what?¡± Be lifted her chin and looked haughty. ¡°I just don¡¯t like anyone from the Gold family and feel like beating them up. Do you have any objections? Even if you do, I don¡¯t care!¡± Justin tightened his grip on her waist to hurt her. ¡°Ouch¡­ It hurts¡­ Let me go¡­¡± Be squirmed in Justin¡¯s arms. Her voice was soft because she was drunk. Justin was attracted to her. His eyes darkened. ¡°Justin?!¡± Zeke was shocked. ¡°Mr. Gold, what do you mean by this?¡± Justin looked at Zeke coldly. ¡°Rose and I aren¡¯t married yet. Please address me formally.¡± Zeke was rendered speechless. Be thought, ¡®Rose¡­ How disgusting.¡¯ She hated Justin¡¯s nickname for Rosalind. After three years of marriage, Justin never had a pet name for Anna. The more she thought about it, the more miserable she got. She tried her best to break away from his grip because she would rather fall than let this jerk touch her. ¡°Apologize to her,¡± Justinmanded Zeke. However, his eyes never left Be¡¯s so that he could ensure that she was alright. Zeke said resentfully, ¡°This crazy bitch came over and sshed wine in my face! She attacked me for no reason, so she is the one who should apologize!¡± ¡°Watch your words!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°She¡¯s my ex-wife.¡± Chapter 18 Zeke was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped to the ground. It turned out that she was Justin Salvador¡¯s mysterious ex-wife. Zeke had to admit that she looked much prettier than his sister. If Rosalind were not Justin¡¯s childhood sweetheart, she might not be able to hold a candle to this charming woman. ¡°Mr. Salvador, even if she is your ex-wife, that¡¯s not a reason for me to apologize to her!¡± Zeke refused to give in. ¡°Get her to apologize to me, then I¡¯ll pretend that none of this happened.¡± ¡°If I had arrived a littleter, your bodyguards would have already done something to her.¡± Justin¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Even if nothing happened, it doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re off the hook. Apologize to her!¡± Zeke was scared, but he still remained calm on the surface. Be¡¯s face was flushed because she was drunk. All she heard was ¡°ex-wife¡± and ¡°apologize¡±. She thought to herself, ¡®Is this jerk asking me to apologize?! I¡¯m nice enough not to twist his head off!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s too troublesome. I think it¡¯s better to just send him to the police station or drag him out and beat him up.¡± Ryan Hoffman had a yful smile on his handsome face. He led two rows of bodyguards over, looking like a mafia boss. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°What reason do you have to beat me up?! We havews in the country!¡± Seeing Ryan, Zeke was so frightened that his voice trembled. Ryan hooked his finger. The woman who was forced to drink earlier timidly hid behind Ryan. ¡°First of all, these girls only sell drinks or dance on stage. They don¡¯t have to serve customers. You have already broken my rules by forcing her to drink with you. Secondly, drugs aren¡¯t allowed in my club. I hate it most when people do drugs on my turf. I¡¯ll beat up whoever breaks my rules! You should really thank Ms. Brown. If she hadn¡¯t stopped you from drugging my staff, you wouldn¡¯t have walked out of my club alive.¡± Justin was shocked to hear this. So that was what happened! ¡°Haha! Well done, bro!¡± Be narrowed her eyes into little crescents and gave Ryan a thumbs-up. ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Anna.¡± Ryan winked at her. Justin felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest when he saw their interaction. ¡°Justin, what do you think of this arrangement?¡± Ryan asked. ¡°It¡¯s feasible,¡± Justin said curtly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Mr. Salvador, I really didn¡¯t know that she was your ex-wife. I¡¯ll apologize to her. I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Brown¡­¡± Zeke gritted his teeth. He was unwilling to apologize to Be. Justin still felt that it was not enough, but he discovered that Anna had gone missing. ¡°Are you looking for your ex-wife? She¡¯s right there.¡± Ryan whistled and pursed his lips in the direction of the stage. Justin narrowed his eyes, and his heart trembled. Under the strobe lights, Anna swayed her hips seductively on the dance floor. Her smile was charming, and the bright lights appeared dim inparison to her. Be waspletely drunk. She did not know what she was doing. She only felt like she was flying,pletely free. Suddenly, she fell backward. Someone screamed, but she fell into a hard and warm embrace. She could barely see Justin¡¯s angry face when she said drunkenly, ¡°I want to puke.¡± Justin dragged Be into the men¡¯s bathroom. She threw up in the toilet until she almost passed out. No matter how beautiful she was, she looked wretched after puking. Justin stared at her coldly from the doorway at first. However, when he saw that she was in real pain, he walked over to her and patted her back. After vomiting, Be walked to the sink in a daze to wash and gargle her mouth. ¡°Ugh¡­ I feel sick¡­¡± ¡°You were asking for it. Why did you drink so much?¡± Justin stood on the side, frowning. ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m sad¡­¡± Chapter 19 Be was drunk and thought the man next to her was her brother, so she sobbed. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Justin like me? Why¡­?¡± Justin¡¯s heart clenched as he pursed his lips and listened to her woes. ¡°I tried so hard¡­ I really tried my best¡­ But it seems that the more I try, the more he hates me. Why? Tell me why?¡± Be suddenly turned around and hugged the man. She buried her face in his chest and cried out loud. Her tears and makeup stained his clean shirt. Justin stood frozen on the spot. His throat tightened, and he felt every drop of her warm tears burning through his chest and soaking his heart. After a while, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you really like Justin?¡± Be raised her face, which was red from crying. Her crimson lips parted slightly. Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he tried to resist the temptation to kiss her. He even regretted asking this question. It did not matter if she still liked him or not. Their divorce was impending, and the love of his life could only be Rosalind. Suddenly, the bathroom door was kicked open. ¡°Justin Salvador! What the fuck are you doing?! How could you cheat on your fiancee?!¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Axel¡¯s eyes were bloodshot from anger. He pulled Be over, looking like a protective mother bear. Justin furrowed his brows. ¡®Asher Thompson has always been elegant and polite. If he¡¯s getting so furious because of a woman, it proves just how much he cares about my ex-wife.¡¯ Suddenly, Justin felt suffocated. ¡°Mr. Thompson, she was drunk and puked earlier. If you really love her so much, you shouldn¡¯t have brought her to a ce like this.¡± Just as Axel wanted to retort, he noticed that Justin had mistaken him for Asher, so he yed along and said, ¡°My girl can do whatever she wants. If she likes to go clubbing, I¡¯ll go with her! Mr. Salvador, since you¡¯re divorced, stop sticking your nose into her business. You should just take care of your fiancee!¡± After that, Axel wanted to leave with Be. However, Justin stopped him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Do you really love her?¡± Justin asked in a deep voice. ¡°What the fuck?¡± ¡°Will you marry her?¡± Axel was momentarily rendered speechless because of this question. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Get out of my way!¡± ¡°Anna is a regr girl. She can¡¯t stand having her heart broken. If you can¡¯t marry her and only treat her as a toy, then you shouldn¡¯t drag her down. You should let her live an ordinary life before it bes anything serious.¡± Justin was a little remorseful. ¡°Hahaha¡­ Justin, I have never seen such a shameless person like you. Why didn¡¯t you consider all that when you divorced Anna for Rosalind Gold? Thanks to you, she¡¯s now divorced at such a young age. Do you think you didn¡¯t drag her down? Why did you marry her in the first ce if you wanted to divorce her? You just wanted to use her to appease your grandfather so that you could marry your childhood sweetheart, right? You lowly bastard!¡± Justin felt a stabbing pain in his heart. His strong chest muscles under his suit trembled faintly. Axel shoved him aside and said, ¡°Get the hell out of my way, asshole!¡± Justin did not know how he managed to return to his booth. All he could think about was what ¡± Asher¡± said to him. ¡°Where¡¯s your ex-wife? Did she leave?¡± Ryan leaned against the railing, sizing up Justin¡¯s flustered face while drinking wine. ¡°Yeah,¡± Justin responded. He picked up the ss of whiskey and drank it in one gulp, feeling a burning sensation in his throat. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your sake, I would¡¯ve definitely beat up Zeke. How dare he drug my staff and touch my baby?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to put up with him. He¡¯s not Rose.¡± Suddenly, Justin came to his senses and frowned. ¡°Your baby? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Well, since you don¡¯t want her anymore, I¡¯ll take over the baton from you, bro.¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows and smiled deviously. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to ept seeing her around as my wife.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even finalized my divorce with her yet, and you¡¯re already iming her?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were dark as he sneered. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve already signed the divorce papers, so you¡¯re not far off from making it official!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Justin clenched his fists. His handsome face was sinister. ¡°What I do know is that you¡¯re not that far off from death.¡± Chapter 20 Be woke up and vomited again the next day. ¡°Be, I remember that you used to be able to hold your alcohol. How did you get so drunkst night?¡± Axel hurriedly handed her a ss of water to rinse her mouth and brought over some hangover medicine. ¡°I haven¡¯t touched alcohol in the past three years¡­ So naturally, I¡¯d get drunk after drinking so much all of a suddenst night.¡± Be knew that Justin did not like women who smelled like alcohol, so she gave up drinking in the three years since she was married to him. ¡°I know you¡¯re drunk, but those who don¡¯t will think that you have morning sickness.¡± Axel teased her. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Ha¡­ If I was really pregnant with Justin¡¯s child, what would you guys do?¡± There was a hint of grief in Be¡¯s eyes. ¡°What else can we do? We¡¯ll help you raise the kid, of course! No matter what, that kid is innocent.¡± Although Axel hated Justin with all his heart, he was still righteous. This was probably his professional ethics as a prosecutor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t carry his child. He¡¯s not worth it!¡± Be sneered and drank some water to clear her throat. Axel said, ¡°By the way, do you remember what happenedst night?¡± ¡°I remember finding trouble with Zeke Gold. I think Justin came over at some point, but I don¡¯t remember what happened after.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°I think I saw another handsome guy who came to help me out. Ugh! I was too drunk at the time. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve asked for his number!¡± ¡°That¡¯s Ryan Hoffman. ACE is his new club.¡± Be lost all interest when she heard this infamous name. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m not interested in him.¡± ¡°Did you know that Justin dragged you into the men¡¯s bathroom after that?¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you two did in there. When I came in, you were hugging him and blowing your nose on his shirt.¡± Axel shook his head when he thought about that embarrassing scene. Be gasped. ¡°If I didn¡¯t arrive in time to take you away, that jerkface might have¡­¡± ¡°He won¡¯t. Justin is not like Ryan.¡± Be held her forehead in frustration. ¡°Why are you defending him?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I just think he¡¯s a decent man. He¡¯s just heartless to me.¡± After Be said this, she could not help but feel heartbroken. ¡°Oh, but that jerk actually asked me if I would marry you. He even told me not to y with your feelings. She said that you¡¯re a regr girl and can¡¯t bear being hurt again.¡± Axel sneered. ¡°He¡¯s so full of himself! Why does he think that he can stick his nose into your business?¡± ¡°Wait, why did he mention this to you for no reason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he mistook me for Asher, so I just yed along and told him not to touch my girl. That jerk is probably angry.¡± Axel was smug. ¡°What the hell!¡± Be was infuriated and punched Axel¡¯s handsome face. Steven prepared a delicious and hearty breakfast because he knew that Be was hungover. Be went downstairs wearing a pink silk nightgown. Her long hair was hanging loose on her shoulders. Although she was wearing a bra, she still looked sexy. Steven blushed and quickly looked away, not daring to take a closer look. ¡°Hey! There are single men in this house. Can you please consider our feelings?¡± Axel rolled a hard- boiled egg on his bruised cheek and looked at Be sternly. ¡°I¡¯m tired of wearing white dresses and sneakers because I¡¯ve been wearing them for the past three years. Now, I can wear whatever I want! Who can stop me?¡± Be rolled her eyes and took a bite of the sandwich. ¡°Why did you only wear white dresses and sneakers for the past three years? Did you teach Sunday. school? You¡¯ll mislead the next generation of kids!¡± Steven asked very seriously. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± The Thompson siblings said in unison. Be applied exquisite makeup and wore a white skirt suit and Jimmy Choos. She once again. transformed into the beautiful boss of KS World Hotel, even though her head was throbbing like she had been pped by a gori. Sitting in the office, Be recalled the conversation with her second brother in the morning, feeling a little confused. Justin helped her outst night and said those words to Axel. Did he care about her? Hah! How was that possible? Justin just did not like that his once servile ¡°wife¡± suddenly changed her style and served a new master, so he became possessive over her. Chapter 21 Be promised herself that she would not jump into the same shithole a second time. At this time, she received messages from the ¡°Thompson Family Secret Bureau¡±. [Asher: Be, all the defaming news about you was taken down yesterday. The social media ounts that spread rumors about you were also suspended.] [Asher: Justin did all that.] [Be: Oh, I guess I should thank him.] [Drew: He¡¯s naive if he thinks that deleting those posts will solve everything.] [Den: Salvador Corporation¡¯s stock price only fluctuated slightly at the market opening this morning. What a pity.] [Axel: Be, we still have to take revenge on the Gold family even if we can¡¯t do anything for the time being!] [Be: Of course! I¡¯ll take my time.] Be called the internalndline. ¡°Steve,e in.¡± Steven came in quickly. ¡°Any orders, Ms. Be?¡± ¡°Did youpile all the documents and evidence I asked you to prepare?¡± Be put her hands on the armrests and turned around in her leather chair. ¡°It¡¯s ready. We can hand it over to the authorities at any time.¡± ¡°No, no. There¡¯s no rush yet.¡± Be crossed her legs. Her fair skin glowed in the sun. ¡°First, find a few media outlets that are closely rted to KS Group, like ¡°Hatchbay News¡±. Then release this news as it is to capture the public¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°Bringing the media in will make things very troublesome. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just catch the Golds by surprise?¡± Steven expressed doubts. ¡°I always like a sense of ritual. I won¡¯t kill my prey in one quick move. Instead, I want to hold it down and bleed it out slowly.¡± Be gently touched the jade bracelet that Nigel gave her and looked at it. Her gaze was cold and cruel. After this incident was exposed, the Golds would encounter difficulties. Zeke and his father had no power to talk to her, so Rosalind would have to beg Justin to help her. Be said to herself, ¡°Justin, I can¡¯t wait to see how concerned you¡¯ll be about your fianc¨¦e.¡± * That night, when inte traffic was at its peak, this news was exposed. Within an hour, it became a big hit. ¡°KS Group terminated all cooperation with Gold Corporation due to serious quality issues!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Shoddy goods? Cutting corners? The quality of Gold Corporation¡¯s subsidiary, Alia Furniture, is worrying.¡± Due to the sudden incident, Zeke and his father werepletely unprepared. In addition, their public rtions department was unprofessional, so they had no way to control the public¡¯s opinion, nor could they delete the negativements. [Gold Corporation? Isn¡¯t that Justin Salvador¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡¯s family? It¡¯s unsightly for something like this to happen before their wedding ] [I thought his fiancee was from a wealthy family. It turns out that her family only sells poor-quality furniture!] [Although I don¡¯t want to judge a person based on their family, this is quite low-level.] [OMG, I have to return the furniture that I just ordered from Alia Furniture tomorrow. What a rip-off! In the study, Justin heard Ian¡¯s report about the Gold family¡¯s encounter. He just felt like his head was about to explode. ¡°The Thompsons are the richest family in Hatchbay. They are leading in almost all the industries they are involved in. If they take the lead in boycotting Gold Corporation, no one else will dare to go against them.¡± Ian curled his lips. He did not have any sympathy for the Golds, so he watched the excitement and mocked them. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that Gold Corporation isn¡¯t a listedpany. Otherwise, their stocks would plummet when the market opens tomorrow morning. Your father-inw has high blood pressure, so I¡¯m afraid he may faint when he sees this news¡­¡± Justin raised his eyes and shot a cold look at Ian. Ian was so frightened that he dared not speak again. ¡°There is no evidence to support this news. It may just be groundless.¡± Justin took a deep breath. His eyes darkened as he added, ¡°How did this quality issue arise?¡± ¡°I heard that KS World Hotel in Savrow has a new boss. She took the lead in canceling the cooperation. with Gold Corporation. Within a week, all of the hotels under KS Group followed suit and reced all of Alia Furniture¡¯s products.¡± ¡°How is it possible that a mere general manager of a hotel has so much power?¡± ¡°Because she is the daughter of Wyatt Thompson-Be Thompson.¡± Be Thompson? Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. Although he had never heard of this name before, it gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Chapter 22 ¡°Be Thompson¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve heard this name somewhere before.¡± Justin rubbed his temples and murmured to himself. ¡°I did an in-depth investigation about Ms. Thompson,¡± Ian reported. Justin¡¯s eyes lit up as he thought, ¡®Finally! This useless secretary is one step ahead of me!¡¯ ¡°Tell me the result.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything about her.¡± Ian slumped his shoulders and spread his hands helplessly. ¡°Ian, I think you should go to the human resources department to settle your sry tomorrow.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°Mr. Salvador, calm down! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to investigate her. It¡¯s just that Ms. Thompson¡¯s information is like a top-secret file. I really can¡¯t do anything about that.¡± Ian¡¯s face turned pale from fright, and he wiped his sweat with trembling hands. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? All I could find out about Ms. Thompson is that she¡¯s the only daughter of Wyatt Thompson¡¯s first wife. But no information about her can be found online. I¡¯ve also searched on social media but couldn¡¯t find anything. Is she a legend?¡± ¡°Do you have a photo of her? Show it to me.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! It took a lot of effort to find it.¡± Ian took out his phone, pulled up the photo, and ced it in front of Justin. Justin took a closer look and became infuriated. ¡°Ian Harris! Do you have a death wish?!¡± The old photo on the screen was blurry. Not to mention, the girl that Wyatt was carrying was only a toddler! How could they see anything from this photo? ¡°Mr. Salvador, calm down! This is the only photo of Ms. Thompson that I could find on the entire inte. It was taken 20 years ago, at the funeral of Wyatt Thompson¡¯s first wife.¡± Ian was apprehensive. Being Justin¡¯s secretary was stressful. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Twenty years ago. That meant Be Thompson was about 24 or 25 years old this year. She was simr in age to Anna Brown. Justin stared at the photo for a moment. The more he looked at it, the more he frowned. Why did this girl¡¯s features resemble Anna Brown¡¯s? Damn it! After signing the divorce papers, Justin felt like he had been thinking about his ex-wife more frequently. What was going on? At this time, a maid came over and knocked on the door. ¡°Young Master Justin, the chairman wants to see you. In the living room, Shannon was leaning on Gregory¡¯s shoulder, sobbing quietly. She was already in her forties, but she still acted like a baby in front of her husband. ¡°Greg¡­ My sister is really pitiful. She married into the Gold family and did her duty to raise Zeke and Rosalind. She only lived a carefree life for a few years before getting into this situation. She called me ¡°How is this embarrassing? We are a family, so tell them to stop being strangers.¡± Gregory put his hand on Shannon¡¯s shoulder and gently soothed her. His voice was gentle as he said, We¡¯ll find a solution when Justines over.¡± Over the years, Shannon relied on her nice figure to drive away Justin¡¯s mother and sessfully married Gregory, bing the matron of the Salvador family. Gregory was so fond of Shannon that he could not stop lusting after her. ¡°Dad, were you looking for me?¡± Justin came over. His eyes were cold and unwavering. ¡°Justin, you must save Rose¡¯s family!¡± Shannon wiped her tears gracefully with a silk handkerchief and said between choked sobs, ¡°Rose and her father have health problems. Rose fell ill and couldn¡¯t eat anything when she heard this news. If you love her and feel sorry for her, you must find a way to save her family.¡± Chapter 23 ¡°Justin, have you found out what happened?¡± Gregory asked with a frown as heforted his wife. ¡°I found out. The person who exposed this news is the newly appointed general manager of KS World Hotel, Be Thompson.¡± Justin lowered his eyelids, deliberately avoiding the loving couple in front of him. In his memory, Gregory had never shown such tenderness to his mother or to him. Perhaps Gregory had already forgotten what Justin¡¯s mother looked like. ¡°The Thompson family from Hatchbay?!¡± Shannon covered her mouth and eximed, ¡°That¡¯s the richest family in Hatchbay! How could my sister¡¯s family offend them?!¡± ¡°We have never had any interactions with the Thompson family because our forefathers had a deep grudge against each other. Wyatt Thompson¡¯s great-grandmother swore an oath that no one in the Thompson family could ever marry a Salvador. Anyone who disobeys this will be disowned by the Thompson family and will not be allowed to inherit anything.¡± Justin did not care about this because the person he wanted to marry was Rosalind, not Be Thompson. However, after hearing what his father said, he felt a slight chill in his heart. ¡°OMG! The Thompsons must be targeting Gold Corporation so that they can indirectly target us, especially since Rose will be marrying Justin soon. They are so petty!¡± Shannon angrily clenched the silk handkerchief in her hand. ¡°Justin, you should see Ms. Thompson tomorrow and find a way to stop her from attacking the Golds. This isn¡¯t just their problem now. It¡¯ll also affect our family¡¯s reputation!¡± Gregory¡¯s tone was extremely stern. ¡°Oh, Greg, don¡¯t be so stern with Justin. He has always been an obedient child.¡± Shannon massaged her husband¡¯s shoulder and spoke in a soft voice. ¡°I¡¯m only saving the Gold family for Rose¡¯s sake. It has nothing to do with anyone else, Aunt Shannon.¡± Justin¡¯s charming eyes were deep and cold. After saying that, he turned around and left. Shannon turned pale with anger. She was the wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman, but Justin still called her Aunt Shannon. What an insult! ¡°Stop! Why are you still calling her Aunt Shannon? Shannon is know your manners?!¡± Gregory stood up and yelled. my wife and your mother. Don¡¯t you Justin stopped, but he did not turn around. ¡°You can have several wives, but I will only have one mother. So don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Asher went to Savrow to see Be that night. During dinner, they talked about Michael Gordon and the Gold family. ¡°Dad already knows your strategy, and he didn¡¯t object. He only said we shouldn¡¯t let them get away with it if what happened was true and the evidence was conclusive.¡± Asher helped his sister cut up her steak. ¡°Wyatt is such a scumbag when ites to women, but he¡¯s very capable in other aspects.¡± Be ate a piece of medium-rare steak and squinted her clear eyes while chewing. ¡°That¡¯s why our three stepmothers are so devoted to him. Apart from being a yboy, Dad is a good person. He hasn¡¯t mistreated any of his wives.¡± ¡°Right. No one will ever know the woes of the dead anyway, since stories are only told by those who are alive.¡± Be lowered her eyshes and stabbed her fork into the steak. Asher stared at his sister¡¯s eyes, which were gradually turning red. He stroked the top of her head and said, ¡°I know that you no longer hate our stepmothers. You just can¡¯t let go of the past, and you still feel that it¡¯s unfair for our mother. But Be, have you ever thought that maybe Mom would have stopped ming Dad a long time ago? ¡°How can I not resent him? I¡¯m sure his wives are just putting up with him. No woman will be able to share her husband with other women¡­¡± Be¡¯s breath hitched. She was the same. Even though she knew that Justin had a childhood sweetheart, she still fell head over heels in love with him and devoted her heart and soul to that man. In the end, she was ruthlessly abandoned. Wyatt was a womanizer, but he took care of all his women well. But Justin ignored her for the past three years. Moreover, he stabbed her in the heart again and again. She was so blind to have loved this heartless man for 13 years! ¡°Justin has been quiet these two days. He hasn¡¯t called me.¡± Asher took a sip of red wine. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because he¡¯s busy cleaning up the mess of his sweetheart¡¯s family. How would he have time for me?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Be shook the wine ss leisurely. Her bright eyes were oppressive. ¡°Anna Brown is too weak. Now, it¡¯s time for him to meet Be Thompson!¡± Chapter 24 The next morning, Justin dressed impably in a suit and leather shoes. He looked dignified and elegant as he went to the KS World hotel in his best condition. As soon as he entered the hall, he felt both physically and mentally rxed. Justin had been there oncest year, and he, being a direct and demanding person, hadined about its standards. He had once thought that the hotel had poor management and had nothing to shout about. However, stepping foot into the hotel again, Justin could feel its changes. The hotel waspletely revamped and exuded the high standards of a first-ss hotel. It seemed that Be Thompson had excellent management skills. She was an opponent that he should not underestimate. ¡°This is Mr. Justin Salvador, the CEO of Salvador Corporation. He wants to meet Ms. Thompson. Please pass on the message to your general manager.¡± After several inquiries, Ian finally found Be¡¯s administrative secretary and expressed the intention of their visit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You can¡¯t see Ms. Thompson unless you have an appointment.¡± The administrative secretary politely rejected them. ¡°Mr. Salvador is the CEO of Salvador Corporation! Does he even need to make an appointment?!¡± Ian frowned. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You!¡± Ian was so angry that his face turned red. He really wanted to file aint against this secretary. ¡°If I make an appointment now, when can I see Ms. Thompson?¡± Justin stepped forward and asked with a gloomy expression. ¡°Ms. Thompson is very busy, so I can¡¯t say for sure. Why don¡¯t youe again tomorrow?¡± ¡°You!¡± Ian felt that he was about to lose his temper. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ian. Let¡¯s make an appointment first.¡± Justin pulled Ian away. His eyes were dark and stern. After all, it was not ssy to lose one¡¯s temper in public, and it would not solve any problems. When they got back to the car, Ian was so angry that he clenched his teeth and pounded the car window. ¡°That¡¯s too much! This is Savrow, not Hatchbay! Is Be Thompson not afraid that she would offend This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. you with her lofty attitude? You can make her life difficult here in Savrow!¡± ¡°Let¡¯se again tomorrow.¡± Justin furrowed his brows, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back. His chiseled jaw and lean neck formed a seductive arc. ¡°Did you hear what that guy said just now? I guess we won¡¯t get to meet her tomorrow!¡± ¡°If not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow. Anyway, I have to see Be Thompson.¡± Justin loosened his tie and felt a tightness in his chest. ¡°The Golds can¡¯t wait any longer. If we continue to wait, they may go bankrupt.¡± The next day, Justin went to the hotel early, but Be refused to meet them. The third day was the same. Justin was a business tycoon and one of the top ten outstanding young people in the country. He had traveled abroad with the Prime Minister and had even received the highest level of courtesy from foreign countries. He was also an influential and authoritative figure in the country. However, Be Thompson did not treat him with respect. How frustrating! It was a rainy day. Be went to work in a good mood. She wore her ultra-high heels and a well-tailored double-breasted ck skirt suit that made her look like a queen. She paired it with rose-shaped gold earrings, whichpleted the whole outfit. ¡°Oh my god! Our boss is so beautiful and sassy! I¡¯m totally in love with her!¡± ¡°Since Ms. Thompson came here, the female employees have been waiting to see her outfit every day, while the male employees have been waiting to see her angelic face to purify their souls and give them the energy to work!¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s the most beautiful elite woman of her age.¡± Since Michael Gordon left, every employee at the hotel has been happy to follow Be¡¯s orders. No department dared to ck off, and everyone strived for perfection in their work. The hotel went from lifeless to thriving, and it only took Be less than half a month to achieve this. Before fighting against the outside world, one must first deal with the internal mess. ¡°Salvador Corporation has secretly injected arge sum of capital into Gold Corporation, which has suffered heavy losses due to the cancetion of most orders as a result of the news. This investment kept Gold Corporation afloat.¡± On the other end of the phone, Asher reported thetest situation to Be. ¡°I guessed this would happen. Justin will definitely help his fiancee¡¯s family. He¡¯s so deeply in love with her that he doesn¡¯t care that she cheated on him and even cleaned up her family¡¯s mess. He really is a fool.¡± Be sneered, kicked off her high heels, and rubbed her sore ankles. ¡°But losing one¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t a problem that can be solved by money. Justin injecting capital into Gold Corporation is no different from giving money to a dead person. Nothing wille of it, and the results won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°Justin is a business whiz just like you. I¡¯m sure he understands that, but at the moment, there is no better way besides stabilizing the situation with money.''¡± Asher chuckled. ¡°Sometimes, I think that if you two actually love each other and end up married, the whole world will belong to you. There¡¯s nothing the two of you can¡¯t manage.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not destined to be husband and wife. We¡¯re too ipatible.¡± Be took out a piece of chocte from the drawer and put it in her mouth. There was a cold glint in her eyes. Chapter 25 Just after Be ended the call with her eldest brother, Steven hurried in with an impatient look on his face. ¡°Ms. Be, Justin Salvador came again! He¡¯s so shameless! It¡¯s a pity he didn¡¯t start a career selling insurance!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°His tenacity for helping his beloved fiancee is truly admirable.¡± Be did not even raise her eyes. She was just busy signing some documents. However, Steven could hear a hint of jealousy and bitterness in her words. He was not sure if he had imagined it. ¡°Ms. Be, I will personally go downstairs and drive him away.¡± ¡°No, invite him up.¡± Be closed the cap of her pen and raised her eyebrows. ¡°What?!¡± Steven was very surprised. ¡°He¡¯s so persistent and came three times just to see me. I ought to show him some respect.¡± Be leaned forward and stretched out her cute little feet. Steven hurriedly walked over, got down on one knee, and helped her put on her high heels. ¡°Go to the restaurant downstairs and find me a girl with a pretty face and an articte voice. I have something nned.¡± Ten minutester, Steven led a waitress who met Be¡¯s criteria to the office. ¡°Hello, Ms. Thompson!¡± The waiter bowed deeply to the boss and was too frightened to breathe. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I have a small task for you, and I will reward you when it ispleted.¡± Be smiled slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t need any reward! I¡¯m just happy to be of use to you, Ms. Thompson.¡± The waitress¡¯s face turned red. ¡°I really like you! You¡¯re my idol!¡± It turned out that she was Be¡¯s fangirl. Be smiled at her and nodded approvingly. ¡°She has a simr figure to me. Steve, prepare a set of my clothes and shoes for her.¡± ¡°Huh? Okay¡­¡± Steven left in confusion. ¡°Ms. Thompson, what do you want me to do for you?¡± The waitress asked diligently. Be¡¯s red lips curled up slyly. ¡°Justin Salvador, the CEO of Salvador Corporation, wille over to meet with me soon. I¡¯m not in the mood to meet him, so you can meet him on my behalf.¡± When the waitress heard this, she was so scared that her legs went numb. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I will monitor the situation in this office, and you¡¯ll be wearing a Bluetooth headset, so you just need to repeat whatever I say. Remember to act naturally!¡± After three visits to KS World Hotel, Justin finally got the chance to meet Be Thompson. Although his stern face remained calm, his heart was trembling. The administrative secretary led them to the elevator. Along the way, Justin¡¯s outstanding looks attracted the attention of the female employees. They arrived at the elevators. Just as Ian was about to press the button, he was stopped by the administrative secretary. ¡°This elevator is exclusively for Ms. Thompson. You two can only take themon elevators.¡± ¡°Tsk! What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Ian could not help but roll his eyes. Justin did not mind this. After all, he also had his own exclusive elevator at Salvador Corporation. The elevator slowly ascended the 40-story building. However, it stopped on the 30th floor. The administrative secretary said, ¡°Please get off the elevator.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not there yet. Isn¡¯t Ms. Thompson¡¯s office on the 40th floor?¡± Ian asked in surprise. ¡°Yes, but this elevator only goes to the 30th floor.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Justin frowned. ¡°Aside from the general manager¡¯s exclusive elevator, the other five elevators can only go up to the 30th floor. No one can take the exclusive elevator without Ms. Thompson¡¯s permission. So if you two want to go to the 40th floor, there is only one way to do so-Take. The. Stairs.¡± Ian was furious. ¡°Is this how Ms. Thompson treats her guests?! It¡¯s too much!¡± ¡°I am only conveying the message. If you don¡¯t want to take the stairs, I¡¯ll send you back down.¡± The administrative secretary was like an emotionless robot. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s take the stairs.¡± Justin pursed his thin lips tightly, suppressed his anger, and walked out of the elevator without hesitation. Did Be think that he would give up by making things difficult for him? What she did not know was that Justin would never give up. Chapter 26 ¡°Mr. Salvador¡­ I can¡¯t do it anymore!¡± Ian panted as they climbed the stairs. The hotel had high ceilings, so each floor had more steps than usual. By the time they climbed to the 8th floor, Ian was already out of breath. His legs were trembling, and he was about to give up. ¡°A man shouldn¡¯t give up so easily. There are only two floors left. Hurry up.¡± Justin urged Ian as he climbed the stairs without changing his expression. Justin was 30 years old. He was two years older than Ian, but he served as a soldier in the peacekeeping force when he was younger. After he retired from the army, he regrly exercised and did martial arts, so his level of physical fitness was much higher than that of ordinary people. He could still climb another 20 floors if needed, because back when he was in the army, he would have to run at least 30ps during their night run. Finally, they arrived at the 40th floor. Ian sat on the steps and panted heavily, while Justin stared at him coldly and shook his head. ¡°Mr. Salvador, nice to meet you.¡± Justin turned around when he heard the voice. He saw a man walking over with a polite smile on his face. He was handsome and clean-cut. He had what many women would describe as a puppy-dog face, and it was hard to tell his real age. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I am Ms. Thompson¡¯s secretary, Steven Lovett. Ms. Thompson has been waiting for you for a long time. Pleasee with me.¡± ¡®Was sheining that we were slow?!¡¯ Justin was annoyed, but he had nowhere to vent his anger. His face darkened a bit. ¡°Well, my feet certainly aren¡¯t as fast as an elevator. I hope Ms. Thompson doesn¡¯t mind.¡± Steven did not say a word. He just turned around and walked forward, ignoring them. ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude?!¡± Ian recovered his breath and could not stand being treated like that. He wanted to find fault with Steven, but Justin stopped him. ¡°Wait for me here.¡± Justin followed Steven to the door of the general manager¡¯s office. He took a deep breath. For some reason, Justin was nervous when he finally got to meet the elusive Be Thompson, even though he was usually unfazed by most situations. After Steven knocked on the door, Justin heard a female voice saying, ¡°Come in!¡± Steven opened the door and gestured for Justin to go inside. Justin felt his throat move slightly. He straightened his back and walked into the office. At this moment, Be was eating chocte in front of theputer screen in the next room, watching with interest as everything yed out. A young woman with a clean and wless face sat behind the desk. She was exquisitely dressed, and her long hair was let loose. She looked like a decent woman. Was she the Be Thompson who made things difficult for him in every possible way? Justin could not help but feel a little disappointed. 1 Somehow, the Be Thompson he had imagined was not like that. The woman in front of himcked the arrogance, authority, and poise of a pampered heiress. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you must be exhausted. Please, have a seat.¡± Be used a Bluetooth headset to give instructions to her ¡°puppet¡±, who conveyed the message, albeit not as naturally or calmly as she would have done. Justin sat on the sofa and looked around casually. This office was elegantly decorated, with a ck piano ced in the corner. A natural marble coffee table with a stylish design and a luxurious vintage leather sofa were the unique pieces of furniture in the room. But what attracted Justin¡¯s attention the most was the framed quote hanging behind Be. ¡°Hide your strength and bide your time.¡± ¡°Nice calligraphy.¡± Justin sighed. Be stopped chewing on her chocte when she heard this, and her heart trembled. In her memory, this was the first time Justin praised her. During the three years she was married to him, she took care of all aspects of his daily life. But no matter how hard she tried, she did not gain any appreciation from this man. Unexpectedly, heplimented her this time. It was a pity that she did not care for it anymore. ¡°Mr. Salvador, do you like it?¡± Be asked with a fake smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± Justin was a man of few words, even when praising someone. ¡°If you like it, you can take it with you when you leave. Just think of it as a gift for our first meeting.¡± ¡°No need. I just think that calligraphy is very elegant and artistic. It¡¯s not polite for me to take such an art piece from you.¡± Justin refused indifferently. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± .¡± Beughed out loud, so her puppet could onlyugh along. Justin furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Mr. Salvador. But you don¡¯t have to be shy. I can write hundreds of such calligraphy pieces a day, so taking one from me is not a big deal.¡± Be smiled mockingly, and Justin¡¯s face stiffened. He clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I know that you didn¡¯te all the way here to admire my calligraphy. Let¡¯s get straight to the point.¡± Be did not want to beat around the bush and spoke straightforwardly. ¡°To be honest, I am here regarding what happened with Gold Corporation. I hope that you can stop suppressing them, Ms. Thompson. We can negotiate the conditions for that.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was deep, and his eyes were oppressive. ¡°After all, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll benefit more from working with Salvador Corporation in the future, especially in Savrow.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, do you think I¡¯m suppressing them?¡± Beughed out loud. ¡°I only made a smallint to expose profiteers so that other industry yers won¡¯t fall for the same trap as my hotel did. We bought junk products and couldn¡¯t even get justice.¡± ¡°No one can guarantee perfect quality because there will always be errors in the production process. Many car brands still have cases of mass recalls due to product defects.¡± Justin was still defending the Golds. ¡°Ms. Thompson, you can contact the manufacturer to return or exchange your defective products. There is no need to spread that kind of news to smear Gold Corporation¡¯s image. If you use KS Group¡¯s power to suppress and bankrupt a medium-sized enterprise, no one in Savrow will dare cooperate with KS Group in the future.¡± Be¡¯s charming eyes narrowed as she crushed the chocte in her hand. Justin was insinuating that if she did not let Gold Corporation off the hook this time, Salvador Corporation would hinder KS Group¡¯s future development in Savrow. Be thought, ¡®What a jerk! How dare he threaten me?! Does he think that I¡¯ll be scared?!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m really touched by the way you stand up for your fianc¨¦e, Mr. Salvador. But I never like to mix work and personal feelings. Mr. Salvador, I know that you have humbled yourself to be here today for the sake of your lover. But there is no way I can let Gold Corporation get away with this, regardless of your threats or pitiful love story.¡± Justin was infuriated, but he had no way to refute this. He would never volunteer to clean up this kind of mess. What he was doing now was purely for Rosalind¡¯s sake. Be looked at the man¡¯s stiff and cold face on the screen and felt delighted. ¡°Well, it seems that we have nothing else to talk about. Now that I know your stance, Ms. Thompson, I hope that you¡¯ll forgive me if I ever offend you in any way when we meet again as business rivals.¡± Justin stood up proudly. Even if he did not get his way, he would not admit defeat. His back was still as straight and unyielding as a soldier¡¯s. Just when he turned around to leave, he heard a voice from behind. ¨C¡°Ms. Thompson, I¡¯m sorry! I was blinded by the benefits and made the wrong decision. Please spare me! If this gets out, I won¡¯t be able to find a job again in Savrow!¡± -¡°Alia Furniture approached me first, saying that they would make me a fortune! Mr. Gold came up with this idea. I thought that all mattresses were pretty much the same, so I didn¡¯t think much about it and fell for his tricks.¡± Justin looked back in astonishment. His mind was scrambled, and his ears were pounding. After Be yed the recording, she elegantly raised her beautiful legs and watched as the man¡¯s face turned from white to red.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. It was entertaining to watch. ¡°KS Group is more than willing to help outstanding small and medium-sized enterprises develop further. But if a profiteer affects the interests of KS Group, then I will weed them out.¡± Be curled her red lips and smiled smugly. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ve taken note of what you said. There¡¯s no need for us to continue this talk. See you again on the battlefield.¡± Justin walked out of the office in a daze. Every single nerve in his body was quivering, and he felt frozen. ¡°Mr. Salvador! How did it go? Did that woman make things difficult for you? Did she agree to your request? Mr. Salvador?¡± Ian hurriedly came up to ask questions, but he suddenly noticed that Justin¡¯s expression was off. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s talkter.¡± Justin¡¯s steps were sluggish as he walked forward. His head began to hurt again, and Be¡¯s words kept reying in his mind. He thought that the recording was a joke. Justin originally thought that the Gold family was innocent and that the Thompsons only targeted the Golds as an indirect attack against the Salvadors. As a result, he turned out to be an ignorant aplice. Justin loosened his Windsor knot tie, but his breathing did not ease at all. Suddenly, he heard the familiar click of high heels behind him. The footsteps were sharp, steady, and graceful. Was it Anna Brown?! Justin¡¯s heart clenched as he turned around abruptly, but the corridor was empty. Chapter 28 Be returned to the office. The waitress who was her puppet earlier stood up in a hurry and walked over, legs still shaking. ¡°I was scared to death! Mr. Salvador is so handsome! He also has such an intense charm that my face turned red when I saw him. Did I screw up, Ms. Thompson?¡± ¡°No, you did a great job.¡± Be handed her an envelope. ¡°Here, you deserve this.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Thompson!¡± The waitress took it and felt a thick wad of cash inside. At this time, Steven handed her a confidentiality agreement. ¡°I know you¡¯re an honestdy, but for both parties¡¯ sake, it¡¯s safer to sign an agreement.¡± Be smiled lightly. ¡°Please don¡¯t reveal anything about what happened here today. If a third party knows the content of my conversation with Mr. Salvador today, I will take it as your breach of contract and pursue legal responsibility.¡± The waitress nodded in panic, signed the agreement, and repeatedly promised to keep it a secret before she left the office. ¡°Isn¡¯t Justin Salvador supposedly ruthless? I think he¡¯s just a fool in love! Don¡¯t you think so, Ms. Be?¡± When she heard Steven calling her, Be came back to her senses andughed dryly. ¡°Yeah, Mr. Salvador really loves Ms. Gold. He doesn¡¯t mindpromising his dignity for his fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°I heard that Mr. Salvador used to be married, and he mistreated his ex-wife. Ms. Gold picked up the baton and reaped the benefits of what his ex-wife sowed¡­¡± }} Be mmed her palm on the table and shot Steven a cold look. Steven trembled in fear, but he did not know what he said that made Be so angry. ¡°Ms. Be, now that you and Justin Salvador are at odds, what are you going to do next?¡± Steven quickly changed the subject. ¡°We¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± ¡°When the Golds can no longer withstand the pressure and send Zeke toe forward to rify their products¡¯ quality issues, they will definitely try to clear their name. When the timees, we¡¯ll deliver a fatal blow.¡± Be sneered. ¡°Will Justin help them again?¡± ¡°No, he won¡¯t.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Be raised her eyes and looked at the calligraphy piece that Justinplimented. ¡°He was kept in the dark and didn¡¯t see the Golds¡¯ true colors before this, so he was taken advantage of. Now that he knows the truth, he won¡¯t help the Golds again. He only loves Rosalind, and he never cares about others. This time, he only helped because he was afraid that the Golds¡¯ situation would indirectly affect hispany. He¡¯s good at weighing the pros and cons.¡± Justin repeatedly came over to look for Be and climbed 10 floors for Rosalind¡¯s sake. However, he refused to even pour Anna Brown a ss of water. ¡ª ¡°Justin, my stomach hurts. Will you please pour me a ss of water?¡± ¨C¡°I have something urgent to attend to. Get Wilma to help you.¡± Be burst outughing. Her misty eyes turned red. ¡°Justin, you and Rosalind are meant to be together. You two are equally vile.¡± When Justin arrived at the hotel, it was rainy. When he was leaving, it thundered. Justin was in a simr mood at the moment. The atmosphere in the car felt as depressing as a funeral. Justin rubbed his temples as he felt pinpricks on his head. ¡°Mr. Salvador, what is Ms. Thompson like? Why are you in such a bad mood after seeing her?¡± Ian was puzzled. ¡°You¡¯ve never met anyone you couldn¡¯t handle, and you¡¯ve always been able to deal with them calmly. But this time¡­¡± Justin recalled Be¡¯s childhood picture and had a strange feeling in his heart. The girl in the photo bore no resemnce to the Be Thompson that they saw just now. Of course, it was possible that puberty changed her drastically. ¡°I want you to thoroughly investigate the cause of this conflict between the Golds and the Thompsons, as well as the recent movements of Zeke and his father. Report it to me as soon as possible!¡± Justin returned to Salvador Corporation and conducted back-to-back meetings. He had also approved a mountain of documents. Finally, he leaned back in his chair tiredly and took a deep breath. He thought that his rtionship with Rosalind would be smooth sailing after Anna left because his wandering heart had finally found its ce. Chapter 29 The fact was that Justin did not feel any joy in regaining his freedom to pursue his own love. On the contrary, he felt like he was unable to live up to the expectations he had regarding his rtionship with Rosalind. There was a knock on the door, to which Justin answered. Ian hurriedly walked in with a document. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ve investigated the situation. KS World Hotel canceled orders with Alia Furniture nine days ago and terminated cooperation with Gold Corporation. But at that time, KS Group did not disclose Alia Furniture¡¯s quality problems to the media. The outside world was mostly just specting what happened.¡± Immediately afterward, Rosalind exposed her marital news with Justin and defamed Anna Brown. That was when KS Group exposed Alia Furniture¡¯s quality problems, causing an uproar. Justin clenched his teeth. He took out a painkiller with shaking hands and swallowed it to suppress his headache. ¡°I heard that a vice president of the hotel, Michael Gordon, took a lot of kickbacks from Gold Corporation before Ms. Thompson took office. When Ms. Thompson found out that the hotel was using defective mattresses instead of genuine ones, she fired him. Michael Gordon had been working for KS World Hotel for more than 20 years, and he was promoted by Mr. Wyatt Thompson. Gee, Ms. Thompson is so bold! She¡¯s simply the female version of you, Mr. Salvador.¡± Although Ian was still annoyed that he had to climb ten flights of stairs, he could not help but praise Be. ¡°I have a feeling that these series of events are connected.¡± Justin rubbed his temples. He suddenly thought of something. The high heels clicking in the corridor yesterday were the sound of Anna Brown¡¯s footsteps. ¡°Justin, don¡¯t take any more painkillers. If you have a headache, I¡¯ll help you relieve it with a massage or acupuncture.¡± ¡°Justin, my heart aches when your head hurts, so I want to cure you. That way, both of us won¡¯t be in pain.¡± Anna¡¯s gentle words lingered in his ears. In a daze, he felt a pair of hands reach out from behind him, gently pressing his temples and massaging his head. Damn it! He thought about that woman again. He even had hallucinations. Did he start to miss the affection, which he had neglected back then, after their divorce? He refused to be a scumbag like that. As night fell, Justin¡¯s Rolls-Royce drove down the wet road. Salvador Corporation was not far from the KS World Hotel. Justin had always been envious of thend upied by KS Group, which was now valued at nearly $10 billion. If KS World Hotel had not been stripped of one star due to poor management, it would have been the only six-star hotel in Savrow. Be Thompson¡¯s appearance seemed to turn the tide for KS World Hotel, bringing the hotel back on track. At this time, the traffic lights turned red. Justin wiped off the condensation on the car window and turned to look outside. He saw a woman holding an umbre and hailing a taxi by the roadside. Justin¡¯s eyes froze. He suddenly realized something. His heart was beating rapidly as he opened the car door and ran toward the other side of the road in the rain. ¡°Mr. Salvador! Where are you going?!¡± Ian was shocked. Ever since Justin divorced Anna, he had been unpredictable and temperamental, so Ian was puzzled. The woman stopped a taxi and reached for the door handle when a strong hand grabbed her arm. She raised her head in surprise. Then her face turned pale, and her whole body froze. ¡°Mr. Salvador¡­?¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson.¡± Justin¡¯s bangs were wet, covering his sullen eyes. ¡°Do you want me to give you a ride?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this. The woman screamed in fright, shook off the man¡¯s hand, and got into the taxi, which sped off. ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± Ian chased after Justin and held an umbre for him. Justin pushed him away. His thin lips were trembling, and he was exhaling heavily in the heavy rain. ¡°Be Thompson¡­ You liar!¡± Chapter 30 When Justin returned to Tideview Manor, his whole body was drenched as if he had gone swimming in work attire. Wilma hurriedly came over with a towel to wipe him dry, but he slowly pushed the towel away and walked upstairs, full of anger. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who offended him?¡± Wilma asked Ian worriedly. ¡°If you¡¯re free, you shouldfort Mr. Salvadorter. He was tricked.¡± ¡°What?! He¡¯s so smart. How can he fall for a scam?! Have you called the police? Report it immediately!¡± Wilma was frightened. Ian shook his head repeatedly. ¡°No, it¡¯s aplicated case. The police won¡¯t help. Mr. Salvador has just met his match.¡± ¡°I told him to download an anti-fraud app a long time ago, but he just didn¡¯t want to listen to me. Now look, he¡¯s fallen for a scam¡­¡± Ian smiled bitterly and thought, ¡®Mr. Salvador finally met someone he didn¡¯t know how to deal with.¡¯ Justin would much rather be scammed. At least that way, his self-esteem would still be intact. Justin walked upstairs with a pale face. At first nce, he looked like a vampire. ¡°Young Master Justin, Ms. Gold is here. The chairman wants you to meet her in the study.¡± A maid came over and reported respectfully. Justin pressed his lips into a straight line and went to Gregory¡¯s study. ¡°Justin! You¡¯re finally back!¡± When Rosalind saw Justin, she looked like she saw a savior and immediately ran over to hug him. Justin¡¯s face was pale, and he did not immediately respond to her hug like before. Seeing Rosalind tonight, Justin felt an inexplicable gloom in his heart. ¡°Justin, how did things go? Have you met Ms. Thompson?¡± Gregory asked seriously. Gregory was the chairman of Salvador Corporation and had plenty of things to do every day. Such a trivial matter should not be his concern. He just could not stand being pestered by Shannon every night, so he had to put pressure on Justin to get this matter solved. ¡°Justin will certainly protect Rose¡¯s family. After all, Justin loves Rose. If hees forward to talk to Ms. Thompson, they will probably let this slide. We¡¯re a bigpany. The Thompsons won¡¯t gain any benefits in Savrow by offending us!¡± Shannon held her husband¡¯s arm and huffed angrily. This was the same trick she used for more than 20 years. She always praised Justin excessively, raising everyone¡¯s expectations for him. That way, if anything went wrong, Gregory would resent Justin, deepening the grudge between this father-and-son pair. ¡°Dad, Aunt Shannon, let¡¯s stop helping Gold Corporation.¡± Justin¡¯s dark and deep-set eyes were emotionless. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Gregory frowned. ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t meddle in the Gold family¡¯s business again.¡± After that, Justin turned around and walked out without looking back. Gregory, Shannon, and Rosalind were all left standing there, dumbfounded. ¡°Greg, is Justin joking?¡± Shannon¡¯s smile gradually stiffened. She felt anxious. Gregory¡¯s face darkened, but he did not say anything. Justin returned to the bedroom in his soaked clothes. But he had no intention of changing or taking a shower. All he could think about was how he had been tricked by Be Thompson. He thought, ¡®Be Thompson, why didn¡¯t you see me in person? Are you shy? Or do you think that I am not worthy of your time?!¡¯ ¡°Justin! Why?! Why don¡¯t you want to help us?!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Rosalind chased after him and grabbed his arm with both hands. ¡°All of our orders have been canceled. Our warehouses are overstocked, and we don¡¯t have money to pay the workers¡¯ wages. If this continues, we¡¯ll go bankrupt!¡± All Rosalind could think about was how to save her family business, so she did not have time to care about putting up her usual demure facade. Justin said tiredly, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll ask Ian to take you back.¡± ¡°Justin! What happened to make you change your mind? Will you please tell me?¡± Justin was exhausted after a long day, so he did not want to talk. Moreover, he did not know what to say. Should he tell her that her brother caused his own demise by being a profiteer? Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. The box containing the suit that had been ced by his bedside table was gone. Justin shook off Rosalind¡¯s hand and searched around the bedroom. He shouted, looking sullen. ¡°Wilma!¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master?¡± Wilma hurried over. ¡°Where is the suit that I ced on the bedside table?¡± Justin asked anxiously. ¡°I didn¡¯t touch it. You told me not to touch the things that the young madam gave you when cleaning your room.¡± Chapter 31 ¡°When Ms. Gold went into your room today, I specifically told her that she shouldn¡¯t touch the box on the bedside because you treasured it.¡± As she said that, Wilma nced at Rosalind, who looked frustrated. Wilma addressed Anna as ¡°Young Madam¡± in front of Rosalind to provoke her so that she would blurt out the truth. ¡°I threw that box away.¡± Rosalind could not suppress her anger and admitted it. ¡°Where did you throw it?¡± Justin¡¯s face was dark. ¡°Justin, why do you care so much about what Anna gave you? You¡¯re already divorced, and I¡¯m your new fianc¨¦e! Why do you still treasure the things she gave you? Have you ever thought about my feelings?¡± Tears welled up in Rosalind¡¯s eyes. She was proficient in crying on demand as per her aunt¡¯s training. ¡°Where did you throw it?¡± Justin ignored Rosalind¡¯s cries and questioned her with a cold tone. Rosalind was so shocked that she forgot to cry. ¡°In the backyard¡¯s trash can.¡± Justin ran to the backyard in the rain. He rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and rummaged through the trash can for the discarded box. ¡°Justin! Stop looking for it! It¡¯s filthy!¡± Rosalind called out to him from the corridor. Filthy? No one in the Salvador family knew what Justin had been through when he was five years old. As an illegitimate child, he wandered the streets with his mother and dug through countless trash cans in order to survive. It was all just to collect some scrap cardboard and aluminum cans that could be exchanged for money. He had grown up in a garbage dump, so he was all too familiar with this kind of filth. There was no need to avoid it. Finally, Justin found the dirty box and breathed a sigh of relief. At this time, Wilma ran over with an umbre. Justin could not wait to open the box. The next second, his eyes turned red, and his expression turned grim. That was because the originally well-ironed and impable suit was cut to pieces. It was wrecked beyond recognition. Justin slowly turned back to Rosalind. Rosalind took a step back. She was so frightened by his cold and estranged gaze that she could barely breathe. In the end, Justin just held the box and walked past Rosalind in silence. ¡°Justin! Do you like Anna? Are you regretting the divorce?!¡± Rosalind mustered hugged him tightly. up the courage and ¡°No.¡± Justin felt the emotions surging in his chest. He was frustrated. ¡°But you¡¯re clearly angry with me. Are you mad at me just because I threw away what Anna gave you? Have you ever thought about my feelings? When I see the things she gave you, I think of the three years you were married. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll get upset?¡± Rosalind asked aggressively. ¡°What do I need to do for you to be satisfied?¡± Justin pushed her away and took a deep breath. ¡°I have already divorced her and decided to marry you, even against my grandfather¡¯s wishes. But you threw away her things, ripped her handmade clothes, and used the media to expose her, saying that she was a third party in our rtionship. She was humiliated on the inte. She has disappeared from my life, but you still won¡¯t let her go. Enough is enough!¡± Rosalind was ashamed. She felt like Justin had poured ice water all over her head. It turned out that Justin already knew what happened. ¡°Justin¡­ Do you think I want to do that? I do all that because I love you!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Justin rxed his frown, but his expression became cold. ¡°Next time, tell me if you encounter any difficulties. I can help you as long as it doesn¡¯t harm anyone. But I don¡¯t like it when you have other agendas in the name of love. I also don¡¯t like people who scheme against me. You announced your marriage because you wanted to save your family business. This time, I won¡¯t me you, but I don¡¯t want to see it happen again.¡± Justin left. Rosalind folded her arms in a rage. She wanted to strangle Anna to death. On the other side, Be and Steven were drinking red wine while sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window to enjoy the rain. She was ying her favorite opera on the vinyl record yer. ¡°Ms. Be, that waitress contacted me and said that Justin caught her taking a taxi by the roadside after work tonight. I guess he already knows that she¡¯s just a substitute.¡± Steven put down his wine ss. He knew that Be¡¯s feet must be tired after wearing high heels all day, so he got down on one knee, lifted her feet, and started giving her a foot rub. ¡°I knew he would find out sooner orter, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.¡± Be enjoyed Steven¡¯s foot rub. She curled her toes and narrowed her eyes. ¡°After dealing with the Gold family, it will be the Salvadors¡¯ turn. After all, Mr. Salvador was so direct today. How could I turn a blind eye to his challenge?¡± Chapter 32 Rosalind left crying. The maids did not like Rosalind because Rosalind would put on an act every time she came over. She would then leave in tears. Justin sat stiffly on the sofa, staring at the tattered suit in a daze. ¡°Young Master Justin, it¡¯ste. Have some warm milk before bed.¡± Wilma came in to bring him a ss of warm milk. When she saw the wrecked suit, she could not help but sigh. ¡°What a pity.¡± There was another meaning in her words. ¡°The next time Rosees here, keep an eye on her and don¡¯t let her enter my room or study. Anna¡¯s room too,¡± Justin said in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. I will definitely watch her!¡± Wilma said, ¡°Luckily, I had locked the young madam¡¯s door today. Otherwise, Ms. Gold might sneak in and trash it too.¡± ¡°Wilma, don¡¯t say that. Rose doesn¡¯t have bad intentions. After all, I owe her for the past three years.¡± ¡°What about the young madam? What did the young madam do wrong? You divorced the young madam. Don¡¯t you feel sorry for her?¡± Wilma felt that it was unfair for Anna and raised her voice. ¡°Grandpa-forced me back then. She didn¡¯t have to marry me if she didn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the young madam brought it upon herself?¡± Justin pursed his pale lips. ¡°You should go to bed early. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Wilma left the room with a sullen face and even took the ss of milk with her. Justin¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he hissed. He thought, ¡®Is she upset with me? I wanted to drink that milk. When did Anna bribe Wilma? What a scheming woman!¡¯ Rosalind returned home in embarrassment, bringing the bad news with her. Without the support of the Salvador family, the Gold family would be aplete mess. It would be difficult for the Gold family to make aeback. ¡°What does Justin mean by that? He keeps saying that he loves you, but he doesn¡¯t do anything to prove it! Does he think that we¡¯re pushovers ?!¡± Zeke smashed the ashtray. His eyes turned red with anger. ¡°Justin loves me. He divorced Anna for me¡­¡± Rosalind sobbed and defended herself. ¡°I think he¡¯s just weighing the pros and cons! After all, you¡¯re from a rich family. Who the hell is Anna? How can a country bumpkin like herpare to you? Anyone with a brain would choose you!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Rosalind knew that her brother was siding with her, but somehow, it sounded like an insult. ¡°Rose, why did Mr. Salvador suddenly change his mind? What happened?!¡± Rosalind¡¯s father asked anxiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. He went to see Ms. Thompson today. When he came back, he changed his attitude and no longer wanted to get involved with our family business¡­ Dad, Zeke, did you do something secretly that Justin discovered? He seems to hate our family¡­¡± ¡°Damn it! Could it be because of his ex-wife, Anna?¡± Zeke suddenly realized what was happening. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Rosalind became nervous when she heard Anna¡¯s name. ¡°A few days ago, I was hanging out at the Hoffmans¡¯ newly opened bar and met that crazy woman who was looking for trouble. Justin suddenly showed up to rescue his ex-wife and even asked me to apologize to her! What the hell, right?! Zeke was still brooding over the humiliating scene. After hearing this, Rosalind was fuming. She was jealous. She thought, ¡®I knew it! Justin developed feelings for that bitch. That¡¯s what I feared the most. I won¡¯t let Anna get back with Justin.¡¯ ¡°Alright. As long as Rose marries Mr. Salvador and bes thedy boss of Salvador Corporation, we won¡¯t have to worry about anything else.¡± Rosalind¡¯s motherforted her. Her gaze was cold as she said, ¡°Anna is an unwanted woman. How much trouble can that bitch cause anyway? Our top priority is to change the outside world¡¯s impression of ourpany and find a scapegoat for this matter.¡± ¡°Scapegoat?¡± Zeke thought about it with a sinister smile and said, ¡°He¡¯s the most suitable candidate!¡± Chapter 33 The Gold family was in turmoil. Their reputation plummeted. The dozens of Alia Furniture stores in Savrow were empty. To make things worse, Justin stopped helping them. If they could note up with a solution, they would be bankrupt when they used up the capital from Salvador Corporation. The Thompson family won over the public by exposing Alia Furniture for selling poor-quality products. After a long period of silence, KS World gained attention again. ¡°As per your instructions, I had someone secretly follow Michael Gordon around after he resigned. He had met up with Zeke more than once.¡± Steven held Be¡¯s slender hand and patiently applied cuticle oil to her newly done burgundy-colored manicure. ¡°You¡¯re really clever to see through that guy¡¯s thoughts.¡± ¡°He received bribes and cooperated with Zeke to go against our hotel¡¯s interests. This shows that they¡¯re colluding with each other.¡± Be smiled sweetly as she enjoyed Steven¡¯s attentiveness. ¡°The Gold family will hold a public press conference this weekend. I¡¯ll be sure to give everyone something to see then.¡± Be was so excited to receive the new mattresses that she went to the back door of the hotel to inspect the goods in person with Steven. ¡°Ms. Be, you don¡¯t have to do this kind of hard work. I¡¯ll handle it with the housekeeping manager.¡± Steven persuaded Be softly. ¡°I¡¯m not a weak youngdy. I fired a gun and carried more than a dozen wounded people through the battlefield. I have also rescued hundreds of people before. I can handle inspecting a few mattresses.¡± When she said that, Be¡¯s clear eyes flickered with sadness and loneliness. Justin was one of the wounded people she rescued on the Kridor battlefield. At that time, bullets were raining down on them. Justin was shot in the leg and shoulder. Hey in a pool of blood as he yelled at Be to leave, but she refused to give up. ¡ª ¡ª -¡°Leave me alone and go!¡± ¨C¡°Get out of here! Get lost!¡± -¡°No! I will never abandon you, even if it means I have to die here with you. We¡¯ll leave together!¡± At that time, Be was ready to die with Justin. That was because it felt impossible to carry Justin, who was 1.9 meters tall, all the way across the battlefield to a safe area. Be even wondered at that time whether dying with him counted as being together. They shared hardships when they were alive and would lie together in death. She had no regrets! Be smiled wryly. Her heart clenched, bringing on a sharp pain. She thought, ¡®Justin, I can¡¯t believe that my broken heart will still throb for you now.¡¯ Be regretted having met Justin when she was so young. Be and Steven went to the back door and happened to see the workers unloading the mattresses. When the housekeeping manager saw that Be came to inspect the mattresses in person, he admired. her work ethic. Be jumped into the truck with Steven¡¯s support, randomly took apart the packaging on a mattress, touched it, and sat on it. She was finally satisfied. ¡°Very well. Unload these mattresses.¡¯ }) At this time, an electric blue Lamborghini drove toward the hotel with a loud engine roar. The back door was close to the underground parking lot, so it was not surprising for luxury cars to pass by. However, this time was different. That was because the person sitting inside was Ryan Hoffman, who was dubbed ¡°the Prince of Savrow¡±. At this moment, Ryan held the steering wheel with his left hand while hugging a sexy and coquettish woman with his other arm. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ryan wore sunsses and inadvertently nced to the side. He happened to see Be, who looked so gorgeous even when helping the workers lift a mattress. like an Ryan was deeply impressed by Be when he met her in the bar because she was bold and sexy, exquisite rose in the night. At this moment, Be was in professional attire, but she still looked as dazzling as ever. On the contrary, she looked smart, elegant, and sassy. Moreover, she gave her all when she was working and did not mind getting her hands dirty. She was different from those pampered youngdies around Ryan who had never lifted a finger. Ryan was interested in Be and smiled yfully. ¡°Country girls are really strong!¡± Chapter 34 Ryan brought a date to the hotel¡¯s restaurant. As soon as the food was served, his date took photos of the exquisite dishes. Ryan was irritated when he saw his date taking pictures of the food and said, ¡°Why are you taking photos? Haven¡¯t you seen food before?¡± His date put away her phone angrily and stopped eating. When they were almost done eating, the restaurant manager came over and asked with a polite smile, ¡°Mr. Hoffman, are you satisfied with your meal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s decent. The steak is perfectly cooked. I¡¯m quite satisfied.¡± Ryan had a messy private life, but he was well-groomed. ¡°What? I think it¡¯s tough. It doesn¡¯t taste good at all.¡± Ryan¡¯s date dropped her fork rudely, which nged on the te. Ryan¡¯s face suddenly darkened. His eyes were filled with anger. ¡°Thanks for your feedback. We¡¯ll make some improvements based on yourments. I¡¯m really sorry that you didn¡¯t enjoy the meal.¡± The restaurant manager was humble and bowed in apology. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. She probably forgot to wear her dentures today and can¡¯t even chew through a piece of tofu.¡± Ryan¡¯s date was embarrassed to be teased like that, but she dared not retort. Ryan took out his bulging wallet from his pocket, pulled out a wad of cash, and ced it in front of the manager. Digital payments were popr in Savrow. Ryan was the only one who still carried cash with him. ¡°Here¡¯s your tip. I¡¯d like to ask you about someone.¡± Ryan held his chiseled jaw in thought. His eyes had a longing desire as he asked, ¡°Is there an employee named Anna Brown in your hotel?¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman, KS World employees won¡¯t ept tips from guests, so please take this back. In addition, there is no employee by the name of Anna Brown in our hotel.¡± ¡°Really? How is that possible?¡± Ryan became a little anxious when he heard this. ¡°When I arrived at the hotel, I saw her unloading goods at the back door. How could you lie to me? You should check it out before you answer me.¡± ¡°Sorry, Mr. Hoffman. There is really no need to check it out because I have been working here for the past 15 years. I know all the employees in the hotel, and none of them goes by that name.¡± The restaurant manager left after saying that. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Ryan was still hung up on this when a beautiful figure entered his field of vision. Be walked gracefully into the restaurant by herself. She was surprised to see Ryan, but her expression remained calm. Be and Justin had been married for three years, but Justin had never treated her as his wife. He never took her out or introduced her to his circle of friends. However, Be was aware that Ryan was Justin¡¯s best friend. Although she did not understand how two people withpletely different personalities could be friends, she knew that they were very close. Fortunately, there were no other employees in the restaurant at the moment. Her identity would be exposed if someone came up and called her ¡°Ms. Thompson¡±. Ryan stared at ¡°Anna¡± with an intense gaze. His date saw that he had found a new target and gritted her teeth in anger. She was jealous when she noticed the difference in Ryan¡¯s gaze. It was as if he had fallen in love at first sight. Be asked the waiter for a cup of coffee, then she sat there and checked her phone. ¡°Anna, what a coincidence! Are you here for lunch?¡± Be raised her eyes calmly and watched as Ryan approached. ¡°I¡¯m just taking a break. I work here.¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows slightly. Of course, he knew that she was working here. He just needed an excuse to talk to her. He did not expect ¡°Anna¡± to be so honest and humble, which made him like her even more. ¡°Tsk, tsk¡­ Asher really doesn¡¯t know how to cherish women. He should just keep a beauty like you at home and give you whatever you want. How can he let you suffer like this? He¡¯s so harsh on you. Ryan held his chin and tapped his cheek. ¡°Keep me at home?¡± Be sneered. ¡°Justin hid me in a house for three years. I¡¯ve had enough of that istion from the world. Mr. Hoffman, do you actually want me to repeat the same mistake?¡± Ryan was startled. Her smile was so sharp that he flinched a little. ¡°After I left Justin, I swore to myself that I would be an independent woman. I would never want to be a housewife who stayed at home all day. I won¡¯t mind suffering either. Mr. Thompson is willing to give me the opportunity to gain work experience, so I¡¯m very grateful to him. He always respects my choice, so please don¡¯t say that about him.¡± Ryan was rendered speechless. He smiled awkwardly. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, your girlfriend is still there waiting for you. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate to strike up a conversation with another woman in front of her?¡± Be lowered her eyes and began to chase him away. ¡°How is she my girlfriend? We¡¯re only having a meal together. Does it mean that if I kiss someone, have to marry her?¡± Chapter 35 Ryan¡¯s charming eyes narrowed as he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together. I¡¯ll pick you up from work tonight. I¡¯ll make a reservation for wherever you want to eat.¡± Be frowned and said impatiently, ¡°I have a boyfriend, Mr. Hoffman.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even care that you had an ex-husband, let alone a boyfriend.¡± Ryan had always been open about rtionships. He only considered his feelings for the woman and did not care about any societal expectations. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid we¡¯ll be seen, we can go to my private vi. My chef is as good as Michelin-starred chefs. I¡¯ll get them to prepare dinner.¡± Be raised her eyebrows and thought, ¡®Why isn¡¯t my coffee ready yet?¡¯ If she had her coffee, she would ssh it on Ryan¡¯s face to wake him up from his daydream! At this time, Ryan¡¯s phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was Justin. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m going to take a call.¡± Be thought, ¡®Leave, for all I care!¡¯ When Ryan left, Be¡¯s coffee was served. Before Be could take a sip, Ryan¡¯s date walked up to her arrogantly. Ryan¡¯s date did not hear the conversation between Ryan and Be earlier. She only knew that Be was the employee that Ryan asked the restaurant manager about. She thought, ¡®How dare a working-ss bitch seduce the most eligible bachelor in Savrow? I must teach her a lesson!¡¯ ¡°Hey, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t even think about dating Mr. Hoffman if you still want to work here.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Ryan¡¯s date stared at Be with animosity. Be frowned and fanned her nose with her hands. She had a headache from smelling such strong perfume. Be wondered if Ryan even had a sense of smell. ¡°If I don¡¯t do as you say, what can you do to me?¡± Be spoke without looking at her. ¡°I will file aint against you and get you fired!¡± ¡°Oh? The reason being that you¡¯re upset Ryan talked to me?¡± ¡°You!¡± The woman was so angry that her face and neck turned red. ¡°Go ahead and file thatint. I¡¯m sure if you submit it to our general manager, the only feedback you will get is that you should get your head examined.¡± ¡°Bitch!¡± Ryan¡¯s date was furious and jealous of Be¡¯s beauty. She reached out to grab the coffee on the table, wanting to teach Be a lesson. However, in the next second¨C ¡°Ah!¡± With lightning speed, Be picked up the coffee cup before her and sshed the whole cup of coffee on that woman¡¯s face. The woman¡¯s makeup was ruined, and her newly bought branded dress was soiled. Her lips kept trembling, and she wanted to cry. Be picked up the napkin and slowly wiped away the drop of coffee that sshed on the back of her hand. Her red lips stretched into a bright smile. ¡°I knew that either one of us would get hurt, so in this case, I¡¯d rather it be you.¡± Ryan answered the phone in the corridor. ¡°Hey Justin, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your mother¡¯s birthday the day after tomorrow. Come shop for a gift with me. I don¡¯t know what I should get her.¡± Justin went straight to the point. ¡°Oh. My mother treats you like her godson. If you give her a weed from the roadside, she¡¯ll put it in an antique vase. Just buy her anything,¡± Ryan said nonchntly. ¡°No,e with me to pick out a gift tonight.¡± ¡°Maybe tomorrow. I have a date tonight.¡± ¡°Postpone it. }) ¡°I already told her that I wanted to have dinner with her. How could I stand her up? It¡¯s so ungentlemanly.¡± Ryan poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue. After some thought, he felt that he shoulde clean with Justin because he did not want to date Justin¡¯s ex-wife behind his back. He wanted to date ¡°Anna¡± openly. He cleared his throat and said seriously, ¡°I won¡¯t hide it from you. I want to date your ex-wife.¡± Suddenly, there was an overwhelming silence on the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± Ryan nced at the screen to make sure that the call was still connected. After a while, Justin¡¯s cold and deep voice came from the other end of the call. ¡°Are you with Anna now?¡± Chapter 36 As soon as Justin finished speaking, a scream came from the restaurant. Ryan suddenly remembered that he had left his date alone with Anna. That was trouble waiting to happen. ¡°Bro, I can¡¯t talk now. Anyway, I can¡¯t make it today. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± Ryan was about to hang up when Justin¡¯s sharp voice stopped him., ¡°Ryan Hoffman, where are you?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. At this time, Ryan heard another scream that was more piercing than before. ¡°KS World Hotel¡¯s restaurant!¡± Ryan returned to the restaurant in a hurry. When he opened the door, he was stunned by the scene inside. Justin¡¯s frail ex-wife grabbed his date¡¯s hair and pressed her head on the table with her arm twisted to the back. His date was unable to move. Ryan thought, ¡®Wow! This looks like a scene where the cool female detective arrests the criminal!¡¯ He was initially worried that Be would be bullied, but now it seemed like his worries were unnecessary. Thus, he simply crossed his arms and watched the show with a smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m going to sue you! I¡¯ll make it so that you won¡¯t be able to survive in Savrow!¡± Ryan¡¯s date yelled and bared her teeth. Her face was deformed because it was pressed to the table. ¡°Then you should hurry to the hospital. Otherwise, the p mark on your face will hardly be visible. You won¡¯t even be able to sue me for Level 2 assault.¡± Be had no expression on her face the whole time. If this woman had not tried to attack her, Be would not have touched her. When Ryan¡¯s date saw that Ryan was back, she cried and shouted for help. ¡°Mr. Hoffman¡­ Mr. Hoffman, please help me!¡± ¡°Alright, that should be enough to appease you¡­¡± Ryan came over and pulled Be away. There was no hint of reproach in his tone. He sounded like he was coaxing Be. Ryan was not startled by this fight because he had witnessed a crazier fight over him between four women. The main reason he stopped Be was that she was Justin¡¯s ex-wife. If word got out, Justin would be embarrassed. ¡°Mr. Hoffman! What do you mean it¡¯s enough? This bitch hit me! She pped me and pulled my hair. You have to seek justice for me!¡± Ryan¡¯s date was infuriated as she held her messy hair. Be calmly sat down on the chair, crossed her long legs, and looked at the wretched woman as if she were a monkey. Ryan admired Be¡¯s long legs and sized her up. In the end, his gazended on her fair and dainty feet in stilettos. He thought, ¡®She¡¯s so beautiful! How can she be so gorgeous? I¡¯m in love!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sure you must have provoked Ms. Brown for her to hit you. Is that right?¡± Ryan looked directly at Be and asked. ¡°Why should I apologize? Why?!¡± Ryan¡¯s date was so furious that her face flushed red. ¡°You like me, but Ms. Brown doesn¡¯t like me, so you must have picked on Ms. Brown,¡± Ryan said confidently. Be raised her eyebrows, thinking that Ryan was a logical person, unlike Justin. ¡°How could you do this to me, Mr. Hoffman? I¡¯m your girlfriend!¡± Ryan¡¯s date cried and ran over to hug Ryan. The man took a step back in disgust, and she almost fell. ¡°Girlfriend? When have I agreed to that?¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. His date was so frightened that she held back her sobs. ¡°After you apologize, get out of my face. Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡± Everyone in Savrow knew what Ryan¡¯s temper was like. He was willing topromise when he was in a good mood, but if he was angry, he would burn the world down. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Ryan¡¯s date gritted her teeth and admitted her mistake. She quickly covered her face and ran away dejectedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Brown.¡± Ryan immediately changed his expression to an ingratiating smile. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, didn¡¯t you also ask her to apologize to me? We¡¯re even now.¡¯ Be looked at her watch and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going back to work. Mr. Hoffman, please help yourself.¡± Ryan was a watch collector, so he immediately noticed the Richard Mille watch that Be was wearing. It was a global limited edition! He could see how much Asher doted on Be. Even he might not be so generous. More importantly, Anna even wore such an expensive watch to do menial work. She was indeed a country bumpkin who did not know the value of luxury goods. ¡°Ms. Brown, when do you get off work? I¡¯ll pick you up in the evening.¡± Ryan chased after Be. Chapter 37 ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me.¡± Be rejected Ryan with a perfunctory smile. ¡°I won¡¯t eat with you.¡± Ryan clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Why are you so heartless? Can¡¯t you just have a meal with me as a show of gratitude for helping you teach Zeke a lessonst time at ACE?¡± Beughed mockingly. ¡°I remember that Justin was the one who came to my rescue. You¡¯re not a good friend for stealing his credit behind his back.¡± ¡°Ms. Brown, did I offend you? Why can¡¯t you give me a chance?¡± Ryan looked at her with intense affection. ¡°Just because you¡¯re with Asher? Will Asher dare to openly say that you¡¯re his girlfriend? I will!¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman, love isn¡¯t firste, first served, but I have integrity and morals.¡± Ryan felt ashamed. His face turned pale in an instant. ¡°I know that I¡¯m not from an affluent family, but I have principles. When Justin and I got married, he was the only one I loved. Now that Asher, the CEO of KS Group, is my boyfriend, I only have eyes for him. I like to make my own choices, so I can¡¯t stand people forcing my hand. Mr. Hoffman, please show some respect and stop pestering me.¡¯ Be¡¯s heart ached when she said these words. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Even Ryan could see that she was trying her best to suppress the resentment and hurt in her eyes darkened. Be took a deep breath, raised her chin slightly, regained herposure, and walked out. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°Justin?!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes widened. Justin arrived too soon. Did he take a rocket here? eyes. His At this moment, Justin stood at the entrance of the restaurant, emanating a strong chill from his body. The hotel, which was fully air-conditioned, turned into an ice cer at this moment. Be met Justin¡¯s intense gaze. His eyes were beautiful. The ends of his eyes were slightly raised and red, and his irises were bright. Be realized that she was still infatuated with his looks. However, Justin had only been indifferent to her for the past three years. He had never smiled at her, let alone shown any affection. Be was just too stubborn, thinking that she could change him and gain his love one day if she put in more effort. In the end, she was the only one who had changed. Justin approached her. His eyes narrowed slightly. When Justin heard that Ryan was with ¡°Anna¡±, he turned down his afternoon meeting without hesitation and drove over by himself. He happened to hear what ¡°Anna¡± said to Ryan. His heart felt as if it had been hollowed out, and his chest was indescribably empty. Later, a hint of anger bubbled in his chest. He was not one to lose his temper randomly, but when facing ¡°Anna¡±, his emotions were always difficult to control. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Justin stared at Be¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m working.¡± Be turned away and did not bother to speak to him more. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what I said? Before we finalize the divorce, we are still legally married, so you are still a member of the Salvador family. You know very well that the Salvador family and the Thompson family are sworn enemies, yet you still work in a hotel owned by them? What are you thinking? Do you want to piss me off, disgust me, or p me in the face?¡± Justin took a deep breath as the veins on his forehead bulged. Ryan panicked. Just as he was about to say something, Be spoke. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you think.¡± Be slowly lowered her indifferent gaze back to Justin¡¯s handsome face. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s get our divorce certificate today. I don¡¯t want you to keep haunting me like a resentful ghost and look at me so viciously whenever you see me.¡± ¡°Anna Brown!¡± Justin suddenly frowned. ¡°Did you bring your documents? Ask Ian to deliver it to you. I carry it with me at all times, just in case I¡¯ll get to use it.¡± Be walked past Justin with a mocking smile. She did not miss him one bit. Justin¡¯s eyes turned red in an instant. He suddenly grabbed her slender arm with a frightening force, as if he were afraid that she would run away from him and he would never be able to catch her again. However, the next second, there was a loud pop. Be suddenly felt a sharp pain, and sweat broke out on her forehead. Justin froze. His heart was pounding. He actually dislocated Be¡¯s arm! Chapter 38 ¡°Fuck! Justin, are you crazy?!¡± Ryan was shocked. Be¡¯s face turned pale. Her already thin arms hung limply by her sides, and her smooth forehead was covered with cold sweat. Ryan was distressed to see Be like this, while Justin was ruthless. Justin clenched his fist and staggered back in shock, his mouth slightly parted. ¡°Ms. Brown, your arm is dislocated! I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away!¡± Ryan was anxious and wanted toe over to help Be, but she coldly dodged him. ¡°No need¡­ I can handle it by myself.¡± ¡°How are you going to deal with it? Your arm is dislocated!¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± Be was furious. She red at them with all her strength, not wanting them to touch her. Ryan was stunned. He did not dare to act rashly. Justin stared at his ex-wife, who was trembling with anger, and suddenly realized that he had never really known her. Justin had only seen her smile and act gently in the past three years. She was always trying to please him. At that time, Justin was dissatisfied with the arranged marriage, so the more she smiled at him, the angrier he became. Later, he only felt repulsed by her. Now that they were separated, that bright smile disappeared from his life and was reced by such hostility. But why did he find her more interesting like this? ¡°Justin, stop being so conceited.¡± Be took a deep breath. Her eyes were red. ¡°I¡¯m here to work, and I never thought about humiliating you or pping you in the face. I just want to start my life anew after you abandoned me. You can end our three-year marriage without hesitation, so I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re holding me back from starting a new life. Are you still hung up on me? I don¡¯t think so¡­ You just don¡¯t want me to live a good life.¡± Justin¡¯s pupils shrank, and he felt as if he had swallowed gravel. He was rendered speechless. Be¡¯s heart sank as she smiled mockingly. ¡°Do you want to see me depressed and heartbroken to leave you? I will never feel that way about you again, Justin. For the past three years, I have been depressed and heartbroken every day. I have suffered enough from being with you, so leaving you is a complete relief from my misery. Don¡¯te to me again before Grandpa¡¯s birthday, I don¡¯t ever want to see you.¡± Be turned around. The pain in her heart had surpassed the pain in her arm, so much so that she felt numb. Actually, this dislocation meant nothing to her. She could easily pop her arm back in ce in front of them. However, she wanted to feel the pain that Justin brought her. Suddenly, Be felt a warmth on her hips as she was being lifted from the ground. Justin came from behind and picked her up, bridal style. ¡°Put me down!¡± Be¡¯s cheeks flushed as she struggled in Justin¡¯s arms. The more she struggled, the tighter Justin held her. Justin did not allow Be, who was stuck against his broad chest, to resist. Be could feel his heart thumping as her soft body was pressed to his chest. She could also smell the subtle woody fragrance that she liked on his clothes. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Somehow, Be felt like crying. For many nights, she sprayed his perfume on the bed and fell asleep, engulfed in his scent. She used to be happy like that, but at this moment, she only felt aggrieved thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. You shouldn¡¯t dy treatment for the dislocation.¡± Justin¡¯s face was expressionless, but his eyes were dark. ¡°Let me go! You didn¡¯t even care about me when we were married. You have no right to touch me after our divorce!¡± Be was filled with shame and anger. Her voice became hoarse. However, Justin ignored her. His chiseled jaw tightened as he walked forward. Chapter 39 Ryan clicked his tongue and hurriedly chased after Be. ¡°Ms. Brown is right! It¡¯s inappropriate for you to touch her since you¡¯re divorced! Ms. Brown, let me carry you!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Justin and Be said it in unison. Justin¡¯s eyes were red, while Be blushed. Ryan thought, ¡®Oh? Now they look like a couple.¡¯ At the hospital, Be was sent to the emergency room, while Justin and Ryan waited in the corridor. ¡°Justin, you¡¯re so cruel. How could you pull her thin arm with so much force? Did you want to dislocate it?¡± Ryan sighed and shook his head at Justin in disapproval. ¡°How do you know she works there?¡± Justin stared at him coldly. There was a hint of anger in his eyes. ¡°I went there for lunch and bumped into her doing menial work at the back door. She was working so hard that it¡¯s hard to tell she used to be your wife.¡± Ryan smiled and said with a hint of admiration, ¡°She¡¯s not arrogant or impetuous, and she knows what fights to pick. She truly is the most special woman I have ever met.¡± Justin clenched his fists and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Then you haven¡¯t met a lot of women.¡± ¡°Well, at least I¡¯m not like someone who can¡¯t tell treasure from trash.¡± Ryan retorted and dissed Justin. Justin¡¯s eyes were red. His heart clenched. ¡°To be honest, I have a feeling that you¡¯ll get back together with her.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you still care about her. Otherwise, why would you rush over? Look at you. You came to see her at a moment¡¯s notice, and your gaze is so intense when you look at her. How can you still say that you don¡¯t care about her?¡± Ryan leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, and shook his head. ¡°Bro, you¡¯re a real jerk. You are the one who abandoned your wife for your sweetheart, so why are you so angry when you see her with someone else? Are you nning to have multiple wives like Wyatt Thompson from Hatchbay?¡± ¡°She promised Grandpa that we wouldn¡¯t finalize our divorce until after his 80th birthday. She should keep her promise.¡± ¡°She only agreed to dy it for a few days for the sake of your grandfather, but you¡¯re clinging onto her like she¡¯s your lifeline. You¡¯re so shameless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Justin felt suffocated. ¡°I know, but I like Ms. Brown, and I want to pursue her. That¡¯s why I want to discuss it with you. Will you stop pestering my woman?¡± Ryan¡¯s handsome face looked serious. ¡°Just give up. You¡¯re not her type.¡± Justin¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Well, she won¡¯t know until she tries.¡± ¡°Ryan Hoffman!¡± Ryan ignored Justin¡¯s sullen face, tilted his head, and raised his eyebrows. ¡°But if you regret your divorce and want to get back together with her before marrying Rosalind, I can back out and promise not to bother her again since you¡¯re the only true friend that I have. But if you marry Rosalind and keep pestering Ms. Brown, then I won¡¯t side with you. I will even help her go against you.¡¯ Justin pursed his thin lips. His handsome face looked stern. ¡°Justin Salvador!¡± A roar echoed through the quiet corridor. Just as Justin turned his head, someone punched him hard on the cheek.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Chapter 40 Justin attended the country¡¯s top military academy and joined the army for three years. Even though he retired from the army and became a businessman, he was still very fit. Therefore, Axel¡¯s punch only bruised the corners of Justin¡¯s lips, but his body remained motionless. ¡°Fuck! My love rival!¡± Ryan secretly cursed but did not dare to say it openly. That was because he remembered what Anna said to him earlier. He was the third party in their rtionship, so he should not be too arrogant. Axel was furious and punched Justin again, but Justin quickly dodged him. ¡°Justin Salvador! I told you to stay away from Anna! You shameless bastard!¡± Axel was panting, and his eyes were bloodshot. ¡°If anything happens to Anna, I will skin you alive! I won¡¯t let you and yourpany off the hook!¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson, you¡¯re overreacting. It¡¯s just a dislocation¡­¡± Ryan was afraid that Justin and Asher¡± would get into a head-on fight and quickly came to break them up. ¡°Oh, just a dislocation?!¡± Axel¡¯s mouth twitched, and his eyes were filled with anger. ¡°You two treat women like toys! How can you possibly understand my feelings? Anna is my favorite woman, and I will protect her until the day I die. Stop thinking about her and stay away from her!¡± Axel meant what he said. Be was his priority. Even his wife woulde second. Justin¡¯s eyshes trembled. That confession was so direct and affectionate. Justin had never had the courage to express his love for a woman like this. After leaving Justin, ¡°Anna¡± became more eye-catching and brilliant. Asher and Ryan were bothinterested in her. Justin could not describe his sour mood. He felt like a fool who lost a treasure, which had be so sought afterter. But he becamereluctant to part with it. ¡°Justin, just you wait! I will sue you!¡± Axel pointed fiercely at Justin¡¯s cold face and thought that he would get Drew to kill Justinter. ¡°Okay, but I¡¯d like to correct you. Justin met Axel¡¯s sharp gaze with an expressionless face. ¡°My divorce with Anna isn¡¯t finalized yet, so she is still legally my wife and a member of the Salvador family.¡± Ryan was speechless and thought that this guy was really good at killing people. Axel was so angry that he wanted to spit at Justin, but he was a sophisticated man. ¡°Mr. Thompson.¡± A soft yet prominent voice sounded. All three of them turned their heads in that direction. Be was standing there with her left arm in a cast. Her eyes were calm, and her pretty face was a little pale, like a fragile and lonely doll. Justin narrowed his eyes. His throat felt dry. The corridor was wide and empty. Be stood there alone. Her features were delicate, and her eyes shone brightly. They looked so clean and pure that the three men felt an urge to protect her. Suddenly, a distant memory shed in his mind. Anna¡­ Justin felt a stabbing pain in his head, but soon the pain and fragmented memory disappeared. Axel hurriedly ran to his sister in distress. His eyes were red. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Be smiled gently at her brother. Her smile was bright and affectionate. Justin was irritated by this scene. Axel put his arms around Be¡¯s slim waist and walked toward the other end of the corridor. Be did not even bother to look at her ex-husband. Justin just felt indignant. He was about to step forward when Ryan grabbed his arm. ¡°Justin, that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t chase after her. You were the one at fault when you injured her. Don¡¯tyouknow who called Asher over? She just wants to see him, so don¡¯t go over there and ask fortrouble!¡± Seeing ¡°Asher¡± supporting ¡°Anna¡± and disappearing from the corridor, Justin clenched his fists andfelt as if he had lost his breath. Axel called Steven, who was still confused about the situation when he rushed over. Steven asked, ¡°Ms. Be! What¡¯s going on? Who hurt you?!¡± ¡°That bastard Justin hurt me!¡± Chapter 41 Axel was so angry that he gritted his teeth. He wanted to say more, but Be red at him, so he shut his mouth. ¡°What?! I¡¯m going to beat that bastard on your behalf!¡± Steven was angry and wanted to settle the score with Justin, but Be stopped him. ¡°Forget it. You can¡¯t beat him. He used to be in the peacekeeping army, so you¡¯ll just be his punching bag. Besides, he didn¡¯t mean to dislocate my shoulder. He¡¯s just careless and doesn¡¯t know how to control his strength. He¡¯s always been like this.¡± ¡°Ms. Be, why does it sound like you have known him for a long time?¡± Be was stunned for a moment. She pursed her red lips and said nothing. Steven still did not know about her rtionship with Justin. She did not mean to hide it on purpose, but she was just toozy to exin herself. It was in the past anyway, and she did not n to get back together with Justin. Back at the vi, Axel made coffee for Be while scolding Justin for being a jinx. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Axel.¡± Be¡¯s long eyshes trembled guiltily. ¡°Huh? Why are you apologizing to me?¡± Axel was surprised and raised his hand to touch his sister¡¯s forehead. ¡°Do you have a fever? What nonsense are you spouting now?¡± ¡°No, I just felt sorry for using you to keep my secret. Since Asher is on a business trip in Inalia, I can only ask you for help. I¡¯m afraid that you think I¡¯m treating you as a prop¡­¡± Be¡¯s voice became softer as she spoke. ¡°Silly girl, what are you talking about?¡± Axel felt distressed and came over to hug Be. He avoided her injured arm and pulled her slender body to his chest. ¡°Mom gave birth to the four of us before you so that we could protect you. The next time you get married, the four of us will also apany you!¡± After saying this, Axel felt that it was not right to assume this and quickly added, ¡°Even if you never get married, we will still be at your beck and call. We¡¯ll protect you and be your backers for the rest of your life!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Be¡¯s lips twitched as she thought, ¡®Apany me when I get married? Then I might as well be a nun¡­¡¯ Justin¡¯s mood was affected because he had injured Be. He could not concentrate on his meetings all afternoon and did not listen to the reports by the senior executives. His lips were bruised, and his face was gloomy. However, no one dared to ask him what happened. They did not even dare to breathe loudly. Although Justin was Gregory¡¯s illegitimate son, everyone in the Salvador Corporation respected him. Gregory¡¯s eldest son from his first wife was frail and had been recuperating in Regarton. His illness had worsened in recent years, and he had to rely on someone to push him around in a wheelchair. Gregory¡¯s second wife, Shannon, gave birth to two daughters. Her eldest daughter was 25 years old, and her second daughter was 20 years old. None of her daughters were capable enough to be the heirs of the Salvador Corporation. Therefore, Justin was the only sessor to the Salvador Corporation. He was outstanding and commanding, so those who initially opposed his session dared not go against it anymore. ¡°Mr. Salvador, the Walter Group Hotel we have an eye on in the western suburbs has been acquired.¡± The senior management reported the situation cautiously. ¡°By whom?¡± Justin immediately returned to his senses and focused on the matter at hand. ¡°KS Group. Walter Group transferred that hotel to them. In the future, it will be the second branch of KS World Hotel in Savrow.¡± Justin¡¯s body stiffened, and his eyes darkened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡± ¡°We have been negotiating the acquisition and almost got a deal, but Ms. Thompson from KS World Hotel came out of nowhere and intercepted our project. It was truly unexpected.¡± The senior management¡¯s face turned pale with fright. ¡°Almost got a deal? I think it¡¯s almost time for you to retire.¡± There was no emotion in Justin¡¯s eyes. His deep voice was oppressive as he said, ¡°What did I tell you before? That hotel is in a strategic location. It¡¯s only a 600-meter walk from Universal Studios, which will be built in two years. I wanted you to acquire it as soon as possible, even if we had to pay double. But you were so hesitant and timid. That¡¯s why the project was intercepted! Now, KS Group has benefited from this. How will you or your team bear this responsibility?¡± The senior manager lowered his head and wiped his sweat. His legs trembled under the table. ¡°You¡¯ll be transferred to Fenn¡¯s branch next week. If you repeat this mistake, I won¡¯t care that you¡¯ve worked here for a decade.¡± After Justin finished speaking, he strode out the door, leaving everyone with stunned expressions on their faces. They felt as if they were walking on thin ice. Justin was angrier than usual today. ¡°Could it be¡­ Revenge?¡± (C On the way back to Tideview Manor, Ian nced at the rearview mirror worriedly while driving. After Ms. Gold attacked Young Madam, Mr. Thompson stopped all our project cooperation and exposed the Gold family¡¯s product issues. Could this all be Mr. Thompson¡¯s intentions? Although the Gold family deserves to be in this situation¡­¡± Justin suddenly raised his eyes and looked sharply at the rearview mirror. Ian was so flustered that he almost choked. ¡°Stop at the tailor shop in front.¡± Chapter 42 Justin pushed open the door and walked into the tailor shop. Hisrge build was almost as big as the door frame. The tailor was ironing clothes and looked surprised to see such a handsome man in his shop. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s you!¡± ¡°Please do me a favor. Money is not an issue.¡± Justin frowned slightly and opened the box in front of the tailor. ¡°Oh my goodness! How did this happen?! How did such fine clothes end up like this?!¡± The tailor loved clothes so much that he felt distressed seeing such a wreckage. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Justin felt a bitterness in his throat. ¡°That girl hand stitched this suit. I watched her work so hard toplete it that I felt tired on her behalf, as if I had made this suit.¡± The old tailor shook his head sadly. ¡°What a pity¡­ Such a waste of effort¡­ It was a fine suit¡­¡± ¡°Is there any way you can fix it?¡± Justin asked hurriedly. ¡°How can I fix this? I can fix the lining that is damaged, but it¡¯s hard to fix the outer surface.¡± Inexplicably, Justin¡¯s heart clenched after hearing this. ¡°Please try to fix it up as much as possible. I don¡¯t mind if there are marks. At least sew up the tears in the suit.¡± As soon as Justin returned to Tideview Manor, he felt an oppressive air around him. ¡°Justin!¡± Shannon¡¯s eldest daughter, Bethany, ran over anxiously. ¡°Grandpa is here. He¡¯s quarreling with Dad in the study upstairs. It¡¯s quite intense. Please go upstairs and try to appease him!¡± ¡°Why are they quarreling?¡± Justin cocked an eyebrow. Justin thought that Gregory liked to give the impression that he was a filial son. Nigel had high blood pressure and suffered a stroke, so he should not get too agitated. Gregory did not care about his long-standing reputation as a good son and got into a head-on conflict with Nigel. There was only one reason for Gregory to do that-for Shannon. ¡°Rose is very close to our family. Now that her family is in trouble, it¡¯s only reasonable for Dad to help, right?¡± Bethany was so angry that she stomped her feet. ¡°But Grandpa refused to allow Dad to help the Gold family. Do you think Grandpa is senile? Helping the Gold family is equivalent to helping our family, right? Justin, you¡¯re about to marry Rose. If this matter isn¡¯t resolved, our family will be disgraced.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were gloomy as he went upstairs. ng¨C! Nigel was sitting in a wheelchair in the study. He picked up the ashtray and teacup from the coffee table and threw them on the floor. The old man was almost 80 years old. But as he got older, his temper became more erratic. He would sweep things off the table at a hint of disagreement. Shannon wiped her tears with a silk handkerchief and huddled in Gregory¡¯s arms, crying. Gregory shielded her with his body. He was afraid that the ss fragments would cut her. ¡°Dad! Will you calm down? Can¡¯t you just talk properly?¡± ¡°I will only talk to you if you¡¯re being reasonable! You deserve a beating for doing such shitty things!¡± Nigel was so angry that he thumped his chest. ¡°What did I tell you? I told you not to interfere in Gold Corporation¡¯s affairs! How dare you go against me?! You bought their leftover products and even gave them some of our projects! How the hell did this woman brainwash you? Do you think I¡¯m dead?!¡± ¡°Dad, how could you say that?¡± Gregory was furious, but he dared not say anything else. ¡°Am I wrong? Ever since you married this woman, your mind has been muddled!¡± Nigel pped the armrest. ¡°Dad¡­ I know that you look down on me, but I have been with Greg for more than 20 years now¡­ I¡¯m a dutiful wife and mother, and I serve the Salvador family wholeheartedly. I¡¯m cautious and respectful }) Shannon cried and continued, ¡°I have never disobeyed you, and I have never caused any trouble to the Salvador family¡­ I know it¡¯s a blessing that I get to marry Greg, so I dare not ask for anything else Gregory nced lovingly at his beloved wife in his arms.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Nigel was immune to her hypocritical attitude. He was so furious that he shook in anger. Chapter 43 Shannon said, ¡°But my sister¡¯s family is innocent. They do honest business, and it¡¯s really unfair that they are being ndered for no reason this time. Moreover, Rose is about to marry Justin¡­¡± ¡°Honest business? They¡¯re profiteers!¡± Nigel sneered. Shannon¡¯s expression froze. ¡°I¡¯m not senile! Even though I¡¯m retired, I still know what¡¯s going on. The Gold family brought this upon N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. themselves because they¡¯re not doing honest business. You don¡¯t need to use Justin as an excuse either. If he marries that woman, I won¡¯t acknowledge him as my grandson! You all can move out! If I die one day, I don¡¯t need you all to be at my funeral!¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± Gregory sighed. Shannon sobbed, but her eyes were extremely sinister. She thought, ¡®I¡¯ve had enough of this old troll! I¡¯ve been suppressed for more than 20 years! I wish he¡¯d just die a horrible death!¡¯ ¡°Grandpa!¡± Justin strode in and hurriedly reached out to soothe Nigel¡¯s back. But Nigel pushed him away. ¡°You don¡¯t need to pretend! You¡¯re just like your father, brainwashed and used by that family of shrews!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t help the Gold family. I have already made my stance clear.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were particrly calm. Nigel¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yes, Gold Corporation is at fault, so I won¡¯t help them.¡± ¡°What about you and that woman?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with Rose. Our wedding will proceed as usual.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were indifferent. ¡°Hmph! Forget it. At least you¡¯re self-aware, much better than your stupid father!¡± Nigel waved his hand disapprovingly. Nigel did not understand what was wrong with his grandson. Why did Justin divorce Anna just to marry that slut? ¡°Aunt Shannon.¡± Justin looked at Shannon and said in a deep voice, ¡°I understand that you want to help the Gold family because Mrs. Gold is your biological sister. But you can only help them if it doesn¡¯t harm the interests of Salvador Corporation. Otherwise, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re being contrary to what you advocated-to ¡®serve the Salvador family wholeheartedly¡¯?¡± Shannon was rendered speechless. Her face turned red. She thought, ¡®This bastard! He¡¯s been unfeeling since he was a kid, and now he¡¯s so ruthless!¡¯ ¡°Although Rose is my fianc¨¦e, I know my stance. I never mix my personal feelings with work matters. Dad, as the chairman, you should always put the interests of thepany first.¡± Justin looked at Gregory. Justin was unemotional and professional. He did not care that Gregory was his father. Gregory¡¯s face darkened. He knew that he was in the wrong, so he said, ¡°I¡¯m not helping the Gold family because of Shannon. I just came back from attending a summit in Inalia. I was supposed to meet a partner for a big foreign project, but he suddenly canceled the meeting. Later, I learned that Asher Thompson, the CEO of KS Group, intercepted him. I don¡¯t know what benefits Asher promised him, but he decided not to cooperate with ourpany anymore. Everything that happened to us is rted to the Thompson family. It¡¯s obvious that they are targeting us. I won¡¯t let them get their way and ride over our heads!¡± ¡°That happened?¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes darkened. The Salvador family in Savrow and the Thompson family in Hatchbay were bitter rivals for hundreds of years. Old Mrs. Thompson even said that she would not allow her descendants to marry anyone from the Salvador family. The Thompson family were also formidable business rivals to the Salvador family. It was clear that Asher wanted revenge when he intercepted Salvador Corporation¡¯s hotel project and this project abroad. Wait a second! Justin was startled. He asked, ¡°Dad, did you just say that you met Asher in Inalia?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Today?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± How was that possible? Asher went to the hospital to pick up Anna this afternoon. How did he have a clone in Inalia? Was the man Justin saw in the afternoon not Asher? If he was not Asher, then who was he? Chapter 44 In the end, Gregory swore in front of Nigel that he would not interfere in the Gold family¡¯s affairs to appease the old man. Gregory and Shannon left, feeling dejected, while Nigel looked at the mess in the study with anger in his eyes. ¡°Ugh! Those sly women got you and your father wrapped around their fingers!¡± Justin bent down to pick up the ss shards on the floor. His mind was churning rapidly. ¡®Did someone go to Inalia on behalf of Asher? But Dad recognizes Asher. He won¡¯t be mistaken, because they have met many times before. Or does Dad have Alzheimer¡¯s?¡¯ At this time, Justin picked up a folding fan. ¡°Grandpa, is this yours?¡± ¡°Oh no! I was so mad that I almost broke it. Bring it to me now.¡¯ )) N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Nigel¡¯s eyes softened as he continued, ¡°Anna made this fan for me. The painting and calligraphy on here are her creations.¡± Justin did not know that Anna knew how to paint or write calligraphy. He froze and did not know how to react. When Anna was married to him, he found her boring and obedient. Compared to Rosalind, who could y the piano, dance, and sing, Anna was a dull woman. Apart from being sweet, gentle, and pretty, Anna was just like the servants at home. Justin did not think any differently about her. However, after she left him, she shone like a diamond that had been newly polished. She was talented and confident. He was startled to learn that she had all those skills. Was it because she thought that Justin did not deserve such a good version of her, and only Asher did? So, what she felt for Justin was not considered love. She was just being a dutiful wife, trying her best to please him. The person she truly loved was Asher, right? ¡°Anna used to visit me every weekend. Sometimes she would go for a walk with me or just sit with me in the study for an entire afternoon. That child didn¡¯t feel bored around me. She would just read a book and write calligraphy next to me. She¡¯s very skilled in calligraphy and painting. I can tell from the way she holds the brush and pen that she has been practicing for at least ten years. Her handwriting is really beautiful. It flows naturally, and it shows just how confident she is. She¡¯s clearly a cultured person with a good upbringing.¡± Nigel pursed his lips and sighed. ¡°Anna is so much better than that pretentious girl from the Gold family. It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re so blind and ignorant.¡± Justin pressed his thin lips into a straight line and opened the folding fan. He saw two lines of elegant handwriting. ¡°Have no regrets for your past mistakes. For it is not possible to turn back the clock.¡± Suddenly, Justin¡¯s heart trembled. He felt like he had been struck by lightning. His sharp eyes scanned these two lines of words as he brought the fan closer to his face. This handwriting was the same as the calligraphy hanging in Be Thompson¡¯s office. She even offered to give it to him as a gift. Justin suddenly remembered meeting Anna at the KS World Hotel, where Be was in charge. He thought back to the sound of Anna¡¯s footsteps in the corridor after he left Be¡¯s office that day. Did Anna know Be? Could there be such a coincidence? It was not possible that Be was Anna, right? How could that be? Anna could not have been as cunning and insidious as Be, right? On the other side, in Yara Park, Hatchbay, Asher came back from his business trip in Inalia. He and Axel had dinner with Wyatt. During the dinner, Asher reported on the progress of his trip to Inalia. Wyatt nodded with a look of approval on his aloof and dignified face. Wyatt thought, ¡®My eldest son is truly outstanding in all aspects. But he insists on being with Jesus. No amount of power, fame, wealth or shares can stop him from bing a pastor. Why is he so insistent on being a pastor?!¡¯ ¡°Asher, it isn¡¯t like you to snatch a project from Salvador Corporation so rashly.¡± Wyatt took a sip of red wine and thought about it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you always advocating peace and love to solve problems? Why are you resorting to stealing now? You¡¯re a bit like me when I was young.¡± ¡°Peace is a fragile thing.¡± Asher gave a rather indirect answer and raised his ss elegantly to take a sip of water. Axel smiled. Of course, he knew that Asher was just getting revenge on Salvador Corporation on Be¡¯s behalf. ¡°Doing business is all about quick thinking. As long as you don¡¯t break thew, you can do whatever it takes to close the deal. You did a good job this time!¡± Wyatt patted Asher on the shoulder. His eyes were sharp and excited. ¡°What¡¯s more, Gregory and I are sworn enemies. His grandfather bullied my grandmother. Hmph! It¡¯s never toote for a gentleman to take revenge!¡± Asher was speechless. Axel snickered and thought to himself, ¡®Wow. I guess we¡¯re not just inheriting the family fortune. We¡¯re also expected to carry on the past grudges against the Salvadors¡­¡¯ Chapter 45 ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Be holding up in Savrow recently? She¡¯s very determined to go against the Gold Corporation. But if she doesn¡¯t handle it properly, I¡¯m afraid that others will resent her, and she¡¯ll get into trouble. Since Den and Drew aren¡¯t home, you two have to protect her at all times. Do you hear me?¡± Wyatt¡¯s tone was stern, and his eyes were filled with concern for Be. ¡°Alright, Dad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. The four of us will kill whoever dares to bully my little sister!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill them. Just make them wish that they¡¯re dead.¡± Wyatt narrowed his eagle eyes and gracefully took another sip of wine. At the end of dinner, Wyatt and Asher left. Before they left, Axel saw Asher¡¯s phone vibrating on the table. The caller ID showed that it was Justin calling. Axel got up, looked around, cleared his throat, and answered the call. ¡°Do you need something, Mr. Salvador?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for Anna Brown.¡± Justin¡¯s presumptuous tone made Axel furious. ¡°Justin, you must be sick in the head. Why should Anna answer your call?¡± Justin was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you Asher?¡± Axel thought that Justin must have realized something, but he said willfully, ¡°Mr. Salvador, if you¡¯re drunk and bored, you can call your fianc¨¦e. I don¡¯t have time to talk to you.¡± ¡°Asher, if you want to vent your anger on Anna¡¯s behalf, you should do it inly instead of ying underhanded tricks.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was bone-chilling and menacing. ¡°Hah! Justin, don¡¯t think so highly of yourself.¡± Axel was so angry that he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Who started it first? Don¡¯t you know who used despicable means to nder Anna? If you want to plead for your fianc¨¦e¡¯s family, then beg me! Don¡¯t act all high and mighty, pretentious bastard!¡± On the other end of the call, Justin clenched his fists. His cheeks were flushed. Justin had always been a great speaker at countless business summits, but at this moment, he was rendered speechless. That was because Axel was a senior prosecutor who had a way with words. ¡°But I can be frank with you. Even if you kneel in front of me and beg me now, I won¡¯t let you off the hook. I will make all of you who bullied Anna pay a hefty price!¡± After speaking, Axel decisively ended the call. Justin was sitting in the study. He looked at the cked-out screen and clenched his phone so tightly that his screen almost cracked. The veins on his forehead were throbbing. ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± Ian walked in hurriedly. When he saw his boss¡¯s gloomy face, he kept his breathing light. ¡°What!¡± ¡°I followed your instructions and found out that Wyatt Thompson¡¯s first wife gave birth to five children. Except for their eldest son, Asher, I couldn¡¯t find out anything about the other four children because all their files were highly encrypted. We couldn¡¯t decrypt it no matter what.¡± Justin suddenly raised his eyebrows. His gloomy face turned menacing. Ian¡¯s face turned pale. He gulped and added, ¡°Should I go to the human resources department to settle my sry tomorrow¡­? Or¡­¡± * Be had just taken a bubble bath. She put on a mask and a snow-white bathrobe, then walked gracefully down the stairs to look for a drink. ¡°Ms. Be, you¡¯re injured. Just tell me what you need, and I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± Steven hurriedly came up to her with concern stered all over his handsome face. ¡°I can still walk to the wine cer to get a bottle of red wine. It¡¯s already past 9:00 p.m. Why are you still wearing a suit and tie?¡± Be looked at him and blinked her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°From now on, just make yourself at home when you¡¯re here. Don¡¯t be a stranger. You can change into loungewear when you¡¯re at home. Seeing you dressed like this, I just feel like I¡¯m at work 24 hours a day. It stresses me out!¡± Another reason was that she would be reminded of Justin. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. It was embarrassing that she had only seen her husband¡¯s body once over three years of marriage. Justin was an ascetic. When he returned to Tideview Manor, he would stay in the study and rarely He would only take off his suit and put on his dark blue pajamas before going to bed. He was elegant, noble, and frustratingly reserved. However, only Be knew that under his cold and emotionless facade was a warm and passionate soul. ¡°Ms. Be?¡± Steven tilted his head and called out to her. ¡°Yes?¡± Be came back to her senses. Her cheeks were flushed, and her clear eyes were teary. ¡°Your face is so red¡­¡± Chapter 46 ¡°Is it red?¡± Be raised her right hand and touched her cheek, which was really warm. She quickly turned away shyly. ¡°It¡¯s probably the wine¡­¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you on the way to the wine cer? Your face was red even before you drank.¡± Steven pursued this topic. Steven was book-smart and capable, but he was naive. He did not notice Be was imagining some racy thoughts earlier. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Ugh! Shut up!¡± Be rolled her eyes cutely and walked away. Steven looked aggrieved. He did not know how he had offended Be, so he immediately followed her like a puppy. Be and Steven went to the wine cer, which contained nearly a thousand bottles of red wine that Asher had curated for Be. That was because he knew that Be liked to drink during her spare time. Each bottle of wine on the rack was expensive, and many of them were collector¡¯s items bought from auctions. Wyatt did not even own some of these rare wines, but Be had dozens of bottles. If she sold these bottles, she could buy Savrow. Be leisurely browsed around the wine racks and set her eyes on a bottle of Romanee Condi. She stood on tiptoes to get it, but it was still a little out of reach. At this time, Steven walked up behind her. His tall frame towered over Be as he helped her take down the wine bottle. The two of them were so close that Steven could smell Be¡¯s sweet scent. His heart was beating wildly, and his fair face was tinted with a faint blush. ¡°Here you go, Ms. Be.¡± ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s nice to have a secretary who is 1.85 meters tall. There¡¯s no need fordders!¡± However, Be thought that a man¡¯s ideal height should be 1.89 meters, like Justin. Steven was just 4 cm shorter. She thought, ¡®Damn it! I shouldn¡¯t think about that jerk! It¡¯s worse than drinking.¡¯ ¡°Ms. Be, let me open the bottle for you. It¡¯s not convenient for you with one hand¡­¡± Crack¡ª¡ª Without saying a word, Be mmed her cast against the corner of the table and cracked it,. revealing her fair and smooth forearm. ¡°Ugh, this is so cumbersome. I¡¯ve wanted to take it off for a long time.¡± Steven was dumbfounded. ¡°When I was on the battlefield, fractures and dislocations were nothing. I once saw someone lose his leg from a bomb st. The soldier who was just joking with me that morning was brought back in the afternoon with more than a dozen bullet holes in his body and half of his face missing.¡± Be described the cruelty of war with such calmness. Steven was startled. He could not imagine how this pampered youngdy had survived through the war all those years. While Steven let the wine breathe, the Thompson Family Secret Bureau group chat became active again. [Drew: Axel, I understand that Asher is busy with work as a CEO. But you¡¯re just a public servant working in the judicial department. How are you so dim-witted?] [Drew: Do you know that Justin Salvador sent someone to secretly decrypt our files?] [Drew: Thanks to my timely response, I encrypted the file with the strongest encryption. That jerk can¡¯t defeat me!] Be was startled. Her eyes widened immediately. [Axel: Damn it! Did he suspect something?!] [Axel: Wait. Why are you being so disrespectful to me? I¡¯m your older brother!] [Drew: No, you were born just a few minutes earlier than me.] [Drew: If I were the one who came out of Mom¡¯s womb first, you¡¯d be calling me big brother!] [Axel: Even if I was born one second ahead of you, I¡¯m still older. Show me some respect!] [Drew: Nope!] [Axel: You stubborn fool! I¡¯ll beat you up!] [Drew: You want to fight me? Bring it on! You won¡¯t be able to beat me even if I give you a head start.] Chapter 47 [Be: That¡¯s enough! You guys are being so childish.] As soon as Be messaged the group, the two brothers immediately behaved themselves. [Be: Justin is investigating us because he¡¯s probably suspicious of Axel¡¯s identity. Axel defended me twice, and Justin probably noticed that Asher wouldn¡¯t act like that.] Be¡¯s bright eyes dimmed as she swayed the red wine in the ss, [Be: In that case, there¡¯s no need to hide it anymore. I¡¯ll give him the answer.] In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived. Under the public¡¯s pressure, Gold Corporation decided to hold a press conference in a five-star hotel and invited many reporters. Gold Corporation was a local small enterprise that did not have much influence in the industry. However, the Gold family jumped into the public eye overnight and received unprecedented attention because Rosalind announced her marriage to Justin. At this moment, a ck Maybach was parked on the roadside opposite the hotel¡¯s entrance. Justin watched the live broadcast of the press conference through his iPad. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I think that the chairman has been trying to hint at you to help the Gold family for the past few days.¡± Ian said worriedly, ¡°If you continue fighting against the chairman, will it affect your rtionship with him? I¡¯m afraid that Madam Shannon will take the opportunity to defame you again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if she does. I won¡¯t help the Gold family.¡± Justin looked indifferent as he continued, ¡°My father and I don¡¯t have much of a rtionship to begin with, so it doesn¡¯t affect anything.¡± Ian breathed a sigh of relief. Justin had made his stance clear. He had always been isted in the Salvador family, and he had no one to share his emotions with. Soon, the press conference began. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Zeke walked onto the stage in a ck suit. He looked haughty with his chin raised. He felt indignant that he had to hold this press conference. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°As you all know, Gold Corporation has 32 Alia Furniture stores in Savrow and more than 400 stores across the country. We have always had a good reputation in the industry. This kind of negative news happened because someone maliciously spread rumors to smear our brand image.¡± Ian looked at the screen and scoffed. ¡°Mr. Gold is really something. He can still look so confident even though his products have serious quality issues. How thick-skinned!¡± Justin said nothing. His eyebrows furrowed tightly. ¡°But KS World Hotel was the first to expose Alia Furniture¡¯s quality issues. Everyone knows their reputation. They haven¡¯t defamed or smeared anotherpany¡¯s image in the past decades that they were in operation, so I think the problem with Alia Furniture isn¡¯t just a smear campaign, right?¡± A reporter suddenly asked with a derisive tone. Zeke¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°Alia Furniture has been established for more than ten years. I am anxious and heartbroken that something like this has happened for the first time.¡± ¡°So, do you admit that there is a quality issue with your products? If I remember correctly, a serious comint was lodged at the beginning ofst year. I think everyone here probably has an impression of the incident.¡± The reporter¡¯s statement jogged everyone¡¯s memories. Zeke¡¯s face turned gloomier as he clenched his fists in anger. In the underground parking lot, Be was sitting in a supercar, watching the live broadcast on her phone. She curled her red lips in satisfaction. No one would have guessed that Be had arranged for that reporter to join the press conference with loaded questions. ¡°In the two years since Zeke took office as Gold Corporation¡¯s president, he has done whatever he wanted without qualms and squandered his wealth. Theirpany has had frequent problems, and his family fortune is running dry.¡± Steven let out a contemptuousugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be so bold to tantly lie at the press conference. He thinks that no one has anything on him, huh?¡± ¡°He thought that he had a trump card. That¡¯s why he dares to speak nonsense.¡± Be narrowed her eyes, looking shrewd. She took out a piece of chocte from Steven¡¯s suit pocket, opened the tin foil, broke off a small piece, and put it in her mouth. ¡°Just watch. If we force his hand a little, he¡¯ll show his trump card. Then our chance wille.¡± Chapter 48 After Be finished eating the chocte, she yfully put the remaining half of the chocte bar into Steven¡¯s suit pocket and patted his chest. ¡°Hm. You¡¯re pretty fit.¡± Steven¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His cheeks were warm, and his mouth was dry because she teased him. Steven was four years older than Be. Back then, Steven¡¯s father was the head of KS Group¡¯s legal department and had always been highly regarded by Wyatt. So Steven often visited Yara Park when he was a teenager. Steven still remembered the first time he met Be in the back garden of Yara Park. He saw a beautiful little girl decked out in a costume, prancing from afar. He thought that he was hallucinating, so he rubbed his eyes. But that little angel ¡°flew¡± to him. She was wearing a pure white angel costume, and she looked ethereal. ¡°Hey, do you have any candy?¡± Be got off her skateboard, stepped on the edge of it, and grabbed onto it in one smooth motion. ¡°Huh?¡± Steven panicked. He secretly cursed himself for having impure thoughts about a little girl. But that girl was stunning. She looked like a goddess. Anyone who looked at her would be fascinated by her. ¡°Never mind¡­¡± Be sighed in disappointment, put down her skateboard, and was about to leave, but Steven grabbed her arm. Her arm was so thin that his fingers could encircle it. ¡°Wait.¡± Steven pursed his lips, took out a piece of chocte from his pocket, and handed it to her. ¡°Is this okay?¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you so much!¡± Be smiled broadly, took the chocte, opened the wrapper, and took a bite. Her charming eyes squinted in joy. From then on, every time Steven went to Yara Park, he always brought choctes or candies with him, just like a mobile snack cart. He kept up this habit until today. As long as Be wanted something sweet, she would go to him. The press conference was intense. Zeke was agitated. He stared at the reporter and said angrily, ¡°I will say it again for thest time. There are no quality issues with Gold Corporation¡¯s products! I swear on my life!¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s not a quality issue, why did KS Group hotels across the country cancel all of their orders with yourpany overnight? Mr. Gold, you ought to give the public a reasonable exnation for this matter.¡± The reporter¡¯s eyes were sharp, and he refused to drop this topic. Thements on the live broadcast were incessant. [He swears on his life, huh? It seems like he¡¯s telling the truth if he¡¯s so serious about it.] [Perhaps his life isn¡¯t worth a penny.] [Anyway, I will still return those products regardless of the quality issue. Just look at his pesky and haughty face! Whoever is in their PR department should find a better speaker.] ¡°You want an exnation, huh? Fine, I¡¯ll give you an exnation!¡± Zeke¡¯s eyes suddenly became sinister. ¡°I¡¯ve reflected on myself because of this incident, and it is indeed negligence in my management. After all, there are hundreds of Alia Furniture stores across the country, and I can¡¯t possibly check them all. A few of my employees harmed the interests of my company due to their own selfish desires. I have already dealt with the people involved and punished them seriously as soon as I found out. I have also thought of all possible ways to make amends. But as the saying goes, it takes two to tango. If it hadn¡¯t been for someone in KS Group bribing my staff, would things have turned out this way? KS Group now wants to put all the me on mypany. Don¡¯t you all think that it¡¯s overboard?¡± Everyone was shocked to hear this. ¡°Zeke can really lie without a conscience. How could he pin the me on KS Group? How shameless!¡± Ian looked at Zeke¡¯s shameless face and began to feel sorry for the Thompson family. Justin¡¯s eyes were gloomy and sharp as knives. ¡°Expose the evidence I collected!¡± Zeke ordered. In an instant, a photo and bank statement appeared on the projector. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°These are the chat records between Michael Gordon, the vice president of Savrow¡¯s KS World Hotel, and the general manager of Alia Furniture. There are also photos of private meetups and evidence of the kickbacks and bribes Michael received. All this has nothing to do with the Gold Corporation. Michael, a senior executive of KS World Hotel, secretly colluded with my employees to purchase cheap products. That was why this ruckus happened. My family is the victim here! KS Group tried to protect themselves by dragging us into the quagmire. How could a big conglomerate like them bully small enterprises like us? We must protect our rights and interests by using thew against them!¡± Zeke became more enthusiastic. His face was flushed, and he was also convinced by his speech. He thought, ¡®That Thompson bitch never would¡¯ve seen thising, right? I bet she¡¯s dumbfounded!¡¯ Michael was themb he had nned to sacrifice early on. Thus, Zeke had left traces and collected evidence from the very beginning of their interaction, waiting to use it at a critical moment to make a thorougheback. Ian clenched his fists. ¡°It¡¯s over. All of a sudden, the public is criticizing KS Group again, saying that they¡¯re monopolizing the market and not allowing small enterprises to survive.¡± Justin frowned. His face became frigid. Just as Zeke was getting carried away, the speakers in the banquet hall screeched. Chapter 49 Two men¡¯s voices red on the speaker in the banquet hall. ¡°Mr. Gold, if I wasn¡¯t trying to make money for you, why would I rece a good-quality mattress with something so shoddy? That brat of a new manager found out and even fired me for it. Now I can¡¯t even find a job in Savrow. You must help me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that it¡¯s all for me. Didn¡¯t you also make a lot of money from this? The kickbacks I gave you weren¡¯t a small sum. Even if you don¡¯t work for the rest of your life, you won¡¯t starve to death.¡± One of the voices was Michael¡¯s, and thetter one was clearly Zeke¡¯s. The reporters were excited by this shocking news. Zeke gripped the edge of the table, sweating profusely. His legs almost gave out. ¡°What is this?! Who yed this?! Turn it off now!¡± The speakers were turned off, but some pictures appeared on the projector. It was a slideshow of Michael and Zeke entering and leaving the nightclub. ¡°Mr. Gold! This is different from what you promised me! You said you would protect me!¡± ¡ª ¡°I am protecting you. Now that this has gotten out, I haven¡¯t admitted anything or pushed you out to take the me. Michael, nothing will happen to you if you just keep your mouth shut. If you dare talk nonsense, I will make sure that you suffer!¡± There were photos and recordings of their dealings. These were conclusive pieces of evidence. The shing lights in the banquet hall were overwhelming. Zeke yelled, red-faced. ¡°This is all fake! It¡¯s all fake! That¡¯s not me in the recording! Someone framed me!¡± At this moment, there was a loud bang. The door to the banquet hall was pushed open. Two rows of men in suits with red badges on their chests entered the hall and lined up on both sides. The sound of expensive leather shoes against the floor and a pair of masculine long legs instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Axel¡¯s handsome face was stern as he led two rows of investigators to Zeke. ¡°Zeke Gold, President of Gold Corporation, you¡¯re under arrest for bribery and malfeasance. The evidence is conclusive, and KS Group has officially lodged a report. Pleasee with us to assist in the investigation.¡± ¡°Nonsense! I didn¡¯t do anything! It¡¯s not me!¡± Two investigators stepped forward to subdue Zeke, who was struggling like crazy. They dragged him out of the banquet hall. All the cameras were focused on Zeke, and the inte went wild. This dramatic scene was on live broadcast, and the tables had turned. [What a shocking reversal! This press conference is more exciting than a TV show!] [It turns out that KS Group is the victim! Zeke Gold is so shameless as to paint himself as the victim. People were criticizing KS Group for no reason!] [Zeke¡¯s words really mean nothing. How revolting!] [This is so exciting! Who released this evidence? What a timely appearance!] Ian pped his hands happily. ¡°This time, the Gold family won¡¯t be able to get away with it. They can¡¯t cause trouble anymore!¡± ¡°This is a setup.¡± Justin¡¯s thin lips parted slightly. His face remained indifferent. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°KS Group was sure that Zeke would put all the me on Michael, so they asked the reporter to ask those questions to provoke him. That was why Zeke used Michael as a scapegoat. Then they gave him a fatal blow by releasing concrete evidence of Zeke and Michael¡¯s collusion.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ That reporter was hired by KS Group?!¡± Ian was very shocked to hear this. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s possible that KS Group arranged for this prosecutor to step in at this time.¡± Justin¡¯s face was cold. His eyes were bottomless and emotionless as he watched Rosalind¡¯s brother get arrested. Justin did not think that Zeke should have pointed his finger at KS Group. However, when Zeke started to put all the me on KS Group, Justin¡¯spassion for him disappearedpletely. Zeke was taken away. The investigators retreated and walked out the door. The camera panned to Axel, who looked righteous and solemn. Another frenzy was set off in the [Wow! This prosecutor is so good-looking! He¡¯s like a Greek god!] [I love that such a handsome man chooses to defend justice and thew even though he¡¯s certainly fit to be a movie star!] Justin¡¯s pupils shrank. He suddenly leaned forward to stare closely at Axel¡¯s face on the screen. He thought, ¡®It¡¯s him! That¡¯s the guy from the bar and the hospital! That¡¯s the man who confronted me. How is he so close to Anna? He also looks just like Asher Thompson! Who the hell is he?!¡¯, Justin took a screenshot and uploaded Axel¡¯s photo into the face recognition app that he developed for a high-precision search. Ten minutester, the results appeared. It read, ¡°Prosecutor Axel Thompson of the Savrow Public Prosecutor¡¯s Office.¡± Chapter 50 Axel¡¯s photo was found on the Supreme Court¡¯s official website three years ago. In the picture, Axel was wearing a ceremonial robe as he stood righteously in court, debating passionately. With this software that Justin developed, he could search for someone¡¯s information within three to five minutes by uploading a picture. It was much faster and more urate than regr search engines. However, the search for Axel took a full ten minutes. This showed that Axel did not appear in the public eye often and did not upload photos of himself on social media. If Axel was just a prosecutor, why was he so mysterious? ¡°Asher Thompson¡­ Axel Thompson¡­¡± Justin thought about it for a moment. Suddenly, he had an epiphany. His eyes widened in shock. Could he be¡­¡± Great! Justin narrowed his eyes. It looked like a storm was brewing on his face. His throat felt so constricted that he found it difficult to breathe. ¡®Anna Brown, how can you be such a yer after leaving me? You went to Asher right after signing the divorce papers, and now you have such an illicit rtionship with his brother! Who do you think you are?!¡¯ At this time, the roar of the sports car came from behind. Justin was pulled out of his thoughts. He looked out the window. The ck sports car sped past him like a blur. That was Anna¡¯s car! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡®Why did she suddenly show up here? Something seems fishy!¡¯ Justin felt his heart thumping as he punched the car window. ¡°Ian! Chase after that car!¡± The reporters gathered at the hotel entrance while the investigators tried their best to get the disgraced Zeke into the car. The press conference ended just like that. Axel did not follow the investigators. Instead, he went to the back door and waited patiently for his sister to pick him up. A few minutester, a Bugatti La Voiture Noire stopped in front of Axel. Steven lowered the window and greeted Axel politely. ¡°Hello, Mr. Axel.¡± ¡°Hey, Steve!¡± Axel bent down and looked at Be, who was sittingnguidly in the passenger seat. He smiled endearingly and reached out to pinch his sister¡¯s soft cheek. ¡°It looks like Steve is taking really good care of you these days. Your cheeks are getting a bit chubby.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re not!¡± Be pouted angrily. ¡°Yes, they are. You¡¯re even cuter when you have chubby cheeks. Haha!¡± Axel said that Be was chubby as soon as he saw her. How tactless! No wonder he was single for 30 years! Justin, who was hiding in the shadows, saw this scene and thought that Be and Axel were flirting with each other. His handsome face turned dark. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. Ian nced at the rearview mirror apprehensively and shook in fear. He thought to himself, ¡®Well, it¡¯s normal for the young madam to be sought after by so many men. She¡¯s such an outstanding and beautifuldy! Only my boss is blind enough to miss out on a treasure like her¡­¡¯ ¡°How was it? Don¡¯t you think I look so cool today?¡± Axel raised his eyebrows smugly as he fished for compliments from his sister. ¡°Yes, yes, you were so cool. You certainly gained a lot of fans this time. All those girls online are looking for information about you. You¡¯ve made the top search!¡± Be propped her arms on the car window and looked up at Axel with admiration. She looked so lively and girlish. Justin stared at his ex-wife for a moment with mixed emotions. For some reason, he wanted to stand in Axel¡¯s position at this moment so that she could look at him. like that. He wanted to see her beautiful eyes and yful gaze. He noticed that she had never smiled like that at him. ¡°Tsk! So what if the whole world worships me? I just want my baby sister to worship me. That¡¯s enough for me.¡± Axel preened. ¡°Pft! I¡¯m getting goosebumps. Axel, you can¡¯t y the devoted brother. You¡¯re better off ying the cool brother! Haha!¡± The Thompson siblings joked and circled back to the main topic. ¡°Axel, I probably need to trouble youter for the next steps.¡± Be raised her eyebrows and added, ¡°Don¡¯t let that asshole get away with a light sentence.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will be punished for all his crimes. It¡¯ll be at least three years in jail! I won¡¯t give him a chance to reduce his sentence or let him out on bail!¡± Axel looked at her approvingly. ¡°But you¡¯ve done a good job, baby sis. You¡¯re so good at predicting when Zeke will fall into your trap. He¡¯s such a cooperative prey. If only all bad guys could fall into traps so easily, us judicial officers would have saved a lot of trouble.¡± Indeed, Zeke was so stupid that Be felt bad for him. The reason KS Group could sessfully sue Zeke was because Michael was finally willing toe forward as a witness and confess what Zeke had done. Zeke had used Michael to make illicit money from the hotel in the past two years. Chapter 51 Justst night, Be secretly met up with Michael, who was getting drunk in a pub. She told him that Zeke would push him under the bus to save himself at the press conference the next day. ¨C¡°Impossible! You¡­ Don¡¯t even think of using me like this! I won¡¯te forward as a witness. I¡¯m not that stupid!¡± ¡°You¡¯re stupid if you still insist on being so stubborn.¡± So, Be and Michael negotiated a dealst night. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with you. I have evidence of you colluding with Zeke. I haven¡¯t submitted it to the prosecutors yet because I wanted to give you onest chance for the sake of my father, since he was the one who promoted you to your position.¡± Michael recalled his career over the past 20 years. He started off as a banquet hall supervisor and got promoted to vice president over the years. Aside from his own efforts, Wyatt¡¯s support yed a big role in his career advancement. Later, when Michael was in a position of power, he lost his integrity and ended up in this mess. He was regretful and guilty. ¡°If Zeke doesn¡¯t push you out at tomorrow¡¯s press conference, I will personally hand over this evidence to the prosecutor and proceed as nned. If he pushes you under the bus, as I predict he will, then you will report all his crimes to the prosecutor in person. If you realize your mistakes and correct them, I will hire a first-sswyer to defend you and minimize your sentence. You can choose for yourself.¡± Be sessfully coerced Michael to hand over the evidence and be a witness to this case. This was a painful blow to the Gold family, and they would not recover from it. She remembered what Wyatt often said, which was to always leave room for maneuver. Even if she had the upper hand, she should not push others into a corner. Otherwise, it might backfire. Axel returned to the Public Prosecutor¡¯s Office and continued with the case, while Be had to go back to work. Thus, they parted ways. On the way to the hotel, Steven keenly spotted a Maybach following them through the rearview mirror. ¡°Ms. Be, we are being followed! Do you want to call the police?¡± Be looked at the rearview mirror nonchntly. When she realized that it was Justin¡¯s car, her heart trembled slightly. It looked like Justin was also at the press conference just now, but he was just hiding in the dark. N?velDrama.Org owns this. He probably cared a lot about his fianc¨¦e and her family. Hah! Be smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s not go back to the hotel. Let¡¯s go for a ride by the Moon River.¡± ¡°But the people following us¡­¡± Steven was still worried. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Be smiled reassuringly and coolly. Steven stared at her with widened eyes and thought, ¡®Shouldn¡¯t it be the other way around?¡¯ The ck sports car drove around the Moon River while Ian followed closely, paying close attention. He was not even so nervous during the college entrance exams or when he applied for Salvador Corporation. Justin stared at Anna¡¯s car intently, curious as to who was the man driving her around. His driving skills were clearly not as good as hers. Otherwise, Ian would not have been able to keep up with him. Justin vaguely saw Anna¡¯s dark hair fluttering messily in the wind. His frigid eyes warmed, and his gaze became softer. The more he stared at her, his gaze became more lustful. He thought, ¡®How could she be so reckless, indulgent, and happy?¡¯ Justin stared at her so intently that his eyes felt like they were burning. Finally, the Bugatti stopped at the bank of the Moon River. Be got out of the car by herself, stood by the railing, and closed her eyes to enjoy the evening breeze. A tall man stepped out of another car shortly after. He fastened the middle button of his suit elegantly, entuating his well-built body. He looked most dazzling in the sunlight. Justin looked at Anna, who was wearing a ssy red dress. Her outfitplemented her gleaming almond eyes and fiery red lips. This scene was so beautiful that it was deserving of being made into a portrait and hung in the Pce of Versailles. Justin pursed his thin lips and moved closer to her. However, when he was only one step away from her, she suddenly took a step back to maintain an appropriate distance from him. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡¯ve been following me the entire way since I left the press conference. Is it because you want to break my arm again?¡± Be looked gorgeous when she smiled like that, showing off her pearly whites. ¡°Anna.¡± Justin said her name with a cold face as anger welled up in his chest. He casually nced at her left arm to assess her injury. She seemed fine. ¡°Mr. Salvador, did you take the divorce papers and your documents with you today? I don¡¯t want you to make this trip in vain, so let¡¯s just finalize the divorce right now. Even though it¡¯s gettingte, I can ask Mr. Thompson to get the officers in City Hall to make an exception for us.¡± Be¡¯s smile became more yful. She mocked him by emphasizing the word ¡°divorce¡±. ¡°Anna, you must be very proud.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened as he took a step closer to her. ¡°What?¡± She frowned lightly. ¡°You used the two Thompson brothers¡¯ power to suppress the Gold family, who will never recover from this incident. Anna, I really underestimated you!¡± Chapter 52 Be¡¯s eyshes trembled, and her chest felt stuffy. She looked straight into Justin¡¯s eyes with a fiery gaze. Her clear and beautiful eyes held such fury that Justin wanted to avert his gaze. He was shocked to see such a powerful and intense stare-down coming from her. After a while, Beughed. She looked at him like they were strangers. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re here to vent your anger on behalf of your beloved fiancee, huh? I bet you¡¯ve been holding it in for quite some time now. Are you going to explode if you don¡¯t confront me today?¡± Be thought to herself, ¡®Justin, you¡¯re really something. After three years of marriage, I didn¡¯t ask you for anything. Even if you don¡¯t appreciate all the good things I did, you shouldn¡¯t repeatedly use such insultingnguage to belittle me! What¡¯s more, I no longer belong to you. Actually, you¡¯ve never let me belong to you. I¡¯m like a stray cat that has been standing outside your door, waiting for you to take me home. I looked forward to that day with all my heart, but in the end, you abandoned me and resented me. Why should I let you trample all over me?!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a pity that even someone as influential as you won¡¯t be able to help the Gold family get through this disaster, right? Zeke Gold harmed the interests of KS Group, bribed my employees, falsified evidence, and framed others. The evidence is conclusive, so you can¡¯t save him even if you want to.¡± Be¡¯s eyes suddenly became sharp. The smile on her red lips was so charming that Justin was momentarily dazed. ¡°You¡¯re angry that you can¡¯t change the situation, so you can only find fault with me by mocking me with my private life. You just want to humiliate me to vent your anger. But I don¡¯t want to y by your rules. I¡¯ll fight for what I want, and I won¡¯t ever look back. I don¡¯t care what other people think of me. That includes you, Justin. If I want the Gold family to go bankrupt and want the Gold siblings to pay for what they have done, I¡¯ll do whatever I want. No one can stop me!¡± Justin¡¯s muscles tightened under his suit. His strong arms were tense, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging. He thought, ¡®Just look at her! Now that she has a backer, she¡¯s so confident and sharp-tongued!¡¯ Justin knew what she said was wrong, but he could not tell her how he felt. He was not angry because she used the Thompson brothers to punish the Gold family. He was mad that she smiled so sweetly at Axel. ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± Justin¡¯s breathing became heavier as he spat out those words. ¡°Am I shameless? I¡¯m just d you didn¡¯t describe me as an abandoned woman.¡± Be tried her best to smile frivolously to spite him. ¡°But even if I am shameless, what does it have to do with you? Who do you think you are? I can do whatever I want. You have no right to tell me what to do.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She did not want to continue the conversation, so she turned around and left in a huff. Unexpectedly, Justin grabbed her arm, which happened to be her left arm that had only recovered a few days ago. He used a frightening amount of force as well. ¡°Ouch! Let me go!¡± Be was in pain, but she did not dare to struggle for fear of another dislocation. ¡°Anna, you know exactly who I am.¡± Justin¡¯s throat was hoarse, and his eyes were intense. It was like they were at a betting table. His desire to win forced him to rack his brains to reveal her cards. Beughed in exasperation. ¡°I do know who you are. You¡¯re just my good-for-nothing ex- husband!¡± ¡°Anna!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. ¡°Justin Salvador! Let her go!¡± Suddenly, a tall man stood in front of Be to shield her as he shoved Justin away fiercely. ¡°Steve, I¡¯m fine. Mr. Salvador just wanted to chat with me.¡± Beforted Steven without any fear. ¡°If it was just a chat, why would he touch you? He even yanked your injured arm! You were just comining about how ufortable it was before going to bedst night. It¡¯s all his fault!¡± Steven red at Justin warily. Justin¡¯s heart trembled. He curled the fingers that touched her. Be looked at Steven, who was still fuming, and felt that he should not have said so much in front of Justin, lest Justin think that she was just acting pitiful. ¡°Are you Asher¡¯s secretary?¡± Justin recognized Steven at a nce. His face was dark. Chapter 53 Steven replied, ¡°Yes, but now I¡¯m Miss¡­¡± Be tugged on Steven¡¯s arm and shot a look at him, telling him to shut up. Steven was quick-witted and immediately stopped talking. Justin scoffed. ¡°Hah! Asher even assigned his most trusted secretary to you. He¡¯s really treating you well.¡± Justin put aside hisplicated emotions so that his face turned stone cold again. He sneered. ¡± Congrattions. I guess you¡¯re about to marry into a wealthy family again. You deceived me, and now you¡¯re deceiving Asher Thompson. I hope that you never let him see through your true colors.¡± Every word was like a knife that pierced and twisted Be¡¯s heart. Steven instantly noticed Be¡¯s unsteady breathing because he was holding her in his arms. Her thin shoulders were also trembling slightly. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. What puzzled Steven even more were Justin¡¯s words. ¡®What the hell is he talking about? Is he crazy?!¡¯ ¡°Steve, let me introduce you to this man.¡± Be took a deep breath and put away her heartache. She smiled and said, ¡°This is Mr. Salvador, president of Salvador Corporation, and my ex-husband, who I was married to for three years.¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± Steven¡¯s face turned pale. He felt like he was struck by lightning. Be disappeared for three years and had gotten married to Justin Salvador. She hid from the world and the Thompson family just so she could be Justin¡¯s wife?! Why the hell would she do that?! ¡°But now, we¡¯re divorced, and I left without taking a penny. He has nothing to do with me, so we¡¯re strangers.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not officially divorced yet! Grandpa¡¯s birthday¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop using Grandpa as an excuse!¡± Be was furious. Her eyes were red as she said, ¡°You¡¯re just using Grandpa to maintain this ridiculous marriage so that you can humiliate me like this, right? That¡¯s because you know that I care about Grandpa.¡± Justin¡¯s body shook. He winced in pain, as if this woman had bitten him. Anna had never been so angry before. In his memory, she was an even-tempered person. She was like a sandbag that he could punch because she would neverin, no matter what. But this time, her eyes were full of anger and hatred. It was a hundred times worse than thest time she red at him in the hospital. Be yelled, ¡°There¡¯s nothing left between us. You ended our rtionship by cheating on me while we were still married. But have I ever med you for anything? What gives you the right to iste and neglect me when we were married while still expecting me to be a chaste and dutiful wife? Do you expect me to never marry again? How can you be so selfish?¡± Selfish? Justin felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He did not even realize how abnormal his behavior was gradually bing. He also did not know why he was still so obsessed with his ex-wife. ¡°What¡¯s more, I have never broken a promise. I will keep our divorce a secret until Grandpa¡¯s birthday. You were the one who failed to handle this and allowed Rosalind to expose everything.¡± Be smiled bitterly. Thest glint of light in her eyes was extinguished. ¡°Come to think of it, I know why you¡¯re ming me for everything. That¡¯s because you don¡¯t want to me Rosalind, right?¡± Justin felt that his whole body had turned to stone. He watched helplessly as Steven held his ex-wife. His cheeks were hot, as if he had been pped countless times. ¡°I will never look back.¡± Justin clenched his fists. He had clearly given her up first, but why did he feel like the one being abandoned? His throat was filled with bitterness, and his heart felt like it had been shot. Chapter 54 Be was not in the mood to go to the hotel, so she changed her route and drove home. Steven was silent for a long time. Finally, he could not help but ask, ¡°Ms. Be, does Justin not know that you¡¯re the heiress of KS Group?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Be responded in a low voice. She looked tired. Steven finally understood. No wonder Be had to find a substitute for herself thest time Justin came unannounced to the office. ¡°Steve, I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you¡­¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Be raised her eyes in shock. ¡°No one wants to relive bad memories, so it¡¯s natural that you¡¯ll want to keep them locked up in the deepest depths of your heart. I¡¯m just worried about you and how your father will react when he finds out about this. He¡¯ll be distressed and heartbroken for you.¡± Steven¡¯s hand that was holding the steering wheel was clenched so tightly that his veins were bulging. His eyes were also watery. Everyone in the Thompson family loved Be. Yet Justin ruined her. If Wyatt found out, he would probably chop Justin to pieces. ¡°I¡¯ll hide it as long as I can. Now that I have experienced a failed marriage, I just want to be single forever!¡± Be closed her eyes. Her mind kept reying those hurtful words that Justin said. She smiled wryly and said, ¡°Marriage is really boring.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t get married, I won¡¯t either.¡± Steven pledged his allegiance. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that! You should get married. You¡¯re my secretary, not a priest! If word of this spreads, people will think that I will only hire celibates. You¡¯ll ruin my reputation!¡± Be quickly waved in a panic. Stevenughed awkwardly, feeling bitter in his heart. He knew that he was not good enough for her, but he was willing to stay by her side and support her silently. ¡°Ms. Be, why did you want to marry Justin?¡± Be squinted her eyes. She looked dejected as a flurry of emotions surged in her heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t pry¡­¡¯ ¡°When I was 11 years old, I went hiking with my ss as a school activity. That was when I lost the sapphire pendant that my mother left me. I didn¡¯t care about the teacher¡¯s obstruction and went up the mountains alone to look for the pendant in the dark. I went through all the paths I took, but I still couldn¡¯t find it. In the end, I got lost. There was a hurricane that night, and I was trapped in the mountains with no signal on my phone. I was quite certain I would die there. At that time, Justin happened to be working as a ranger in the National Forest Park during his summer vacation. He led his team to search for me in the mountains despite the extreme weather. Finally, he found me behind a rock, almost frozen¡­¡± With a soothing voice, Be narrated her past that upied her entire youth. ¡°I opened my eyes and saw Justin in mountaineering gear. He looked so handsome even when drenched. His eyes were shining brighter than the stars, and they were so captivating¡­¡± ¡°Wow! You¡¯re doing great, little girl! Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll carry you down the mountain!¡± That was the first time Be met Justin, and it was love at first sight. ¡°Justin carried me down the mountain. He was afraid that I would fall asleep on the way back, so he kept telling me jokes that weren¡¯t funny. He¡¯s really bad at telling jokes.¡± Be recalled the past, looking calm with a slight smile. ¨C¡°What¡¯s your name, little girl?¡± ¨C¡°Well, if you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll just call you little girl since you¡¯re so small anyway¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not small! I¡¯m growing faster than the other girls!¡± -¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t go around telling other boys about this.¡± ¨C¡°Why not?¡± ¨C¡°Because some bad boys will take advantage of you, silly.¡± Be¡¯s breathing became unsteady, and her heart was pounding. Justin was 17 years old at that time. He was not as tall or strong as he was now, but she already felt an irreceable sense of security with him. Later, they almost fell off a cliff, but Justin held onto her tightly and saved her life. Then Justin disappeared from her life for three years. The next time she saw him was on TV. He was attending a charity event with the Salvador family. From then on, Be started chasing him wherever he went. When she heard that Justin was on the battlefield, she decided to join Doctors Without Borders just so she could silently apany him. She used to love him despite all odds, but now, she was so disheartened that she could no longer love him again. Be smiled bitterly. It turned out that thirteen years of infatuated love would one day end so tragically. Steven listened quietly and felt shocked and regretful. ¡°But Steve, I really can¡¯t bring myself to hate him.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Be stretched out her hand and felt the wind passing between her fingers, just like the love that she could never grasp. ¡°I willingly loved Justin, so I don¡¯t regret the things I have done. I¡¯ve paid my debt to him.¡± Justin was in a trance until he returned to Tideview Manor. His mind was buzzing, as if a thousand flies were in his head. He felt suffocated like a huge boulder was pressing down on his chest. Chapter 55 Justin kept thinking about the way Amma looked at him at the end. She looked so disappointed and resentful, as if they were enemies. Why did his heart feel empty? It felt as if he had lost something important to him. As soon as Justin walked into the study, Wilma followed him. She looked a little unhappy. ¡°Young Master, Ms. Gold¡¯s car is downstairs. You should go down and greet her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Wilma was shocked to see Justin ignore Rosalind. She was so happy that she could shed tears of joy. ¡°I know why she¡¯s here.¡± Justin slumped on the sofa. His eyes were a little distant. ¡°Go down and tell her that if she¡¯s here for Zeke, don¡¯t bother. The Gold family must be in chaos now, so she should go back and spend more time with her parents. After two days when the media scrutiny dies down, I will go and visit her.¡± ¡°What if she refuses to leave?¡± ¡°Then just let her be.¡± Justin sighed heavily and rubbed his sore temples. All that came to mind was the way Anna called him a ¡°good-for-nothing ex-husband¡±. ¡®Ugh! How am I a good-for-nothing? She doesn¡¯t even know what I¡¯m capable of!¡¯ Wilma responded with a smile and secretly gave Justin a thumbs-up as she hurriedly left the study. Justin frowned. It seemed that Wilma really hated Rosalind from the bottom of her heart. Wilma looked like Christmas came early when she got the green light to kick Rosalind out. Wilma went outside the vi and stood on the steps, ring at the anxious Rosalind. ¡°The young master said that he won¡¯t interfere with your family affairs. You should give up and go home.¡± ¡°Let me go in and see Justin!¡± After saying that, Rosalind wanted to rush through the door. However, Rosalind was weakpared to the strong Wilma. Wilma only had to stand upright. She did not even stretch out her hands. But Rosalind had already lost her bnce and fell to the ground. ¡°Ah! You¡­ How dare you push me! I¡¯m Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, your futuredy boss! How could you be so rude to me?!¡± Rosalind slumped on the ground in anger and pointed at Wilma. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Justin that you bullied me! I¡¯ll get him to fire you!¡± ¡°Hah! Futuredy boss? I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll have to wait a while longer before you try to boss me around. Even if you marry the young master, I will never recognize you as my boss. In my heart, the onlydy boss I will ever have is Ms. Brown. Even if the young master and Ms. Brown are separated now, she will always be the onlydy boss that I respect. Other women like you can step aside!¡± ¡°You!¡± Rosalind was livid. ¡°Ms. Gold, feel free toin about me to the young master. I¡¯ll just thank you if you really have the means to make the young master fire me. It¡¯s about time I retire. This way, I won¡¯t have toe up with an excuse!¡± Wilma really wanted Justin toe downstairs and see Rosalind¡¯s fierce face at this moment. Rosalind did not look like her usual soft, frail, and harmless self. ¡°Justin! You can¡¯t just let this be! You must help my brother!¡± Rosalind stopped talking to Wilma. She simply knelt on the ground and cried. This scene looked like it was taken out of a TV show, where a disgraced mistress was begging for mercy from the King. Seeing that Justin did not respond for a long time, Rosalind started to call out to different people. ¡°Aunt Shannon! Please help me! Aunt Shannon! Uncle Greg!¡± ¡°Stop shouting! The chairman went out with Madam Shannon and her daughters to have dinner with the Old Master. They won¡¯t be back for a while.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait here until Justin sees me!¡± Wilma raised her head to look at the sky, which was covered in dark clouds. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain. I have to collect theundry. Shout all you like!¡± After that, Wilma left Rosalind behind and went into the vi, telling the servants not to open the door for Rosalind, no matter what. Rosalind shouted for a long time until she lost her voice, but Justin still did not show up. She was pale and flustered. She could feel the changes in Justin recently, and it was bing more difficult to control him. Usually, Justin woulde running to her when he heard that she was around, no matter how busy he was. He would put aside his work ande to see her. When he saw her crying, he would try his best to coax her withvish gifts. He was always generous with her. But now, Justin would not even meet her. Not long after, it began to rain heavily. Rosalind decided to y the pity card. Instead of sitting in the car, she knelt outside until she was drenched. She was shivering, and she looked like she would copse at any moment. ¡°Justin¡­ Let me see you¡­¡± ¡°Hmph! Such a cheap trick. Only a fool will fall for it!¡± Wilma sneered as she stood in front of the window watching the show. Suddenly, she heard strong footstepsing from behind. Wilma turned around and saw Justin walking toward the entrance with a tight frown. Chapter 56 Wilma was shocked to see Justin. She thought, ¡®Oh, no! Does the young master not notice this little bitch¡¯s cheap tricks? If so, he¡¯s really stupid¡­¡¯ At this time, Justin picked up a ck umbre and opened the front door. His face was as gloomy as the sky outside. ¡°Young Master!¡± Wilma called out anxiously. However, the man still went out with the umbre. Wilma was so vexed that she stomped her foot. Outside the door, Rosalind sat in the rain. She could barely put up with this act and wanted to retreat. However, when she saw that handsome man walking toward her, she felt excited. She quickly started sobbing pitifully. Justin narrowed his eyes and quickly walked up to Rosalind, holding up an umbre for her while lifting her up from the ground. He was strong and determined, so she could not resist. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Rosalind let out a soft cry and threw herself into his arms. Rosalind looked like she was on the verge of copsing earlier, but now that she saw Justin, she was rejuvenated. Her arms wrapped tightly around his strong waist, like a snake encircling its prey. Her wet face was rubbing against his chest. Justin was frustrated. He said in a deep voice, ¡°You are already weak as it is. You¡¯ll get sick if you stay in the rain like this.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, will youe to see me? I just want to see you. Why don¡¯t you want to see me?¡± Rosalind raised her pale and wretched face. Her eyes were flustered. ¡°Justin¡­ Do you not love me anymore? You¡¯ve been cold toward me recently¡­ Is it because of that suit? I know I made a mistake. I can apologize to Anna and beg her for forgiveness.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not angry anymore.¡± Justin looked indifferent and said, ¡°You should be happy now that you¡¯ve seen me. Rose, go home and spend time with your family. After this storm subsides, I¡¯ll go and visit you.¡± ¡°Justin! Please¡­ Please save my brother!¡± Seeing that Justin wanted to drive her away, Rosalind was so anxious that her face turned red. She no longer cared to y her game and hugged Justin. Her hands were gradually slipping down his strong body. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°My brother is about to be sentenced to prison! Nowyer in Savrow dares to defend my brother, no matter how much money we offer, because of the Thompsons! The Thompson family are such bullies. They want to drive my family into bankruptcy. Justin¡­ You must help us¡­ My family is almost bankrupt, and my brother is about to be a prisoner! I beg you¡­¡± Justin¡¯s expression was cold. He did not waver at all, as if he were unaffected by all her mortal woes. He was ruthless, but he was strangely persistent about loving Rosalind. He stuck to a promise he made as a teenager until he was 30 years old. He did not even hesitate to hurt another woman who loved him deeply, nor did he care if he went against his grandfather. He would still marry Rosalind. However, he was impartial when it came to business. He had no tolerance for the crimesmitted by the Gold family, and he made his attitude clear. At this moment, Justin recalled the harsh words he had used when he was trying to negotiate with Be on behalf of the Golds. He even used the Golds¡¯ situation to mock Anna. Regret arose in his heart, and his tone became even harsher. ¡°The Thompson family is innocent in this matter. Your brother brought this upon himself. I suggest that he confess to his crimes so that he can seek a reduced sentence. That¡¯s the right thing to do. Gold Corporation should be overhauled because of poor management. Even if I allocate another billion. dors to yourpany, it won¡¯t make a difference if you don¡¯t rectify the internal issues. Rosalind¡¯s lips trembled. She was dumbfounded. She originally thought that Justin would be soft-hearted and give in to her if she cried miserably in front of him. But this time, she was wrong. Justin had been tolerant of her before because she had not touched his bottom line. Since she crossed a line, he would not show her any mercy, even if he loved her. In the end, Justin forced the crying Rosalind into the car, ordered the driver to lock the door, and watched her leave Tideview Manor. His frown rxed after a while. Justin stood in the rain for a long time, holding the ck umbre. When he thought of the disappointed look in Anna¡¯s eyes when she looked at him, his heart ached. The pain was dense and unavoidable. After Zeke was arrested, the Golds became listless. When Rosalind¡¯s parents saw their daughter¡¯s pale and dejected face and mud-covered body, their first words were not voicing their concerns about how she ended up like this. Instead, they anxiously asked if Justin would help Zeke, even if it meant getting Zeke awyer. As a result, Rosalind just shook her head with a gloomy look on her face. Chapter 57 ¡°Useless wench!¡± Rosalind¡¯s father, Patrick, coughed several times in pain and scolded Rosalind. Have you done anything to help the family even though you¡¯ve cozied up to Justin all these years?! You didn¡¯t get a single asset from him or marry him after dating him for so long. It seems to me that Justin doesn¡¯t love you at all. Giving birth to a daughter like you is just a waste of money! You useless bitch!¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were red. Her father had always preferred sons over daughters. When Patrick heard that his wife, Jean, was pregnant with a girl, he forced her to abort the pregnancy. However, the doctor said that Jean would no longer have another chance of conceiving if they were to terminate this pregnancy. Jean also insisted on giving birth to Rosalind. As a result, after giving birth to Rosalind, Jean was still unable to conceive again. That was why Patrick hated Rosalind even more. Rosalind has lived in the shadow of her brother since she was a child. To get attention, she clung to her aunt, Shannon. Rosalind lost her childlike innocence at a young age and learned how to be scheming so that she could make a future for herself. She wanted to impress her father and be the most respected woman in Savrow. Justin was her first test subject when she was just 8 years old. Rosalind initially looked down on Justin¡¯s identity as an illegitimate son. Instead, she was more interested in his eldest brother. Shannon had told Rosalind to practice with Justin first. Even if Rosalind did not like Justin, it was still nice to have a wealthy boy as her follower. Thus, Shannon provided her with the opportunity to be Justin¡¯s savior and the light of redemption in his time of darkness. That was why Justin was so obsessed with Rosalind. During this time, Rosalind brought a lot of benefits to the Gold family. But in the end, her father only regarded her as a tool to gain power. Patrick said that she was worthless if she made the slightest N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. mistake. Rosalind¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. She sneered and thought, ¡®I don¡¯t want to help Zeke. He should just rot in prison for the rest of his life. That way, Gold Corporation will be mine, even if it¡¯s just an empty shell!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s enough, Patrick! Don¡¯t say such hurtful things! What can Rose do if Justin refuses to help?!¡± Rosalind¡¯s mother, Jean, hurriedly came over to hug her daughter and red at her husband. ¡°This is all your fault! If you hadn¡¯t spoiled Zeke to the point where he thinks that he¡¯s above thew, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this! You men only know how to take it out on us when things go wrong!¡± Patrick was fuming. He reminded himself that his wife¡¯s sister was Gregory Salvador¡¯s wife, so he controlled his anger. ¡°Our top priority now is to restore ourpany¡¯s image as quickly as possible. Secondly, we need to finalize Rose and Justin¡¯s wedding date.¡± Jean¡¯s eyes turned vicious when she thought of Justin¡¯s refusal to save her son. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out, just find a way to get pregnant. When the timees, the Salvadors won¡¯t be able to get rid of Rose.¡± ¡°Mom! Did you forget¡­¡± Rosalind pointed to her belly in panic. Jean remembered the stretch marks on Rose¡¯s belly that had not been removed yet and sighed in frustration. ¡°Rose, if it can¡¯t be removed, just cover them with tattoos. That¡¯s the fastest solution.¡± Rosalind was very reluctant to have random tattoos on her belly because she had always been ying the ¡°good girl¡± persona. After several courses ofser treatment, her stretch marks were still obvious. If the marks would not fade by her wedding date, this was herst resort. At this time, the servants came downstairs with Rosalind¡¯s things. ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve sorted out everything.¡± ¡°Mom, these are my jewelry boxes! Where are you taking them?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m selling these.¡± ¡°What?! Why? These are my collectibles!¡± Rosalind ran over in a panic and grabbed the most valuable box. Justin gave this ruby pendant named ¡°The ming Heart¡± as a token of love. Justin personally flew to Feranco three times two years ago and stayed there for more than half a month to hire a first-ss jewelry designer to design this ne for Rosalind. Although Rosalind did not know how much the pendant cost, such arge ruby was extremely rare. It would cost at least seven figures. Justin had always been generous to her. ¡°Thepany needs money now. If you and I sell some of our valuable jewelry, we can still keep the company running. There will be a charity auction in half a month, so we must attend the auction to win a favorable image for our family! What¡¯s more, it¡¯s Old Master Salvador¡¯s birthday soon. We can buy something at the auction as his birthday gift. That¡¯ll kill two birds with one stone!¡± Jean looked at her daughter with amenting expression, but she stillforted Rosalind. ¡°Rose, when you marry Justin, that boy will buy you all the jewelry you want. Don¡¯t worry about it. Don¡¯t forgo the big picture because of a small profit. You will be the futuredy boss of Salvador Corporation. We can¡¯t count on your brother anymore, so you¡¯re our only hope!¡± Rosalind hesitated for a long time. Finally, she gritted her teeth and handed the jewelry box to her mother. Chapter 58 Gold Corporation was in a huge product and trust crisis. Netizens were moring to boycott Gold Corporation. Of the 500 stores across the country that Zeke was so proud of, 400 closed down in less than a week. The remaining 100 stores or so were hanging by a thread. They went on a fire sale just to clear their stock, even if they were selling below their cost price. Seeing the huge losses day by day, Patrick, who was already in poor health, copsed. Jean went to her sister¡¯s house to ask for help, but Shannon dared not intervene. She could only sit back and watch. ¡°Nigel has given us an ultimatum. If anyone helps the Gold family, he will disown us. Jean, I really can¡¯t help you this time.¡± Shannon sighed, took her sister¡¯s hand, andforted her. ¡°Although I can¡¯t help yourpany, I have asked Greg to settle on a wedding date for Rose and Justin as soon as possible. It¡¯s scheduled to be the first weekend after Nigel¡¯s birthday. What do you think?¡± ¡°Do we still have to wait until his 80th birthday?¡± Jean asked impatiently. Jean could wait, but thepany could not. ¡°Sigh. I wish Rose would marry Justin tomorrow, but Nigel insists on waiting until after his birthday, so there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Shannon lowered her voice and added, ¡°I heard that Anna Brown had an affair with the president of KS Group after she left Justin. On the day she left, Mr. Thompson picked her up. Many servants saw it.¡± Jean also heard something like this from her sonst time. She felt extremely jealous. She hated that her daughter was not so skilled in fishing for a good husband. Rosalind could not even get Justin to marry her, but Justin¡¯s ex-wife scored a second time with the Thompsons, which was equal to the Salvadors. ¡°I was just wondering if Anna was the one who persuaded Mr. Thompson to target your family.¡± Shannon looked confused and continued to fan the mes. Jean was immediately enlightened by this suggestion. She sat up on the sofa, and her eyes turned red with anger. ¡°That damn bitch! She dyed Rose¡¯s marriage and interfered even after she was divorced from Justin. Does she think that no one can touch her now that she has found a new backer?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ She¡¯s really invincible now.¡± Shannon clicked her tongue and continued, ¡°After all, Anna is now Mr. Thompson¡¯s favorite. No one will dare offend her because of the Thompson family¡¯s status.¡± ¡°Right. But just look at the disparity between them! The Thompson family is one of the top families in the country. How could she dream of marrying Mr. Thompson?!¡± Jean was furious. A cold gleam shed in her eyes. ¡°Hah! Anna was very good at pretending to be Justin¡¯s devoted wife, right? I bet she¡¯s been hooking up with Mr. Thompson for a long time. Otherwise, how could she get together with Mr. Thompson so quickly? Shannon, don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be exciting to expose her true colors on Nigel¡¯s birthday?¡± Shannon smiled and said nothing. She picked up the expensive teacup and sipped on the ck tea. That was indeed a good idea. On the other side, in the general manager¡¯s office of the KS World Hotel, Be was ying a gory video game. Be was very talented and efficient. She had finished approving all the documents and was taking a break by ying her favorite game. She always enjoyed a killer game. As soon as she shed a monster, blood spilled all over theputer screen. Steven came in just in time to see this scene. He was so frightened that he turned away and closed his eyes tightly. ¡°Spit it out. If not, then leave.¡± Be clicked her mouse and keyboard rapidly. Her dexterity was N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. incredible. ¡°Ms. Be, I have two interesting things to report to you.¡± As he spoke, Steven used his hand to block his eyes from seeing theputer screen, quickly put a document in front of Be, then retreated far away. ¡°OMG! You¡¯re such a wuss! How will you be able to protect your girlfriend in the future? Next time, I¡¯ll take you to a haunted house to build up your courage!¡± After saying that, Be, who was the butcher, chopped down another person. Once again, the whole screen was covered in blood. ¡°Yes!¡± She cheered. Steven¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Be only quit the game after she killed all the monsters. Then she picked up the file. ¡°Why are you showing me pawned items from the Thompson Pawn Shop?¡± ¡°Rosalind¡¯s mother sold jewelry to our pawn shop. Sold, not pawned.¡± Chapter 59 Steven smiled with a hint of amusement. ¡°Ms. Be, you asked me to keep an eye on the Gold family¡¯s activities, and I made an interesting discovery.¡± Be smiled slyly. ¡°I expected it. Without Salvador Corporation¡¯s help, the Gold family would have had to find ways to raise money to fill the hole. But I thought they would sell their house ornd. I didn¡¯t expect them to just sell some jewelry. Tsk, tsk. I guess they¡¯re wealthier than they look.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just burning thest bit of money to stay alive. It¡¯s not as satisfying to see them slowly wither out than to copse all at once. ]] Steven snorted coldly. ¡°That¡¯s their retribution for defaming us!¡± Be did not say anything else. She just looked through the files of the pawned items leisurely. Not many people know that the Thompson family had arge-scale pawn shop in Savrow and Hatchbay. Wyatt liked to collect antiques-calligraphy, paintings, and rare treasures. Thus, he secretly set up two pawn shops so that he would be able to receive some unexpected treasures. He had found many treasures in the past few years in the pawn shop. After all, not many people redeemed their pawned items within the stipted time. Suddenly, Be widened her eyes. Her fingertips trembled slightly. When she saw ¡°The ming Heart¡±, she suppressed the surge of blood rushing to her chest. Her eyes were filled with mockery and anger. This ne was a token of love that Justin gave Rosalind. He went through hoops to get this for Rosalind two years ago. When she first saw this pendant under the light two years ago, Be fell deeply in love with it. At that time, she dreamed that the ne was for her. She hoped that Justin would give her a gift. She would still be ecstatic if he gave her something inexpensive, even a pebble. However, that was merely her dream. Justin only gave gifts to the people he loved. Since he did not love her, she did not deserve a gift from him. In the end, Rosalind sold off Justin¡¯s thoughtful gift that represented his love for her. Be felt like laughing when she saw this, but she felt bitter about it. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see how Justin will react if he finds out about this.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Steven did not hear her murmur. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°The Gold family doesn¡¯t know what they¡¯re selling. This ne costs at least eight figures, but they¡¯re selling it for $7 million? We made a huge profit out of this!¡± Be shed a devious smile. At this time, her phone rang. It was her eldest brother calling. ¡°Hey, Ash!¡± Be regained herposure. Her voice was as sweet as honey. ¡°Be, how are you? Are you tired? Is there anything you need help with?¡± Asher was gentle and thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. But you shouldn¡¯t overwork yourself. Take a break sometimes.¡± They chatted for a while before Asher said, ¡°There is a charity auction on the weekend. Why don¡¯t you attend it on my behalf? Dad asked me to help him buy the antique rosewood chair. His budget is $100 million. But I have to go to church on the weekend, so I won¡¯t be free. Can I trouble you to buy that chair for Dad?¡± ¡°Me? What should I go as? Girlfriend of the KS Group¡¯s president?¡± Be teased him, picked up a chocte bar, and took a bite. ¡°Sure.¡± Be was dumbfounded. ¡°You can be whoever you want to be as long as you go in my stead. Why don¡¯t you tell everyone that you¡¯re the Thompson family¡¯s treasure?¡± Be chewed on the chocte and nodded. ¡°That seems like a good idea.¡¯ Asher chuckled and said dotingly, ¡°You¡¯ve never shown your face in front of the media or the public. No one in Savrow¡¯s elite circle recognizes you either, so you can go and have fun.¡± ¡°Okay, then! But I think the $100 million budget is a little low. What if I see something I like?¡± ¡°Just bid for it. I¡¯ll buy it for you. But you know the rules in our family. If you bid for something, you must win it. Don¡¯t leave any chance for others.¡± ¡°I know. Wyatt¡¯s motto is to always be a step ahead of everyone!¡± Be snapped her fingers and ¡°Good luck, Be. Don¡¯t forget to get the rosewood chair!¡± After hanging up the phone, Steven worriedly reminded Be. ¡°Ms. Be, since we¡¯re participating in the charity auction in Mr. Asher¡¯s stead, we ought to bring an auction item as well. But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a bit hasty to prepare for it now.¡± ¡°Yes, we should bring something, and I have just the item for it.¡± Be smiled like a fox. Chapter 60 Finally, it was the weekend. Many reporters gathered outside and were not allowed into the Savrow tinum Auction House because rich people valued their privacy. Those who attended the auction were collectors and investment bankers who only had their minds on profit. They were not celebrities who needed media exposure, so no one took an interest in taking interviews. They only flocked to the treasures on disy. Of course, Shannon, Jean, and Rosalind were the only exceptions. At this time every year, Shannon would be all decked out in her finest dress and jewelry to attend this high-profile charity auction. She seemed like a third-rate star walking on the red carpet, letting the media take photos of her while she blocked the entrance. Then she would leave indignantly when the staff of the auction house persuaded her to move aside. It was as if she was afraid that everyone would forget that she was the outdated actress who rose to the top by being a homewrecker more than 20 years ago. Gregory had not attended this auction for the past two years, probably because he was embarrassed by his wife. However, Shannon did not repeat her old tricks this year since Jean repeatedly begged Shannon to leave the spotlight for Rosalind and herself. No matter how unwilling Shannon was, she had to give in to Jean¡¯s request. Thus, the ¡°ushers¡± standing at the entrance this year became Rosalind and Jean. ¡°This time, we¡¯re attending the auction, hoping to bid for some excellent collectibles while doing our part for charity.¡± Jean acted like an elite woman and spoke confidently in front of the reporters. ¡°Mrs. Gold, what is the current financial situation of Gold Corporation? I heard it¡¯s on the verge of bankruptcy.¡± One of the reporters asked sharply. ¡°Is Mr. Gold¡¯s investigation over? Will he be sentenced to jail?¡± ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a change in sentiment between your daughter and the CEO of Salvador Corporation. Is this true?¡± Change in sentiment? Rosalind heard this and suddenly stepped forward, holding the hem of her floor-length dress. She red at the reporter until her scalp went numb. ¡°What do you mean by that? Where did you hear that?!¡± ¡°Ms. Gold, you don¡¯t need to be so sensitive. It¡¯s just a casual question. After all, as your fianc¨¦, Mr. Salvador didn¡¯t help your family in crisis. He hasn¡¯t spoken or expressed his position until now. It¡¯s only reasonable that his attitude in the recent event will cause such spection.¡± ¡°Justin and I haven¡¯t broken up yet! Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± When Rosalind thought about how Justin had not taken the initiative to contact her these days, she became anxious. Her voice also rose an octave. Jean pulled her frustrated daughter behind her and smiled at the cameras. ¡°My daughter and Mr. Salvador¡¯s rtionship has always been very stable. Please don¡¯t think too much about it. The situation between Gold Corporation and Salvador Corporation is amercial secret, so we don¡¯t know much about it.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador is also present today. Why didn¡¯t you attend with him, Ms. Gold?¡± ¡°It seems like you two have never been photographed together in public. Is it to avoid suspicion?¡± ¡°Why should they avoid suspicion? Mr. Salvador will definitely attend with my daughter if he¡¯s here ¡­¡± A reporter stated, ¡°But many of us saw that Mr. Salvador had already entered the venue half an hour in advance.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Rosalind and Jean were caught off guard, and their faces were grim. On the other side, Justin had already entered the venue, apanied by his assistant, Ian. ¡°Justin!¡± Ryan walked over in a hurry. He narrowed his charming eyes and hugged Justin¡¯s waist affectionately. ¡°Tsk, someone¡¯s been training!¡± Ryan even poked Justin¡¯s lean waist. ¡°Watch your hands.¡± Justin frowned. He did not move and only red at Ryan. ¡°Tsk, so serious! Back in the old days, you were always pinching me when we were sleeping together.¡± Ryan stopped touching Justin¡¯s waist. Instead, he hugged Justin¡¯s broad shoulders and said, ¡°Hey, your fianc¨¦e and future mother-inw are here. Why don¡¯t you go over and say hello?¡± ¡°I should avoid arousing suspicion.¡± ¡°Pft! I guess you¡¯re not all love brains to save the Gold family. They¡¯re notorious for their poor- quality products. No one wants to help them.¡± ¡°Who are you calling love-brained?¡± Justin¡¯s face suddenly darkened as he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can say just because this is your turf.¡± whatever you want It was a well-known fact among the elites that tinum Auction Shop was owned by the Hoffman. Group and was fully managed by Ryan. ¡°Bro, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. I really don¡¯t want to see your reputation ruined by that good- for-nothing Gold family.¡± Ryan pursed his lips and said, ¡°My grandfather didn¡¯t want the Gold family to attend the charity dinner, but he decided to let it be because he didn¡¯t want to offend you. You know that the Golds don¡¯t deserve to be here.¡± ¡°Right now, yes. But Rose will marry me sooner orter. When the timees, I hope that you¡¯ll change your mind about her.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°After all, she¡¯s different from her family.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll respect her, but you probably won¡¯t like what I¡¯m about to say.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°In terms of appearance and personality, I still think that your beautiful and resilient ex-wife is more suitable for you. You need her kind of fire to warm up someone as cold as you.¡± Ryan went ahead and said it anyway. Chapter 61 Ian covered his mouth so hard that he almost suffocated to keep himself fromughing. Justin felt a surge of anger in his chest. He said indifferently, ¡°There is no way that Anna and I will have a future together. I will also never be so shameless as to take back the divorce.¡± Ryan shrugged and did not bother to expose him, so he changed the topic. ¡°Is there anything you want from today¡¯s auction?¡± ¡°Yes, the antique rosewood chair.¡± Justin nned to give it to his grandfather as a birthday gift. ¡°You¡¯ve got nice taste! Alright, I¡¯ll find a way to dissuade anyone else from bidding for this item.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Justin shook his head lightly and said, ¡°This is a charity auction. If this chair is destined to be mine, no one will be able to take it from me. If I take it by force, it won¡¯t be any fun.¡± The two men entered the venue and walked straight to the first row. This row was reserved for the VVIPS. Only the truly wealthy elites and aristocrats were qualified to sit here. Ryan and Justin were tall and handsome. They quickly attracted everyone¡¯s attention when they entered the room. The elitedies blushed shyly. ¡°Mr. Salvador is so handsome! He¡¯spletely my ideal type!¡± ¡°Your ideal type? You should stop thinking about him as soon as possible. Don¡¯t you know that Mr. Salvador is going to marry Ms. Gold?¡± ¡°What?! The Gold family that sells low-quality furniture? OMG! That family doesn¡¯t even deserve to touch Mr. Salvador¡¯s shoes! Is that man blind?¡± ¡°Rosalind Gold is Mr. Salvador¡¯s childhood sweetheart. He divorced his ex-wife just to marry that woman. Do you still think that you¡¯re so capable as to snatch him away from Rosalind?¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk¡­ What a pitiful ex-wife! Look at that bitch¡¯s pretentious attitude. I bet Mr. Salvador will be disgusted with her within two years!¡± Justin sat elegantly and exuded a chill that kept strangers away. He inadvertently nced sideways and saw that there was a chairbeled ¡°Asher Thompson¡± just across the aisle from him. Justin pressed his thin lips together and frowned. ¡°Justin, I really can¡¯t help it. My grandfather marked the first row seats well in advance, so I didn¡¯t dare rearrange them.¡± Ryan saw through Justin¡¯s thoughts and continued whispering in his ear, ¡°These seats are about who¡¯s the top crop in Savrow. Even your stepmother and your two silly sisters are seated in the back. Talk about how expensive this row is! Asher Thompson is Wyatt Thompson¡¯s eldest son and the president of KS Group. The Hoffman family can¡¯t possibly take sides between you two behemoths. So, you just have to bear with it.¡± In the lobby outside the venue, Shannon and Jean were socializing with several elitedies. Bethany and Rosalind were also holding hands, faking their closeness. Meanwhile, Carrie, Shannon¡¯s youngest daughter, was nowhere to be found. ¡°Where¡¯s Carrie? Is she missing?¡± Rosalind asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what she¡¯s up to, as long as she doesn¡¯t die.¡± Bethany got angry at the mention of her biological sister. Bethany felt that Carrie was cowardly and a disgrace to the Salvador family. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that. Carrie is your biological sister. You should love her more.¡± Rosalind pretended to be kind as she persuaded Bethany. ¡°I wish I never had such an embarrassing sister.¡± Bethany became angrier at Rosalind¡¯s persuasion. Rosalind secretly snickered in her heart. This was the best way to drive a wedge between the two sisters. That was because Rosalind was afraid that the two sisters would gang up on her after she married Justin. At this time, they heard strong and confident footsteps approaching. Shannon, Jean, Rosalind, Bethany, and several elitedies all looked in the direction of the footsteps. Be, who was dressed in an elegant ck suit, came into view. She paired it with sky-high stilettos. Her beautiful lips were tainted a ming red. Be, in her seemingly effortless outfit,pletely outshone Rosalind and Bethany. They had spent hours dressing up and were so angry that they clenched their dresses. Steven followed Be. He was also dressed up more than usual today, so he looked like Prince Charming. The duo strode in and wanted to ignore the bunch of showy women in the lobby. Unexpectedly, Shannon called out to Be with a smile. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Oh! I really didn¡¯t expect to see you on such an asion. How surprising! Charity events are really inclusive, huh?¡± Shannon implied that a country girl like Anna did not deserve to step foot in such an elegant hall. Be suddenly stopped walking. She put one hand in the pocket of her suit pants and looked at Shannon with a half-smile. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re easily surprised because you haven¡¯t been exposed to much. You ought to get out there and educate yourself.¡± Chapter 62 The crowd of elitedies around Shannon were stunned to hear this from Be and turned to look at Shannon. They had no idea that this stunning woman in front of them was Justin¡¯s ex-wife. They thought that Be must be from an extraordinary family. Otherwise, she would not dare to diss Shannon so outrightly. Shannon was livid. She gritted her teeth and sneered. ¡°Hah! Anna, you¡¯re indeed different now that you¡¯ve climbed to a higher branch. I never knew you had a way with words.¡± Be raised her beautiful eyebrows and did not care about Shannon¡¯s derision. ¡°I¡¯m merely mirroring how others talk to me. What does this have to do with climbing?¡± Shannon¡¯s face turned red. She was dizzy with anger. ¡°Anna! My mother is your elder. Why are you so rude?!¡± Seeing her mother being humiliated, Bethany immediately rushed forward, looking furious and rabid. Be sneered. Bethany inherited her mother¡¯s cunning mind, but she was certainly not as subtle as her mother. Be was not bothered to speak to such superficial women. ¡°Do you think everyone here is blind?¡± Steven could not bear it anymore and stood in front of Be to shield her. His expression was cold as he said, ¡°Anyone here can bear witness to who was first to make rude remarks.¡± ¡°Wow. Ms. Brown, you certainly have a lot of men standing up for you, like Mr. Thompson and this gentleman here.¡± Rosalind took the opportunity to mock Be. ¡°Rosalind, it¡¯s easy to spread rumors all you want, but have you ever thought about the price you will pay for running your mouth?¡± Be¡¯s sharp gaze stabbed Rosalind in the face. Rosalind¡¯s heart trembled. She used to think that Anna was an honest and meek country girl that she could easily bully. At this moment, Rosalind was slightly afraid of Anna because she could no longer figure out who Anna was. ¡°Ms. Brown, I really think it¡¯s inappropriate for you to show up here. We¡¯re just reminding you for your own good.¡± Jean smiled sweetly while she mocked Anna. ¡°Back then, you got between Rose and Justin because you were young and ignorant. You¡¯re in a passive situation now. Although you made a mistake, we didn¡¯t me you for it. Now that Rose is back together with Justin, it¡¯s really inappropriate for you to appear in front of Justin as his ex-wife. We don¡¯t mind since Rose is getting married to Justin soon. But if word spreads, don¡¯t you think that your reputation will be ruined, Ms. Brown?¡± Rosalind listened to her mother¡¯s mocking words and sneered sinisterly. She secretly praised her mother for being so quick-witted. After that speech, the crowd of elitedies looked at Be in shock and contempt. It turned out that this stunning woman was Justin¡¯s mysterious ex-wife, who got between Rosalind and Justin. How revolting! ¡°I got between them? Haha! Mrs. Gold, I think your brain is just as rotten as the furniture yourpany produces.¡± Beughed out loud without a hint of anger. ¡°You¡­!¡± Jean¡¯s eyes turned red with anger. ¡°Your precious daughter couldn¡¯t stand the pressure from the Salvador family and broke up with Mr. Salvador, so he was single when he married me. How did I get between them? Do you know what your daughter did during the three years I was married to Mr. Salvador? She had many ways to pester my husband. Shall I list them all out here?¡± Rosalind and Jean were shocked. Rosalind was so frightened that she dared not say a word. During those three years, Rosalind still tried every means to drive a wedge between Anna and Justin, even though she was in Meridan. Not only that, Rosalind even sent harassing text messages to Anna and called Anna to yell at her. However, Anna always kept it to herself and never fought back. If Anna wanted to settle the score now, she could expose all of Rosalind¡¯s dirty deeds. ¡°Steve, take it out and show them.¡± Be narrowed her eyes slightly. Steven understood what Be meant. He took out Be¡¯s marriage license and showed it to the crowd. Everyone was shocked. This marriage license was a p in the face for Rosalind and Jean. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°See? Mr. Salvador and I haven¡¯t finalized our divorce yet, but someone just can¡¯t wait to rece me.¡± Be smiled victoriously. Rosalind held back her anger until her face turned red. ¡®How outrageous! Who in their right mind would carry a marriage license with them?!¡¯ Be Thompson was certainly an unpredictable woman. Chapter 63 Be carried her marriage license around with her because she was always ready to finalize her divorce with Justin. This time, the marriage license was proof that Be and Justin were married, leaving the crowd tongue- tied. Shannon and Jean were rendered speechless. After all, Be and Justin were still legally married at this moment. What else could they say? They would just embarrass themselves if they continued talking. ¡°Now, everyone can decide for themselves who¡¯s the third party in our rtionship.¡± After saying that, Be put away the marriage license and walked away under everyone¡¯s shocked gaze. Rosalind was left behind, ashamed and angry. The auction was officially starting in less than five minutes. Almost all the distinguished guests were seated. Shannon and Bethany were sitting in the third row. From the moment they walked in the door, Bethany¡¯s eyes were locked on Ryan. ¡°He¡¯s so handsome¡­¡± ¡°The charity event held by the Hoffmans is too high-profile. I couldn¡¯t get them to seat us in the front row.¡¯ 3) ¡± Shannon snorted indignantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find you an opportunity to get close to Mr. Hoffman in the future. You¡¯re talented, beautiful, and better than most other girls, so Mr. Hoffman will definitely fall in love with you. Although Ryan was well-known in Savrow for being a promiscuous person, Shannon was determined to marry her daughter off to him. Moreover, Bethany also liked Ryan, so it was a win-win situation. ¡°Mom, Justin and Ryan are best friends. Can¡¯t you talk to Justin and get him to set us up?¡± Bethany begged. Shannon¡¯s eyes turned cold. She had already asked Justin, but he refused to help. ¡°Where¡¯s Carrie?¡± ¡°She must have gone to hide somewhere again. Mom, why do you have to take her out with us? She pulls a long face in front of the cameras and wanders off all the time. She¡¯s embarrassing our family!¡± Bethany disliked her biological sister. ¡°You know that your little sister has some issues. She¡¯s 20 years old this year, so I want to take her out to meet more people. If anyone takes a liking to her and is willing to marry her, I¡¯ll marry her off as soon as possible. That¡¯ll put an end to my worries.¡± Shannon sighed quietly. Shannon sounded like she was trying to sell her daughter as soon as possible. On the other side, Rosalind and Jean felt even more isted. There were more than a dozen rows of seats at the venue, but the two of them were ced in the most inconspicuousst row, although they were both decked out in their finest clothes. ¡°Mom! Justin is in the front row. I want to sit next to him!¡± As she spoke, Rosalind impatiently held up the hem of her dress, wanting to go to Justin. However, a bodyguard stopped her before she could take a step. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Gold. All seats here are fixed. You can¡¯t swap seats.¡± ¡°Why not? Who are you to stop me? Do you know who I am?¡± Rosalind raised her chin arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m aware. You are Mr. Salvador¡¯s girlfriend.¡± The bodyguard looked at her indifferently. Rosalind was rendered speechless. She did not know what else to say. ¡°But the chairman of Hoffman Group personally arranged these seats. You¡¯re not allowed to break this rule even if you are Mr. Salvador¡¯s wife.¡± Rosalind was so angry that her eyes widened. She wanted to argue, but Jean pulled her down to her seat. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s just a seat. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself!¡± Having said that, Jean saw Shannon and her daughter sitting in the front row from a distance, talking andughing,pletely forgetting about them. Jean was also secretly sulking about it. Shannon had always been like this since they were children, always trying to one-up her in everything. Shannon kept saying that she would help Jean and Rosalind get into the limelight tonight, but that was just a fake promise. The venue was almost full, except for Asher¡¯s seat, which was still empty. Justin nced to the side and quickly looked away. ¡°Huh? Why hasn¡¯t Mr. Thompson shown up yet? Is he noting?¡± Ryan muttered in surprise. At this moment, the door at the back of the hall opened. Everyone turned their attention to the door. Even Justin, who had always been aloof and unfeeling, could not help but turn back. In an instant, his breath hitched, and his blood surged. Justin was stunned to see his ex-wife. She looked so confident in her ck suit and killer stilettos as she walked towards the front row without looking around. She was like a goddessnding on earth. Chapter 64 Be did not wear a cumbersome gown. Instead, she chose to wear a ck suit that she designed herself. She had a brooch made of yellow diamonds pinned to her chest, made by the top jewelry designer, Alexa. She confidently strode to her seat, looking clean-cut and outstanding among the elitedies. The elitedies were merely pampered princesses, but Be was a domineering queen. When Rosalind saw that the thorn in her side had be the center of attention, she was fuming. In addition, the other elitedies around Rosalind looked at Be in amazement and started to whisper about her. ¡°OMG! Who is she? She¡¯s so elegant!¡± ¡°She¡¯s really young. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve thought that she¡¯s the big boss of some conglomerate. Her confidence is unbeatable!¡± ¡°Have you seen her brooch? That¡¯s the most exclusive collection from Alexa, ¡®The Twilight God¡¯! Three years ago, someone offered $100 million to get it. Alexa even scoffed at that number!¡± ¡°The Twilight God?!¡± Anyone in the jewelry industry knows about the famous designer, Alexa. Her creation, ¡°The Twilight God¡± also caused a sensation when it was exhibited three years ago! Just now, Rosalind was so angry that she did not notice what Be was wearing. Now that she took a closer look, she was so jealous that her teeth chattered. ¡°Hah! Anna is really good at taking advantage of Mr. Thompson.¡± Jean was jealous. At the same time, she admired Anna and dissed her daughter. ¡°I gave you the best of everything and trained you so that you¡¯d marry well, but in the end, you can¡¯t evenpare to a country girl! If your aunt hadn¡¯t given you the opportunity to get close to Justin, how could you have captured Justin¡¯s heart with your mediocre skills?¡± ¡°Mom! I¡¯ve already won. Why are you still saying such demoralizing things to me?!¡± Rosalind clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes were red. ¡°So what if Anna hooks up with Asher Thompson? The Salvador family is no worse than the Thompson family! What¡¯s more, Anna is a divorced woman. Justin will never go back to her. He¡¯s mine for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug if you didn¡¯t get your marriage license with him.¡± Jean was worried. ¡°Justin is clearly colder toward you. Even I can tell. Moreover, Nigel still refuses to ept you. He¡¯s doing everything possible to dy Justin and Anna¡¯s divorce. That means there is still a possibility for them to get back together. If you think you can sit back and rx now that Anna doesn¡¯t live with Justin anymore, you¡¯re an idiot!¡± Rosalind knew that Justin was not as nice to her as before, but she did not get to see Justin these days, so she could not seduce him. Be passed by the back row, emitting a faint fragrance as she walked past Shannon and Bethany. ¡°Mom, where is that country bitch going to sit?¡± Bethany asked nervously. Shannon could not keep a smile on her face. She thought that Anna was already lucky enough to get a seat. She did not expect Anna to walk to the first row, where the bigshots were gathered. Justin watched as Be walked to his side. His heart skipped a beat. However, Be did not even nce at him. He was like a stranger to her. She sat down gracefully in Asher¡¯s seat. ¡°Asher asked Ms. Brown to attend on his behalf?! I don¡¯t even know about this!¡± Ryan was shocked and confused. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Justin took a deep breath, frowned deeply, and nced at the woman who was two meters away from him. Be¡¯s red lips curled up into a faint smile. Her face was bright and gorgeous. She looked so aloof and unattainable. Be did not bother to look at Justin, treating him like he was invisible. ¡°Fuck! It turns out that she has ¡®The Twilight God¡¯ this whole time!¡± Ryan pped his thigh. ¡°I tried every means to get ¡®The Twilight God¡¯ as my mother¡¯s birthday gift three years ago. I even offered $100 million for it and begged Alexa to sell me the brooch. But Alexa didn¡¯t even care. I can¡¯t believe Anna has this brooch! Wow¡­ Asher must really love her to put so much effort into her! He has my respect!¡± Justin¡¯s heart trembled when he heard this. He understood the feeling of putting in the effort to get a rare piece of jewelry for the woman he loved. Justin took half a month out of his busy schedule to rush to Feranco just so he could prepare a birthday gift for Rosalind. After receiving many cold shoulders and being rejected many times, Justin continued begging the designer to make ¡°The ming Heart¡±. He had never given Anna a gift throughout their three-year marriage. Now that Anna was with Asher, that man doted on her and gave her such an expensive gift. Justin frowned and lowered his eyes. An inexplicable sense of bitterness filled his heart. Seeing that Asher was so kind to his ex-wife, Justin just felt ufortable. It seemed that Justin was indeed a useless ex-husband. With all the guests present, the auction officially began. As the representative of the Hoffman family, Ryan took to the stage to deliver the opening speech. He was wearing a YSL haute couture suit that made him look even more charming. Bethany¡¯s mouth gaped open as she fawned over him. She looked at her ¡°husband¡± and had already started to make a list of names for their future children in her mind. With thunderous apuse, Ryan walked off the stage. He grinned and shed his pearly whites. Then he raised his eyebrows and winked at Be. Chapter 65 Be¡¯s almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. Then she rolled her eyes. Justin¡¯s handsome face darkened when he saw Ryan flirting with his ex-wife. ¡°Bro, how was my performance just now?¡± Ryan returned to his seat next to Justin with a bright smile and nudged him with his elbow. ¡°Good.¡± Justin red at Ryan and added, ¡°If you do that again, I will chop you to pieces.¡± Ryan looked dejected. ¡°Bro, what did I do now? You¡¯re more temperamental than all my girlfriends combined!¡± Soon, the first auction item was disyed on the stage. It was andscape painting from the Renaissance. It was intricate, but since the painter was not well-known, the base price was set at $1 million. Justin did not have much interest in historical relics, but he was familiar with them because of his grandfather¡¯s influence. He could tell at a nce that this painting was the same as the one in his grandfather¡¯s studio. Nigel had the original painting, so this one from the tinum Auction House should be a replica with exquisite craftsmanship. There was a big difference between replicas and fakes. However, it was not unheard of for high- quality replicas to be auctioned off at high prices. But surely, one would rather buy the original work than a replica. ¡°$1.5 million!¡± ¡°$2 million!¡± ¡°$3 million!¡± Just as the auctioneer was about to drop the hammer, a crisp yet gentle voice sounded. ¡°$5 million.¡± Be slowly raised her paddle. Everyone nced at this mysterious and beautiful woman in surprise. Justin looked at Be¡¯s beautiful side profile and felt suspicious. First of all, this painting was not worth $3 million, let alone $5 million. Secondly, Anna had been spending time with Nigel for so long. She usually helped Nigel take care of his rare treasures, antiques, and paintings. Thus, she would certainly be aware that the original piece was with Nigel. Why would she spend an unreasonable amount of money to bid for this replica? ¡°$6 million!¡± Everyone turned their attention to the back of the hall. Rosalind held up her bidding paddle, as if she were afraid that people would not be able to see her. She could not tolerate Anna stealing the show and wanted to snatch the limelight back from her. ¡°$7 million.¡± Be calmly raised her paddle again. ¡°$8 million!¡± Rosalind followed, shouting so loudly that the people around her looked at her. Jean was nervous. She had never participated in such a high-profile auction. How could a painting be sold for $7 million in just a blink of an eye? This was also the first auction item. Was Rosalind not interested in the other items? ¡°Mom, should we bid for it too?¡± Bethany was a little upset that Rosalind was showing off and asked Shannon in a low voice. ¡°They¡¯re our rtives, so let¡¯s not fight with them.¡± Shannon had been to many such auctions, so she knew that the good things would be left to the end. ¡°$9 million.¡± Be raised the paddle again, determined not to give up until she won the bid. Jean¡¯s blood pressure went up. She did not have such a high budget to spend on Nigel¡¯s birthday gift. Her heart was already bleeding. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°$10 million!¡± Rosalind raised her paddle again. She was getting excited. Everyone was in an uproar. Ryanughed. ¡°This is the first item to be auctioned, and it¡¯s not that valuable, yet we sold it for this amount. I¡¯m making such a big profit! Justin, do you think I should thank your ex-wife or your future wife?¡± Justin¡¯s hands were intertwined on hisp. His thin lips were tightly pressed together, and his face was gloomy. ¡°Rose, stop bidding for it if Anna raises the price. $10 million is too much!¡± Jean persuaded Rosalind. She was so nervous that her hands were sweaty. Be¡¯s eyes were gleaming with joy. She was about to raise her paddle but thought better of it and put it down again. ¡°$10 million! Congrattions to Ms. Gold for getting this painting!¡± Rosalind¡¯s face was bright red. She was smiling proudly, feeling that she had won and overshadowed that bitch. However, Jean¡¯s eyes turned dark. She could not bring herself to smile. At this moment, Steven, who was outside, had a panoramic view of the hall through his phone. He thought, ¡®Oh, Be. You tricked Rosalind into paying nine times the price for a replica! Be really understands how that bitch¡¯s mind works!¡¯ Chapter 66 Justin¡¯s face darkened. His thin lips were pursed as he thought, ¡®If Anna was willing to pay $9 million for this painting, $10 million isn¡¯t a problem either. Anna suddenly held back, not because she couldn¡¯t pay, but because she simply gave up. She did this on purpose!¡¯ However, Justin could not say anything about it. After all, no one forced Rosalind to follow Anna¡¯s bid to take this painting. Rosalind did this willingly. Be remained calm and did not bid for the other auction items. Justin only wanted to bid for the antique rosewood chair, so he kept silent. The next item was a pair of jadeite stones donated by Shannon on behalf of the Salvador Corporation. The base price was $2 million. Be snorted lightly and shook her head in disdain. She would rather spend money on the replica earlier than buy these two stupid stones. Only fools would buy these. Sure enough, there were very few bidders. The auctioneer tried his best to raise the price, but in the end, it sold for only $2.6 million. The smile on Shannon¡¯s face faded. Justin looked calm, as if it had nothing to do with him. That was because no matter what Shannon did, she would only embarrass Gregory. Justin did not have a good rtionship with his father either. ¡°The next itemes from KS Group and was donated by Ms. M Larson. It¡¯s a pair of azure porcin teacups from the 18th century!¡± Every collector in the audience was instantly aroused. Be was shocked. She quickly turned around and scanned the crowd behind her. Finally, she spotted M¡¯s graceful figure in the back row. Be nervously sent a message to Steven. [Why is Aunt M here? Why didn¡¯t you tell me she was coming?!] Steven replied. [Ms. Be, I just found out too! Maybe the Chairman sent Madam M here at thest minute as a contingency.] Be panicked and thought, ¡®Damn it! Wyatt never ys by the rules!¡¯ Almost everyone from the Salvador family was present at the auction, so Be was afraid that she would not be able to hide her identity as the heiress of KS Group with M around. N?velDrama.Org owns this. At this moment, Be noticed that M was subtly gesturing an ¡°okay¡± sign to her and winking at her, like a secret message between best friends. Be felt a surge of warmth in her heart and immediately understood what M meant. She thought, ¡®Oh, Aunt M, you¡¯re always so wise!¡¯ Everyone was ready to make a bid for the porcin teacups. ¡°This porcin is extremely rare, but Madam M still donated a pair! The Thompson family is really generous, as expected of arge conglomerate.¡¯ ¡°The Salvador Corporation is arge conglomerate too, but look what they donated. Those two rocks are probably not as valuable as the stone sculptures in my garden.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador certainly has questionable taste in a wife.¡± Shannon¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. The auction item Shannon brought was at a different level from M¡¯s donation. The strong contrast made Shannon look so stingy and petty. This was the first time in the auction that Justin showed an interest in an auction item. He spun the paddle in his hand while deep in thought. Be murmured, ¡°That¡¯s top-quality cdon, the color of rain.¡± When Justin heard Anna¡¯s murmur, he could not help but turn to look at her in surprise. Anna was focused on the antique teacup. Her fair and delicate skin was like fine porcin. Her elegant brows were rxed, and she looked so beautiful under the light that Justin forgot to breathe. Anna was actually a gorgeous woman, but Justin had never truly appreciated her beauty. Chapter 67 That was because Justin already had his heart set on someone else. At times, Justin even felt that Anna was wasting her life by being with him. It was a waste of her beauty. Somehow, Justin¡¯s eyes wandered down and finallynded on Be¡¯s slender wrist. Be was still wearing the jade bracelet that Nigel gave her. Even though it did not match her outfit, she still did not take it off. It seemed that she really liked it. Justin narrowed his eyes and heaved a deep breath. The 18th-century porcin attracted a lot of fierce bidding, which overwhelmed the auctioneer. ¡°$10 million!¡± ¡°$25 million!¡± ¡°$27 million!¡± ¡°$40 million.¡± Justin raised his paddle and called out the highest number in the audience. Everyone was dumbfounded. Be was startled and turned to look at Justin. She thought, ¡®This jerk doesn¡¯t have good taste in women, but he has an eye for antiques.¡¯ Justin noticed her gaze. He nced to the side and met her eyes. In an instant, Justin was stung by her overly indifferent and sharp eyes. His heart shriveled. Be quickly looked away from him. In the end, Justin sessfully bid for this pair of porcin teacups. He also received envious looks from everyone. ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll have to serve me with this cup when Ie over for tea! Only a 40-million- dor teacup set is suitable for my status!¡± Ryan beamed at Justin. ¡°This cup is too small for you. I have arger cup, which is more suitable for your status,¡± Justin said nonchntly. ¡°Oooh, what is it?¡± ¡°The toilet bowl.¡± Ryan¡¯s face turned glum. ¡°Fuck you! You¡¯re so mean!¡± Be overheard their conversation and could not help but chuckle. Rosalind felt an ache in her chest. She did not know why Justin would spend $40 million on a pair of stupid teacups. Wouldn¡¯t it be nicer to spend $40 million on a big vi?! Even before she married Justin, she began to worry about his finances. ¡°The next auction item is of extraordinary significance. It has been the personal collection of an anonymous gentleman for the past 50 years. It is a top-quality rosewood chair from the 17th century.¡± While the auctioneer enthusiastically introduced the antique rosewood chair, four staff members wearing white gloves carefully lifted the chair from its protective ss cover. ¡°Bro, it¡¯s here!¡± Ryan hurriedly patted Justin. The next second, Justin and Be seemed to be on high alert. They sat upright in unison, leaving the backs of their chairs. They were ready to bid for this prized antique. ¡°The base price is $30 million! Start bidding now!¡± Several wealthy businessmen and investment bankers held up their paddles, and the auctioneer kept calling out the prices. Thepetition was fierce. The base price of $30 million was the highest for tonight¡¯s auction. Shannon and Bethany, who always liked the attention, were daunted by the price. Jean and Rosalind were reduced to being onlookers for this bid. They were so quiet that they blended in with the flower arrangements at the back of the hall. At this moment, a fair and slender hand shot up gracefully. The woman¡¯s red lips parted as she N?velDrama.Org owns this. calmly offered a price. ¡°$60 million.¡± Everyone was shocked and turned their attention to Be, who was holding up her paddle. Chapter 68 This mysterious beauty was arrogant. She raised the price of the bid exponentially. ¡°Mom, did I hear it right?¡± Bethany was shocked. ¡°Did that country bumpkin actually offer $60 million? How dare she raise the price like that?! Is she faking it?!¡± Shannon remained silent, but her cold eyes were fixed on Be¡¯s back. Suddenly, Shannon remembered something. She rolled her eyes and looked in the direction of M, who was Wyatt Thompson¡¯s second wife. Shannon sneered and thought, ¡®Does that bitch Anna think that she can marry into the Thompson family? We¡¯ll see about that!¡¯ ¡°$70 million.¡± Justin parted his thin lips and raised his sculpted hand slowly. The light shone down on his handsome face, creating a glowing silhouette that many women could not take their eyes away from. He raised the price to a new level, so some bidders had no choice but to give up in frustration. ¡°$75 million.¡± Be¡¯s expression remained calm as she raised her paddle again without hesitation. Everyone was shocked. Ryan, who was used to seeing these auctions, dared not speak at this moment. He just felt like he was watching an intense showdown. Two waves of cold energy collided, and it felt as if the roof of the venue would copse in the next second. ¡°$80 million.¡± Justin kept hisposure, but he felt a little annoyed. He thought, ¡®She¡¯s really working hard to help Asher get this treasure!¡¯ Be touched the inside of her cheek with her tongue and suppressed her anger. Even if she went over budget for this chair, she would use her own money to fight to the end with Justin. However, she also knew how to cut the losses in time and weigh the pros and cons. Antiques had a high value due to their history, but she had a budget too. If the price reached $80 million, going any further was just petty fighting. ¡°Justin, why are you such a dunce?¡± Ryan saw Be¡¯s hostile expression and hurriedly tilted his head and whispered in Justin¡¯s ear. He added, ¡°Anna wants this chair. Why don¡¯t you just give it to her? She¡¯s your ex-wife. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being ungentlemanly for fighting with her in front of so many people?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sitting in that seat representing Asher Thompson, so the personpeting with me is also Asher Thompson. It has nothing to do with her.¡± Justin focused on the stage and looked indifferent. Ryan took a breath and gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Okay, you win.¡± ¡°$80 million, going once! $80 million, going twice! $80 million¡­¡± ¡°$100 million!¡± Wow! A crisp voice came from the back of the hall. Justin furrowed his brows in surprise, but he did not turn around. Everyone looked at the beautifuldy holding up the paddle. That was M, Wyatt Thompson¡¯s second wife! Be¡¯s bright eyes arched with delight. She suddenly understood why M attended the auction. Wyatt was afraid that Asher was not willing to spend money on this antique chair, so he sent another representative to the auction. Justin¡¯s gaze darkened. He hesitated for a long time and did not make a move. He could afford $100 million, but it would be unchivalrous of him to fight for it. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. In the end, the top bidder for this antique rosewood chair was KS Group, which attracted thunderous apuse. Just when everyone thought the auction wasing to an end, the auctioneer suddenly announced thest auction item with a smile. ¡°This is thest item in today¡¯s charity auction, which is also donated by KS Group! This top-of-the- line jewelry is made by a well-known jewelry designer from Feranco, who took a month to create this piece ¨C ¡°The ming Heart¡±!¡± In an instant, Justin¡¯s pupils shrank, and his heart stopped beating. He felt as if he had been shot. Chapter 69 In an instant, Rosalind turned pale. She felt as if she were struck by lightning. Jean was also shocked. Her whole body froze. ¡°Mom! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Rosalind gritted her teeth as cold sweat beaded her forehead. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sell this ne? Why did it appear at the auction?!¡± ¡°I¡­ I did sell it. That¡¯s impossible!¡± Jean muttered in shock. ¡°What should I do now?! Justin is right there! He definitely saw the ne. What will he think of me when he sees his token of love being auctioned off? He will definitely be angry with me!¡± Rosalind¡¯s chest was filled with resentment and anger. She almost burst into tears. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°It¡¯s okay! This ne can¡¯t be the only one in the world. There might be another one out there¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the one and only! The auctioneer just introduced it. Justin had it made just for me! How could you possibly get away with this lie?¡± Both mother and daughter were panicking at the moment. Rosalind was thinking about how she should exin it to Justin. Jean was thinking about why the ne she sold to the pawn shop appeared here and why it was donated in the name of KS Group. Suddenly, she sat upright, attracting contemptuous nces from the people around her. Did that pawn shop belong to the Thompson family?! There were so many treasuresing into the pawn shop every day, but the Thompsons donated this inconspicuous ne to the charity auction. How could there be such a coincidence? Jean¡¯s mind was buzzing. Her eyes bore a hole into Anna¡¯s back. ¡®It must be that bitch¡¯s doing! Only Anna would know that ¡°The ming Heart¡± was Justin¡¯s token of love for Rosalind. Anna must be resentful about it because it wasn¡¯t hers, so she made sure the Thompsons donated this ne to the charity auction. That way, she could drive a wedge between Justin and Rose!¡¯ In the front row, Justin¡¯s face seemed frosted over. His chest was heaving violently under his fine suit. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead and slowly slid down his face. ¡°Justin, are you okay?¡± Ryan was frightened by Justin¡¯s abnormal reaction. He was also confused. ¡°The ming Heart¡± represented Justin¡¯s devotion to Rosalind. He was involved in every painstaking step, from the design to the selection of materials to hand-carving by the designer. This was the first time Justin had shown such affection to a woman. However, his heart was quite literally being auctioned off on the stage in front of him. He felt humiliated, like he was stripped naked and pinned up front to a pir of shame, in full view of the public. ¡°The representative of KS Group said that this piece, ¡®The ming Heart¡¯, is a token of love from an affectionate man. It is of great significance. True love cannot be priced, so this item will be ced for bidding in the room at the back for silent bidding. We have also followed KS Group¡¯s suggestion and implemented no base price for this ne.¡± Rosalind slumped in her chair. Her eyes were dark. Everyone was interested in this bidding method. The hall became even livelier than when the antique rosewood chair was up for grabs. Justin could not bear it anymore. His eyes were red, and he spat out two words through his gritted teeth. ¡°Stop this.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Stop the auction immediately. That ne belongs to me!¡± Ryan was astonished. His mouth gaped open at that knowledge. At this time, Justin noticed that Asher¡¯s seat was empty. Anna had left at some point. Justin clenched his fist and mmed it on the armrest. The chill around him made Ryan shudder. ¡®Anna, that¡¯s a damn good trick! Are you happy now that you¡¯ve humiliated me?!¡¯ The show that Be arranged was about to begin, but she lost interest in watching it and left early. At that moment, she went to the bathroom and sighed, facing the mirror. Chapter 70 Be was a cultured and sophisticated youngdy. She had been pampered by the Thompson family, so she never had to use such means to get her way. After marrying and divorcing Justin, she had all sorts of schemes brewing in her mind. Be recalled the way Justin¡¯s eyes shattered when ¡°The ming Heart¡± was brought on the stage. At that moment, she felt that she had gone too far. She could have pretended not to see the ne. There was no need to publicly humiliate Justin to such an extent by putting it up for auction. However, Be was indignant and petty. She was not indignant about the divorce. She resigned herself to her fate, knowing that the love she had been pursuing for thirteen years was gone. It just irked her that such a smart man as Justin could not see through the fact that the person he loved was a vile woman. ¡°I¡¯ve gone overboard. I won¡¯t do this again.¡± Be felt a pain in her heart and smiled bitterly. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. This was thest time she would get involved in Justin and Rosalind¡¯s rtionship. Suddenly, the bathroom door was kicked open. Be did not panic. She just nced over coldly. Rosalind was seen grabbing her cumbersome dress as she rushed to Be angrily. ¡°Anna! You bitch!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been scolding me for more than three years, but your vocabry hasn¡¯t expanded one bit.¡± Be raised her eyebrows in derision and was not at all offended. ¡°It must be you! You were the one who put the ne that Justin gave me on auction! Why are you so despicable and underhanded?!¡± Rosalind took another step forward, but stepped on her dress and almost fell. She was so embarrassed that her face turned red, and she forgot about getting revenge momentarily. ¡°I¡¯m just donating things to charity. What tricks do you mean? Ms. Gold, please don¡¯t nder me.¡± Be took a step back, fearing that Rosalind would pounce and bite her. If that happened, Be would have had to get a rabies shot. ¡°Anna! You didn¡¯t get Justin¡¯s love, so you used this despicable way to humiliate me and Justin. You want to sow discord between us! Do you think you will win like this? Do you think that you can get between me and Justin so that Justin will fall in love with you?! Dream on!¡± Rosalind stared at Be. Her eyes were red as she gritted her teeth with hatred. ¡°You were the one who gave up the ne by selling it to the pawn shop, so it¡¯s no longer yours. You have no control over who buys it or what happens to it. If you¡¯re angry about it, you have no one else to me but yourself.¡± Be looked away and turned to leave. She did not bother to waste her breath on Rosalind. If it were not for Justin forcing their lives to intersect, Be would not have taken a second look at such a pretentious woman. ¡°Stupid bitch! Get back here!¡± Rosalind¡¯s blood surged to her head. She grabbed Be¡¯s slender wrist and pulled hard. Be winced and frowned at the pain. Rosalind managed to take off the jade bracelet that Nigel gave her, leaving a ring red mark on her fair and delicate wrist. ¡°Give it back to me!¡± Be was infuriated. Her almond-shaped eyes turned sharp. Rosalind clutched the bracelet tightly in her hand. She fell in love with this bracelet the first time she saw it, but that old man gave it to the person she hated the most. ¡®Anna, you took what belongs to me. You shameless little whore! Since I can¡¯t get this, then you can¡¯t keep it either!¡¯ Rosalind smiled viciously and mmed the jade bracelet against the marble sink. ¡°No!¡± Clink-! The crisp sound made Be¡¯s heart ache. The jade bracelet that Nigel gave her was broken into three pieces. Chapter 71 Be¡¯s breath hitched. Nigel had given her that bracelet. It was Be¡¯s favorite bracelet, and Rosalind destroyed it so easily. Instantly, rage surged into Be¡¯s heart. She wished she could break Rosalind¡¯s bones, just like Rosalind broke her bracelet. ¡°Rosalind Gold!¡± Be roared. Her eyes were bloodshot. Rosalind was frightened, but she felt unstoppable. ¡®So what if I broke the bracelet, Anna? You and I are the only ones here. Guess who Justin will believe if I say that you hurt me?¡¯ Rosalind smiled sinisterly, picked up the broken jade bracelet from the sink, and stretched out her wrist. Be immediately knew what Rosalind was up to. She took a breath and wanted to stop Rosalind, but it was toote. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Ah!¡± Be watched helplessly as Rosalind cut her wrist with the broken piece of jade. This was Rosalind¡¯s first time cutting herself. She avoided her artery, but the cut was deep, so the blood kept oozing out of the wound and onto the floor. Rosalind was scared to death, but she continued the act. Otherwise, she would injure herself in vain. Thus, Rosalind ran out of the bathroom, crying and screaming. Be was absent-minded for a while. She picked up the pieces of the broken jade bracelet and held them in her palms. Her eyes turned red again and again. Just as Be walked out of the bathroom, someone opened the door of the innermost stall. Rosalind ran wildly in the corridor, crying and holding her bloodied wrist. At this time, the auction was over, and the guests were walking out of the venue one after another. Seeing such an unusual scene, many guests did not stay to watch the show. Instead, they instinctively avoided Rosalind, thinking that she was manic. ¡°Justin¡­ Mom¡­ Aunt Shannon¡­ Help me!¡± Rosalind was trembling and shouting incoherently. Rosalind was finally the center of attention, which was exactly what she wanted. She thought, ¡®Anna, how dare you sow discord between me and Justin? I will ruin your reputation and make Justin see what a jealous and vile woman you are!¡¯ Jean, Shannon, and Bethany hurried over after hearing Rosalind¡¯s scream. The three women were startled and started screaming as well. ¡°Rose, my darling, what happened to your hand?! Who hurt you like this?!¡± Jean looked distressed and horrified. Her acting was seamless. That was because Jean knew that Rosalind had followed Anna out of the venue to deal with that bitch. Thus, Jean reacted immediately and cooperated with Rosalind. However, Jean remembered that her daughter was scared of pain. When Rosalind was a child, she would cry endlessly, even if it was just an injection. This time, Rosalind was so cruel to herself. Rosalind was bing more like Shannon when she was young. Back then, Shannon hurt herself and attempted suicide, sessfully capturing Gregory¡¯s heart and stealing Justin¡¯s mother¡¯s position. Later, Gregory felt disheartened toward Justin¡¯s mother. Now that Rosalind was following Shannon¡¯s old path and was almost sessful, Jean did not want her daughter to fail. Jean thought, ¡®Anna is such a scourge! I must get rid of her!¡¯ Rosalind cried even harder when she saw people around her starting to take out their phones to record, so that she could y the role of a weak victim to the fullest. At this time, Be walked toward them expressionlessly. She looked dazzling, like a beam of light splitting through the chaotic haze. Be¡¯s gorgeous face was grim at the moment. Everyone held their breaths because she looked like she was about to unleash hell on Rosalind. As luck would have it, Justin and Ryan walked toward them at this time. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Rosalind nced at Justin aggrievedly. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened when he noticed the gory wound on her wrist. Then he strode up to her. Jean smiled slyly and gave Rosalind a hard shove, pushing her daughter straight into Justin¡¯s arms. ¡°How did this happen?¡± Justin asked anxiously. ¡°Justin¡­ My wrist hurts¡­ Am I going to die?¡± Rosalind cried in the man¡¯s arms like a frightened bird. ¡°No, don¡¯t scare yourself.¡± Justin lowered his long eyshes and frowned. Be watched them with cold eyes and could not help butugh at the top of her lungs. She was about to start the y called ¡°Be Thompson Crushing the Fake Bitch¡±. At this time, someone had secretly taken out their phone to record a video. Ryan reacted quickly and sent a group of bodyguards to clear out the crowd. ¡°Rose, Justin is here to protect you. No one will dare to hurt you anymore!¡± Chapter 72 Shannon pretended to be worried and asked anxiously, ¡°Rose, what happened to your hand?¡± ¡°Rose, don¡¯t be afraid. Just tell us what happened. We won¡¯t let anyone bully you!¡± Bethany pretended to seek justice for Rosalind. ¡°I¡­ I met Ms. Brown in the bathroom¡­¡± Rosalind gasped weakly in Justin¡¯s arms and looked at Be with resentment. ¡°I know Ms. Brown doesn¡¯t like me, so I took the initiative to say hello to her, hoping to be more friendly so that we can put the past behind us¡­ But Ms. Brown didn¡¯t appreciate my efforts. Somehow, we started to quarrel N?velDrama.Org owns this. }) Be crossed her arms, tilted her head, andughed. Justin raised his eyes and felt frustrated when he saw her smiling face. ¡°When I wanted to leave, Ms. Brown grabbed me and refused to let me go¡­ In a fit of panic, I identally pulled out her bracelet, which fell on the floor and broke. Ms. Brown was angry because the bracelet broke and didn¡¯t want to hear my apology, so she¡­¡± Rosalind stopped talking and left everyone to their own imagination. Be thought, ¡®How dare she twist the story?¡¯ Beughed because Rosalind was trying to frame her for that injury. ¡°So, Ms. Brown inflicted this injury on you? How is that possible?¡± Shannon covered her mouth in disbelief. In fact, Shannon was the one who encouraged Rosalind to tell everyone what happened. ¡°What?! You hurt my daughter?!¡± Jean was furious and pointed at Be. ¡°How could you be so evil?! If you¡¯re upset, just use your words. Why must you be so violent? Rose is an award-winning musician. She needs her hands to y the piano! If she can no longer y the piano because of you, we won¡¯t let you off the hook even though you¡¯re in good graces with the Thompson family!¡± Be was startled by Jean¡¯s words. Be took a deep breath because she was reminded of her little finger, which she had broken because of Justin. She could no longer y the piano anymore because of it. Yet they were the ones who still med her for Rosalind¡¯s misdeeds. What about her? Who should she me? ¡°Wait! Wait! No!¡± Ryan felt anxious when he saw that Be was not fighting back, even though she was being barraged. Thus, he hurriedly stepped forward to help her out. ¡°No matter how aggrieved and pitiful Ms. Gold might look, this is just her one-sided statement. We should also listen to what Ms. Brown has to say. There are no surveince cameras in the bathroom, but there is probably someone else present. Why don¡¯t we ask if there are any witnesses in the bathroom at the time to get a better picture of what happened?¡± When Bethany saw Ryan, she fawned over him again. Her mouth fell open as if she had lost her soul. She looked mentally challenged. Be was stunned that Ryan stood up for her. She finally raised her eyelids and nced at Ryan. Ryan was delighted that Be noticed him and felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Be and Ryan looked at each other in tacit understanding, but Justin mistook them to be flirting with each other. The man remained calm and clenched his fingers. ¡°There were no witnesses. We were the only ones in the bathroom at the time,¡± Be said nonchntly. ¡°Oh, hmm¡­¡± Ryan frowned and felt like there was nothing he could do. ¡°Then who else could have done this to Rose? My daughter wouldn¡¯t cut herself, would she? Rose has always been scared of pain!¡± Jean shouted angrily. Rosalind sobbed aggrievedly in Justin¡¯s arms, but she was secretly d that there were no witnesses. ¡°Anna.¡± Justin pursed his lips and asked in a cold voice, ¡°So, did you do it?¡± Be¡¯s heart dropped. She clenched her fists and suppressed her grievance. Her nose felt sore. Ryan was speechless. He held his forehead and thought, ¡®Why is this guy talking now?¡¯ Justin felt a prick in his heart when he saw Be¡¯s red eyes. He was a little too quick to judge. Justin was supposed to be impartial, but Be had humiliated him at the auction with the ne, so Justin held a personal grudge against her. As a result, Justin became a little harsh. Be took a deep breath, parted her lips, and smiled brightly. ¡°I did it. So what? Do you want revenge?¡± Chapter 73 Justin was shocked. His heart trembled violently. He looked at his ex-wife in disbelief. How could a once gentle and meek woman be so violent as to hurt someone like that? ¡°Anna, is it true?¡± Justin felt his throat tighten. He stared at her intently with his dark eyes. Be slowly curled her lips into a devilish smile. Ryan could not help but cover his chest because he was enchanted by her smile. How could a woman be so sexy and evil at the same time? ¡°Justin¡­ What do you mean by this?¡± Rosalind saw that Justin had repeatedly asked Be for confirmation and feared that he would be suspicious, so she started crying loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe what I say? Am I so untrustworthy to you?¡± Rosalind wondered, ¡®Why did Anna take the me for it? No matter what, I just need to achieve my goal. Anna¡¯s just stupid for admitting it.¡¯ ¡°Justin, look at what kind of sly woman you married back then! She almost cut Rose¡¯s artery. She¡¯s trying to kill my daughter!¡± Jean yed along with Rosalind and cried with her. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Justin lowered his eyelids and frowned again. ¡°Anna, you weren¡¯t so violent when you were staying at Tideview Manor. You don¡¯t look like someone who will kill others just because of a disagreement. Shannon looked at Be coldly and said in a strange tone, ¡°Are you like this because you and Justin are divorced now, so you feel like you don¡¯t need to hide it anymore? That¡¯s why you¡¯re showing your true colors, right? Fortunately, Justin realized it soon and reconciled with Rose. Otherwise, he¡¯ll be deceived by you for who knows how long?!¡± ¡°Mrs. Salvador, you¡¯re going overboard.¡± Ryan could not listen to this anymore. He narrowed his eyes and wanted to reason with them, but Be stopped him. Bethany was furious to see Ryan standing up for her ex-sister-inw. She bit her lip in indignation and felt her hatred deepen. ¡°What do you guys want?¡± Be asked mockingly. ¡°Apologise to Rose.¡± Justin stopped looking at Be. His expression was cold and heartless. It was as if their three years of marriage were an illusion and they were mere strangers. Rosalind smiled and could not conceal her joy. ¡®Look, bitch! Justin has always loved me. You devoted your heart and soul to him for three years and ved away for the Salvador family, but Justin still stood by me in times of trouble. A few of my tears are worth more than your sincere heart!¡¯ Be raised her chin arrogantly and walked step by step in front of Rosalind. p-! Be was filled with resentment as she pped Rosalind hard in the face. Everyone was dumbfounded. She struck so quickly that Justin did not even have time to react. A gust of cold wind blew past him. ¡°Ah! You hit me¡­ How dare you hit me?!¡± Rosalind¡¯s ears were buzzing. She could see stars from the impact of the p. ¡°I hit you because you deserved it!¡± Be¡¯s smile disappeared. She trembled with anger. ¡°This p is for breaking the bracelet that Grandpa gave me. If you¡¯re so great,e at me. Why did you break that bracelet?!¡± ¡°Anna! You¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Justin roared. He noticed Be¡¯s swollen wrist when she raised her hand. Her skin was soft and tender, so a slight mark was visible. However, Justin was so angry at the moment that he red at her, ignoring the red mark. Jean, Shannon, and Bethany did not expect Be to be so arrogant in front of Justin. Chapter 74 Be was not easy to mess with. ¡°Listen up. From now on, Rosalind and I are enemies! If I go back on my word, I¡¯ll be smashed to pieces like this bracelet.¡± Be gritted her teeth and slowly opened her palm. Justin felt a little suffocated for a moment. He saw that her palms and the fragments of the jade bracelet were bloody. He knew that Be liked the bracelet. That was why she kept holding onto it, even if it was broken. She probably did not even notice that her hand was injured. Justin felt a fluctuation of emotions in his chest. He stared deeply at Be¡¯s face, which was full of resentment. His eyes were gloomy, and a crack seemed to form in his heart. ¡°Ms. Brown! Your hands are bleeding!¡± Ryan shouted and rummaged through all his pockets, looking for a handkerchief or a tissue to help bandage her wound. However, Ryan could not find any. Justin had a handkerchief in his breast pocket. He closed his eyelids and clenched his fingers, but he found that he could not muster the courage to take it out and give it to her. At this time, a faint fragrance floated by when a graceful figure in a dark green dress that was made of a luxurious material passed by. Be was stunned. At this moment, M had walked up to Be, picked up the broken jade pieces in Be¡¯s palm, and put them into Be¡¯s suit pocket. She then carefully bandaged Be¡¯s wounds with a white handkerchief. ¡®Aunt M¡­¡¯ There were tears in Be¡¯s eyes. Be almost called out M¡¯s name, but she bit her lip and held back. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that such a beautiful hand is wounded.¡± M remained calm, but she was in fact so furious that she wanted to rip the Salvador family apart. ¡°Long time no see, Mrs. Thompson. You¡¯re getting more beautiful with time!¡± Shannon¡¯s expression changed instantly. She hurriedly greeted M and pretended to be familiar with her. ¡°How are you, Mrs. Thompson?¡± Jean also greeted M with a smile and had a ttering attitude. After all, after Wyatt Thompson¡¯s first wife passed away, the outside world believed that M, as Wyatt¡¯s second mistress, became his legitimate wife. Thus, most people tried to curry favor with her. Moreover, M was the youngest daughter of the Larson family. Even if she cut off ties with her family to be with Wyatt, she was still a wealthydy of noble birth. Jean and Shannon could not hold a candle to her. ¡°Mrs. Salvador.¡± M did not want to talk to anyone at first. But she had to show a bit of respect to Gregory Salvador¡¯s wife to avoid conflict. M treated Jean as an invisible person and did not greet her. Jean¡¯s expression froze in embarrassment because M did not acknowledge her. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, do you know Ms. Brown? Ms. Brown came to the auction in ce of Mr. Thompson. She spent an impressive amount of money too, so I¡¯m sure you noticed her.¡± Shannon saw that M was particrly concerned about Be, so she had some doubts in her heart. She did not know the depth of their rtionship and decided to test M¡¯s reaction. ¡°Of course, I know her. Asher invited her here.¡¯ ]} M knew that Shannon had bad intentions. So she gave an ambiguous answer to see how Shannon would react. ¡°Then you must not know Ms. Brown well enough, right?¡± ¡°Do I need to understand her well?¡± M¡¯s smile did not reach her N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary.¡± eyes. Shannon smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Brown will soon be the wife of KS Group¡¯s CEO. She¡¯ll be your family then.¡± ¡°Oh? Is Ms. Brown Asher¡¯s girlfriend?¡± M raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah. When Ms. Brown and Justin got divorced, she left the house in Mr. Thompson¡¯s car. Sigh¡­ I was worried about her at the time. After all, she¡¯s just a country girl who doesn¡¯t have any family in Richworth. What would happen to her if she left Justin? But I felt relieved when I saw that Mr. Thompson would take care of her.¡± Shannon looked at Be with a smile. M narrowed her clear eyes, and the air around her turned colder. Chapter 75 Be¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Be knew how insidious and duplicitous Shannon could be. What Shannon was hinting at M was that Be was a divorced and gold-digging country girl who liked to seduce rich men. Jean, Shannon, and their daughtersughed sinisterly. The Thompson family and the Salvador family were at odds with each other. As the eldest son of Wyatt Thompson, Asher had a high social status and could get any kind of woman he wanted. How could he take a fancy to Justin Salvador¡¯s ex-wife? It would only make Asher aughingstock. Justin frowned slightly. His dazzling eyes were filled with anger. ¡°Aunt Shannon, this is my private matter. You have no right toment on it.¡± ¡°Justin, although this is your private matter, it¡¯s also rted to the reputation of the Salvador family and the Thompson family. I¡¯m only telling Mrs. Thompson this so that she won¡¯t be startled to find out that Anna is your ex-wife in the future. I¡¯m just doing it for everyone¡¯s good!¡± Shannon kept talking nonsense. ¡°The reputation of our families? Didn¡¯t Ms. Brown divorce Mr. Salvador? Divorce means that she no longer has any rtionship with your family. Mrs. Salvador, why do you still think that what Ms. Brown does will embarrass your family?¡± M smiled coldly. ¡°Does it mean that she has signed her life to you before marrying into the Salvador family? Is she forever tied to your family? There is nothing shameful about Ms. Brown marrying Asher if they are fit for each other. Do you think the Thompson family won¡¯t ept her just because she is divorced? What era are we in now? Mrs. Salvador, you should be more open-minded about these things.¡± As soon as M said this, Ryan apuded. It was such a relief to hear M diss Shannon. Jean, Rosalind, and Bethany looked shocked as they stood there in embarrassment, not daring to say a word. They all thought that M was being overprotective of Anna. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, you¡¯re also from a wealthy family, so you must understand what I mean, right?¡± When Shannon saw that M did not fall for her trick, she was embarrassed and anxious. Her face turned red. ¡°Ms. Brown got together with Mr. Thompson as soon as she divorced Justin. If word of this spreads, people will think that Ms. Brown had an illicit rtionship with Mr. Thompson while still married to Justin. That¡¯s embarrassing. Mrs. Thompson, now that you are the matriarch of the Thompson family, you should n for your children¡¯s future, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± M frowned and raised her slender hand. She was more graceful than Shannon could ever be. ¡°This is between the children. Although I am an elder, I am not Asher¡¯s mother, so I have no right to interfere. Mrs. Salvador, you¡¯re not Mr. Salvador¡¯s birth mother, right? Don¡¯t you think what you¡¯re saying is disrespectful?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shannon was rendered speechless. ¡°Also, Wyatt is my partner, but I am not the matriarch of the Thompson family. I don¡¯t want to hear this from you again, Mrs. Salvador.¡± M¡¯s stern words were so frightening that Shannon¡¯s face turned as white as paper. Her expression was also stiff. Be bit her red lips and felt a soreness in her nose. There would only be one matriarch in the Thompson family, and that was Be¡¯s mother. Justin¡¯s thin lips turned white, and his cold eyes flickered. He did not like Anna and was married to her in name only. She even caused trouble for him and provoked him time and time again. However, when Shannon ridiculed her harshly, he felt as if his dignity was being trampled on. ¡°Ms. Brown, are you going to see Asher? I¡¯ll take you there.¡± M¡¯s gentle eyes fell on Be. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Thompson. Sorry to trouble you.¡± Be smiled tenderly, like a prim and properdy. ¡°You¡¯re such a polite and beautiful girl.¡± M took Be¡¯s hand and caressed it gently. She said loudly on purpose, ¡°Asher has really good taste to choose you as his girlfriend.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Chapter 76 ¡°Wait!¡± Justin called out. After hearing what Be said, Justin felt an inexplicable anger rise in his chest. He said calmly, ¡°Ms. Brown, don¡¯t you still owe me an apology?¡± Ryan sighed disapprovingly. He felt like taking off his socks and stuffing them into Justin¡¯s mouth. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Be felt a dull pain in her heart. She looked back at him indifferently. Justin felt that her sharp and disappointed gaze had prated his soul. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Annie! It wasn¡¯t Annie!¡± A sweet and soft voice appeared in time, catching those people with evil intentions by surprise. Be¡¯s eyes lit up when she looked toward the voice. ¡°Carrie!¡± A girl wearing a simple white dress with a ¡°cauliflower¡± head and a fair and delicate face ran toward them. This ridiculous hairstyle was Bethany¡¯s ¡°masterpiece¡±. In the Salvador family, Bethany had always seen Carrie as her imaginary enemy. Bethany was jealous that her sister was more beautiful than her. Thus, she tried every possible means to bully Carrie. As long as the two of them appeared in public, Bethany would purposely make her sister look ugly for fear that her sister would steal her limelight. Carrie was an autistic child. As a result, she became more withdrawn as she grew older. In front of strangers, Carrie would always hunch her back and remain silent. In the three years that Be was married to Justin, Be was the only person, other than Wilma, who had given warmth to this neglected sister. After Be left the Salvador family, she missed Carrie. Be did not expect to meet Carrie here today and was excited to see her. ¡°Stupid brat! What are you talking about?¡± Bethany red at her sister fiercely. ¡°Besides Rosalind, Anna was the only one in the bathroom at that time. If she didn¡¯t do it, who else did?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not Annie! It¡¯s not Annie!¡± Carrie was anxious and scared, and she was a little incoherent. ¡°Carrie, mind your own business. Go and y by yourself!¡± Shannon looked at her youngest daughter with a reprimanding gaze. Carrie clenched her fists and walked up to her half-brother, looking at him nervously. ¡°Justin! Annie didn¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Carrie, why do you say that?¡± Justin¡¯s tone was unprecedentedly gentle, especially when facing his younger sister. ¡°I saw it! I¡­ I was in the bathroom at the time! I saw it!¡± Everyone was shocked. Rosalind¡¯s face turned ashen. Be was also stunned. She never expected Carrie to also be there when she was confronting Rosalind. ¡°I saw¡­ Ms. Gold came over to argue with Annie¡­ Annie wanted to leave, but Ms. Gold wouldn¡¯t let her Ms. Gold pulled Anna and took off her bracelet. Then Ms. Gold broke the bracelet¡­ And then¡­ Then Ms. Gold ran out, yelling¡­ But Annie didn¡¯t touch Ms. Gold! I saw it!¡± Carrie said this while gesturing with her hands in the air. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Carrie¡­¡± Be¡¯s heart trembled, and her eyes gradually turned red. Be knew how timid Carrie was. But Carrie still stood up in front of a crowd for her sake, to tell the truth and defend Be. Chapter 77 Justin¡¯s piercing eyes narrowed as he focused on Rosalind¡¯s pale face, as if a storm was brewing. He slowly let go of Rosalind¡¯s hand. Rosalind felt like a drowning person who had just lost her life raft. She did not care about her wrist injury and hugged Justin¡¯s waist in a hurry. ¡°No, Justin! Anna provoked me first! I really didn¡¯t mess with her! Carrie has always been sick in the head, so don¡¯t believe her!¡± ¡°Sick in the head? All Carrie has is a bad hairdo. She had clearly exined what happened between Anna and Rosalind.¡± Ryan sneered. However, he did not say anything too harsh for Justin¡¯s sake. Even a yboy like Ryan looked down on Rosalind, but Justin regarded that scheming bitch as his treasure. It was as if he was bewitched by her. ¡°Anna didn¡¯t hurt you, right?¡± Justin took a breath. He sounded tense. In front of Carrie, the witness, Rosalind dared not lie anymore. She was covered in a cold sweat. ¡°So, you wrongly used Anna?¡± Justin felt like his breathing was heavy and that his heart had been stabbed a thousand times. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± Rosalind was so frightened that her body trembled. Suddenly, her vision went dark. She lost blood and was so nervous that she fainted. This farce ended hastily, with Rosalind being carried into an ambnce. When Steven rushed over in a hurry, Be was walking with M to the underground parking lot. ¡°Ms. Be! I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t with you when this happened.¡± Steven was shocked to see the white silk handkerchief in Be¡¯s left hand that was stained with blood. ¡°Why are you injured? Who did it? I¡¯ll cut him!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Steve. I know you¡¯ve gone to deal with thepany¡¯s affairs. This is just a minor problem.¡± As she said that, Be turned to look at M gratefully. ¡°Aunt M helped me solve it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t solve anything¡­ As an elder, I should¡¯ve done more for you.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. M remembered how the Salvadors bombarded Be and felt indignant. ¡°Be, why didn¡¯t you reveal your identity to them? Why do you have to endure all that? You should say that you¡¯re Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter and make them pay the price for messing with you!¡± Be shook her head lightly. ¡°Aunt M, I have already left the Salvador family, so I don¡¯t want them to know anything about me. No matter how dirty, bad, or hateful those people were, they would always remain in Anna Brown¡¯s life. I¡¯m Be Thompson now, and they will never get involved in my life, including Justin.¡± Steven was dumbfounded. It was only then that he realized M also knew about Be¡¯s marriage to Justin. ¡°Right. There¡¯s no limit to suffering. It¡¯s good that you finally understand their true colors and let the past go.¡± M pursed her lips and could not help but smile. ¡°Fortunately, Sasha didn¡¯te today. Otherwise, that would have turned into a bloody storm.¡± ¡°Aunt Sasha is indeed a straightforward and hot-tempered person who acts on emotion.¡± The two women from the Thompson familyughed for a while. Suddenly, M held Be in her arms and sobbed. Her voice choked up as she said, ¡°Be, I still feel aggrieved for you¡­ ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Be¡¯s eyes turned red as she smiled softly tofort M. ¡°With all of you supporting me, I don¡¯t feel aggrieved at all.¡± Chapter 78 Rosalind was transferred to the general ward after going into the emergency room. The doctor said she was fine. The wound was not shallow, but it was not deep enough to require stitches. The main reason she fainted was due to excessive stress. ¡°Rose! You¡¯re finally awake!¡± Jean was crying beside the hospital bed, as if Rosalind were already dead. ¡°I thought I would never see you again!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop crying. Justin isn¡¯t here anymore. Who are you crying so loudly for? It¡¯s hurting my ears.¡± Shannon looked impatient and stood in front of the window with her arms folded across her chest. ¡± Have you figured out how to deal with this incident?¡± ¡°What incident?¡± Jean wiped away her tears and asked in confusion. ¡°Hah! Is there something else that you¡¯ve screwed up?¡± Shannon clicked her tongue and looked at her ipetent sister with contempt. ¡°You¡¯re a bunch of useless fools! I¡¯ve already tried my best to help you. Could your daughter have been with Justin if it wasn¡¯t for me? Do you think a pea-brain like you will be able to marry your daughter into a wealthy family? Dream on!¡± Rosalind was also holding back her resentment. She was also ming her mother for not being careful. To supplement the Gold family, Jean sold the ne that Justin gave Rosalind. If Jean had not sold that ne, it would not havended up at the pawn shop, and the Thompsons would not have put it up for auction. This incident put a damper on Rosalind¡¯s rtionship with Justin. ¡°Shannon, it¡¯s also partly your fault!¡± Shannon had always scolded Jean since they were children. Facing Shannon¡¯s reproach in front of her daughter, Jean felt embarrassed and angry. ¡°Rose and I were ying along so well just now. We¡¯ve already defeated that little bitch, Anna, but your youngest daughter came out at the critical moment to undermine us. If Carrie hadn¡¯t gotten involved, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How did I know that Carrie would be in the bathroom? You two, Rose. I taught you better than this. Why are you so careless when you¡¯re doing something like this? You didn¡¯t even know that someone else was present!¡± Shannon was furious. This incident was partly her responsibility, but she could only me it on Rosalind for being careless. Rosalind pouted in frustration and remained silent. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a he-said-she-said situation. There¡¯s no evidence to prove that Rose inflicted this injury on herself. Rose, if Justin asks, just y dumb. Justin has feelings for you, so he¡¯ll brush this aside.¡± Shannon rubbed her temples and said coldly, ¡°If not, I have a way to make Justin forgive you for what you did.¡± ¡°Thanks, Aunt Shannon¡­¡± Rosalind thought of how M protected Anna earlier. Her face twisted with jealousy as she said, ¡± Does Anna have a kid with Asher? Is that why everyone in the Thompson family is so nice to her? Why did Mrs. Thompson protect her like that? It sounded like Anna was her daughter! If this continues, Anna will go over our heads soon!¡± Shannon¡¯s face turned glum at the mention of M. ¡°M is just a mistress. I only called her Mrs. Thompson out of respect, but she dares to be rude to me!¡± ¡°Yeah! Aunt Shannon, you¡¯re Gregory¡¯s legal wife. How can Mpare to you?¡± Rosalind was ttering Shannon because she had to keep herself in Shannon¡¯s good graces so that she could marry into the Salvador family. Jean sneered and thought to herself, ¡®How dare she call someone else a mistress when she¡¯s also a mistress? If Justin¡¯s birth mother wasn¡¯t so stupid to be fooled by Shannon, she would never have been able to marry into the Salvador family!¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t let Anna get her way by marrying into the Thompson family. What¡¯s the use of trying to please M anyway? M¡¯s a nobody.¡± Shannon narrowed her eyes coldly. ¡°People will only recognize M if Wyatt Thompson does. I heard from Greg that Wyatt Thompson is very difficult to deal with. He always cares about the family¡¯s reputation. Asher is his eldest son whom he trained as his sessor, so he won¡¯t allow his son to marry a country bumpkin! We have a long way to go. I¡¯ll let that bitch off for a few days before I make her cry.¡± As soon as Shannon finished speaking, the door to the ward suddenly opened. A strong chill permeated the room as Justin¡¯s tall figure stood by the door frame. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Rosalind was frightened. She looked so pitiful. ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± Rosalind clenched the bedsheets and nced at Shannon for help. ¡°Justin, Rose fainted from excessive stress and just woke up. If you have anything to say, wait until she recovers.¡± Shannon hurriedly persuaded Justin. ¡°There are some things that I must be clear about.¡± Justin did not give in at all. His thin lips curled into a cold and stern arc. Chapter 79 ¡°Mr. Salvador¡­ It¡¯s all my fault! I¡¯m not a good mother!¡± Jean thought that it would be better to take the me instead of having Justin interrogate them. She did not want this matter to affect her daughter¡¯s future marriage to a wealthy family. Thus, Jean rushed over, looking remorseful, and knelt in front of Justin. ¡°My family is in trouble. We don¡¯t have capital investments, and our factories are closing down one after another¡­ Your family refused to help when the Thompsons pushed us too hard. We were really desperate¡­ So my husband and I decided to sell some of our belongings to fill the gap. I took Rose¡¯s jewelry and sold it off. Rose didn¡¯t know about it! If I had known that this ne was your token of love for Rose, I would never have sold it, even if I¡¯d die of poverty and starvation!¡± Rosalind breathed a sigh of relief and pretended to be innocent, with tears in her eyes. ¡°Mom¡­ You went overboard¡­ That was my favorite ne¡­ How could you¡­¡± However, Justin¡¯s eyes were indifferent. He parted his thin lips and said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to ask.¡± The ne was nothingpared to Rosalind wrongly using Anna. Although he was sad and irritated to see his hard work being wasted, he could still understand that Rosalind did this to save her family from disaster. However, he could not let it go if Rosalind was framing an innocent person. ¡°Did you cut your own wrist? Or did Anna do it? Did you identally break Anna¡¯s bracelet, or did you deliberately take it off and break it?¡± Justin¡¯s tone was deep, and his eyes were nk. ¡°Justin¡­ Are you saying that I¡¯m a wicked woman who framed Anna?!¡± Rosalind cried. ¡°I¡¯ve been by your side for so long¡­ Am I not as good as your ex-wife, who lied to you?¡± Justin furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Carrie never lies. She said that she didn¡¯t see Anna touching you.¡± ¡°Carrie is not of sound mind, and she has poornguage skills. Justin, you know that she¡¯s always hiding in corners. We can¡¯t just assume that she saw everything clearly.¡± Shannon hurriedly came out to smooth things over. Justin sneered. ¡°Will mothers hurt their own daughters in front of outsiders? I don¡¯t have a mother, so I don¡¯t know how it usually works.¡± Shannon¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°This bastard is really good at dissing me!¡¯ ¡°So, Rose, why did you do this? Since I have chosen you, I will not get back together with Anna. Why are you still causing trouble for her?¡± Justin suppressed his anger. The growing disappointment bound his heart like a heavy shackle, making it hard to beat. He was still calling her ¡°Rose¡± because they were childhood sweethearts for twenty years. She was his grace and redemption. After all, Rosalind was the only ray of light that shone through his dark childhood. Justin was afraid that this light would go out. He was very afraid that the person he chose to bet everything on was the wrong woman for him. ¡°I didn¡¯t! It¡¯s not me!¡± Rosalind yelled and patted the mattress wildly. Her normally gentle eyes were bloodshot and ferocious. ¡°She stole my man! Now she wants to frame me! Bethany said that Anna and Carrie had been friends since Anna was staying at Tideview Manor¡­ They must have teamed up to go against me! Justin, would you rather believe them than me? Have you fallen in love with Anna? Do you not want me anymore?!¡± ¡°I have always been yours. Even during the three years of marriage to Anna, my feelings for you haven¡¯t changed, and I have never touched her.¡± Justin clenched his fists with all his strength. His eyes dimmed. He thought of Anna, who took the me without hesitation when questioned, and recalled the red marks on her wrist. He also thought of her disappointment when she looked back at him with tears and hatred in her eyes. Justin took a deep breath. His severe headache made his vision blurry. ¡°But Rose, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯ve been doing recently. Are you trying to push me toward her?¡± ¡°No, no! It¡¯s not like that, Justin¡­¡± When Rosalind saw Justin leaving without looking back, she turned pale with fright, jumped out of bed, and ran to the door. However, the door mmed in her face, and she could feel a cold whiff of wind. Rosalind stared at her scarlet eyes and kicked the door of the ward angrily. However, she used so much force that she started to scream in pain and hop on the spot. ¡®Anna! I won¡¯t let you go! I¡¯ll show you what it means to be my enemy!¡¯ Chapter 80 ACE was a luxury club owned by Ryan. At night, Justin felt depressed, so for the first time, he called Ryan out for a drink. Ryan drove to pick him up in person. After all, Justin had only taken the initiative to hang out with him a handful of times since they were young. ¡°Sometimes I feel like your mistress.¡± Ryan leaned into Justin¡¯s ear and muttered. In front of outsiders, he was an unstinting emperor, but in front of Justin, he was a nagging mistress. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt like this with women, but with you, I just feel so neglected. At the same time, I¡¯ll be at your beck and call. I alwayse to apany you as soon as you call me. Look at what a nice friend I am! I¡¯m so touched by myself!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Have you never been this clingy to a woman?¡± Justin nced at him coldly. ¡°I think you¡¯re quite clingy in front of Anna.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s the first because she¡¯s such an outstanding woman. I really can¡¯t help myself.¡± Justin felt his eyebrows twitch. He moved his thin lips and resisted the urge to curse at him. At this time, two sexy girls walked past them. One of them even winked at Ryan. Ryan squinted his eyes and licked his upper teeth. ¡°She¡¯s not as sexy as her.¡± ¡°Who are you referring to? Your ex-wife?!¡± Ryan was so shocked that his eyes bulged out. ¡°Damn! Justin, are you no longer a virgin? Didn¡¯t you say that you only have a contract marriage with Anna? I knew it! Men are such liars. But I feel you¡­ You had such a high-ss beauty like Anna by your side back then. You¡¯re not impotent either.¡± Justin was startled by his own passingment and clenched the whiskey ss tightly. It felt like he had really seen Anna¡¯s body and had sex with her before. ¡°I have never touched her, so don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± Justin felt his cheeks warm. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he took another sip of wine. ¡®Damn it! How could I have such illicit thoughts about that woman?!¡¯ After three rounds of drinks, Ryan could not help but ask, ¡°Justin, can I ask you something? I¡¯ve always been confused.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why Rosalind?¡± Ryan hugged Justin¡¯s neck and felt sorry for Anna. ¡°You saw what happened today. Those women were like vultures trying to eat Anna alive! If Carrie hadn¡¯t appeared in time to testify for Anna, she would have taken the me like that. How pitiful is that?¡± Justin was in a daze as he recalled his past. ¡°Back then, my mothermitted suicide by jumping off a building. She had depression and couldn¡¯t stand Gregory¡¯s cold shoulder and the rumors going around. Those were also my darkest days. I was so immersed in grief that I even wanted to follow in my mother¡¯s footsteps and leave this world. I¡¯ve attempted suicide before.¡± As he spoke, Justin untied his metal watch strap to reveal a long and shocking scar. He had kept this a secret for twenty years, and Ryan was the first person Justin confided in about it. Ryan took a deep breath and felt a pain in his heart. ¡°Rose found out in time and saved me. From then on, she became my only friend. She would make snacks for me, invite me to her home, and give me the toys she collected. Back then, she was the person God sent to redeem me. She became my only hope for survival. I promised that I would marry her, so no matter what, I would keep that promise.¡± Ryan suddenly understood why Justin was so obsessed with Rosalind. He sighed and said, ¡°But Justin, people change. You haven¡¯t been with her for a long time. Do you think that you still understand who she is? What should you do if you gradually find that she¡¯s no longer the same person in your memory? Do you still want to stick with her? She has saved you before, but you can repay her in other ways. You can¡¯t just ignore our morals to cover up her evil deeds. It¡¯s a separate matter altogether, don¡¯t you think?¡± Justin put his watch on again. His eyes were gloomy. He once again thought about Anna¡¯s tearful eyes, which were crystal clear and pure without intentions. His heart trembled, but he just lowered his head and drank. any bad ¡°Sigh¡­ You¡¯re such a stubborn man. Once you¡¯ve made up your mind, it¡¯s quite impossible to hold you back.¡± Ryan pursed his lips helplessly. ¡°Well, I guess the only woman who is more important to you than Rosalind is that little dove you¡¯ve been looking for all these years, right?¡± Hearing Ryan mention that little dove, Justin had a shback, and his eyes lit ¡°Do you have news of her whereabouts?¡± 1. ¡°Like you, I have been sending my people to investigate, but the information you gave is too vague. You didn¡¯t even see her face clearly. Even if I¡¯go to the police station to find a first-ss profiler, it¡¯s a lost cause.¡± Ryan shrugged his shoulders. Justin¡¯s eyes dimmed as he recalled the thin girl who dragged him to safety a long way across the battlefield in Kridor. He had been looking for her for five years, but there was no news of her. ¡°I really don¡¯t know if I will ever see her again in my lifetime.¡± ¡°If you see her, how will you treat her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll repay her, of course. She¡¯s my savior.¡± Justin answered seriously. ¡°She and Rosalind are your saviors. What if this little dove also loves you? Will you pledge yourself to her?¡± Ryan asked jokingly with his hand on his chin. ¡°Gratitude and love are two different things. We must not get confused.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was muffled. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m d you know this.¡± Ryan¡¯s tone was a little mocking as he clinked sses with Justin. Aftering out of the club, their luxury cars were already waiting at the door. Their drivers opened the door for them. ¡°Ryan, I have a question.¡± Justin held it in all night and finally could not help but ask him. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryan yawned. Justin paused and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Why did Anna admit it if she didn¡¯t do it? Why didn¡¯t she exin herself?¡± ¡°Maybe she just doesn¡¯t care anymore,¡± Ryan said casually. He was tired. ¡°What doesn¡¯t she care about?¡± Justin asked. ¡°She has divorced you, so why would she still care about what you think of her? If she doesn¡¯t care about you, why would she care about your stupid family? She¡¯s probably given up on you. Also, as her ex-husband, you were so hurtful and harsh toward her. If I were Anna, I would have hired someone to secretly beat you up.¡± Ryan said goodbye to Justin and got into his luxury car. Justin clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He felt suffocated, like he was being strangled. Chapter 81 After returning from the charity auction, Be locked herself in the room and refused toe out. It was a rare urrence. At night, Asher and Axel went to the vi to visit their sister. Although Be went down to see them, she was feeling drained and exhausted. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Be, I heard about what happened at the auction.¡± Asher hurriedly stepped forward and gently took his sister¡¯s gauze-wrapped hand. He stroked her hand over and over again in distress. ¡°How is your wound? Did Steve take care of you and change the dressing? Does it still hurt? Is there any infection?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve studied medicine, so I can handle it on my own. Steve has enough things to worry about. I don¡¯t want to trouble him with such a minor thing.¡± Be retracted her hand and muttered. ¡°Steve is getting more unreliable! If we hadn¡¯t gone home and met Aunt M, we would¡¯ve been kept in the dark about this! Why didn¡¯t you tell us that the Salvadors bullied you at the auction?¡± Axel¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. ¡°I will deliver a summons to Salvador Corporation tomorrow. Asher, please contact KS Group¡¯s legal team and formally sue those old witches for defamation! I¡¯ll burn their asses! Damn it! If we don¡¯t show them how powerful we are, they¡¯ll continue to bully Be!¡± ¡°Forget it. This is nothing.¡± Be leaned feebly on her eldest brother¡¯s broad shoulders. She said in a soft voice, ¡°Do you think that Salvador Corporation doesn¡¯t have its own legal team? If this gets too big, Wyatt will hear of it, and I can¡¯t afford that!¡± Be was more afraid that her father would find out about her and Justin. Wyatt would not hit her, but he would probably get so angry that he might get a heart attack. Even though he looked tough, he was still an elderly man. Belle did not want her father to worry about this. However, Be would not just let Rosalind get away with it. Be looked at the wound on her hand and thought of the jade bracelet that she had spent two days repairing. Her eyes turned red again. ¡°Den was so anxious to hear that you were injured. He¡¯s now trying to find a way toe back from the army. Drew is already on his way back. He¡¯ll be home soon.¡± Asher hugged his sister and gently stroked her ck hair. ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch! How could you tell Den and Drew about this? They hold high positions and have heavy responsibilities. How could they push off their duty just because of such a trivial matter?¡± Be¡¯s cheeks turned red with anxiety. She hurriedly took out her phone and sent an angry voice not to the Thompson Family Secret Bureau group chat. ¡°Whoever dares toe back now, I will ignore him for a year!¡± Den replied. [Be, I have already asked for permission to leave¡­] ¡°I don¡¯t care! If youe back, I¡¯ll disown you as my brother. Try me!¡± Drew kept quiet. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think you can stop Drew. He¡¯s probably¡­¡± Axel pointed upward. ¡°Flying right now.¡± Be held her forehead in distress. Drew had always liked to surprise Be since they were children. He was also very introverted. If Drew were around, he would have pampered Be more than her other brothers. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I¡¯ll just ignore him!¡± Be pursed her lips and fiddled with Asher¡¯s crystal cufflinks. ¡°Asher, can you take me back to Hatchbayter? I want to go to the Meteor Atelier.¡± Carrie stood up to testify for Anna, offending Shannon, Jean, and Rosalind in the process. She had been walking on thin ice at home, but now Carrie felt like she was being grilled over a fire. ¡°Stupid girl! Did that bumpkin bribe you? Are you her spy?!¡± (( Bethany was drunk and rushed into Carrie¡¯s bedroom. She bared her teeth and yelled at Carrie. You¡¯re such an ingrate! I thought you were silly and innocent, but I didn¡¯t expect you to pretend all this time! You¡¯re a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, just hiding your strength and biding your time, right? Then you can strike when you get the opportunity. You¡¯ll start to make trouble when you think you¡¯re powerful enough, right?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not a wolf! I didn¡¯t lie. I didn¡¯t get bribed¡­ I told the truth!¡± Carrie¡¯s face turned pale with fright. She hugged her favorite teddy bear tightly. ¡°You¡­ You bullied Annie¡­ I don¡¯t want you to bully Annie!¡± That teddy bear was a limited-edition toy that Be specially bought from Regarton. To buy the toy, Be got up early and queued for six hours in the rain. Carrie loved it so much that she would sleep with it every night. ¡°Hmph! How dare you talk back to me?! Go to hell!¡± Bethany grabbed her sister¡¯s silky hair with such force, looking like she wanted to tear off Carrie¡¯s scalp. ¡°Ah! Ouch! It hurts!¡± ¡°Who allowed you to perm your hair?! Do you not remember what I told you?! You¡¯re not allowed to perm your hair without my permission!¡± Bethany¡¯s eyes were wide open as she shook Carrie¡¯s head vigorously. Bethany was not angry because what Rosalind did had nothing to do with her. What Bethany hated was that Ryan, whom she had pined after, took the initiative to talk to Carrie when they exited the tinum Auction House that day. Not only that, Ryan even touched Carrie¡¯s ¡°cauliflower¡± head and smiled at her. When Bethany witnessed that scene, she was so jealous that she wanted to use a clipper to shave off all of Carrie¡¯s hair. ¡°Hah! I know what your n is! You¡¯re not really trying to help that country bumpkin. You just want to pretend to be an angel in front of Ryan and seduce him, right?!¡± Chapter 82 ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes were full of tears as she choked up. ¡°You just want to go against us. We don¡¯t like Anna, so you want to help her. Is that so you can show that you¡¯re different and righteous?!¡± Bethany¡¯s delicate face was contorted at the moment. ¡°Stop trying so hard! Ryan can¡¯t possibly like a fool like you!¡± ¡°Ms. Bethany! What are you doing?¡± Wilma rushed in and hugged Carrie, who was crying loudly. The other servants in Tideview Manor had long been ustomed to this kind of scene, and no one dared to stop Bethany. Wilma was the only one who dared to stand up for Carrie because she had been working for Justin for the longest time and could not stand the way Bethany bullied Carrie. ¡°Wilma, get out! It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Bethany was also angry with Wilma. ¡°I think you should leave!¡± While Wilmaforted the trembling Carrie, she shot a warning look at Bethany and said, ¡°If you walk out of this door now, I¡¯ll pretend that I didn¡¯t see a thing. Otherwise, I will tell Young Master Justin exactly how you bullied Ms. Carrie when hees back!¡± Bethany trembled and gritted her teeth unwillingly. If Justin knew what Bethany was like at home, he would definitely tell his best friend, Ryan. If Justin interfered, it would be more difficult for Bethany to pursue Ryan. Considering this, Bethany had to stop. However, she was still upset. Before leaving, she snatched the bear from Carrie¡¯s arms and threw it out the window. ¡°Ah! My teddy!¡± ¡°This ragdoll is such an eyesore!¡± Bethany snorted coldly, flipped her wavy hair, and left the room as if nothing had happened. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Carrie did not even bother to put on her shoes before running out of the vi barefoot. At that time, Justin returned to Tideview Manor and was startled to see Carrie¡¯s anxious face. ¡°Carrie, what happened?¡± Justin stepped forward to stop her and frowned in worry. Although Justin hated Shannon and Bethany, he still pitied Carrie. Justin was also impressed that this weak little girl stood up to speak for Anna that day. ¡°My teddy¡­ My teddy is gone¡­¡± Carrie was so anxious that tears and snot streamed down her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you find it.¡± Justin led Carrie to the backyard. Finally, they spotted a teddy bear lying in a muddy flower bed. Justin, who always liked to keep his leather shoes spotless, could not care less about the mud and stepped into the flower bed to retrieve the bear. The teddy bear was so dirty that it was unrecognizable, but Carrie still held it like a treasure. She hugged it tightly and sobbed as tears fell from her face. Justin had never been a soft-hearted person, but he could not help but feel sorry for Carrie when he saw her like this. ¡°It¡¯s so dirty. Why don¡¯t you throw it away? I¡¯ll buy a new one for you tomorrow.¡± ¡°No¡­ I want this one¡­ Annie gave it to me¡­ It¡¯s my favorite toy!¡± Justin¡¯s chest trembled. He did not expect Carrie to like Anna so much. Carrie thought of Anna¡¯s kindness to her in the past. Without him, every day in this huge manor was arduous. Her father neglected her, her mother ignored her, and her sister bullied her. ¡°Justin!¡± The little girl threw herself into Justin¡¯s arms and burst into tears. ¡°Can you ask Annie toe back? I miss her so much¡­ Can you stay together?¡± Justin¡¯s thin lips trembled. His throat felt bitter. He stroked Carrie¡¯s hair with his big hands and could not say a word because he was afraid of hurting Carrie even more. At this time, his phone rang. Nigel¡¯s call interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I get through to Anna again?¡± Nigel became more childlike as he got older. On the other end of the phone, Nigel sounded so anxious that he was about to cry. ¡°What¡¯s going on with Anna? I can¡¯t find hertely. She doesn¡¯te to see me either! Does Anna no longer want me anymore?! You stupid brat! It¡¯s all your fault! If Anna is ignoring me because of you, I¡¯ll disown you!¡± ¡°Grandpa, Anna will not abandon you. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Justin rubbed his temples. His handsome face was gloomy. ¡°Hurry up and help me contact Anna! I want to see my precious granddaughter-inw! Go and find her!¡± Chapter 83 That night, Asher, Axel, and Be left Savrow and returned to Hatchbay. The two cities were not far apart. It was only a less-than-two-hour drive on the highway. Savrow was the economic center of the country, with abundant resources and broad development prospects. Everyone wanted a piece of thisnd. However, Hatchbay was different. Hatchbay had only belonged to one family for hundreds of years- the Thompson family. The Thompson family created jobs to support at least one-third of Hatchbay¡¯s poption. Thus, Wyatt Thompson was known as the ¡°Uncrowned Emperor¡± of Hatchbay. Without the Thompson, Hatchbay would be an ordinary, second-tier city. Its economy would not be able to develop so rapidly, either. The Thompson siblings arrived at the antique Meteor Atelier. ¡°Ah! Ms. Be! When did youe back?!¡± An old man in his sixties came to the door to greet them excitedly. He was the manager of Meteor Atelier, Tony. Tony was the youngest son of Wyatt¡¯s nanny. He and Wyatt grew up ying together and had such a close rtionship that they were inseparable. Tony did not have any big ambitions. Wyatt¡¯s driver bought three houses in Savrow just from listening to Wyatt¡¯s calls every day. However, Tony was not interested in an investment career. He did not want to get married or have children, so he stayed in the Meteor Atelier alone. Instead, he spent all his time with jadeite stones and enjoyed his time in nature.¡± ¡°Uncle Tony, how are you? Do your legs still hurt when it rains? Is your asthma better? How do you like the medicine that I asked Steve to send you a while ago?¡± Be¡¯s bright eyes arched into tiny crescents as she held Tony¡¯s arm affectionately. ¡°It¡¯s great! I¡¯m fine¡­ But nothing feels better than having you back here!¡± Tony was so happy that he teared up. ¡°Actually, I came here this time to ask you for a favor¡­¡± Be sighed quietly and got straight to the point. ¡°A good friend of mine gave me a gift, but I broke it. I was afraid that he would be sad if he found out, so I wanted to create a replica¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Be pursed her red lips and carefully took out a vintage jewelry bag, revealing the jade bracelet fragments inside. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh! This is a high-grade material. It¡¯s one in a thousand. What a pity!¡± Tony was a jade connoisseur. He was heartbroken when he saw the broken jade. ¡°I also know how rare this material is, but I¡¯d still like to try it. How many pure jadeites do you have here now?¡± Be asked. ¡°More than five hundred stones.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll open them all tonight.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Tony almost spat out blood. Asher cleared his throat in embarrassment, and Axel silently reached for his phone in his pocket, ready to call the emergency services at any time. Be was always like that, saying such earth-shattering words in the calmest tone. ¡°No, no, no, no! Are you trying to kill me?!¡± Tony stomped his feet anxiously, looking just like Wyatt when Wyatt lost his temper. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. You keep these stones as a hobby, and you don¡¯t need them to make a living. Tell me whatpensation you want if I want to open all of them?¡± Be thought about how Drew disobeyed her, so she wanted to punish him. Thus, she changed her mind and said, ¡°Charge to my fourth brother¡¯s ount. Just tell him to pay double the amount. He has the money anyway and doesn¡¯t know what to do with it.¡± Tony covered his chest and leaned back listlessly. Asher and Axel quickly supported the old man. The Thompson family had four gardens in Hatchbay, namely Moon Garden, Cloud Garden, Mist Garden, and Meteor Garden. Meteor Garden was simple in design, with changing natural scenery throughout the garden. It was first spotted by the renowned professional jade carver, Jayden. However, Wyatt spent $1 billion to buy it over from the owner, which made Jayden so angry that he almost expelled Tony from his apprenticeship. It was all because Tony was friends with Wyatt. Half a monthter, on Jayden¡¯s 60th birthday, Wyatt gifted him Meteor Garden, and their misunderstanding was resolved. It turns out that Wyatt only bought Meteor Garden as a surprise gift for Jayden from the beginning. Now that Jayden had passed away, Tony inherited the atelier as Jayden¡¯s apprentice. Tony remained at Meteor Garden to this day. Be followed Tony to the warehouse to prepare the materials while her brothers were sitting in the front hall drinking tea. ¡°Be is too concerned about the Salvador family. I¡¯m jealous.¡± Axel pouted in displeasure. ¡°Old Master Nigel is a highly respected elder. He has always liked Be. Be is also a sincere person who will repay every kindness she has received. It¡¯s only natural that she wants to repay Old Master Niger for being kind to her, and I support her for that.¡± Asher sipped the tea slowly. His voice was deep and charming. ¡°You support everything she does. I don¡¯t believe you would support her being with that jerk Justin again!¡± ¡°Humans can¡¯t change destiny. Be is a rebel. The more people oppose them being together, the more she wants to prove them wrong.¡± Asher sighed. ¡°God is not that great at ying Cupid. My sister is so perfect. Even the son of the prime minister of a neighboring country isn¡¯t worthy of her. But this bastard Justin actually broke her heart!¡± Axel scoffed. ¡°But that¡¯s good too. After all, Justin is the worst they can get. Be won¡¯t be so easily fooled the next time she meets fuckboys like him.¡± At this time, Asher¡¯s phone vibrated on the table. Chapter 84 Asher nced down and saw Justin¡¯s name on the phone screen. ¡°Mr. Salvador,¡± Asher answered the call in a cold voice. Axel frowned, got up from his chair, and listened in on their conversation. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I¡¯m looking for Anna. I have something to tell her.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was low, with a hint of anxiety. ¡°Anna is not free now. ¡°Then when will she be free?¡± ¡°For you, she¡¯s never free.¡± Asher had always been harmonious and polite. However, when he dissed someone, he made sure to hit the nail on its head. Axel clenched his fists excitedly and thought, ¡®Well said!¡¯ On the other end of the phone, Justin felt attacked. His face was glum. ¡°Since Anna has changed her number, it means that she doesn¡¯t want you to contact her. Even if you haven¡¯t finalized your divorce, you should stop harassing her if you have the basic decency of being a man. Secondly, I already know what happened at the charity auction.¡± Justin¡¯s pupils shrank. His heart seemed like it was being strangled by a barbed wire. Axel shuddered when he heard this. Asher was like that. He could seem like an angel one second, but the devil the next second. That was because he did not think that most things were worthy of his anger, except for his family. ¡°About that¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what your bottom line is, but you have already crossed mine.¡± Asher¡¯s words were sharp, and his gaze was fiery. ¡°Anna is my only bottom line. This is thest time that I will answer your calls, Mr. Salvador. This is also thest time I¡¯ll remind you to watch your fianc¨¦e and your family. Don¡¯t let them harass Anna. If this happens again, I won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡± 1 N?velDrama.Org owns this. Asher ended the call decisively after saying all that. At this moment, in Tideview Manor, Justin stood in front of the window and stared at the cked-out screen. He clenched his phone, and he felt like someone was squeezing his heart. Asher was Justin¡¯s only point of contact with Anna these days. Now that it was cut off, an unprecedented sense of emptiness overwhelmed him. Justin even panicked a little. This time, Anna might disappear from his lifepletely. He might never find her again. Justin felt an unbearable sadness in his heart. He hurriedly took out a cigarette case from the depth of the drawer which only had two cigarettes left. With trembling fingers, he took out one cigarette and held it between his thin lips. He lit it after several tries. The orangey light at the tip of the cigarette flickered on and off. Justin thought that his behavior was bing more strange. He had quit smoking for five years, but he broke his sobriety because of his ex-wife, whom he did not love at all. In the early morning, Be was alone in the huge workshop of Meteor Atelier. She wore a ck and went around the piles of stones. Her smooth forehead was beaded in sweat. apron Be opened hundreds of stones and processed them to be polished bracelets. Any one of them could easily sell for at least five figures, but to her, it was worthless. None of them were simr! None of them couldpare to the bracelet that Nigel gave her. 4 Be¡¯s eyes were red. She was biting her bottom lip as she polished the jade. Her delicate fingers were calloused, and the wound on her palm was aching, but she did not care at all. Be just wanted to make an identical bracelet. Otherwise, she would not know how to face Nigel. At this time, there was a loud rumbling outside the warehouse that shook the iron gates. However, Be did not care. She was only focused on these stones. Suddenly, the door flew open. A strong gust of wind made Be squint her eyes. In the darkness, a helicopternded outside the door. The hatch slowly opened, and a man¡¯s long legs appeared. The man¡¯s ck windbreaker flew in the wind, and his devilishly handsome face was beaming. ¡°Be! I¡¯m back!¡± Chapter 85 Be raised her eyelids and looked at the handsome man with tears in her almond-shaped eyes. The man strode forward and got on one knee in front of her. He raised his handsome and chiseled face to look at her affectionately. ¡°I heard that you want to disown me.¡± He smiled devilishly and dotingly. ¡°Drew¡­¡± Be pursed her red lips and spoke in a soft voice. ¡°Phew! At least you¡¯re still willing to call my name. I¡¯m relieved.¡± Drew Brown was Wyatt Thompson¡¯s fourth son. He was dark and aloof, but in front of Be, his eyes always lit up with joy. He wrapped a strong arm around his sister¡¯s slim waist and reached into the pocket of his windbreaker. He took out a piece of chocte, tore open the wrapping paper with his teeth, and fed it to Be. ¡°It¡¯s a specialty from Ankora, your favorite. Try it.¡± ¡°Drew!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Be leaned against Drew¡¯s broad chest and felt a surge of emotions rising. Tears filled her eyes and soaked the man¡¯s ck shirt. The reason for these tears wasplicated-finally being reunited with her fourth brother after so long, guilt about breaking the bracelet Nigel gave her, hatred toward Rosalind, and sadness for not being able to make another jade bracelet. Her tears were also partly due to the disappointment and heartache she felt toward Justin. ¡°Be? Are you crying?¡± Drew was startled, and he quietly stroked the back of her neck. ¡°No¡­¡± Be muttered. ¡°My shirt is soaked with your tears, yet you¡¯re still denying it?¡± ¡°I said no!¡± Be¡¯s voice cracked, but she was still very stubborn and refused to admit that she cried. Drew knew that his little sister had strong self-esteem and had cried only a handful of times since she was a child, so he did not expose her. He quietly held her and coaxed her, all the while feeling distressed. He thought, ¡®Be, I¡¯m back. I¡¯ll kill that bastard Justin Salvador!¡¯ by At this moment, Asher and Axel stood side by side outside the door, looking at the loving brother and sister. Axel gritted his teeth in jealousy. ¡°Damn it! This punk snaked his way back again! Why doesn¡¯t Be ever cry like this with me? This punkes back once in a blue moon and just steals her away from us. What right does he have?!¡± ¡°The helicopternded in Meteor Atelier, causing quite significant damage to the floor tiles and trees. In Meteor Garden.¡± Asher lowered his eyes slightly, sighed, and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Drewter that thendscaping and renovation costs will also be charged to his ount.¡± Be struggled until dawn and finally made a satisfactory bracelet. She fell asleep on the pile of stones without knowing it. Tony picked out a good room for Be to rest in. Drew carried his sister¡¯s soft body on the bed under Axel¡¯s watchful gaze. After covering his sister with a quilt and kissing her cheek, Drew exited the room with satisfaction and closed the door. ¡°You¡¯re such a miser. You fly all over the world, but I don¡¯t see you bringing anything nice to our baby sister. You just brought her a piece of chocte! Cheapo.¡± Axel mocked Drew and crossed his arms across his chest. ¡°Ax, will you stop assuming shit?¡± Drew nced at him. ¡°You¡¯d better show me some respect!¡± Axel red at him. ¡°No way in hell!¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± Axel was so angry that he raised a long leg to kick Drew. As it turned out, Axel was no match for a top secret agent. Drew moved his body slightly to dodge the kick perfectly. Axel lost his bnce and almost ripped his pants. How embarrassing! Chapter 86 ¡°Haha¡­ Axel, are you trying to do the splits? Don¡¯t overstretch your balls!¡± Drew covered his stomach and burst intoughter. In the high-intensity, harsh, and cautious environment of the special agent headquarters, Drew had not laughed so heartily in a long time. Asher stood on the side and watched his two younger brothers joke around. He looked like a father watching his sons y, and he was suddenly reminded of his childhood. ¡°Speaking of this, let me show you the gift I prepared for Be.¡± Drew¡¯s eyes sparkled as he enthusiastically brought out a silver rectangr briefcase. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. When he opened theplicatedbination lock and revealed the contents of the briefcase, Asher looked speechless, and Axel gasped. ¡°This gun is newly developed by the special agent headquarters. Half of it is bullets, and the other half is anesthetic. Turning the knob to the left will shoot out darts that will make the opponent sleep for three full days. Turning the knob to the right will make the opponent sleep for a lifetime. This lighter is a miniature grenade. It¡¯s easy to carry and very lethal. It can even blow up a building! Oooh, and this!¡± Men never grow up. Drew was like a kid, proudly showing off his new toy. ¡°Be likes to make jewelry, right? I customized a ring for her. Don¡¯t you think it looks nice?¡± Axel was curious and was about to pick it up to y with it, but Drew suddenly grabbed his wrist. ¡°No, this ring can shoot out poisonous thorns that are more poisonous than paraquat.¡± Asher lowered his eyes helplessly. ¡°May God forgive you, Amen.¡± Axel was irritated. ¡°I¡¯m surprised Be can survive with a brother like you, who likes to y with such lethal toys.¡± ¡°You know nothing! These gifts are all very practical.¡± Drew narrowed his eyes with a cold expression. ¡°I prepared these gifts, especially for that blind bastard Justin. How dare he bully my baby sister! It just depends on how Be wants him to die.¡± Axel slowly looked at Drew with admiration. ¡°Drew, how long do you n to stay at home this time?¡± Asher asked with concern. ¡°Around two weeks.¡± Drew was a little reluctant to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going to Meridan next month for an important mission, so I must go back in advance to prepare for it. Otherwise, I¡¯d like to stay with Be a little longer.¡± ¡°Official duties are more important. Axel and I will protect our baby sister, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Asher paused and asked in a low voice, ¡°Would you like to go home and see Dad? He just talked about you a few days ago.¡± ¡°Hmph! That old man will probably live a few more years if he doesn¡¯t see me.¡± Drew waved his hand coolly. A hint of sadness shed in his eyes. Asher and Axel looked at each other, feeling a little awkward. Even Be had slowly epted Wyatt¡¯s three mistresses, but Drew had never been able to forgive his father¡¯s infidelity to his mother. That was why Drew went to military school and became a special agent. He left his hometown and flew far away so that everything was out of sight and out of mind. However, in the past two years, Drew became more homesick. He longed for the time when he mindlessly fooled around with his siblings. ¡°Hey, Ax, let¡¯s go for a hunt.¡± Drew suddenly hugged his second brother¡¯s neck. The two had just been at each other¡¯s throats, but now they ignored their past grudges and were as close as conjoined twins. ¡®A hunt?¡¯ Axel reacted immediately. ¡°If you want to go, go by yourself. Be said we¡¯re not allowed to find fault with the jerkface, Justin. I can¡¯t break my promise!¡± Axel quickly retreated, as if Drew were poisonous. Drew sneered and curled his lips sinisterly. Chapter 87 Be stayed at the Meteor Atelier for three whole days. To make a jade bracelet that resembled the one that Nigel gave her, Be barely slept in the past three days. When she was tired, she would take a nap in the workshop. Then she would eat something simple and continue to work with the jade. During the day, Be shooed away her three brothers. But at night, they put aside all their social activities and came back to have dinner with her. Facing a table full of delicacies that her brothers bought for her, all of which were her favorites, Be still frowned. She propped her chin up on her hand and pushed around the food on her te. The Thompson brothers were worried, but they did not know how to help her. All of them were useless and knew nothing about jewelry. ¡°Ms. Be.¡± Be returned to her thoughts and looked at Tony listlessly. She saw Tony take out an embroidered jewelry box from behind that he had prepared early in the morning and ce it in front of her. ¡°Uncle Tony, this is¡­¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Open it and take a look.¡± Be frowned in confusion and opened the box. She instantly covered her mouth in surprise and stared at the clear jade bracelet in the box. Although there were still slight differences, it was very simr to the one Nigel gave her! ¡°My master left this to me. It was one of his works that he was most proud of during his lifetime. He originally wanted to give this jade bracelet to his beloved, but he failed to do so.¡± Tony sighed with regret. ¡°Master Jayden has a wife? Isn¡¯t he an old bachelor?¡± Axel asked curiously while chewing some meat. Tony nced at him. ¡°Tsk! Everyone has a crush, okay?¡± ¡°Oh, I thought Master Jayden only liked stones and not women.¡± Drew joked and took a sip of wine. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he give it to his crush? Was he scared?¡± ¡°Master Jayden and his crush were studying at the same school. At that time, Master Jayden liked to tease her, but after twenty years of being friends, Master Jayden fell in love without knowing it. Later, when his crush got married, he wanted to give her this bracelet as a gift. But on her wedding day, she got into a serious car ident and was pronounced dead on site.¡± The Thompson siblings were shocked by this information and were crestfallen. ¡°Since then, Master Jayden has sworn off love. He put all his feelings for his crush into jade carving and slowly healed his broken heart over the years.¡± ¡°His love for her willst forever. Master Jayden is the most affectionate man in this world.¡± Be could not help but sigh. Her eyes were twinkling with envy. ¡°But all these tragedies stem from Master Jayden not confessing his love, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s his fault¡­¡± Asher, Axel, and Be red daggers at Drew. The man pursed his lips and drank in embarrassment. Be felt a bitterness in her heart. Someone as unfeeling as Master Jayden could fall in love without even realizing it. Be had been married to Justin for three years, but did that man ever feel even a sliver of affection for her? Did Justin ever have the slightest regret when he divorced her? No way. If so, how could he hurt her with such insulting words over and over again? If so, how could he indiscriminately side with those insidious women and question her character? After the divorce, Be was no longer Justin¡¯s wife, so he did not even bother to show any superficial respect for her. Be sneered in her heart, picked up the wine ss, and gulped it down. The burning sensation in her throat made her sober. Comparing that bastard Justin to Master Jayden was such an insult to thete master that he would roll around in his coffin. ¡°Ms. Be, please take this bracelet. Ipared it and found that this one is most simr to the one you broke.¡± Tony looked at her seriously. ¡°No, no, no¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ This is Master Jayden¡¯s relic. It¡¯s too valuable. I can¡¯t take it!¡± Be panicked and hurriedly pushed the box back. ¡°My master¡¯sst words before he died were to keep everything untouched. However, Wyatt¡¯s children can take whatever they want when they grow up. They cane and y or take anything they wish to.¡± Be¡¯s nose was sore, and her eyes were teary. ¡°Uncle Tony, I¡­¡± ¡°I have seen how much you have worked to restore that bracelet. That must be a very important friend to you. You¡¯re a good girl who values friendships, so your Grandpa Jayden will definitely be very pleased to know this. Take it.¡± Tony smiled lovingly and forced the box into her hands. That night, the Thompson siblings left the Meteor Atelier and said goodbye to Tony. The Rolls-Royce drove back to Savrow. Be leaned on Asher¡¯s shoulder. Her eyes were half-closed as she held the jewelry box firmly in her arms. ¡°Be, I have something to tell you. Justin contacted me the night you returned to Hatchbay.¡± Asher hesitated slightly. His voice was low and hoarse. ¡°Oh.¡± Be¡¯s heart twitched, but she reminded herself to keep calm. Chapter 88 ¡°I asked him not to contact you again, and I spoke quite harshly. I¡¯m not sure how he¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Well done! I¡¯m a goddess, so I won¡¯t let ordinary people like him interact with me. I¡¯m the woman of KS Group¡¯s president!¡± ¡°Right. You¡¯re the only woman that every man in the Thompson family pampers.¡± Asher¡¯s charming eyes arched as he smiled and patted his little sister¡¯s shoulder. He looked at her dotingly. ¡°Ash, give me your phone.¡± Be beckoned. Asher did not know what she wanted to do, but he still gave her his phone. ¡°The password is your birthday.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Be opened the contact list and decisively blocked Justin¡¯s phone number. ¡°Good job.¡± Asher smiled lightly. ¡°We must nip this in the bud. If we don¡¯t, that bastard will push his luck.¡± Be¡¯s eyes turned cold when she mentioned her ex-husband. Justin had been restless and had no appetite for the past few days. That was because he hadpletely lost contact with his ex-wife. Nigel began to bombard Justin with phone calls every day, demanding that he find Anna. The octogenarian old man was more difficult to deal with than a clingy young woman in love. ¡°Mr. Salvador, why don¡¯t we make a missing person¡¯s report?¡± Ian was racking his brains toe up with ideas. ¡°You and the young madam have yet to finalize the divorce, so you are still legally married. It¡¯s only natural for you to find your wife¡¯s whereabouts. I don¡¯t believe that the young madam will stay hidden for long.¡± ¡°What kind of stupid idea is that?¡± Justin nced at him angrily. ¡°Then what do you think we should do? The young madam just dropped off the grid. She has no phone number and no friends. Her only contact person is Mr. Thompson, who won¡¯t answer your calls anymore¡­¡± Justin narrowed his alluring eyes and shot daggers at his brainless secretary. Justin really wanted to kill this man. Last night, Justin tried to call Asher again, but he found that Asher had blocked him. This was the first time in his life that Justin was blocked. It felt as if he had been thrown into outer space. He floated aimlessly through the abyss with a muddled mind and could not recover for ten minutes. The feeling of defeat and humiliation tugged at his heart. Justin suddenly stood up, picked up his suit jacket, put it on, and strode out the door. ¡°Get the car ready. Let¡¯s go to KS World Hotel!¡± Be immediately got back to work after returning from Hatchbay. In the past few days, Steven had been the one leading the high-level meetings and presiding over the important events. When he saw Be, he smiled radiantly and finally settled his longing heart. Recently, the hotel¡¯s upancy rate increased by 20%. Although it was not a shocking increase, it was still a small achievement. In addition, Be had the hotel¡¯s culinary scene revamped. She recently held a Food Week event, so a lot of guests specifically came to dine at the hotel. Their daily ie from catering alone was a considerable sum. However, Be was not satisfied with this achievement alone. She was an ambitious woman who was raised by Wyatt. She wanted to make the KS World Hotel bigger and better, surpassing all of Salvador Corporation¡¯s hotels. In marriage, she was aplete loser. But in the business world, she must not lose to Justin. ¡°I heard that someone stayed in the presidential suite in our hotel that no one has stayed in for two yearsst night.¡± Be asked casually while reading the financial report. ¡°Who do you think booked that room?¡± Steven walked around behind Be and massaged her shoulders skillfully. ¡°Is it Ryan again?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°It¡¯s Bethany Salvador.¡± Be raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Huh? Why does she need such a big room? Is she doing somersaults?¡± ¡°I heard from the housekeeper that she¡¯s hosting a party with three other girls. In the middle of the night, two tall and muscr male models sneaked in and stayed over. Fortunately, our hotel has good sound instion. The two male models left the presidential suite around 5:00 p.m., probably to avoid suspicion.¡± ¡°Bethany has always liked to have fun. But is it enough for three girls to hire two gigolos?¡± Be clicked her tongue and said in a rather disgusted tone, ¡°Once they¡¯ve checked out, be sure to ask the housekeeper to clean and disinfect the room thoroughly. Don¡¯t reuse the bed sheets and quilts. Just throw them away. I¡¯m afraid that the other guests will get STDs.¡± At this moment, Steven¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from a supervisor. He picked up and listened for a while, then his face darkened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Be asked, sensing that something was wrong. ¡°Ms. Be, Bethany is making trouble in the lobby. She insists that our hotel staff stole her things, and she wants us to give her an exnation immediately.¡± Chapter 89 A crowd had gathered in the hotel lobby. you ¡°Ms. Salvador, please calm down¡­ You¡¯re a person of status, so it¡¯s not advisable for you to make a scene here. If you have anything to say, we can move to the lounge to talk about it. What do think?¡± The lobby manager was so anxious that he was sweating. He tried his best to persuade Bethany. ¡°I am a person of status, but your hotel employee still dares to steal my things. What if I¡¯m a nobody? Your hotel will be covering this up!¡± Bethany put her hand on her hips and pped the marble at the front desk while ring at the lobby manager angrily. The crowd recognized Bethany and knew that she was the daughter of Gregory Salvador. But at this moment, she looked like a rogue looking for trouble. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t steal anything¡­¡± The housekeeper lowered her head and murmured timidly. ¡°How dare you make excuses?!¡± Bethany jabbed her sharp red fingertips on the housekeeper¡¯s face. If the manager had not stopped Bethany, she might have blinded the housekeeper. ¡°My ne was just on the sink. Do you think it¡¯ll run away on its own?!¡± ¡°I was in charge of cleaning the room, but I wasn¡¯t the only one there.¡± The housekeeper¡¯s face turned pale, but she refused to admit her fault. ¡°What do you mean by this?! Are you suspecting that we stole it?!¡± Amy was furious. ¡°We¡¯re all respectable people. Why would we care about a ne? But a peasant like you would steal that ne because you probably haven¡¯t seen such nice things before!¡± Beatrix chimed in. ¡°Haha! I thought a hotel run by the Thompson family would be reputable. But the service here is shit! It¡¯s a far cry from my family¡¯s hotel. This hotel is doing shady business!¡± Bethany crossed her arms in disdain. The lobby manager¡¯s expression turned grim. KS Hotel had high-profile guests. He had never seen such a difficult woman over his entire career in the hospitality industry. ¡°Ms. Salvador, you are smearing the image of KS World Hotel and personally attacking our hotel employee before the situation has been rified. Do you think this is appropriate?¡± A soothing, graceful, yet resounding voice broke the silence in the lobby. Everyone was shocked and looked back in unison to see a beautiful woman in a white suit walking over. Be walked toward Bethany in her sky-high stilettos. She walked with such confidence and speed that it seemed like the heels were a part of her body. Bethany¡¯s friends were stunned. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Bethany looked surprised and sized Be up in disgust. Be¡¯s high-end suit, brand-name stilettos, and dangling sapphire earrings were a statement of wealth, highlighting her extraordinary status. The crowd was curious as to who Be was because she was such eye candy. In contrast, Bethany looked like an ogre. At this moment, Justin and Ian happened to walk into the hotel lobby. When he saw his ex-wife, whom he had lost contact with for nearly a week, Justin felt his heart tremble. There was an unexinable joy in his eyes that he had finally found her. Then he seemed entranced by her beautiful figure and forgot to blink for a moment. ¡°Mr. Salvador, that¡¯s the young madam!¡± Ian was equally excited to see Be. His expression changed again when he noticed Bethany. ¡°Eh? Why is Ms. Bethany here? There are so many people watching them. Did something happen?¡± Justin had an ominous feeling when he saw Bethany. He moved slightly, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see what happens.¡± When the housekeeper saw Be, she burst into tears from the grievances she suffered. ¡°Manager¡­ ]] ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the manager here, huh? What a big difference in social standing.¡± Bethany smirked.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think so. I think my life now is much better than before.¡± Be raised her eyebrows slightly. Her smile was dazzling. ¡°At least now I¡¯m treated like a human being.¡± Her words pierced Justin¡¯s heart. The man¡¯s throat tightened, and he felt frustrated. ¡®What does she mean by that? Have I ever mistreated her in the past three years?¡¯ Chapter 90 Jason thought that he had given Anna the dignity of being a CEO¡¯s wife. He had no feelings for Anna, but she was well-dressed, well-fed, and waited on by the servants. She did not suffer at all, and he even got her a supplementary credit card. He was never stingy with money. Although Anna had not spent a cent on that card in the past three years, she still lived a life that was a thousand times better than when she was working as a caregiver in a nursing home. Why would she say that? It sounded as if she had been abused at his house. Justin became angrier as he thought about it. His eyes were slightly red, and he clenched his jaw. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Pft! You¡¯re just being stubborn. Since you are the manager here, I won¡¯t y nice. Your hotel must give me an exnation for this today. Orpensate me with an identical ne. It¡¯s not that expensive-only $2 million. You can also send this thieving housekeeper to prison. You, as the manager, can¡¯t shirk responsibility either. You must bow and apologize to me in front of everyone. Money is not the problem here. The main thing is that I won¡¯t endure this.¡± Bethany flipped her wavy hair and rolled her eyes. Bethany would not recognize Anna as her ex-sister-inw in front of so many people because she found it embarrassing. Moreover, this was a rare opportunity to get back at the bumpkin. Anna was in the limelight at the charity auctionst time. Now, Anna was no longer recognized as Mr. Thompson¡¯s lover and was only a lowly part-time worker. Bethany was adamant about crushing her. ¡°Mr. Salvador, the young madam is being bullied again!¡± Ian usually disliked Bethany¡¯s attitude and was extremely worried about Anna. ¡°Hold on.¡± Justin narrowed his eyes slightly. He was curious about his ex-wife. He had never seen Anna in the workce. In his memory, Anna was just a humble housewife. Hotels were in the service industry, which was not easy to manage. Justin wanted to see if Anna could resolve Bethany¡¯s problem after Asher made her a hotel manager. ¡°Ms. Salvador, since your ne is worth $2 million, you can file a police report and open an investigation. If you want to recover your losses, we can help you call the police. After all, the sooner you call the police, the sooner your ne will be found. Moreover, all employees in this hotel, including myself, will cooperate with the police investigation. We will surrender all surveince footage and employees¡¯ personal belongings for inspection as long as they have a search warrant.¡± Be¡¯s tone was calm. The crowd started to whisper. ¡°That makes sense! She should make a police report immediately! What¡¯s the point of making a scene here?¡± ¡°I think she misced it and just wanted someone to take the me!¡± Bethany was so angry that her face was flushed. ¡°What¡¯s the use of a search warrant? This thief must have moved it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a thief! I didn¡¯t steal anything from you!¡± The housekeeper¡¯s eyes turned red with anger, and her whole body was trembling. ¡°Except for the bathrooms, showers, and staff locker rooms, all areas of our hotel have high- definition surveince cameras. After the incident, I immediately stopped all the employees in the housekeeping department from leaving. If someone stole your ne, it should still be in the hotel. There would be no time for them to move it elsewhere.¡± Be took out her phone and waved it in front of Bethany. ¡°When I rushed over just now, I had already called the police. They should arrive in about ten minutes. As for the apology you demand, I will not hesitate to do so once the matter has been resolved.¡± Be¡¯s exnation was foolproof. ¡°Young Madam is so amazing! She handled this like a professional!¡± Ian could not help butpliment Be in awe. He was Be¡¯s number-one fan. Justin red at Ian, but his heart moved. He had to admit that Anna dealt with the incident decisively. She remained calm, witty, assertive, and graceful. She looked like ady boss and nothing like the lowly and timid housewife trapped in his small manor. ¡°Fine! You said so yourself. I didn¡¯t force you!¡± Bethany gritted her teeth. ¡°Of course. I am the manager of the hotel, so I should be responsible for my guests. But that is under the condition that we are indeed at fault.¡± Be was smiling, but it did not reach her bright eyes. At this time, Steven led the housekeeping manager over in a hurry. He held a stic bag carefully, as if he were handling a piece of police evidence. ¡°We found Ms. Salvador¡¯s ne!¡± Chapter 91 Everyone was shocked. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Bethany and her two stic friends opened their mouths in shock. Steven took the ne and held it up in front of Bethany. His eyes were cold and unfeeling. ¡°Ms. Salvador, is this the ne ¡°This¡­¡± you lost?¡± Bethany was dumbfounded. Suddenly, she shouted as if someone had stepped on her tail. ¡°Ah! My ne¡­ How did my ne turn out like this? Who did it?!¡± Everyone took a closer look and saw that this luxurious ne was broken into several sections. ¡°Our manager heard that you lost your ne and immediately sent me to search the entire presidential suite. In the end, I found your ne under the sofa. But when we found it, it was already in this condition. We don¡¯t know how it¡¯s broken.¡± Steven replied with a cold voice. ¡°Look! She has clearly misced it and med the hotel. Does she think that she¡¯s a king for spending some money?¡± ¡°OMG! It¡¯s such a big diamond! Who would wear such an exaggerated ne for nothing? Won¡¯t she be afraid to get robbed?¡± Hearing the mocking whispers around her, Bethany became furious. She gritted her teeth and said, So what if you found it? Does this prove that your employee didn¡¯t steal my ne in the first ce? She must have hidden it under the sofa when she realized she couldn¡¯t sneak it out. That way, she could sell it once the investigation was over.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t!¡± The housekeeper was not as eloquent as Bethany. She was so angry that she could hardly breathe, let alone defend herself. ¡°If it was theft, she wouldn¡¯t have destroyed a nice ne. It wouldn¡¯t have been convenient to carry around.¡± Be¡¯s clear eyes turned cold. ¡°I think someone did this deliberately, not to steal, but to vent their anger. They wanted you to make a scene like this so that you embarrassed yourself.¡± As soon as Be said this, Bethany became startled. Her two friends were stunned for a moment. Then they hid behind Bethany. ¡°Now that our hotel has helped you find the ne, you can no longer sue my employee for theft. If you insist on pursuing this matter, I can cooperate with you.¡± As she said that, Be¡¯s sharp eyes casually nced at Amy and Beatrix. ¡°I asked my secretary to be very careful when handling this ne. The police will be here soon. We will hand over the ne to the police for fingerprint identification. Since this diamond is so big, it won¡¯t be that difficult to collect fingerprints, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Right! Fingerprint identification!¡± ¡°What a great idea! That makes sense!¡± The people around them started cheering. The two friends turned pale in an instant. They quickly dragged Bethany away. ¡°Beth, that¡¯s enough. You¡¯re a person of status. It¡¯ll be embarrassing if you continue making a scene. Let¡¯s just go now¡­¡± Bethany also felt that if she continued to make a fuss, she would be aughingstock. Thus, she put the ne into her Herm¨¨s bag and walked out with her head held high. ¡°Wait a minute, Ms. Salvador.¡± Be suddenly called out to her. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Now that the ne has been found, you have no evidence to prove that it was stolen by our employees. You just insulted my employee in front of so many guests. Don¡¯t you think that you should give us an apology?¡± ¡°Apology? Hmph! I¡¯m a hotel guest. Why should I apologize for your hotel¡¯s poor service? Are you crazy?!¡± Bethanyughed in exasperation. ¡°Why is she like that? Is she really from the Salvador family?¡± Some guestsmented in disdain. ¡°Everyone saw how the little girl apologized to her just now. She almost knelt in front of her too. What else does she want?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s just being petty!¡± The housekeeper stood there with her shoulders hunched. Tears fell from her face silently. ¡°If the service of our hotel is substandard, you can make aint, but using our staff of stealing is another matter. The least you can do is apologize.¡± Be looked determined and stern. ¡°You want me to apologize to her? I spent money in your hotel, and you want me to apologize to a housekeeper? What kind of manager are you?!¡± Bethany was furious. She was about to lose her temper again when she heard a thud. The housekeeper fell to the floor. Her whole body stiffened, and her eyes rolled back as she started twitching. Everyone, including Bethany, was dumbfounded. Only Be reacted immediately and knelt beside the housekeeper. Be reached out and unbuttoned the girl¡¯s belt and ck vest to allow her to breathe smoothly. At this moment, the housekeeper began to spit out foam. ¡°It¡¯s epilepsy! Steve, call an ambnce!¡± Be ordered while tilting the girl¡¯s head to the side to prevent her from choking on her own saliva. ¡°I¡¯ve called an ambnce. It¡¯ll be here right away!¡± A deep and alluring voice came from behind Be. Be looked back to see Justin standing behind her at some point. He was in his suit and leather shoes, looking so eye-catching and aloof. Chapter 92 When their eyes met, time and space seemed to freeze. It was as if someone had pressed the pause button. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Salvador!¡± Someone recognized Justin. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Bethany did not expect Justin to show up here, and she panicked. She was afraid of Justin. Even though Shannon secretly insulted him for being an illegitimate child, it was undeniable that Justin had the final say in the family. ¡°Ian, take Bethany away now,¡± Justin ordered expressionlessly. At this moment, someone had secretly taken photos and videos of the scene. If Bethany stayed here any longer, she would ruin the Salvador family¡¯s reputation. Ian did not dare to dy further. He hurriedly stepped forward and dragged the dazed Bethany out of the hotel. Be sneered and withdrew her cold Justin was always cold and heartless. gaze. He did not care about who was right or wrong. All he thought about were his current vested interests and the Salvador family¡¯s reputation. ¡°Oh, no! She¡¯s going to bite her tongue!¡± Steven shouted in a panic. Be¡¯s heart tightened. Running out of options, Be stuffed her wrist into the girl¡¯s mouth. The girl bit Be¡¯s delicate wrist fiercely. The numbing pain instantly spread throughout her limbs, but she endured it without flinching. ¡°You¡­!¡± Justin was shaken and wanted to stop her, but it was toote. Justin watched helplessly as Be used her petite and slender body to save the patient. She had the courage and kindness of a doctor. This scene gave Justin shbacks. Suddenly, he saw that little dove again. On the battlefield in Kridor, the little dove did the same thing. She put his seriously injured body on the straw mat and dragged him to safety with a hemp rope. ¨C¡°Don¡¯t give up hope! We can still survive this! We will definitely survive!¡± Later, the army camp was in chaos. Justin could not find the little dove. Instead, he found the hemp rope that was soaked in blood. He did not know what happened to her hands now. As his thoughts drifted, Justin clenched his fists. His chest felt stuffy. Soon, the ambnce arrived, and the housekeeper was taken to the hospital. Be was worried and asked Steven to apany her to the hospital. ¡°Miss, thank you for giving her first aid and buying us some time. Otherwise, the patient might be in grave danger.¡± The paramedics praised Be. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I hope everything will be fine.¡± Be smiled faintly. Back at the hotel, the lobby manager had already dealt with the aftermath of the farce, and the crowd had dispersed. Be nced at the deep teeth marks and blood on her right wrist. She felt a throbbing pain and walked toward the hotel¡¯s infirmary. ¡°Anna.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Be¡¯s heart clenched. As soon as she turned around, Justin had already caught up to her. His face was astonishingly gloomy. They were so close that they could hear each other¡¯s breathing. If they took half a step forward, they would be touching each other. Be was in a daze for a moment. However, she immediately came to her senses and wanted to step back. At this moment, Justin suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms. Be was caught off guard and fell into his warm embrace. It hit her so hard that her heartstrings trembled. She thought, ¡®Did this bastard wear a bulletproof vest under his shirt? Why is his chest so hard?!¡¯ ¡°Justin, please have some self-respect in public.¡± Be¡¯s breathing was unsteady as she struggled to break free. ¡°Where have you been these few days? Why did you just disappear?¡± Justin¡¯s dark eyes were locked firmly on her. His grip was extremely strong. ¡°What does it have to do with you? Who are you to me?¡± Beughed in exasperation. This man was still so self-righteous. ¡°I went to outer space, so it¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t find me.¡± ¡°Anna,e with me.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were dark. His voice was deep and cold. ¡°Justin, let go of me and leave the hotel!¡± Be gritted her teeth and finally lost her patience. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯m calling security!¡± Justin was annoyed as he red at her. ¡®Is she trying to chase me away now? Has she forgotten how she used to butter me up and please me?¡¯ The desire to win and his possessiveness ignited his physiological desires. ¡°Even if you call Asher here now, you can¡¯t stop me from taking you away!¡± Chapter 93 Be¡¯s eyes were distant and determined. ¡°It seems that Rosalind has taken such good care of you that you¡¯ve be more thick-skinned.¡± ¡°This is between the two of us. Don¡¯t involve anyone else.¡± Justin¡¯s chest was filled with anger. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to say unpleasant things, please stay away from me. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you besides finalizing our divorce. Goodbye, Mr. Salvador.¡± Justin was so used to Anna¡¯s sparkling and eager eyes that he was shocked to see her cold stare at this moment. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and the heat around his body gradually dissipated. ¡°I won¡¯t let you leave!¡± Be parted her red lips slightly and sneered. ¡°Who the hell are you to let me do things? Am I your pet dog? Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to belittle yourself like that. I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re my dog.¡± Justin frowned in displeasure. ¡°Belittle myself? Haha! Justin, are you stupid or naive? Can¡¯t you hear what I mean by that? I hate you, so stop pestering me!¡± Be¡¯s eyes were red. She wanted to withdraw her hand from his. Unexpectedly, Justin was equally stubborn. The more she struggled, the harder he held on to her, completely ignorant of the strength he was exerting. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Be hissed in pain. She held her forearm with her left hand and crouched down as a thinyer of sweat broke out on her forehead. Justin finally realized that something was wrong and quickly let go of her. He lowered his eyes and was shocked to see that his palm was bloody. He grabbed onto her wound earlier. He was so eager to take her away that he forgot about the untreated wound on her wrist. Justin was too careless. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the infirmary to bandage it now.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was deep and hoarse. His eyes were heavy with guilt. ¡°Leave now, or I¡¯ll call the police.¡± Be backed away angrily. ¡°Anna¡­¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Be could not bear it anymore and yelled at him. Her heart was like her hand, scarred and in pain. They had been married for three years, but Justin ignored her and did not even touch her. Now that they were divorced, he pestered her and harassed her to no end. How ironic was that? Justin¡¯s soul shook when Be yelled at him. His handsome face was frozen. ¡°You want me to get lost? Why didn¡¯t you say this when you insisted on marrying me back then?¡± ¡°Because I loved you back then.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were red as sheughed angrily. Justin felt a stabbing pain in his heart. His breathing became heavy. ¡°When I love you, you can do whatever you want to me. Now that I don¡¯t love you anymore, all of my tolerance for you is gone. Did you think that you could still enjoy the benefits I provided after our divorce? No, Justin. I don¡¯t love you. You¡¯re worthless to me.¡± Be raised her chin angrily, turned around, and left without hesitation. ¡°Anna, if it weren¡¯t for Grandpa, do you think I would be willing to look for you? Do you know how much Grandpa misses you? He¡¯s anxious that he can¡¯t contact you.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes also turned red. He retorted with hurtful words. ¡°You keep saying that you¡¯re doing this for Grandpa. Are you going back on your word now? Do you think that Grandpa is senile, and you can fool him?¡± Be took a deep breath and clenched her fists. Nigel was undoubtedly someone that Be missed. It became an unbreakable bond between her and Justin. Be was a loyal and righteous woman who would keep her promise, no matter what. She promised to only finalize the divorce after Nigel¡¯s birthday, so she would not go back on her word, even if it was extremely painful to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t go back on my promise. I will find the time to visit Grandpa in the next two days.¡± ¡°Now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come with me to see Grandpa now. He hasn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for five days. Without won¡¯t even eat properly.¡± you, he Justin seemed to have reached the limit of his patience. His breathing was restrained and unsteady.¡± Don¡¯t disappoint him, Anna.¡± In the end, Bepromised. When she took care of Nigel in the nursing home, her motives were indeed impure. At that time, Be did not expect to marry Justin. She only hoped to do something for Justin and have more opportunities to see him. After interacting with Nigel, she fell in love with the cute old man. Although Nigel was old, he was still sharp, wise, and strategic. Even if he was no longer in charge of the Salvador Corporation, he could still remotely monitor some of thepany¡¯s major decisions and provide guidance when necessary. He was a good mentor to the younger generations of the Salvador family. Be secretly learned a lot of skills while staying with the old man. She also taught what she learned to Asher and put it to use when managing the hotel. Therefore, Nigel was not just her grandfather but also her mentor. Chapter 94 Justin apanied Be to the infirmary. The doctor happened to be away, so Be took out the iodine and gauze, nning to bandage the wound by herself. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Justin came up to her with a grim face. Be turned away irritably and red at him. ¡°No need.¡± Justin and Be were equally stubborn. He would either ignore her or have his way with her. Thus, he grabbed her tiny hand firmly and said in a domineering tone, ¡°Anna, stay still!¡± Be suddenly froze. She felt a cool sensation on her wrist. Justin carefully applied the medicine and dabbed the wound gently with a cotton swab. He lowered his eyshes and noticed just how beautiful her delicate hand and smooth skin were. It was strange how Be still looked so beautiful and sexy when she was not doing anything. Justin remained calm and carefully examined the wound on her hand. Her palms were far rougher than he imagined, but they were still soft. They were slender, but her fingertips were covered in thin calluses. It felt like her experience was disproportionate to her age. Suddenly, Justin felt a tingling current in the depths of his mind. He could not help but envision the soft moonlight pouring in through the window as the gauze curtains floated with the wind. They were in an unfamiliar setting, but being with her felt familiar. Justin took a deep breath to calm himself. His throat bobbed. He had never had such thoughts about Rosalind, so how could he have such desires for his ex-wife, who challenged his patience repeatedly? It was iprehensible. Be felt the heating from his fingertips, which scalded her heart. She wanted to retract her hand. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Wrap it up in gauze.¡± The man refused to listen. He squeezed her hand and said mockingly, ¡°Have you been digging coal these days? Your fingers are so rough. They¡¯re covered in calluses.¡± ¡°No, I was scooping shit.¡± Be knew that Justin was a clean freak, so she deliberately said this to disgust him. ¡°Anna, can you speak decently?¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°I am, but it¡¯s not my problem that you don¡¯t think so.¡± Be¡¯s nose was turned up. Her features were delicate, and she smiled slyly and provocatively. Justin felt a fire rising in his chest. ¡®This woman is so unscrupulous now that she has a backer.¡¯ However, he found it interesting. If they had not divorced, he would not have known that Anna was so clever. Justin was quick to treat Be¡¯s minor injury. He was not a useless prince who did not know anything but making money. Back then, Be asked Den to check Justin¡¯s file and found out that he was the top two students in the military academy. asionally, there would be a battle for the top spot. The only one who couldpete with Justin was Be¡¯s fourth brother, Drew. In fact, with Justin¡¯s character and strategic mind, he was more suitable to be a special agent than Drew. Justin was also good enough to be in Den¡¯s position. However, as a Salvador, the only path Justin could take in the end was to be thepany¡¯s sessor. However, after retiring from the army and going into business, Justin was able to make a name for himself. He was legendary in the business world. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. It was just a pity that Justin was blind. All of his advantages were ruined by Rosalind Gold. Be¡¯s lips twitched as she thought, ¡®Whatever. It¡¯s none of my business now.¡¯ She promised herself to stay far away from Justin. The two went to the parking lot. Be was about to drive her Bugatti when Justin stopped her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Where else? I¡¯m going to get my car. ¡°Just take my car.¡± Justin¡¯s attitude was inexplicably cold. ¡°A good woman never rides in her ex-husband¡¯s car. See youter.¡± Be waved her hand casually, but Justin pulled the car door open without saying a word. He held her waist and pushed her into the car, then quickly mmed the door. ¡°Hey! What are you doing?! Kidnapping?!¡± Be¡¯s face turned red with anxiety as she patted the car door in protest. ¡°I can¡¯t trust you, Anna.¡± Justin¡¯s left arm was supporting the roof of the car as he bent down and looked at her from outside the car. He narrowed his charming eyes and looked at her as if she were a caged bird, unable to fly out of his grasp. ¡°You¡¯re always scheming, so I have to be wary about you.¡± Chapter 95 Along the way, Be and Justin sat side by side. She kept looking out the window and did not nce at him. Everything about her gesture was screaming revulsion for Justin. Justin nced at her. He wanted to ask her some questions but found it difficult to speak. Nigel¡¯s private vi was located in Crescent Bay, Savrow. It was surrounded by mountains and was in a secluded part of the city, making it quiet and peaceful. ¡°Grandpa! I¡¯m here to see you!¡± The gloom on Be¡¯s face cleared up as soon as she entered the door. Her bright, smiling eyes were like the crescent moon, and her clear voice was like the cry of a songbird. In fact, Be was feeling uneasy about the bracelet. It took her a long time to be mentally prepared for Nigel¡¯s reaction. ¡°Anna, you¡¯re here! I missed you so much, my dear!¡± Nigel was pushed out in a wheelchair by his secretary, Matt Upton. As soon as Nigel saw his grandson¡¯s wife, his sluggish demeanor suddenly disappeared. He was so excited that his eyebrows shot up. ¡°Girl, where have you been running around these past few days? Do you not want me anymore? Do you not love me?!¡± Nigel took Be¡¯s hand and squeezed it tightly. He kept bombarding her with love and questions. Justin¡¯s lips twitched in displeasure. He thought that his grandfather was a real sweet-talker at his age. Justin wondered what his grandfather was like when he was a teenager who first started dating and guessed that he was probably worse than Ryan. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve been busy with work recently. I went on a business trip, so I didn¡¯t have time to contact you. I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa. You can scold me.¡± Be knelt in front of Nigel¡¯s wheelchair and smiled sweetly. ¡°How can I bear to scold you, my dear? I¡¯m just d to see you.¡± After that, Nigel red at Justin. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for a certain blind and heartless brat, I would¡¯ve been able to see my precious granddaughter-inw every day. I wouldn¡¯t have to spend so much effort trying to look for you, my dear!¡± Be smiled awkwardly and had nothing to say. Justin¡¯s face darkened. He knew that he should not havee tonight because he would be at risk of another scolding. ¡°Anna, I got a new painting that I didn¡¯t want to show others yet. I was saving it for you to get the first peek!¡± Nigel happily took Be¡¯s hand and led her to the study. ¡°You just want me to appraise this painting, right?¡± Be smiled slyly. ¡°Hehe¡­ You got me!¡± Justin stood behind Be and was startled. He had been married to her for three years, but he did not know that she was so multi-talented. She was articte, a good racer, a calligraphist, a tailor, and even an appraiser. He could not believe how one person could have so many skills at the same time. Thus, Justin wanted to take a look. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. On the long sandalwood table in the study room, Matt had already worn white gloves and carefullyid out a painting in front of the three of them. ¡°Anna, I just got this. Please help me appraise it.¡± Nigel looked at her in anticipation. ¡°Sure, Grandpa.¡± Be stood in front of the painting, picked up a magnifying ss, and bent down. She had her left hand behind her back as she scrutinized the painting. When Justin saw her serious face, he unconsciously smiled. She was like an old schr underneath her beauty, which amused him. Nigel¡¯s eyes flickered when she noticed the bracelet on Be¡¯s left wrist, but the loving smile on his face did not diminish. ¡°This is the ¡°Equestrian Portrait of Charles V¡± by Titian, a master of Vian painting in the Renaissance period.¡± Be curled her lips, looking confident. ¡°Indeed.¡± Nigel nodded with a smile. Justin narrowed his eyes slightly and quietly approached the painting. ¡°It bears the style and the characteristic technique of Titian¡¯s works, but we can¡¯t be sure that this is an authentic Titian piece. The brushstrokes are strong, and the color pigments are vivid¡­¡± Be said in a soft tone. She had a high level of appreciation for the painting. Justin was fascinated by what she said. He stared at her side profile more intently. ¡°But Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry to say that this painting is not an original work from the 16th century. This is a replica passed down and copied byter generations. But the brushstrokes do imitate Titian¡¯s style.¡± Be was sure that this was a replica because the original painting was hanging in Wyatt¡¯s private studio. Hahaha! ¡°Huh? Sigh¡­ I made a mistake again this time!¡± Nigel sighed and looked like an old baby. Be raised her eyelids slightly and met Justin¡¯s overly focused gaze. Chapter 96 Be was stunned and quickly lowered her head. Her small face was half-hidden by her ck hair. Although she tried her best to calm herself, she still blushed slightly. Justin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his breathing became warmer. At this time, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Justin looked at it and stepped out to answer the call. In the corridor, Justin leaned his back against the wall and saw Rosalind¡¯s name on the screen. He closed his eyes in resignation as he picked it up. ¡°Justin, are you still angry with me?¡± Before he could speak, Rosalind started to cry. ¡°No.¡± He replied without any emotion. However, Rosalind had a feeling that he was still mad at her. ¡°Then, can youe and see me? I really miss you, Justin. I can¡¯t sleep because I¡¯ve been thinking about you¡­¡± Rosalind confessed hurriedly. Her voice was so soft and sweet. ¡°Not tonight. I¡¯m staying with Grandpa.¡± ¡°Are you at Grandpa¡¯s house? Then I¡¯ll go over to find you¡­ Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted me to apany Grandpa from time to time? That way, Grandpa can ept me. I just happened to make your favorite walnut cake. We secretly ate it while sitting in the alley when we were kids. I will also bring a portion for Grandpa so that he can taste my baking.¡± Rosalind sounded like a dutiful wife.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Rose, it¡¯s really inconvenient tonight.¡± Justin¡¯s heart softened at the mention of their childhood. He said, ¡°Anna is with Grandpa right now. It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea for you to bump into her. You know how much Grandpa likes her¡­¡± ¡°Are you with Anna now?¡± Rosalind¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Yes. Grandpa has been looking for her these days, so I brought her here.¡± ¡°Is it really just Grandpa who wants to see her? Don¡¯t you want to see her yourself?¡± Rosalind became jealous and resentful again. ¡°No, don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Justin felt that his throat was dry. ¡°Does that woman have any sense of shame? Why is she still pestering us when you two are already divorced?! She must have secretly instigated the rtionship between me and Grandpa! Why is she so shameless? She¡¯s using Grandpa to suppress me!¡± Rosalind was infuriated. Justin stretched out his hand to rub his throbbing temples and sighed. In the study, Be wavered when she thought of Justin¡¯s intense gaze earlier. ¡®Damn it! Why am I blushing? I¡¯m so useless! Justin¡¯s eyes are naturally seductive. He probably looks at the toilet bowl like that too!¡¯ ¡°Anna.¡± Nigel suddenly called out to her. ¡°Hey, Grandpa.¡± Be returned to her senses and smiled sweetly. ¡°You really like the bracelet that I gave you, huh? You wear it all the time!¡± Be was extremely flustered. Her brain was in a mess, and her throat felt like it was clogged with cement. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± ¡°Wear it well. It has beneficial health properties.¡± Nigel smiled kindly. ¡°I asked Matt to sort out my wife¡¯s jewelry yesterday and found a few pieces of good jade. You can take it with you when you leave and keep it for the future. Grandpa is getting old. I might not be able to wake up the next day. In the past, I thought that Justin could take care of you for the rest of your life, but now it seems that the stupid boy is not reliable either. He¡¯s blinded by that witch, just like his imbecile father. Grandpa just hopes that you will be safe and happy. If you ever encounter any difficulties, these jade pieces will be enough for you to spend the rest of your life without worrying, okay? Anna? What happened?¡± Nigel was dumbfounded. The man who had yielded so much power all his life was at a loss at this moment. Be was dejected. She stood in front of Nigel as if she were being punished. Her thin shoulders were trembling, and her red eyes were filled with tears. Slowly, those tears started falling down her face. ¡°Grandpa¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ]] Be thought about how she had hidden her identity from Nigel just so she could be with Justin. Nigel had been so kind to her over the years, but she had failed to protect the jade bracelet that he gave her. At that moment, Be had such mixed feelings and felt so overwhelmed with guilt that she burst into tears. She cried loudly without regard for her image. ¡°Aw, my dear, why are you crying? Don¡¯t cry, baby girl¡­¡± Nigel was so nervous that he quickly took out the handkerchief he always carried with him to wipe her tears. Justin, who was standing outside the door, also heard the crying and hurriedly looked inside the study. He was shocked to see his ex-wife bawling. His heart clenched, and he could no longer hold the phone steadily Chapter 97 Rosalind was also crying on the other end of the phone. ¡°Anna knew that Grandpa didn¡¯t like me, so she used Grandpa against me¡­ Why is she so insidious?!¡± Justin¡¯s ck eyes trembled. He did not hear what Rosalind was saying at all. The woman in front of him was bawling her eyes out, but he could feel her sadness. Every tear she shed made his heart ache. ¡°Child, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare Grandpa!¡± Nigel had seen everything but a little girl bawling messily. Be burst into tears. ¡°Grandpa¡­ I broke the bracelet¡­ I¡¯ve been trying every means to repair it, but it didn¡¯t work¡­ So¡­ So I was wondering if I could make the same one because I was afraid that you would be upset if you found out¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa¡­ I lied to you¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Be cried so hard that her little body twitched. The back of her hands were wet with tears. She could not be more pitiful. Justin listened to her intermittent cries and felt frozen. He finally understood what Be was up to during the past few days when she went missing. He finally understood why her delicate fingers were covered with thin calluses. It turned out that she was trying to restore the bracelet that his grandfather gave her. Suddenly, he felt as if her tears were searing his heart. The bitterness and sadness quickly spread throughout his body. ¡°Anna¡­ It¡¯s not a big deal, my dear!¡± Nigel squeezed Be¡¯s hand in distress. He was a little dumbfounded as he exined, ¡°Actually when you first came in, I already noticed that you weren¡¯t wearing the bracelet I gave you. I guessed that the bracelet might be broken or something. Otherwise, you would surely wear it. But I¡¯m not upset with you at all. Grandma has a giant box of jade bracelets. I wanted to give them all to you, but I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t ept it, so I chose the prettiest one to give to you. I even made up the story about it being a token of love so that you¡¯d ept it. Your grandma used to joke with me that these bracelets were too cumbersome. She told me that if she ever dies before me, I must not bury these trinkets with her because they¡¯ll just take up a lot of space!¡± Upon hearing this, Be seemed to feel better. Her scrunched-up face softened, but her eyes were still teary, and the tip of her nose was still red. ¡°Justin! Where did that bastard go?¡± Nigel pped the armrest of his wheelchair and said, ¡°Bastard,e in quickly and coax your wife!¡± Rosalind quickly shouted, ¡°Justin! Don¡¯t go! I haven¡¯t finished talking to you yet¡­¡± ¡°I have something to take care of here. Let¡¯s talkter.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. As soon as he said this, Justin hung up the phone decisively. Rosalind, on the other end of the phone, looked at the cked-out screen and panted heavily. Her face was livid. ¡°Anna¡­ you bitch! Slut! I will make sure you die tragically!¡± Rosalind hurriedly dialed Shannon¡¯s phone number. ¡°Aunt Shannon! Please help me! That damn bitch, Anna, is at Grandpa¡¯s house with Justin!¡± Rosalind cried loudly. ¡°If this continues¡­ Justin is going to get seduced by her! In the past, he would alwayse running to me with one word, but now, he hung up on me before I even finished speaking! Has he changed his mind about me? Aunt Shannon, if I don¡¯t marry into the Salvador family, I won¡¯t be able to help you. All the skills you trained me for will go to waste!¡± Rosalind knew that justining was not enough. She had to drag Shannon into the water. She had to make Shannon feel that her own interests were threatened so that Shannon would sincerely help her. ¡°Rose, don¡¯t panic. You should know what Justin is like by now. You can¡¯t force him to do anything, and you can¡¯t act too hastily. Otherwise, it will just backfire likest time. After all, Justin is now wary of you because you ndered Annast time. Even if he feels like he owes you for the kindness you showed him when he was a child, you shouldn¡¯t test his feelings for you.¡± Shannon was rational and calm as she advised Rosalind. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Rosalind asked in a panic. ¡°Just pretend to be miserable and pitiful, but you must pretend so that Justin sees it.¡± Shannon sneered sinisterly. ¡°With me around to guide you, that bitch, Anna, can¡¯t defeat you. She should try again in her next life!¡± Justin¡¯s tall figure barged into the study. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°You stupid brat! Are you deaf? Didn¡¯t you hear Anna crying? If I didn¡¯t call you, would you have stayed outside?!¡± Nigel yelled at his grandson. As long as his precious Anna would smile, Nigel was willing to sacrifice Justin. ¡°No.¡± Chapter 98 Justin responded, walked to Be, and nced at her nkly. He saw two streaks of tears on her little face that looked like the morning dew on flowers. She looked so beautiful and pitiful at the same time. Be felt a little embarrassed. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment, and a teardrop fell from her long eyshes. Justin was shaken. His chest heaved as Anna tried to blink away her tears. ¡°You punk! Hurry up and coax your wife!¡± Nigel urged angrily. ¡°Why me? She didn¡¯t cry because of me.¡± Justin frowned in confusion. Nigel¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°Because Anna is your wife! Do you want an old man like me to help you coax your wife?! Are you stupid?!¡± ¡°Grandpa, Justin and I are divorced. I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! An ex-wife is still a wife in my book. He hasn¡¯t done a single good thing for you in the past three years. He at least owes you an apology!¡± Nigel¡¯s face darkened when he heard the word ¡°divorce¡±. His heart ached even more, as if it were his own divorce. ¡°You bastard! If you don¡¯t coax Anna today, don¡¯t call me Grandpa!¡± Justin pursed his thin lips and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Be opened her red eyes. Her heart was shaking. In her memory, this was the first time Justin had apologized to her. It was a pity that he was not at all sincere. ¡°Bow in apology!¡± Nigel said. ¡°Is that necessary?¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrows twitched in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m being kind enough to not make you kneel on broken ss just like I did when I apologized to your grandma. You must show your sincerity! Anna is my heart and soul. I won¡¯t allow you to treat her so lightly. Hurry up!¡± Justin was really cornered by his grandfather. He lowered his eyes and took half a step back. Then he put his hands on his chest and bowed deeply to Be. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Brown. Please ept my sincere apology.¡± This scene was like a scene in a TV show that made Nigel¡¯s lips curl up in excitement. Was this what ¡°shipping¡± a couple felt like? Be¡¯s cheeks turned red. She gradually stopped sobbing. Seeing Justin¡¯s polite and serious Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. expression, she could not help but snicker in her heart. She was secretly d to make Justin bow his head to her, whether he meant it or not. Just as Justin was about to stand up, Nigel gave another order. ¡°Keep this posture until Anna tells you to get up. If not, don¡¯t you dare straighten your back!¡± However, a few seconds passed, and Be did not respond. Justin thought, ¡®This woman is clearly doing this on purpose!¡¯ It was not until Be saw the veins on Justin¡¯s forehead bulging that she sniffled and said in a soft voice, ¡°Grandpa, this isn¡¯t Justin¡¯s fault to begin with. Don¡¯t embarrass him.¡± Justin just felt humiliated. ¡®Anna, you really know how to take advantage of me and behave so obediently in front of Grandpa!¡¯ However, he felt less angry when he noticed her swollen and red almond eyes. When it was dinner time, Be pushed Nigel to the dining hall while Justin walked in the back. The three of them arrived at the table full of delicacies. Nigel had prepared all of this for Be. However, as soon as they sat down, Ian hurried in with aplicated expression. He whispered in Justin¡¯s ear. ¡°Say it openly if you have anything to say.¡± Nigel hated people whispering in front of him, so he said with a stern expression, ¡°We¡¯re all family here, so there¡¯s no need to hide anything from each other, especially at my dining table.¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­¡± Ian looked at Justin with a troubled expression. ¡°Just say it,¡± Justin ordered with a calm expression. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ian took a deep breath and said in a low voice, ¡°Just now¡­ I received a call from Madam Shannon. She heard that you were dining with Old Master Nigel and didn¡¯t dare disturb you, so she contacted me first and asked me to ry a message to you¡­¡± ¡°Hmph! At least that woman is self-aware!¡± Nigel disliked Shannon. ¡°Madam Shannon said that Ms. Gold has been diagnosed with severe depression.¡± Chapter 99 ¡°What?¡± Justin was so shocked that he widened his eyes and dropped his fork on the floor. Be¡¯s heart turned cold when she saw how flustered Justin was because of Rosalind. ¡°Ms. Gold was making a fuss at home just now and kept calling your name. She¡¯s emotionally unstable, so Madam Shannon asks that you go over and have a look at her. She fears that Ms. Gold will do something drastic¡­¡± Before Ian finished speaking, Justin stood up and rushed out of the dining hall. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°You imbecile! If you dare look for Rosalind, I won¡¯t recognize you as my grandson!¡± Nigel mmed the table in anger. However, it was toote. Justin had already disappeared from his sight. ¡°Sigh¡­ Why am I cursed with this family? I tried so hard to turn things around. But I just can¡¯t change Justin¡¯s mind despite all my efforts¡­ I¡¯m so useless!¡± Nigel beat his chest and felt guilty for his precious granddaughter-inw. Be¡¯s eyes were teary. She smiled slightly and patted Nigel¡¯s back in constion. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t say that. What you have done for me is enough. Justin and I are just not fated to be together¡­¡± Outside the vi, Justin was about to get in the car with worry stered all over his face. ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± Justin suddenly stopped and turned around. He saw Anna chasing him under the bright light. Her clear and reddish eyes glinted in the dark. For some reason, a hint of guilt suddenly arose in his heart. Just as he was about to say something, Be beat him to it. ¡°Your sister ndered my hotel employee and caused the poor girl to have an epileptic seizure. Please tell Bethany that I won¡¯t let this slide. She must give my employee an exnation.¡± Justin furrowed his brows. He never expected that this was the reason she came chasing after him. As a result, the slight anticipation in Justin¡¯s eyes dissipated instantly. ¡°Although Bethany is my sister, I never interfere with her personal affairs.¡± ¡°So, you think that this is her personal affairs, huh? I understand, then.¡± After saying that, Be chuckled, turned around, and walked into the vi without looking back. Justin suddenly felt uneasy as a chill raided his body. ¡®Is Annaughing at me?¡¯ That night, Justin went to visit Rosalind, who was suffering from ¡°severe depression¡±. He stayed at the Golds¡¯ residence until the early hours of the morning before he returned,pletely exhausted. Even though he was wary of Rosalind because of that incident with Anna, the moment he saw her diagnosis report of severe depression, the deepest and darkest part of his heart was moved. Depression was a trauma that he could not forget. ¡°Mr. Salvador, something has happened. Should we deal with it?¡± Ian asked hesitantly, holding his phone. ¡°Huh?¡± Justin closed his eyes and took a rest. ¡°Someone posted a video of Ms. Bethany insulting the housekeeper in the hotel¡­ The public rtions department found it in time. They were afraid that this would affect the image of Salvador Corporation, so they would like to know what your orders are.¡± ¡°Delete it.¡± Justin¡¯s thin lips parted, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t let Bethany¡¯s personal issues affect thepany. Delete everything.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Back at the vi, Justin had just gone upstairs when he saw Wilma walking out in her pajamas with a worried look on her face. ¡°Wilma, didn¡¯t I tell you not to wait up for me? I¡¯m busy, and Ie backte all the time.¡± Justin felt a rare surge of warmth in his heart. Wilma had always waited up for him since he was young. As long as he did not explicitly tell her that he was noting back, Wilma would wait for him toe home, much like a mother would do for her son. As Wilma got older, she gradually could not keep up. Thus, Anna took over the responsibility of taking care of Justin for the past three years. She waited for him toe back every night before going to bed. ¨C¡°Justin, have you eaten? I left some food for you. It¡¯s still warm.¡¯ -¡°Justin, can you go to bed a little earlier next time? Your frequent headache is also rted to staying upte. You¡¯ll only improve your headaches if you start by regting your sleep cycle.¡± ¡°Justin¡­ I know you don¡¯t want to hear it, but I will say it anyway because I want you to be healthy. I don¡¯t want you to get sick.¡± ¡°Should I listen to you? If so, I¡¯m just a servant, not your rtive.¡± Wilma sighed angrily. ¡°Sigh¡­ If only Young Madam was here. That way, I can save some energy. Young Madam has really taken good care of you for the past three years. Her pretty little face became so haggard over the years after she married you. It makes me heartbroken just thinking about it.¡¯ Chapter 100 Wilma said, ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re not lucky enough to keep the young madam.¡± Justin felt that he was in a trance. He could see Anna¡¯s clear and innocent eyes with a hint of grievance. He would never receive such care from her again, and it would be a lie to say that he was not disappointed. ¡°Anna is not my blessing. She¡¯s my downfall.¡± Justin returned to the bedroom with a gloomy face and saw a box on the coffee table. He recognized it as the box from the tailor¡¯s shop. He thought that the suit must have been repaired, so he hurriedly stepped forward to unwrap it. The high-quality suit was lying in the box. The lining was redone. At first nce, there were almost no stitches visible on the surface. It was indeed good workmanship. Justin smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Young Master, you still have feelings for the young madam, right?¡± Wilma asked happily when she saw that he was so focused on the suit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a nice suit, so I don¡¯t want it to go to waste,¡± Justin replied while stroking the smooth and crisp cor. ¡°The young madam has spent more time and energy on you, and not just with this suit.¡± Wilma sighed. Her eyes were downcast. ¡°Come with me, Young Master.¡± They went to the room where Anna once lived. Wilma opened the closet door in a corner and said, ¡°Young Master, look.¡± Justin saw various boxes of different sizes and colors neatly arranged on the wardrobe shelves. He was stunned. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°These are the gifts that the young madam has prepared for you in the past three years.¡± Justin felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His broad shoulders were shaken. ¡°These are your birthday gifts, Valentine¡¯s Day gifts, wedding anniversary gifts, and so many more. The young madam also said that she prepared gifts for the anniversary of your first meeting. Even if it was an insignificant day, she would prepare a gift as long as it was rted to you. Even though she knew that you had always dismissed her, she still insisted on preparing them carefully, as if she wanted to prove something to herself.¡± Justin felt his pupils shrink. His chest felt sore and stuffy. ¡°I don¡¯t know how sincere Ms. Gold is to you, but I know that the young madam loves you to the core. Don¡¯t say that I¡¯m being partial. I will only recognize the young madam, and I won¡¯t ept any other mistresses.¡± Wilma was furious when she thought of Rosalind¡¯s duplicitous attitude. ¡°Young Master, although I¡¯m just a servant, I still heard that Ms. Gold sold off the ne that you gave her at the auction. How could they just sell it when you put so much effort into making that ne? Why didn¡¯t Ms. Gold stop them?¡± ¡°Wilma, please don¡¯t mention this again, okay?¡± Justin said in a deep voice to interrupt her. ¡°Do you know how much the young madam likes that ne? Do you know how envious she was when she heard that you were going to give that ne to Ms. Gold? She even cried!¡± Wilma whispered in a trembling voice. She could not help but speak for Anna. Justin was startled. He clenched his fists tightly. ¡®She cried? That woman actually cried secretly because she couldn¡¯t get a ne?¡¯ Wilma took out an exquisite brocade box from the cab and opened it in front of him. In an instant, Justin felt that his body was drained of blood. He stared at the box in shock. Everything inside that box belonged to him. He did not even remember some of them. The crystal cufflinks he identally lost, the tie he no longer wanted, the lighter he left aside for too long-all of these were carefully collected in this box. ¡°If it were the young madam, she would never sell your gifts. She even kept the tie you discarded. She would never do anything to hurt your feelings!¡± ¡°Rose didn¡¯t know about the ne being sold. If she knew, she would never allow her family to do this.¡± Justin clenched his fists tightly. His chest was filled with bitterness which spread to his throat. Justin could not tell whether he was making excuses for himself or Rosalind. ¡°Hah! Well, there¡¯s a saying where Ie from that we can never wake a person who is pretending to sleep.¡± Wilma shook her head in despair and left with a sigh. Justin found himself frozen there, with mixed feelings in his heart. It turned out that during the three years Anna was married to him, she was pretending to be virtuous, kind, and generous. She had a temper, and she got jealous, but she just gritted her teeth and endured it anyway. But if she once cared so much about him, how did she be so cold to him? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Justin gritted his teeth. His jaw was tense, and his cold eyes were unconvinced. Chapter 101 The morning sun was warm. Be woke up on her big and soft bed. She stuck out her perky little butt under the quilt andnguidly stretched her slender arms forward, looking like a sleepy kitten. As usual, she put on a white sports suit and went kayaking on theke in the backyard. Steven was already dressed and waiting for his boss toe ashore with a water bottle in his right hand and a clean towel draped on his right arm. ¡°All the videos online regarding Bethany insulting our hotel employee have been deleted. The keyword searches have also disappeared.¡± Steven handed Be a white towel and thoughtfully opened the water bottle for her. ¡°Although there has been some discussion about it online, those will be suppressed soon. I¡¯m afraid the matter will fizzle out.¡± ¡°Of course. Salvador Corporation¡¯s public rtions team and legal team are second to none in Savrow. Justin has bought them all over.¡± Be panted lightly as she wiped the beads of sweat flowing down her cheeks. ¡°So, Justin Salvador asked them to delete those videos?¡± Steven¡¯s eyes widened. Be flicked her hair and tipped her chin up as she took a gulp of water. Her eyes were dark and bottomless. Although Be was just drinking water, her slender neck was stretched out in a seductive arc, made Steven¡¯s heart tremble. which ¡°It¡¯s human instinct to avoid cmities and seek advantages. Justin only cares about his interests.¡± Be raised the back of her hand to wipe away the water droplets on her lips. Sheughed self- deprecatingly and said, ¡°If only I had met him as a business rival first, I would never have fallen in love with this man.¡± She had met the wrong person at the wrong time. Her love for Justin waspletely incongruous with her values and principles. ¡°Then how do you n to fight back next?¡± Be¡¯s harmless-looking eyes turned shrewd and cunning as she came up with a great idea. ¡°That girl hasn¡¯t been discharged from the hospital yet, right? Let¡¯s go to the hotel for the inspection and the meeting, then we¡¯ll go to the hospital to see how she¡¯s doing.¡± A few hourster, the hotel¡¯s housekeeping staff, Skye, had been transferred to the general ward at the Thompson Hospital. When Skye saw the general managering to visit her in person, she hurriedly wanted to get up from the bed to greet Be. Be hurriedly stepped forward to hold her down and said with a friendly smile, ¡°Lie down, Skye. You don¡¯t need to be nervous. Your recovery is more important.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson¡­ I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble!¡± Skye lowered her head in shame. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I had epilepsy. I didn¡¯t mean to hide my health condition from thepany¡­ I really didn¡¯t know this would happen¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve checked your medical records and found that this is your first time having a seizure. You didn¡¯t have this symptom before, so I know that you didn¡¯t hide it from your health deration. Don¡¯t me yourself.¡± Be smiled lightly. ¡°Please deduct the hospitalization and medical bills from my sry.¡± ¡°No need. This is considered a work-rted injury, so the hotel will foot the bill for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Thompson.¡± Skye was so touched that tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°I came here this time to ask you something.¡± Be said in a solemn and soft voice, ¡°What do you want to do about Bethany Salvador?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of the Chairman of Salvador Corporation, and I¡¯m a nobody. What can I do? I noticed that all the videos online were deleted this morning. It seems that ordinary people like me don¡¯t even have the power to speak out through the media¡­¡± Skye lowered her head in frustration. Be narrowed her charming eyes and spoke in a resounding voice, ¡°Salvador Corporation is robbing you of the right to speak out, but I won¡¯t.¡± Skye stared at Be in surprise. ¡°You want me to¡­¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Be said calmly, ¡°If you want Bethany to apologize to you, you will need to make this big. In turn, you¡¯ll have more exposure, which will more or less affect your life. I¡¯m here to ask for your opinion on the matter since you are the one most affected. Although I am your boss, I won¡¯t do anything against your wishes.¡± ¡°I¡­ I want Bethany to apologize to me, even if it¡¯s just in private¡­¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t settle this privately. I want this to be made public.¡± Be always spoke concisely and to the point. She was never one to beat around the bush. ¡°You¡­ You want her to apologize to me publicly? How is that possible?¡± Skye gaped her mouth in disbelief. ¡°Skye, Bethany will never settle this privately or apologize to you because she has humiliated you in front of so many people.¡± Steven said gently, ¡°Bethany will have no choice but to apologize to you if we force her into the public eye.¡± ¡°Forget it, Ms. Thompson. I don¡¯t want to cause trouble for the hotel.¡± Skye was frightened, and she hurriedly shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. If Bethany dares to retaliate against you, she will be digging her own grave. I have my own reasons to do this too.¡± Be smiled confidently. ¡°If you agree to have this made public, just leave it to me. I won¡¯t let my employees suffer in vain.¡± She would not let Justin sweep this under the rug! Chapter 102 Be did not mind the divorce, but she must never lose in business. Aftering out of the ward, Be put on her sunsses to cover the emotions surging in her eyes. She dialed her fourth brother¡¯s phone number. ¡°Baby sis, I¡¯m so d that you finally think of me!¡± Drew sounded aggrieved as he said, ¡°Did you know? Axughed at me, saying that you gave me the cold shoulder. I panicked, damn it! Of all people, I can¡¯t lose to that idiot!¡± ¡°You¡¯re my brother, too. Why do you make it sound like you need topete for my love?¡± At that moment, Be paused and said in a soft voice, ¡°Drew, can you please help me with something?¡± ¡°Please? Please?! Oh no¡­ It¡¯s over. Do you not love me anymore? Have we grown so far apart?¡± Drew started to act up again. He said dramatically, ¡°You actually said ¡®please¡¯ to me. It looks like I have to move back here as soon as possible. Otherwise, you¡¯ll forget my handsome face in another two years!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Drew, are you done with that act?! I want you to do me a favor!¡± Be could not stand it anymore and yelled into her phone, causing the doctors and nurses passing by to look at her oddly. They were wondering why such a pretty girl had such an explosive temper. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I feel much better now if you talk like this. So, what do you need help with?¡± Drew asked with a smile. Be¡¯s eyes darkened. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°I will release a video tomorrow, and I hope you can use some special methods to prevent the video from being taken down.¡± ¡°How long do you want it to stay online?¡± ¡°At least until the news spreads.¡± ¡°Sure, that¡¯s easy. But don¡¯t you want to express your gratitude to me for helping you? Hmm?¡± Drew¡¯s voice wasnguid and husky, which was particrly attractive. ¡°What do you want?¡± Be raised her eyebrows and asked frankly. ¡°I want to beat Justin up to vent my anger. Is that okay?¡± Be¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Get lost!¡± The next day at Salvador Corporation, Justin was sitting at the head of the massive conference table. His eyes were cold and stern, and his handsome face was solemn. Just sitting there, he looked so awe- inspiring and aloof. ¡°I want thend in Waverly East District as soon as possible. All departments must coordinate well so that we can win the bid¡­¡± While Justin was talking, someone nced at his phone. His eyes widened, and he patted the person next to him. The news spread throughout the conference room faster than a virus. In just a few seconds, almost everyone in the conference room was aware of what happened. ¡°Is this the first day you all have a meeting with me? Don¡¯t you know my rules?¡± Justin red at the crowd, which was frightening. At this time, Justin¡¯s phone also vibrated. He lowered his long, dark eyshes and tapped twice on the screen. What he saw shocked him. After the meeting, Justin returned to the office with a glum face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you delete Bethany¡¯s video? Why is it on the trending topics again?¡± ¡°It was posted this morning, and our public rtions team had no time to respond.¡± Ian was so worried that he started sweating nervously. ¡°I have sent someone to contact the tform to remove the video, but the video can¡¯t be deleted.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be deleted? Do you think this joke is funny?¡± Justin¡¯s heart was pounding fiercely, and his temples were throbbing. His tone was as cold as an iceberg as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see Bethany Salvador¡¯s name on any of the social media tforms within the next half an hour!¡± He would nip everything in the bud that threatened Salvador Corporation. ¡°Mr. Salvador, look at this!¡± Ian was shocked and quickly handed the phone to Justin. At this moment, the number one trending topic has been reced by another tag-# AngelRescuingHotelStaff. Justin pursed his thin lips tightly and clicked on the article. The next second, he felt a strong surge of anger rising in his chest. His pupils shrank. Anna was rescuing the housekeeper in the video. Someone filmed the whole process and showed Anna¡¯s face clearly. Justin felt inexplicably flustered to have his ex-wife exposed in the public eye. Chapter 103 At this moment, the air in the general manager¡¯s office of KS World Hotel was freezing. Be stood facing therge floor-to-ceiling window with her hands behind her back. Her slim and beautiful figure looked invincible. ¡°Who asked you to release that video?¡± ¡°You said you wanted something to attract the public¡¯s attention¡­. Steven stood behind Be with a gloomy face. ¡°Steven, as my personal secretary and someone who grew up with me, you should know what worries me the most!¡± Be slowly looked back at him. ¡°I know that you¡¯re doing things for me, but you¡¯re also bringing in your personal feelings. I know what you¡¯re thinking. You want to use this to help me gain poprity and use my kind image to contrast Bethany¡¯s vile behavior.¡± The more she spoke, the lower Steven¡¯s head dropped. That was because every word struck a chord in his heart. ¡°But I don¡¯t need that attention.¡± Be¡¯s eyes turned colder. ¡°What I did wasn¡¯t a big deal. It was the least I could do when my employee had a seizure. No matter how much I dislike Bethany, I don¡¯t need to suppress her by showing off. Once a good deed gets thrown into the public eye, its motive changes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Be. I just wanted to¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think.¡± Be turned around and picked up her phone with an expressionless face. ¡°I¡¯m going to call Asher now and ask him to take you back. Your behavior isn¡¯t in line with my style.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t!¡± Steven turned pale with fright. He hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Be¡¯s wrist. ¡°You can punish me in any way you want! I don¡¯t mind cleaning the hotel¡¯s toilet or washing dishes in the kitchen. You can cut all my sry! Just please don¡¯t make me leave you, okay?¡± Be frowned slightly. Her wrists were hurting from his grip. However, his scorching gaze at this moment frightened her even more. Steven came from a judicial family. His father was a chief judge, and his mother was a well-known litigator. His two elder brothers also held important positions in the judiciary. Although Steven¡¯s family was not filthy rich, the Lovetts were a respectable family in Hatchbay. As the youngest of the Lovett family, Steven received the best education and was pampered in every way. However, this man really humbled himself for Be and KS Group. Steven could have had a brighter future, but he was willing to sacrifice himself to be her personal secretary. Thinking of this, Be became soft-hearted. She sighed and said, ¡°Fine. This is thest time I will condone such behavior.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Be! I will never make decisions without your approval in the future!¡± Steven¡¯s eyes lit up. He looked like he was about to cry tears of joy. ¡°Tsk! Also, keep your hands to yourself.¡± Be lowered her eyshes slightly and scowled. Only then did Steven realize that he was still holding onto Be¡¯s wrist. His heart was beating rapidly, and his cheeks felt hot as he quickly withdrew his hand. He could feel her lingering warmth on his palm. ¡°So, what do you want to do about your viral video?¡± ¡°I will tell Drew to handle it. Come with me.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Be pointed at the suit jacket on the hanger. Steven understood what she wanted and hurriedly took it off the hanger and helped her put it on, like a butler. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet Bethany.¡± When Bethany found out that she was on the trending topics again, she was anxious. ¡°Mom! What should we do now?!¡± Bethany called Shannon anxiously andined. ¡°I finally made the trending topic, but now that bumpkin is stealing my spotlight! She¡¯s deliberately making me look bad!¡± Chapter 104 ¡°Are you stupid? Don¡¯t you know why you went viral? You don¡¯t feel ashamed but proud of yourself?!¡± Shannon shouted angrily. Bethany held her forehead in annoyance. Of course, she was not as stupid as her mother said. She was just distracted because Anna was also on the trending topics. ¡°What should I do now? This negativity isn¡¯t good for me. I couldn¡¯t do anything, especially when the news about Anna¡¯s rescue was leaked. Should I let that bumpkin steal the limelight?!¡± ¡°I have already told your father about your predicament. He asked you toy low. Don¡¯tment on anything.¡± Shannon¡¯s voice was low as she continued, ¡°Justin will definitely help you solve this matter because he won¡¯t let anything affect Salvador Corporation¡¯s interests. Just calm down and don¡¯t act out. Do you understand?¡± Bethany¡¯s face brightened slightly after beingforted by her mother. She hung up the phone and continued to visit her boutique with the two friends that she brought to the hotel that day. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, a top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce slowly came to a stop in front of EV Boutique. Be, who was wearing an haute couture blue suit, got out of the car and walked into the boutique with Steven right at her heels. As soon as Be appeared, she attracted the attention of all the store employees. She was so beautiful, fashionable, and regal. ¡°Hello, Miss. How can I help you today?¡± The store attendant came up to Be and greeted her. Be was so stunning that the store attendantpletely ignored Steven, the handsome secretary behind Be. ¡°Tell your boss, Bethany Salvador, toe out. I don¡¯t need anyone but her to serve me.¡± Be got straight to the point. ¡°Oh, um¡­¡± ¡°I know she is upstairs. She will regret it if she keeps me waiting for a long time.¡± ¡°May I know your name?¡± Be¡¯s crimson lips curled up mockingly, but she was so beautiful that the store attendant was in a daze. ¡°Tell her that I¡¯m Ms. Brown.¡± The store attendant dared not dy another moment and went upstairs to inform Bethany. When Bethany heard that a beautiful woman named Ms. Brown came to see her, she was stunned. She wanted to throw something to vent her anger, but when she recalled that she was in her boutique, she suppressed her rage. That was because everything in the store was expensive. Bethany was still contemting what to do when one of her friends spoke. ¡°Beth, I saw that viral video of yours. That despicable woman probably leaked it!¡± Amy spoke indignantly. ¡°Yeah! Since she¡¯s here, you can¡¯t let her off the hook! This is a good opportunity to vent your anger. ¡°We will definitely stand by your side and help you teach her a lesson! Let¡¯s go and meet her!¡± Her friends fanned the mes, so Bethany felt emboldened and infuriated. Thus, she led her friends downstairs in great fanfare. ¡°Anna! You shameless bitch! How dare youe to me?!¡± || At this moment, Be crossed her slender legs that were hidden under her wrinkle-free pants. She was sipping some ck tea from an expensive teacup, looking as leisurely as if she were at home. ¡°Ms. Salvador, is this how you do business? Aren¡¯t you afraid of damaging your reputation by cussing out your customers?¡± ¡°What kind of customer are you?! You¡¯re just a gold digger who wants to cozy up to my brother just so you can get a share of our family fortune!¡± Bethany pointed at Be¡¯s face with her expensive crystal manicure. There were no other customers in the store at the moment. Only the store attendants were present. When everyone heard this, they looked at each other. They could not believe that this regaldy was a gold digger because she looked so extraordinary. She was so elegant and stunning that even her hair was shining. How could she be a gold digger like Bethany said? ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be frank with you. I¡¯m not here to buy anything. After all, the things you have here are only third-rate at best. None of your merchandise caught my eye.¡± Be smiled calmly. Be did not think that it was worth getting mad at the superficial and stupid woman in front of her. Bethany wanted to fight back, but her arrogance suddenly faltered when she saw the priceless brooch, ¡°The Twilight God¡±, on Be¡¯s chest. ¡°The purpose of my visit is simple.¡± Be put down her tea cup without even raising her eyelids. ¡°Please hold a press conference to apologize to my hotel employee, whom you have ndered and hospitalized.¡± Chapter 105 ¡°Did you hear that? This woman actually wants me to apologize to that housekeeper. Hahahaha¡­ Did you get hit in the head?¡± Bethany covered her stomach andughed out loud. Her two stic friends behind her also trembled withughter. ¡°Beth went to your hotel to spend money, but your hotel staff broke her ne and provided such poor service. Why can¡¯t Beth reprimand your staff to vent her anger?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You still have the nerve toe over and ask Beth to apologize¡­ Do you think that you own the hotel? Why are you so hung up over it?¡± Steven narrowed his eyes and thought, ¡®If these two bimbos knew that all of the KS World Hotels in the country belonged to the woman in front of them, they would probably be so frightened that they would cut off their tongues.¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that this incident will affect the image of Salvador Corporation that your brother worked so hard to maintain? Aren¡¯t you afraid of disgracing the Salvador family?¡± Be nced at Bethany. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t try to scare me. I¡¯m not the president of Salvador Corporation, so I don¡¯t care!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Bethany rolled her eyes disapprovingly. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s Justin¡¯s duty as president to worry about the company and bear all risks, including handling such matters. Otherwise, what¡¯s the use of him sitting in such a high position? Since my father asked him to be president, he would have to show everyone some achievements, right?¡± The store attendants around were stunned to hear this. Be could not help but sneer. On the surface, the Salvador family looked harmonious. In fact, they used each other secretly and had their own agendas. Bethany looked down on Justin. To her and Shannon, Justin was an ¡°illegitimate son¡± who would clean up their mess. Shannon and Bethany seemed useless and cowardly, but they were despicable. When Be married Justin, she had already seen through the Salvador family¡¯s true colors. If she had not been deeply in love with Justin, she would not have been able to stay with them for so long. ¡°Ms. Salvador, even if you don¡¯t consider Salvador Corporation¡¯s image, you should consider your own reputation, right?¡± ¡°Stop trying to scare me! Anna, don¡¯t think that I¡¯m afraid of you because you have Mr. Thompson as your backer. The Salvador family isn¡¯t weak either!¡± Bethany put her hands on her hips and yelled. ¡°Where¡¯s the security guard? Kick this bumpkin out of my store! This woman lowered my boutique¡¯s standards!¡± The two security guards rushed over and wanted to drag Be out. Be still remained seated and motionless. Steven¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he saw the security guards approaching Be, so he kicked them down effortlessly. After all, Steven had a ck belt in Taekwondo, so he was more than qualified to deal with these two security guards. Bethany screamed in fright, but the store attendants around her blushed with excitement. They all thought that Steven was handsome and even wanted to find an opportunity to get his number. ¡°Ms. Salvador, since you¡¯re so clueless, I have no choice but to show you something else.¡± With that said, Be took out her phone and beckoned to Bethany. ¡°Here, let me show you something interesting.¡± Bethany did not want others to think that she was timid, so she went over to the woman whose smile made her heart tremble. She came close to the phone screen and was shocked, angry, and ashamed when she noticed what was on it. Be calmly showed Bethany a few photos. Bethany thought, ¡®What happened?! I¡¯ve asked those two people to delete the photos. How could this be¡­?¡¯ Be stopped showing the photos to Bethany and put away her phone with a calm expression. ¡°My request is very simple. Make a public apology to my employee, and I will delete all these photos. If you insist on being stubborn, you probably know what I¡¯ll do next.¡± Bethany was so angry that her lips were trembling. She panicked. Shannon had raised Bethany to be a proper elitedy so that she could marry into a wealthy family like the Hoffman family. If these photos got leaked, her reputation would be ruined. Ryan would not like Bethany anymore. Thinking of this, Bethany was infuriated. She quickly reached over to grab Be¡¯s phone. Be raised her eyebrows and dodged easily. Bethany fell on the sofa in embarrassment. Her eyes turned red with anger, and she raised her hand to p Be. p-! The crisp p made everyone gasp in shock. Be¡¯s stunning features were as cold as ice, and her wrist strength was terrifying. Be struck Bethany with a backhand p. ¡°Ah!¡± Five red fingerprint marks suddenly appeared on Bethany¡¯s oval face. All this happened in the blink of an eye. It was so fast that no one knew how it happened. Steven secretly cheered and thought, ¡®That¡¯s what you get for trying to hit Be!¡¯ Bethany¡¯s two friends, who had previously said they would support Bethany, were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They even hid in the back for fear of getting implicated. ¡°You! How dare you hit me?!¡± Bethany stared at Be¡¯s face in shock while her cheek was numb with pain. Chapter 106 ¡°If not? Should I wait for a rabid dog like you to bite me before I hit you?¡± Be red at Bethany and dusted off her hands. ¡°Rabid dog?! How dare you call me a rabid dog?!¡± Bethany was livid. Just then, the door to the boutique opened. Be raised her long eyshes and suddenly met a piercing gaze. The next second, Justin¡¯s tall build appeared in the store under everyone¡¯s shocked gaze. Be and Justin were both startled to see each other at the boutique. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Be immediately averted her gaze, as if he were a mere stranger. Justin pursed his thin lips. His eyes were dark, and he felt very anxious. ¡°Justin!¡± When Bethany saw Justin, she thought that he was her savior, so she got up and ran to him with tears in her eyes. She quicklyined before Be could say a word. ¡°Anna is crazy! She actually hit me! Justin, you have to stand up for me!¡± ¡°I hit her. Her cheek should still be warm from the p.¡± Be admitted it with a contemptuous smile. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Justin looked at her with cold eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡± Back then, Anna would look at Justin with sparkling eyes that were filled with hope. At this moment, Justin could no longer find the light of desire in her eyes. She was like an emotionless doll. Justin¡¯s chest tightened asplicated emotions filled his heart. ¡°Justin! Anna actually asked me to hold a press conference to apologize to her hotel employee. I didn¡¯t agree to it, so she threatened me and even hit me!¡± Seeing that Justin was indifferent to her being pped, Bethany cried with all her strength. ¡°Justin! These people witnessed it! Anna bullied me!¡± ¡°Anna, is it not enough that the video online caused a negative bacsh for Salvador Corporation? Now, you want us to hold a press conference?¡± Justin frowned, and his voice was deep and cold. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going overboard?¡± Steven could not bear it anymore. He was about to step forward to argue with Justin, but Be grabbed him and pulled him behind her. This move infuriated Justin. Since their divorce, his ex-wife has been giving him the cold shoulder, so Justin felt like he finally had an opportunity to vent his anger. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m going overboard. I feel like I¡¯m seeking justice.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were as dark as the muzzle of a gun. ¡°Ha! I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re seeking justice or working for Asher. I won¡¯t let you get your way.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to talk about. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Be raised her eyebrows proudly, put one hand in the pocket of her trousers, and left without hesitation. ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Thinking that the photos were still with Anna, Bethany was so anxious that she started sweating.¡± Justin, Anna photoshopped indecent photos of me in an attempt to smear my reputation! That way, she can force me to apologize. You can¡¯t just let her leave!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes turned cold, and he strode over to block her path. ¡°Give me your phone.¡± ¡°Why should I? Who do you think you are?¡± Be sneered, feeling annoyed. Justin quickly grabbed the phone from her hand. Bethany saw this and secretly rejoiced. Sure enough, Shannon was right. Justin would help them clean up their mess, no matter what. He was indeed a useful tool. ¡°Justin! Give it back to me!¡± Be was so anxious that her breathing was unsteady. She stretched out her slender hand and wed at Justin like a little monkey. However, she identally tripped on her sky-high heels and fell firmly into the man¡¯s warm and hard chest. When Be fell, Justin subconsciously wrapped his arms around her thin waist. Be was ashamed and furious. Her cheeks were as red as ripe cherries. Through the smooth and delicate fabric of Justin¡¯s shirt, Be could feel the shape of his pectorals. They were so damn perfect. Justin narrowed his dark eyes and focused on Be¡¯s phone. He held Be¡¯s waist with one hand and her phone with the other. He remembered that her lock screen password was ¡°0923¡±, but he did not know if she had changed it since then. Justin quickly pressed four numbers with his thumb and unlocked the phone. Chapter 107 Be shouted, ¡°Asshole! Give it back to me!¡± Be¡¯s face was red as her body clung to Justin¡¯s. Her left hand was resting on his broad shoulder to maintain her bnce. She was trying to climb on him like a little monkey, but Justin held onto her tightly. Be¡¯s heart trembled when Justin¡¯s grip around her waist tightened with a hint of possessiveness. Through the thin and smooth fabric, Be could feel the heat from Justin¡¯s body on her palm. However, Justin stared at Be¡¯s phone with focus. His handsome face was as expressionless as an old monk in a trance. Everyone was shocked to see Be cursing at Justin. More importantly, Justin did not even get mad at her. Steven was so anxious that he started sweating. He wanted to pull Be back, but he could not reach her. Bethany was also dumbfounded to see the two of them like this. They were not even so close when they were married. Why were they so intimate after getting divorced? Bethany¡¯s two stic friends were so jealous of Be for snuggling up to Justin that they almost chewed off their perfectly manicured nails. Justin frowned slightly and quickly deleted all of Bethany¡¯s indecent photos. ¡°Anna, why did you be so despicable after our divorce?¡± After he said this, he put her phone back into her pants pocket and released her waist. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re a lot more despicable than I am!¡± Be hurriedly took two steps back, dusted herself off, and looked disgusted. ¡°I got those photos based on my own merit, unlike you, Mr. Salvador. You couldn¡¯t defeat me, so you just reached out and stole it from me. You¡¯re an uncultured swine!¡± The store attendants snickered and thought, ¡®Then he¡¯s certainly the most handsome pig in history!¡¯ Justin¡¯s face darkened, and his thin lips were pursed. He was mad at Anna for calling him an uncultured swine in front of so many people, but what irked him more was the ruthless look in her eyes. She was getting estranged from him. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. How much did she hate him to look at him with such disgust? After they signed the divorce papers, she had been causing trouble for him. He thought that he was kind enough to hold back until now, but she even humiliated him. Justin felt a surge of anger and grievance. He took a step forward, stared at her condescendingly, and looked her straight in the eyes. ¡°Anna, you¡¯re only so arrogant to me because you¡¯re my ex-wife, wife? Do you think that you can repeatedly challenge my bottom line just because we have been married before? Has a contractual marriage emboldened you to do whatever you want with me? Rose doesn¡¯t even dare to treat me like this. How dare you?!¡± His voice was deep and low, so no one except Be could hear what he was saying. Despite this, Be¡¯s eyes turned red in anger. Justin had never looked her in the eyes for the past three years and had crushed her arrogant self- esteem time and time again with his neglect. Even so, she had never regretted loving Justin or bing his wife. But at this moment, Be started to regret her past. Beughed angrily and forced herself to sweep away the hint of vulnerability in her eyes. ¡°Rosalind doesn¡¯t dare because she cares about you, and I dare because you no longer mean anything to me.¡± Justin¡¯s brows twitched in surprise. The next second, Be gritted her white teeth and grabbed Justin¡¯s expensive blue tie, pulling him forward. ¡°Do you want me to be grateful for that marriage? Sorry, but I¡¯m not.¡± Their eyes met, and only onest inch of precarious distance remained between them. Justin felt his tie tighten. His heart shrank because of the way she looked at him with such hatred. ¡°To put it bluntly, I can¡¯t bear to look back on how I got through those three years. Do you think marrying you is such an honor? Do you think that being your ex-wife is something that I can show off to others?¡± Chapter 108 Be said, ¡°No. You think too highly of yourself. If possible, I¡¯d like to erase you from my lifepletely. If I could, I wish I had never loved you.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Justin¡¯s pupils shrank. His soul felt shaken, and his throat, which was being strangled, felt bitter and dry. Every word she said was more ruthless than the previous. When he returned to his senses, Be had already let go of his tie and walked past him. Steven hurriedly chased after Be. When he passed by Justin, he red at him angrily. He did not hear what they said to each other just now, but he believed that Justin would not say anything nice to Be. ¡°Justin! Did you delete those photos? That bumpkin is so shameless! She dared to threaten me¡­ Fortunately, you came to help me. Otherwise, our family¡¯s reputation would be ruined.¡± Bethany ran over with excitement and wanted to hold Justin¡¯s arm. She wanted to show off to everyone that she was close to her brother. Unexpectedly, Justin was still affected by what his ex-wife said. His face was gloomy, and he red at Bethany. Bethany hesitated for a second and withdrew her hand sheepishly. ¡°Are those photos really photoshopped?¡± ¡°What?¡± Bethany was startled. ¡°Otherwise, how could Anna ckmail you?¡± Justin exuded a strong chill in his eyes. Bethany was stunned. She felt like Justin was notpletely on her side. His heart still seemed to favor Anna. ¡°I¡¯m not blind. I saw what happened that day.¡± Justin looked away. ¡°Since this incident has escted out of control, you need to hold a press conference tomorrow night and apologize to the hotel staff.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Bethany was shocked and furious. Her features contorted in anger. ¡°Why?! The customer is king! I spent money in their hotel, but their service was poor, and they broke and they broke my ne. It¡¯s within my right toin! So why should I apologize?!¡± Suddenly, the big screen on the second floor of the boutique lit up. The surveince footage was yed on the screen, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. The scene showed two sexy women in designer clothes posing in front of the reflective door in the elevator of the KS World Hotel. They were none other than Bethany¡¯s two stic friends. ¡°Ugh! I want to gag. Bethany thinks she¡¯s all that after buying this stupid ne. She¡¯s such a snob!¡± ¨C¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was generous enough to pay for us, no one would want to be friends with her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s such a fool? Hahahaha¡­¡± ¨C¡°Hmph! It was so fun to see her frantically looking for the ne just now! Bethany wouldn¡¯t, in a million years, imagine that we would break her ne and hide it in the room. Haha! Let her make a fuss. She¡¯s the one embarrassing herself anyway!¡± By the end of the video, the two stic friends were so frightened that their faces paled. Bethany was so angry that she could breathe fire. She gritted her teeth with hatred and walked over to them step by step. ¡°Beth, it¡¯s not what it seems!¡± The two women panicked and backed away. ¡°Listen to our exnation! We¡¯ve been framed!¡± ¡°You two bitches! How dare you spend my money and break my things?! I¡¯m going to rip you apart!¡± Bethany screamed and disregarded her image as an elitedy, rushing at her stic friends with bared teeth and ws. Chapter 109 Be got into the car and said nothing the whole time. She felt helpless, like a waterlogged robot. When she thought of the infuriating words Justin said to her, she felt like she was drenched in ice water. Her body shook with rage. Be wondered why she had not noticed what a despicable and shameless person Justin was. Sure enough, it was true that love made people blind and numb to reality. ¡°Ms. Be, I have released the video as you requested. Look! Bethany and her two best friends got into a fight!¡± Steven quickly showed Be the footage on his phone. Be raised her eyelids and saw three women beating each other up. The scene was gory. ¡°Tsk, tsk! Women are really ruthless when they beat other women. Ms. Salvador is quite good at fighting. She¡¯s one against two, but she¡¯s still undefeated. It¡¯s a pity that she doesn¡¯t wrestle as a sport,¡± Steven said with a gloating smile. ¡°Hmph! They¡¯re just pping each other and pulling each other¡¯s hair. There¡¯s no technique to it at all. What fun is that?¡± Even though she said that, her eyes did not leave the screen. Needless to say, watching these three women wing at each other appeased her anger. ¡°Ms. Be, did Justin really delete all the photos?¡± Steven¡¯s eyes turned red with anger when he thought of Justin hugging Be¡¯s waist so frivolously. However, Steven thought about how Be and Justin used to be married and figured that they had probably done more intimate things in the past three years. Steven had no right to be angry. ¡°He will definitely delete it. Even if he doesn¡¯t like Bethany, he still has to take the Salvador family¡¯s reputation into consideration. He always puts the big picture first and is ruthless when necessary.¡± Be sighed softly and unlocked her phone. She never expected that Justin would remember her password. He had probably identally seen it when she unlocked her phone one day and remembered it all those years. But it did not matter if he remembered her password. He would never know the meaning behind those digits-¡°0923¡±. That was the day Justin rescued Be on the mountain thirteen years ago, the day they met for the first time. Perhaps her heart was never worth anything to him. ¡°Ms. Be, what should we do next? Justin destroyed those photos that we have on Bethany, so Bethany won¡¯t give in.¡± Steven frowned and sighed. Suddenly, Be¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± She saw Justin¡¯s phone number was on her call history. ¡®That sneaky bastard!¡¯ In the evening, Justin returned to Tideview Manor. It was raining outside. When he saw the drops of water on the car window, he felt as if he were seeing Anna¡¯s bright and teary eyes. However, her eyes were filled with resentment, which only worsened his mood. Justin stretched out his neck. The neon light outside the window outlined his chiseled jaw, adding some charm to his stern face. He raised his hand and tugged on his meticulously tied Windsor knot. The silky fabric felt like her slender waist. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed uncontrobly and his breathing was uneven. He tried his best to stop thinking about Anna¡¯s watery eyes, but it was useless. That woman was getting bolder. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. In the past three years of marriage, she did not even dare to hold his hand. After their divorce, she decided to provoke him in public. She was so disrespectful! ¡°Mr. Salvador¡­¡± Ian, who was sitting in the passenger seat, called out to Justin timidly. ¡°What?¡± Justin was frustrated thinking about Anna, so his tone was harsh. ¡°Um¡­ Ms. Bethany making a fuss in KS World Hotel has gained traction online. Netizens are now commenting on how the elites are trampling on other people¡¯s self-esteem just because they are rich. What should we do?¡± ¡°Just let it be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Madam Shannon willin to Chairman Gregory, and he¡¯ll make things difficult for you.¡± Ian was concerned. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened as he sneered. ¡°I¡¯m not scared, so what are you afraid of?¡± Ian¡¯s phone beeped. ¡°Mr. Salvador, here¡¯s the surveince footage you requested.¡± Justin raised his eyes and took the phone. In the surveince footage, he could see the confrontation between Anna and Bethany at the store. Bethany was arrogant and unrelenting. She even wanted to hit Anna, but Anna defended herself first. Chapter 110 Justin raised his eyebrows. His noble and ascetic face was as cold as ice. What he felt earlier was nothing inparison to the rage he felt at that moment. Justin had just returned home and changed his clothes when Gregory called him to the study. ¡°Sob¡­ Daddy! You must stand up for me! I feel so wronged and miserable!¡± Bethany cried until her tears soaked Gregory¡¯s shirt. Her face was covered in tears and scratch marks from the fight she had with her friends in the afternoon. The corners of her lips were also cracked, so she looked miserable. Gregory was sitting on the sofa. Bethany had always presented herself as a well-breddy, so when she looked so wretched, Gregory hurriedly reached out and stroked her hair tofort her. ¡°Your brother is back. I¡¯ll ask him what¡¯s going on when hees in.¡± ¡°This matter is getting bigger now. I¡¯ve already received several calls today asking me about Bethany, and I don¡¯t know how to answer them.¡± Shannon loved her daughter, so her eyes turned red with worry. ¡°Bethany is being criticized online. How can she possibly show herself in public in the future? What would other wealthy families in Savrow think of us?¡± ¡°Shannon, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let our daughter suffer this grievance.¡± Gregory frowned and looked angry. At this time, the door opened. Justin walked in expressionlessly. ¡°Justin, why didn¡¯t you deal with the video in time? It¡¯s going viral for all the wrong reasons! Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯recking as the president of Salvador Corporation?¡± Gregory hugged Bethany and scolded Justin. ¡°Salvador Corporation has a public rtions department and a legal department. Each department has its own director.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were calm, and his tone was low. ¡°I am the president of Salvador Corporation, but I¡¯m not a nanny. Some things aren¡¯t under my jurisdiction, so I don¡¯t have to intervene.¡± ¡°Justin, do you think that this isn¡¯t something you have to worry about? Bethany is your biological sister! Are you just going to watch as someone bullies your sister and ruins her reputation?¡± Shannon¡¯s face was covered in tears, and she clutched her chest as if she would faint at any moment. ¡°Shannon, you¡¯re weak, so don¡¯t get too agitated.¡± Gregory hurriedly stood up and put his arms around Shannon¡¯s shoulders. His gaze was tender. It had been 20 years, but Justin still felt suffocated every time he saw Gregory and Shannon showing off their affection for each other. Gregory had never once mentioned Justin¡¯s mother in the past 20 years or visited her grave. That poor woman loved him so deeply, but it was as if she had never appeared in Gregory¡¯s life. Gregory¡¯s indifference was more cruel than hating her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Greg.¡± Shannon leaned into Gregory¡¯s embrace and coughed twice for good measure. ¡°I was too agitated earlier and didn¡¯t control my emotions. Justin is the president of Salvador Corporation, so he must be busy dealing with all kinds of problems every day. I shouldn¡¯t have bothered him about this. I was just afraid that Justin still has doubts about me. After all, I¡¯m not his birth mother¡­ If that¡¯s why he 1 doesn¡¯t want to help Bethany, I don¡¯t me him. I can understand where he¡¯sing from.¡± Justin looked at this pretentious woman indifferently. He was tired of watching her act for 20 years. He just wondered why Gregory was not tired of Shannon¡¯s act. ¡°Shannon, don¡¯t think too much. Whether that brat admits it or not, you are my wife, so by extension, you are his mother!¡± Shannon sessfully provoked Gregory, who became more infuriated. He pointed at Justin¡¯s indifferent face and said, ¡°You¡¯d bettere up with a solution for me right away! I want all those videos and posts about Bethany to disappear by tomorrow morning. Otherwise, you¡¯ll answer to me!¡± ¡°I¡¯d thought of the solution a long time ago and told Bethany.¡± Justin lowered his cold eyes. ¡°Dad! Justin didn¡¯t think of a n for me. He was just pushing me into a fire pit!¡± Bethany immediately became anxious when she heard her name. She stretched her neck and said, He actually wants me to apologize to that stupid housekeeper! I¡¯m someone of status, and she¡¯s a nobody. Why should I apologize to her?! Also, Anna came to the boutique to cause trouble today and pped me in front of so many people. Sob, sob¡­ I¡¯m too embarrassed to face anyone!¡± Shannon and Gregory were shocked when they heard this. ¡°What? Anna pped you?!¡± ¡°Look at the p marks on my face. I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Bethany cried and pointed to her still- swollen face. ¡°How dare she! Justin, what kind of woman did you marry?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Shannon was furious when she heard that her daughter was bullied. She finally showed some viciousness as she said, ¡°We must sue her for hitting Bethany! We can¡¯t just let it go!¡± ¡°Bethany wanted to hit Anna first. Anna was just acting in self-defense,¡± Justin said righteously. ¡°You mean, that girl really hit Bethany?¡± Gregory asked with gloomy eyes. Justin acquiesced. ¡°Contact her immediately and ask her to apologize to Bethany! Also, why haven¡¯t you finalized the divorce with her yet? Take some time tomorrow to go to City Hall with her to get your divorce certificate. From now on, I won¡¯t allow you to have anything to do with that woman!¡± shouted. Justin frowned slightly. Gregory Their divorce was imminent, but after hearing this, Justin felt inexplicably ufortable and replied without thinking, ¡°No.¡± Chapter 111 No?! Shannon and Bethany were stunned to hear this from Justin, so much so that they forgot to cry and act angry. ¡°Justin! You rebel!¡± Gregory was so angry that his blood pressure rose. His illegitimate son, whom Gregory had never favored, rarely disobeyed him. Now that Justin was the president of Salvador Corporation, he dared to say ¡°no¡± to Gregory. Justin was in a daze. He did not expect that he would blurt out ¡°no¡± so smoothly. ¡°What on earth are you thinking?! You wanted to divorce Anna in the first ce! You were the one who insisted on marrying Rose! You¡¯re saying no when I ask you to finalize the divorce with Anna immediately? Do you think you can keep multiple women? Do you think that marriage is child¡¯s y?! How could I raise such an imbecile like you?!¡± ¡°Keep multiple women? Ha, that¡¯s right.¡± Justin was irritated. He narrowed his eyes and mocked Gregory. ¡°Since we¡¯re father and son, I should regard you as my role model.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Gregory was so angry that he rushed over and pped Justin hard on the face. This p was so loud that it frightened Bethany. There was arge palm print on Justin¡¯s pale face. ¡°Oh, Greg! If you have something to say, just use your mouth. Don¡¯t hit Justin! Justin is just young and impulsive, so he may offend you when he speaks. It¡¯s not worth it to fight over something like this and hurt your rtionship.¡± Shannon hurriedly came over to Gregory, but she secretly sneered in her heart. She was secretly overjoyed that Gregory hit Justin and felt that her anger had been vented. ¡°Shannon, I know that you¡¯re a loving mother and have treated this brat as your own since he was a child, but you spoiled him too much. You dared not hit or scold him. Look at him now! You have spoiled him so much that he¡¯s insolent!¡± Gregory¡¯s palm was numb from the p, and his face was redder than Justin¡¯s. ¡°He will always be a child to me, Greg. Besides, I¡¯m not his biological mother, so it¡¯s not easy for Justin to ept me. If I¡¯m not kind to him, he¡¯ll alienate himself from me. I just want to be a good mother to him.¡± Shannon suddenly stood up as she spoke. She looked so pitiful. Every one of those words seemed like she was showing weakness, but in fact, she was adding fuel to the fire. Justin curled his lips mockingly. He had seen Shannon¡¯s trick since he was a child, but he had never exposed her. That was because he knew that Gregory did not care about him at all. If Justin¡¯s eldest brother had not been recuperating in Meridan, Justin would never have had the chance to be the president of Salvador Corporation. Justin was never favored by Gregory, so it was useless no matter what he did.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°A child? He¡¯s already thirty! Stop making excuses for him!¡± Gregory pointed at Justin¡¯s face and roared. ¡°You have to do these two things for me right away! Finalize your divorce with Anna immediately and ask her to apologize to Bethany in person. Immediately suppress the trending topic about Bethany and quell this matter.¡± Justin smiled with a gloomy face and said, ¡°Dad, is this how you negotiate business with people? Do you p them first and then make demands?¡± ¡°What¡­ What did you say?!¡± Gregory was stunned. ¡°Even if you are my biological father, I feel that we should keep work and our private matters separate, especially when it concerns thepany¡¯s interests. I won¡¯t make anypromises. Anna and I can¡¯t finalize the divorce yet because I promised Grandpa that we wouldn¡¯t do it until his 80th birthday. I won¡¯t go back on my word. As for the negative news online, I advise Bethany to make a public apology. Other than that, I won¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°Justin! You!¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes turned red, and he raised his hand high. Just as he was about to p Justin again, Justin caught his wrist. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m 30 years old now, so do you think that you can still beat me into submission?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were frigid. Gregory narrowed his eyes, and he felt a dull pain in his wrist. Chapter 112 ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to apologize! I will never apologize, no matter what you say!¡± Bethany started crying and acting up again. ¡°Ian,e in.¡± Justin raised his voice. Ian, who was waiting outside, hurriedly knocked on the door and walked into the study, bowing respectfully. ¡°Take out the documents and show them to the chairman.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Salvador.¡± Ian¡¯s eyes flickered, but he still handed the prepared documents to Gregory. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is this year¡¯s andst year¡¯s financial report for EV Boutique, which is jointly managed by Aunt Shannon and Bethany.¡± Justin¡¯s handsome face was calm, and his voice was t. Shannon and Bethany were tense, and their faces became stiff. ¡°It has been three years since the establishment of the boutique, but it has lost nearly $10 million every year in the past three years. The annual operating expenses are drawn from the public funds of Salvador Corporation. Since the establishment of the boutique, it has been agreed that Aunt Shannon will be responsible for its profits and losses. Since Salvador Corporation does not gain any profit from them, there¡¯s no reason that we should help them fill this hole.¡± After saying that, Justin lowered his long eyshes. ¡°If Bethany doesn¡¯te forward to apologize, then I will exercise my authority as president of Salvador Corporation and close this loss-making boutique.¡± ¡®What?! Close the store?!¡¯ Bethany was so frightened that she was frozen in ce. Shannon¡¯s eyes turned red with hatred. However, the viciousness in Shannon¡¯s eyes was fleeting. She hugged Gregory¡¯s arm and cried. ¡°Greg, the boutique was your birthday gift to me three years ago! How can you let him close it?!¡± Gregory¡¯s jaw was taut. Looking at the solid evidence in front of him, he could not refute his son, even though he was the chairman of Salvador Corporation. ¡°I can turn a blind eye to this matter for your sake, but Bethany must publicly apologize, and Aunt Shannon mustpensate for the public funds that the boutique has embezzled from Salvador Corporation in the past three years. Otherwise, I will announce this at the board meeting the day after tomorrow. When that happens, it¡¯ll be toote to do anything.¡± Justin looked determined to oust them. Shannon nced at her stepson with hatred. She did not want the boutique to close because she had big ns for it. ¡°Bethany, hold a press conference tomorrow night and do as your second brother says.¡± Gregory frowned. Bethany¡¯s shoulders slumped, and her whole body was frozen. She no longer had the strength to argue. Shannon looked at Gregory¡¯s increasingly gloomy expression, knowing that she hadpletely lost this battle. Thus, she could only rethink her ns. She red at Justin with hateful eyes, wishing to cut him to pieces. As soon as Justin and Ian left the study, Gregory started trashing the ce, and Shannon and Bethany were crying inside. Ian scratched his head in confusion and asked tentatively, ¡°Mr. Salvador, didn¡¯t you decide to fight the young madam to the end? Why did you suddenly change your mind?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my affairs.¡± Justin suddenly thought about Anna¡¯s watery eyes and her sweet fragrance, which was so close to him earlier. His cold eyes were slightly dazed. He tried to convince himself that he changed his mind at thest minute because he watched the surveince footage and heard Bethany¡¯s shameless words. But was that really the reason? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Why did Justin react so strongly when Shannon and Bethany used Anna and when Gregory forced him to finalize the divorce? Was there no hint of selfishness in his act? ¡°Mr. Salvador, it¡¯s a bit of a loss to release the evidence we finally collected just to make Ms. Bethany apologize, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ian frowned and felt a little upset. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if I leak this out, the chairman will still find ways to cover it up for Shannon. That¡¯s because he¡¯s blinded by his love for her.¡± Justin mocked his father and swept away Anna¡¯s pretty features from his mind. He looked into the distance and said, ¡°I just chose a result that both Anna and I can live with. After all, I wrongly used her of what happened with Rose at the auctionst time.¡± The man sighed quietly as he suppressed the sorrow in his heart. ¡°This time, I will pay her back. I don¡¯t want to owe her anything.¡± Chapter 113 Be could not sleep all night. As long as she closed her eyes, she would see Justin¡¯s handsome face. She could also feel his warm hands that were holding her waist earlier. She sat up suddenly. They were already divorced, so why was he still haunting her? Finally, Be fell asleep for two hours. She got up and kayaked for an hour to dissipate the heat in her body. Steven prepared a delicious breakfast for her. Be looked depressed during breakfast and took a long time to chew her bread and omelet. She also drank her favorite coffee with a dull expression. ¡°Ms. Be, are you worried about Skye?¡± Steven picked up the napkin and gently wiped the bread crumbs and grease on her delicate fingers. He did this gracefully as if he were a royal butler. ¡°I hate the feeling of losing.¡± Be took a deep breath and narrowed her dark eyes. She did not say the second part aloud. ¡®I hate the feeling of being bossed around by Justin even more!¡¯ ¡°Then what do you n to do with Bethany?¡± Steven asked. ¡°Give me some time to think about it. We need to resolve this before the heat subsides.¡± As soon as she said this, Be¡¯s phone vibrated on the table. She picked it up and took a look with widened eyes. It was a call from her father. ¡°Wyatt, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Be hurriedly picked up the call and sounded nervous. ¡°Tsk, what¡¯s with your tone? I¡¯m not dead yet. Wyatt smacked his lips and cleared his throat. ¡°Well, when will youe home? Your three mothers want to celebrate you.¡± ¡°Celebrate me?¡± Be was confused. ¡°Well, you made the news for helping others and went viral online as ¡®the most beautiful angel¡¯.¡± What?! Be was speechless and held her forehead. Her head throbbed when she heard the words, ¡°the most beautiful angel¡±. ¡°Your three mothers think that you have brought honor to the family, so they want to host a family dinner to celebrate!¡± Be was upset because she was exposed, but Wyatt and his wives wanted to celebrate it. Great¡­ ¡°No need. I¡¯m looking for someone to suppress it. I don¡¯t like being in the public eye. It¡¯s just too troublesome.¡± ¡°Tsk, why are you so inconsiderate? Your mothers miss you and want to see you. They haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. Why can¡¯t youe back and have a meal with us?¡± Wyatt¡¯s tone was filled with resentment. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll go back in a few days,¡± Be responded nonchntly. ¡°Good.¡± Wyatt paused and said in a stern voice, ¡°By the way, is Drew back?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Be had no choice but to answer honestly. ¡°Haha! If your eldest brother hadn¡¯t told me that Drew was back, I would¡¯ve nned to hold a memorial service for him soon!¡± Wyatt became infuriated at the mention of Drew. ¡°When youe back this time, bring your fourth brother back with you. If he doesn¡¯te back, I won¡¯t think of him as my son again. He will never be able to step foot into our house either!¡± After the call ended, Be furrowed her beautiful eyebrows. Her small hands reached into Steven¡¯s suit pocket to take out a piece of chocte. Then she bit off one piece dejectedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Steven asked worriedly. ¡°My dad asked me to take my fourth brother home for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Steven understood what Drew¡¯s temper was like. He was at a loss about what to do. ¡°Wyatt has such a hot temper, and Drew is so stubborn. They¡¯re the worst!¡± Be¡¯s irritable mood eased a little once she tasted the melted chocte on her tongue. ¡°I know Drew. He can listen to me about everything except going home to see Wyatt. He¡¯s so stubborn, so I have to coax him and try to outsmart him. I can¡¯t do it forcefully.¡± * After washing up, Be went to work. As soon as the Bugatti passed the hotel entrance, she saw many reporters squatting outside. Be narrowed her eyes, and Steven quickly called the front desk to find out the situation. ¡°These reporters are here to interview the ¡®angel¡¯ from that incident. I don¡¯t know how those people found out that the girl is an employee of our hotel, so¡­Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 114 Be¡¯s eyes darkened. What bothered her most since she was a child was being exposed in front of the media. She did not want to be in the spotlight unless absolutely necessary. ¡°Why are they trying to make news about this menial thing? Do these reporters have nothing to write about?¡± Be took a sip of coffee helplessly. ¡°Forget it¡­ The heat will subside soon. I¡¯ve already told Asher to help me suppress the news, so it shoulde into effect soon. Let¡¯s go through the back door.¡± When they arrived at the back door of the hotel, Be asked Steven to park the car while she went to her exclusive elevator so as to get to her office on the top floor as quickly as possible. As she walked, she took out her phone and browsed the hotel¡¯s official page. Due to her heroic act that day, the hotel received manyments and rave reviews. [Next time, I will stay in a hotel owned by KS Group! Their hotel staff is great!] [Thatdy is so beautiful! Please take a clear picture of her face.] [KS Group is more trustworthy. Look at the Salvadors¡­ They think they can bully hotel staff because they¡¯re rich!] Be¡¯s bright red lips curled up, and she looked like a proud little fox. Although she did not like the attention this news brought to her, she still enjoyed the free publicity that it brought to the hotel. However, what happened with Skye was notpletely resolved yet, so Be still felt uneasy. Suddenly, Be frowned as she could feel a man approaching her from behind, breaking the safe distance between strangers. At this moment, the man grabbed her shoulder. Be¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She quickly turned around and sshed her coffee on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Ah!¡± The next second, Be grabbed the man¡¯s muscr arm and threw him over her shoulder. ¡°Ow!¡± The tall mannded on the floor with a thud. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Be took a closer look and gasped. ¡°Ryan Hoffman? Is that you?!¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Yes¡­¡± }) Ryany on the ground in embarrassment and cleared his throat. He did not know whether tough or cry in this situation. ¡°The old saying that beautiful women are the downfall of men is quite true¡­¡± ¡°Why did you sneak up on me? My body reacted on instinct. I didn¡¯t know it was you, so I attacked first in self-defense.¡± Be¡¯s eyes shed with embarrassment as she hurriedly kneeled in front of him to check on him. She looked serious as she medically examined Ryan¡¯s body with her hands. Her technique was so professional that Ryan thought the senior masseurs in his house were not as skilled as her. Ryan squinted his eyes and stared at her with adoration as he enjoyed the feeling of being touched by her. He thought, ¡®Oh, Justin¡­ You¡¯re such a fool for not appreciating this blessing! Don¡¯t me me for picking up your treasure. Hehe¡­¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re fine. Thank goodness you trained your muscles well. I can¡¯t feel any fractures.¡± Be breathed a sigh of relief and patted his leg. ¡°Get up! You can¡¯t extort me for this.¡¯ ¡°I want to get up, but I can¡¯t¡­¡± Ryan grinned, then he hissed and frowned with a pained expression. ¡°Although my bones aren¡¯t broken, I¡¯m still in pain. I¡¯m numb all over! Mother Teresa, will you please give me a hand?¡± Be felt a little embarrassed, so she reached out to help Ryan up from the ground. Ryan felt Be¡¯s fragrant and soft body against him and could not help but move closer to her. His throat tightened, and his soul wandered. In the past, plenty of women took the initiative to get close to him, but Ryan had never felt like he was taking advantage of them. ¡°Hey, how did you like the feeling of molesting my body just now?¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows and asked expectantly. ¡°Molesting you? Haha! I finally know where you¡¯re hurting. It turns out you might have a concussion.¡± Be sneered. ¡°I would have looked at you closely if you were a three-legged toad. As a man, you have nothing that I¡¯m interested in.¡± Be blurted out these words and was stunned by herself. Her cheeks turned slightly red and hot. Ryan knew who she was talking about and instantly felt jealous. He had a desire to win her over, so he turned around and pushed Be against the wall. His eyes roamed her face. Ryan gradually leaned down and lowered his voice. ¡°Who do you think is better than me? Justin?¡± Ryan narrowed his eyes and smiled at her. ¡°How do you know that I¡¯m not better than him?¡± Chapter 115 After all, Ryan was an expert at flirting with girls. ¡°Hah! Mr. Hoffman, do you really want your bones to break this time?¡± Be asked through gritted teeth. Her clear eyes were filled with murderous intent. Ryan did not dare to move closer to Be, so he took two steps back and pretended to be innocent. ¡± Ms. Brown, I¡¯m just joking with you. Don¡¯t be so fierce¡­ After all, I¡¯m also a victim. You hit me, scolded me, and ruined my clothes. I have a lunch appointment with my motherter, so I can¡¯t show up like this. At the very least, you should give me a change of clothes, right?¡± Be also felt that she had gone a little too far just now. After all,pared to the ignorant Justin, Ryan was quite sensible. Last time, Ryan stood up for her when she was bullied by Rosalind and Bethany. She would always remember these small acts of kindness. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my secretary to prepare a new set of clothes for you soon, and I¡¯ll get you a room so that you can bathe, change, and rest. How about that?¡± Be was considerate. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too troublesome. There¡¯s a department store not far from here. Come with me to buy a new outfit. I may not like what your secretary picked.¡± Ryan smiled and looked at her expectantly. ¡°If possible, I hope that you can choose a new suit for me.¡± Be agreed since she thought that he would not be able to do anything to her in broad daylight. Be drove Ryan to the mall in her Bugatti La Voiture Noire. She drove at a startling speed and turned with ease and grace. Then she slid into the parking bay in one smooth motion. The drive that would have taken twenty minutes was cut short to ten minutes. Ryan¡¯s mouth gaped open the entire journey. ¡°Get out of the car and hurry up.¡± Be unbuckled her seat belt and opened the car door expressionlessly, ¡°You might have a lot of free time because you¡¯re rich, but I¡¯m just a mere employee. I have a lot of work waiting for me.¡± ¡°Ms. Brown, your driving skills are impressive!¡± ¡°Well, before I met Justin, I was an experienced taxi driver.¡± After saying that, she got out of the car. Ryan was involved in the underground racing world, so he could tell at a nce that she was no ordinary person with those driving skills. He smirked and thought that she was getting more interesting by the day. Monday was a slow day, so there were few people in the mall. Be and Ryan¡¯s outstanding looks attracted a lot of attention wherever they went. Ryan had a smile on his face as he said, ¡°Ms. Brown, I came to the hotel to see you because I was afraid that some reporters would cause trouble for you since you went viral¡­¡± Be looked straight ahead and said nonchntly, ¡°I remember that you like to wear YSL.¡± ¡°How do you know?!¡± ¡°From the first time I met you, you were wearing YSL haute couture. You were also wearing a YSL tuxedo at the charity auction that day.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re quite observant with me.¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows and felt secretly happy that she noticed him. ¡°But to be honest, YSL suits you nicely.¡± Be looked nonchnt. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite sexy in it.¡± Ryan did not know what to say. ¡°There aren¡¯t any custom pieces here, only off-the-rack, so just make do with it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll like whatever you buy me.¡± Ryan grinned. Be ignored him and walked straight into the boutique. The store attendants were very attentive to the two distinguished customers. ¡°Money is not an issue. Just choose whatever you like, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Be sat leisurely on the sofa and crossed her slender legs. Her pantsuit outlined her charming curves perfectly, which Ryan found very attractive. The store attendants were all dumbfounded. Thisdy boss was so cool and sassy. Ryan squinted his eyes and licked the inside of his cheek. This was refreshing. He had only ever bought things for women. This was the first time a woman was willing to spend money on him. Ryan felt pampered. At the same time, two extravagantly dressed women happened to pass by the boutique-Rosalind and Jean. ¡°Mom, look! It¡¯s that bitch, Anna!¡± Rosalind pointed angrily at Anna, who was chatting andughing with Ryan inside the boutique. Rosalind did not expect Anna to be flirting with Ryan. ¡®How dare she string along so many men?!¡¯ Chapter 116 ¡°Rose, this is a good opportunity for you to make aeback!¡± Jean squeezed Rosalind excitedly. ¡°You should think of a way now to make Justine to you right away. You have to let him see this so he canpletely give up on that little whore, Anna!¡± ¡°But Justin is working now. He rarely went shopping with me on weekends in the past. It¡¯s even less likely that he wille out now. Besides¡­¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes darkened, and she lowered her voice and said, ¡°I just regained favor with Justin by saying that I have severe depression. I need to behave these days and capture his heart, so I can¡¯t be reckless and cause trouble again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stupid!¡± Jean jabbed Rosalind¡¯s forehead with her sharp nails. ¡°He¡¯s at work, so it would be foolish for you to ask him to apany you shopping. But if you have a valid reason, it will be a good opportunity to get closer to him! You can¡¯t keep being considerate. Men won¡¯t like you if you are too obedient. They like a challenge. He will only feel important if you call him when you have trouble or an emergency. That way, he will feel proud and superior that you rely on him.¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes flickered. She actually disagreed with her mother¡¯s words. In the past, when her father was powerful and the family was well off, her mother clung to her father like a ko bear. In the end, her father paid less attention to her mother. Patrick even kept several lovers and disrespected Jean in front of the servants at home. Jean had no choice but to endure all those grievances just to keep her title as Mrs. Gold. She was 50 years old, but the Gold family fell into decline, and her husband was suffering from chronic illness. Now, Jean only had the status of Mrs. Gold, but she was reduced to aughingstock in the elite circle. Her whole life had been wasted. ¡°I¡¯ll call Justinter and tell him that you are shopping alone and that I couldn¡¯t contact you. He knows that you¡¯re not emotionally stable recently, so if he loves you, he will drop everything ande find you.¡± Jean held Rosalind¡¯s shoulders and smirked. ¡°When the timees, Justin will hate Anna even more when he sees his best friend hooking up with his ex-wife!¡± After a meeting, Justin returned to his office and received a call from Jean. ¡°Mrs. Gold.¡± His tone was cold. ¡°Mr. Salvador! Has Rose contacted you?¡± Jean asked nervously. ¡°No, what happened?¡± ¡°Rose said she was feeling a little down, so she wanted to go out for a walk. I wanted to apany her, but she refused. She said she didn¡¯t want me to treat her as a patient, so I didn¡¯t follow her¡­ But it¡¯s been a few hours now, and I couldn¡¯t get through to her on the phone. When I called her again, her phone was turned off. Do you think something happened to her?¡± Justin¡¯s heart clenched when he recalled that Rosalind had severe depression. He asked in a deep voice, ¡°Did Rose tell you where she went?¡± ¡°She said she wanted to go shopping in the newly opened department store near the KS World Hotel, but she didn¡¯t say anything else.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯m going to find her now. She¡¯ll be fine.¡± After hanging up the phone, Justin frowned, grabbed his suit jacket, and walked out. ¡°Get the car.¡± Justin arrived at the mall as quickly as possible. He walked around in a hurry, looking for Rosalind while calling her. Finally, the call was connected. Rosalind¡¯s soft voice came through. ¡°Justin¡­¡± ¡°Rose, where are you? I¡¯m at Century Mall now!¡± Justin¡¯s voice was filled with worry. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I feel a tightness in my chest, so I¡¯m sitting in the elevator lobby on the second floor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Justin strode over and found Rosalind as quickly as possible. ¡°Justin!¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were teary as she stood up and threw herself at Justin. ¡°You¡¯re here¡­ I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t feel ufortable anymore.¡± ¡°Your mother called you earlier. Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone?¡± Justin asked with concern. Rosalind hurriedly found an excuse and said, ¡°My phone ran out of battery, so I was searching for a power bank to recharge it.¡± ¡°Next time you go out, you must get someone to apany you, okay? Don¡¯t go out alone.¡± Justin took a deep breath and held her. ¡°Justin, I only want you to apany me. I don¡¯t want anyone else.¡± Rosalind rubbed her face against the man¡¯s chest and snickered in her heart. Rosalind was d that she listened to her mother this time. This showed that Justin still cared about her, and she was the most important person to him. At this moment, they could hear faint whispers around them. ¡°Oh, look at that young couple. That girl is so beautiful. They look like movie stars!¡± ¡°That young man is quite handsome too. He has a really good figure. It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s rich.¡± Justin heard it, but he was not a curious person, so he did not look back. Rosalind, on the other hand, suddenly gasped in shock. ¡°Justin, look! What a coincidence!¡± Justin looked back expressionlessly. He was stunned by what he saw. The next second, his charming eyes turned red, as if two balls of me were ignited in them. Chapter 117 A few steps ahead of Justin and Rosalind, Ryan and Be walked side by side toward them. Ryan was tall and handsome, and Be was elegant and gorgeous. They looked like a match made in heaven. Justin¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he noticed that Ryan was holding a shopping bag. Did they go shopping together? Be did not notice Justin and Rosalind as she was listening to Ryan¡¯s animated jokes. Ryan and Be looked at each other andughed, clearly enjoying themselves. Justin inexplicably felt his chest tighten, and his eyes were sore from seeing this scene. Ryan vaguely felt an oppressive chilling from the front and raised his head. His eyes widened when he saw Justin and Rosalind. ¡°Justin? What are you doing here?!¡± Only then did Be notice Justin, whose face was as cold as frost. She nced at Rosalind, who was in Justin¡¯s arms, and sneered. Knowing that her opportunity hade, Rosalind hugged Justin tighter, like a ko. She looked at Anna provokingly, showing Anna that Justin belonged to her. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. However, Be did not care at all. She would have been jealous before, but not anymore. Now, her heart was calm. Be thought, ¡®That scumbag and that bitch are a perfect match!¡¯ ¡°I should be the one asking you this, Ryan.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was deep, and his face was gloomy. ¡°I¡¯m shopping, of course! You know me, I love shopping.¡± Ryan smiled with curved eyes, not knowing that he was in deep trouble. Be could not refute that. She had never seen a man who loved shopping more than Ryan. Although Ryan kept chatting with her along the way, his eyes kept ncing into the disy windows. If Be had not been in a hurry to leave, Ryan would have wanted to go into every store. However, Justin thought that Ryan was provoking him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Brown to be so close to Mr. Hoffman that they could go shopping together.¡± Rosalind clung to Justin¡¯s chest weakly and added, ¡°Justin, let¡¯s go. We shouldn¡¯t disturb their date.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were cold, while Ryan was confused when he heard the word ¡°date¡±. Unexpectedly, Justin slowly pushed Rosalind away and strode over to Be. ¡°Hey, Justin!¡± Rosalind called out to him, but he did not look back. Her eyes were red with hatred. Be raised her pretty face to meet Justin¡¯s sharp gaze. Although she was wearing high heels, Justin was still much taller than her. He gave off an indescribable sense of oppressive air as he stared at her coldly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Justin asked in a cold voice. ¡°We¡¯re just shopping. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Be¡¯s red lips curled up slightly in disdain. ¡°What a smart world! Mr. Salvador, do you want to me me for not walking another way when you¡¯re using this path?¡± ¡°You went shopping with him?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes became darker, and he emphasized the word ¡°him¡±. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with Anna going shopping with me? I¡¯m not a pervert.¡± Ryan clicked his tongue. Justin clenched his teeth. ¡°Who knows what you¡¯re like with the opposite sex?¡± ¡°What the f*ck!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in anger. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m free to go out with whomever I please. It¡¯s ridiculous that you¡¯re still finding fault with me after we¡¯re divorced.¡± Be ignored Justin¡¯s murderous gaze. Was Justin angry? He had nothing to be angry about. He could not possibly be jealous after seeing her and Ryan together, right? That was impossible because Justin did not love her at all. So why would he be jealous? ¡°We haven¡¯t finalized our divorce yet, but you¡¯re going out shopping with my friend so openly. If other people saw you, what would they think of the rtionship between Salvador Corporation and Hoffman Group? Are you nning to cause trouble over nothing?¡± Justin¡¯s chest felt tight and stuffy, and his eyes were bloodshot. Ryan raised his eyebrows and secretlyined. ¡®That old fox! He¡¯s just using me as an excuse!¡¯ ¡°Hah!¡± Be felt that she had heard a joke that was not funny at all. ¡°Justin, aside from the Salvador family, who else knows that I am your wife?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes widened, and the emotions surging in his heart made his chest feel stuffy. ¡°We have been married for three years, but have you ever taken me out in public? Have you to meet your friends? Have we ever held a wedding ceremony?¡± taken me Be smiled brightly, as if she were deliberately irritating him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I put my face on the big screen outside the mall, no one will know that I am your ex-wife. So, you¡¯re worrying too much if you think that I will embarrass you and Mr. Hoffman. Let¡¯s all go our separate ways. If we meet in public in the future, let¡¯s act like strangers. After all, a qualified ex should be as quiet as a corpse.¡± After saying that, Be decisively walked past Justin. Ryan pondered for a second. In the end, he chose to ditch his best friend and chase after his crush. Justin stared at Ryan¡¯s back and took a deep breath. The veins on the back of his hands were bulging, and his expression was gloomy. Somehow, he felt like Ryan had stolen his girl. Most friends would stick up for each other, but in Ryan¡¯s case, he would rather stab Justin to get the girl. Chapter 118 What a brute! ¡°Justin, my chest feels so tight¡­¡± Rosalind hurriedly came forward, held his arm, and leaned on his shoulder. She said coquettishly, Since we¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t you go shopping with me? You¡¯ve never gone shopping with me before. Look, even Mr. Hoffman is shopping with Ms. Brown¡­¡± (( Justin¡¯s face was sullen. His eyes were still locked on Be¡¯s back. ¡°Okay.¡± Be walked forward with a glum face. Her ex-husband was like a fly thatnded on her dessert. He hadpletely ruined her good mood. ¡°Hey.¡± Be suddenly called out to Ryan. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Yeah?¡± Ryan quickly responded to her. His eyes were shining brightly. ¡°I¡¯m in a bad mood. Tell me a few more jokes.¡± Ryan teased her. ¡°I can tell you a few more jokes to brighten up your day, but if you really want to have some fun, let¡¯s go drinking at ACE tonight?¡± ¡°No need. I never drink with men I¡¯m not close with.¡± Be nced at him coldly. ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t you afraid that your little boat of friendship with Justin will capsize if you¡¯re always hanging out with me?¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re both divorced. Even if you haven¡¯t finalized it, it¡¯s a done deal. I didn¡¯t steal you away from him or do anything to wrong him. Why should he cut off ties with me? He can¡¯t afford it!¡± Ryan pursed his lips in indignance. At this time, Be noticed a sapphire ne in the disy window of a jewelry store that shone brightly under the spotlight. She could not help but walk into the jewelry store. Ryan followed her closely. ¡°Can I please take a look at this?¡± ¡°Miss, you have such good taste! This ne is a limited edition work by our designer. It¡¯s the ¡® Starry Sky and Deep Sea¡¯ collection this summer. There are only five pieces in the country.¡± The store attendant introduced the collection enthusiastically and took out the sapphire ne from the disy case. Be knew a lot about jewelry. She could tell at a nce that the sapphire was of an average color. It was not Vivid Blue or Deep Blue, but the excellent cutting technique and design were outstanding. It showed that the designer was naturally talented. Adding to the profit margin from the brand name, this ne exceeded seven figures. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Ryan sat on a small chair. His left leg was crossed over his stretched-out right leg. He put his chin on his hand and smiled flirtatiously at Be. The store attendant¡¯s eyes widened. This woman was so beautiful that she was envious, and that man was equally handsome. They were such eye candy! ¡°Yeah,¡± Be responded softly as she admired the ne. ¡°Put it on and try it.¡± Ryan raised his chin. ¡°OMG! What a beautiful ne! I like it so much!¡± Suddenly, Rosalind¡¯s shrill voice interrupted the peace, which made both Be and Ryan frown in disgust. Be turned and saw Rosalind walking over, holding Justin¡¯s hand. The store attendant was so shocked that she could not close her mouth. ¡®OMG! Isn¡¯t that Mr. Salvador? He looks so handsome and perfect in person that his sculpture can be disyed in the Louvre! But the woman next to him seems inferior to this beauty in front of me in all aspects.¡¯ ¡°Tsk! They¡¯re everywhere¡­¡± Ryan muttered unhappily. Justin¡¯s cold gaze was fixed on Be for an instant. ¡°Justin, I like this ne so much¡­ It¡¯s really beautiful. Can you buy it for me?¡± Rosalind acted cute and shook Justin¡¯s arm, pouting as if she were a little girl asking for candy. Ryan rubbed his arm because he got goosebumps hearing her sickeningly sweet voice. Justin¡¯s pupil shrank, and he pursed his thin lips. In the past, Rosalind did not have to ask for anything. As long as she said something was beautiful or if she liked something, Justin would buy it for her without hesitation. But when he saw this ne, all he thought about was ¡°The ming Heart¡± ne that she had put up for auction. It made him feel so ashamed that he had locked that ne in a cab and nned to keep it there forever. Justin hesitated. Seeing that the man did not respond, Rosalind gradually felt a little awkward. ¡°Miss, take my card.¡± Ryan quickly pulled out a ck card and handed it to the store attendant. He looked at Be with a smile and said, ¡°Wrap it nicely. It¡¯s a gift for this lovelydy.¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes squinted slightly. Before the store attendant could say anything, another ck card was handed to her. ¡°Swipe this card. I want that ne.¡± Justin looked at Be with gloomy eyes. Chapter 119 Two top-notch Centurion ck cards were presented by two men who could shake up Savrow¡¯s economy. These two men were actually fighting over a ne! This scene should be made into a painting! The store attendant looked at the ck cards in front of her and was so frightened that she said incoherently, ¡°Sirs¡­ There is only one ne left¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Justin¡¯s cold gaze finally left Be¡¯s beautiful face. ¡°I¡¯m only buying it because there is only one left.¡± Rosalind was so proud that she almost jumped in joy. However, she waited quietly for Justin to deliver the ne to her. Seeing Justin¡¯s insistence, Be pursed her lips lightly. Her heart was filled with jealousy and bitterness. As long as Rosalind wanted something, Justin would help her get it, regardless of the circumstances. In contrast, Justin never cared for Be¡¯s preferences and moods. ¡°Ignore him. Swipe my card and wrap it up!¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows and tapped on the ss cab. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what firste, first served means?¡± ¡°Ryan.¡± Justin frowned. Ryan stared at Justin¡¯s handsome face. His voice deepened as he said, ¡°Justin, you know that I¡¯ve always been straightforward. There aren¡¯t many women that I sincerely want to give things to. Considering that we have known each other for almost 20 years, can you let me have this just once?¡± Be¡¯s watery eyes widened in disbelief. Rosalind was so shocked that her mouth gaped open. ¡®Anna, this bitch! She has only left Justin for a few days, but she has already managed to seduce all the prominent young men in the country! She¡¯s just a divorcee. Why do they all love her?!¡¯ Justin felt suffocated. This was the first time Ryan risked their 20 years of friendship over a woman. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. That woman was none other than his ex-wife, whom he supposedly ¡°did not care about¡±. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Be suddenly smiled sweetly at Ryan and parted her bright red lips. ¡°I¡¯ll ept that ne as a gift.¡± Ryan was stunned by her charming smile. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. What¡¯s more important is that you like it.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes turned red. A wave of anger rose in his chest. He thought, ¡®How dare she ask Ryan to give her things?! How dare she ask for something from another man in front of me? How could she do this?!¡¯ At this moment, Ryan picked up the ne, walked around behind Be, and put it on for her carefully. Justin¡¯s face turned pale. He felt powerless even as he clenched his fists. ¡°Wow¡­ Gorgeous¡­¡± The store attendant covered her mouth and sighed. ¡°Yes, this ne is beautiful.¡± Be smiled slightly. ¡°No, no! I mean, you¡¯re very beautiful, miss. Some people have tried this ne before, but it didn¡¯t fit them at all. It¡¯s different when you wear it. It fits you perfectly, and it doesn¡¯t outshine you at all. It¡¯s simply made for you!¡± Rosalind gritted her teeth in anger. She looked at Justin, but the man did not notice her at all. He also had no intention of snatching the ne away. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, I have to get back to work. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Be ignored Justin and left with Ryan, looking like a couple. ¡°Justin! Didn¡¯t you say that you would give me that ne?! How could you let Anna have it?¡± Rosalind asked with reddened eyes. Justin frowned and chased after them. ¡°Anna!¡± Be stopped and looked back at him coldly. ¡°What else do you want, Mr. Salvador? Are you going to snatch the ne from me?¡± Justin was stung by her piercing gaze. He pursed his thin lips and took out a ck velvet box from his pocket, handing it to her. Be was startled. She asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Since the jade bracelet that Grandpa gave youst time broke, this is yourpensation.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was stiff. He could not bring himself to say that it was a gift. He clearly knew that Anna looked forward to receiving gifts from him, but he still held back from saying it. That was because he did not want to make her happy. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for that. Grandpa already gave me more.¡± Be sneered. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you should keep it. Otherwise, your fianc¨¦e will misunderstand me again if she sees it. I can¡¯t afford her wrath.¡± ¡°You¡¯re willing to ept Ryan¡¯s gift. Why won¡¯t you ept mine?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were red. He was anxious. ¡°Maybe because I simply find you revolting.¡± Be left after saying this harsh sentence. ¡°Justin, let¡¯s meet up tonight!¡± Ryan hurriedly followed Be. Justin felt a sharp stabbing pain in his heart. His whole body was frozen. All he could think of was the way Be said, ¡°You¡¯re revolting.¡± Rosalind chased after Justin and saw that scene earlier. She hated Anna so much that her face contorted sinisterly. Chapter 120 Be walked as fast as she could to the underground parking lot. ¡°Ms. Brown! Ms. Brown! Anna!¡± Ryan ran after Be and grabbed her thin wrist. She turned around suddenly and looked at him with distant, watery eyes. ¡°Let go of me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it because of Justin?¡± Ryan¡¯s throat tightened. He spoke gently, with a hint of guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know he would show up here. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have brought you here.¡± Be thought of the box that Justin handed her and felt a slight pain in her heart. She thought, ¡®Compensation? I don¡¯t want it!¡¯ ¡°Here, take it back.¡± Be bowed her head slightly, took off the ne from her slender neck, and handed it to Ryan. Thank you for the gift, but I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t ept it.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ryan¡¯s body trembled for a moment. ¡°Were you using me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were filled with sorrow. Even though he was being used, Ryan did not feel angry. On the contrary, he felt sorry for her. Apart from feeling distressed, Ryan felt disappointed. That was because he could see that she still had some feelings for Justin. She still needed time to get over Justin. Although Ryan did not know how long it would take, he was willing to wait. ¡°It¡¯s okay. At least you didn¡¯t ept Justin¡¯s gift either. I feel better now.¡± Ryan waved his hand nonchntly and took the ne from her. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, you¡¯re a good man. You can see things more clearly than Justin can. Although you seem frivolous, you¡¯re attentive and know how to care for others. You deserve a better woman, so you should save your precious time for someone in the future who is worthy of your efforts.¡± Be still felt a little guilty for using him, so she was much gentler with him. ¡°I¡¯ve already found a better person worthy of my love. It¡¯s you!¡± Ryan stared at her with bright eyes. His chest was heaving with anticipation. ¡°Thanks for your recognition.¡± Be smiled, turned around, and left with grace. Ryan froze on the spot. He felt helpless and unwilling. Did she just reject his confession? Probably¡­ That night, at ACE Club Lounge, Justin was in a very bad mood, so Ryan ordered the manager to clear the lounge, which was exclusive to the two of them for the night. Justin was sitting at the bar by himself. His chilling vibe made the bartenders flinch away from him. In front of him was a ck velvet jewelry box. Justin had been carrying it with him these past few days, thinking of giving it to Anna as soon as he had the chance. However, he did not expect the woman to reject him without even looking at it. How humiliating! He shook the ss of iced whiskey and kept thinking about Ryan putting on the ne for Anna earlier that day. Anna smiled brightly at Ryan, and they even left together. ¡®In the past, Anna only smiled at me like that. But now, she smiles so brightly at every man but me! Anna, you¡¯re nothing without me. You¡¯re just dropping your own value!¡¯ Justin exhaled angrily and gulped down the whiskey. The bartender was stunned. It was dangerous to drink such strong liquor like water. Justin poured another ss, picked it up, and wanted to down it again when a strong hand reached over and covered the ss. ¡°Justin, you shouldn¡¯t drink such strong alcohol like that. It¡¯s bad for your liver.¡± Justin narrowed his drunken eyes and saw Ryan beside him. He gritted his teeth andughed. ¡°So what if it¡¯s bad for my liver? It¡¯s much better than having my best friend steal my girl!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t steal your girl!¡± Ryan was not in a good mood either. He sat beside Justin and said to the bartender, ¡°Give me what he¡¯s having.¡± ¡°Ryan, Anna is not a woman you can touch,¡± Justin said in a cold voice. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°She is already with Asher.¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows and asked teasingly, ¡°Is it because she¡¯s with Asher or because she is your ex -wife?¡± Justin¡¯s throat felt dry, and his chest was so tight that it was about to explode. ¡°If it¡¯s the former, I don¡¯t care. If it¡¯s thetter, I don¡¯t give a fuck about that.¡± Justin was provoked by his words and emboldened by alcohol, so he finally let out his pent-up emotions. He knocked over the whiskey ss and suddenly grabbed Ryan¡¯s cor. His eyes were bloodshot and murderous. ¡°Ryan, as long as I¡¯m alive, don¡¯t even think about getting your hands on her!¡± Chapter 121 Ryan was frightened by Justin¡¯s ferocious gaze. Justin was not so angry, even when Rosalind went abroad and left him three years ago. In fact, Ryan was half-joking. He was always teasing his best friend. Ryan was just making fun of Justin, but he did not expect Justin to blow up like that. It seemed that Justin really cared about his ex-wife. The bartender¡¯s face turned pale with fear when he saw this. Not many people in Savrow dared to grab Ryan Hoffman by the cor. ¡°Justin, are you in love with Anna?¡± Justin realized that he was drunk. His heart trembled, and his forehead was covered in sweat. ¡°Justin, haven¡¯t you noticed? Since your divorce, you¡¯ve be quite abnormal.¡± Ryan looked at him deeply. ¡°You have been my only friend since we were kids. Why won¡¯t you tell me the truth?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± Justin spat out each word with force. ¡°Sure, you don¡¯t like her. Let¡¯s just pretend that you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ryan!¡± Ryan ignored his outburst and continued, ¡°Justin, I told you that if you¡¯re in love with Anna and want to get back together with her, then as your best friend, I will definitely support you and help you. But if youContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. don¡¯t mean that and just don¡¯t like the fact that your ex-wife is being pursued by other men, then I hope you can give me a chance to fulfill my wish. I can see what my heart wants. I like Anna, and I want to pursue her.¡± Justin felt as if he had been shot in the chest. He slowly let go of Ryan and staggered back two steps. Ryan straightened up, took a breath to calm down, and took out the sapphire ne from his suit pocket. ¡°She¡­¡± Justin was startled. ¡°She didn¡¯t ept it.¡± Ryan frowned and smiled bitterly. ¡°Anna is not a materialistic woman. She returned the ne to me as soon as she left you. Sigh¡­ Justin, what on earth did you do to her in the past? When Anna sees you, she looks like she¡¯s seeing an enemy. She¡¯ll find any opportunity to provoke you and step on you. You two are really sworn enemies.¡± Justin¡¯s thin lips tightened into a straight line. His heart suddenly throbbed when he thought of how he had turned a blind eye to her thoughts in the past three years, the shredded handmade suit, and the wardrobe full of gifts. After Be got off work, she did not go home. Instead, she asked Steven to leave. Then she went to the cathedral in the west district of Savrow by herself. The golden dome of the cathedral was magnificent and opulent. Asher was wearing a ck pastor¡¯s uniform. He stood under the giant cross and held a Bible as he preached to churchgoers. Be sat quietly in the back row and listened carefully. Her eldest brother¡¯s voice was so pleasant that she felt as if her body and mind were being purified from the inside out. The sermon ended, and the churchgoers dispersed. Asher closed the Bible and walked toward his sister with a gentle smile on his handsome face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you wereing?¡± Asher reached out to touch the top of her head. ¡°Well¡­ I know you¡¯re busy, so I don¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± Be smiled with squinted eyes. ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Asher sat next to her and asked gently. ¡°Is it so obvious?¡± Be sighed dejectedly with a bleak expression on her face. ¡°Ash, I did something mean today. I took advantage of Ryan just to provoke Justin. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t control myself at the time! I saw Justin and Rosalind together. He was evenpeting with Ryan to buy Rosalind a ne. I was heartbroken, so I wanted to hurt him too. I know that we¡¯re divorced, so there¡¯s no point in doing so, but I just want him to feel something for me, even if it¡¯s hatred.¡± Asher let out a long sigh and put his arms around his sister¡¯s trembling shoulders. ¡°Be, do you still have feelings for Justin?¡± ¡°I admit that I¡¯m notpletely over him yet. After all, I¡¯ve loved him for a long time. I spent my entire youth pining for him, and those memories of him are unforgettable.¡± Be rested her head on Asher¡¯s broad shoulder. Her long eyshes were wet with tears as she continued, ¡°Ash, I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to love anyone else in the future. Justin has hollowed out my heart. I may never be able to fall in love again. There is no way I can love another man as much as I loved him¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural for you to feel this because you¡¯ve been in love with him for so long. Be, as long as your heart doesn¡¯t stop beating, you will always be able to love again.¡± Asher lowered his eyshes and patted her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Be. We¡¯re here for you, even if the sky falls. You just need to be yourself and bravely pursue your heart¡¯s desire. Don¡¯t leave any regrets in life.¡± Chapter 122 Be said, ¡°I pursued my heart¡¯s desire, but it only left me with scars and a broken heart.¡± Be smiled bitterly and looked so fragile. ¡°I loved the wrong person at the wrong time, so I didn¡¯t notice others around me.¡± Asher raised his eyebrows. He felt that Be was mentally mature at her age, which was not a good thing. Thus, he changed his mind and said with a chuckle, ¡°Don¡¯t be too pessimistic, Be. You loved Justin so deeply, which shows that he has his advantages. He¡¯s not entirely useless, so your youth isn¡¯t wasted. You two are just not fated to be together.¡± ¡°In the past, I thought that I had the best taste because the person I loved was invincible. But now that I look back at it all, I just feel so blind and dumb.¡± At this time, Be¡¯s phone vibrated. It was Steven calling. ¡°Steve, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She picked up the call. ¡°Finally, I can get through to you. Your signal is terrible!¡± Steven gulped and said in an excited tone, ¡°Look at your social media and watch the live broadcast! Bethany is holding a press conference to publicly apologize to our hotel employee!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Be stood up in a hurry. She no longer felt dejected. Instead, her almond-shaped eyes widened and gleamed with surprise. ¡°Their press conference was very sudden. I guess that Salvador Corporation wanted to make it at the last minute to minimize the impact. Now, the live broadcast has already exceeded 5 million views, and the number is still rising! They should have stuck with their decision to the end. Now that they are doing this, they should show some sincerity. They¡¯re so sneaky, and they don¡¯t act like a conglomerate. KS Group is so much better than them!¡± Be suddenly realized something. The Salvadors¡¯ attitude changed too quickly. Yesterday, Bethany looked like she was going to fight Be to the end. There was no way she would give in so soon. Something must have happened in the meantime that forced Bethany to change her mind. Gregory always treated Bethany as the apple of his eye, and Shannon also protected her. The Salvadors would not let Bethany embarrass herself. Who was adding fuel to the mes? Was it Justin? Be shook her head vigorously, wanting to shake this idea off. However, no one else except Justin could force Bethany to submit. If it was Justin, why would he do this? Be took a deep breath, hung up the phone, and watched the live broadcast. There were so many viewers watching the live broadcast. Thements kepting, covering Bethany¡¯s pale face on the screen. Bethany was already standing on the stage, wearing a ck dress, and bowing to a group of reporters. Her face was pale and gloomy. [Hahaha! This is karma! So what if she¡¯s rich? Does she really think that she can do whatever she wants?] [Did Bethany wear makeup? Why does she care to look good in this situation? She¡¯s clearly stupid! Even if she¡¯s pretending, she should put more effort into it.] [Tsk, tsk! She¡¯s such a bimbo!] Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. [She¡¯s certainly stupid, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s pretty!] Be looked at the barrage of negativements and smiled sinisterly. ¡°Due to the loss of my personal belongings, I vented my emotions on an innocent hotel employee, causing thedy to have an epileptic seizure. Once again, I am deeply sorry and remorseful¡­¡± Bethany bowed and pretended to look pitiful. She tried so hard but could only squeeze out two drops of tears. ¡°But like everyone else, I am just an ordinary person. Sometimes, I can¡¯t control my emotions when I am troubled, so I hope that you all won¡¯t be too harsh on me. In the past two days, I have been cyberbullied and suffered from insomnia every day. I almost had a mental breakdown. I admit that I was wrong, but I hope that everyone can look at this matter rationally¡­ Please don¡¯t escte it to my family and stop insulting them. Thank you, everyone¡­¡± [Bethany Salvador is clearly ying the victim here in her so-called apology.] [That victim hasn¡¯t evenined, but the attacker is now pretending to be pitiful.] [If we hadn¡¯t criticized her online, there was no way Bethany would have apologized to that girl. She will probably cover this up!] [Crocodile tears! I don¡¯t feel pity for her at all!] Be narrowed her foxy eyes and smiled even deeper. Bethany was loved by the Salvador family. Today was undoubtedly the biggest humiliation she has suffered in the past 25 years. Naturally, Bethany was unconvinced, but Be did not care. If Bethany admitted defeat just like that, it would be boring. Suddenly, Be received another call, which interrupted her from enjoying the live broadcast. Chapter 123 Be quickly picked up the phone and said in a sweet voice, ¡°Hey, Ax.¡± ¡°Be! Why is it so hard to get through to your phone?¡± Axel sounded anxious. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Be frowned. ¡°Did your fourth brother contact you today?¡± ¡°No¡­ Why? What happened?¡± Axel sighed worriedly. ¡°I drank with Drewst night, and we both got drunk. In a drunken stupor, uttered something worrying¡­¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he Her fourth brother had a quirk. Most people could not be taken seriously when drunk, but Drew would always fulfill whatever he said when he was drunk the next day. While most people could not remember anything they said when they were drunk, Drew was born with an extraordinary memory. Even if he was too drunk to stand up, he could still remember everything he said clearly. Such transcendent memory was also one of his skills that made him a top special agent. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°What did Drew say?!¡± Be became even more nervous. She had a bad premonition. ¡°He said he wanted to kill Justin!¡± Be¡¯s mind was shaken. If Asher had not steadied her in time, she would have fallen over. ¡°Drew flew thousands of miles back home just to avenge you! He saidst night that he wanted to teach Justin a lesson. He would castrate Justin, if not kill him! Otherwise, he would not be able to get over the hatred in his heart. I thought he would listen to you and let Justin go. But he mentioned it again after getting drunkst night. I called him all day today, but he didn¡¯t answer the phone. Do you think he really went to attack Justin?!¡± Be¡¯s heart was pounding. She did not even bother to exin to Asher before turning around and running outside the church. Bethany was still at the site of the press conference. Public resentment increased because Bethany was not sincere in admitting her mistake. Theizens criticized her even more. In fact, before the press conference, Shannon had already made a draft for Bethany and made sure she memorized it. She also warned Bethany not to put on makeup on stage. However, Bethany had her own ideas. She was arrogant and stubborn, refusing to give in. Secondly, she was confident that she could earn a wave of poprity as ¡°the most beautifuldy in the elite circle¡± with her beauty. In the end, everything backfired. Bethany did not quell the fire but got into more trouble. [Now, I have a better impression of the KS World Hotel. They have great service and excellent employees like that ¡°Angel¡±. Their hotel will certainly gain poprity!] [I really don¡¯t like the Salvador family! I will never book their hotels when I travel in the future!] [That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s boycott Salvador Corporation and make them bankrupt by dawn!] As soon as Bethany finished apologizing, the reporters in the audience swarmed up to her. They shoved their microphones in Bethany¡¯s face and asked difficult questions. Bethany had never before experienced such chaos. She was so frightened that her legs became weak. She quickly walked down the stage under the protection of two bodyguards. She did not pay attention to the steps in front of her, so she twisted her ankle and stumbled to the floor. She screamed and felt embarrassed. This scene was captured on camera. The two tall bodyguards hurriedly picked her up and carried her away as quickly as possible. She looked like a helpless fledgling. Five minutester, the number-one trending search was #BethanySalvadorFallingtOnHerFace. As Bethany wished, she became popr all over the inte. On the other hand, Justin and Ryan leaned on each other as they walked out of ACE Club. They were at each other¡¯s throats in the beginning, but now they were arm in arm. Being drunk together could wipe out all grudges. Justin and Ryan drank a lot. Ryan had a high alcohol tolerance, so he was just tipsy. Justin had too much whiskey because he was in a bad mood. At this moment, his eyes were half- closed. He stretched out his hand to loosen his perfect tie. His handsome face flushed and dazed. Ryan was afraid that Justin would roll down the stairs, so he quickly hugged him. ¡°Justin, are you drunk?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Justin pinched his nose bridge and felt lightheaded. ¡°Why does my head hurt so much after drinking¡­ Did you serve me fake alcohol?¡± ¡°What the fuck! You¡¯re a shitty friend. I think you¡¯re the reason Anna ran away.¡¯ Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled as he panted lightly. The skin on the exposed half of his neck was red. Ryan was a straight man. Otherwise, he would probably want to take Justin to bed because he thought that Justin was attractive. Justin let out a hot breath and pushed Ryan away. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Hey! Let me send you home.¡± Chapter 124 Justin said, ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. Don¡¯t look down on me. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that other men will take advantage of you!¡± Ryan frowned, looking anxious. ¡°Do you think everyone is a beast like you?¡± Justin squinted his eyes and smirked. Then he walked toward his car without looking back. Justin¡¯s Maybach was driving on a deserted road. ¡°Mr. Salvador, the press conference is over. There are more negativements about Ms. Bethany than before. This has already affected the reputation of the Salvador family and even Salvador Corporation.¡± Ian reported worriedly while driving, ¡°The impact is greater than we thought¡­¡± ¡°Salvador Corporation?¡± Justin¡¯s head was lowered, and his eyes were dim. ¡°Right. They only want me around to clean up mess.¡± their He had never regarded the Salvador family as his own. Aside from his grandfather, no one in the Salvador family treated Justin like family, including his biological father, Gregory. In that case, Justin did not mind sacrificing Bethany tonight so he could watch them copse. Justin thought, ¡®They used me and hit my wife. Bethany deserves this punishment, if not more!¡¯ Justin was startled by the fact that he referred to Anna as his wife. His heart trembled at the idea. He thought, ¡®Did that scheming and temperamental woman y along and flirt with Ryan to p me in the face or stab me in the heart?¡¯ Justin tugged on his tie again in annoyance. A fire gradually rose in his chest. ¡°Ian, pull over.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ian hurriedly parked the Maybach on the side of the road, next to a park. ¡°Mr. Salvador, are you feeling ufortable? Do you need a sick bag?¡± Ian thought that Justin wanted to vomit and asked with concern. ¡°You look like a sick bag to me.¡± Justin red at Ian. Ian was insulted for no reason and felt aggrieved. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll take a walk.¡± Justin opened the door and got out of the car. Then he walked straight to the park. The road was deserted, and the evening breeze was refreshing. Justin walked slowly along theke shore, squinting his eyes and feeling the breeze. His depressed mood was alleviated. He felt that he would vomit if he sat in the car any longer. Suddenly, Justin stopped in his tracks and frowned. ¡°Who is it? Come out!¡± ¡°Hah! Your ears are very sensitive, like a dog¡¯s. 3) Justin could hear the sarcasm in the man¡¯s voice. He slowly turned around and saw a tall and well- built man standing not far away. The man looked rugged and dangerous. He was wearing a ck windbreaker, a ck shirt, ck trousers, and a ck mask. His short, ck hair swayed in the wind. The man blended in with the night. ¡°Who are you? Why are you following me?¡± Justin¡¯s voice was cold. His dormant muscles under his restrictive suit were tense. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that I came to find fault with you?¡± Drew¡¯s lips, which were hidden behind the mask, quirked up devilishly. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you bullied someone important to me, and she suffered because of you.¡± Drew tilted his head mischievously and clenched his fingers, popping his knuckles in the process. She¡¯s not easy to coax, but I think she will feel better if you be a hundred times more miserable than she is.¡± Justin focused his gaze on the man not far away. He felt that this man¡¯s eyes and voice were somewhat familiar, but he could not remember who it was. Drew approached Justin step by step, and the ce he walked past was reced by the cold wind. ¡°Who is the person who is important to you? When have I bullied anyone?¡± Justin braced himself, but his expression was unchanged. ¡°Hah! I thought that I¡¯d let you off easy if you had some self-awareness. But I¡¯m too kind to you. A heartless scumbag like you won¡¯t have any sense of remorse. If I don¡¯t let you suffer, you won¡¯t know the meaning of retribution.¡± Chapter 125 After that, Justin saw the man in front of him rushing toward him, moving so silently like a ghost. Drew wanted to cripple Justin, so his strikes were powerful and as fast as lightning. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. He ducked and barely dodged him. ¡°Hah! You have some moves, huh?¡± Drew narrowed his eyes. His tone was full of mockery. Justin¡¯s eyes were aze as he took two deep breaths. Justin had long since retired from the army. Although he had never fallen behind in his physical fitness and training, he had not fought with anyone in a long time. All Justin relied on at the moment were his excellent foundation and muscle memory. The two grown men exchanged a few moves. Justin suddenly realized that his opponent¡¯s moves were very familiar. There were traces of the closebat skills they once learned in the military academy. Justin thought, ¡®Who is this man?!¡¯ ¡°Ooof!¡± While Justin was distracted, Drew kicked him in the abdomen. Justin was severely injured, but he did not fall and only staggered back two steps. What a tough guy! ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± Ian shouted when he saw this scene. He panted and rushed to Justin¡¯s side to help him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Justin suppressed the pain and coughed lightly. ¡°How dare you hit Mr. Salvador?! I¡¯ll fight you!¡± Ian¡¯s eyes turned red with anger as he ran toward Drew. ¡°Ian! Come back!¡± Justin wanted to stop Ian, but it was toote. Ian was not a trained fighter, so he was just waiting to be killed. ¡°Hah! Don¡¯t overestimate your own capabilities!¡± Sure enough, Ian was knocked unconscious with a left hook before he could even touch Drew¡¯s cor. Justin saw red. ¡°We must know each other, right? Who are you?!¡± Drew sneered and raised his eyebrows. Of course, they knew each other. They both went to the same military academy and were both popr. However, aside from training together, Justin and Drew had no personal interactions. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know who is the most important person to me? There¡¯s no harm in telling you.¡± Drew stepped over Ian¡¯s limp body and took two steps closer to Justin. He smiled devilishly as he said, ¡°The person I hold dearest to my heart is your ex-wife.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes widened, and his fingers trembled. He clenched his fists tightly and yelled, ¡°Go to hell!¡± Justin¡¯s strong muscles, which were restricted under his gray suit, became tense as he attacked Drew. The next second, Justin rushed toward Drew, and the two men started beating each other up. Drew¡¯s eyes darkened. He discovered that, although Justin had not been a soldier for many years, his fighting skills had not deteriorated. Moreover, Justin was wearing a slim-fitting suit. It was restrictive to his motions, but Justin could still be so agile. Drew knew not to underestimate Justin. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Justin was like the handsome suit-wearing male lead in the movies. After dozens of moves, Justin gradually lost ground. He was so drunk that he became dizzy, and his limbs became weak. It was a miracle that he had managed to hold on until now. Finally, Drew knocked him to the ground, and Justin felt a sharp pain in his back. ¡°Die, you bastard!¡± Just when Drew was thinking about kicking Justin to vent his anger, another man suddenly shouted at him, ¡°How dare you hit my best friend?! Who gave you such courage to offend me?¡± Ryan ran over as fast as he could and stood in front of Justin. His eyebrows were raised, and his charming eyes were zing with anger. ¡°Ugh, another one. How troublesome.¡± Drew narrowed his eyes. However, he suddenly stopped moving when he saw a ck muzzle. Ryan actually took out a pistol from nowhere and pointed it at Drew¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯te closer! Otherwise, I¡¯ll blow your head off!¡± Ryan was actually panicking. He witnessed Justin and that man fighting when he first arrived and immediately thought that he had to show the attacker his gun. ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t mess around!¡± Justin caught his breath, but his abdomen was cramping in pain. ¡°Fuck! Justin, are you okay? He almost killed you, but you want me to show mercy?!¡± Ryan was furious and yelled at Drew, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, get out of here right now! Or else, I¡¯ll shoot you! My family can easily make you disappear from Savrow without anyone noticing.¡± Drew did not care about his threat. Instead, he took another step forward and red at Ryan. ¡°Justin, run!¡± Ryan shouted. His heart was pounding, and he pulled the trigger. ¡°Ryan! Stop!¡± Bang-! A gunshot was fired. Chapter 126 The bullet fired from the gun missed Drew. ¡°Ow¡­ It hurts¡­¡± Be, who appeared out of nowhere, hugged Drew tightly. The metallic ball bullet hit her left shoulder! Although it was not a real gun, it still had quite a strong impact. Be was in so much pain that her smooth forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she was trembling all over. Even so, she still hugged Drew tightly and would not let go. Justin was so shocked that his pupils trembled. He felt as if he had stepped off a tall building, and his heart plummeted to the ground. Every part of his body was in pain, but all the painbined was not as hurtful as seeing Anna take a bullet for another man. The first thing Anna did when she saw him being attacked was not toe to his aid but to protect the murderer who was trying to kill him. Justin thought, ¡®Anna, how could you do this to me? There should be a limit to how much you hate me. How could you be an aplice for murder?¡¯ ¡°Baby sis!¡± Drew¡¯s eyes widened. He grabbed Be¡¯s trembling shoulders. But when he opened his palms, he saw that they were stained with blood. He gasped and became infuriated. His heart ached as if he were shot. ¡°Ryan Hoffman! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Ryan was also stunned. He dropped the fake gun on the ground and stood there in a daze. He did not know how Anna appeared so fast. He had no time to react. Otherwise, he would not have fired this shot. ¡°Drew Brown!¡± Be leaned weakly into Drew¡¯s embrace and gritted her teeth. ¡°If you still want me to recognize you as my brother, you¡¯d better get out of here right now! Otherwise, I will never forgive you!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Be red at Drew and shoved him away without saying another word. Drew felt a stab in his heart. He knew that his little sister was really angry with him this time. If he did not leave, he would really lose her. Thus, he had no choice but to leave quickly. Then he would contact Asher to send their baby sister to seek medical treatment. Be breathed a sigh of relief. She ignored her own wound and ran over to check on Justin¡¯s injuries. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, please call an ambnce right away. They both need to be sent to the hospital for treatment.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re also injured! You have to get treatment immediately!¡± Ryan felt so guilty that his voice choked. ¡°I know my own body¡­ It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Be gritted her teeth and endured the pain. Then she stretched out her hands to do a preliminary examination for Justin. ¡°Stop pretending, Anna¡­ Get away from me!¡± Justiny t on the ground, panting. His eyes were burning with anger. He hated her for helping the murderer escape, but more than anything, he was worried that her injuries would worsen, so he wanted her to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll leave after examining you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Be lowered her long eyshes and stubbornly groped his legs with her soft hands, checking for any fractures. There were bruises on his handsome face and blood stains on his thin lips. His suit, which was usually spotless, was extremely dirty. Be still had feelings for Justin, so she felt distressed. She secretly cursed Drew. ¡°That careless devil! How can he be so ruthless?!¡¯ ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t you understand English?!¡± Justin was angry and anxious, so he shouted at her. ¡°No! You can¡¯t take this lightly because you have old injuries. I have to make sure that you¡¯re fine before I can leave!¡± Be was also anxious and yelled back at him. Her eyes were red. Justin¡¯s eyes were locked on Be¡¯s serious and beautiful face. He felt suspicious. ¡®How did she know that I have old injuries? Did Ryan tell her?¡¯ Soon, the ambnce arrived and took Justin and Ian to the nearest hospital for medical treatment. Fortunately, Justin only had superficial injuries. There were no muscle or bone injuries, and his old injuries were not affected. Thus, Be was relieved. In the hospital, Ryan stayed by Be¡¯s side the entire time, besides when they were taking out the Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. metallic ball from her shoulder. ¡°How is it? Do you have any fractures?¡± Ryan¡¯s heart leaped to his throat when he saw Being out of the consultation room with a pale face. Be smiled slightly and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a few stitches.¡± ¡°A few stitches¡­ You think that¡¯s nothing?!¡± Ryan felt that he might have a cardiac arrest. He paused with his arms raised helplessly in the air. His tone was remorseful as he said, ¡°Will this have any after-effects? Will you have difficulty moving your arm in the future? Anna, you must tell me the truth!¡± ¡°Pft!¡± Be did not know whether tough or cry. She teased him in a soft voice. ¡°You sound like you want me to be disabled. If I am really disabled and I can¡¯t raise my arm anymore, what will you do, Mr. Hoffman?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll marry you.¡± Be frowned. ¡°What?¡± Ryan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his eyes were red. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility for you, Anna. If you are really disabled, then I will marry you, and I will never let you suffer again.¡± Chapter 127 Be thought, ¡®What the hell! Is Ryan okay?!¡¯ Be screamed in her heart andughed dryly. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, you have a lot of jokes today¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Anna. I¡¯m serious!¡± Ryan was agitated and wanted to hold Be¡¯s shoulder, but Be quickly stepped back and dodged him. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, if I remember correctly, I have already told you my stance during the day. Do you want me to say something particrly unpleasant and hurtful in order for you to understand?¡± ¡°I know. You rejected me.¡± Ryan looked at her deeply and smiled bitterly. ¡°I also know that you¡¯re with Asher now, but I want to tell you that I will always be standing right behind you. As long as you look back, I don¡¯t mind being your rebound guy or sidepiece.¡± Be thought, ¡®Sidepiece?! Does he think I¡¯m like Wyatt?!¡¯ Ryan¡¯s eyes were alluring, especially when they were filled with such sadness and sincerity. They could hook one¡¯s soul. No wonder he was so popr with thedies. Unfortunately, Be waspletely immune to Ryan¡¯s charms. Inparison, Be preferred Justin¡¯s beautiful eyes, which were more ruthless than affectionate. ¡°By the way, Anna, who is the man who attacked Justin? Are you close to him?¡± Ryan asked nervously. ¡°Young Madam!¡± Just when Be was at a loss about how to answer that question, Ian walked toward them in a hospital gown. ¡°Why did you get out of bed?¡± Be hurriedly brushed past Ryan and stepped forward to support Ian. ¡°Although you weren¡¯t seriously injured, you still had a slight concussion when you fell and hit your head on the ground. You should rest more. Don¡¯t move around.¡± ¡°Young Madam, were you the one who rescued Mr. Salvador?¡± Ian asked excitedly. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Be¡¯s voice was dull. She felt guilty about what happened. ¡°I knew you still have feelings for Mr. Salvador!¡± ¡°Mr. Harris, has Mr. Salvadorpleted his treatment?¡± Be ignored Ian and changed the subject. Ian nodded. His eyes were hopeful as he said, ¡°Young Madam, can you please stay? At least¡­ you can Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. just take a look at Mr. Salvador.¡± Be took a deep breath and walked toward Justin¡¯s ward with sluggish steps. After all, her brother beat Justin. Everything happened because of her, so she could not let it be. In the ward, Justin was leaning on the bedside and looking out the window. Even though his face was bruised, he still looked very handsome. His stern and proud face looked a little lonely at the moment. He even looked a little fragile. It was this face that Be had loved for 13 years. To this day, her heart was still moved when she saw him, but the feeling was no longer the same. ¡°Mr. Salvador.¡± ¡°I will find out who did this tonight and pursue responsibility to the end. Before I get angry, you¡¯d better disappear from my sight!¡± Justin¡¯s voice was cold, and his face was glum. Be had always been stubborn and rebellious. She liked to go against orders. She walked to the bed and stared at the man¡¯s gloomy face fearlessly. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I am here to solemnly apologize to you for what happened tonight. If you¡¯re mad, you cane at me and hold me ountable. After all, he only hurt you because of me, so I won¡¯t shirk this responsibility. If you want to settle it privately, I am willing to take responsibility for this matter. I don¡¯t think you want to make this public knowledge and deal with your ex-wife in court, right? You¡¯re a respectable person, and you¡¯re about to marry Ms. Gold. Getting entangled in awsuit with your ex-wife will probably attract a lot of spection. It¡¯ll just make you look bad. Also, if this matter gets big, Grandpa will catch wind of it, and we won¡¯t be able to exin it. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Every sentence shook Justin¡¯s heart. He thought, ¡®Anna is siding with that murderer! She¡¯s defending him and taking on all the me for him. How could she protect him like that?! She even protected a murderer, but what about me? Who am I to her? What a joke!¡¯ ¡°Anna¡­ Who is he and what is his rtionship with you? You were willing to die for him.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were red, and his heart was aching. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a real gun, and I¡¯m not dead. I¡¯m fine.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were calm. ¡°Is there a difference? It makes no difference the moment you took the bullet for him!¡± Justin tried to get off the bed, but his whole body was in pain, and he had no strength. He pounded his fists on the bed angrily. ¡°You¡¯ve been married to me for three years, and you keep saying you love me ¡­ But look at what you did! None of the things you didtely show that you love me. Do you take me as a fool?!¡± Chapter 128 Under the influence of alcohol, Justin vented all his resentment. Justin was an extremely self-disciplined and restrained man. When he was shot on the battlefield, he did not even wince. However, he could not bear it anymore. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡¯re angry not because you were beaten or because I almost died from a gunshot. You¡¯re only angry because you think I lied to you?¡± Be¡¯s heart throbbed in pain as an overwhelming feeling of disappointment engulfed her. Justin was startled. He pursed his thin lips in silence. ¡°Justin, we are already divorced, so why do you care about this? It¡¯s meaningless.¡± Be sneered. ¡°You¡¯re mad that what originally belonged to you has be someone else¡¯s. You hate the feeling of losing control over me. That¡¯s all. Mr. Salvador, for the sake of your health, let¡¯s just cut to the chase and talk aboutpensation.¡± ¡°If you want to settle it in private, that¡¯s fine too.¡± Justin closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were bloodshot. ¡°Tell me who that man is and your rtionship with him. Then we can settle this privately.¡± ¡°No,¡± Be said without thinking. ¡°Then leave Asher and cut off all contact with the Thompson family. If you do that, I¡¯ll agree to a private settlement.¡± ¡°Hah! Dream on!¡± Be thought, ¡®This man is so shameless to push his luck!¡¯ Be¡¯s cherry lips parted. They looked so beautiful that Justin was a little dazed. Justin narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if he was attracted to her because he had not sobered yet. At that moment, he just found her so sexy. up Coming from a wealthy family, Justin had seen his fair share of beautiful women. He was confident that he could resist all temptations. However, he found it difficult at this moment. ¡°Since you¡¯re not serious about negotiatingpensation, I will get my secretary to resolve this issue with you. I won¡¯t disturb your rest. Goodbye.¡± Suddenly, Be felt a tug on her arm. Justin found strength from nowhere and pulled her into his arms. Be mmed into Justin¡¯s solid and heaving chest. ¡°Justin! You¡­¡± The next second, Justin kissed her lips. ¡°Justin¡­ Let go¡­¡± Be was so anxious that her forehead was sweaty. She punched his broad shoulders with her little fists. After three years of marriage, Justin had never taken the initiative to hold her hand, let alone kiss her. Now, Justin was kissing her as if he were out of control. At this thought, a wave of anger rose in Be¡¯s chest. Her eyes were red, and she bit Justin¡¯s lips. ¡°Ow!¡± Justin felt the pain and let go of her. ¡°Asshole! Scumbag!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Be was furious and ashamed. She raised her hand and pped Justin in the face. Her handprint was clear on Justin¡¯s handsome face. Justin¡¯s eyes were burning with anger, but when he saw the tears in her eyes and her swollen lips, his heart clenched, and his mind went nk for a while. ¡°Justin! What do you take me as? You trampled on my self-esteem when we were married, but now you¡¯re harassing me after we got divorced! What on earth do you want before you¡¯re willing to let me go?!¡± Be was shaking with anger. She wiped off the smeared lipstick on her lips with the back of her hand. Her voice was trembling as she said, ¡°You can give up on the thought of keeping me as your mistress and doing whatever you please with me! The next time this happens, I will crush you!¡± After saying that, she red at him with hatred, turned around, and left angrily. Justin clenched his teeth as he endured the pain in his chest from that hateful nce. He thought, ¡®What the hell was I thinking? I kissed her. I must be crazy!¡¯ As soon as Be left, Ryan came into the ward. ¡°Justin, did you quarrel with Anna just now? You two were so loud that I could hear you outside.¡± When Ryan saw Justin¡¯s bruised lips, he immediately shrieked. ¡°Ah! You¡­ What¡¯s wrong with your lip? Did you¡­ Did you¡­ Fuck! You¡¯re such a scumbag! You have a fianc¨¦e!¡± Chapter 129 Justin used his teeth to rub against his blood-stained lips. When his headache struck, he felt sober again. He had never kissed a woman on his own initiative. The only two times he kissed someone were when Rosalind took the initiative toe up to him. Even then, he only let her kiss the corner of his lips. He never expected how much he craved Anna¡¯s lips this time, so much so that he lost control. Justin could not understand his behavior. ¡°I drank too much tonight. I haven¡¯t sobered up.¡¯ Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. )) Justin leaned back weakly and pinched his nose bridge. ¡°I can¡¯t drink like this anymore. It¡¯s too easy to make mistakes.¡± ¡°Bullshit! You¡¯re just a drunken hooligan! You just harassed Anna, you scumbag!¡± Ryan clenched his fists and stomped around in anger. If Justin was not already seriously injured, he would have wanted to beat Justin up. Justin lost control of his emotions under the influence of alcohol. However, he had to admit that the moment he kissed his ex-wife, that sweet taste was unexpectedly delicious. ¡°I¡¯m tired. You should leave.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°Justin, you¡¯re so heartless. You shouldn¡¯t have taken advantage of Anna while she¡¯s injured! She has had several stitches. How could you still forcefully kiss her?!¡± Ryan felt sorry for his crush and yelled at Justin. Justin frowned, and his heart clenched. Be ran into the bathroom to fix her hair and rinsed her flushed cheeks with cold water. Then she dragged her exhausted body out of the hospital. Her beautiful eyes were watery and filled with mixed emotions. She thought, ¡®We are already divorced. How could he kiss me like that? He¡¯s so disrespectful and hateful!¡¯ ¡°Be!¡± At this time, a tall man rushed over and hugged her tightly. ¡°Be! I¡¯m sorry for beingte!¡± Asher¡¯s eyes were teary, and he felt extremely distressed. ¡°Ash, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± (< Asher knew that her left shoulder was injured, so he dared not touch it. He hugged her and said, Does the wound still hurt? Let¡¯s take you back to the Thompson Hospital and find the best doctor to take another look.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Be grim. put away her messy emotions and took a deep breath. Her eyes were cold again, and her face was ¡°Where is Drew? Get him toe and see me!¡± Be¡¯s vi seemed shrouded in gloom, as if a storm was brewing. Asher was sitting far away at the table, drinking tea, as if this matter had nothing to do with him. Axel and Steven were standing next to Be. The two men, who were about 1.8 meters tall, looked somewhat weak and helplesspared to Be¡¯s chilling and oppressive vibe. ¡°Ahem, Ms. Be¡­ Drew is your biological brother. Why don¡¯t you calm down first?¡± Steven was nervous for Drew and whispered some advice to Be. ¡°Yeah, Be. Drew is a special agent, so I¡¯m sure he knows how to control his strength. He just wants to help you teach that jerkface Justin a lesson.¡± Axel felt the murderous intent radiating from Be¡¯s body and was frightened. ¡°Special agent? I think he¡¯s more like a professional assassin!¡± Chapter 130 Be looked at Axel coldly. ¡°Axel, when you called me earlier, you were worried that Drew would do something to Justin. It has only been a few hours since, but you changed your tune already?¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the one who ratted me out! Axel, you snitch!¡± Drew narrowed his sharp eyes and red at Axel. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Just you wait! I¡¯ll rip out your balls!¡± ¡°How dare you talk to your older brother like that?! You¡¯re so disrespectful! Baby sis, please don¡¯t hold back and unleash hell on this psycho. You should just throw him into the furnace!¡± Axel saw that it was useless to persuade Be, so he simply added fuel to the fire. Anyway, Drew would not survive tonight, and Axel did not want to get implicated. ¡°Drew Brown! You still have the nerve to yell at Axel? Do you still refuse to admit your mistake?!¡± Be raised her eyebrows in anger. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What did I do that¡¯s so wrong? Since ancient times, beauty has been the downfall of great heroes. I¡¯m just getting rid of that homme fatale for you, baby sis!¡± Drew frowned and had a rebellious look on his face. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous!¡± Be was so angry that she pped the armrest of the sofa. As a result, she injured her shoulder and winced from the pain. ¡°Be, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Baby sis, are you okay?! Don¡¯t scare me!¡± ¡°Ms. Be, are you alright?! I¡¯ll get the car and take you to the hospital right now!¡± Asher, Axel, Drew, and Steven instantly panicked. The four grown men surrounded Be worriedly, as if she were about to deliver a baby. Drew knelt on one knee in front of Be, carefully took her delicate hand, and pressed it to his heart. His face turned pale with fright. ¡°Baby sis, does your wound hurt? It¡¯s all my fault¡­ You can hit me and scold me all you want!¡± ¡°Do you finally admit your mistake this time?¡± Be gasped lightly as a thinyer of sweat formed on her forehead. ¡°I¡­¡± Drew thought of how Be sacrificed herself and took the bullet for him. He regretted his actions so much that his breathing became difficult. ¡°Be, I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I just couldn¡¯t bear seeing my favorite sister suffer because of that piece of shit. You¡¯re the apple of our eyes, and we have showered you with love. But that bastard Justin hurt you and made you sad, so he must pay the price!¡± ¡°Drew, I¡¯ll only say this onest time.¡± Be¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. She said word for word, ¡°I married Justin on my own ord. No one forced me. I knew he was in love with someone else, and I knew how cold he was. At that time, I thought my passion could warm him. I thought I could make him fall in love with me, but in the end, I failed. I should be held responsible for my choices. It has nothing to do with him. They are my problems, so I won¡¯t allow you to cause trouble for him. I won¡¯t allow you to hurt him!¡± Drew was shocked to hear this. ¡°Drew, I can¡¯t get over this.¡± Be sighed quietly, with a hint of pain in her eyes. ¡°To be honest, I have been in love with Justin for so long that even though we are divorced now, he¡¯s still important to me. Can¡¯t we just let everything end quietly? Why do you have to do this to keep getting me involved in his life when I¡¯m ready to start over? When you hit him, did you ever think about my feelings?¡± ¡°Be, I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s all my fault. Please give me another chance! I¡¯ll do whatever you want! I will never find fault with Justin again!¡± Drew begged with watery eyes. He had carried out many dangerous missions without flinching, but he was frightened when he saw that his sister might not forgive him. ¡°Baby sis¡­¡± Be¡¯s sad eyes flickered with a sly thought. She pouted and said in a soft voice, ¡°Then go home with me to have dinner with Wyatt in two days.¡± Asher and Axel looked at each other, exchanging a knowing look. Drew was reluctant, but he had topromise in order to coax Be. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± Chapter 131 After the press conference, Bethany¡¯s image of a well-bred elitedy that Shannon had created for many years finally copsed. That night, Bethany was exhausted and limp. The servants had to carry her into Tideview Manor. ¡°Sob¡­ Mom¡­ You must help me get revenge! You must help me vent this anger!¡± Bethany cried so hard that she could not care less about her image. ¡°Everyone online is criticizing me now¡­ I can¡¯t show my face in public anymore!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°How should I vent your anger? Should I p Justin, or should I force him to step down and give up his position as CEO to a brainless girl like you?!¡± Shannon pointed at Bethany¡¯s crying face and yelled, ¡°What did I tell you just now? I asked you to memorize the draft I gave you, and I told you not to put on makeup. You must show your bare face to show your sincerity! But what did you do? You threw my n out the window! You¡¯ve made your bed, now lie in it! What¡¯s the point of crying?! Even your dad doesn¡¯t want to bother anymore!¡± ¡°Mom, I was wrong¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have disobeyed you¡­ I will never do it again!¡± Bethany cried, kneeling at Shannon¡¯s feet and shaking her legs. ¡°Mom¡­ Although Justin ys a part in this incident, the culprit is that bitch Anna! If she hadn¡¯t insisted that I apologize, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation!¡± ¡°Anna must be dealt with.¡± Shannon narrowed her slender and scheming eyes. ¡°Your grandfather¡¯s birthday ising soon. I have already nned to make Anna embarrass herself and let you win this time.¡± ¡°Mom, what are you nning?¡± Bethany sniffed. When Bethany heard that Shannon would deal with Anna, she felt rejuvenated and excited. Shannon crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees.¡± At this time, Bethany¡¯s phone beeped. She looked at her phone and suddenly screamed, almost giving Shannon a heart attack. ¡°Why are you screaming sote at night?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill that slut, Anna!¡± Bethany yelled like a maniac. At the same time, Shannon¡¯s phone rang. It was Rosalind calling. ¡°Rose, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Aunt Shannon, have you seen the photo I just sent to Bethany?¡± Rosalind asked in a worried tone. ¡°What photo?¡± Shannon¡¯s eyes widened when she saw Bethany¡¯s phone. ¡°I was shopping with Justin in the mall today and bumped into Anna and Mr. Hoffman. They looked so close, and everyone thought that they were a couple. Not only that, Mr. Hoffman also gave Anna a super expensive sapphire ne. Justin wanted to buy that ne for me, but Mr. Hoffman bought it first and gave it to that bitch.¡± Rosalind sighed helplessly. ¡°To me, it¡¯s just a ne, but Bethany¡¯s future is at stake. After all, Bethany wants to marry Mr. Hoffman. If Anna gets in between them, she¡¯ll just be a stumbling block for Bethany.¡± ¡°This little bitch! Will she die without seducing men for a day? How dare she covet my future son-in- law?!¡± Shannon clenched her jaw, and her eyes were fierce and poisonous. ¡°Since she likes to steal someone¡¯s man, I¡¯ll make her wishe true!¡± Shannon thought, ¡®Anna, you can only be smug for a few more days. Nigel¡¯s birthday party is the day your reputation will be ruined!¡¯ Justin spent the next three days recovering in the hospital. He did not tell anyone about it because he thought it would be troublesome. When Rosalind called him to ask him out, he made excuses because he did not want her to visit him at the hospital. Every night before he fell asleep, Justin would think of the time he had forcibly kissed Anna. He could still feel the lingering softness of Anna¡¯s lips on his. Justin thought, ¡®I must be crazy! Alcohol is truly the mother of all evils!¡¯ Justin gritted his teeth and swore that he would never kiss Anna again. Seeing that Anna did note to visit him on the fourth day, Justin was infuriated. What a heartless woman! ¡°Mr. Salvador, the doctor said that you can be discharged now.¡± Ian respectfully informed Justin of the good news while holding a brand-new bespoke suit. ¡°Has Anna contacted you?¡± Justin asked coldly. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Hah! Her people almost beat me to death, but she wants to brush it off, huh?¡± Justin clenched his fingers. His handsome face was gloomy as he said, ¡°Did you go back and look for my National Defense Military Academy¡¯s graduation photo album? Have you found it?¡± ¡°I found it.¡± Ian put down Justin¡¯s suit, pulled out a huge photo album with a dark blue cover from his briefcase, and handed it over to Justin. Chapter 132 Justin took over the graduation photo album and began to flip through it from the beginning. He remembered that the man he fought with that night had simr fighting tactics to his own. Although the man was wearing a mask, his eyes looked very familiar. Justin was sure that he must have seen this man before. Justin had attended a military academy, so he had strong investigative and observation skills. He covered every student¡¯s face in the photo album with his hand and began topare the pictures with that pair of eyes in his memory. After some time, Justin suddenly stood up with zing eyes. Ian was startled. ¡°Mr. Salvador, did you discover something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s him¡­¡± The man in the photo was wearing a military uniform. He looked handsome, with thick eyebrows and charming eyes. The name below the picture was Drew Brown. ¡°Anna Brown¡­ Drew Brown¡­ No wonder he called her baby sis¡­¡± Justin had a very deep impression of Drew back then. While they were in the military academy, the two of them were at the top of their ss. The only person who couldpete with Justin in school was Drew. After their graduation, everyone went their separate ways, and Drew went off the grid. Justin¡¯s eyes flickered. Rather than being excited about discovering the true identity of the perpetrator, Justin was more excited about gradually unraveling the mystery of Anna¡¯s life. However, Justin knew nothing about Drew because the military academy kept every student¡¯s information highly confidential. But that did not matter. Drew was Anna¡¯s brother, not her lover, so Justin felt much better. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Ian hurriedly walked over and opened the door. He was startled to see who was outside. ¡°Hello, Mr. Harris.¡± Steven was standing at the door, holding an expensive gift basket. He smiled politely and said, ¡°I am here to visit Mr. Salvador on Ms. Brown¡¯s order. Is Mr. Salvador awake?¡± ¡°Come in,¡± Justin responded coldly. Lan had no choice but to smile and make way for Steven. Steven walked in and put the gift on the table. He said with a smile, ¡°It seems that Ms. Brown is quite urate in her prediction. You have indeed met the discharge standards, Mr. Salvador.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Is it just you?¡± Justin looked toward the door with a sullen face. Justin had hoped to see Anna¡¯s beautiful face again. ¡°Ms. Brown has to help Mr. Thompson manage the hotel, so she doesn¡¯t have time to visit you and sent for me instead. I am her personal secretary, so it¡¯s all the same.¡± Be never told Steven to say the first half of the sentence. Steven added it himself. Steven intended to spite Justin and vent Be¡¯s grievances. Sure enough, Justin¡¯s face turned gloomy again. ¡°I don¡¯t need this kind of insincere visit. Take your gift and leave.¡± ¡°Ms. Brown said that if you don¡¯t want it, you can just throw it away. She will never take back the gifts she gave out.¡± Steven spoke without changing his expression. ¡°Ask Anna toe over and see me.¡± Justin stood up gracefully. He stood tall and proud with his back against the light. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Salvador. Ms. Brown is very busy and has no time to see you. She has repeatedly told me to handle all subsequent matters, including yourpensation. Let me know if you have any conditions. She will agree to it as long as it doesn¡¯t go against her principles.¡± Steven shed a fake smile. ¡°I want to see her,¡± Justin said, word for word. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why are you still talking nonsense here?¡± Ian could not bear it any longer and took a step forward. ¡°I know that you¡¯re here to cause trouble!¡± Steven¡¯s smile at this moment was acquiescing to Ian¡¯s statement. ¡°Go back and tell Anna this.¡± Justin¡¯s face was glum. ¡°I want her to tell me who that attacker was. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let it go so easily.¡± ¡°I know that Salvador Corporation¡¯s legal team is one of the best in Savrow, but KS Group¡¯s legal department isn¡¯t just for show either. Mr. Salvador, if you really want to sue your ex-wife on the eve of your wedding, Mr. Thompson won¡¯t just sit back and watch either.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Mr. Salvador, as a sessful person in the business world, you of all people should understand that going to court should be thest resort.¡± After that, Steven bowed and turned to leave. Before he left, he suddenly asked, ¡°Mr. Salvador, Ms. Brown wants to know if you were the one who pushed Ms. Bethany to do the press conference.¡± ¡°This is my family¡¯s private matter and has nothing to do with you.¡± Justin¡¯s attitude was extremely cold. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Steven left with a smile. ¡°How disrespectful! He didn¡¯te here to visit you. He came to make trouble!¡± Ian gritted his teeth, wanting to chase after Steven and bite him. Justin took a deep breath and said, ¡°I want you to send someone to follow Steven right now. Tell me his whereabouts at all times.¡± Chapter 133 In the general manager¡¯s office of the KS World Hotel, the supposedly busy Be was ying video games at the moment. In the game, Be was a butcher with a chainsaw who started to chase the survivors. There was beer and fried chicken on the table, which were her favorite things to eat while ying games. To Be, nothing couldpare to the simple things in life, such as a barbecue in the summer nights, a cheese fondue in the winter, and fried chicken while ying games. Be suddenly thought of the time she married Justin. She endured her smoke allergy and wore a mask to cook the most exquisite dishes for him for three whole years. She remembered seeing how Aunt Celeste captured Wyatt¡¯s heart with her excellent cooking skills. So Be thought that she could do the same thing and make Justin praise her if she could cook well. Maybe then he would be able to notice her. For this reason, Be secretly went to Savrow¡¯s top culinary school to learn cooking. She was the only girl in her batch. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. After the course, Be¡¯s cooking improved so much that she had even surpassed her teacher. Her teacher wanted to keep her as an apprentice because he thought she was naturally talented. With some guidance, Be could make a name for herself as a world-ss chef. In the end, Be failed to capture Justin¡¯s attention through her cooking, let alone his heart. Back then, Justin had only eaten at home a handful of times. During the few times he ate at home, he did not make anyments either. Who could possibly bear having their hopes dashed repeatedly? But Be endured it for three years. Be dejectedly grabbed another fried chicken and took a bite, imagining it was Justin¡¯s neck. Fortunately, she no longer had to suffer so much. If only there was a time machine, Be would go back in time to take back her love. Instead of wasting her efforts on Justin, she wished she would have spent that time with Wyatt and her family. There was a knock on the door, and Steven walked in. ¡°Ms. Be, I¡¯ve delivered the gift and ryed your message.¡± ¡°Okay. He didn¡¯t agree to a private settlement, huh?¡± Be looked indifferent. ¡°Yeah¡­ He wants you to hand over Drew. Otherwise, he won¡¯tpromise.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk! He really thinks he¡¯s so high and mighty that he can make any demands, huh?¡± Be won another round and exited the game. She held a fried chicken in her left hand and a beer in her right hand, looking as casual as if she were at home. ¡°I investigated the scene and didn¡¯t find any surveince cameras nearby. So, he has no evidence to prove that Drew assaulted him. Even if he brings this to court, he won¡¯t be able to charge Drew with anything.¡± Everyone in the Thompson family was smart and overprotective of each other. They would never let their family members suffer a loss. ¡°But I feel like Justin has noticed something.¡± Steven walked to her side and lowered his voice worriedly. ¡°When I went to see Justin, I saw the military academy¡¯s graduation photo album on his bedside table. He must have noticed something if he suddenly took the photo album out.¡± Be was shocked. She narrowed her charming eyes and fell into deep thought. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The military academy and Drew have encrypted Drew¡¯s information. Drew has never appeared in KS Group¡¯s public events, so no one will find out that he¡¯s rted to the Thompson family. Anyway, I will protect my fourth brother. If Justin wants to check it out, let him be. He¡¯ll probably die of exhaustion before he finds anything.¡± At that time, Be¡¯s biological mother, Yara Brown, gave birth to quadruplets. Among them, Asher and Axel took their father¡¯sst name, while Den and Drew took their mother¡¯sst name. Asher and Axel were identical twins, but Den and Drew were fraternal twins and looked nothing like Asher and Axel. This served as a good cover for Drew. ¡°I also asked Justin about the press conference.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Be¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°He said that this was the Salvador family¡¯s private matter and that we had no business knowing. He red at me like I owed him a million dors!¡± Steven snorted in displeasure. Be narrowed her eyes and took another bite of the fried chicken. ¡°I know Justin fairly well. Although he¡¯s a scumbag when ites to rtionships, he¡¯s quite righteous in other aspects. If he didn¡¯t do it, he would have told you straight up. It seems like he really did it.¡± Steven widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°What is he trying to do? He¡¯s the president of Salvador Corporation. It won¡¯t do him any good to smear the Salvador family¡¯s reputation.¡± Be suddenly remembered how Justin pulled her into his arms and kissed her domineeringly. She could not help but blush at that scene. Then she threw the chicken bone into the trash can with great precision. ¡°Hah! Who knows? Maybe he has some sort of neurodegenerative disease that I didn¡¯t know about while married to him for three years.¡± Chapter 134 In the evening, Asher¡¯s Rolls-Royce, with the number te ¡°9999¡±, was waiting at the entrance of the KS World Hotel. As soon as it appeared, it attracted countless envious gazes from passersby. At the same time, a ck Maybach lurked in an inconspicuous corner. Justin was sitting in the back seat of the Maybach with his thin lips tightly pressed together. His hawk eyes were locked on the Rolls-Royce. Not long after, Be walked out of the hotel, apanied by Steven. Justin thought that Anna¡¯s dress was particrly eye-catching. In the past few times he saw her, she looked beautiful and fashionable in a fitted pantsuit and stilettos. She also had bold red lips. Her beauty was a little too aggressive. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. At this moment, Justin noticed that Anna only had light makeup on her delicate face, and her hair was let down over her shoulders. She was wearing a well-tailored light blue silk dress that entuated her proportionate body perfectly. Her waist was slender, and the hem of her dress was flowy, which made her look so ethereal and graceful. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened with a hint of sadness. Anna had such a beautiful face and perfect figure that she would look good in the most luxurious designer clothes. But during the three years she stayed with Justin, she only wore simple cotton dresses and white sneakers. Justin could have given Anna whatever Asher gave her. But why did Anna restrain herself to that extent during their three-year marriage? Anna acted like a pitiful doormat. Was she trying to make others think that he was incapable of treating his wife well? Seeing his ex-wife getting into Asher¡¯s car, Justin became tense. He ordered in a low voice, ¡°Follow that car!¡± The Rolls-Royce headed toward Hatchbay. In the car, Be lifted her chin and proudly took out the financial report she had prepared for Wyatt as well as her ns for the subsequent business expansion. She handed them to Asher. ¡°Ash, I won the first battle. My results in the past two months have been gratifying, don¡¯t you think? Aren¡¯t I awesome?¡± Asher was flipping through the pages with his left hand and lovingly stroking his sister¡¯s hair with his right hand. ¡°Our little princess is extremely talented and intelligent. You achieved what others would normally take a year to do within two months. You are a natural businesswoman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a little princess. I¡¯m a queen who will stop at nothing to expand the Thompson family¡¯s empire!¡± Be smiled arrogantly. ¡°When I be the CEO of KS Group, the entire Hatchbay will be at my disposal. No, not just Hatchbay, but also Savrow. KS Group will enter Savrow¡¯s market. Salvador Corporation¡¯s monopoly ising to an end!¡± ¡°Very good. You¡¯re just as formidable as the Russian Empress Catherine II.¡± Asher nodded and asked with concern, ¡°If you want to enter Savrow¡¯s market, you will inevitably have topete with Justin. Will you be able to do that?¡± ¡°Of course, I want that. Be clenched her fists. Her eyes were gleaming withpetitiveness. ¡°I failed in love, but I ought to win in business!¡± ¡°Okay. If you are so determined, I will definitely support you.¡± Asher looked so handsome with his gentle smile. ¡°Ash, how are you going to support me?¡± Be¡¯s eyes ¡°By praying for you, may the Lord bless you.¡± 3) lit up with excitement. Be was speechless. Not far behind them, a Maybach tailed the Rolls-Royce. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I think they¡¯re heading to Hatchbay,¡± Ian said while driving. ¡°They are.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was deep. ¡°Oh! Is Mr. Thompson bringing the young madam to meet his parents? This is terrible, Mr. Salvador! Mr. Thompson is going to snatch away the young madam! You have to think of a way to bring her back!¡± ¡°She won¡¯t dare!¡± Justin¡¯s veins were bulging on his forehead. He said through gritted teeth, ¡°She hasn¡¯t finalized the divorce with me yet, so she is still my wife in name. How dare she n her next marriage? Does she think that I¡¯m dead?¡± He thought, ¡®It has only been a few days since her brother injured me, but she ignored me and went to meet her new lover¡¯s parents! Anna, are you so impatient to get rid of me? Are you trying every possible means to humiliate me?!¡¯ ¡°But Mr. Salvador, it¡¯s agreed upon that you and the young madam will finalize the divorce after Old Master Nigel¡¯s birthday. This day wille sooner orter, and you won¡¯t be able to control her.¡± Ian sighed helplessly. Justin¡¯s long eyshes trembled, and his chest feltpressed. For some reason, Justin was flustered. Chapter 135 The Rolls-Royce drove into Yara Park¡¯s antique and majestic gate. From the moment they entered thepound, the servants happily ran around, spreading the news of their arrival. ¡°Ms. Be is back!¡± As soon as Be and Asher got out of the car, the butler Finley and several servants lined up on both sides of the entryway and bowed respectfully to greet them. ¡°Wee home, Ms. Be!¡± ¡°Ms. Be, may you live a long and healthy life!¡± Be touched her forehead and thought, ¡®I wish I could be immortal!¡¯ ¡°Be! You¡¯re finally back! We miss you so much!¡± Be looked over and saw Wyatt¡¯s second wife, M, and another woman with shoulder-length hair who was wearing a purple satin shirt with a bow silk scarf at the neckline and ck wide-leg pants. She was as tall and slim as a supermodel as she ran toward Be. That woman was Wyatt¡¯s fourth and youngest wife, Sasha Jenkins. ¡°Aunt M, Aunt Sasha.¡± Be smiled brightly and stepped forward to hug them. Asher smiled when he saw this scene. He had mixed feelings in his heart. The Thompson family was the wealthiest and most prestigious family in Hatchbay. However, the Thompson family ties and interpersonal rtionships were quiteplex. Every time Wyatt brought in a new mistress, it turned the family upside down, especially with Sasha, who was only eight years older than Asher. It was precisely because of this that Be followed Drew¡¯s example and left home. She joined Doctors Without Borders and wandered around the world for a long time. Later, the sincerity of Wyatt¡¯s three wives moved Be and warmed up her cold heart little by little. Asher also told Be a lot of stories about their three stepmothers. That was how Be finally got over her grudge and no longer resented them. Besides, even if Be wanted to me someone, she would me Wyatt. ¡°Be, you¡¯ve lost weight¡­¡± Sasha was a martial artist. She was straightforward and spoke her mind. She med Asher for neglecting Be. ¡°Asher, if you are too busy to spare time to take care of Be, just say so and send Be home. We¡¯ll take care of her! You said you¡¯d feed her like a pig, but she looks more like a greyhound now! This isn¡¯t right. You broke your promise!¡± Asher did not know if he shouldugh or cry. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry, Aunt Sasha.¡± ¡°Aunt Sasha, you know that I have a fast metabolism, so I eat a lot but don¡¯t gain weight.¡± Be and Sasha were enemies in the past, but they are more like sisters now. ¡°Ash took care of me and even gave me his chief secretary, Steven. You all know how good Steve¡¯s cooking is. He can have a dozen ways to cook a fish. I¡¯m well taken care of, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Sasha snorted and gently pinched Be¡¯s thin face. ¡°Can Steve be better at cooking than Celeste? Your Aunt Celeste started preparing the ingredientsst night when she heard that you wereing home. She¡¯s been in the kitchen all day today, and she didn¡¯t even bother to drink a sip of water. Wyatt said that the way Celeste is preparing for your arrival is like hosting a banquet for the country¡¯s president. Her standards are probably higher than that!¡± ¡°I told Aunt Celeste to keep it simple. It¡¯s just a family dinner, so what¡¯s important is the people.¡± ¡°We both offered to help, but she said she couldn¡¯t trust anyone¡¯s cooking and insisted on doing it herself.¡± M sighed softly and said with a smile, ¡°Celeste may seem gentle, but she can be really stubborn at times.¡± ¡°I think that Aunt Celeste just can¡¯t trust Aunt Sasha¡­¡± Be burst outughing. ¡°After all, Aunt Sasha burned the pot four times, set off the fire rm three times, and blew up the stove twice. That¡¯s why Aunt Celeste no longer dares to let Aunt Sasha appear in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Hey, stop picking on me! I thought we were friends!¡± Sasha raised her eyebrows and reached out to tickle Be. ¡°Yes, yes, we are!¡± They were like best friends, teasing each other. When Be thought of Wyatt¡¯s third wife, Celeste, she thought of the time she was living with Justin¡¯s family. During those three years, Be walked on eggshells, fearing that Justin would hate her if she did something wrong. She did not want the Salvador family toin about her. After only three years, Be felt as if she had be a different person. How did Celeste survive these twenty years? Be thought, ¡®Women really shouldn¡¯t humble themselves for men. We should be independent, strong, and beautiful. We shouldn¡¯t be confined to a mediocre life in a nice house because that would be such a pity.¡¯ Be¡¯s stepmothers held Be¡¯s arm and led her into the vi. The night was cool and quiet. Justin¡¯s Maybach was parked outside Yara Park in the dark. Ian opened the car door for Justin, who stepped out and looked toward the Thompson family¡¯s residence. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that Chairman Thompson was fond of ssical architecture and had bought dozens of mansions across the country. Now that I¡¯m here, I can see that it¡¯s not a rumor.¡± Ian looked at the intricate ssical buildings in Yara Park and eximed, ¡°This ce is like a pce. It¡¯s so magnificent that even Tideview Manor can¡¯tpare to this.¡± Chapter 136 After saying that, Ian felt like he had said too much and quickly pped his own mouth. Justin¡¯s eyes were dark, reflecting the bright lights from the Thompsons¡¯ mansion. When he heard the faintughtering from Yara Park, Justin felt cold and lonely. Anna, as Asher¡¯s girlfriend, seemed to be loved by the Thompson family. At first, Justin thought that the Thompson family¡¯s interpersonal rtionships would beplicated. Wyatt Thompson had three mistresses in addition to histe wife. Although they were not legally married to Wyatt, they were treated as his wives and had already borne children for him. Justin thought that Wyatt¡¯s three wives would be a big hurdle for Anna if she wanted to marry Asher. That way, Anna would be put in a difficult position and would eventually give up. However, he did not expect Anna to get along so harmoniously with Asher¡¯s family. Justin could hear theirughter even from so far away. This showed how much the Thompson family liked Anna. At this point, Justin¡¯s face became pale, and his heart was filled with bitterness. He found it hard to breathe. ¡°Do you have any cigarettes? I¡¯d like to smoke one.¡± ¡°Wyatt! I¡¯m back!¡± Be shouted at the top of her lungs as soon as she entered the living room. ¡°What took you so long? I¡¯m starving!¡± Wyattined and walked over, apanied by Axel. ¡°Aww, look at you all dressed up! Wyatt, why are you so formal? Do you want to outshine your sons?¡± Be teased and looked at her old father. Wyatt wore a three-piece suit with a white shirt and a gold pocket watch. Despite his age, he looked handsome and noble, like a typical business mogul from the movies. ¡°Outshine them? I don¡¯t even have to try.¡± Wyatt raised his eyebrows. ¡°I can wear whatever I want and still be good-looking enough to be a movie star. If I were back in my thirties, my pictures would be printed on calendars, and countless women would be paying respects to me!¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Dad, I don¡¯t think ¡°paying respects¡± is the right term for that. One would only pay respects to dead people¡­¡± Axel reminded Wyatt in a low voice. ¡°You brat! If you didn¡¯t point it out, no one would¡¯ve noticed!¡± Wyatt red at him. Everyone wanted to say, ¡°Oh, we noticed. Only you didn¡¯t notice it.¡± ¡°You guys didn¡¯t tell Cami, Ralph, and Amelia toe back, did you?¡± Be asked with concern. ¡°We won¡¯t dare to disobey your order.¡± M smiled knowingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t tell them.¡± ¡°Hmph! So you¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t want those little monkeys toe home. I was wondering why they were so heartless. It turns out that they didn¡¯t even know that you came back.¡± Wyatt sighed with regret. ¡°Sigh¡­ You guys should have called the kids back for a reunion dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Cami is living in Sentania right now. Why would you bother her and ask her toe home for a family dinner when she¡¯s so far away? Ralph is busy handling cases in the police force, and Amelia has exams soon, so she has to study hard. Also, it¡¯s not convenient for her to leave school. Don¡¯t make a fuss out of nothing! Isn¡¯t it enough that we¡¯re here to apany you?¡± Be nagged at her father. ¡°What about Drew? He has nothing to do all day and only fools around. Savrow is only two hours¡¯ drive from here, so why didn¡¯t hee? Is he dead?!¡± Wyatt was infuriated at the mention of his fourth son. ¡°Drew is¡­¡± Before Be finished speaking, a resounding and pleasant voice came from behind her. ¡°I was just waiting for you to scold me. If you didn¡¯t, how would I have the chance to make an appearance?¡± Everyone turned around and saw Drew walking over with his hands in the pockets of his ck windbreaker. He had a devilish smile on his handsome face as he shook his head. ¡°Sorry to disappoint, Chairman Thompson, but I¡¯m alive and well.¡± As soon as Drew appeared, M and Sasha took a step back. The smiles on their faces faded as well. They knew that Drew hated their family and hated them even more, so it was safest to blend in with the background at the moment. Be secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This guy was always so elusive. He would only show up at thest minute and avoid this house as much as possible. ¡°Where¡¯s the food? Didn¡¯t you ask me toe back for dinner? Let¡¯s eat quickly so that I¡¯ll have time to fool around.¡± As he said that, Drew turned to look at Be. What he wanted to say was, ¡°My mission isplete. You promised that if I showed up, you wouldn¡¯t be mad at me anymore.¡± Be blinked her bright eyes and deliberately looked away, pretending not to understand what Drew was saying with his eyes. The air in the living room suddenly became colder. Wyatt ground his teeth in anger and walked up to Drew with a sullen face. ¡°Send me a recent photo of you.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll end up dead one day, and I won¡¯t even have a photo of you as your memorial portrait. Send it to me now!¡± Chapter 137 Drew thought, ¡®Look at that! This old man is cursing his son to die as soon as I see him!¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary.¡± Drew¡¯s eyelids were half-closed. He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to keep myself alive just for you. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that everyone in this family can¡¯t pull the plug on you when the time comes. In the end, you¡¯ll still have to count on me to pull the plug.¡± ¡°You bastard! How dare you pull the plug on me?! I¡¯ll beat you up!¡± Wyatt was furious. He shouted for Finley to get his whip while wanting to take off his handmade leather shoes to throw them at Drew¡¯s irksome smile. Asher and Axel pulled the two away from each other to prevent a fight. M and Sasha also came up to console Wyatt, but Wyatt was still infuriated. Suddenly, a gentle and soft voice interrupted them. ¡°Um¡­ Dinner is ready. Shall we start eating?¡± The noise died down when everyone turned their heads in unison. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Wyatt¡¯s third wife, Celeste, was wearing an apron and holding a spat as she stared at everyone in confusion. At this moment, Wyatt¡¯s stomach growled in response. ¡°Let¡¯s eat! I¡¯ll only have the strength to deal with this little punk after I¡¯ve filled my stomach!¡± Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and followed Wyatt to the dining hall for dinner. ¡°Drew, you went too far with your joke. Dad is easy-going, but you shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± Asher looked at Drew sternly. ¡°Who said I was joking? I meant it.¡± Drew raised his eyebrows. ¡°Drew Brown.¡± Asher¡¯s expression suddenly turned grim and cold. ¡°Tsk! Why are you so mean to me? He was the one who cursed me first! I was just returning the favor. Ugh, fine. I won¡¯t say anything if you don¡¯t want me to. Just stop looking at me like that. I¡¯ll get nightmares tonight.¡± Drew shuddered and muttered under his breath as he walked toward the dining hall. Asher¡¯s eyes softened again, and he trailed behind with a helpless sigh. ¡°Tsk, tsk! Everything has its vanquisher. Only you can make Drew surrender. One re from you, and that punk behaves like an obedient puppy.¡± Axel imitated his elder brother¡¯s expression. His thick eyebrows knitted together, and he narrowed his eyes, dramatically trying to re at Asher. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to practice your lethal re whenever I¡¯m free. That way, Drew won¡¯t dare to disrespect me!¡± Be nced at Axel in disdain. ¡°Stop practicing. You look cross-eyed.¡± Wyatt was in a particrly good mood tonight. His face was flushed from drinking one ss after another of wine. M tried to persuade him not to drink so much but to no avail. Even though there was nomunication between Wyatt and Drew, who were sitting at opposite ends of the dining table, everyone could tell that Wyatt was excited that Drew hade home to visit him. Wyatt often nced at Drew when others were not paying attention. It was as if Drew was the one he missed the most. Drew was keenly aware of his father¡¯s gaze, but he deliberately ignored it. Wyatt was inevitably disappointed. Be was very observant, so she noticed these details and felt a little uneasy. She knew that Drew was still holding a grudge and that he still resented their father for not being loyal to their mother. The Thompson family had such a big business empire that their wealth surpassed that of some countries. Wyatt had hundreds of billions of dors in assets, so his nine children would inherit more than what most people could earn in a lifetime. He could even have nine more children and still have more than enough to give. As the chairman of KS Group, Wyatt was charismatic, personable, and affectionate. When Wyatt was young, he was almost assassinated many times. By the time he was in his fifties, he had created several miracles in the business world. Such a man was almost perfect. His only w was his phndering habit. After all, no one was perfect. When Be was young, she would cry, make trouble, andin about her stepmothers like Drew did. However, as she grew older, she learned to let it go. Since she could not change reality, it was better to let it go. Be would not ask Drew to forgive Wyatt, nor would she make excuses for her father¡¯s scumbag behavior. She just hoped that Drew would let go of his grudges so that he could live a normal life. That was the only way he would be able toe out of his childhood trauma. After dinner, Drew burped with satisfaction. ¡°Well, I have to admit that your mistress¡¯s cooking is delicious. I ate three bowls of pasta tonight, so I will have to exercise more tomorrow.¡± ¡°Drew, don¡¯t call her a mistress. Aunt Celeste is a pitiful person.¡± Be took a sip of red wine. Her eyes wereplicated. ¡°No matter how pitiful she used to be, she is now Wyatt¡¯s proud mistress. That¡¯s a great reputation that most people won¡¯t look down on.¡± Drew narrowed his charming eyes and said with a cold voice, ¡°Be, isn¡¯t our mother the most pitiful person? We¡¯re all acting like one big family. Has Wyatt ever thought about his wife when he¡¯s thinking about which mistress he wants to sleep with each night?¡± Chapter 138 Be¡¯s heart ached, and her brows knitted up. ¡°Of course, I miss Mom. I think about her every day, but Mom is no longer here, Drew. As her children, we must gradually learn to be more mature and ept reality. We¡¯re Wyatt¡¯s children, too. We must protect our family and look forward to life.¡± ¡°You can, but I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯m a wild child who sleeps in his memories and can never wake up. You guys are still my closest family, but this ce is no longer my home.¡± There was a tense silence between Drew and Be. ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t be upset, Be. I¡¯ll respect your choice no matter what.¡± Drew saw that Be¡¯s eyes were red, so he hugged her in distress and coaxed her gently. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I¡¯ll tell you something interesting. Justin Salvador is here.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Be screamed and stood up in shock. Her heart was beating wildly. Everyone was shocked. Wyatt, who was at the other end of the table, frowned andined. ¡°Be, why are you screaming? Did you get possessed?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not possessed. I just told her a ghost story. Haha! I didn¡¯t expect her to be so scared¡­¡± Drew smiled and pulled her to sit down. ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that! This is scarier than a ghost story!¡± Be gritted her teeth and seethed. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go outside and take a look. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s still standing there. But don¡¯t worry. That bitch probably doesn¡¯t know your true identity yet. He probably followed Asher¡¯s car all the way here.¡± As soon as Drew said this, Be¡¯s phone vibrated on the table. She took a deep breath and slowly turned the phone over, as if she were scared to see what was on the screen. The familiar phone number pierced her eyes. Be¡¯s breath hitched, and she hung up. The next second, Justin called her again. Be knew that this jerk would not give up until she answered his call, so she went to a corner to speak. ¡°Hello?¡± Be lowered her voice. ¡°Is your wound healed?¡± Justin¡¯s voice was husky and pleasant, tickling her ears like the cool breeze in Hatchbay. Be¡¯s heart trembled, and she pursed her lips. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the entrance of the Thompson family¡¯s residence. Come out.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was as cold andmanding as ever. Be was irritated. Justin was only gentle to Rosalind and rude to her. She did not owe him anything. Now that they were divorced, she had nothing to do with him, so he had no right to boss her around. She thought, ¡®I¡¯ve spoiled this bastard!¡¯ ¡°Mr. Thompson brought me home for a family dinner. Everyone is here, so I can¡¯t excuse myself.¡± Be responded with an even colder attitude. At this moment, Justin, who was standing in the cold wind, felt his body sway slightly. His ears were muffled and ringing as if a bomb had exploded nearby. He thought, ¡®A family dinner with the Thompsons?¡¯ At this moment, Justin could clearly hear loudughtering from the other end of the phone. ¡°Why are you standing there? Dessert is served. Come and try some.¡± Justin heard another woman gently urging Anna to join them. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± When Justin heard Anna¡¯s polite response, he narrowed his eyes. Complicated emotions surged in his heart. The family warmth and inclusion that Anna felt at this moment was something Justin had never experienced in his life. Justin had never gotten it himself, so he did not want her to have it either. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I can¡¯t talk right now, and I can¡¯t possibly meet you tonight. We can talk after I return to Savrow. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Anna!¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse and anxious. Be¡¯s breathing became heavier. Hismanding tone made Be clench her fist because she could imagine his cold palms grabbing her wrist. ¡°Come out and see me, or I¡¯ll go in and ask for you. It¡¯s your choice!¡± Justin took a deep breath. His limbs were cold, but his head was flushed with anger. At this moment, Justin could not think about anything else but taking her home. Chapter 139 Be said angrily, ¡°Justin, what on earth do you want before you¡¯re willing to let me go?¡± She was so frightened that she broke into a cold sweat. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Do you know how much of a scumbag you are to stalk me like this? I didn¡¯t say that I wouldn¡¯t take responsibility for your beating. I have asked my secretary to talk to you. So why are you making a fuss now?!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Don¡¯t you want a private settlement? I¡¯ll give you this chance.¡± Justin tried hard to calm his breathing. His voice trembled at the end. ¡°If youe out to see me, I will no longer pursue your brother¡¯s responsibility for assaulting me.¡± ¡°You!¡± Be gasped in anger. She thought, ¡®Was this pestering and stubborn person over the phone really Justin Salvador?! I want to dig out his brains!¡¯ ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle out and see you, but you¡¯d better keep your word and agree to a private settlement.¡± After saying that, she angrily hung up the phone. As soon as Be left, Finley called M aside and said, ¡°Madam M, there is a Maybach with the license te number ¡°A7777¡å outside. It has been parked outside ourpound for a long time. Two men in suits have also been standing next to that car this whole time, staring at our house. Do you think they could be dangerous? Should I activate the security rm?¡± M frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything for the time being, and don¡¯t notify the chairman about this. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Finley nodded and left. M hurriedly pulled Celeste and Sasha into the corridor for an emergency meeting. ¡°Celeste, Sasha, we have a big job to do tonight.¡± ¡°A big job?¡± Celeste blinked her clear eyes and looked confused. ¡°M, tell us what¡¯s going on. Stop beating around the bush!¡± Sasha asked impatiently. ¡°That jerkface Justin is here. He¡¯s right outside our gate. He¡¯s probably finding trouble with Be.¡± M lowered her voice. Her eyes were cold. ¡°What?! That heartless ogre still dares toe here?! I¡¯ll fucking kill him!¡± Sasha angrily rolled up her sleeves and turned to leave. Celeste used all her strength to hold Sasha back. ¡°Sasha, please don¡¯t be impulsive! If you make amotion, Wyatt will be rmed. Then it won¡¯t be a secret anymore.¡± ¡°But that dirty dog has alreadye to our door barking. What are we waiting for?! I have to break his legs!¡± Sasha¡¯s eyes turned red with anger. ¡°Be suffered so much because of him back then. Now, he abandoned Be and forced her to get a divorce. How could he trample over our princess like this? You guys can endure it, but I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t either! But think about it, Sasha. Be repeatedly asked us not to get involved in this matter. You¡¯ll only vent your anger temporarily if you beat him up, but it¡¯ll only cause trouble for Be. Then Be will be upset. Be doesn¡¯t want to be entangled with him anymore. She wants to have a clean break from him and cut off all ties with the Salvador family.¡± M grabbed Sasha and spoke anxiously. ¡°M, I don¡¯t think that Justin wants to give up on Be¡­¡± Celeste pursed her lips and said worriedly, ¡°I¡¯ve inquired about Mr. Salvador and learned that he¡¯s quite cold and ruthless. He¡¯s also an ascetic who has never dated anyone aside from Rosalind Gold. If such a person is willing to drive all the way from Savrow to Hatchbay just to meet Be, I feel like there¡¯s something more to it. Do you think he regrets divorcing Be?¡± ¡°You still call him Mr. Salvador?! He¡¯s an ogre!¡± Sasha clenched her fists. ¡°Do you think a heartless man like him will have regrets? Even if he regrets it, it¡¯s toote! Bted love is worth nothing!¡± ¡°I just saw Be sneaking out. She¡¯s probably going to see Justin.¡± M was the most thoughtful and careful of the threedies. She finally thought of something and smirked. ¡°Celeste, you stay here to keep an eye on Wyatt and help cover for Be. Sasha, didn¡¯t you want to vent your anger on that jerk? I¡¯ll let you draw blood tonight!¡± It was the beginning of fall, so the temperature dropped in the past two days. The wind in Hatchbay was quite strong at night. Ian shrugged his shoulders in the cold. His boss was standing upright in the cold wind like a sculpture, looking so aloof and determined to see the young madam. Thus, Ian had no choice but to stand there with him. He suddenly thought of an old song that was especially suitable to describe his boss at this moment. Chapter 140 The song lyrics that matched this scene went like this: ¡°Love is a cold wind. As it blows away from you, as you watch it go, it hurts to know.¡± Justin stood there for a long time. He had no problems standing in the cold wind for hours because he used to stand for a whole day when he was in the army. So, just a few hours was nothing to him. However, his heart was uneasy. He was afraid that Anna would suddenly change her mind and refuse toe out to see him. If so, what should he do? Should he barge in? But this was the Thompson family¡¯s residence. Moreover, what excuse did he have to knock on the Thompson family¡¯s door? Justin could not find a valid reason. His long eyshes trembled slightly, and his heart was stuffy. He took out thest cigarette from the cigarette box. Just as he was lighting up the cigarette, he heard the clicking of high heels against the pavement approaching him. ¡°Justin.¡± Justin¡¯s heart suddenly raced. He raised his eyes and saw his expressionless ex-wife standing in front of him. The cigarette in his mouth shook, and the ashes fell. Be lowered her eyes and quickly nced at Justin¡¯s feet. She noticed the cigarette butts all over the floor and could not help but frown. ¡°Didn¡¯t you quit smoking? What are you doing?¡± ¡°I was waiting for too long.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Justin dropped the cigarette on the ground and stamped it out, looking at her straight in the eye. ¡°Hah! Are you trying to me me again? Go ahead, then. Anyway, you like ming people without reason.¡± Be mocked him. ¡°Anna.¡± Justin clenched his fists. His voice was hoarse from smoking too much. ¡°I¡¯m here to see you. Since you¡¯ve achieved your goal, I hope you keep your word, Mr. Salvador. Stop finding fault with my brother. I have to go back inside. Also, please pick up the cigarette butts when you leave. Don¡¯t taint the civilized city of Hatchbay with your presence. Goodbye.¡± Be¡¯s beautiful face was glum. She turned to leave after she finished speaking. Ian shuddered. He was frightened by such a ruthless and intimidating young madam. In his impression, the young madam was a gentle and beautiful woman. Whenever she saw Mr. Salvador, she smiled brightly. Her enthusiasm made her seem like a warm beam of sunlight. However, at this moment, Mr. Salvador did not deserve her warmth. Ian thought, ¡®What on earth did Mr. Salvador do to turn such a nice woman into such a resentful person?¡¯ ¡°Anna, stop right there!¡± Justin took a deep breath and called out to her urgently. ¡°I didn¡¯t allow you to leave yet. How could you walk away from me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous! I¡¯m not your ve, so why should I listen to you?¡± Be narrowed her eyes and said coldly, ¡°You were ted to divorce me, eagerly forcing me out to make room for your childhood sweetheart. I¡¯m so tactful to give you space, yet you still want to pick on me. What else do you want from me to be satisfied?¡± Justin thought that the word ¡°divorce¡± was quite piercing to hear. He felt suffocated, and his heart trembled. In an instant, the shameful guilt spread to his limbs, and the stinging sensation irritated him. His eyes turned red. ¡°I made it very clear before you married me that we were in a contract marriage and that I couldn¡¯t give you a future. I also gave youpensation for the divorce, but you didn¡¯t want it and chose to leave without a penny! Anna, I have never humiliated you or treated you poorly. Don¡¯t make me look like the bad guy, and don¡¯t make it seem like you¡¯ve sacrificed so much for me. Even if we can¡¯t part ways amicably, you shouldn¡¯t trample on and crush my self-esteem repeatedly! We don¡¯t owe each other anything, so you have no right to do this to me!¡± Chapter 141 The air became still for a moment. Ian was so anxious when he saw that Justin and Be were about to get into a fight again. He really wanted to rush forward and tape his boss¡¯s mouth shut. Beughed out loud. Her beautiful eyes teared up and reflected the lights like scattered stars.¡± Justin, I admit that I have overestimated my capabilities and tried too hard. I pestered you and tried to be nice to you time and time again, thinking that I could make you fall in love with me. But in the end, I got nothing except self-pity. But there is one thing you¡¯re wrong about. ¡°Even if you forced me to leave you, I have never resented you. I wanted to part ways amicably, but you kept pestering me, shredding thest bit of dignity between us. So I have no choice but to expel you, an intruder disrupting my new life, with any means necessary. Justin, you had no choice but to marry me back then. Now, I have no choice but to do this to you. The only way for us to be happy is to treat each other as strangers from now on.¡± Justin felt like she had hammered his chest. His heartbeat stalled, as if the pause button had been pressed. ¡°Mr. Harris, it¡¯s cold at night. Please send Mr. Salvador back.¡± Be suppressed the pain that arose from her heart and quickly turned around to leave. Someone who did not even notice her love and sacrifice was not worth crying over. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, Be felt severe pain in her wrist. She turned around and was shocked to meet Justin¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°Justin, let go!¡± She pulled her arm away. Justin¡¯s thin lips parted slightly. Just as he was about to say something, a cold voice interrupted him. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡¯re a person of status. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s disrespectful to grab onto my future daughter-inw in front of my house at this hour?!¡± When Be saw M and Sasha walking over, she quickly shook off Justin¡¯s hand and stepped back from him. ¡°Future daughter-inw?¡± Justin was stunned for a while. His mind went nk. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to exin what it means for Asher to bring Anna back for a family dinner tonight, right? He¡¯s formally introducing Anna to us.¡± As she spoke, M put her arms around Be¡¯s shoulders and looked at her affectionately. ¡°Anna is beautiful, righteous, and very much in love with Asher. Everyone in our family, including the chairman, is very satisfied with Anna and wants her to join our family as soon as possible. All that¡¯s left is for us to meet her parents and set a wedding date.¡± Be was stunned to hear this. She knew that M and Sasha were here to support her, but this was too much drama. Justin felt as if his heart had been hollowed out and filled with cold wind. ¡°Mr. Salvador, if I remember correctly, you announced your new marriage through the media not long ago.¡¯ Sasha¡¯s eyes were murderous as she red at Justin. She curled her lips and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you with your fianc¨¦e at this time, and why would youe here to bother Anna? We don¡¯t care if you want to throw your reputation down the drain, but don¡¯t drag Anna down with you. She¡¯s part of our family now, so if you don¡¯t check your behavior, don¡¯t me us for being ruthless!¡± Be knew that Sasha was not someone who would rather use words than her fists. At this moment, seeing Sasha stand there and talk to Justin, Be knew that M and Celeste must have warned Sasha not to act rashly. Ian held his forehead and thought, ¡®OMG, Mr. Salvador! Why did youe all the way here? Are you looking for a scolding?¡± Justin¡¯s hand, which had just touched Be, slowly clenched into a fist and trembled slightly. He was trying hard to hold onto her, but it seemed like he could not hang on any longer. He did not know why he was still so hung up over Anna when he was clearly the one to initiate the divorce. ¡°Aunt M, Aunt Sasha, it¡¯s cold at night. You¡¯ll catch a cold from wearing so little. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Be said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home¡±, so naturally, as if she belonged there. This made Justin feel like there was an invisible wall between them thatpletely isted him outside. ¡°Anna, is that true?¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse and bitter. Be took a deep breath and simply yed along. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Great¡­ Great¡­¡± Justin¡¯s handsome face was pale, and he kept repeating that word. He took out a ck velvet jewelry box and handed it to her. ¡°Consider this my wedding gift to you.¡± Chapter 142 Be¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in shock, but she did not take it over. She did not expect Justin to carry around the jewelry box with him. ¡°Anna feels embarrassed to ept your gift, so we¡¯ll take it on her behalf.¡± Before Be could react, Sasha snatched the box from Justin. Sasha opened it and saw a gleaming purple-jade bracelet inside. The jade was gorgeous and high-grade. Be could see that it was an expensive jade that could not be bought just anywhere in the world. If she had received this gift from Justin before their divorce, she would have jumped in joy. However, at this moment, all her joy was buried under a thickyer of ice. Bted love was worthless, just like bted gifts. ¡°Ha! Although I¡¯m not an appraiser, I can tell that this jade bracelet must be expensive due to its translucency. Thanks, Mr. Salvador.¡± Suddenly, Sasha raised her hand and threw the jade bracelet. Her gaze was sharp and ruthless. The purple jade bracelet shattered into pieces between Be and Justin. Seeing that his efforts literally shattered in front of him, Justin looked defeated and paled. Be was so shocked that she clenched her fists and did not dare to look at Justin. ¡°Madam Sasha, what do you mean by this?! This is Mr. Salvador¡¯s gift to Ms. Brown. Even if you don¡¯t ept it, you shouldn¡¯t ruin it like this!¡± Ian took a step forward. His face was red with anger. ¡°Mr. Salvador, why didn¡¯t you give it to Anna before your divorce? Why are you only showing her kindness after your divorce? Are you unwilling because Anna has a new lover? Are you here to humiliate Anna using this method? Are you deliberately trying to make her life difficult?!¡± Sasha stepped on the broken jade bracelet with her sharp stilettos and crushed it further. ¡°Anna has epted this gift. If you have any self-respect, you¡¯ll go back to Savrow as soon as possible. You¡¯re not wee in Hatchbay!¡± Every word felt like an arrow piercing Justin¡¯s heart. Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he looked at Be for thest time with a shattered gaze. Be¡¯s heart trembled. She avoided his gaze and stepped forward to pull Sasha back. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Young Madam¡­ You¡­¡± Ian was extremely disappointed when he saw that Be did not intend to stand up for Justin. Even Ian felt heartbroken, not to mention Justin. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home. Don¡¯t let insignificant people ruin our mood.¡± Sasha took Be¡¯s arm fondly and left. M nced at Justin¡¯s pale face, shook her head, and scoffed. ¡°You brought this upon yourself.¡± When Be returned home, she no longer had to pretend to be cold and unfeeling. Her whole body felt hollow. She thought of the broken bracelet and Justin¡¯s equally broken eyes. Suddenly, her heart felt bitter. Be knew that M and Sasha were trying to vent their anger, but they went a little overboard. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. This made it seem like she was the bad guy. ¡°Be!¡± At this time, Axel ran to Be, panting heavily. ¡°Drew is fighting with Dad again! Dad even hit him!¡± Chapter 143 In the backyard, Drew was walking quickly in the direction of his Lamborghini with a cold look on his face. ¡°Drew!¡± Be caught up with him, panting. She grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Where are you going?!¡± ¡°Get as far away as I can from this ce. Better yet, it¡¯s best if I don¡¯te back here for the rest of my life.¡± Drew turned around and sneered. His face was red and swollen, with a clear palm print on his cheek. ¡°Drew, you said that you care about me, Asher, and Axel most. Since we¡¯re here, it means that this is your home. How can you note back?¡± Be held Drew¡¯s hand tightly. Her heart was aching. Drew stared at his sister with his dark eyes, raised his hand, and caressed her soft cheek. ¡°I will always hold you guys dear in my heart, no matter where I am. The world is my home. Be, I have done what I promised, so you can¡¯t be angry with me anymore, right?¡± Be nodded slowly. She suddenly felt like crying. ¡°If you really want Wyatt to live longer, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t ask me to see him again. I have to get back to my official duties, so I¡¯ll get going. I¡¯lle to see you next time.¡± ¡°Drew!¡± M walked over in a hurry with a bag in her hand. Drew was stunned for a moment. He greeted her softly, ¡°Aunt M.¡± M¡¯s eyes were slightly red as she mustered up the courage to hand over the bag to him. ¡°Here, Drew¡­ These are some medicines newly developed by my family. Some are for external use, but some can be consumed. It maye in handy for you. Celeste also packed a few snacks for you. She¡¯s afraid that you have to travel far and you¡¯ll get hungry, so this is for the road.¡± After saying that, M smiled sheepishly. ¡°These aren¡¯t expensive items. I hope you don¡¯t despise them.¡± Drew¡¯s long eyshes trembled. His tone was unprecedentedly gentle as he said, ¡°Thank you, but I already have everything I need. Don¡¯t worry. Farewell.¡± After he spoke, he hugged Be and turned to leave. The Lamborghini sped away in the gloomy night. Be and M stood frozen in the backyard and sighed in unison. ¡°Let him be, Aunt M.¡± Be patted her shoulder tofort her. ¡°Drew has made great progress. After all, he used to be a savage. Haha¡­ Just give him more time to adapt to methods of humanmunication.¡± ¡°I know. He¡¯s actually pitying me.¡± M¡¯s beautiful eyes flickered with a hint of grief. ¡°Be, Drew doesn¡¯t have to be so considerate of my feelings. I¡¯ve alreadye out of it, so I¡¯ll be okay.¡± Be was at a loss for words. Two years ago, a ne crash became the Thompson family¡¯s nightmare. M¡¯s eldest son, Hugh Thompson, who was also Be¡¯s fifth brother, was the chief captain for Savbay Airlines. To save the lives of 150 passengers on flight SVB676, calmly made the final judgment tond on the sea when the ne had a major malfunction. As a result, Hugh was buried in the deep sea. The day he passed away happened to be his 27th birthday. Everyone had different opinions on this, but it was undeniable that M gave birth to an outstanding and respectable son. Justin¡¯s Maybach returned to Savrow. Ian drove the car fearfully, all the while spying on Justin¡¯s expression through the rearview mirror. Justin¡¯s face was stern and as cold as ice. His thin lips were white, as if all the blood in his body had been drained. ¡°Mr. Salvador, are you okay? You don¡¯t look well¡­¡± ¡°Just drive.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were red as he took a deep breath. He came to Hatchbay on a whim, thinking that he was so righteous and that he could make Anna bow to him. As a result, what awaited him was cruel humiliation. What shattered earlier was not merely the jade bracelet, but also the dignity that Justin had carefully maintained for more than 20 years. ¡°Mr. Salvador, with all due respect¡­¡± Ian was indignant and could not help but mutter, ¡°If you want the young madam to return to you, you can tell the Thompson family that your divorce hasn¡¯t been finalized and that she¡¯s still your legal wife. I really can¡¯t stand how arrogant those two mistresses are. Who the hell do they think they are? They¡¯re not Asher¡¯s biological mother, so what right do they have to act like that in front of you?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you only think that the only way I can force Anna toe back to me is by ying dirty tricks?¡± Justin asked in a cold voice. ¡°No¡­ Mr. Salvador, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Chapter 144 Ian wiped his sweat apprehensively. ¡°I just think that since you can¡¯t let go of the young madam, why don¡¯t you just tell her how you feel?¡± ¡°Tell her how I feel? Hah¡­¡± Justin sneered and gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. I will never remarry Anna!¡± ¡°Then why did you go there tonight?¡± ¡°Just drive!¡± Justin roared in a hoarse voice, scaring Ian, who dared not talk anymore. Justin slumped back weakly in the backseat and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm. Only then did he remember that he had been holding the fragment of the purple jade bracelet in his hand the whole time. At that moment, the broken jade fragment cut his palm, which started oozing dark red blood. Justin did not know what was wrong with him. He wanted to take Anna away tonight and separate her from Asher, no matter what. He just wanted them to be separated. After bidding farewell to Drew, Be went back to finish her meal with Asher and Axel andforted her father. Then she came out of the study, exhausted. She stood in the corridor and pondered for a while before she took out her phone to message M, Celeste, and Sasha, respectively. [Aunt M/Aunt Celeste/Aunt Sasha, pleasee to the pavilion in the back garden. I have something to say.] Fifteen minutester, the three women arrived at the pavilion on time. The three women, who usually chatted endlessly when they were together, were quiet in front of Be Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. at the moment. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything you want to say to me?¡± Be was sitting in the pavilion with her arms folded across her chest. She had a serious expression, like a principal preparing to reprimand naughty students. M and Celeste remained silent. Sasha quickly said, ¡°Be, didn¡¯t you have something to say? Why are you asking us?¡± Be held her forehead in resignation and thought, ¡®Aunt Sasha is really dull at times.¡¯ ¡°You and Aunt M taught Justin a lesson just now. Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± ¡°Pft! There¡¯s nothing more to say. Sasha sat down across from Be, crossing her legs ungracefully. ¡°This is because M and Celeste stopped me. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve stabbed that son of a bitch a million times and hung him upside down to feed my Bobo.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Bobo?¡± Be asked. M replied, ¡°Sasha¡¯s pet alligator. Wyatt gave it to her as a birthday giftst year.¡± Be was speechless. Celeste saw that Be was still mad at them, so she hurriedly walked over and timidly tugged at the corner of Sasha¡¯s shirt. ¡°Sasha, don¡¯t talk so much¡­¡± ¡°Everything I say is from the bottom of my heart. We should be honest with family!¡± Sasha¡¯s eyes were red with anger. ¡°Be, Justin Salvador is heartless! Even my Bobo is more humane than him! You have devoted yourself wholeheartedly to the Salvador family for the past three years. A pampered princess like you turned into his personal nanny and miserable wife. But in the end, he still forced you to get a divorce for his own selfish desires. Then he turned around and married someone else! He¡¯s worse than an animal! Even if he didn¡¯t love you, he shouldn¡¯t hurt you like this! Why can¡¯t he just get struck by lightning and die?!¡± ¡°He made it clear to me at the beginning that he didn¡¯t love me. It¡¯s a destined oue that he¡¯s getting married to the love of his life. I know I failed, but I can just walk away as if nothing happened. Why do you want to keep getting me involved with him over this matter? It¡¯ll just be more troublesome.¡± Be rubbed her sore temples. Her eyes were deste as she said, ¡°The pain will only be more vivid if I continue this entanglement. It¡¯s torture for me, so I would rather let it be and let this pain slowly fade with time.¡± ¡°Let it be?!¡± Sasha roared angrily. She stood up and grabbed Be¡¯s shoulders. ¡°How should we just let it be?! How can you ask me to let him go?! You¡¯ve conceived a child for him once, but that bastard is heartless!¡± The blood on Be¡¯s face instantly drained. Sasha¡¯s words were like blunt knives cutting open her stomach. The pain spread to her limbs and drilled into her bones. ¡°Sasha, are you crazy?! We agreed not to mention this!¡± M broke into a cold sweat and rushed over to pull Sasha back. ¡°Sasha, stop talking about this, okay? Stop mentioning Be¡¯s sad memories¡­¡± Celeste hurriedly persuaded her. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know about it.¡± Be slowly looked up and held back her tears. ¡°I never told Justin that I was pregnant with his child.¡± Chapter 145 This was the most painful experience that Be had suppressed deep down in her heart. After losing her unborn child two years ago, Be dared not pass by any maternal or children store. She also did not want to hear anyone talking about children. Even when she saw pictures of babies on TV, she would hold her head in pain and cry alone. Be would always remember that snowy Christmas Eve two years ago. She drove with Nigel to the beach to see the snow. Unexpectedly, they got into a car ident on the way there. She wanted to save Nigel, so she ignored her own pain, carried him on her back, and got into a taxi to rush to the hospital. That bought Nigel some time for rescue. At that time, the Salvador family went to Inalia for vacation, while Justin went to Meridan to spend Christmas with Rosalind. Be endured severe pain in her abdomen and struggled to hold on until Nigel¡¯s secretary, Matt Upton, arrived. In the end, she could not hold on any longer and copsed. -¡°Young Madam! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± In a daze, Be saw the blood continuously flowing out of her lower body. The warm and sticky blood became an indelible shadow in her memory. It was at that moment that Be found out she was two months pregnant. However, before she could experience the joy of being a mother, she had already lost this child forever. It was her child with Justin. -¡°Young Madam! I¡¯ll contact Young Master Justin immediately!¡± Matt trembled in panic and quickly took out his phone, but Be grabbed his hand. ¨C¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Please¡­¡± Be was heartbroken and scared. She cried and begged Matt. ¡°Justin doesn¡¯t know about this¡­ He¡¯ll be sad and angry if he finds out¡­ Please keep this a secret for me, okay?¡± Be closed her eyes, covered her belly, and sobbed with overwhelming grief. Seeing Be being dragged back into the abyss of pain, Sasha panicked and hugged her tightly. Celeste and M were also heartbroken. The four women hugged each other as if their lives depended on it. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! I¡¯m sorry, Be¡­ I won¡¯t mention this again¡­ Please don¡¯t be sad¡­¡± Sasha was sharp-tongued when she was scolding people, but she was not good atforting people. ¡°Actually, I should be d¡­¡± Be showed a pale and wry smile as she returned to her senses. ¡°Instead of letting that child witness their parents¡¯ torn rtionship and losing their father¡¯s love from an early age, it¡¯s better this way. At least they don¡¯t have toe to this world and suffer.¡± Be stayed up all night. When she closed her eyes, she saw the traumatizing blood and deformed embryo. She huddled up in the quilt in pain, but she still felt like she was enveloped in the biting cold. During the days when she lost her baby, Be cried for days on end. On the battlefield, Be did not even blink when bullets were raining down on her. But she was in so much pain when she lost her baby that it felt like her whole soul was falling apart. Be thought, ¡®Baby¡­ Mommy is so sorry. Mommy lost you forever, and I don¡¯t know if I will have the chance to wee you again in this life.¡¯ In the early morning, Be, who had not slept all night, got out of bed and walked downstairs. She looked like a regal and radiant youngdy again. ¡°Be, I prepared your favorite breakfast. Why don¡¯t you eat first before leaving?¡± Celeste, who was wearing an apron, came up to her. After careful inspection, Celeste could still see Be¡¯s bloodshot eyes, which saddened her. ¡°Aunt Celeste, please pack it up for me. I¡¯ll eat it on the road.¡± Be smiled to cover up her sadness, looking stunning. ¡°I have a scheduled meeting in the hotel this morning, so I have to be there on time.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wrap it up for you. I¡¯ll give you an extra portion for Steve too.¡± Celeste smiled gently, like a loving mother. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Thank you, Madam Celeste.¡± Steven heard this as soon as he walked in and bowed in thanks. Be walked out of the vi, apanied by Steven. Wyatt was still asleep, and Be did not want to wake him, so she nned to return to Savrow without saying goodbye. ¡°Be, you¡¯re running such a big hotel on your own in Savrow, so you must tell us if you run into trouble. If the Salvador family tries to bully you, don¡¯t put up with it. You must tell us.¡± M thought of thest time Be was bombarded by Shannon and the other bitches at the charity auction. She gritted her teeth with resentment. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll prick them with a poison that causes mouth sores! That way, they won¡¯t be able to nder you again.¡± ¡°M, you should just make them paralyzed! That way, those Salvadors won¡¯t be able to jump around and create trouble.¡± Sasha popped her knuckles. ¡°How dare they bully our Be?! They must be impatient to die!¡± Be did not know whether tough or cry. M was from the Larson family, a well-known medical mogul. The Larson family owned several major hospitals in Savrow and Hatchbay. M was also proficient in pharmaceutical and medical skills. So, it would be easy for her to poison someone. Chapter 146 ¡°Ahem¡­ By the way, I actually have something I¡¯d like your help with.¡± M and Sasha said, ¡°Tell us!¡± ¡°Actually¡­¡± Be coughed slightly. ¡°I want the antique rosewood chair that Wyatt sent Aunt M to take at the charity auction.¡± M and Sasha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a bold ask!¡± Wyatt was generous. He would give them a house, money, or a luxury car without batting an eye. But if they asked him for antique items, calligraphy, or paintings, he would be reluctant to give even a small Victorian si ring, let alone an antique rosewood chair worth $100 million! ¡°Wyatt will only give it to me willingly if he¡¯s not of sound mind. What do you want it for? I¡¯ll try to find a reason to convince him.¡± M said, feeling troubled. ¡°Well, if I tell you the reason, it¡¯ll be even more impossible for him to give it to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Be. I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± Sasha confidently patted her chest. ¡°If Wyatt doesn¡¯t give it to us, I¡¯ll just steal it for you!¡± Be burst intoughter. Indeed, family ¡°thieves¡± were the hardest to guard against. After Justin returned to Savrow, he had a rough night¡¯s sleep at home. He went to the office looking exhausted. During this time, Rosalind called him twice. Although he answered the phone, he was absent-minded. Rosalind was talking about some wedding nning details, like her custom-made wedding dress, limited-edition jewelry, and a whimsical fairytale wedding venue. After Nigel¡¯s 80th birthday next weekend, their wedding could be brought forward. ¡°Justin, do you think those are good ideas? I asked the wedding nners to think about these for more than a month before I finalized some details.¡± Rosalind wanted to fish forpliments as she tried her best to show how capable she was. ¡°Yeah, whatever you like.¡± Justin responded nonchntly and looked down at the broken purple jade bracelet in the jewelry box in front of him. All he could think of was Anna standing with the Thompson family and their utter rejection and indifference toward him. Snap-! Justin let out an irritated breath and mmed the box close. ¡°Justin, I have chosen your wedding suit too. Can you take some time off to meet with the designer today? I can do the other things myself, but you must be there for the tailoring¡­¡± Rosalind continued aggrievedly, ¡°The internationally renowned designer is here in Savrow. If we miss this chance, we¡¯ll have to wait for a long time.¡± Justin was stunned. He said with a hint of guilt in his tone, ¡°Sorry for being negligent. I¡¯ve been too busy recently to get involved with the wedding ns.¡± The woman smiled sweetly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m willing to do this for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up this afternoon.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you, Justin.¡± As soon as Justin ended the call, Ian hurriedly came over with a document and ced it in front of him. ¡°Mr. Salvador, the public rtions department of the Salvador Hotel has contacted the agent of international superstar Ada Wang. This is their proposal for Ada Wang¡¯s luxury wedding. Please take a look.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Justin flipped through it with a solemn expression. Due to the damaging news about Bethany, the reputation of Salvador Hotel also suffered. On the contrary, KS World Hotel¡¯s poprity skyrocketed. They became an inte-famous hotel overnight and were on the trending topics. Although Justin said he would not help Bethany restore her image, as the president of Salvador Corporation, he could not ignore the impact it had on the business. Therefore, Justin wanted to get the opportunity to cooperate with Ada Wang. If Ada held her wedding at the Salvador Hotel, it would be a grand event that would attract everyone¡¯s attention. If their hotel did well, it would surely receive a new wave of attention and guests. ¡°I need to take a closer look at the proposal and have a meeting with the hotel¡¯s senior management. After all, winning this project is very important to us.¡± Justin closed the file with a stern look on his face. ¡°Ahem¡­ Mr. Salvador, I have something to report so that you can be mentally prepared.¡± Ian¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate. Just say what you have to say.¡± ¡°This time, we will be fighting against KS World Hotel¡¯s general manager, Be Thompson, for the opportunity to host Ada Wang¡¯s wedding.¡± When Justin heard this name, his handsome face turned glum, and his brows twitched. Why was it that bad-tempered woman again? Chapter 147 ¡°Is that true?¡± Justin asked with a stern face. ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Salvador, I contacted Ada Wang¡¯s agent yesterday. She said that Ms. Thompson from KS World contacted her before us. She also made it clear that this opportunity was up for grabs¡­¡± The moren spoke, the softer his voice became. That was because Justin¡¯s face kept getting darker. ¡°What else did she say?¡± ¡°The agent said that although our hotel has had a good reputation in the past, KS World Hotel has also been very popr recently. So she asked us topete against KS World Hotel. Ada Wang will consider working with whoever has a better proposal and conditions.¡± Justin mmed the table. Blood surged up to his head. He was already annoyed with Annately. Now, Be appeared out of nowhere topete with him for this project. These two women were his curse. ¡°Organize a meeting with the hotel¡¯s top management tomorrow morning. We muste up with the best proposal as soon as possible and get Ada Wang to work with us!¡± There was an undercurrent in the man¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°If this project falls into Be Thompson¡¯s hands, everyone who handles this project will get dismissed!¡± Ian was speechless. He nodded hurriedly, like a chicken pecking at food. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. It looked like Justin was going to take revenge on Be for making him climb up ten floors to her office that day. In the afternoon, Justin¡¯s Maybach stopped at the gates of a six-story European-style mansion in the North District of Savrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to see the designer?¡± Justin looked at the vintage door decorated with roses, looking confused. ¡°The designer is inside. This house is the studio of the internationally renowned designer, Roza Walker.¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Although many department stores around the world have off - the-rack items of her brand, Rozab, they¡¯re not good enough for our wedding. We need the luxury bespoke dress and suit designed by Roza Walker.¡± Rosalind had permed her hair and dyed her ck hair into a toffee blonde color. She also wore a sexy andvish red backless dress. Her lips were tainted a bright red. Seeing her gleaming red lips, Justin instinctively thought of Anna¡¯s face. It was as if Anna had patented bright red lips. Red lips on other women just looked so incongruous, as if they were a poor imitation. ¡°No matter how high-end it is, it¡¯s just a piece of clothing.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were dull,cking interest. ¡°I don¡¯t need her to design my suit. You can ask her to do your dress.¡± ¡°No! I want a matching outfit with you. From now on, you can only wear the clothes I pick for You can¡¯t ept gifts from other women!¡± Rosalind leaned on Justin¡¯s shoulder and acted coquettishly. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, and his heart suddenly tightened. you. He thought of the suit that Anna had made for him. He tried his best to repair it and preserve it even though it was already ruined, but how did Anna treat his gift? She allowed others to throw his gift like garbage and watched with cold eyes as they ruined his gift and good intentions. Justin pursed his thin lips in frustration and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t.¡± The two of them got out of the car and were stopped by security as soon as they walked to the gate ¡°Sorry, Ms. Walker is hosting a private reception today. You can¡¯t enter without an invitation.¡± ¡°Hmph! Of course, we have it.¡± Rosalind took out two invitations with roses printed on them, looking arrogant. ¡°This way, please.¡± In the hall, the well-dressed guests held wine sses and chatted happily. Justin did not expect Rosalind to take him to such an event without prior notice. No wonder she was dressed up so nicely today. This made Justin extremely ufortable. Aside from necessary social engagements, Justin never liked to attend any receptions or dinners in private. Rosalind¡¯s doing so made him feel used. Sure enough, Justin¡¯s appearance immediately became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Justin Salvador?!¡± ¡°Yeah! He¡¯s a thousand times more handsome in person than on TV! I guess he¡¯s not as photogenic as I thought he was!¡± ¡°Who is his femalepanion? She¡¯s so lucky to be with him!¡± ¡°Femalepanion? You haven¡¯t been back for a while, so you¡¯re probably unaware that she¡¯s Rosalind Gold, Mr. Salvador¡¯s fianc¨¦e. He divorced his ex-wife just to marry her. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s capable?¡± ¡°OMG! Are you kidding me?!¡± Rosalind felt proud to be the subject of gossip. She wanted every woman in the world to be jealous of her for having such an excellent fianc¨¦. Chapter 148 Rosalind had begged Shannon for several days to get these two invitations. She felt unwilling to humble herself at first, but at this moment, she felt proud to be here with Justin. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance? You know I don¡¯t likeing to such events.¡± Justin clenched his jaw, and his face was cold. ¡°Justin, my social status isn¡¯t high enough to ask Ms. Walker to design my wedding dress. That¡¯s why I asked you toe over. Roza will definitely agree if you ask her¡­¡± Seeing his gloomy expression, Rosalind timidly added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Did I cause you trouble?¡± ¡°In the future, you can tell me beforehand, and I will send someone to get it done. We don¡¯t have to come in person.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was slightly gentler. ¡°Alright¡­¡± At this time, Justin heard a set of familiar footsteps from behind. Those footsteps were crisp, confident, and steady. Justin¡¯s body trembled as he turned around. In the bright afternoon sun, Be strode into the mansion wearing a slim-fitting capri blue dress and a broad-shouldered suit jacket of the same color. She brought in a waft of rose fragrance as she barged into Justin¡¯s field of vision. Today, her ck hair was tied into a high bun, revealing her long and slender neck. Although she did not wear her usual ming red lipstick, her boldness and beauty still took people¡¯s breath away. Some women did not require heavy makeup to shine, nor did they need a crown to show their power. Rosalind¡¯s face turned green with envy. Rosalind thought she would be the most eye-catching woman there by wearing red. Unexpectedly, Be¡¯s blue dress stole her limelight. Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled in surprise. He wanted to look away from Be, but he could not. In the blink of an eye, Be walked past him as if he were invisible. Justin narrowed his eyes. His heart was burning with rage. ¡°Oh, my! Ms. Brown, it must be difficult for you to get an invitation, right?¡± Rosalind spoke with a smile. ¡°Yeah, of course, it¡¯s not easy.¡± Be looked at Rosalind with a fake smile. ¡°Every one of the guests here today has a close rtionship with Roza or her brand. The guests here are either designers, big names in the fashion industry, or VVIP customers. Ms. Gold, which category do you fall into?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rosalind¡¯s face turned red, as if she had been pped, The guests around them nced disdainfully at Rosalind and Justin. ¡°You and Mr. Salvador don¡¯t fall into any of those categories, so it¡¯s strange that the two of you can show up here.¡± Be smiled beautifully. ¡°You!¡± Rosalind was furious and stepped forward. ¡°Everyone here knows who Justin is! Ms. Walker won¡¯t turn away the president of Salvador Corporation if he wants to attend, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess that makes sense.¡± Be nodded. La ¡°Hmph! Why are you spouting so much nonsense? Which category do you fall under? Are you a VVIP or are you a fashionista?!¡± ¡°Neither.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of you showing up here all dressed up? You¡¯re just a nurse from the countryside who got lucky to climb the socialdder. What right do you have to be here?!¡± Rosalind could only use Anna¡¯s humble origins to criticize her. After all, Rosalind was afraid that Anna would suddenly show the crowd her marriage license with Justin again. If that were the case, Rosalind would feel ashamed, as it would confirm her identity as a homewrecker. ¡°Rose, stop talking!¡± Justin frowned. His tone was cold. Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Be, who remained calm. They thought, ¡®How is this fashionabledy just a nurse from the countryside? She certainly looks chic! If she¡¯s a nobody, how did she get an invitation to this private event?¡± ¡°Justin, I was going to be polite to her, but Ms. Brown is obviously hostile to us. Besides, I was just stating the facts.¡± Rosalind pouted and looked coquettish. She felt smug for winning this round. ¡°Ms. Walker is here!¡± Someone shouted, breaking the awkward tension. A tall and slim woman wearing Rozab¡¯s early fall rose-colored couture suit appeared on the spiral staircase. She had a hime cut and looked aloof as she slowly walked downstairs. Her aloof expression suddenly changed the moment she saw Be. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Roza hurried over to Be, grinning and saying sweetly, ¡°Master! Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were coming?!¡± Chapter 149 Master?! Everyone was shocked to hear this. Rosalind was so stunned that her mouth gaped open, and she forgot to maintain herposure. Rosalind thought, ¡®How can it be?! Did I mishear it?! Anna is only 27, years old, right? Roza is 4 years older than me and has been in the fashion industry for 10 years. She has appeared in Paris Fashion Week many times and won international awards! But Anna is a country bumpkin. How could she be Roza¡¯s master?! This is such a joke!¡¯ ¡°Master? You make me sound like some old hag,¡± Be crossed her arms and snorted coquettishly. ¡°A woman¡¯s age should stop at 18!¡± ¡°I only say this because you¡¯re so important to me, and I want to show my respect!¡± Roza hugged Be¡¯s waist and said with resentment, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that you were coming? I wasn¡¯t even prepared for your arrival!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going toe today, but an event was suddenly canceled, so I decided toe over and take a look.¡± ¡°Oh, so I was just a backup event on your calendar? I see now that I have no ce in your heart!¡± ¡°Hah! How dare you pick on your master, you rebellious monkey?!¡± The twodies teased each other like best friends, stunning the audience, Justin felt suffocated as he watched the scene in front of him. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He thought of the suit that Anna gave him. No wonder she had such good craftsmanship that even the old tailor was impressed by it. It turned out that Anna was a designer as well. At first, Justin only thought that Anna was a decent seamstress, but it seemed that he had underestimated her. She was the master of an internationally renowned designer. This was an de that not many people in the country could receive. Justin felt bitterness in his throat and mixed feelings in his heart. Anna had been by his side for three years, but she hid all her talents from him. Why did she not show him her true side? Justin felt like his three years of marriage to Anna meant nothing. ¡°Hello, Ms. Walker, I am Mr. Salvador¡¯s fianc¨¦e. My name is Rosalind Gold¡­¡± Rosalind stepped forward and wanted to shake hands with Roza. Unexpectedly, Roza did not want to have any physical contact with Rosalind. She even pulled Be back a step, as if she wanted to avoid catching the gue. ¡°I don¡¯t remember having a ¡®Rosalind Gold¡¯ on my guest list.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where you got the invitation from, but I didn¡¯t invite you. This is a private reception, so outsiders aren¡¯t allowed in. Please leave immediately.¡± Roza was not polite. Creative people were always a little arrogant. Rosalind¡¯s face turned pale. She hurriedly grabbed Justin¡¯s shirt and asked for help. ¡°Ms. Walker, we didn¡¯t know this was a private reception and didn¡¯t mean to offend you. My fianc¨¦e appreciates your talent and has been waiting for the opportunity to meet you. I hope you can understand and forgive us for the intrusion.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were sincere, and his attitude was humble. Be felt a stab in her heart and clenched her fists. Justin was such an arrogant man who had never begged anyone. Usually, others would be begging him for favors. For Rosalind¡¯s sake, Justin did not hesitate to apologize to Roza in hopes of staying. Be almost scoffed. In this world, the only person who could make Justin bend over backward was Rosalind. However, Be had once overestimated her own abilities and thought that she would be able to move Justin with her efforts. Rosalind hugged Justin¡¯s arm tightly. She looked innocent, but she was secretlyughing on the inside. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you have never attended such events. After all, we¡¯re in different industries.¡± Roza took a look at Justin and smiled. ¡°But since you said so, it would be petty for me to kick you out. You may stay then, Mr. Salvador.¡± Chapter 150 Be thought, ¡®What?!¡¯ She kept shooting nces at Roza, but that girl did not notice Be¡¯s gaze. Roza just kept staring at Justin like he was eye candy. Be thought, ¡®This brat! She¡¯ll get a stye for staring at a scumbag like him!¡¯ ¡°Thank you.¡± Justin silently breathed a sigh of relief. However, Roza added, ¡°You can stay, but Ms. Gold must leave.¡± Rosalind waspletely stunned. She asked angrily, ¡°Why must I leave? I am Mr. Salvador¡¯s fianc¨¦e!¡± The surrounding guests were shocked by her loud voice and looked at her in disgust. ¡°Tsk, tsk.¡± Roza shook her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t guess that in a million years if you didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°You!¡± Rosalind was infuriated. ¡°I didn¡¯t kick Mr. Salvador out because he¡¯s handsome and well-dressed, fitting in with my other fashionable guests.¡± Roza looked at Rosalind again and said, ¡°Ms. Gold, I can¡¯t stand your outfit. Your taste is clearly ipatible with mine, so please leave.¡± Be held her forehead in frustration. She remembered that her apprentice was a real pervert who enjoyed staring at handsome men. She thought, ¡®This brat¡­ I ought to ¡°thank¡± her for keeping Justin here¡­¡¯ ¡°Ms. Walker, we don¡¯t mean any harm by intruding on your private reception. But you¡¯re being too harsh.¡± Justin¡¯s voice deepened. He looked furious. ¡°Was I? Mr. Salvador, your fianc¨¦e ridiculed my mentor in front of so many people. I¡¯m already showing you enough respect for not asking security to throw her out.¡± Roza¡¯s expression instantly turned glum. Her smile disappeared. There was silence all around as the situation escted. Be looked at Roza in surprise. It turned out that Roza was aware of her confrontation with Rosalind just now. Suddenly, a warmth surged through Be¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Rosalind was speechless. Her forehead broke out in cold sweat, and she leaned against Justin with all her strength. Rosalind¡¯s arrogance earlier backfired. Justin¡¯s handsome face was stiff. ¡°Roza, forget it.¡± Be was afraid of affecting the other guests. Roza had also shown her dominance over this matter, so Be yed the good cop. That way, she would seem magnanimous. She said in a low voice, ¡°Since they¡¯re already here, just consider them your guests. Don¡¯t make a big fuss over this. I didn¡¯t take what Ms. Gold said just now to heart. Moreover, everything Ms. Gold said was true. I am indeed a nobody, so there¡¯s no need to pursue this further.¡± As soon as Be said this, everyone felt indignant for her. ¡°Look at this youngdy. She¡¯s so forgiving and graceful!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right. So what if she doesn¡¯te from a wealthy family? Many designers with grassroots backgrounds made their name in the fashion industry. Ms. Gold is so distasteful for picking on this!¡± ¡°Ms. Gold is so petty. How can she be Mr. Salvador¡¯s fianc¨¦e? She¡¯s more like an unseemly mistress.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador¡¯s taste in women is indeed worrying¡­¡¯ }} Rosalind gritted her teeth in anger, and she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in. She did not want to stay here anymore, but Justin did not intend to back down. Justin clenched his jaw and fists. He would stay no matter what, even if he was humiliated. That was because he wanted to see what Anna was up to. Chapter 151 Roza greeted some guests and brought Be to her studio. They were as close as sisters. Without any outsiders around, they happily chatted about everything. Roza brought out her best tea to serve Be and some snacks made by the top pastry chefs in the country, which the guests downstairs did not get to eat. ¡°Master, please taste this!¡± ¡°Mm¡­ This is an excellent tea, more precious than gold. It¡¯s fragrant and mellow in taste. Not bad at all!¡± Be sipped the tea leisurely and held the dainty teacup gracefully. Her good form, etiquette, and in-born elegance were self-evident and something that most people could not learn. ¡°I¡¯m d you like this tea!¡± Roza chuckled. Roza was usually an aloof introvert, but in front of Be, she became a silly little girl. Their acquaintance went back six years. Although Roza was extremely talented in fashion design and had a lot of inspiration, she rose to prominence prematurely and became the target of public criticism. Roza was forced to take part in a reality show that designed clothes for celebrities. However, she was humiliated by a big-name actress on the show and was criticized by the influential judges. Later, Sharon, a global sensation and talented fashion designer, publicly spoke out for her online. Sharon criticized the ill-intentioned people on the show and exposed their true colors. With Sharon taking the lead to defend Roza, some designers who had suffered under those judges¡¯ criticism came forward to expose the bias and underhanded tactics in the design world. This garnered attention for Roza and allowed the public to notice her excellence as an up-anding designer. ¡°The more outstanding you are, the more you will be subjected to criticism. You will only achieve greatness if you persevere. Ms. Walker, you have a talent that amazes me. Don¡¯t be discouraged and move forward boldly!¡± Sharon was like an oasis in the desert, giving Roza hope to continue in this tough industry. Later, the designers who criticized Roza publicly apologized under the public¡¯s pressure. However, no one believed that the designers were sincere in their apology, so they were eventually ruined. The actress who scolded Roza had numerous scandals exposed. Within a year, the actress disappeared from the entertainment industry. ¡°Master, you¡¯re the genius designer, Sharon. Why don¡¯t you disclose your true identity?¡± Roza asked curiously as she poured more tea for Be. ¡°You¡¯ve asked this question a hundred times already. You¡¯re like a broken record.¡± Be rubbed her temples and continued, ¡°I just like the feeling of strategizing behind the scenes. I don¡¯t like standing in the spotlight, and I don¡¯t want to disrupt my peaceful life now.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ It¡¯s such a pity. If you told the world that you were Sharon, that bitch earlier would probably be so frightened. Her jaw would probably dislocate from gaping so hard. Then she wouldn¡¯t dare be so rude to you.¡± Roza gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°How dare sheugh at you just because she is Justin Salvador¡¯s fianc¨¦e? She¡¯s so arrogant!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°She¡¯s a nobody.¡± Be sipped on the tea, feeling at ease. ¡°She¡¯s not worthy of knowing who Sharon is.¡± ¡°But why would you quarrel with that bitch? Do you have a grudge against her? Do you want me to help you deal with her?¡± Be was startled, and she smiled lightly. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. She¡¯s the future wife of the Salvador Corporation¡¯s president.¡± ¡°So what? I¡¯m your little guard dog who will bite anyone who dares to attack you!¡± Roza bared her little white teeth as she spoke, looking adorable. Be felt a little guilty at the mention of this. Although Roza had a close rtionship with Be, she still did not know her true identity as Be Thompson, the daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay, let alone that she was Justin¡¯s ex-wife. Sometimes, Be felt like she had a split personality. She had so many identities, and the people she knew from these identities had yet to cross paths. She had her own circle of friends and drama as each of her identities. It was quite magical. ¡°Master, does your promise still count?¡± Roza held a heart-shaped pastry in her hands and looked at Be eagerly. ¡°Of course. I always keep my word. But did you get a dance partner for me? I won¡¯t ept it if he¡¯s not handsome or if he can¡¯t dance well.¡± Be crossed her slender legs, looking like a mighty queen. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared everything! He has long legs, sexy abs, a prominent adonis belt, and a gorgeous face. He¡¯s absolutely delectable! I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied!¡± The episode with Rosalind did not affect the reception. Justin stood there with a cold face. His perfectly tailored suit outlined his muscr body, and his expensive leather shoes were proof of his stature, gaining him a lot of attention from every woman in the room. Rosalind stared back at them with hostile eyes, looking like a dog guarding its food. If she had not wanted Roza to design her wedding dress, she would never have brought Justin to such an asion. That was becauseing to an event like this was equivalent to throwing a b of meat into a lion¡¯s den. However, Justin ignored everyone. His bottomless eyes subconsciously scanned the crowd, looking for a certain someone. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Roza!¡± Chapter 152 Seeing Roza reappear after a while, Rosalind tugged on Justin¡¯s sleeve nervously. ¡°Justin, let¡¯s go over and talk to her. You¡¯re the president of Salvador Corporation. If you put pressure on her, she will definitely agree to design a wedding dress for me!¡± Justin frowned as Rosalind pulled him over. ¡°Ms. Walker, we came here in hopes that you could design a wedding dress for me. I will get married to Mr. Salvador next month, and we will hold a grand wedding that will be broadcast live across the country.¡± Rosalind leaned against Justin sweetly. She looked proud as she said, ¡°If I wear a wedding dress designed by you, it will definitely attract the attention of people across the country. That¡¯ll be great publicity for you. Money is not an issue as long as you agree to design it for me. We¡¯ll try to satisfy all your requests to show our sincerity.¡± ¡°Money is not an issue? Ms. Gold, you¡¯re quite generous with your offer since you¡¯re marrying into a wealthy family.¡± Roza smiled and raised a finger. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it for $100 million.¡± ¡°What?! That¡¯s too expensive!¡± Rosalind was stunned. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you say that money is not an issue? Will $100 million scare off the future wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s president?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯m fine with $100 million.¡± Justin¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Rosalind bit her lower lip. She was so moved that she almost cried. ¡°You¡¯re fine with it, but I¡¯m not.¡± Roza¡¯s smile was so cold that it could turn her breath into ice. Justin frowned, feeling that he had been tricked. ¡°Although my master forgave you, I didn¡¯t. Ms. Gold, I won¡¯t design your wedding dress. Also, don¡¯t even think about asking for Rozab¡¯s couture dresses from now on. I won¡¯t lend them to you.¡± After saying that, Roza snorted and left with her chin up, not wanting to speak to them any longer. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Rosalind was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She cursed Roza in her heart, but on the surface, she looked so aggrieved, as if she had been bullied. ¡°Justin¡­ Did Ms. Brown tell her something? Is that why Ms. Walker is so hostile to us? If she¡¯s upset, she cane at me. How can she use someone who doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on to attack us?¡± Justin was frustrated. ¡°When the reception is over, I¡¯ll talk to Anna and ask her to persuade Roza to make a wedding dress for you.¡± ¡°Justin, you¡¯re so nice to me. I knew that you loved me the most!¡± Just when Rosalind wanted to kiss Justin, the crowd suddenly cheered enthusiastically. The lights in the hall dimmed all of a sudden, and a bright spotlight lit up the catwalk. An upbeat tango music yed, and a handsome male dancer in a ck shirt and pants appeared. The next second, Justin¡¯s breath hitched. Be, wearing a tight and sexy red dress, spun onto the stage with the rhythm. Her beautiful face and amazing figure were a sight to behold. ¡°OMG! Is that the same woman from just now? She looks so different in this style!¡± ¡°She¡¯s such a sexy and sultry beauty! I love her!¡± ¡°Although their dance has a lot of intimate touches, their dance form is impable. It doesn¡¯t look vulgar at all, but refined and artistic. It¡¯s simply amazing!¡± Justin looked at his ex-wife, who was dazzling on the stage. Aplex emotion was surging in his dark eyes. He thought, ¡®How does she know how to dance the tango? Isn¡¯t she tone-deaf and uncoordinated? How could she wear such a revealing dress in front of everyone? How could she let that man hug her waist?! Does she not know what self-respect is after getting divorced?!¡¯ Justin stared at his ex-wife¡¯s slim waist and sexy legs, which were mostly exposed under the red dress. His eyes burned with desire. Tango was a sultry dance. Be was passionate and mboyant on the stage. Her eyes were suggestive as she swayed her body along with the male dancer. The music also added to the energy between the dancers. Be wrapped her body around the male dancer like a vine. Her slender arms were also wrapped around the man¡¯s strong waist. Her seductive eyes inadvertently met Justin¡¯s gaze in the audience. Justin was entranced by her intense gaze. Although his face was stern, his heart was beating frantically, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed restlessly. He wanted to rush to the stage, push the male dancer away, and wrap her up tightly in his suit jacket. Justin thought, ¡®Even I have never been so intimate with her as her husband. How could I allow other men to touch her like that?!¡¯ Chapter 153 After the dance, Be and the male dancer held hands and took a bow. It was not a formal stage, but their beautiful dancing elevated this private cocktail party to a high-end dance party. Rosalind¡¯s eyes burned with jealousy when she heard thepliments. In the past, Rosalind was good at piano, singing, and dancing. She would win awards easily. Later, when she was abroad, she only had her mind on fooling around with men and forgot all her talents. ¡°Justin, don¡¯t you think Ms. Brown is amazing? But dancing like this in public is quite vulgar, especially when she¡¯s wearing so little¡­ I¡¯m embarrassed for her¡­¡± Rosalind tried to throw shade, but when she turned around, Justin was already gone. Justin walked quickly to the corridor backstage. No matter how much he restrained himself, he kept thinking about Anna¡¯s sexy figure, which made his throat dry. He tried to convince himself that he was not attracted to her. He was just angry at Anna because she kept challenging his patience and deceiving him time and time again. Suddenly, Justin heard an excited male voiceing from the corner. ¡°Thedy I danced with today has such a slim waist. She¡¯s so damn hot. I¡¯ve never touched a woman as sexy as her in my life!¡± This was supposed to be apliment, but when Justin heard it, he became infuriated. The male dancer heard the cold click of leather shoes against the marble flooring from behind. As soon as he turned back, Justin¡¯s fist struck his face. ¡°Ow!¡± Justin was a soldier, so he knocked down the male dancer with one punch. The man fell to the ground and screamed. Hey there motionless and in pain. ¡°How dare you touch her?!¡± Justin smiled sinisterly and said in a cold voice, ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re Mr. Salvador?!¡± The male dancer was scared out of his mind. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to marry Ms. Gold?! I¡­ I didn¡¯t know thatdy was yours too¡­¡± At the mention of Rosalind, Justin¡¯s fist clenched again. ¡°Justin! What are you doing?!¡± Justin turned around and saw Be and Roza approaching them. His eyes darkened. The male dancer crawled over to them with blood flowing from his mouth. ¡°Mr. Salvador, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going overboard by beating people up at my party for no reason?¡± Roza pointed at Justin¡¯s handsome face, furious. ¡°He has a filthy mouth.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were cold and sharp. He clenched his fists and said, ¡°I only punched him so that he¡¯ll remember not to run his mouth next time.¡± Be was shocked. In her impression, Justin was always calm and collected. He would never bother to get into a conflict with people below his status. What happened today? Did he eat gunpowder for lunch? ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Roza stared at the male dancer. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to insult Ms. Brown¡­ I was just too excited that I got to dance with Ms. Brown, so I called my friends to show off¡­¡± The male dancer was frightened. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Salvador to hear it and punch me¡­¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Be frowned and raised her hand. ¡°Roza, please take him to a doctor to get his injuries checked out first.¡± ¡°Master, I can¡¯t leave you here alone!¡± Roza nced at Justin and whispered in Be¡¯s ear, ¡°I think this man may be mentally ill. He hit this guy for no reason, so he must be a violent maniac!¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡± Be nodded with a cold face. ¡°But I¡¯m the cause of it, so I¡¯ll solve it. Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t dare do anything to me.¡± The two women whispered to each other, but Justin heard every word. His face was gloomy.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Although Roza was worried, she did not disobey her mentor¡¯s orders and hurriedly left with the male dancer. The corridor was quiet, and the air was oppressive. Justin saw that Anna was still wearing that sexy red dress and thought of the male dancer¡¯s words, feeling irritated. He immediately strode up to her, took off his suit jacket, and handed it to her expressionlessly. ¡°Put it on.¡± p-! Be¡¯s eyes were sharp. She raised her hand and pped his hand away, which made his suit fall to the floor. ¡°Justin, what the hell are you doing? You hit someone for no reason, and you want me to wear your clothes. Are you trying to disgust me?¡± ¡°Anna!¡± Justin¡¯s pupils suddenly shrank. ¡°I know that you like cute and innocent women like Rosalind. I¡¯ve been with you for three years and have pretended to be the goody two shoes for so long. I¡¯ve had enough! Now that we¡¯re divorced, you don¡¯t have to worry about what I wear. I can do whatever I want, and it has nothing to do with you, especially when you¡¯re about to get married to another woman!¡± Be¡¯s sharp eyes were like knives piercing into Justin¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to ruin yourself like this after leaving me?¡± Justin was so infuriated that his handsome face turned red. ¡°You can dance, but why are you wearing so little? Don¡¯t you have any sense of shame? You also let that man touch you!¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Beughed out loud. ¡°Mr. Salvador, do you like me?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting now?¡± Justin¡¯s heart twitched, and his breathing hitched. Be took a step closer to him, raised her delicate face, and met his dumbfounded eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t like me, why the hell are you bossing me around? Or¡­ Are you being vile and possessive because someone else is touching your ex-wife that you¡¯ve neverid a finger on for the three years that we were married?¡± ¡°Anna, do you think I¡¯m vile?¡± Justin red at her. ¡°Of course! Do you think that you deserve apliment from me?¡± Be¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Justin, I suggest you bring your brain out the next time you leave the house. Stop pestering me and go find your fianc¨¦e. You¡¯re ruining yourself for getting entangled with your ex-wife behind your fianc¨¦e¡¯s back!¡± After saying that, Be turned around, and her red dress fluttered beautifully in the air. Justin suddenly grabbed her thin wrist in desperation. Her eyes turned red from the pain, and she could not break free. ¡°You can vent your anger at me ande at me directly. Don¡¯t use someone else to attack us. That¡¯s just despicable!¡± ¡°Use someone else to attack you?¡± Be was startled, not knowing what he was talking about. ¡°Rose came here this time to ask Roza to help her design a dress, but Roza didn¡¯t help and even made things difficult for her! Do you dare say that you didn¡¯t ask Roza to do this? Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t take this opportunity to retaliate against Rose?!¡± Chapter 154 After Justin finished speaking, he was stunned for a moment. He had no evidence, but he thought of Anna this way. Justin even hoped that Anna would do this because it would show that she still cared about him. ¡°Justin, you think too highly of yourself.¡± Be¡¯s heart ached, but she forced herself to smile. ¡°To be honest, I never thought about getting revenge on you. I don¡¯t care if you marry Rosalind. Even if you follow Wyatt Thompson¡¯s example and marry four wives, I won¡¯t bat an eye. That¡¯s because I think that hating you will be a waste of my time and effort.¡± Justin¡¯s heart clenched. He felt like he had been punched. ¡°Anna¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°Roza has orders scheduled until the end of next year. She has always upheld her principles of serving every customer equally. Even if the prime minister¡¯s wife is here, she still has to queue up. But perhaps Roza wanted to take the opportunity to vent her anger on my behalf. But I¡¯m not so cowardly as to use my friends to retaliate against Rosalind. If I wanted to, I would have just pped Rosalind as many times as I liked. Is there a need to do it in such a roundabout way? You really don¡¯t understand me at all.¡± Be¡¯s tone was derisive, and she sneered. However, Justin felt that her eyes were so empty that he could not see a glint of light. He could not help but feel a prick in her heart. ¡°Anna!¡± A familiar voice interrupted their stalemate. It was Asher. Be took the opportunity to shake Justin¡¯s hand off. She then ran toward Asher excitedly. Asher gently held his sister in his arms. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte. I got caught up at work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Be sniffed. Her eyes felt a little sore. ¡°Did he make things difficult for you?¡± Asher looked at Be worriedly and red at Justin, who was frozen in ce. Be shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Justin was stunned for a while. Then he quickly followed them out. Outside the gate, Steven was waiting for Asher and Be next to the Rolls-Royce. ¡°Ugh, my feet hurt from wearing these heels. Sneakers are still morefortable.¡± Be pouted at Asher coquettishly. ¡°Steve, take out the shoes I prepared for Be.¡± Steven hurriedly took out the sneakers from the trunk of the car and ced them next to Be¡¯s delicate feet. At this time, Justin arrived at the gate. Justin watched helplessly as Asher kneeled on one knee and took off his ex-wife¡¯s high heels. Asher then slid the sneakers on her feet and helped tie her shoces. Asher was so attentive to Anna, even more than a father would care about his daughter. Be stuck her little hand into Steven¡¯s suit pocket and took out a piece of chocte, smiling sweetly after taking a bite. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Asher led her into the car, and the luxury car drove off. Justin suddenly felt as if his heart had been hollowed out. He felt an unprecedented sense of loss. His ex-wife, who had lived like a widow when she was married to him, was treated like a princess by the CEO of KS Group. Asher was such a formidable character in the business world, but he was willing to humble himself for the one he loved. The love in his eyes was so sincere that it overflowed. True love is not wanting one¡¯s lover to bend down to wear her shoes. Justin did not know why he felt so ufortable when he saw his ex-wife being pampered by another man. In the evening, Rosalind followed Justin back to Tideview Manor with the excuse of visiting Shannon and Gregory. ¡°Justin, why did you suddenly disappear just now? I panicked when I was left there alone¡­¡± In the back seat, Rosalind hugged Justin and rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°Rose.¡± Justin slowly pulled his arm out. His voice had a hint of coldness as he said, ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t cause trouble for Anna when you see her again, especially if she isn¡¯t hostile toward you.¡± ¡°Justin¡­ Do you think that I¡¯m bullying her?¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes turned red instantly. She almost cried. ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 155 ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Anna wouldn¡¯t offend anyone unless they offended her first. She didn¡¯t make things difficult for today.¡± you Justin¡¯s cold eyes fell on Rosalind¡¯s pale face. ¡°No matter how much you resent her, she and I are already divorced. We will have nothing to do with each other after Grandpa¡¯s birthday, as soon as we finalize the divorce. I hope you will stop finding fault with her. This is my only request to you.¡± Justin never spoke to Rosalind again until the Maybach drove into Tideview Manor. Rosalind put up with her fianc¨¦¡¯s indifference and secretly cursed Anna. ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to change.¡± Justin left with a gloomy expression. Rosalind gritted her teeth unwillingly. She did not feel that she had done anything wrong. She thought, ¡®Anna was the one who robbed me of my marriage and hogged my man for three whole years! I won¡¯t be able to get rid of the resentment in my heart even if I kill that bitch! So what if I bullied her? Why is Justin protecting her so much?!¡¯ Half an hourter, Justin, who had changed into loungewear, walked down the stairs, followed by Wilma. While he was on the stairs, Justin heard theughter of three womening from the living room. Bethany said, ¡°It¡¯s time to hire a new chef. The food at home recently has been terrible since Anna left! That bumpkin has excellent cooking skills, so she wasn¡¯t all useless.¡± Rosalind asked, ¡°Did Anna cook for you all every day?¡± Bethany replied, ¡°Of course! What else can a bumpkin like her do? She¡¯s blessed enough to marry into our family, so she should serve us well! Do you know what the servants at home say about her behind her back? They say that she¡¯s not really the young madam of this house, but a high-end nanny. She has the title ofdy boss, but she¡¯s actually doing a maid¡¯s work!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes turned cold, and he clenched his fists. Shannon chimed in. ¡°Hah! I thought she would give up and get a divorce within a year, especially with Justin giving her the cold shoulder and everyone in the family bullying her. Unexpectedly, she endured such humiliation and worked like a cow for three years. To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure it if it were me. I don¡¯t know how she can bear it.¡± Bethany said, ¡°Thankfully, Rose came back. Otherwise, that bitch will probably keep staying here forever. Hmph! She¡¯s so shameless!¡± Justin could not bear listening to this anymore. His voice was so loud that he almost growled. ¡°Have you said enough?!¡± The air in the living room instantly dropped to a freezing point. ¡°Justin, we¡­¡± Rosalind hurriedly stood up and tried to smooth things over. ¡°You guys took advantage of Anna, yet you¡¯re still badmouthing her.¡± Before Rosalind could finish speaking, Justin interrupted her. He was exuding such a terrifying chill that she shuddered. Shannon and Bethany were also frightened. ¡°Justin, what are you talking about? We¡­''¡± ¡°You guys enjoyed Anna¡¯s contribution, but you didn¡¯t appreciate it and evenughed at her. Do you really think that I don¡¯t have a temper?¡± Justin¡¯s cold re was intimidating. The three women thought they had misheard him. Justin had been married to Anna for three years, but he had never stood up for her. He neglected her, so everyone in the Salvador family treated Anna as a pushover. After their divorce, Justin seemed closer to Anna. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The three women paled, and the servants held their breaths. ¡°Even if Anna and I are divorced, she is still my ex-wife. I won¡¯t allow anyone to insult her like that, especially in this house.¡± Justin clenched his teeth and frowned. ¡°As the wife and daughter of the chairman of Salvador Corporation, I advise you two to stop being so distasteful. You¡¯ll just end up embarrassing yourselves!¡± After saying that, Justin went back upstairs, furious. The three women were left in the living room, embarrassed, ashamed, and indignant. Shannon¡¯s face was red from suppressing her anger. ¡°What are you all looking at? Get back to work!¡± Bethany yelled, venting her anger on the servants. Rosalind had not returned to her senses because she had never seen Justin lose his temper like this. ¡°Hah! Look, Rose. This is the man you are going to marry in the future. Before you marry him, he¡¯s already protecting another woman in front of you!¡± Shannon¡¯s lips twitched in anger. Rosalind was vexed, so she ran after Justin. However, Wilma stopped her. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Gold. The young master is in a bad mood now, so he won¡¯t being down to have dinner with you. You can eat by yourself.¡± Chapter 156 In the study, Justin sat on the sofa, rubbing his throbbing temples. He leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees. The muscles on his shoulders were shaking, and he looked like he was in pain. On the way home, Justin¡¯s head had already started to hurt. After hearing Shannon, Bethany, and Rosalind badmouthing Anna, the pain became even more unbearable. He thought, ¡®Anna has the title ofdy boss, but she¡¯s actually doing a maid¡¯s work¡­ Even if Anna is useless, it¡¯s not their ce to badmouth her!¡¯ ¡°Master! Do you have another headache? I¡¯ll get you some medicine!¡± Wilma hurriedly found the painkillers from the drawer, poured him a ss of water, and handed it to Justin. After taking the medicine, Justin felt the tension in his head ease. His face also rxed a little. ¡°Master, it¡¯s not good for your health to take painkillers all the time. I remember that your headaches improved a lot after the young madam did the acupuncture treatment. Do you want to ask the young madam toe back and check?¡± Wilma advised softly. ¡°Wilma.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were slightly red, and his throat felt clogged. ¡°Did they often badmouth Anna before? They said that Anna had been cooking for the family for the past three years¡­ Is it true?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master. I told you before that the young madam is very hard-working, but you said she was just putting up an act. But who in their right mind would pretend day after day for three whole years? Even if she was pretending, I¡¯d give her a thumbs-up for being so persistent!¡± Justin pursed his pale and thin lips. ¡°When the young madam first moved in, her cooking was just average. She humbly asked me for advice and asked me to teach her. But I told her that the servants and cooks would do all the work. As the young madam, she only needs to enjoy being waited on. But she didn¡¯t. She said that she wanted to cook for her husband. Since she couldn¡¯t help you with your work, she wanted to take care of your meals and daily needs. At first, the young madam kept coughing when she smelled the fumes while cooking, so she had to wear a mask in the kitchen. Later, she gradually got used to it. She would already be in the kitchen cooking breakfast every morning before I woke up.¡± Justin thought, ¡®Cough? Why cough? Is she allergic to smoke?¡¯ He felt suffocated. At this moment, even the painkillers could not stop his head from throbbing. Wilma sighed indignantly. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of Shannon and Bethany. Young Madam has silently sacrificed so much for this family, but they¡¯re so ungrateful and evenugh at her. It¡¯s too much! Young Master, although I really hope that you can get back together, sometimes I feel bad for the young madam for suffering so much here¡­ I just hope that she can live with a better family where she won¡¯t be bullied or ndered in the future.¡± Verbal abuse often hurts the most. Justin felt as if he had been hit in the head. His eyebrows furrowed tightly. After a few days, nothing eventful happened. Nigel¡¯s birthday was approaching. Thinking that she would soon finalize the divorce, Be had mixed feelings in her heart. When she and Justin got married, they did not have a wedding ceremony or official announcement. They just went to City Hall to get their marriage license. It was so hasty that they did not even have a meal together before or after. The marriage license had the only photo of the two of them. In the photo, Be shed a happy smile and leaned toward Justin. But there was no smile on the man¡¯s face. He looked so stiff, as if he had been photoshopped into the picture. At that time, Be thought things would get better after marriage. As long as she worked hard enough, Justin would slowly fall in love with her. However, she finally understood that was not the case. Love was the only thing in the world that did not work on merit. She thought, ¡®Justin, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t try hard enough. We were just too far apart.¡¯ ¡°Ms. Be, the event nning department spent several nights working on this. Please take a look at the proposal for Ada Wang¡¯s wedding.¡± Steven ced the folder in front of her. Be¡¯s eyes lit up. She hurriedly picked it up and looked through it. Then she picked up her fountain pen and moved her delicate hands over the document, like a big boss. ¡°This, this, and this won¡¯t work. Change it. It¡¯s boring and outdated. This idea is from five years ago, and the color palette won¡¯t do. Ada Wang hates this kind of bright color. She prefers Morandi colors. Take it back and redo it!¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Steven felt nervous for his colleagues on the event nning team. ¡°Ada Wang¡¯s wedding nning will be put on the agenda after Grandpa Nigel¡¯s birthday. This time, we must crush the Salvador family in all aspects. Get everyone to buck up and be on the lookout.¡± Be¡¯s clear eyes flickered. ¡°Understood. We won¡¯t lose to Justin Salvador!¡± Steven clenched his fists. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Be sneered. ¡°I just don¡¯t like losing. It has nothing to do with Justin. But since he wants topete with me, I¡¯ll show him the cruel reality.¡± At this time, Be¡¯s phone rang. Sasha was calling. ¡°Aunt Sasha, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Be! I did it!¡± Be was confused. ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 157 Sasha sounded excited as she said, ¡°I managed to steal that antique rosewood chair that you wanted from your father!¡± ¡°Aunt Sasha, thanks for your hard work! I¡¯ll definitely treat you to a meal the next time we meet!¡± Be rubbed her hands excitedly. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s not a big deal! I¡¯m just d that you¡¯re happy!¡± ¡°But¡­ What will happen to you if Wyatt finds out?¡± Be could not help but worry about Sasha. Sasha said courageously, ¡°Well, I have no dependents, so I guess I can leave this world without worries. If anything happens to me, just remember to buy me a nice coffin.¡± Be was speechless. After a busy day, Steven drove Be back to the vi. Be kicked off her high heels, put on her soft velvet red slippers, stretched her back, and prepared to go upstairs to take a bubble bath. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Let me draw the bath for you.¡± Steven hurriedly rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt. ¡°No need. I can do it myself. Just prepare some dinner.¡± Be smiled tiredly. ¡°Okay. What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Spicy instant ramen!¡± Steven was speechless. He was not a fan of spicy instant ramen, but Be loved it. Be pouted her lips and said, ¡°Actually, I also want a doner kebab, but there are no kebab shops nearby.¡± ¡°Do you want to eat first before taking a bath?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m too tired. If I don¡¯t take a shower now, I probably won¡¯t even have the energy to eat.¡± Be yawned and went upstairs to shower. Steven tidied up the living room before he put on an apron and gloves. As soon as he finished making the noodles, the doorbell rang. Asher and Axel had keys to this vi, so they would never ring the doorbell. Steven thought, ¡®It¡¯s sote. Who would it be? Who else knew that Be lived here?¡¯ He frowned and walked to the entrance to press on the video inte. The next second, he gasped. He saw Ryan¡¯s handsome face on the screen. ¡°Hello! Is anyone home?¡± Ryan looked around. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, why are you here?¡± Steven instantly became alert and stared at him coldly. ¡°I followed you here, of course!¡± Ryan suddenly smiled brightly. ¡°When?!¡± ¡°I followed you from the hotel. Tsk tsk¡­ You¡¯re so ipetent as a secretary. You didn¡¯t even realize that someone was stalking your boss. You need to improve your observation skills.¡± Steven took a deep breath to calm himself. He said in a cold voice, ¡°Ms. Be is sleeping now, so she won¡¯t see any guests. Please leave!¡± ¡°The lights upstairs are still on. Who are you trying to deceive?¡± Ryan blinked. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a gift. You should at least let me in.¡± ¡°Steve, who are you talking to?¡± At this moment, Be was dressed in a pastel-pink silk robe. Her long hair was tightly wrapped in a white towel. She walked downstairs, feeling rxed from her hot bath. ¡°Um¡­¡± Steven did not know what to say. Be walked over, put her pretty face in front of the screen, and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Anna! It¡¯s me!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement when he heard her sweet voice. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Anna, I brought you a gift. I didn¡¯t get to see you during the day, so I wanted to give it to you in person tonight!¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman, I made it clear to you before that I wouldn¡¯t ept your gifts. But I appreciate your kindness.¡± Be rejected him without hesitation. ¡°I purposely flew to Sentania to find a crystal artwork made by the famous sculptor, LAN. I got it with great difficulty¡­¡± ¡®LAN?!¡¯ Be licked her lips and pressed the button to open the gate. Steven held his forehead and was speechless. He thought, ¡®Hmph! This guy really knows what Be likes!¡¯ Chapter 158 The door opened. Ryan quickly jumped in, as if he were afraid that Be would change her mind. ¡°Sigh¡­ It¡¯s not easying into your house. The door ticket is quite expensive.¡± At this moment, Ryan spotted the woman standing under the light, wrapped in a silk bathrobe. The robe hung loosely around her graceful figure and was tied at her slender waist. Her cheeks were rosy from the bath. Ryan could not help but ogle at her. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed restlessly. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, where do you think you¡¯re looking?¡± Steven¡¯s expression was cold, and his tone was hostile. ¡°Everyone has a love for beauty. I¡¯m simply appreciating this top-notch art of God. It¡¯s pure admiration, nothing else.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes squinted when he smiled. Steven thought, ¡®Damn! This is the first time I¡¯ve heard someone exin their lewd gaze in such a refined way!¡¯ ¡°Is this LAN¡¯s work?¡± Be stared at the box that Ryan was holding. ¡°Yes. I bought two of them. One is for Justin¡¯s grandfather, and the other is especially for you.¡¯ ]] Ryan¡¯s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. ¡°Anna, LAN only sells ten handmade works to the public year. Do you know how rare they are?¡± Be coughed slightly. ¡°Um¡­ Have you eaten? If not, do you want to join us?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t! I have been waiting in front of your hotel since 5:00 p.m. and haven¡¯t even had a sip of water. I¡¯m absolutely starving right now!¡± Ryan¡¯s voice trembled with excitement. Steven rolled his eyes. ¡®Look at this shameless guy! He¡¯s really making himself at home¡­¡¯ ¡°Steve, will you prepare another bowl of spicy instant ramen for Mr. Hoffman? Make it extra spicy.¡± Be carefully took the box from Ryan¡¯s arms and gave instructions as she walked to the living room. ¡°Spicy instant ramen?!¡± Ryan was so frightened that his face turned pale. Also, extra spicy? Ryan thought, ¡®Does she want to kill me?¡¯ ¡°Mr. Hoffman, you don¡¯t seem satisfied with our hospitality.¡± Steven saw Ryan¡¯s expression and took the opportunity to tease him. ¡°Oh, right. The ¡®Prince of Savrow¡¯ only eats at the best fine-dining restaurants. You must not be used to the ¡®peasant food¡¯ that we eat.¡± ¡°No! Who said that? Don¡¯t spread rumors about me. I¡¯ll eat it!¡± Ryan was worried and said with a wry smile, ¡°But can you make it non-spicy? Just a normal instant ramen will do.¡± The more he spoke, the quieter his voice became. Ryan looked so aggrieved. Be turned to look at him and chuckled. Her face was rosy, and her eyes were curved into little crescents as she smiled. ¡°Sure, whatever you want.¡± Ryan¡¯s breath hitched, and a brilliant pink firework exploded in his mind. He finally understood what it meant to be enchanted by someone. Steven went to prepare dinner, while Be and Ryan sat in the living room admiring LAN¡¯s artwork. Be¡¯s beautiful and slender hands caressed the crystal statue that was shaped like an opened folding fan. The statue was made of a single piece of white crystal, but the carving was so smooth that it looked like it was dynamic. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s so beautiful¡­¡± Be sighed and felt like her soul had been purified. She carefully picked up the crystal fan from the holder. Ryan widened his eyes in admiration. Her small and slender hands were even more beautiful than the carefully crafted crystal. At this moment, Ryan was no longer staring at the crystal artwork. ¡°Anna, do you like it?¡± Ryan rested his chin on his hand and swooned over her. ¡°Of course, I like it! LAN is the contemporary artist that I admire the most. Her works are stunning.¡± Be liked it so much that she gaped. Ryan said, ¡°Me too¡­¡± What he wanted to add was, ¡°I like you.¡± ¡°Thank you for thinking of me when you buy this, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Be suddenly looked at him seriously. ¡°But I won¡¯t ept a gift for no reason. You must have spent a lot of manpower and money to get this treasure, so name your price. I¡¯ll buy it from you.¡± ¡°Tsk! Anna, I¡¯ll get mad if you want me to ept your money. It pains my heart so much.¡± Ryan pouted and rubbed his chest. ¡°I really like LAN¡¯s work. I wanted to take the time to go to Sentania to buy a piece this year, but I never got around to it. This gift really touched my heart, so I think it¡¯s better if I pay you so that you won¡¯t have wasted your trip. That way, I won¡¯t feel bad for epting such a precious gift. It¡¯s a win- win.¡± Be smiled lightly. ¡°Besides, I really don¡¯t like owing people.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°No, no¡­ I will never ept your money!¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you name a condition? I¡¯ll agree to it as long as it¡¯s within my capabilities.¡± When Ryan heard this, he grinned happily, showing off his pearly whites. He suddenly leaned toward Be and asked, ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa Nigel¡¯s birthday next week. Why don¡¯t you attend it with me?¡± Chapter 159 Be said, ¡°No, think of another condition.¡± ¡°But you just promised me!¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows and looked anxious. ¡°I really can¡¯t go with you.¡± Be looked at him sternly. ¡°I promised Grandpa Nigel that I would spend his birthday with him as his granddaughter-inw. After his birthday, I won¡¯t have anything to do with the Salvador family anymore. If I attend his birthday party with another man, I¡¯m afraid Grandpa Nigel will feel ufortable. I just want Grandpa Nigel to be happy on his 80th birthday. After all, I won¡¯t be spending much time with him anymore.¡± As she spoke, a trace of sadness shed across her beautiful eyes. ¡°Anna, you¡¯re such a good person. I think that Justin is too blind to have missed out on you.¡± Ryan sighed. But then Ryan thought, ¡®If my best friend wasn¡¯t so blind, how could I get the chance to find this hidden treasure? Oh, Justin¡­ Your loss is my gain! Your blindness is the reason I¡¯ll be happy for the rest of my life!¡¯ ¡°So, tell me another condition.¡± Be touched the crystal artwork with her fingertips. She liked it so much that she could not put it down. ¡°Then, can you please change the way you address me from now on? I don¡¯t want you to call me Mr. Hoffman.¡± Ryan batted his long eyshes pleadingly. ¡°That¡¯s it? You know, it¡¯s rare for me to owe favors.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I¡¯m just happy that you let me stay for dinner.¡± Ryan looked at her adoringly, seizing every opportunity to convey his love for her. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll call you Ryan. Is that okay?¡± Be asked. ¡°Of course! Ryan, it is!¡± Ryan¡¯s heart throbbed with joy. He just felt that he had taken a big step forward to close the gap between them. To him, Anna saying his name was equivalent to her calling him ¡°babe¡±. ¡°Ms. Be, your noodles are ready.¡± Steven came over wearing an apron. He was so gentle to Be, but he was mean to Ryan. ¡°I¡¯ve also cooked one bowl for him, extra spicy.¡± Steven thought, ¡®I hope the spice kills him!¡¯ ¡°Anna, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inconvenient for you to be living with a male nanny? I have an old maid who has been working in my house for the past fifteen years. I can ask her to work for you. She¡¯s hard- working and efficient. Her cooking is also delicious. I grew up eating her food.¡± Ryan nced sideways at Steven, acting like a jealous sidepiece who had just gained attention. Steven was so angry that he clutched his apron. ¡®How dare this man suggest this?! He¡¯s not even Be¡¯s boyfriend yet!¡¯ ¡°Steve and I grew up together. He¡¯s mine.¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes dimmed, and her voice became cold. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re overstepping your bounds?¡± Steven felt a surge of warmth in his heart. ¡®I knew that Be would be on my side!¡¯ Ryan almost vomited blood from his broken heart. He thought, ¡®Anna grew up with this male nanny? Is he her childhood sweetheart?! Why is Asher Thompson so generous as not to bury this man alive and even allow him to stay with his girlfriend?!¡¯ ¡°You can head to the dining table first. I¡¯ll put the artwork upstairs and be right back.¡± Be put the statue back in the box and went upstairs happily with her new gift. Ryan looked at the woman, who was tiptoeing briskly like a little butterfly, and felt a surge of desire in his heart. He could not help but snap a photo of her back. This photo looked like a work of art even when he had just casually taken it. At this time, a message popped up on his screen. [Justin: I¡¯m in a bad mood. Let¡¯s go out and have a drink.] Ryan suddenly felt smug and sent him the photo he had just taken. Two secondster, Justin called Ryan. ¡°Hello?¡± Ryan turned around and answered the call, lowering his voice. Justin¡¯s voice was cold and dark, as if he came from hell. ¡°Are you with Anna at this hour?¡± ¡°I am with Anna right now, at her house too.¡± Ryan had to show off to Justin. ¡°Where is her house?!¡± Justin growled. ¡°What?! You don¡¯t even know where your ex-wife lives? Oh no, I can¡¯t tell you this. She clearly doesn¡¯t want you to bother her if she doesn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Ryan, I¡¯ll only ask you this once more. Where is she staying?¡± Justin¡¯s tone was murderous. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Ryan covered his mouth and snickered. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you!¡± Chapter 160 Twenty minutester, Justin rushed over to Be¡¯s vi. He lowered the window and looked at the warm lights inside. When he thought of Ryan and Anna together at this hour, Justin felt that his heart was stuffed with cotton. Justin frowned and clutched his phone in his sweaty palms. On his phone screen, Anna was wearing a sexy silk robe, showing off her perfect curves. In the past, Anna would only wear loose cotton nightdresses, which looked like maternity clothes that did not show off her figure at all. Now that they were divorced, shepletely let loose and transformed into a sexy temptress, seducing men everywhere she went. Justin¡¯s chest heaved as he lowered his eyes to look at the photo again. Then he reached out and tugged on his meticulously knotted tie. He felt a little too warm. In the vi, Ryan¡¯s face turned green when he saw Be slurping the spicy instant ramen. He was raised in a wealthy household with a health-conscious mother who doted on him. Ryan drank his first sip of Coke when he was 15 years old and ate his first bite of fried chicken at 18 years old. A high-born man like Ryan had never been exposed tomoner food like instant ramen. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat it? It won¡¯t taste good if it gets cold.¡± Be asked casually. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just so happy that I¡¯m at a loss for words¡­¡± Ryan held a fork and smiled dryly. ¡°Really? It¡¯s just a bowl of noodles. If you like it that much, I have a box of it. You can take it back when you leave.¡± ¡°No, no¡­ It¡¯s okay!¡± Ryan gritted his teeth and bit the bullet. ¡®This is just another hurdle to chase my future wife!¡¯ Thus, he picked up his fork, stared at the red noodles, and took a big mouthful. ¡°Cough cough cough cough cough¡­¡± Ryan choked on the mouthful of chili pepper that went straight down his throat, making his eyes water and his tongue numb. He red at Steven fiercely. Steven had such innocent puppy-dog eyes, but he had an evil smile that revealed his bad intentions. ¡°You can¡¯t eat spicy food? You should¡¯ve told me earlier¡­ Is it too spicy?¡± Be thoughtfully poured a ss of water for Ryan. At this moment, the doorbell rang. ¡°Why do we have so many guests tonight? I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Steven walked to the entrance and pressed on the video inte. The moment Justin¡¯s handsome face appeared on the screen, Steven took a step back and looked stunned. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Anna.¡± ¡°Steve, who is it?¡± At this time, Be and Ryan, who was still choking with a red face, walked out. When the two of them saw the man on the inte, they were both stunned. ¡°Why is he here? Did you tell him?¡± Be reacted quickly and red at Ryan. ¡°Ahem¡­ Anna¡­ Ahem¡­ I had no choice. That jerk Justin threatened me!¡± Ryan had tears in her eyes. He clutched his chest and still had not recovered from the intake of so much spice. ¡°He said¡­ Ahem¡­ He said that if I don¡¯t tell him where you live, he¡¯ll cut off all ties with me and¡­¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°What else did he say?¡± Be frowned. ¡°He also said¡­ Ahem¡­ He¡¯ll dy finalizing your divorce for as long as possible. That way, Asher and I won¡¯t be able to be with you.¡± Be thought, ¡®Justin, you¡¯re so despicable!¡¯ Be¡¯s eyes were red with fury. She clenched her fists and rushed over to the inte. She pulled Steven behind her and said coldly into the inte, ¡°Who told you to show up at my door? Leave now! Otherwise, I¡¯ll call security!¡± ¡°Anna,e out.¡± Justin frowned slightly. His tone was a little irritable. Be sneered. ¡°Who are you to tell me what to do?¡± ¡°Ryan,e out now!¡± Justin shouted at Ryan. His charming eyes were bloodshot. ¡°No way!¡± Ryan knew that his best friend was a good fighter. At that moment, he was terrified for his life. ¡°Ryan Hoffman!¡± ¡°Ryan is my guest. He came here to give me a gift. Since I epted his gift, there¡¯s no reason for me to kick him out.¡± Be¡¯s voice was deep as she said, ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡¯re not wee here. Please leave!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were burning with rage. As soon as he opened his mouth, Be had already turned off the inte. Chapter 161 The screen of the inte went dark, but Be could still see Justin¡¯s sullen eyes. Be thought, ¡®What a jerk! How dare he threaten me with the divorce? He¡¯s so despicable! Is he going to use the divorce certificate to manipte me for the rest of my life?¡¯ ¡°Anna, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Ryan sniffed. His nose was red, and he still felt a little uneasy. ¡°This is all my fault. I talked too much. I shouldn¡¯t have told him¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me you.¡¯ Be took a deep breath and clenched her fists. ¡°Justin is just a shameless jerk who can¡¯t stand seeing me happy.¡± Ryan had always been an arrogant prince in front of other ingratiating women, who would be servile to him. At this moment, when he saw Be suppressing her anger, this haughty man finally knew what it felt like for the tables to be turned. He felt oppressed and flustered. ¡°Rumble¨C!¡± There was lightning and thunder outside, signaling that it was going to rain soon. ¡°Let¡¯s continue eating. Let him be.¡± Be turned away angrily. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ryan stood there, nced at the door, and suddenly came to his senses. ¡®OMG! Am I a horrible friend for doing that to Justin?¡¯ Soon, it rained heavily. Be and Ryan sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, drinking tea and chatting. ¡°To be honest, I used to be a little biased against you. Before I got to know you, I didn¡¯t know you were such an interesting person. Also, you¡¯re kinder than I thought.¡± Be spoke sincerely as she took a sip of tea. ¡°Anna, you actually think that I¡¯m kind? Did I hear you right?!¡± Ryan was so excited that he could hardly speak coherently. ¡°Anna, I¡¯m so touched! I will remember this compliment forever, and I will carve it on my gravestone when I die!¡± ¡°Stop talking. You¡¯re making me consider taking it back.¡± Be curled her pink lips. ¡°Anna, if you had met me before marrying Justin, would you fall in love with me? Would you give me a chance to pursue you?¡± Ryan took the opportunity to express his feelings and leaned forward slowly, approaching her. He knew that he was not considered a good man, but for Anna¡¯s sake, Ryan was willing to change his old ways and turn over a new leaf. ¡°No,¡± Be answered decisively. Ssh¨C Ryan felt like she had sshed a bucket of cold water over his head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t love anyone, even without Justin.¡± Be looked at the raindrops on the window with a calm expression. The bond between her and Justinsted for thirteen years, from their first meeting to their marriage and now divorce. Be gave that man her most passionate feelings, her brightest smile, and her youth being infatuated with him. Thus, she had no energy to love anyone else. Some people were just cold-hearted. Ryan stared nkly at her sad side profile and felt her pain. Be was only 24 years old, but the destion in her eyes and the despair for love made her look like an old person approaching death. Ryan thought, ¡®Justin, why are you so cruel?¡¯ ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Steven hurried over. ¡°Yes?¡± Be¡¯s eyes were a little empty as she returned to her senses. ¡°I think you should take a look outside.¡± Steven took Be to the corridor on the other side of the house and stood in front of the window. ¡± Look! Is Justin crazy?!¡± Be looked out. Her pupils suddenly shrank. She saw Justin standing motionless next to his ck sports car. His ck tie was flying in the wind, and his ck hair was a mess. He waspletely drenched, but even so, he still stood there stiffly with a determined gaze. He was like a rock, unmoving regardless of the strong thunderstorm outside. ¡°Did he get struck by lightning? Why is he standing in the rain? Is he trying to gain pity points? Does he think that you¡¯ll see him if he looks so miserable?! He¡¯s so shameless!¡± Steven wanted to rush outside and beat him senseless in the rain. ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s getting more shameless by the day.¡± Be¡¯s heart clenched, but she sneered and said, ¡°If he is willing to stand there, he can stand all he wants. The time hase to test whether he¡¯s a scumbag.¡¯ At this time, Be¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Come out. I have something to tell you.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was deep and mellow. She could still hear h over the heavy rain and strong winds. ¡°I have nothing to say to you!¡± At this moment, a ray of purple lightning struck the ground, making Be¡¯s face turn pale with fri Chapter 162 Strong winds, heavy rain, and purple lightning. Be recalled that Justin was standing under the tree just now. What was even worse was that he still called her at this time. Was he really trying to get struck by lightning? ¡°Justin, I won¡¯t go out to see you. Stop calling me and go home!¡± Be¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°I won¡¯t leave until youe out.¡± Justin¡¯s deep voice sounded determined. ¡°That crazy bastard!¡± Be was livid as she hurried toward the stairs while cursing him. ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Be did not stop, even when Steven called out to her. Justin clutched his phone tightly and frowned. He stared intently in the direction of the vi door without moving. Finally, the door opened. Justin¡¯s dark eyes suddenly lit up, and his breathing became heavier. Be put on a jacket and walked toward him with a huge ck umbre. Her hair flew messily, and her body swayed in the strong wind. She looked as if she was about to be blown away. However, she did not look timid at all. Instead, her expression was icy. Justin could not help but feel surprised. He felt those bright eyes that shone like stars in the dark were familiar. While he was in a daze, Be walked up to him with a solemn face. She was the proud heiress of KS Group. Her father was the richest man in Hatchbay, with hundreds of billions of dors in assets. She had four outstanding brothers who pampered her. Thus, Be had always been the one controlling others. However, at this moment, she was being yed emotionally by this man. ¡°Justin, do you have nomon sense or are you mentally ill? Are you not afraid of getting struck by lightning?!¡± Be was furious. She wanted to pounce on him and rip out his jugr. Justin¡¯s dark eyes narrowed slightly as he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Do you care about me?¡± ¡°Care about you? Hah!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Be took a deep breath and sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I only came out to see you because I wanted to tell you to find somece else to die. Don¡¯t taint my door.¡± Her sharp tongue pierced his heart. But even so, Justin felt that this side of Anna was cuter than the woman who lived like a puppet back then. Curiosity was the beginning of love. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the car.¡± Justin lowered his eyes and saw that her clothes were soaked by the rain. ¡°No.¡± Be refused sternly. ¡°Please just say what you want to and get to the point. Hurry up!¡± ¡°Get in!¡± Justin was even more stubborn than Be was. He frowned and took a step forward. At this moment, a ray of lightning struck the tree. A loud rumble ensued when the thick tree branch broke and fell without warning. The rain was too loud, and Be was so focused on being mad at Justin that she did not realize she was in danger. ¡°Watch out!¡± Be was startled. The next second, she felt Justin¡¯s hot breath on her face. Justin reacted quickly and shielded her in his strong embrace when the thick branch fell and hit his broad back. Chapter 163 ¡°Ugh¨C!¡± Justin tried his best to endure it, but a painful groan still escaped from his throat. Even so, Justin held Be tightly without letting go. Be¡¯s pupils shrank, and her heart was pounding. ¡°Justin! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Get in the car.¡± Justin gritted his teeth to hold back the pain and stubbornly held her thin wrist. It was pouring at the moment. Be waspletely speechless, so she could only follow Justin to the car. In the dimly lit car, Be could feel the humidity and smell Justin¡¯s scent. Justin took off his soaked suit and threw it in the passenger seat. His wet bangs covered half of his eyes. He looked so handsome, even when he was drenched. Be was still in shock. Her heart was sore and numb when she thought about how this man protected her at that critical moment. During the three years of marriage, Justin had never held her. She felt safe in his arms. Was this how Rosalind felt every day? Thinking of this, Be scoffed. No matter how good it felt, Justin¡¯s embrace belonged to someone else, so there was no point in thinking about it. ¡°Did Asher buy this vi for you?¡± Justin looked at her sideways, his voice cold. ¡°You clearly know the answer. Be crossed her arms and looked out the window. ¡°How can a country girl like me afford to live in such a big house? Of course, Mr. Thompson is generous enough to give it to me.¡± ¡°Since you have no ce to live, why didn¡¯t you ept the vi I wanted to give you?¡± Justin could not help but feel annoyed. He could not care less about the pain in his back. ¡°Why should I ept it?¡± Be smiled andughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that I ept gifts from Asher, given the nature of our rtionship. But why should I ept your gifts? Did you think that our marriage was a mere transaction? Justin, you¡¯re really good at humiliating people. I didn¡¯t spend a penny of yours during our marriage, so I won¡¯t ept anything from you after the divorce.¡± ¡°Anna, I didn¡¯t mean to humiliate you. You¡¯re overthinking it. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Justin took a breath. His deep eyes conveyed mixed emotions. When he gave her the money, he was considerate enough to think that she had no savings, so it would be difficult for her to live in Savrow. After all, he had nothing to give her except material things. ¡°That¡¯s enough. If you just want to talk about this, I¡¯m not in the mood to hear it. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Be no longer had the patience to waste her time with him, so she stretched out her hand to open the car door. Justin felt anxious. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. ¡°Ow!¡± Be was shocked when she crashed into the man¡¯s hard chest. It hurts! ¡®Why is this jerk¡¯s chest so hard? Is he a rock? Luckily, I didn¡¯t get a nose job. Otherwise, it would get crooked¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was low and hoarse. Be¡¯s heart suddenly trembled. She raised her eyes to look at him in shock. Her nose was red from the bump. ¡°What did you say?¡± Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled, and his dark eyes shed with shame. After all, he had never apologized to anyone before. Thus, he was hesitant and added, ¡°I¡¯m apologizing to you on behalf of Rose for what happenedst time. She shouldn¡¯t have said that to you in public.¡± In an instant, Be¡¯s heart sank. She sneered. ¡°Oh, you waited in the rain for so long just so you could apologize on behalf of your fianc¨¦e, huh? Well, I won¡¯t ept your apology. So you¡¯ve just wasted your trip.¡± Chapter 164 ¡°Why?¡± Justin frowned. God knew how long it took him to mentally prepare himself to say sorry to Anna. He even had insomnia for a whole week. Justin nned to wait until the day of his grandfather¡¯s birthday to tell Anna in person, but when he saw Ryan at her home tonight, he could not wait any longer and wanted to see her as soon as possible. He did not know what was wrong with him. He had never been like this before. His emotions were always easy to control. Buttely, Justin gradually discovered that Anna seemed to hold the switch to his emotions. ¡°Rosalind shoulde and apologize to me in person. What does it mean for you to apologize to me on her behalf? Are you trying to show off your love for her?¡± Be¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice. ¡°If she kills someone, will you go to jail for her too?¡± ¡°Anna, I¡¯m here to sincerely apologize to you!¡± Justin raised his voice, and his eyes were red. ¡°I think you¡¯re deliberately trying to provoke me. ]] Beughed out loud. Her clear eyes glinted coldly in the night. ¡°Justin, if you don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying, it¡¯s better for you not to apologize. That word has no meaninging from you.¡± ¡°Anna, why are you picking on me?¡± Justin¡¯s tone was harsh. ¡°You¡¯re the one picking on me. I didn¡¯t ask you toe here. You came here on your own ord to cause trouble.¡± Be struggled to free her wrist, but her bones ached. ¡°Let go! I¡¯m going back inside.¡± ¡°So what if I¡¯m apologizing to you on her behalf? I¡¯ve already humbled myself to this extent. What do you want for you to be satisfied?!¡± Justin could no longer control his anger. He grabbed her shoulders with both hands and shook her. ¡°Justin, I¡¯ve never wanted your humility.¡± Be thought to herself, ¡®What I want is for you to love me, but I know that I will never get your love. I epted it and finally let go, so why do you keep provoking me? Am I such a pushover to you?¡± Beughed bitterly, and her eyes turned red. Her eyes were beautiful, and her gaze was scorching, burning Justin¡¯s trembling heart. ¡°I want you to disappear from my worldpletely. Just leave. Goodbye.¡± Be pushed Justin away, but he grabbed her wrist again. ¡°How could I disappear? You and I have been married for three years. Our divorce will be on your record forever. You can¡¯t erase the past!¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible if I want it to be. You might think that we¡¯re divorced, but I think that I¡¯m widowed.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were extremely contemptuous. It was as if he was an insignificant speck of dirt. Justin¡¯s eyes flickered. He felt like he had received a heavy blow. There was a buzzing sound in his ear, and his head hurt. He took a breath. His hands were trembling with pain as he said, ¡°Anna, if I don¡¯t let you go, you will always have my name tied to yours! If I don¡¯t divorce you, you can¡¯t even think about starting a new life!¡± p-! Be tried hard to keep the tears from falling. Finally, she could not bear it any longer and pped Justin hard on the face. This was the second time she hit him, but her mood waspletely different from the first time. Her heart ached so much at this moment. It felt as if she had been stabbed by his words. ¡°Justin, if I¡¯d known how despicable you were, I wouldn¡¯t have married you in the first ce!¡± Be quickly got out of the car and mmed the door shut. She did not even bother to hold an umbre as she rushed back to the vi in the rain. Justin¡¯s head was tilted sideways from the p, and he looked dumbfounded. After some time, he bent his tall body and held his aching head while trembling. He looked so wretched and pitiful. When Be got back home, she avoided Steven and ran to her room. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. As soon as she ran upstairs, she could not hold it in anymore. She held the wall with her left hand and clutched her robe with her right hand, panting as if she had been drowning. She tried hard to suppress her tears. ¡°Anna?¡± Ryan¡¯s worried voice came from behind. Be gritted her teeth and swallowed back her tears. ¡°I¡¯m tired and want to rest, so I won¡¯t send you off. Thanks for your gift.¡± ¡°Anna¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ryan asked with a trembling heart. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Anna!¡± Ryan caught up with her in long strides, grabbed her thin shoulders with both hands, and forced her to face him. He was so strong that Be felt dizzy from the spin. Her teary eyes were dazed and irritated. She looked even more stunning like this. ¡°You cried?¡± Ryan stared at her, dumbfounded ¡°No,¡± Be replied coldly, but her red eyes betrayed her. ¡°Anna, did Justin make you angry? He¡¯s such a stupid and stubborn man. Don¡¯t bother with him. He¡¯s not worth your tears.¡± Chapter 165 ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not worth it¡­¡± Be muttered absentmindedly. Ryan took a deep breath. Be¡¯s gaze at this moment was so shattered that Ryan felt heartbroken. ¡°Anna, why don¡¯t you try dating me?¡± Be frowned slightly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to ept me? Although I¡¯m not a saint, I¡¯m willing to be a better person for you!¡± Ryan thought that he was at least better than Justin ¡°Ryan, I¡¯m really tired. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Be looked at him with such sadness. ¡°Anna¡­¡± Ryan¡¯s breathing hitched. His heart was filled with pity. ¡°It¡¯s veryte. I really want to go to bed. You should go home.¡± Be pushed him away, turned around, and walked slowly toward the bedroom. ¡°Are you and Asher really dating? What is your rtionship with him? Are you in a rtionship with him, or are you just using him to take revenge on Justin?¡± Be was startled. She clenched her fists and said, ¡°None of this has anything to do with you.¡± ¡°There is no trace of Asher living here. If he¡¯s your boyfriend, why isn¡¯t there a pair of his shoes at the door? How is it possible that there is no trace of him being with you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. None of this has anything to do with you, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°Anna! Don¡¯t hurt yourself or do anything stupid.¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was anxious. He had a bitterness in his throat. Be pursed her lips and left without looking back. Justin drove back to Tideview Manor from Be¡¯s house. It was less than an hour¡¯s journey, but he drove for two hours. The severe headache made it almost impossible for him to see the road ahead. The heavy rain also interfered with his vision. He almost got into a car ident twice along the way home. Justin stumbled into the study and knocked over the cups and documents on the table in search of his medicine. Finally, he found the medicine bottle and swallowed a few pills without washing it down with water. He took double the prescribed amount, but his headache was not relieved at all. ¨C¡°Justin, if I¡¯d known how despicable you were, I wouldn¡¯t have married you in the first ce!¡± ¡°Ugh-!¡± Anna¡¯s resentful words echoed in his mind. Justin¡¯s strong and tall body curled up into a cocoon as he was overwhelmed by a splitting headache. His forehead was dripping with cold sweat. Wilma heard the noise and hurriedly opened the door of the study. Seeing Justin in pain, Wilma felt so distressed that tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Young Master! What¡¯s wrong? Do you have a headache again?¡± Justin¡¯s mind was a mess, and he was incoherent. ¡°Anna¡­ Anna¡­¡± ¡°Just hold on, Young Master! I¡¯ll call your personal doctor right away!¡± Wilma¡¯s face turned pale with fright as she rushed out the door. At this moment, she received a phone call. It was an unfamiliar number. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Wilma, it¡¯s me.¡± A gentle voice came. ¡°Young Madam? Is that you?!¡± Wilma was so excited that she covered her mouth in disbelief. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Anna.¡± ¡°Young Madam¡­ It¡¯s really you! That¡¯s great!¡± Wilma wiped away her tears and sobbed. ¡°Please save the young master! He has a severe headache again. He¡¯spletely delirious now. When you were with the young master, he hadn¡¯t had a headache in a long time¡­ Now that you¡¯re gone, his headaches have gotten worse! What should I do?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Wilma, don¡¯t worry. Listen to me.¡± Be took a deep breath and spoke in a calm voice, ¡°Go to my room immediately. There¡¯s a silver box in the drawer beside my bed with a set of silver needles that I used to treat Mr. Salvador¡¯s headaches. There¡¯s also a notebook under the box, which records the treatment methods and acupuncture locations in detail. I remember that you mentioned having studied some acupuncture before, so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! I know acupuncture. I¡¯ll get it right now!¡± ¡°Wilma, Mr. Salvador was injured tonight. A tree branch fell on his back. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, I think the injury is quite serious. I also have ointment for bruises in my drawer. You can apply it on himter. If it doesn¡¯t get better after a few days, take him to the hospital to get it checked out.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Wilma wiped her tears and felt disheartened. Wilma thought, ¡®Why did Young Master lose such a nice woman?¡¯ ¡°Onest thing.¡± Be sighed softly. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Mr. Salvador that I called you tonight.¡± Chapter 166 The next afternoon, Justin finally woke up. That night, he had the same dream over and over again. Justin was assigned a difficult task on the battlefield of Kridor. He and fifty otherrades sneaked into the enemy camp and wiped out the terrorists, sessfully rescuing ten hostages. Those terrorists were armed with heavy firearms. They were child soldiers who had started killing and dabbling in firearms at the age of five. The desert was stained with blood. It looked like hell on earth. Originally, Justin was not included in the mission, but he volunteered to join the mission and became a member of the ¡°Suicide Squad¡±. ¡°Young man, are you married?¡± ¨C¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not married, and you don¡¯t have children yet. Why do you want to carry out this mission? All of us have families and children, so we still have a sessor if anything happens to us.¡± At that time, Justin just smiled lightly. He did not care about death. ¡°Since I have no dependents, I have nothing to fear.¡± At that time, the two most important women in his life left him, one after another. His heart was dead, so he did not care if he died. Inparison, he was more afraid of being left alone. Later, all of them fought to the death, but only less than ten of them survived. Justin was shot and stabbed in his legs, shoulders, and waist. Just as he thought he would die there, a girl in a white doctor¡¯s coat saved him like an angel descended from heaven. She wore a thick mask and had neat, short hair. Theb coat she was wearing was torn and dirty. She looked like a battle-damaged angel. However, her beautiful eyes were sharp and as bright as the sun. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. That woman was Justin¡¯s savior, ¡°the little dove¡±, whom he had been searching for since then. Unexpectedly, Justin dreamed of the little dove again after meeting Annast night. They were obviously two unrted people, but Justin saw the shadow of the little dove in Anna¡¯s eyes. How strange! Justin rubbed his temples tiredly and found that his head was no longer hurting. At this time, Wilma came in with a medicine box. Seeing that Justin had woken up and looked better, Wilma said happily, ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re awake! How are you feeling today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Justin sat up with some help and was startled that he was already in pajamas. ¡°When did I change?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know where you wentst night, but you came back drenched in water, so I helped you to change your clothes.¡± Wilma nagged while she tidied up the room. ¡°You¡¯re already thirty. Why do you still not know how to take care of yourself? You really need a wife¡­¡± Justin frowned and pulled his hair in frustration. Last night, he remembered that he had a severe headache, so he went into the study to look for medicine. He could not remember what happened next. ¡°Wilma, did you change the clothes for me?¡± ¡°Who else can do it?¡± Justin held his forehead in embarrassment. ¡°Wilma, I¡¯m thirty, not thirteen. Can you please stop taking off my clothes?¡± ¡°Oh, you think that I took advantage of you? I¡¯m old enough to be your mother, okay?¡± Wilma dissed him. ¡°Do you think I want to change your clothes? You¡¯re so heavy, like a dead weight. Also, I¡¯ve grown tired of seeing your butt since you were in diapers.¡± Justin was speechless. ¡°Why did you kick Young Madam out? Now, you have no one to me but yourself for not having someone to rely on and love you. When I die, you¡¯ll be a neglected child. No one will care if you sleep in wet clothes or if you run around naked!¡± Justin was at a loss for words. ¡°Hurry up and take off your clothes!¡± ¡°What do you want to do now?¡± Justin stepped back. ¡°I need to apply medicine to the wound on your back! This medicine has to be applied consistently to be effective. Take it off quickly!¡± Wilma spoke in a stern voice while holding the ointment that the young madam gave her. Justin stared at Wilma. ¡°How did you know that my back was injured?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ Chapter 167 Wilma remembered the young madam¡¯s instructions and hurriedly changed her tune. ¡°Of course, I saw it when I helped you change your clothesst night! Thatrge bruise scared me to death!¡± Justin thought of that thrilling momentst night when he held Anna in his arms. Her breath was so hot, and her soft waist seemed to melt into his palm. At that moment, he inexplicably wanted to protect her. Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his eyes were filled with uncontroble lust. However, his eyes soon became cold again. Justin was a man with strong self-esteem. He had already apologized, but Anna refused to ept his apology and even pped him. She also humiliated him. This was unbearable. He felt that his pity for her was unfounded. At this time, the butler¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Young Master, Mr. Ryan Hoffman is here to see you. He¡¯s in the living room at the moment.¡± Justin pursed his thin lips and said, ¡°Ask him to meet me in the study.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Bethany jumped in excitement when she found out about Ryan¡¯s sudden visit. She put on her newly bought, custom-made pink dress, applied makeup, and sprayed a lot of perfume before she happily went downstairs to see her crush. As soon as Bethany opened the door and walked out, she saw her younger sister, Carrie, holding the ugly teddy bear and jumping around in the corridor as if she were ying hopscotch. Bethany clicked her tongue in disgust, walked up behind Carrie, and pushed her hard. ¡°Ah!¡± Carrie lost her bnce and stumbled forward, falling heavily to the ground. She looked clumsy and pitiful. Even so, she still protected the little bear in her arms. ¡°Hahahaha! Carrie, I told you to stop jumping in the corridor. Look, you fell!¡± Bethany was in a good mood today. She flipped her wavy hair and walked around Carrie. If Bethany was in a bad mood, she would have stepped on Carrie. After Bethany left, Carrie slowly got up from the floor. Over the years, Carrie figured out Bethany¡¯s character. As long as Carrie acted silly and clumsy in front of Bethany, Bethany would look down on her and scold or beat her less. ¡°Ms. Carrie!¡± Upon seeing this, Wilma hurriedly ran over to help Carrie. Her eyes were filled with distress. What¡¯s wrong? How did you fall? ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡± Carrie pursed her lips. ¡°I was not careful¡­¡± ¡°I saw Bethany passing by just now. Was she the one who pushed you?!¡± Wilma asked with red eyes filled with anger. ¡°No, no, no! I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m leaving!¡± When Carrie heard her sister¡¯s name, she was so frightened that she hugged the teddy bear and ran away in despair, enduring the pain from the fall. Wilma gritted her teeth and sighed when she saw Carrie¡¯s pitiful and frail back. Ryan wandered around the backyard for a while. When he walked back to the living room, she bumped into Bethany, whose face was glowing red. ¡°Mr. Hoffman!¡± Bethany smiled brightly. Her voice was sickeningly sweet. ¡°Why are you here? Are you here to see my second brother?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ryan responded casually. He and Justin were as close as brothers. Thus, he understood the Salvador family dynamics. Ryan knew that Shannon was a scheming person. As such, he disliked Bethany and treated her coldly. However, Bethany felt that she was desirable due to her good looks and family background. Thus, if she were more proactive, it would only be a matter of time before she could win over Ryan. She quietly pulled down the neckline of her dress and seized the opportunity to hug Ryan¡¯s strong arm. She pouted her red lips coquettishly and said, ¡°Come one, Mr. Hoffman. I¡¯ll take you to Justin.¡± Unexpectedly, Ryan red at her with dark eyes. ¡°Let go of me! Your perfume is too pungent. I don¡¯t want your scent to taint my clothes. Chapter 168 Bethany¡¯s carefully made-up face froze. Her heart trembled in fear. ¡°Also, are we that close? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate for you to hug me like this?¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were cold as he forcefully pulled out his arm. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re my brother¡¯s close friend, so I think of you as my brother too. I have no other intentions¡­¡± Bethany was afraid that Ryan would hate her, so she quickly exined herself. ¡°You¡¯re his sister, not mine. Watch your behavior next time.¡± Ryan replied coldly, turned around, and left. Anna had given him this suit. He could not bear to wash it, let alone allow others to get it dirty. Bethany clenched her fists reluctantly. Her nails dug into her palms until they were almost bleeding. Suddenly, Ryan stopped walking. He put one hand in his pants pocket and looked at Bethany with squinted eyes. Bethany quickly shed a bright smile. Her heart was beating with excitement. She thought, ¡®I knew it! Ryan only seems cold on the outside. He must have feelings for me.¡¯ ¡°I really don¡¯t understand girls¡¯ fashion these days.¡± ¡°What?¡± Bethany was startled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of lipstick, but I thought it¡¯s supposed to be used on the lips, not the teeth. I guess. I¡¯ve learned something new today.¡± Ryanughed jokingly and walked away gracefully. Only then did Bethany return to her senses. She hurriedly ran to the bathroom and bared her teeth in the mirror. That was when she saw lipstick sticking to her front teeth. ¡°Ah!¡± Bethany shouted in shame, wanting to smash the mirror. Ryan opened the door and walked into the study. He sat on the sofa with his long legs stretched out, looking leisurely., ¡°That third sister of yours is a real hooligan, molesting me the first moment she sees me. Tsk, tsk! Why are these women so unrestrained? I¡¯m sure Anna wouldn¡¯t do something like this.¡± Justin was reviewing the documents that Ian sent over. When he heard this, he looked up at Ryan coldly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see if you caught a cold from standing out in the rain all night.¡± Ryan narrowed eyes, took out a cigarette from the cigarette case, and held it between his lips. his ¡°Ryan, you¡¯re quite smug, huh?¡± Justin¡¯s face darkened as he tightened his grip on the ¡°Hmm, yeah. At least I¡¯m better than a certain someone who can¡¯t even step foot into her house.¡± Ryan puffed out a cloud of smoke. Justin was irritated and red at Ryan with hostility. pen. Indeed, Justin had been married to Anna for three years, but he had to stand and wait for her outside in the rain and even get pped. Looking at it this way, Justin thought that Ryan was indeed better off than he was. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. He became infuriated. Ryan crushed the cigarette butt in the crystal ashtray, stood up, and walked to Justin. He put his arms on the edge of the table and looked at him with narrowed eyes. Justin met his oppressive gaze calmly. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m going to pursue Anna and make her mine.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were bright and sharp. He wanted to cut-Justin open and take a closer look to see what was so great about him. Justin treated Anna so badly. He neglected her for three years and forced her to get a divorce. Justin was a horrible husband. Ryan was unconvinced. Justin¡¯s breath hitched. His knuckles turned white from gripping the pen too hard. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. She¡¯s already with Asher.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, as long as she¡¯s not with you.¡¯ ]] Justin¡¯s blood surged to his head, and his breath trembled. ¡°Asher and Anna aren¡¯t married, so what if they¡¯re together?¡± Ryan slowly approached Justin and raised his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re the obstacle here. Grandpa Nigel¡¯s birthday ising soon, and you¡¯re about to marry Rosalind, but you still run over to Anna¡¯s house and stand in the rain so pitifully. Why did you do that? Were you trying to reenact ¡®The Notebook¡±?¡± Justin felt a bitterness in his heart. ¡°I have my own reasons for seeing her. )) ¡°Justin, I don¡¯t care what your reasons are. You have a fianc¨¦e, so you shouldn¡¯t bother Anna anymore,¡± Ryan said bluntly. 2 ¡°I won¡¯t do that again.¡± Justin took a deep breath and frowned. ¡°But I want to remind you that if you really like her, you shouldn¡¯t cause her more trouble. Everyone in the Thompson family likes her very much. They¡¯re looking forward to her marrying Asher, so your presence may create more obstacles for her to marry into a wealthy family.¡± ¡°What the fuck?! Do you think the Thompson family is the only wealthy family around? What about my family?¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows and blurted out in anger. ¡°Also, there is no way she will marry Asher!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Justin keenly noticed something strange. He suddenly leaned forward in his chair and asked, Why did you say that?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I have my reasons for saying this. I don¡¯t think that she¡¯s in that kind of rtionship with Asher. I don¡¯t think she likes Asher. She¡¯s probably using Asher just to make you angry. If I were her, I would also find a new lover to provoke you and show you that even if you divorced me, I¡¯m still desirable to other men!¡± Chapter 169 Ryan could not help but blush when he added, ¡°More than one man too!¡± When Ryan went backst night, all he could think about was Anna¡¯s words. ¡°Without Justin, I wouldn¡¯t love anyone.¡± Ryan thought, ¡®Why not? Why can¡¯t she love anyone but Justin?!¡¯ However, Ryan would not tell Justin this. Justin was already proud enough. If he found out, he would be insufferable. Justin¡¯s heart clenched, and the pain gradually spread throughout his body. ¡®Anna, is that how you think? You would rather sacrifice a lifetime of happiness just to get revenge on me?¡¯ KS World Hotel¡¯s business was booming. Their upancy rate was 40% higher than before, and the restaurant was full every day. The employees were very motivated. After all, Bethany¡¯s public apology made them feel like they were not lowly workers. Their general manager would stand up for them if they were bullied. Thus, with that morale and cohesiveness, the hotel was doing much better than before. Be sat leisurely in her office, looking at this month¡¯s financial report with a bright smile on her face. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After all, she was one step closer to being the CEO of KS Group by doing a good job in the hotel. Be had always been an ambitious person. She was once trapped in a boring family life, so now that she saw the light of day again, she was unstoppable. ¡°Ms. Be, Mr. Asher is here.¡± Steven invited Asher in with a smile. ¡°Ash!¡± Be flew to her elder brother like a cheerful little butterfly and gave him a big hug. ¡°How are you? Have you been tiredtely?¡± Asher held his sister¡¯s waist gently. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel tired. If Iin about this bit of work, how will I be able to survive when I be the CEO of KS Group?¡± After Be finished speaking, she blinked her bright eyes and covered her mouth. ¡°Oh, oops. Ash, I didn¡¯t mean to rush your resignation. If you want to continue being the CEO, I¡¯m willing to be your deputy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll give up.¡± Asher pinched the tip of her nose lovingly and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll want to travel around the world again, and then I¡¯ll have to postpone my retirement.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Be pursed her lips guiltily. ¡°I was too willful in the past. I only cared about my own happiness and didn¡¯t care about your feelings at all. I promise not to do this again. As the heiress of KS Group, I should shoulder the responsibilities of our family. I will no longer act on my own will.¡± She had paid the price for her willfulness, and it was a painful lesson. Before she finished speaking, her phone rang on the table. ¡°Hold on. I need to take a call.¡± Be let go of Asher, walked to the table, and picked up her phone. It was Wilma calling. Be hesitantly answered, ¡°Hello, Wilma.¡± ¡°Young Madam.¡± Wilma missed Anna. ¡°I¡¯ve divorced Mr. Salvador, so you should call me Anna from now on.¡± Be corrected Wilma in a gentle voice. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a habit. I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Brown.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. What¡¯s wrong, Wilma?¡± ¡°I did acupuncture on the young master with the needle you left for me. It¡¯s truly miraculous. The young master¡¯s headache was cured! I also used the ointment on the young master¡¯s bruises, which have faded a bit.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± Be was reluctant to talk to Wilma about Justin, so she said, ¡°Wilma, I¡¯m busy right now. I¡¯ll call you when I have time, okay?¡± ¡°Young Madam!¡± Wilma suddenly called out to her anxiously. ¡°Is there really no possibility of you two getting back together?¡± Be said calmly, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Since you left, the house has be a mess again. No one cares about the young master besides me. He doesn¡¯t listen to me when I advise him to take good care of his health¡­ ¡°He didn¡¯t listen to me either when I tried to persuade him before.¡± Be smiled faintly and said, ¡°You¡¯ll just need to put in more effort in the future.¡± ¡°Not only that, no one takes care of Ms. Carrie either¡­¡± Carrie. Be felt a little uneasy when she thought of the cute, autistic girl. ¡°The chairman is too busy, Shannon doesn¡¯t care about Carrie, and Bethany bullies her all the time. The injuries on Carrie¡¯s body are all caused by Bethany!¡± Wilma almost burst into tears. ¡°The young master is busy with work and is seldom at home, so no one can protect Ms. Carrie. Although I feel sorry for her, I¡¯m just a servant in the house, and Bethany is the master. I can¡¯t say much.¡± After Be heard this, her charming eyes turned bloodshot, and she clenched her fists fiercely. Chapter 170 Be thought, ¡®Bethany, you¡¯re a monster for bullying your sister!¡¯ ¡°Wilma, I understand your worries, but I¡¯m no longer married to Mr. Salvador. I am just an outsider and have no right to interfere with his family matters.¡± Be was angry when she heard what Bethany did to Carrie, but she had no choice but to step away. ¡°I know¡­ But who else can I count on besides you? Who else can I talk to?¡± Wilma was about to cry. ¡°Wilma, please don¡¯t cry.¡± Be felt ufortable when she heard Wilma¡¯s sobbing voice over the phone. So sheforted Wilma and said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to take care of Carrie. If I find an opportunity, I will definitely try my best to help her.¡± ¡°Thank you, Young Madam!¡± Wilma was grateful to her and hung up reluctantly. Be looked at the dimmed screen and sighed quietly. ¡°Is that the old nanny in the Salvadors¡¯ residence that you often talked about before?¡± Asher took a sip of tea and asked with concern. ¡°Yeah, she has taken care of Justin since he was little. She¡¯s an honest and kind-hearted woman. She was also very nice to me when I was living with the Salvadors.¡± Be was like this. If someone offended her, she would retaliate. If someone treated her well, she would remember their kindness forever. ¡°It seems like Wilma is in a difficult position if she actually called you toin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Carrie Salvador, Justin¡¯s youngest sister.¡± Be¡¯s heart ached again when she thought of that innocent and clueless girl. ¡°She¡¯s autistic, withdrawn, and introverted. Although she¡¯s Gregory and Shannon¡¯s daughter, they don¡¯t pay attention to her. When I was staying with them, I could still protect her from Bethany, who showed some restraint back then. Now that I¡¯m no longer there to protect Carrie, Bethany is getting more unscrupulous.¡± ¡°Although what¡¯s happening to Carrie sounds pitiful, this is the Salvador family¡¯s affairs.¡± Asher sighed helplessly. His clear eyes were full of worry for his sister. ¡°You and Justin are divorced, so it¡¯s better to remove yourself from his family matters.¡± ¡°I know what to do. By the way, why did youe here? Aren¡¯t you busy at the headquarters? Do you miss me?¡± Be walked around behind Asher and naturally put her arms around his neck. ¡°Of course, I miss you. But I came because I received this early in the morning, and I think I should discuss it with you.¡¯ Asher smiled gently, took out an invitation from his jacket, and handed it to her. ¡°This is¡­¡± Be was stunned. ¡°Gregory Salvador¡¯s secretary personally delivered Old Master Nigel¡¯s birthday invitation to me.¡± His tone was a bit skeptical, even as he smiled. ¡°Hah! I guess I got you involved after all.¡± Be sneered and saw through their schemes. ¡°The Salvador family and the Thompson family have always been at odds with each other. We¡¯re well-known business rivals and haven¡¯t had any contact for so many years. Why did Gregory invite you to Grandpa Nigel¡¯s birthday party this time? It¡¯s clear that Gregory didn¡¯t do this. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s coerced by his wife.¡± Asher touched his chiseled jaw and said, ¡°Be, since they have bad intentions. I¡¯m afraid that something will happen at the party.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it when the timees. I¡¯m not even scared of Justin, so why should I be afraid of Shannon, the outdated D-list celebrity?¡± Be sat next to Asher and smiled smugly. ¡°I know how to deal with her. If she wants to y dirty, I¡¯ll just let her be. Asher, I¡¯ll tear this invitation up for you. Just pretend you haven¡¯t seen it and don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°No, I decided to go,¡± Asher said with determination. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Be, we have never been afraid of a challenge. We¡¯re unyielding and should face our problems head- on.¡± Asher¡¯s gentle eyes were filled with distress. He ced his big palm on the back of Be¡¯s neck and gently rubbed it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about the grievances you suffered in the past and failed to protect you. Now that you¡¯re back with us, I won¡¯t let you suffer anymore.¡± ¡°Ash¡­¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes were filled with tears as she felt touched. Asher sighed and hugged his sister. ¡°Something unexpected might happen at the birthday banquet. If you go alone, you may be bullied by them, so I don¡¯t want you to be in that kind of situation anymore.¡± Be rubbed her eyes and felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She had nevercked love. She was just so obsessed with making Justin fall in love with her that she got herself into this mess.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 171 Be knew that it was a risk trying to make Justin fall in love with her. She had already shed tears for Justin, and it was time for her to let go. * Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was Old Master Nigel¡¯s birthday. Everyone in the Salvador family viewed this as the most important event because it was Nigel¡¯s 80th birthday. Gregory spent hundreds of millions of dors to buy arge European- style mansion as a birthday gift for his father. That was where the banquet would be held. The guests who attended Nigel¡¯s birthday banquet were all prominent figures in Savrow¡¯s upper ss. Most of them were tycoons, and some of them were Nigel¡¯s old friends from the Calligraphy and Painting Association, all of whom were famous artists in the country. For this banquet, Rosalind and Bethany started choosing their dresses and doing their beauty regimen a week in advance. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The way they tried to outshine other women felt less like Nigel¡¯s birthday celebration and more like their own wedding. Unfortunately, they never expected the venue to be in the new mansion, so their ballroom gowns seemed too extravagant for the asion. ¡°Bethany, what are you giving Grandpa Nigel?¡± Rosalind asked curiously. ¡°I gave Grandpa an antique vase. He likes antique porcin, so he¡¯ll definitely like the gift that I prepared!¡± Bethany fiddled with her newly purchased pink diamond ring with a proud look on her face. ¡°Oh, from which century?¡± ¡°From thete 19th century.¡± ¡°Oh, is it appropriate to give Grandpa an antique from such a recent year?¡± Rosalind pretended to be innocent and blinked her carefully drawn eyes. ¡°Justin bought a pair of porcin teacups from the 18th century at a charity auction that cost $40 million. He said he wanted to give it to Grandpa as a gift, so wouldn¡¯t his gift outshine yours?¡± Seeing that she was being slighted, Bethany red at Rosalind angrily. ¡°Justin is the president of Salvador Corporation, so naturally, his gift must be more expensive than ours since he represents the whole family.¡± ¡°Oh, right. My husband is amazing!¡± Rosalind sighed with pride. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m Grandpa¡¯s favorite granddaughter, so he will like whatever I give him.¡± Bethany looked at her coldly. ¡°Rose, what gift are you nning to give Grandpa?¡± ¡°I bought a Renaissance treasure for $10 million at an auction. You¡¯ll find out in a moment.¡± Rosalind smiled mysteriously. Bethany thought, ¡°Ten million?! How did this bitch still have so much money?! Didn¡¯t Mom say that her family was going bankrupt?¡¯ Sure enough, there were benefits to being Justin¡¯s woman. Rosalind had not even married Justin yet, but she was already spending his moneyvishly. The more Bethany thought about it, the more upset she became. Thus, she wanted to stir the pot. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Rose, I¡¯m really worried about you today. Grandpa likes my ex-sister-inw so much, so he¡¯ll definitely invite her. What will you do if shees? Won¡¯t it be embarrassing for you two to meet like this?¡± ¡°Why would it be embarrassing? I¡¯m Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e. She¡¯s the one who should be embarrassed!¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were slightly red because she was a little anxious. ¡°But Anna and Justin have yet to finalize the divorce. Although it will only be a matter of time, her status seems more legitimate than yours today.¡± Bethany snickered in her heart, feeling relieved when she saw Rosalind¡¯s irritable look. ¡°If Grandpa introduces her as his granddaughter-inw, what will that make you, Rose?¡± Rosalind¡¯s face turned pale. Her heart was filled with resentment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rose.¡¯ Bethany shrugged her shoulders and turned around to see Shannon walking toward them with a ss of red wine in hand. ¡°Aunt Shannon!¡± Rosalind hurriedly took Shannon¡¯s arm and leaned on her shoulder. Bethany never cared about this before, but today she felt annoyed seeing Rosalind being so close to her mother. Bethany thought, ¡®She¡¯s my mother, not yours! You¡¯re so shameless to steal my mother!¡¯ Shannon patted Rosalind¡¯s arm. Her eyes were cold as she said, ¡°Rose, don¡¯t be afraid. Although your mother isn¡¯t here today, I¡¯ll support you. Anna won¡¯t be able to cause any trouble tonight!¡± Chapter 172 ¡°Aunt Shannon, it¡¯s so great to have you around.¡± Rosalind was so grateful that she almost teared up. Suddenly, there were whispers all around the venue. Thedies in the hall looked toward the door in unison. Justin and Ryan were seen walking side by side under everyone¡¯s gaze. Everyone¡¯s attention was on the attractive duo. If either of them joined showbiz, they would rise to the top in an instant just with their good looks. Both of them were in suits and leather shoes. The difference was that Justin wore a ck suit, looking cold and intimidating, while Ryan wore a white suit, which was elegant and clean. ¡°OMG! Mr. Salvador and Mr. Hoffman are so handsome!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing both of them side by side today! I can die without regrets!¡± ¡°Look at Mr. Salvador¡¯s incredibly long legs and his handsome face! He looks like he just walked out of an anime! He¡¯s perfect!¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman¡¯s devilish smile really hooks my soul. I love it so much!¡± Rosalind nced at Bethany, who was staring at Ryan, and chuckled softly. ¡°Bethany, look at how popr Mr. Hoffman is. When will you be able to tie him down? I remember that you¡¯ve had a crush on him for many years.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush! Good thingse to those who wait. Mr. Hoffman will be mine sooner orter!¡± Bethany muttered angrily. ¡°But look at the way those women look at Mr. Hoffman. They¡¯re like starving wolves staring at fresh meat. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll miss out on him if you wait any longer. What are you still waiting for?¡± When Bethany heard this, she clenched her teeth until her back mrs hurt. Bethany thought, ¡®I want to be Ryan¡¯s wife, of course! But I¡¯m so embarrassed to show my face in front of him after he humiliated me that day. Even so, I won¡¯t give up on Ryan. Otherwise, Rosalind willugh at me!¡¯ Seeing Justin and Ryan walking this way, Rosalind focused her attention on Justin. Just as she was about to walk toward him impatiently, everyone turned toward the door again. Under the dazzling light and the glow of the sunset, a beautiful and graceful figure appeared at the entrance. This picturesque beauty was the thorn in Rosalind¡¯s side-Anna Brown. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Anna is so gorgeous!¡± Ryan stared at her and muttered to himself dreamily. Justin¡¯s pupils darkened, and his breathing became heavier. His heart was pumping restlessly. ¡°Oh, my! Who is that elegant woman? She¡¯s so regal!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, she¡¯s wearing the work of Master Febb from the century-old brand, Helix Couture. It¡¯s such an honor to be able to ask Master Febb to make her a dress!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the dress. She needs to wear it well too. Thisdy has highlighted this dress so wonderfully that she deserves to be the spokesperson of Helix Couture!¡± The praises echoed throughout the hall. Be did not wear a cookie-cutter evening dress. Instead, she wore a custom-made high- neckline and slim-fitting pale azure dress with a simplendscape embroidery. She looked so unique in that dress,pletely outshining Rosalind and Bethany. ¡°Damn it! Why didn¡¯t I think of wearing a dress like that?!¡± Bethany was itching with hatred. Shannon also had a dark expression on her face. Shannon had also worn an expensive slim-fitting high-neckline dress. She was proud of her slim figure. Thus, she wanted to show off her body in a dress like that. Unexpectedly, her efforts were overshadowed by Anna, the bumpkin. That was why Shannon was upset. After all, Shannon could notpare to Anna¡¯s youth and figure. No matter how Shannon dressed herself up, she was still a dull old thing of the past. How embarrassing! Chapter 173 At this moment, Rosalind noticed how Justin¡¯s eyes had not left Anna since she walked in. Rosalind¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment and uneasiness as vicious thoughts brewed in her heart. ¡°Anna!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes curved as he smiled and waved to her. Be nodded slightly and smiled back at him. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. When Bethany saw Ryan being so friendly toward Anna, she became so jealous that she felt sick. Just as Be was about to walk past Justin indifferently, Justin suddenly reached out and held her slender arm. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Away from you, Mr. Salvador.¡± Be slowly pulled her arm away with a fake smile on her face. Justin was frustrated. He was about to speak when Shannon walked over with Rosalind on her arm. ¡°Anna, I¡¯m so happy that you can make it. I thought you wouldn¡¯te.¡± All eyes were focused on them, specting about the rtionship between the elegant beauty and the Salvador family. ¡°Mrs. Salvador, you¡¯re worrying too much. Why won¡¯t Ie? Grandpa has been looking forward to celebrating his birthday with me and Justin.¡± Be smiled brightly and calmly. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. The guests looked at Rosalind strangely. ¡°Ms. Gold and Mr. Salvador¡¯s public announcement of their marriage caused such a stir back then. Although Mr. Salvador hasn¡¯te forward to officially express his stance, everyone in Savrow knows that Ms. Gold is Mr. Salvador¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Why does it seem like this youngdy is Mr. Salvador¡¯s actual wife, while Ms. Gold is the third party who can¡¯t be seen in public?¡± ¡°Right. Just look at that youngdy¡¯s temperament. She looks so regal and beautiful. Where is she from?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s even more beautiful than Ms. Gold. When she stands next to Mr. Salvador, they¡¯re a match made in heaven!¡± Rosalind¡¯s face turned gloomy. ¡®Is this bitch trying to steal my limelight?! By saying this, isn¡¯t she telling everyone that she has a special rtionship with Justin and that she¡¯s very close to Grandpa Nigel? What about me? What does that make me? I¡¯m Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e!¡¯ ¡°Anna, we all know that you have a good rtionship with Grandpa.¡± Shannon smiled amicably, but she was brewing something sinister in her heart. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Thompson from KS Group? Why didn¡¯t hee with you? Greg has sent an invitation to him.¡± As soon as she said this, everyone was shocked. Mr. Thompson from KS Group? Did she mean Asher Thompson?! Everyone thought that the Salvadors and the Thompsons were old enemies who would never contact each other. How was it possible for Asher Thompson to attend Old Master Nigel¡¯s birthday party? Justin realized that Shannon was trying to embarrass Anna, so his eyes turned gloomy. Just as he was about to react, Be said calmly, ¡°Mrs. Salvador, why would Ie with Mr. Thompson?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s your boyfriend, of course. Shannon¡¯s red lips curled up slyly as she introduced Anna. ¡°Come, let me introduce you to everyone. This is Ms. Anna Brown, Justin¡¯s ex-wife. But now she¡¯s the girlfriend of KS Group¡¯s CEO, Mr. Asher Thompson.¡± Chapter 174 The whole venue fell silent for a moment before there was an uproar. The guests thought they were just here for a birthday party and did not expect to hear such explosive news. Be¡¯s charming eyes suddenly turned cold, but her expression did not change. That was because everything was under her control. Ryan, on the other hand, broke out in a cold sweat and quickly chased after Be. Ryan¡¯s tall and strong build towered over her as he called out to her worriedly, ¡°Anna¡­¡± Be looked back at him. Her eyes curved like little crescents as she smiled beautifully. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ryan¡¯s heart trembled again. Who could resist this charming smile? ¡°Aunt Shannon, it¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s birthday banquet today. Please don¡¯t say anything unnecessary to disrupt everyone¡¯s mood. What¡¯s more, this is my private matter.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were cold and filled with resentment. ¡°Justin, I hope you don¡¯t mind. I didn¡¯t think it through before speaking.¡± Shannon pretended to be ashamed and smiled. ¡°Well, since none of the guests here today know Anna, I thought of introducing her to everyone. Even if she leaves you, she used to be my daughter-inw. Even if shees from a poor family in the countryside, I don¡¯t want others to look down on her.¡± She made it sound like she was being considerate for Anna¡¯s sake. The guests whispered and looked at Be withplicated eyes. Rosalind and Bethany felt happy. This not only told everyone that Anna was no longer a member of the Salvador family, but it also confirmed her rtionship with Asher Thompson. Rosalind thought, ¡°That bitch Anna won¡¯t have a chance to seduce Justin again!¡¯ Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you for thinking about me, Mrs. Salvador.¡± Be smiled calmly and proudly, like a blooming red rose. ¡°I think that no one would look down on me even if I had never married Justin. Should I be looked down upon just because Ie from a poor rural family?¡± Justin pursed his thin lips and said nothing. However, he looked at his ex-wife with a hint of anger. He thought, ¡®Anna, have you never felt the slightest sense of superiority since you married me?¡¯ Be¡¯s words were neither humble nor arrogant, but they resonated with some of the guests around her. ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s wrong withing from a poor family in the countryside? My grandfather was a farmer, but he¡¯s a billionaire now.¡¯ ¡°Mrs. Salvador is being too condescending.¡± ¡°Mrs. Salvador isn¡¯t much better herself. I remember she used to be a D-list celebrity. I think she¡¯s worse than a farmer!¡± Shannon gritted her teeth. Her face turned red with embarrassment. She did not expect Anna to resolve this identity reveal so effortlessly. ¡°Well said! What¡¯s wrong with country girls? I like simple and unpretentious women.¡± Ryan was happy to hear this and chuckled in Be¡¯s ear. Be was speechless and thought, ¡®Should I thank him?¡± Justin watched the intimate interaction between Anna and Ryan with a dark rage burning in his chest. ¡°Justin!¡± Rosalind walked up to him with a smile and naturally held his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Aunt Shannon is just thinking of Ms. Brown. Ms. Brown won¡¯t feel so awkward anymore if some things are made public knowledge, don¡¯t you think?¡± Justin¡¯s expression was unreadable. His arm that she was holding became a little stiff. Everyone looked confused again. ¡°I guess Ms. Brown¡¯s identity is a bit awkward. Since she has divorced Mr. Salvador, she really shouldn¡¯t show up at Old Master Nigel¡¯s birthday party. Isn¡¯t she just asking for trouble?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear just now? Old Master Nigel specially invited her to attend. Although she divorced Justin, it shows that she still has a ce in Old Master Nigel¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. I think she¡¯s here to cause trouble. She probably doesn¡¯t want to divorce an outstanding man like Justin. That¡¯s why she said that!¡± ¡°Anna, don¡¯t listen to their gossip. What do they know? You¡¯re not that kind of Ryan¡¯s eyes turned sharp, as if he wanted to pluck out those people¡¯s tongues. person.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what other people say about me.¡± Beughed it off, looking magnanimous. Just when Rosalind thought she had regained victory, a resounding voice pierced the air. ¡°I want to see who dares put my dear Anna in an awkward situation!¡± Nigel wore a white tuxedo and walked out with the support of his son Gregory and secretary Matt. He was not in a wheelchair today, and his white hair was meticulouslybed back. His face was rosy, and his back was straight. He did not look-sick, like he had been battling with a disease for many years. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Be smiled happily when she saw how healthy Nigel looked. Shannon hurriedly winked at Rosalind. She put on a gentle smile and walked to Nigel. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s your birthday today. It¡¯s rare for our family to get together like this.¡± Chapter 175 Shannon said, ¡°Rose, as Justin¡¯s future wife, why don¡¯t youe over and help Grandpa?¡± ¡°Grandpa, let me help you.¡± Rosalind smiled demurely. Just as she stepped forward, Nigel looked at Justin and Be with a smile. ¡°Justin, Anna, I want you two to help me.¡± After saying that, he rolled his eyes at Gregory and said, ¡°I get annoyed when I see you. I prefer these youngsters because they make me feel younger.¡± Gregory smiled bitterly and had no choice but to let go of his father. Rosalind stopped walking, and her face flushed with embarrassment. She did not know what she should do. She had a wry smile on her face as she secretly cursed Nigel in her heart. ¡®You old geezer! Why aren¡¯t you dead yet?!¡¯ Be¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She subconsciously looked at Justin. Justin also turned to look at her, meeting her gaze. Be immediately turned away without a care, leaving him with her inhumanly beautiful side profile. Justin was in a trance. He pursed his thin lips, looked away, and walked next to Nigel. Everyone looked at each other. Old Master Salvador¡¯s attitude toward Ms. Gold was clearly disapproving. Shannon was so angry that her eyes turned red. Nigel not only embarrassed Rosalind in front of everyone, but he also disregarded her, the dignified wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman. However, she had no choice but to force a smile. After all, that dying old man was the most powerful person in the Salvador family. He still had shares in Salvador Corporation, and his words were like the law in the Salvador family. Thus, Shannon did not dare to be reckless. ¡°Grandpa, yourplexion is getting better, and you¡¯re getting stronger. It¡¯s amazing!¡± Be stepped forward to support Nigel. Her smile was genuine and kind. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood when I get to see you, Anna. If I keep this up, I will probably be cured!¡± Nigel sized up Be and nodded with satisfaction. ¡°It looks great on you. I knew I had great taste. You look stunning in this dress that I prepared for you, Anna! You look much better than those scantily dressed women.¡± Justin was dumbfounded. It turned out that his grandfather had given Anna this dress. All the guests understood the situation at this time. Their eyes were judgmental when they looked at Rosalind. They figured that Old Master Nigel only liked Anna and did not like Rosalind at all. Even though Anna and Justin were divorced, Old Master Nigel still recognized Anna as his family. Rosalind felt overwhelmed by theplex nces from all directions. She felt humiliated. ¡°Dad, since everyone is here, let¡¯s take a family photo first.¡± Shannon knew that Nigel liked to take pictures, so she led Rosalind forward and said to Be, Anna, do you mind taking a picture for us?¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Be smiled brightly. ¡°Anna is my distinguished guest and rtive, so she needs to be in the picture too. Anna,e here! Stand next to Grandpa.¡± Nigel looked at Shannon with disgust. ¡°Whoever makes Anna unhappy today will get a taste of my wrath!¡± Shannon bit her lip and looked at Gregory for help. Gregory could not bear to let his father scold his beloved wife in front of so many people, so he persuaded his father in a low voice. ¡°Dad, I know you like Anna, but Anna and Justin are divorced. It¡¯s not suitable for her to be in our family photos.¡± ¡°So what if they¡¯re divorced?!¡± Nigel raised his thick eyebrows. ¡°I will recognize her as my granddaughter after the divorce. Anyway, she will always be a member of our family!¡± When Be saw Nigel defending herself like this, she felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and her eyes became teary. This was the reason why she could not cut off ties with the Salvador family. She really could not let go of Nigel. Rosalind was so angry that her eyes turned dark. Everyone was in disbelief. What kind of magic did this beautiful Ms. Brown have to make Old Master Nigel dote on her so much? ¡°Grandpa.¡± Justin felt very ufortable when he heard that his grandfather wanted to recognize Anna as his granddaughter. ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass Anna. Although you have this idea, she may not be willing to take you as her grandfather.¡± ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Anna who¡¯s unwilling. You¡¯re unwilling, right?¡± Nigel red at Justin in disapproval. ¡°Look at how resentful you look when you hear that I¡¯m face!¡± taking Anna in as my granddaughter. Wipe that look off your Be was speechless. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Justin¡¯s stunningly handsome face stiffened. Compared with Anna, his status as Nigel¡¯s grandson was like garbage. Just when Be was in a dilemma, a clear and alluring male voice came from the entrance. ¡°Thank you for your kindness toward Anna, Old Master Nigel. Since Anna and Justin are divorced, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inappropriate for her to be your granddaughter.¡± Chapter 176 Everyone turned around in the direction of that pleasant voice. They were shocked to see who had arrived. Asher walked into the lobby gracefully with a slight smile, followed by Steven. Be¡¯s eyes lit up. She was so happy to see him that she almost could not stop herself from greeting him. Justin¡¯s heart shrank. His already cold eyes suddenly turned to ice. In a daze, Be felt a chill around her, as if she were standing next to an iceberg. She subconsciously nced at Justin and saw the man¡¯s extremely gloomy and handsome face. His eyes were dark and scary, as if a storm was brewing. ¡°Old Master Nigel, I¡¯m sorry for beingte.¡± Asher bowed to Nigel politely. Asher looked different today. He wore a perfectly tailored, light-colored suit that made him look like a cultured gentleman. The women around him were once again enchanted. They were thinking about who-among Justin, Asher, and Ryan-they wanted to grace them with their presence in their dreams tonight. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m just d that you can make it to my birthday party, Asher.¡± Nigel smiled amiably. He did not treat Asher less favorably just because he was Wyatt Thompson¡¯s son. Be secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She thought that Nigel would mind having Asher there, but she realized that she was overthinking it. ¡°Anna,e here.¡± Asher smiled gently and stretched out his hand to his sister. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Seeing Asher appear out of nowhere, Shannon and Rosalind looked at each other and smiled in triumph. What they wanted to see was how two wealthy young men fought over Anna. In the end, everyone would think that Anna was a cheater, and Nigel would be able to see her true nature, killing two birds with one stone! ¡°Okay.¡± As a result, Be did not hesitate to walk toward Asher briskly. Shannon and Rosalind were stunned. When Ryan saw his crush returning to her rightful ce next to her supposed boyfriend, he felt sad and jealous. Was this what being a mistress felt like? It was so painful to endure! Justin¡¯s shoulders trembled under his suit. His eyes widened, and he raised his arms slightly before he clenched his fists. He did not know what he was trying to grab. An unexinable bitterness spread throughout his throat. ¡°Huh? Anna, when did you meet Asher? You two seem to be pretty good friends.¡± Nigel was confused. ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t know yet, right? Anna is now¡­¡± Shannon was just about to add fuel to the fire when Asher spoke first. ¡°Old Master Nigel, thank you for taking care of Anna over the past three years. Anna talks about you often in front of me and has always regarded you as a respected elder. Anna and I will forever remember your kindness to her.¡± Asher¡¯s strong arms gently wrapped around Be¡¯s slim waist. Everyone was shocked to see this. Standing together, Asher and Anna looked like they had just stepped out of a painting. They looked like a match made in heaven. Justin clenched his fists tightly. He felt like the blood in his body had coagted. ¡°But from now on, my family and I will take good care of Anna. Although she will no longer be a member of the Salvador family, her rtionship with you will never change.¡± Asher smiled politely. ¡°You will always be Anna¡¯s most beloved grandpa.¡± Asher was courteous and graceful. No one could pick a fault with him. ¡°Oh!¡± Nigel suddenly understood and looked at Be in shock. ¡°Anna, are you and Asher¡­¡± Chapter 177 1 ¡°Dad, Anna is in a rtionship with Mr. Thompson.¡± Gregory lowered his voice and added, ¡± Since Anna is in a new rtionship, please don¡¯t try to set her up with Justin. Love can¡¯t be forced.¡± ¡°I agree, Dad.¡± Shannon also took advantage of the situation and chimed in. ¡°Mr. Thompson picked Anna up from the manor as soon as Justin divorced her. It shows that the two of them have been together for a while now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Nigel red at Shannon. ¡°Yeah. Otherwise, how could they have progressed so fast? That¡¯s why I always told you not to worry about the children. What¡¯s the point of a marriage if they can¡¯t stay together? It¡¯s better to let them go and find their own happiness. You don¡¯t have to worry about Anna in the future. The Thompson family is not inferior to ours at all.¡± Shannon spoke in a soft voice. Her smile hid her devious schemes. ¡®Anna, I want to see how you can still pretend to be so pure and innocent in front of Nigel!¡¯ Be pursed her red lips tightly and lowered her eyshes sadly. She had long been prepared for such a day and was ready to ept Nigel¡¯s resentment. ¡°Grandpa, please don¡¯t me Anna.¡± Justin stood up for Anna unexpectedly. He looked at her and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t owe me anything. I give her my blessing to be with Mr. Thompson.¡± He almost seethed out the word ¡°blessing¡±. Be was stunned to hear this. In her impression, Justin was an arrogant man. If it had been before, she would have been overjoyed. However, at this moment, she just curled her lips in contempt and felt annoyed. ¡°Nonsense! So what if you don¡¯t give them your blessing?! I asked you to reconcile with Anna, but can you do that?¡± Nigel angrily pped Justin¡¯s arm. ¡°Is it Anna¡¯s fault for wanting to be with someone else? Isn¡¯t it all your fault?! You¡¯re not as lucky as Asher to get such a good wife!¡± Everyone was shocked to hear this. Shannon and Rosalind¡¯s faces were so pale that even their delicate makeup could not brighten them. At this moment, they realized one thing. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. It was simply impossible to paint Anna as the bad guy in front of Nigel. This old man liked Anna so much that he wished he could marry her! Justin¡¯s chest felt stuffy when he was scolded again. However, he said nkly, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re not upset with her.¡± ¡°Hah! Why should I be upset at Anna? I only want the best for her! Anna, Asher,e with me.¡± The Thompson siblings looked at each other and obediently walked over to the old man. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry for hiding this from you¡­¡± Be pursed her lips pitifully. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care about this. I just want you to be happy!¡± Nigel looked at her lovingly before he looked at Asher sternly. ¡°Asher, you¡¯re a person of stature, and you have many siblings. You must promise me that you will protect Anna in the future. Don¡¯t let her suffer one bit when she marries you. Otherwise, I won¡¯t care if you¡¯re a Thompson. I will personally stand up for Anna and seek justice!¡± Asher looked at his sister intriguingly. He recalled the times when Be was younger. She would ride on Axel¡¯s back, treating him like a horse. There was also a time when Be painted Drew¡¯s face. He could not help but smile and say, ¡°Okay. I promise that I will take good care of her.¡± Although Nigel was old, he was not blind. He could see the affection in Asher¡¯s eyes, so he sighed with relief and said reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯ll count on you to take care of Anna now. I hope that you can give her whatever my grandson couldn¡¯t and love her forever.¡± In an instant, Justin¡¯s face suddenly turned pale, as if he had been struck by lightning. ¡°I will,¡± Asher responded with confidence. Justin took a deep breath and stared at the woman standing next to Asher. She used to be his wife. He felt as if his soul had been briefly pulled out of his body. His eyes suddenly turned red. Chapter 178 The sense of shame overwhelmed Justin. Ryan saw this and felt jealous. ¡®How should I defeat such a strong love rival? I can only wait. anxiously!¡¯ Be was touched by Nigel¡¯s words. Her long eyshes trembled as she said softly, ¡°Grandpa ¡°Alright. Dad, it¡¯s your birthday today, so let¡¯s not talk about such sad things.¡± Gregory hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the birthday gifts the children have prepared for you, alright? We¡¯ll start the banquet after opening the gifts. Let¡¯s not keep the guests waiting.¡± ¡°Oh, right! Let¡¯s open presents!¡± Nigel rubbed his hands excitedly, looking like an old baby. This old man was just too adorable. Ryan and other guests who were close to the Salvador family presented their gifts. Nigel nodded his thanks and epted them all with a smile. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Ryan stood in front of Nigel, bowed like a gentleman, and said with a bright smile, ¡°Justin is my best friend, so his grandfather is my grandfather. I hope that you will stay healthy and happy for as long as the earth spins!¡± ¡°Good boy. Thank you, son!¡± Nigel grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Grandpa, happy birthday!¡± Bethany showed up and walked over shyly. She took the opportunity to stand next to Ryan and insisted on being seen with him. ¡°I know you like antiques, so this is my gift to you!¡± As she spoke, she deliberately leaned to the side to get closer to Ryan. As a result, Ryan did not even look at her, and he stepped out of the way. Bethany almost fell from losing her bnce. It took her a while before she could stand still. There were faint snickers around her. How embarrassing! Bethany was so embarrassed that she almost cried. In her heart, she cursed everyone whoughed at her. At this time, the servant brought up the 19th-century vase that she had prepared. Nigel smiled and nodded. ¡°Good, good! Thank you, Beth.¡± The corners of Bethany¡¯s curled up smugly. ¡°Mr. Salvador, this is Ms. Carrie¡¯s gift to you. Please take a look at it.¡± At this time, Nigel¡¯s secretary, Matt, came over with a white roll of paper in his hand. A neat red bow was tied in the middle to keep the paper from unraveling. ¡°Oh, this is Carrie¡¯s gift? Come, bring it to me!¡± Nigel took the scroll and unrolled it. He was startled at first, then he burst outughing.¡± Hahaha! Is this me? Well done! What a talented girl! Haha!¡± Everyone gathered around to find out why the old man wasughing like that. Bethany was frozen. Her moment in the spotlight had onlysted for three seconds. On the white drawing paper was a drawing of an old manughing. Every wrinkle was drawn with such fine detail. In the corner was a line of words. ¡°Happy birthday, Grandpa! I hope that you willugh like this every day. From, Carrie.¡± ¡°Look at what Carrie drew! Doesn¡¯t it look like me? Carrie is so talented!¡± Nigel praised his granddaughter repeatedly with pride. ¡°Carrie is indeed a good artist.¡± Ryan thought of the cute girl with a soft smile. This smile made Bethany¡¯s face stiffen. Her chest felt stuffy and sour with jealousy. ¡°Although Carrie is still a novice in art, given time, she will definitely make a name for herself in the art industry.¡± Justin nodded lightly. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Grandpa, Carrie is very talented at painting. She has always wanted to apply to the Academy of Fine Arts.¡± Be took the opportunity to express Carrie¡¯s feelings. ¡°Look, even Justin, who never praises others, agrees that Carrie has great potential in this field. Why not let her study art? I think that she will be a talented and beautiful artist in five years. She will bring honor to the family.¡± Justin frowned. He felt like Anna was nting him. ¡®Am I that mean to never praise anyone?¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t you two care about your daughter? You should cultivate Carrie¡¯s outstanding talents!¡± At the mention of his youngest granddaughter, Nigel looked in the distance. His eyes were full of pity. ¡°Carrie is different from other ordinary children. You all know her condition, so as her parents, you two should spend more time taking care of her!¡± Chapter 179 ¡°Yes, Dad, we will¡­¡± Gregory and Shannon could only agree with a smile. ¡°I like this gift so much. Where is Carrie? Come here and let Grandpa hug you!¡± Nigel asked with a kind smile. ¡°Ms. Carrie said she¡¯s not feeling well, so she¡¯s upstairs. She wille to see youter.¡± Matt replied promptly. ¡°Oh, that child¡­¡± Nigel sighed in distress. ¡°Matt, get this drawing framed and hang it in my study so that I can see it all the time.¡± Matt nodded and put the drawing away carefully. Seeing that her grandfather valued Carrie¡¯s gift so much, Bethany almost burst out in anger. Her eyes turned red with hatred. Bethany thought that her younger sister, who never had much allowance, would not be able to give any decent gifts and would definitely be embarrassed when it was time to present the gifts. As a result, Carrie actually found another way to show her affection for Nigel. The antique vase Bethany spent millions to buy was no better than a simple drawing from Carrie. Bethany thought, ¡®Carrie! Just wait¡­ I¡¯ll kill you!¡¯ On the other side, Rosalind was pacing back and forth in the corridor. She sent someone to get Shannon. Shannon walked up to Rosalind with her arms crossed. Her expression was just as gloomy. ¡°Aunt Shannon, what should we do?¡± Rosalind was so anxious that her cheeks were flushed. ¡°Our methods can¡¯t seem to shake Anna¡¯s position in Grandpa¡¯s heart. Not only that, their friendship has be even stronger!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this. The older Nigel gets, the weirder he bes. He¡¯s simply unreasonable!¡± Shannon narrowed her poisonous eyes and lowered her voice. ¡°Rose, I think we need to use n B today.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Rosalind gritted her teeth. Her eyes were cold. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, in a minute.¡± Shannon patted her shoulder and sneered. ¡°There will be a distinguished guesting soon. I have a way to make Anna aughing stock and ruin her reputation!¡± Nigel continued to open presents. When Justin¡¯s 18th-century porcin teacups appeared, the guests were in awe. Many of Nigel¡¯s friends were interested in appraising antiques, so they were eager to step forward and get a closer look at the porcin. As a result, Nigel pettily hugged the box of teacups, fearing that these old men¡¯s trembling hands would identally drop his treasure. ¡°My sweet grandson gave this to me, so none of you can touch it!¡± This made everyoneugh. Be also covered her mouth andughed. ¡°Grandpa, this pair of teacups was donated by Madam M on behalf of KS Group at a charity auction. I saw how rare they were, so I bought them. I¡¯m d you like them.¡± Justin exined the origin of this gift because Asher was there. ¡°Ah! That must be Wyatt Thompson¡¯s private collection! Sigh¡­ No one in Savrow canpare to him when ites to collecting antiques!¡± Nigel sighed as he stroked the box. ¡°My father will be pleased to know that his collection has be your favorite, Old Master Nigel.¡± Asher was gentle and elegant. His eyes were also smiling. Asher had this kind of charm. His calm demeanor and courteous attitude made him seem like a messenger of peace. No matter how contradictory the situation was, he could still build a friendship. ¡°Grandpa, this is the birthday gift I prepared for you!¡± Rosalind¡¯s sweet voice suddenly interrupted them. Everyone turned their focus on her, but their eyes were somewhat contemptuous. After all, everyone with a discerning eye could tell that Old Master Nigel did not like Rosalind. It would not be so easy for her to marry into the Salvador family. ¡°Dad, Rose prepared the gift for you with great care. She knew that you like ancient paintings, so she specially bought an authentic Renaissance painting at the auction for your birthday.¡± Gregory introduced Rosalind¡¯s gift with a smile. Gregory supported Rosalind because she was his wife¡¯s niece. ¡°Oh? An authentic Renaissance painting? That sounds interesting.¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes lit up with interest. Rosalind ordered someone to bring the painting over. The servants wore white gloves and carefully carried the framed painting in front of everyone. Several antique enthusiasts joined in. The next second, Nigel¡¯s face darkened. He said nkly, ¡°Thanks.¡± At this time, someone in the crowd questioned, ¡°Is this really an authentic piece from the Renaissance? Could it be a fake?¡± Chapter 180 ¡°What are you saying?!¡± Rosalind was furious. The smile on her face stiffened. ¡°I bought this painting from the Hoffmans¡¯ Auction House. How could it be a fake?!¡± She dragged the Hoffmans into the water with one sentence. Ryan could not help but sneer. ¡°Ms. Gold, you rarely attend auctions, so you don¡¯t know how they work, right? My family¡¯s tinum Auction House is thergest auction house in the country. The items we collect have been strictly screened and appraised. We don¡¯t sell any fakes. If you don¡¯t know the goods, don¡¯t nder my family¡¯s reputation.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. He remembered Anna¡¯s sly smile at that charity auction when she provoked Rosalind into buying the replica at ten times the market price. Did Anna already expect Rosalind to give this painting to Grandpa as a birthday gift? Was it a coincidence, or did Anna set a trap for Rosalind from the beginning? ¡°Ms. Gold, fakes and replicas are two different things.¡± At this time, another expert appraiser came forward to speak for Ryan. ¡°Although some paintings are replicas, they are indeed historical pieces. Many painters liked to copy paintings by famous Renaissance artists, but their works still hold significant historical value. It also takes superb skills to copy a painting. A top-quality replica can still be sold at a very high price. But the replica you bought is a little inferior. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see the difference at a nce.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be a replica! How can it be a replica?! I spent $10 million to buy this from tinum Auction House!¡± Rosalind blurted out in a panic. Rosalind spent $10 million on a replica. How could she be so stupid? There were bursts ofughter all around. Bethany hid in the crowd and covered her mouth to prevent herself fromughing. This p in the face came so quickly. ¡°$10 million? This painting is only worth $1 million. Ms. Gold, I can only say that you¡¯ve made a sizable donation at the charity auction if you¡¯ve spent ten times the amount for this piece.¡± Rosalind¡¯s head was pounding, and her eyes darkened. Even Shannon could not stand it any longer. She just felt embarrassed and turned away. She did not want to stand up for her niece, who proved to be a failure. ¡°Forget it. No matter how much it¡¯s worth, it¡¯s still a gift from the heart. Although Nigel did not like Rosalind, he was an elder and did not care about the painting. He said calmly, ¡°Matt, please keep the painting. ¡°Anna! What do you have against me that you want to embarrass me like this?!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Suddenly, Rosalind turned to Be, harshly using her. Be was ridiculed and wronged the moment she stepped foot onto the venue. At this moment, she could not hold back any longer. Everyone was shocked and looked at Be. Be frowned slightly and blinked her bright eyes innocently. ¡°How did I embarrass you? Ms. Gold, where did thise from? I really don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Asher and Ryan were shocked to see this. Wow, was Be fighting fire with fire? ¡°You plotted against me! If it weren¡¯t for you, why would I have spent $10 million to buy this replica? It¡¯s all because of you!¡± Rosalind pointed at Be¡¯s innocent face and shouted in a hoarse voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to appraise paintings, and you must know that there is something wrong with this painting! But you still raised the price and tricked me into buying this painting! How could you do this?!¡± Justin pursed his thin and pale lips. He looked at Be coldly. ¡°Tricked you? What are you talking about? How did I trick you?¡± Be blinked her bright eyes, looking like a frightened doe. Asher immediately stood up to defend his sister. He slighted Rosalind. ¡°Ms. Gold, the auction. was held openly, and everyone canpete freely based on their financial capabilities. If you didn¡¯t bid for the painting, how could Anna force you to buy it? Isn¡¯t this your own doing?¡± ¡°Anna saw that I wanted this painting, so she resorted to maliciouspetition! As long as I raised the paddle, she would follow suit. She raised the price from $1 million to $9 million! When I asked for $10 million, she suddenly stopped bidding. Isn¡¯t this tricking me into buying a fake at a high price?!¡± Rosalind questioned her angrily. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s make it clear. It¡¯s not a fake, but a replica. These are two different things!¡± Ryan could not help but interject. Chapter 181 Rosalind continued, ¡°If she really wanted this painting, why didn¡¯t she continue the bid? She didn¡¯t actually want it. She just wanted to trick me!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes becameplicated. ¡°Did Ms. Brown secretly plot against Ms. Gold because she was unwilling to get a divorce with Mr. Salvador?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They¡¯re already divorced. What¡¯s the point of doing this? It¡¯ll just make her seem petty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not pointless. That¡¯s Mr. Salvador we¡¯re talking about. He¡¯s perfect! It¡¯ll be hard to get over him.¡± ¡°She looks so elegant, but she¡¯s such a scheming woman. She¡¯s wasting her smarts on a man. What a pity!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. The constant criticism about Anna made Rosalind happy. ¡°Ms. Brown, did you really do this?¡± Gregory frowned and looked at Be seriously. Nigel looked at Be, also waiting for her answer. ¡°Ms. Gold, you really misunderstood me.¡± Be took a step forward. Her beautiful face was now aggrieved and pitiful. ¡°I was the first to bid on this painting. You were the one who followed my bid. I really liked this painting, and I wanted to contribute to charity, so I raised the bid from the beginning, hoping to get it. Mr. Salvador and Mr. Hoffman were also present at the time to testify for me.¡± Everyone thought, ¡®Look at this reversal!¡¯ ¡°You¡­!¡± Rosalind was so furious that she did not know what to say at the moment. ¡°I can testify for her!¡± Ryan stood up immediately to show his presence in front of his crush. ¡°Ms. Brown was the one who made the first bid, and Ms. Gold followed it. This painting should have been Ms. Brown¡¯s.¡±. Justin¡¯s eyes were deep and cold as he red at Ryan. ¡®This bastard is everywhere!¡¯ ¡°My original intention was to take this painting for my own collection because I really like the original piece in Grandpa¡¯s study. So even if it is a replica, I wanted it. After all, this painting reminds me of the days I spent with Grandpa.¡± Be pursed her lips and lowered her long eyshes helplessly. ¡°But Ms. Gold looked like she wanted this painting at that time, so I withdrew from the bid afterpeting for several rounds. This is basic bidding etiquette, so I don¡¯t understand how I¡¯m at fault. Ms. Gold, the way you questioned me really hurt my heart. If you feel like you¡¯ve spent unnecessary money, I can buy this painting from you to make up for your loss.¡± Look how the tables turn¨¦d! Be¡¯s eyes were clear and watery. Her superb acting skills made it look even more convincing! Justin tilted his head slightly and let out a cold breath as he fixed his gaze on her. He just watched silently as she continued acting. ¡°You¡­ That¡¯s nonsense!¡± Rosalind¡¯s face was red from embarrassment. Just as she was about to explode in anger, Shannon hurriedly walked over and pinched her secretly. Rosalind felt the pain and immediately returned to her senses. She almost exposed her true colors in public. ¡°Haha¡­ It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Dad, Rose doesn¡¯te out often and rarely participates in such asions. She just buys what others buy. What matters is her intention to buy a gift for you.¡± Shannon raised her eyebrows and looked at Rosalind. ¡°Your mother just called, saying that there¡¯s something urgent at home. Please call her back soon. Don¡¯t make her anxious. Go on!¡± Rosalind gritted her teeth and retreated dejectedly. Nigel frowned for a moment. He held Be¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Anna, if you liked the painting in my study, you should¡¯ve just told me. I¡¯ll give it to you. So what if it¡¯s an original Renaissance painting? Even if you want the Statue of David, Grandpa will find a way to get it for you! Grandpa will never be stingy with you, my dear.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandpa. Your love is more than enough. I don¡¯t need anything else.¡± Be squeezed Nigel¡¯s hand and smiled sweetly. This time, everyone finally understood. Justin had already divorced Anna, but it looked like they had notpletely cut off ties. Rosalind was definitely out of luck! Chapter 182 Finally, it was Be¡¯s turn to present her birthday gift. When the antique rosewood chair was brought up, the appraisers and antique enthusiasts in the venue were excited. ¡°Good stuff! This is a top-notch treasure!¡± ¡°Oh, my! I¡¯m itching to touch it!¡± ¡°Aside from the porcin teacups, this chair is the most precious birthday gift that Old Master Nigel received today!¡± ¡°Where is Ms. Brown from? She just gave out 17th-century antique furniture just like that?! It seems like Mr. Salvador¡¯s ex-wife is a recluse tycoon!¡± Justin felt his heart shrink. His dark eyes were deep as he stared at his ex-wife. He did not expect Anna would be able to give Nigel something that the Thompson family bought at the charity auction. It was worth $100 million! This showed how much the Thompson family doted on her. Unexpectedly, Be¡¯s next words made Justin feel more suffocated. ¡°Grandpa, this is a gift from me and Asher. May you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and good health.¡± Be wished Nigel a happy birthday with a cheerful voice and bright eyes. Asher bowed with his hands to his chest and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Old Master Nigel, I wish you would be in the pink of health for as long as the moon and sun exist. Here¡¯s to hoping all your wishes will Be and Asher looked so elegant and dignified standing side by side. They were a match made in heaven. Justin¡¯s heart trembled violently. He subconsciously raised his hand to cover his heart. However, he removed his hand soon for fear of being discovered. ¡°Oh, my dear child! This gift is too expensive!¡± Nigel was eternally grateful, but he nagged at her. ¡°Anna, Grandpa will like whatever you give me, so there is no need to spend so much money on my gift. Asher, you¡¯re really too kind!¡± Asher smiled and said, ¡°Old Master Nigel, Anna and I only thought about making you happy when we prepared this gift.¡± ¡°Oh, Grandpa, just keep it. Ms. Brown is using Mr. Thompson to give you such an expensive gift.¡± Bethany smiled coldly. ¡°It¡¯s definitely easier to tag along one¡¯s name on a gift. That way, she won¡¯t have to buy it, and she¡¯ll still win praise from everyone. Ms. Brown, you¡¯re such a shrewd and thrifty woman.¡± Be curled her red lips and said calmly, ¡°I won¡¯t take advantage of Asher like this, so I also prepared a small gift for Grandpa. But it¡¯s really nothingpared to Asher¡¯s gift.¡± Bethany was shocked. ¡®This bitch actually has a back-up gift?!¡¯ ¡°Oh? Anna, what else have you got for Grandpa? Come and show it to me!¡± Nigel immediately became interested again. Be¡¯s charming eyes shone with a mysterious light. Then she pped her hands. Soon, Steven, who was dressed formally, walked in with a ss box in hand. In the box was a magnificentndscape carved from the finest colored jade. The mountains and rocks were intricately detailed and pleasing to the eye. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s really amazing!¡± Everyone marveled. Justin and Ryan were also attracted by this exquisite carving. Only a pair of skillful hands could carve such a natural and intricate work. ¡°Oh! This is¡­¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes shone with excitement. He pointed at the jade carving with trembling hands.¡± Isn¡¯t this Master Jayden¡¯s ¡®A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains¡¯?! Anna, where did you get this?!¡± Master Jayden was thete master sculptor who was internationally renowned for his rare works of art. finest-colored ¡°Grandpa, you think too highly of me. I can¡¯t possibly get Master Jayden¡¯s art piece¡­¡± Be scratched her head in embarrassment, and her cheeks blushed. ¡°This is a replica that I made¡­ ¡®A Hundred Miles of Rivers and Mountains¡¯. I carved it very carefully, but it¡¯s still a far cry from Master Jayden¡¯s work. This is just a poor attempt in honor of Master Jayden.¡± Everyone looked at this beautiful girl with surprise. Poor attempt? What a joke! This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Only a skilled carver could condense such details onto a piece of jade. This extremely detailed craftsmanship and technique made it easy for people to mistake it for Master Jayden¡¯s work, especially from a distance. Who was this girl? She had such hidden talents! Was she a hidden apprentice of Master Jayden? Everyone looked at Be with wonder and admiration. Only Shannon and Bethany looked like they had swallowed a cockroach. ¡®Anna ispletely different since she left our family. She¡¯s truly unstoppable!¡¯ ¡°Anna, my dear, you are Grandpa¡¯s treasure!¡± Nigel was so happy that he did not want to let go of Be¡¯s hand. ¡°To have a wife like this, what more could a man ask for?¡± Ryan looked at Be and sighed dreamily. Justin could not help but re at Ryan. ¡®What wife? She¡¯s not yours!¡¯ He once again looked at Anna with red eyes. Everyone admired her like she was a goddess. However, Justin felt like he was growing more distant from her, even though he had been her husband for three years. Chapter 183 Justin was shocked, angry, and unwilling. He felt deceived by this woman again! The birthday banquet carried on smoothly. Be wanted to go to the bathroom to touch up her makeup, so she left the table. Along the way, she recalled how Rosalind and Shannon tried to drag her down with such low- level and despicable methods. They really overestimated their abilities, thinking that they could bring Be down so easily. Be had already expected what they would use to attack her. It was a pity that they did not expect how much Nigel loved Be. His love for Be was a shield that could never be broken. Be knew that if Asher attended the party, it would be inappropriate to only give the antique rosewood chair. Thus, Be took out the jade carving she made half a month ago and presented it to Nigel. The reason she had such superb craftsmanship was that she grew up squatting in a pile of rocks, watching Uncle Tony work. Master Jayden could indirectly be considered her master. The corridor of the mansion was long and winding. Since it was Be¡¯s first time here, she got lost after a while. At this time, a fat little tabby cat slipped past. ¡°Where are you running to, little cutie?¡± Be smiled yfully and chased the cat in the direction where it had escaped. She finally caught up with the cat, but her high heels identally got caught between the cobblestones. Thus, she stumbled forward two steps and almost fell on the steps in front of her. ¡°Ah!¡± Be screamed and closed her eyes tightly, bracing for the impact. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her slender waist from behind. The man¡¯s grip was steady and reliable, so her panicked heart instantly calmed down. Soon after, the man picked Be up and pulled her body against his hard chest. Be was wearing a thin silk dress, so she could feel the contours of his sculpted pecs. ¡°Meow!¡± The fat cat sitting on the rock wall cried out and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Be slowly opened her eyes, but she did not dare to look back. She just opened her lips and exhaled softly. Justin could feel the sweat on her back as she was pressed against his warm chest. His stomach fluttered, and his desire surged. His heartbeat quickened uncontrobly. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Be bit her lip and struggled in his arms. Justin¡¯s clear ck eyes were lustful, and his hands caressed her slim waistline before he finally let go of her. ¡°Do you think I want to touch you? It¡¯s only because you¡¯re about to fall.¡± His expression was grim. ¡°Hah! Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll thank you.¡± Be hurriedly held a pir for support to stand firm and turned to look at him coldly. ¡°I would rather fall t on my face than let you take advantage of me.¡± In the glow of the sunset, Be¡¯s pretty face was very seductive. ¡°Take advantage of you?¡± Justin¡¯s breath hitched, and he smirked. ¡°If I wanted to take advantage of you, would I have waited until now?¡± ¡°Justin!¡± Be¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. ¡°In the past, weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to offer yourself to me?¡± Justin narrowed his eyes slightly with a hint of anger. ¡°We¡¯re divorced, but I haven¡¯t lost my memory.¡± He was still vexed about how much his ex-wife had hidden from him. If he endured it any longer, he might get sick. Be¡¯s heart dropped. An overwhelming sense of shame spread all over her body. She scoffed. ¡°So, what are you doing now? You didn¡¯t know how to cherish what you had at your fingertips before. Are you beginning to regret it now that you¡¯ve lost it?¡± ¡°Anna, you¡­ ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡¯ve missed the bus, so don¡¯t you ever think that you can get what I used to offer you again.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Justin¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. He grabbed her thin wrists and pressed her soft body against the pir. Chapter 184 ¡°Ugh-!¡± Be¡¯s back hurt from being pressed against the pir. She groaned and shouted, ¡°Justin! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Justin was so angry that he squeezed her wrist with force, as if he was afraid that she would run away. Their breaths entangled as they met each other¡¯s gazes. ¡°You lied to me again, Anna¡­ Anyone in my position would go crazy!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were locked on hers, and his voice was extremely hoarse. ¡°Justin, what did I lie to you about?¡± Be struggled hard. Her eyes suddenly turned red. ¡°Everything you don¡¯t know about me is because you have never cared enough to ask about me. If you had asked me, I would have told you. In the past three years, have you ever asked me about anything? Have you ever cared about me?!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes trembled. His heart was thumping uncontrobly in his chest. you ¡°Do know what I like to eat? Do you know what my hobbies are or what songs I like to listen to? Do you know where I like to go? I was your wife, and I knew everything about you, but you knew nothing about me¡­ Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re ridiculous for not knowing anything about your wife now? But who caused all this? You did!¡± Be¡¯s eyes were like knives that stabbed Justin¡¯s eyes. He was ashamed of his indifference over the years. Be said resentfully, ¡°Justin, in the past three years, I¡¯ve been just like the book you left in the corner of the bookshelf, gathering dust. I hoped every day that you would take a look at me. If you had, I would have told you everything about me without any reservation. But I waited for three years, and what awaited me was your abandonment.¡± Justin thought, ¡®Abandonment? Did I abandon her?¡¯ Justin¡¯s long eyshes were trembling. His beautiful face was pale, as if he had lost a lot of blood. His heart spasmed. Right. He was the one who lost her. He still remembered the moment when he forced her to sign the divorce papers. She had cried so devastatingly and forbearingly that day. She was obviously reluctant to give him up back then, so why was she so vengeful now? ¡°Thanks to your heartless attitude, I went from being disappointed to feeling despair. I no longer have any expectations for you, and I no longer have any desire to share anything about. me with you¡­ Now I have finally lost all interest in you.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and her hateful smile touched Justin. That was a lie! Justin felt as if she had dug out his most painful scar. An intense pain spread all over his body. ¡°Anna, have you really gotten over me? You¡¯re just deceiving yourself, right?¡± ¡°Deceiving myself? Sorry, but I don¡¯t have the time to do that.¡± ¡°Do you really like Asher?¡± Justin finally asked. ¡°Of course!¡± Be emphasized those words. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think you like Asher at all. You¡¯re just with Asher to get back at me and to provoke me so that I¡¯ll finalize our divorce!¡± Justin¡¯s breathing was heavy. He once again approached her beautiful and sexy face until the tips of their noses bumped into each other. ¡°Are you delusional?! Go and get your head checked out and leave me alone!¡± Be shook in anger. She quickly turned her face away, trying to avoid his hot breath. Unexpectedly, Justin grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. He was relentless. ¡°Anna, do you really hate me so much? You would rather give yourself to someone you don¡¯t love just to upset me, huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re upset? But I¡¯m happy.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Be curled her seductive lips. ¡°With him, I¡¯m happy every day. But with you, I just feel like I¡¯m in prison. Do you think you deserve my time and effort to plot revenge? If I take revenge on you, I just feel like it lowers my standards and wastes my time!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a shameless gold digger¡­ Why didn¡¯t I see your true colors sooner?¡± Justin gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life!¡± Be¡¯s pupils shrank in an instant, and her body waspletely frozen. She was his biggest mistake. Be had once risked her life to save him, and she had loved him for thirteen years. In the end, she got nothing from him. Instead, she had be a stain on his life. Be thought, ¡®Why am I so miserable and pathetic?¡¯ Justin watched helplessly as her eyes turned red and teary. Her face was pale. She looked like she had been woken up from a nightmare. She quickly let go of the hand that restrained her. Only then did Justin realize that what he said was too harsh and cruel. He did not mean to say that, so why did he blurt it out without any restraint? What made it worse was that he did not mean it at all. ¡°Young Master Justin? Ms. Brown?!¡± While Justin was panicking internally, Matt happened to bump into them in a hurry. Be hurriedly distanced herself from Justin and forced a smile. ¡°Uncle Matt, why aren¡¯t with Grandpa in the front hall? Why are you here?¡± you Matt noticed the tension between the two of them, but he did not say anything about it. He replied anxiously, ¡°There¡¯s a hup with the banquet, so I¡¯m in a hurry to deal with it.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Be asked anxiously. Chapter 185 ¡°Mr. Gregory knew how much Old Master Nigel liked listening to the opera, so he spent a big sum of money to hire a prima donna to sing at the banquet. But her apprentice just told me that the prima donna has food poisoning and won¡¯t be able to go on stage!¡± Matt was worried. ¡°What should we do? We set up the stage tonight just for her performance. But now, it has to be canceled. Old Master Nigel will be disappointed, and the guests willugh at us.¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t.¡± Be looked calm and confident as she smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Matt. I won¡¯t let the guests laugh at us.¡± ¡®Us.¡¯ Justin was touched when he heard this. Even if they had not finalized the divorce, they were no longer husband and wife. However, Anna was still willing to stand up for the Salvador family and solve their problems as before. All of this was just so Nigel could have a nice birthday banquet. ¡°Ms. Brown, what¡¯s your idea?¡± Matt was overjoyed when he heard her say this. ¡°Uncle Matt, where¡¯s the backstage? Please take me there.¡± After that, Be left Justin and hurried away with Matt. Justin looked at her delicate figure and clenched his fists in despair. He felt like he could not breathe when he thought of her teary eyes earlier. In the backyard, a stage was set up and decorated with props. The guests at the bottom of the stage were enjoying themselves and congratting Old Master Nigel on his 80th birthday. Nigel liked being surrounded by his family. He also invited Asher and Ryan to sit at his table. Their empty spots were quickly filled out. Only Rosalind was left at the guest table alone. This was another way to show her and everyone that she was not wee in the Salvador family. Rosalind was so angry that she sat there stiffly. Her teeth itched with hatred because no one cared about her, At this time, her phone buzzed, It was a message from Shannon. [You must seize opportunities for yourself. If you just sit back and wait, you will always be a laughingstock!] ¡®Laughing stock? No, I won¡¯t!¡¯ Rosalind clutched her cell phone tightly. Her carefully drawn eyebrows were raised, and her gaze was sinister. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Rosalind thought, ¡®Tonight, I will make Anna pay a thousandfold for how she had humiliated me in the past!¡¯ ¡°Eh? Where¡¯s Justin and Anna?¡± Nigel looked around and could not see his favorite couple. As soon as Nigel said this, Justin appeared with a glum face and sat next to Ryan. Ryan shuddered. He felt like his friend, who was exuding a chill, looked so terrifying, as if he had just gone to the underworld. ¡°Justin, where is Anna?¡± Nigel frowned in displeasure. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to look for her? Why are you so neglectful?¡± Justin pursed his thin lips. His mind was in a mess, so he did not answer his grandfather. ¡°Old Master Salvador, I think that Anna got lost since it¡¯s her first time here. I¡¯m going to look for her.¡± Asher was about to stand up when Justin said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. This is also your first time here, Mr. Thompson, so you may not be able to find her and get lost yourself. What¡¯s more, I know where she is, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Ryan was stunned. He almost tipped over his wine ss. He thought, ¡®Wow! What the hell is happening right now?¡¯ Two equally outstanding men were silently confronting each other. Asher¡¯s clear eyes narrowed slightly with a fleeting chill. At this time, the music yed, and the red curtains on the stage parted. Theughter in the audience gradually subsided, and everyone focused their attention on the stage. At this moment, a graceful and charming performer in a costume and full makeup floated over to the center of the stage. Justin looked at the beautiful woman and thought that she looked familiar. At this moment, Matt returned to Nigel¡¯s side. ¡°Oh, the performance is about to start! Why is Anna still nowhere to be seen?¡± Nigel was a theater fanatic, but he was not interested in watching the show without Anna. ¡°Old Master, Ms. Brown is right there.¡± As he said that, Matt pointed to the stage with a smile. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that her?¡± Everyone was shocked. Justin stood up abruptly, scaring everyone. His chest heaved violently as he stared nkly at the beauty on the stage. His heart tingled as if he had been electrocuted. Chapter 186 Be¡¯s pretty face was covered in makeup to match her costume. She spun around slowly to look back at the audience, moving her slender waist gracefully. Her alluring cat eyes pierced through the audience¡¯s heart. Be danced and sang beautifully, captivating everyone at the party. Justin stared at her nkly. He felt like they were worlds apart. He would have to transcend time and space, love and hate, to meet that beautifuldy on stage in this lifetime. Be¡¯s every smile and every frown made his world stop spinning. ¡°Anna¡­ Is that really Anna?!¡± Nigel was so excited that he gripped the armrest and sat up in shock. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s Anna! Look at her little nose and little mouth¡­ That¡¯s my dearest Anna!¡± ¡®Little nose and little mouth¡­¡¯ Justin suddenly fell back into his chair. His eyes were in a trance, and he felt a throbbing pain in his temples. ¡°Justin? What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look so good.¡± Ryan noticed something was wrong with Justin and asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Justin rubbed his temples as his mind traveled back in time. Why did he feel like he had heard Anna¡¯s name before? It seemed that he and Anna had met a long time ago. Nigel asked for a performance of ¡°O mio babbino caro¡±. In the past, Be often brought her own costumes to visit Nigel. She would put on the costumes and show off her vocal skills by singing a short aria to entertain him. Be still remembered how Nigel teared up when he heard her singing opera for the first time. He was caught up in the beautiful memories of histe wife and unknowingly burst into tears, crying like a child. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Back then, Nigel¡¯s wife, Deborah, was a famous prima donna, and Nigel was her avid fan. He loved Deborah deeply and insisted on marrying her, regardless of the opposition from his family. In the end, Nigel and Deborah finally got married, creating a legendary love story. Be envied Nigel and Deborah¡¯s rtionship. That was the kind of love that she wished to have. However, it was not until Justin forced her to sign the divorce papers that Be finally understood that her love was destined to end in tragedy the moment she fell in love with this man 13 years ago. Everyone paid close attention to the stage and stopped chatting to enjoy the performance. ¡°I just heard someone say that the performer is Mr. Salvador¡¯s ex-wife! Thatdy is truly multi -talented. In this day and age where pop culture is rampant, not many girls appreciate ssical art as much as she does!¡± ¡°Tsk! Stop calling her Mr. Salvador¡¯s ex-wife. She¡¯s now Mr. Thompson¡¯s girlfriend!¡± ¡°Who knows if Mr. Salvador and Ms. Brown will get back together again? Didn¡¯t you see the way Mr. Salvador looked at her longingly? It¡¯s clear that he hasn¡¯t gotten over her yet!¡± ¡°How can one get over such a beautiful and talented woman? Even Old Master Nigel likes her. She¡¯s certainly a million times better than the otherdy who bought the replica!¡± Rosalind could hear the faint gossip around her and felt so resentful that she left the table angrily. She found a hidden corner and stood there sulking, brewing a sinister n. Shannon urged Rosalind to attack Anna as soon as possible, but she was not so stupid as to let Shannon use her as a weapon. If Rosalind was discovered, she would lose everything. Therefore, Rosalind must find someone to take the risk. No one was a more suitable candidate than Bethany Salvador, the fool. Thus, Rosalind sent a message to Bethany. Not long after, Bethany walked over angrily, carrying her bulky dress. ¡°Hmph! That bitch, Anna! I didn¡¯t expect her to be able to sing like that. How could she steal the limelight again?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Bethany. So what if she can sing? Only a lowly person would be a performer. Even if she marries into a wealthy family, she won¡¯t be able to change her lowborn roots. She can only stand on the stage to entertain elites like us.¡¯ }) Rosalind was rendered speechless earlier because of what Anna said in front of everyone. Now that she was alone with Bethany, she couldfort herself by ndering Anna. ¡°Rose, you¡¯re right! Only lowly women perform on stage for the amusement of elites like us. She thinks she¡¯s so talented, but in fact, she¡¯s just embarrassing herself!¡± ¡°Bethany, do you want to get back at Anna for the way she treated us and vent your anger?¡± Rosalind asked in a low voice. ¡°Of course! I really want to rip off her head and kick it around like a ball. I¡¯ll break her neck and drain her blood!¡± Bethany gritted her teeth with hatred. ¡°I have a way, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do it alone. I¡¯ll need your help.¡± Rosalind grabbed Bethany¡¯s arm and spoke sinisterly. Chapter 187 Bethany asked, ¡°What way?!¡± Rosalind looked around to make sure there was no one and no cameras before she took out two vials of transparent liquid that Shannon had prepared for her from her handbag. ¡°What is this?¡± Bethany looked confused. ¡°It¡¯s an aphrodisiac that makes men lose control of themselves after drinking it. It¡¯s most suitable for a whore like Anna who likes to seduce men.¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes flickered with evil excitement. ¡°What?!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Bethany gasped loudly, but Rosalind stopped her. ¡°Shh! Keep your voice down!¡± ¡°You¡­ You want to drug Anna? At Grandpa¡¯s birthday banquet?!¡± Rosalind leaned next to Bethany¡¯s ear and said with a sinister smile, ¡°Imagine how thrilling it would be if the guests were to find out that Anna and Mr. Thompson had sex here tonight during the party. When the timees, her carefully crafted image willpletely copse. Justin and Grandpa will hate her for embarrassing them. The Thompson family will also dislike her for being improper. Don¡¯t you hate how close she is to Mr. Hoffman? If Mr. Hoffman saw Anna and Asher hooking up, do you think he would still want a slut like her?¡± Bethany¡¯s mouth gaped open, and she could not make a sound. She hated Anna and had always bullied her openly. She had never used such a dirty trick. ¡°If we¡¯re discovered, it¡¯ll be over!¡± ¡°There are so many people here, so we won¡¯t be discovered. Even if they suspected us, they have no evidence to say it was us. If you¡¯re afraid, send someone else to put it in Asher¡¯s cup. I¡¯ll get Anna. If the two of us work together, it¡¯ll go smoothly.¡± Rosalind said coldly, ¡°You saw what happened today. Mr. Hoffman only has eyes for Anna and doesn¡¯t care about you.¡± Bethany felt her heart ache and a huge sense of shame. ¡°If you don¡¯t get rid of Anna, the obstacle, you will never end up with Mr. Hoffman. Sitting and waiting will only make you theughingstock in the end. Think about it, Bethany!¡± Rosalind was a quick learner. She was even quoting Shannon to brainwash Bethany. Bethany nodded bitterly. The guests remained silent during the dreamy performance of ¡°O mio babbino caro¡±. Ryan looked at the beauty on the stage in a daze. He felt like he had lost his soul. His gaze was intensely adoring. Justin stared at Anna¡¯s familiar face for a moment, feeling estranged from her. The tea he drank felt like a strong liquor that irritated his throat. ¡°What a heartfelt and emotional plea.¡± Asher looked at his gorgeous sister on the stage and could not help but sigh. Justin¡¯s heart rippled when he heard this. At this moment, there was amotioning from the audience. Be raised her eyes, puzzled. Suddenly, she felt like she had been shot in the chest. Her body shook in fright. She saw Wyatt, apanied by his bodyguards and secretary, walking confidently through the crowd toward the main table. He looked so handsome and majestic. ¡°Is that Wyatt Thompson, Chairman of KS Group?!¡± ¡°Is Chairman Thompson here to attend Old Master Nigel¡¯s birthday party?! OMG! I¡¯ve lived too long to see everything!¡± ¡°Does this mean that the century-old grudge between the Thompson family and the Salvador family has been resolved? This news will definitely make the front page headlines!¡± Everyone whispered in shock. Be¡¯s voice shook uncontrobly, and her heart thumped against her rib cage. Why was Wyatt here? How was it possible for Wyatt toe over and celebrate Nigel¡¯s birthday?! Who invited this deity to the party?! Chapter 188 Asher¡¯s pupils shrank as he quickly stood up to greet Wyatt. ¡°Dad, why are you here?¡± Asher worriedly nced in the direction of the stage out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here when you¡¯re here? Ash, you should¡¯ve told me that you wereing. Then we could¡¯vee together.¡± Wyattined, then raised his eyebrows and smiled at Nigel. ¡°Old Master Nigel, it¡¯s been a while. You look as young as ever! It looks like you¡¯re getting stronger and more spirited with age.¡± ¡°Oh, Wyatt! You should¡¯ve told me you wereing. I would¡¯ve greeted you at the door!¡± Nigel stood up quickly and shook hands with Wyatt. Gregory, Shannon, and their children also stood up. When Justin saw Wyatt, he was puzzled. He raised his eyebrows curiously. Justin remembered checking the guest list more than once the night before the birthday banquet. He did not see Asher and Wyatt Thompson¡¯s names on the list, and judging from Nigel¡¯s surprised reaction, Justin figured that Nigel was unaware of their invitation either. Thus, it was most likely that Gregory had personally sent out these two invitations. But it was strange that Gregory invited the Thompsons separately. ¡°I just got off the ne and rushed over here as soon as possible. But it looks like I¡¯m stillte to the party! As punishment, I¡¯ll down three shots to express my apology.¡± Wyatt was well- mannered and courteous. Justin was stunned because he could see Asher and even Anna in this dignified man. Justin took a deep breath and felt that he was going crazy. ¡®Anna, how dare you mess with heart?!¡¯ Wyatt and Nigel were chatting andughing as if they were old friends. It waspletely impossible to tell that their families had a century-old, long-standing feud. However, Wyatt and Gregory were unfriendly with each other. The guests noticed this but did not say a word about it. my With the distinguished guest¡¯s arrival, Ryan and Justin stood up and went to sit in the back, leaving space for Wyatt at the main table. ¡°Grandpa, Ryan and I will go to the back.¡± Justin bowed with a gentle smile. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t seen these two boys for many years! They grew up to be such outstanding men!¡± Wyatt quickly sized Justin up and said, ¡°Old Master Nigel, I heard that your grandson is getting married soon.¡± At the mention of his grandson¡¯s second marriage, Nigel became irritated, so his expression darkened. ¡°Chairman Thompson, my son is getting married to Rosalind Gold, the daughter of Gold Corporation¡¯s chairman. Their wedding is set to be next month. I¡¯ll invite you to their ceremony soon.¡± Gregory took over the conversation with a smile. ¡°Gold Corporation? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± Wyatt brushed him off, which embarrassed Gregory and Shannon. ¡°Rosalind is my niece. She and Justin are childhood sweethearts.¡± Shannon dared not mention. it further since the Thompson family went against the Gold family over the previous issue of shoddy furniture. However, Shannon did not like the feeling of Wyatt looking down on them. After all, Rosalind was her niece. It would impact her if people made fun of Rosalind. ¡°Oh. Old Master Nigel, let me toast you!¡± Gregory and Shannon were speechless. Wyatt hadpletely dismissed them. He did not seem to care who Justin married, either. It was just small talk. Wyatt thought, ¡®Justin can marry whoever he wants, so long as it¡¯s not my daughter! My baby is the best there is! Hmph! Justin isn¡¯t good enough for my Be.¡¯ On stage, Be bravely finished singing the first part of the opera. When she was about to bow and end the performance, Wyatt¡¯s eyes inadvertently focused on her. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Be¡¯s heart pounded rapidly, like it was about to pop out of her chest. Fortunately, she had a full face of dramatic makeup to match her costume, and the stage was a little far away. So Wyatt did not immediately recognize his daughter. He only paused for a moment before looking away. Be took the opportunity to sneak off the stage as quickly as possible. Her costume was already soaking in cold sweat. At the same time, she received a message from her eldest brother. [Be, Dad is here! Try not to show your face for the remainder of the party. I¡¯ll keep a lookout for you. Feel free to contact me anytime.] [Yes, sir!] Wyatt asked Nigel, ¡°Where did you hire that young opera singer just now? She¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I didn¡¯t have to hire her. She is my god-granddaughter!¡± Nigel shed a proud smile. ¡°Oh, not bad! She must be an outstandingdy for you to recognize her as your granddaughter.¡± Chapter 189 Justin could not help but look at the stage. However, the stage was empty. Anna had already left the stage at some point. He furrowed his brows, and his eyes wereplicated. On the other side, the servants were busying in and out of the pantry. A few secondster, a maid who had been bribed by Bethany looked around and sneaked in. She avoided the cameras, took out the two vials of drug that Bethany gave her, and poured them separately into two sses before topping it up with champagne. ¡°Give one ss to Mr. Asher Thompson and the other one to Mr. Ryan Hoffman. You must make sure Mr. Hoffman drinks it, okay?¡± This was the order given to her by Bethany. Whether she could make a fortune depended on this task. The maid suddenly felt the urge to pee because she was nervous, so she ran out to use the bathroom. At this time, a girl wearing a white cotton dress tiptoed into the pantry. It was Carrie Salvador, who had never shown up at the birthday banquet. Her eyes were bright and childish as she peered around. She quickly picked up a ss of champagne and gulped it down in one go. Carrie had a habit that most people were unaware of. She liked to drink alcohol and often sneaked into the wine cer to steal some wine while the family was sleeping. This time, she did it again. ¡°Mmm¡­ Burp! Delicious!¡± Carrie burped and licked her pink lips with satisfaction. Then she filled up the ss to cover her tracks and scurried away like a squirrel. Ever since Wyatt suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Be did not dare to show herself. The banquet table was filled with rare delicacies, but Justin had no appetite. He silently scanned the banquet hall with a worried gaze. ¡°Come on, Mr. Thompson. Let¡¯s have a toast!¡± Ryan raised his wine ss toward Asher. His charming eyes were filled with mixed emotions. ¡± You¡¯re so lucky to be with such an outstanding woman as Anna. I hope that you will treat Anna well and pamper her like a princess. Don¡¯t make her sad, and please love her with every fiber of your being.¡± Asher squinted his eyes as he smiled. He picked up his ss and clinked it with Ryan¡¯s. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t make her sad. I will pamper her and love her forever.¡± Ryan¡¯s throat felt clogged. He took out a business card from his breast pocket and handed it to Asher. ¡°This is my business card with my phone number on it.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Asher raised his eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°Mr. Hoffman, I know you, so there is no need to introduce yourself like this.¡± ¡°But there is one thing you don¡¯t know. That is, I also like Anna.¡± Ryan confessed frankly, not shying away from his ¡°love rival¡±. Justin squeezed the stem of his wine ss. Asher¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Love is hard to keep. After all, Anna has many suitors queuing up for an opportunity to date. her. Mr. Thompson, if you ever get tired of Anna and fall out of love with her, please don¡¯t string her along. Remember to call me, and I will pick her up as soon as possible.¡± Ryan¡¯s gaze was intense. He did not look like he was joking at all. ¡°Thank you for reminding me, but your worries will nevere true.¡± Asherughed, thinking that Ryan had the potential to be aedian. Justin could not bear to listen to them anymore, so he stood up and left the table with a sullen face. These two guys were talking about his ex-wife in front of him. Although they did not mention. his name, he felt that they were slighting him with every word they said. As soon as Justin walked out of the banquet hall, Rosalind rushed over and hugged him tightly. ¡°Justin!¡± At this time, Justin caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking past from the corner of his eye. It was Anna! His Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly, and his jaw clenched. While he was lost in thought, Rosalind found the right opportunity and kissed him at the corner of his lips. Be was looking around and inadvertently saw Justin and Rosalind kissing. When she witnessed this scene, her eyes darkened, and she walked away as if she had not seen. anything. ¡°Ah!¡± Justin felt a stab in his heart when Anna walked away, so he pushed Rosalind away without a thought, causing her to stagger back. ¡°Justin¡­ How could you push me away?!¡± Justin frowned and raised his hand to wipe off the lipstick mark on his lips. ¡°I hate this feeling of being harassed.¡± Chapter 190 Rosalind thought, ¡®Harassed?! I offered myself to him again and again, but he thinks that I¡¯m harassing him?!¡¯ ¡°Justin¡­ I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e! How can you say that about me?¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes turned red instantly, looking like she was about to cry. ¡°Rosalind, you know how much I hate overly intimate behavior.¡± Justin took a deep breath. His eyes were slightly cold. ¡°Yes, I know. I have always known¡­¡± Justin was traumatized during his childhood, so he had never been able to have an intimate rtionship with the opposite sex and express his desires like a normal man. This was not easy for him. Otherwise, such an outstanding man as he would have been with other women when Rosalind was gone for three years. ¡°But since we got together again, you don¡¯t seem to remember this.¡± Justin thought of Anna¡¯s hateful eyes and clenched his fists. He did not understand the emotions he was feeling at this moment because this was all new to him. Justin felt as if he had done something wrong. He felt a vague sense of guilt, but he did not understand what he had done wrong. He had never been so confused in his life. ¡°But Justin, I will marry you soon!¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were red as she took a step forward. She was a little hysterical. ¡°We¡¯re not children anymore. We can¡¯t have a tonic rtionship forever! I will sleep with you in the future and give you children!¡± Justin exhaled deeply and subconsciously took a step back. He thought that marrying Rosalind was what he had always wanted. But why did he feel more panicked and reluctant the closer they were to their wedding day? Suddenly, the door mmed open again. Asher stumbled out of the banquet hall. Justin thought that he seemed/drunk when he passed by them. Rosalind hid behind Justin and curled her lips into a sinister smile. On the other side, Be had just changed back into her dress, removed her stage makeup, and walked out of the backstage area. ¡°Ms. Brown, something happened!¡± The maid hurriedly walked up to her and said, ¡°Mr. Thompson is feeling unwell and is resting in the guest room. You should go and see him. He seems very ufortable.¡± When Be heard that her eldest brother was not feeling well, she panicked.¡± Please lead the way!¡± Justin and Asher left the table and did not return. Ryan was bored sitting alone, so he got up and went for a walk outside. The night sky was filled with stars. The garden was peaceful and quiet, with a small stream flowing under a small bridge. Ryan saw antique streetnterns illuminating the garden. The soft orange light was beautiful. In addition to the chirping cicadas, Ryan heard a rustling in the bushes. Ryan narrowed his eyes and called out, ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± However, there was no reply. He could only hear the cicadas chirping again. He thought that it might be a cat hiding in the bushes. Thus, he did not think much about it and turned to leave. At that moment, he heard a voice. Ryan¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he approached the voice warily with light footsteps. His heartbeat quickened, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he walked step by step to the bushes. ¡°Who¡¯s in there? Come out!¡± He barged in and widened his eyes in shock. Ryan¡¯s thin lips trembled. He was stunned. ¡°Carrie?! Why are you here?!¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me¡­¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you sick? You can¡¯t hide out here!¡± Ryan did not know what was going on, so he stretched out his arms to pull Carrie out of the bushes. However, as soon as he touched her arm, he felt electrocuted. At this moment, Carrie¡¯s body was burning. ¡°Do you have a fever?!¡± Ryan asked anxiously. He was flustered. ¡°Help me¡­¡± Carrie¡¯s consciousness gradually blurred, and she could no longer see Ryan¡¯s handsome face clearly. ¡°Carrie?¡± Before Ryan finished speaking, he suddenly felt her sweet and warm breath approaching his face. Carrie hugged him tightly, which made him panie. ¡°Carrie! Don¡¯t mess around. I like someone else!¡± The next second, Carrie closed her watery eyes and kissed his thin lips desperately. On the other side, Bethany could not find Ryan and was not sure whether he had drunk the ss of wine. Thus, she was spinning around in circles. She did not tell Rosalind that she had also given the drug to Ryan. Bethany thought about having sex with Ryan, so when the time came, she could force her parents to propose marriage to the Hoffman family. That way, Ryan would be forced to ept her because of pressure from the Salvador family. But where was he? ¡°Ms. Bethany!¡± The maid ran over to Bethany. ¡°How are things going?¡± Bethany looked around warily and asked in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s done. Please don¡¯t worry! I personally helped Mr. Thompson to the room and led Ms. Brown there.¡± Bethany smiled proudly. ¡°What about Mr. Hoffman? Have you seen him?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I didn¡¯t see him¡­¡± ¡°Did you give him that drink?!¡± Bethany asked anxiously. ¡°Yes, I watched him and Mr. Thompson drink the champagne. If Mr. Thompson is feeling ufortable, Mr. Hoffman should feel the same as well.¡± The maid swore on her life. Bethany was anxious when Rosalind called her. She quickly answered it. ¡°Well done, Bethany! Let¡¯s just wait and watch the show!¡± Chapter 191 Be stood in the middle of the empty and quiet living room. She fumbled to turn on the lights as she called out to her brother anxiously. ¡°Ash? Are you there?¡± At this time, there was a faint sound in the bedroom. Be felt nervous. She walked briskly inside while shouting, ¡°Ash! Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?¡± ¡°Be¡­ Don¡¯te over!¡± Asher¡¯s voice trembled, and his breathing wasbored. ¡°Ash! What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare me!¡± Be¡¯s face lost all color in an instant. Just as she was about to rush in, the door mmed open. Under the dim light, Asher was soaked from head to toe, as if he had fallen into the sea. His handsome face was flushed red. He had taken off his suit jacket, leaving only a wet white shirt clinging to his muscr body. His shirt was wide open, exposing the red skin underneath. It was as if his blood was boiling. ¡°Ash¡­ What¡­..¡± ¡°I was drugged¡­¡± Asher¡¯s vision gradually became blurry. He could hardly see Be clearly. ¡°I took a cold shower and soaked myself in a cold bath, but the drug is too strong¡­ Nothing works!¡± ¡°How could this happen?!¡± Be was furious but also panicking. She was a medical prodigy who could perform brain surgery, but she was currently at a loss facing her brother, who was drugged with a strong aphrodisiac. ¡°Be¡­ This is a trap. Leave this room immediately and lock the door¡­ I can handle this by myself!¡± Asher¡¯s breathing became heavier. His eyes werepletely bloodshot. Be thought, ¡®No, we can¡¯t dy this any longer! Ash will be in danger!¡¯ ¡°Ash, I can¡¯t possibly leave you alone! Let me help you. I¡¯ll call the driver right away and take you to the hospital right now!¡± Be had never seen Asher in such pain. She was so flustered that she almost cried. She was about to run over to help him when she heard ss shattering. Asher actually smashed a vase at the door. Then he grabbed a sharp fragment of ss, gritted his teeth, and held it in the palm of his hand until blood flowed out between his fingers. He refused to let go, as if he were enjoying the pain. ¡°Ash!¡± Be felt extremely distressed. Her eyes were filled with tears. She knew that Asher could no longer hold on, so he hurt himself just to protect her. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Be¡­ Please leave! I beg you!¡± Asher opened his eyes, which were filled with lust, and roared, ¡°Get out!¡± There was a lot of singing and dancing in the banquet hall. Wyatt was chatting happily with Nigel at the main table. Some people who wanted to curry favor with Nigel did not dare toe forward. The main reason was that Wyatt looked so unapproachable and powerful, like a mighty king in ancient times. Menial people like them were not good enough to talk to such nobility. After Nigel drank some wine, he was in a good mood and invited the children to sit with him. Matt invited Justin and Bethany to the main table. ¡°Wyatt, what do you think of my grandson?¡± Nigel yfully winked at Wyatt. Wyatt smiled faintly and said, ¡°Old Master Nigel, your grandson definitely surpasses you.¡¯ Gregory frowned and coughed lightly, wondering how this person with such low emotional intelligence could make such a big family fortune. Justin was Gregory¡¯s son, so Wyatt should have praised Justin for having good genes. How could Wyatt say that Justin surpassed them all? ¡°Haha! Justin can¡¯tpare to me when I was younger. I certainly had higher standards than this punk! But I think my grandson is a little naive and stubborn. He won¡¯t listen to my advice, no matter what!¡± Nigel sighed with disappointment. Justin lowered his eyes and said nothing. He took a sip of tea with a cold face. ¡°Dad, Justin isn¡¯t ascking as you described. In the past few years since he has been president of Salvador Corporation, everyone can attest to the increased performance. Justin has done well compared to his peers.¡± Gregory gave Justin a rarepliment. In fact, Gregory was trying to one-up his rival, Wyatt. ¡°Pft! That¡¯s his job! The president of thepany must be capable and far-sighted. Otherwise, I will kick him off the board even if he is my grandson and get someone to rece him!¡± Nigel had always disliked Gregory, so he took the opportunity to diss his son whenever possible. ¡°Old Master Nigel, if Justin is capable and farsighted, he¡¯s already better than most of his peers in Savrow. He can be considered a role model among the younger generation of business leaders.¡± Wyatt smiled and spoke sincerely. After all, Salvador Corporation¡¯s performance increased several foldpared to before Justin took over. In addition, the drastic reforms he implemented made Salvador Corporation one of the leading conglomerates in Savrow in just three years. Wyatt could see that Nigel was openly belittling and secretly praising his grandson. In reality, Nigel was quite satisfied with his grandson. ¡°Wyatt, it seems like you really admire my grandson!¡± Nigel grinned and approached Wyatt. ¡°Why don¡¯t we arrange a marriage between our families?¡± Chapter 192 Everyone was stunned to hear this. Nigel¡¯s suggestion shocked Gregory and Shannon. Bethany had just taken a sip of tea and almost spat it out when she heard this. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Grandpa, please stop messing around.¡± Justin¡¯s expression froze. His eyebrows furrowed. Wyatt was also shocked by the suggestion. ¡°Wyatt, I remember that you have three daughters. Have you added another daughter to your family in recent years?¡± Nigel asked seriously. ¡°No, I still have three girls. Nine children are enough for me. I have no ns to have more children in the future.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Are those three daughters married?¡± Wyatt smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°My sixth daughter, Cami, is already married and currently living abroad. My youngest daughter, Amelia, is still studying. She¡¯s still too young to get married. I want her to rx and enjoy her student life.¡± ¡°You have another daughter, the one you love the most, right? What¡¯s her name?¡± Wyatt¡¯s gaze became gentle. ¡°My eighth daughter, Be.¡± Hearing this name, Justin shook slightly, almost dropping the teacup in his hand. His expression became even gloomier. ¡°That¡¯s right, Be! I remember seeing her when she was just a little girl. She¡¯s such a well- behaved little doll!¡± Nigel¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°I guess Be is already 24 or 25 years old, right? Is she married?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­ ¡°Then what do you think of Justin as your son-inw?¡± Wyatt was speechless. ¡®Why is this old man so tactless? Couldn¡¯t he see that I didn¡¯t want my precious daughter to marry Gregory¡¯s son? How dare he think of my perfect Be?! Hmph!¡¯- ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m getting married soon.¡± Justin became furious when he thought of Be. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t have a girlfriend, there¡¯s no way I will ever be with Ms. Thompson.¡± Just as Nigel was about to speak, Wyatt frowned and said, ¡°Justin, what do you mean by that? Do you think that my precious/daughter isn¡¯t good enough for you? She¡¯s the apple of my eye. Even when the son of the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince came to propose marriage, I felt that they were not good enough for my daughter. So, where did you get the confidence to look down on my daughter? You haven¡¯t even met her yet. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too rash for rejecting her so soon?¡± If Nigel had not been present, Wyatt would have said something even worse. Wyatt thought, ¡°This little punk is so impudent!¡¯ ¡°Ms. Thompson is outstanding. We havepeted against each other in business. She is smart, courageous, and superior to others.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were dark. His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. ¡°But she and I have different personalities. This is a barrier that can¡¯t be breached, and there is no way to force us to be together. If I can meet Ms. Thompson one day, I think we will be great business partners.¡± Wyatt¡¯s face eased slightly when he heard praise for his daughter. ¡°One day? Well, why don¡¯t we make it happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? Let¡¯s make arrangements for Justin and Be to meet and get to know each other. Perhaps that barrier Justin was talking about isn¡¯t that imprable after all! It¡¯s settled then!¡± Nigel waved his hand and made the decision promptly. Wow! To prevent Justin from marrying Rosalind, this old man actually started to y Cupid randomly with his eyes closed! Justin¡¯s handsome face was gloomy. Just as he was about to refuse, Shannon finally spoke. Dad, Justin is going to marry Rose soon. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate for you to introduce Ms. Thompson to Justin at this time?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re not married yet, are they?¡± Nigel¡¯s smile faded, and his eyes were intimidating. ¡°Marriage is no different from negotiating long-term cooperation. Before the contract is signed, everything is subject to change!¡± ¡°Dad, the news of Justin and Rose¡¯s marriage is out. If something unexpected happens now, how will the outside world view Ms. Thompson?¡± Shannonughed in exasperation. ¡°Ms. Thompson is Chairman Thompson¡¯s precious daughter, so we can¡¯t let her suffer like this!¡± ¡°Shannon, please stop talking.¡± Gregory was afraid that Shannon¡¯s interjections would anger his father, so he hurriedly pulled her away. ¡°You! Cough cough cough¡­¡± Nigel was furious. He choked and coughed painfully. His face turned red. Wyatt watched silently and sipped on his tea. ¡®Hmph! This Salvador family is so messed up! Who would be crazy enough to marry their daughter into this tiger den?¡¯ Seeing that the old man¡¯s cough was getting worse, Gregory, Justin, and Matt quickly came forward to soothe his back. ¡°I don¡¯t want you hanging around me! Where¡¯s Anna? I want Anna to apany me!¡± Nigel shouted with a red face. Anna was like oxygen to Nigel. Without her, Nigel could barely breathe. ¡°Right, where did Ms. Brown go? Why haven¡¯t we seen her for so long?¡± Bethany feigned surprise but smiled sinisterly in her heart. At this time, Rosalind came over as if they had it all nned out. ¡°Rose, did you see Anna when you came here? Grandpa is looking for her,¡± Bethany asked hurriedly. ¡°I¡­ I saw her.¡± Rosalind intertwined her fingers. Her eyes flickered, and she looked hesitant. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should say anything¡­ Chapter 193 Seeing Rosalind¡¯s flickering expression, Nigel felt nervous and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened to Anna?!¡± Justin¡¯s heart also rippled uncontrobly. ¡°Rose, just say it openly. There are no outsiders here.¡± Shannon urged her with a cold glint in her eyes. ¡°I was walking in the vi and identally saw Ms. Brown and Mr. Thompson entering the same room¡­ Mr. Thompson was drunk, so I think Ms. Brown must have gone in to take care of him.¡± Rosalind looked innocent as she said, ¡°I was a little nervous at first, but since Mr. Thompson and Ms. Brown are dating, there¡¯s nothing wrong with them being in the same room.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes trembled, and he clenched his fists fiercely. Wyatt was confused for a moment. He stood up abruptly and asked, ¡°Who is my son with? Anna Brown? Who is that?!¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Rosalind looked at Justin in a panic. Justin felt the blood gushing into his head. Without another word, he walked away briskly, shocking everyone. Rosalind smiled slyly. ¡®Anna¡­ This time, I want your reputation to be ruined! I want Justin to see you as the shameless whore that you are!¡¯ ¡°You haven¡¯t told me who Anna is yet!¡± Wyatt demanded as his temples twitched. Wyatt had high hopes for his eldest son since he was just a child. How could a scheming woman get her hands on his son? ¡°Oh, no! Don¡¯t you know her, Chairman Thompson?¡± Shannon pretended to be surprised. ¡°Your son and Anna had officially announced their rtionship earlier during the birthday banquet. At the charity auction, I also saw how close Madam M and Anna were, so I thought you had already met her.¡± ¡°What? M also knows about her?!¡± Wyatt¡¯s expression changed dramatically. His jaw was clenched. Wyatt thought, ¡®That woman is so scheming! She not only seduced my son but also cozied up to my wife! Who the hell is she?!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s enough! How Anna and Asher get along is their business. There¡¯s no need for you to talk about it.¡± Nigel loved Anna, so he did not want to hear Shannon add fuel to the fire. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not really a private matter if you think about it.¡± Shannon¡¯s eyes darkened, and she cleared her throat. ¡°After all, Anna and Justin had just signed their divorce papers, and they have yet to finalize the divorce. So, in principle, she¡¯s still a member of our family. We followed your wishes and waited until your 80th birthday before officially announcing Justin and Rose¡¯s marriage. During these days, they kept a low profile just to please you. We can all see how much Rose suffered because of Anna. We endured it, but it seemed like Ms. Brown couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She¡¯s putting us in a difficult position, especially at your birthday banquet. If anything happens, our family is caught in the middle. It¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± Rosalind and Bethany exchanged nces. They were snickering with joy in their hearts. Wyatt was stunned. His brain stopped working, and his mind went nk. His son, the celibate, who had been single for 30 years, actually fell in love with Justin¡¯s ex- wife?! Wasn¡¯t he a priest?! Why did he have such weird taste in women?! What a sinner! Justin ran wildly through the long corridor. He had always been dignified andposed among the elites. For many years, no one had been able to mess with him. However, this time, when he heard that Anna and Asher were in the same room, he became flustered. He just wanted to stop her and pull her back to him at all costs. Justin thought, ¡®Anna, I won¡¯t allow Asher to touch you!¡¯ When he arrived at the door of the room, Justin panted heavily while sweating through his shirt. His eyes were red. He did not know what was going on inside the room. Were they already sleeping together? How far have they gone? Was it toote to stop them? Justin felt like he was stabbed in the heart. He gritted his teeth and was about to knock on the door when it opened at this moment. He saw Be supporting a disheveled Asher and panting. She was equally startled to see Justin. Justin¡¯s hands froze in mid-air. His breathing was unsteady, and his thin lips trembled violently. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Be¡¯s heart suddenly clenched. She immediatelyughed mockingly. ¡°Oh, I guess the news spread quite fast. You must be the first one toe over and see the show, huh?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Did he touch you?¡± Justin¡¯s fingers were tense, and his handsome face turned pale. ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Get out of the way!¡± Be¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. She wanted to stop her brother from suffering, so she pushed Justin away and walked toward the other end of the corridor. Chapter 194 Justin was not willing to give up. He stepped forward and grabbed Be¡¯s thin arm, leaving red marks on her fair skin. What was redder than those finger marks were his bloodshot and possessive eyes. touch you? Anna, answer me!¡± ¡°Did he ¡°Mr. Thompson was drugged at your party!¡± Be red at him with eyes full of hatred. ¡°What did you say?¡± Justin was startled. ¡°I have gotten the drug under control momentarily, but I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s drugged with, so I must take him to the hospital for a blood test immediately!¡± Be¡¯s eyes were red as she shook off Justin¡¯s iron grip. ¡°Justin, I don¡¯t have time to waste talking to you about these underhanded tricks. If anything happens to Mr. Thompson, I won¡¯t let any of you go! I will fight you to the end! You must pay for this dirty act!¡± Be¡¯s words were like knives stabbing Justin, prating his heart and lungs. His soul also seemed cut off by her. Justin¡¯s cheeks burned with shame. It felt like she had just pped him. He never thought Anna would go against him for Asher¡¯s sake. He had also never seen a woman¡¯s eyes be so fierce and beautiful at the same time. ¡°Anna¡­ Come back!¡± Justin called out to her in a hoarse voice. However, Be did not stop for him. At this time, loud footsteps were approaching from behind. ¡°Anna! Anna!¡± It was Nigel¡¯s anxious voice. Be paused. She supported the unconscious Asher and turned around slowly. The next second, her face turned pale, as if she had been struck by lightning. Standing with the Salvador family was her father, Wyatt. At this moment, Wyatt saw his daughter¡¯s face clearly. He was stunned in ce at first. Then he rubbed his eyes vigorously, thinking that he was hallucinating. Be¡¯s throat was clogged. She could not make a single sound. Panic, guilt, and shame came rushing over her, like thousands of ants nibbling at her chest. ¡°Chairman Thompson, Grandpa, Justin, look at her!¡± Rosalind took the opportunity to step forward and stared at Be viciously. ¡°Ms. Brown is embarrassing both your families! Justin said that he would finalize their divorce after Grandpa¡¯s birthday, and Grandpa loved her so much. Couldn¡¯t she just wait for a few more days for Grandpa¡¯s sake? As Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, I repeatedly gave in so that Grandpa could have a peaceful birthday. But Ms. Brown acted on a whim and did such embarrassing things to the Salvador family. Chairman Thompson, she threw herself at your son before her divorce was N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. finalized and even slept with him during the party. Is she that desperate? Would you allow such an unruly woman to be associated with your son?¡± ¡°Rosalind!¡± Justin was infuriated. Rosalind was frightened by the man¡¯s cold and sharp gaze, so she shuddered in fear. However, there was no turning back. Since she had already exposed Anna, this was a rare opportunity to bring Anna down. Even if Justin became wary of her because of this, Rosalind still wanted to add insult to injury. ¡°Anna¡­ You and Asher¡­¡± Nigel looked at the girl¡¯s stiff face in astonishment, not knowing what to say. Gregory shook his head, thinking that it was a good thing his son had broken up with this woman. Otherwise, this disgraceful woman would probably ruin his family. ¡°Well, never mind. It¡¯s normal for youngsters to lose control sometimes.¡± Shannon pretended to be very understanding and sighed. ¡°Fortunately, only our family knows about this. Otherwise, if word got out¡­¡± ¡°Be,e here.¡± Wyatt¡¯s handsome and dignified face was gloomy. He suddenly interrupted Shannon. Everyone looked at each other, confused. ¡®Be? Who was he referring to?¡¯ Unexpectedly, Be took a step forward sluggishly at this time. She took a deep breath, blushed in embarrassment, and said shyly, ¡°Dad.. Chapter 195 Be¡¯s voice was soft, but it was like a thunderp that rang in everyone¡¯s ears. Nigel and Gregory gaped their mouths open,pletely stunned. Rosalind suddenly felt like her body was frozen. Her face was ashen. Shannon and Bethany were not much better either. Who would have thought that Justin¡¯s pushover ex-wife whom everyone thought came from the countryside was actually the daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay and heiress of KS Group? ¡°Mom¡­ Is this true? This bitch¡­¡± Bethany timidly pulled Shannon, but Shannon shook her off irritably. ¡°Shut up!¡± Justin¡¯s body was frozen in ce. Thousands of emotions surged in his heart, and the overwhelming confusion and shock were too much to bear. How was it possible that his wife of three years, who had taken great care of my grandfather as a caregiver, was actually Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter? Justin took a deep breath, walked up to Be, opened his red eyes, and stared intently at her familiar yet estranged face. Be pursed her lips and turned to look away. She felt guilty and annoyed, so she did not want to meet his overly piercing eyes. ¡°Is it really you?¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°Yeah,¡± Be replied coolly. Her eyes were nk. ¡°So, you were the one who went against the Gold family before, and you made me climb ten floors¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, there¡¯s no need to get into the details. It¡¯s all me. I am Be Thompson, the general manager of KS World Hotel and Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter who has never shown her face in public.¡± Be interrupted him with a cold voice, ¡°But don¡¯t get me wrong. As the top management of the hotel, I did everything based on the interests of the hotel, and I had no intention of targeting you. As for why I found a substitute to meet you at that time, I guess you¡¯ve already figured out why. I concealed my identity so as not to cause unnecessary trouble. We can part ways amicably, so I didn¡¯t want to see you in person.¡± Be paused and lowered her eyshes sadly. ¡°I did lie to you about this, and I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± She had lied to him again. This time, her deception was more outrageous than all the previous ones put together. However, Justin was not as angry as he imagined he would be. Instead of hating her for lying to him, Justin actually wanted to know why. Why did this billionaire heiress willingly change her identity and work as a lowly caregiver for his grandfather? Why was she willing to marry him despite the grievances she suffered when she knew that he did not love her? ¡°So¡­ You, Asher, and Axel¡­¡± ¡°They are all my brothers from the same mother.¡± After Be exined herself, she ignored him and walked toward Wyatt. Justin took a cold breath. His heart shrank, and his chest felt crushed. At this time, Steven hurried over after hearing the news. When he saw Wyatt and Be together, he was shocked for a moment before he figured out what happened. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Chairman Thompson, Ms. Be.¡± ¡°Steve, hold Asher. He¡¯s drunk. I¡¯m afraid Be can¡¯t support him.¡± Although Wyatt was so angry that his chest was about to explode, he did not want to lose his temper in front of the Salvadors, so he suppressed his anger forter. He would deal with his rebellious daughter after they left. Steven rushed forward and put his arms around Asher¡¯s waist to support him. Justin wanted to help, but Be coldly refused. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you don¡¯t have to worry. We can manage it ourselves.¡± Justin pursed his lips. His arms paused in midair awkwardly. Be ordered in a serious tone, ¡°Steve, please contact the director of Thompson Hospital and tell him that Asher may need a gastricvage.¡± ¡°Gastricvage?! Isn¡¯t he just drunk?¡± ¡°Asher is not drunk.¡± Be raised her eyes and swept her sharp gaze across the Salvadors. ¡°It¡¯s clear from his reaction that he was drugged!¡± Everyone was shocked. The three scheming women panicked, especially Bethany. Her legs under her heavy dress were already trembling. Wyatt¡¯s handsome face turned to frost. From the beginning, he felt that something was wrong with Asher. His son had a high tolerance for alcohol, so there was no way he would get drunk and lose hisposure at Old Master Nigel¡¯s birthday party. Sure enough, there was something fishy in this. Steven helped Asher to the car first. Chapter 196 Nigel¡¯s face turned pale in anger, and his body trembled slightly. ¡°Anna, what¡¯s going on? Tell me what happened.¡± Although he knew that Be was Wyatt¡¯s daughter, he still could not kick the habit of calling her Anna. ¡°How is this possible?!¡± Gregory thought he had very strict rules for his family, so he felt humiliated when he heard that something like this happened under his watch. ¡°The level of security in the mansion is very high. It¡¯s so tightly guarded that no outsiders cane in or leave as they please. Moreover, those who came to celebrate my father¡¯s birthday tonight are rtives and close friends. Who in their right mind would do such a dirty and despicable thing in broad daylight? There must be a misunderstanding. Perhaps Mr. Thompson has food poisoning, or an allergic reaction, or¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe it or not. Thompson Hospital is very efficient. Everything wille to light once Asher¡¯s blood work is out.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Be raised her chin haughtily with a cold light in her eyes. ¡°Also, you mentioned that this mansion is so tightly guarded that no outsiders cane in or leave as they please. Does that mean this is an inside job?¡± Gregory¡¯s face turned pale for a moment, but he could not think of how to refute her. Rosalind hid behind the Salvadors in fear, staggering two steps back in fear. Rosalindforted herself, ¡®It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯ll be fine¡­ Bethany did it! I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡¯ Bethany¡¯s heart was beating like a drum. She had agreed to drug Asher, while Rosalind would deal with Anna. Why did Asher get drugged, but nothing happened to this bitch? Did Rosalind stay out of it? Bethany gritted her teeth and stared at Rosalind. ¡®We promised to do it together, but you secretly backed out! You coward!¡¯ ¡°Ms. Brown-Thompson, you¡¯re going overboard with your usations!¡± Shannon was afraid that her schemes would be exposed, so she hurriedly chimed in. ¡°We have no enmity with you or Mr. Thompson, so why would we harm him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! You have no ce to speak here!¡± Nigel could not bear it anymore and roared angrily. Shannon was scolded like a mere servant. She was so angry that she wanted to poison the old man. ¡°You might not want to harm Asher, but you used him like a pawn. Whoever did this is targeting me.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were calm and fearless. Justin trembled as he nced at Shannon and Bethany with gloomy and suspicious eyes. From the beginning, Justin felt it was strange that Asher and Wyatt, who were not on the guest list, suddenly showed up at Nigel¡¯s birthday party. Justin recalled how Shannon revealed his rtionship with Be in front of Wyatt. Soon after, Asher and Be were supposedly seen going into the same room. All of this was too coincidental. ¡°After I finished singing on stage, a maid came to me and said that Asher was feeling unwell, so he was resting in a room. She asked me to check on him, so I followed her out of concern and didn¡¯t think much of it. I didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen.¡± Be clenched her teeth. Her charming eyes were red with resentment. ¡°In order to protect me, Asher held ss fragments in his hand and hurt himself to keep a clear mind. That way, their schemes wouldn¡¯t work. Since I¡¯ve always concealed my identity, no one in the Salvador family knew that I was a Thompson and wanted to take revenge on me. But they never imagined that Asher and I were siblings. If they had known, they probably wouldn¡¯t have used this trick.¡± Wyatt was distressed. He suppressed his anger and sneered. ¡°Gregory, you¡¯d better give me an exnation for tonight¡¯s matter. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let this slide!¡± ¡°Chairman Thompson, I think there must be a misunderstanding.¡± Gregory was so anxious that he spoke quickly. Wyatt waved his hand irritably. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! My son and daughter were plotted against in your house. My son is now unconscious. I don¡¯t care if this is done by your family or someone else. This happened under your roof, so you must give me an exnation!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you making things difficult for me?¡± Gregory¡¯s face flushed with anger. ¡°Hah! Your son isn¡¯t the one who is drugged right now! What¡¯s so difficult about this?¡± Wyatt narrowed his eagle eyes and said, ¡°Gregory, are you incapable of investigating, or do you not dare to investigate this?¡± Gregory clenched his teeth, feeling dizzy with anger. When Be saw her father standing up for her and Asher, she felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Her eyes teared up. Although Wyatt was a womanizer, he still looked out and protected his family. Rosalind¡¯s gauze skirt was soaked with cold sweat, skirt was soaked with cold sweat, while Bethany was about to have a mental breakdown. She had already stepped back slowly while holding the hem of her dress, ready to run away. ¡°Ms. Bethany, where are you going?¡± Bethany was so frightened by the sudden voice that she almost screamed. She looked up abruptly and saw Ryan walking toward them calmly. His charming eyes were chilly. Everyone saw that he was holding a sleeping girl in his arms. Bethany was infuriated. Hatred spread uncontrobly throughout her body. The girl Ryan was holding so carefully was Carrie. Chapter 197 Carrie slept soundly in Ryan¡¯s arms, grabbing onto his shirt with her little hands. Her beautiful and long eyshes fluttered gently. She looked like an angel that had fallen to earth. Ryan lowered his eyes. He had been with many women before, so he was quick to calm his desires. When he looked at Bethany again, his eyes were extremely sharp. ¡°Ms. Bethany, if you leave now, you won¡¯t be able to see the exciting segment that¡¯sing next.¡± ¡°1¡­ ¡°I¡­ I want to go to the bathroom.¡± Bethany¡¯s forehead was sweating, and her heart was pounding. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°You can still go after you see this.¡± Ryan hugged Carrie tightly and walked toward Be and Justin calmly. Just as he walked past Bethany, she was shocked to see that his exposed neck was dotted with eye- catching red marks! Bethany¡¯s spine stiffened, and her mind buzzed. Ryan did not seem drugged, so where did these hickeyse from? At this time, Carrie seemed to stir in her sleep because of a nightmare. Bethany¡¯s heart thumped, and her eyes dimmed. Was Carrie the one who was drugged? Did Carrie and Ryan sleep together?! Damn it! This fool got a bargain! ¡°Carrie!¡± Be and Justin said it in unison. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my granddaughter?!¡± Nigel had not seen his youngest granddaughter all night. Seeing her being held by Ryan, Nigel felt nervous. Gregory and Shannon were also surprised and anxious. ¡°Grandpa, Justin, don¡¯t be afraid. Carrie is fine. I¡¯m very experienced in dealing with this kind. of thing.¡± Ryan took a deep breath. ¡°Experienced?¡± Justin frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°Ryan, if you used your ¡®experience¡¯ on Carrie, I won¡¯t let you off lightly!¡± ¡°Tsk! Why are you so wary of me as if I¡¯m a pervert?¡± Ryan coughed lightly. His eyes flickered. Be was observant and noticed the red marks on his neck, but she did not say anything. She only red at him. ¡°Ryan! What¡¯s going on? Tell me quickly!¡± Gregory asked anxiously. Ryan took a deep breath and spoke coldly. ¡°Carrie was drugged. I found her in the bushes in the garden. The drug had already taken effect, so she was in critical condition. I made her drink a lot of water and gave her some medicine. She¡¯s quite stable now, and she will be fine after sleeping it off.¡± Everyone was shocked. Shannon¡¯s and Rosalind¡¯s faces were grim. Nigel¡¯s body shook, and he could no longer stand still. ¡°What¡­ Carrie is also drugged?¡± ¡°Dad, calm down! Matt, help Dad!¡± Gregory was worried about his father¡¯s health and hurriedly stepped forward to support Nigel with Matt¡¯s help. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Be was also worried about Nigel and stepped forward with concern. Wyatt sneered. Seeing his daughter so concerned over another fatherly figure, Wyatt felt jealous. ¡°Right now, the situation is pretty clear.¡± Be¡¯s sharp eyes flickered between Bethany and Rosalind. ¡°At that time, the only people sitting at the table with my eldest brother were Mr. Salvador and Mr. Hoffman. But the only one who was drugged at the table was my eldest brother. The other person who got drugged tonight was Carrie. Presumably, Carrie drank the ss of wine that should have been served with the ss that my brother drank. No one expected Carrie to drink it by mistake, which led to the current situation.¡± Justin and Ryan looked at her in admiration. This woman was clear-minded and logical in analyzing the current situation properly. ¡°So, who should the wine that Carrie drank be given to? I don¡¯t think that it should be Mr. Salvador, because the Salvador family would not be dumb enough to drug their own family members at their own banquet.¡± Be¡¯s words made everyone turn to Ryan. Ryan pursed his thin lips tightly. His charming eyes suddenly became cold and stern. What he hated most were people who used such despicable methods on him. He did not expect that someone would dare to drug him at Nigel¡¯s birthday party. How dare they! ¡°Catch the maid that was involved in this.¡± Justin¡¯s angry red eyes were sharp and murderous. ¡°Bring her here. Ms. Thompson and I will interrogate her. Tonight, no one will be able to leave this mansion before Ms. Thompson gets an exnation!¡± Be¡¯s heart trembled as she looked at Justin¡¯s determined face with disbelief. At this moment, the man also turned to look at her. Their hearts rippled when they met each other¡¯s eyes. Chapter 198 ¡°Justin! What do you mean by this? Are you going to lock us down? Are you treating us as suspects?!¡± Shannon was afraid that the matter would be exposed if this continued, so she strongly opposed the lockdown. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Aunt Shannon, you¡¯re not suspects. I just want you all to cooperate with me in eliminating the scum hiding in the mansion.¡± Justin¡¯s dark eyes were more intimidating than Gregory¡¯s. ¡°If you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, you shouldn¡¯t fret or have any objections to this.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Nigel said angrily, ¡°We will never tolerate such a shameful act! We must get to the bottom of it and give Anna and Mr. Thompson an exnation!¡± Bethany was so flustered that her teeth chattered. Shannon was also speechless. ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± At this time, Ian came with two bodyguards and the maid in tow. The bodyguards threw the maid to the floor. The maid¡¯s legs became weak, and she fell in front of everyone. ¡°Fortunately, you gave the order in time. I took the surveince footage and blocked the front and back doors. Sure enough, this woman was sneaking around and trying to crawl out of the dog hole in the garden. I caught her red-handed.¡± Be was shocked. When did Justin realize something was wrong? He was so quick to act. ¡°Tsk! She¡¯s basically confessing to her crimes by doing this.¡± Ryan stared at the maid with sharp eyes. ¡°What else is there to interrogate? Who in their right mind would go through a dog hole?¡± ¡°We must interrogate her.¡± Justin¡¯s dark eyes were like ciers. ¡°I want to catch the person who put the bait.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador¡­ I have an emergency at home. All the doors are locked, so I have no choice but to crawl out through the garden¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything¡­ I don¡¯t know anything!¡± The maid quivered. ¡°I remember you were the one who served us drinks earlier,¡± Ryan said. ¡°You were also the one who asked me to go to the room to take care of my eldest brother,¡± Be added coldly. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ve checked the surveince footage. No one interacted with her from the pantry to the banquet hall. That means no one except her touched the drinks on your table.¡± Ian added his suspicions. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t mean that I spiked the drinks¡­¡± The maid was sweating profusely and struggling to breathe. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s weird.¡± Be tilted her head and blinked her shrewd eyes. ¡°We didn¡¯t tell you what happened. How did you know that someone spiked the drinks?¡± Everyone looked at the maid with aplicated and suspicious gaze. ¡°I¡­ I heard it when I came here¡­¡± The maid¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. ¡°You heard it? Do you have super hearing?¡± Ian could not bear to listen to her exnation. He took out his phone and clicked on the surveince footage. Then he handed it to Justin. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I checked the surveince footage for this woman¡¯s movements. It¡¯s true that we couldn¡¯t see that she had spiked the drinks.¡± )) When the maid heard this, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Bethany also let out a sigh of relief. ¡°But I found this.¡± Justin held the phone. Be was curious and came over to take a look. The man subconsciously leaned toward her. Their foreheads suddenly collided, and they both looked up. Be felt burned by Justin¡¯s intense gaze, so she pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. Justin¡¯s long eyshes trembled slightly. Inexplicably, he felt a burning desire in his heart. On the screen, the maid looked left and right by the trash can in the backyard before discarding the empty vials. This was captured in high definition. ¡°This woman had deliberately avoided the cameras in the mansion, but the backyard was dense with greenery, so she didn¡¯t notice that one of the cameras was blocked by the branches. That¡¯s how we captured the scene of her destroying the evidence on camera.¡± Ian sneered. ¡°In the end, she¡¯s not careful enough.¡± ¡°No, no! I only threw away the medicine that I took for myself. It was just an ordinary painkiller. It was not a drug!¡± The maid tried her best to argue. She would not give up. ¡°Ian, did you bring the evidence?¡± Justin ignored her and asked in a deep voice. ¡°Yes.¡± Ian took out two vials from the stic bag and handed them to Justin respectfully. Justin clenched his jaw and raised the stic bag. ¡°There is still some residue in the vials. Take it to the hospital for testing immediately. If the substance found isn¡¯t painkillers, take this woman to the police station immediately and make sure she gets punished for her crimes.¡¯ Seeing that she was discovered, the maid cried and kneeled at Justin¡¯s feet. ¡°Mr. Salvador, please spare me! I didn¡¯t want to spike the drinks. It¡¯s¡­¡± The maid turned around abruptly and pointed at Bethany. ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Bethany¡¯s idea! She ordered me to do this!¡± Chapter 199 Everyone¡¯s sharp eyes turned to Bethany. ¡°Bethany¡­ Did you really do this?!¡± Nigel was shocked. Ryan narrowed his eyes slightly and red at the frightened Bethany. If Carrie had not mistakenly drunk that ss of wine, he would have be this insidious woman¡¯s ything! Be lowered her eyelids and showed no emotion. She curled her red lips slightly, as if she had seen through all the conspiracies. ¡°You! How dare you nder me?!¡± Bethany yelled and tried to rush forward in anger, but Shannon stopped her. ¡°I am the chairman¡¯s daughter! You¡¯d better think clearly about the consequences before tarnishing my reputation!¡± Although she sounded tough, she was actually scared to death. However, she could not rat out Rosalind because it would just show that she was also involved in the drugging. Bethany was sweating profusely. That was when she realized that she had been tricked by that bitch, Rosalind. ¡°How can you be so vicious? Our family treats all servants well, but you wanted to drug these two young masters and med it on me when your evil deeds were exposed. You evil witch! Last time, Bethany only reprimanded you, but you held a grudge and wanted to drag my daughter down with you, right? Dream on!¡± As Shannon said that, she pulled Gregory¡¯s arm anxiously. ¡°Greg! Call the police and arrest this vicious woman! She is ndering our daughter!¡± Gregory naturally did not believe that his beloved daughter would do something so despicable, so he shouted sternly, ¡°Guards, tie her up and call the police!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­. I didn¡¯t! It was Ms. Bethany! She also said that she would give me arge sum of money after Ipleted the task! That way, I can live a good life and never have to be bossed around again! Ms. Bethany, how can you not admit your fault?! You wanted to seduce Mr. Hoffman! Please say something!¡± The maid stared at Bethany with red eyes and shouted hysterically. Shannon wanted to plug her mouth with a dirty rag and ordered for the maid to be dragged out. She was sure that the maid had no evidence to point it back to Bethany. Otherwise, she would have produced it long ago. At this point, Be figured out the entire situation, but she still felt that it was too simple. She had lived with the Salvadors for three years and knew Bethany rtively well. She felt that Bethany¡¯s pea-brain would never be able toe up with such a vicious and roundabout n. This seemed more like Shannon¡¯s idea, but Shannon would not drug her own daughter. Therefore, Be had reason to suspect that the mastermind behind this was Rosalind. At this moment, Be keenly caught a hint of the sinister smile on Rosalind¡¯s face. Anger surged in her heart, but she forced herself to suppress it. After all, Be had no evidence¡­. or reason to doubt Rosalind. Instead, it would seem like she was randomly targeting Rosalind. Be did not want to give Rosalind a chance to slither away. ¡°Chairman Thompson, what happened this time is indeed a serious oversight in the management of our household staff. We are deeply sorry for causing such trouble.¡± Gregory said to Wyatt in a solemn tone, ¡°Please ept our sincere apology for not vetting our staff properly.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Wyatt seemed to be smiling, but he did not say a word. Gregory¡¯s face was grim. ¡®The old fox Wyatt is just trying to make me look bad for not epting my apology!¡¯ Justin did not agree with jumping to a conclusion like that. His eyes were cold, and he said, No, this is obviously¡­¡± ¡°Dad, since Chairman Salvador has apologized to us and the maid who drugged Asher has been discovered, let¡¯s just leave it as it is tonight.¡± Be interrupted Justin. ¡°After all, nothing serious happened to us. Both our families are well respected in Savrow. If this gets too big, it¡¯ll just be embarrassing. Let¡¯s just be the bigger person and let it go.¡± Justin looked at her in surprise. No, something was definitely wrong. The former Anna might swallow this grievance, but Be Thompson would never let it slide! Justin could not forget the fierce look in her eyes when Asher was drugged. She looked like an enraged little beast that wanted to tear the mastermind to pieces. How could she let it go so easily? Was she nning a more lethal counterattack? When Ryan heard Anna call Wyatt, ¡°dad¡±, he was so shocked that her eyes almost popped out, and his mind went nk. He had not noticed that Anna recognized such a powerful father. It seemed like the gap between him and Be was growing. ¡°Gregory, I¡¯m only epting your apology because of my daughter.¡± Wyatt¡¯s tone was cold. Everyone could hear how reluctant he was to ept this exnation. Bethany saw that she had escaped, so she leaned into Shannon¡¯s arms tiredly. Shannon took the opportunity and quickly left with her daughter. Chapter 200 The birthday banquet began with glory and ended in disgrace. After such a farce, Nigel had no intention of celebrating his birthday anymore. Wyatt and Be also did not stay any longer. The Salvadors sent Be and Wyatt out. Justin walked silently beside Be along the way. He wanted to say something, but he hesitated several times. Wyatt kept scanning Justin in his peripheral vision. If his eyes were machine guns, Justin would have been dead by now. Wyatt thought, ¡®How dare this brat marry my most precious daughter?! He¡¯s so lucky to get Be to love him so much. The only good thing about him is his looks! Bah!¡¯ ¡°Chairman Thompson!¡± Rosalind caught up to them and looked at Wyatt innocently. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry that I misunderstood what happened tonight¡­ I really didn¡¯t know that Ms. Brown was your daughter, so I misunderstood that she was in a rtionship with Mr. Thompson¡­¡± Wyatt held back his anger and kept walking without sparing a nce at her. ¡°Ms. Gold, if Be wasn¡¯t my daughter, would you have added fuel to the fire and stirred up trouble?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Rosalind was so frightened that her heart twitched. Justin recalled how Rosalind had reported Be and Asher¡¯s ¡°affair¡± in front of Wyatt and Nigel. Her eyes were so sinister that he felt estranged from her. His thin lips curled into a cold arc as he felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment. ¡°Ms. Gold, I advise you not to jump to conclusions if you don¡¯t know the whole story. Words can be more detrimental than actions. If it were another girl, how would you ask her to exin herself? You¡¯re just harming others by doing this.¡± Wyatt shook his head and quickened his pace. Rosalind watched as they walked away. Her eyes were filled with hatred. Even Justin did not stay back for her. She could not help but feel a chill all over her body, as if someone had poured cold water all over her. Outside the door, four luxury cars were lined up. Steven led several bodyguards to greet Wyatt and Be. ¡°Anna! Wait!¡± Nigel could not help but hold Be¡¯s hand with tears in his eyes. ¡°Anna, why did you suddenly be Wyatt¡¯s daughter? Why didn¡¯t you tell us about your identity? Why did you want to be my caregiver?¡± Be sighed sadly. ¡°I concealed my identity and married Justin because of the century-old grudge between our families. We¡¯re not allowed to marry anyone from the Salvador family. Moreover, our families are business rivals, so my identity is too sensitive. If I say that I¡¯m Wyatt¡¯s daughter, I probably won¡¯t get the chance to be by your side¡­¡± Wyatt and Gregory had intriguing expressions, while Justin¡¯s heart was filled with bitterness and mixed feelings. ¡°You silly girl, you think too much!¡± Nigel felt heartbroken. He squeezed her little hand and said, ¡°To hell with that ancestral grudge! That¡¯s all nonsense. I never said that you couldn¡¯t marry into my family. As long as you¡¯re in love and good for each other, why can¡¯t you be together? I fully support you and Justin being together! I¡¯m shipping you two!¡± Be chuckled. This cute old man sure knew modern ng. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m not a good person. I have lied to you for so long. Justin and I aren¡¯t in love with each other either. So, even without the ancestral grudge, we still can¡¯t be together.¡± Justin felt suffocated. There was a look of despair in his eyes. ¡°Grandpa, now that your birthday is over, Justin and I have to finalize the divorce.¡± When Be said this, she felt a vivid pain as if she had been stabbed. She hugged Nigel with red eyes and continued, ¡°Although I will no longer be your granddaughter-inw, I am always your Anna, and you will always be my grandpa. Grandpa, I love you forever. You must stay healthy and live a long life.¡± Nigel hugged her tightly and sobbed. Seeing that Be was about to get in the car, Justin finally could not hold it in anymore and rushed forward to grab her. Be was no longer someone he could easily approach. He wanted to touch her hand, but he stiffly and reluctantly retracted his hand. ¡°Can you answer one question?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Be froze and looked back coldly. ¡°When you concealed your identity and married me, was it only because of the rtionship between the two families?¡± Justin¡¯s thin lips trembled slightly. He looked at her deeply, as if this was thest time he would see her. ¡°Yes.¡± Be looked tired and only responded softly. ¡°Why did you marry me?¡± Justin was unreconciled. His eyes were red as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re the heiress of KS Group, so you have no financial worries. When my grandfather proposed that you marry me, you knew that it was a contract marriage, and you knew that there was no future¡­ Why did you still want to marry me?!¡± Chapter 201 Contract marriage?! Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened. He was so angry that he really wanted to punch Justin in the face. However, Wyatt could not understand his own daughter. He originally thought that Be was crazy enough to go on the battlefield and save lives by healing the wounded at the risk of being blown to pieces. Unexpectedly, his fearless daughter disappeared for three years just so she could marry the son of his mortal enemy! On top of that, it was just a contract marriage! At this moment, Wyatt wanted to dig out Be¡¯s brain to see what she was thinking. Justin¡¯s eyes widened, and his chest felt stuffy, making him unable to breathe. Be was leaving himpletely. Their three-year marriage would end with the unsatisfactory ending of his grandfather¡¯s birthday party. However, Justin did not want to be kept in the dark. He wanted an answer. ¡°If I remember correctly, we met for the first time three years ago. Why didn¡¯t you refuse when Grandpa asked you to marry me?¡± Be¡¯s bright eyes narrowed into two sharp cat eyes. She looked at him mercilessly and said, ¡°We¡¯re divorced, so why are you still holding on to such an insignificant thing? Just take it as I was bored and wanted to experience married life. Coincidentally, Grandpa gave me a chance.¡± ¡°Be!¡± Justin called her by her real name and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I just want an answer. I want to hear the truth!¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, there¡¯s no point pursuing the past. You should look forward to the bright future ahead. Don¡¯t dwell on unnecessary things and move on.¡± After saying that, Be generously extended her right hand to Justin. ¡°We will be business rivals the next time we meet. I won¡¯t show you any mercy, so I hope you do the same, Mr. Salvador. Don¡¯t think about our past rtionship andpete with me with all your strength.¡± Be wanted to say ¡°our past love¡±, but she thought that it was not urate to say that because he had never loved her. Justin felt as if a piece of his heart had been taken away. He took a deep breath, but he could not shake her hand. It seemed that if he shook her hand, they would never meet again. Be shrugged and got into the car without saying another word. Just as the luxury car¡¯s engine started, Be lowered the window and raised her bright face to look at Justin. Justin¡¯s heart was beating violently. What she said next made him freeze on the spot. ¡°Mr. Salvador, see you at City Hall at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. The luxury car drove away in front of Justin. He felt like those heavy wheels seemed to have run over and crushed his heart. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Behind him, Nigel wiped away his tears, while Gregory¡¯s expression wasplicated. ¡°What? Now you think of how great Ms. Thompson was after she left? Do you regret it now?¡± Nigel nced at Gregory in displeasure. Gregory said, ¡°Dad, I¡­¡± ¡°Justin¡¯s behavior is the same as yours! He treats treasure like trash and thinks trash is treasure. How blind! Hmph!¡± Gregory was frustrated and gritted his teeth, not daring to say a word. He never thought that a caregiver from the countryside, who had notined about her grievances for three years, would be the most beloved daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay just after the divorce. Chapter 202 Although the Salvador family was also a prominent and wealthy family in Savrow, if the news of Justin and Be¡¯s marriage got out, their stock prices would increase exponentially. However, this was all in vain now. The night sky was pitch ck. Be was sitting in the car, looking out the window. Her eyes were distant, and her heart felt cold. She repeatedly recalled the look in Justin¡¯s eyes when he asked her why she married him. They looked so broken and dejected, as if she had abandoned him. Be clenched her fists and shook her head vigorously. ¡®I can¡¯t sympathize with that man! Sympathy is the beginning of a tragedy.¡¯ It was impossible for Justin to fall in love with her. If he could fall in love with her, wouldn¡¯t three years be enough? Why would Justin look so bitter and hateful now, as if she was the one who forced the divorce on him? He was probably just pretending because Wyatt was present, and he wanted to excuse his neglect and ruthlessness, right? ¡°So, why did you marry him?¡± Wyatt gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and looked at his daughter. Be rolled her eyes in frustration. ¡°Wyatt, don¡¯t ask for more details. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± ¡°In the past, my ass!¡± Wyatt yelled, frightening both the driver and Steven, who was in the passenger seat. ¡°My most precious daughter quietly married that Salvador brat for three years, and you still end up divorced! If I hadn¡¯t attended Nigel¡¯s birthday party today, were you nning to hide this from me for the rest of your life?!¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°So, why did you go? Did Gregory invite you?¡± Be tried to change the subject. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare change the subject!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Be pressed her lower lip and said, ¡°Because he¡¯s handsome¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome?! Which of my sons is not more handsome than Justin Salvador?!¡± ¡°But none of your sons can marry me!¡± Wyatt was rendered speechless for a moment. He continued to yell, ¡°Then how much did they give you? What are your wedding gifts? How many pieces of jewelry, vis, and cars did you get? How much of their shares do you own? Why didn¡¯t I see the media reporting about your wedding? It¡¯s such a big event for the Salvador Corporation¡¯s president to get married. Knowing Gregory, he¡¯ll make a big deal out of it, especially if he has a daughter-inw from such a wealthy background as you. Why didn¡¯t he prance around in the streets like a smug cat?¡± ¡°Wyatt, you must have forgotten that I used a fake identity to marry Justin for the past three years. They didn¡¯t even know that I was your daughter.¡± Be was a little disappointed at first, but she almostughed when she heard what her father said. ¡± Also, I don¡¯t like being high-profile, so I kept everything simple.¡± Wyatt remembered how the Salvadors were insinuating ¡°Anna¡± earlier and was so furious that he wished he could bankrupt them by tomorrow. ¡°You would rather suffer for three years and marry this boy with a fake identity? Be, are you crazy, stupid, or possessed?! This is not the way my daughter behaves!¡± Even Wyatt looked at her in disbelief. Be was not crazy, stupid, or possessed. She just loved Justin so much that she wanted to marry him at all costs. She smiled bitterly, took hold of Wyatt¡¯s cold hand, and gently covered it with hers. ¡°In the past three years, Justin has never mistreated me. We had a good time together. Don¡¯t worry about me, Dad. Look, aren¡¯t I back now?¡± ¡°What else can you do if you don¡¯te home?¡± Wyatt was angry and distressed. His handsome and strong features were contorted with anger. He looked like he had suddenly aged several years. ¡°Fine, since you got married with a fake identity. Justin¡¯s ex-wife is Anna Brown the fool, not my Be. My Be is still the best and most precious baby in the world that no man deserves!¡± ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s all about the perspective!¡± Be hugged her father and leaned on his shoulder. Chapter 203 After the birthday banquet, Nigel was worried about Carrie and asked his personal doctor toe over and check up on her. Only then did the old man feel reassured. In the corridor, two handsome men stood leaning against the window sill. Justin asked Ryan for a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep puff. The smoke filled the air. ¡°Anna¡­ Her real name is Be Thompson, and she is the legendary daughter of Wyatt Thompson?!¡± Ryan still felt like it was all just a dream. ¡°Yeah.¡± Justin¡¯s fingers trembled as he flicked the cigarette ashes. ¡°Fuck! Justin, you won the jackpot! How did you get so lucky?!¡± Ryan patted Justin¡¯s shoulder heavily. His charming eyes were sparkling. ¡°You unknowingly became Wyatt¡¯s ex-son-inw. If you hadn¡¯t divorced her, wouldn¡¯t your worth and career soar by now? You have the richest man in Hatchbay as your backer. Do you think your father and your evil stepmother will dare to bully you again? The entire Salvador Corporation will be in your grasp.¡¯ ¡°Even without Be, Salvador Corporation would still be in my hands.¡± Justin blew out a smoke ring and nced at Ryan resentfully. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m a useless man who needs to rely on women to get to my position?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not destined for that carefree life. You¡¯re a workaholic destined to work all your life!¡± Justin was speechless. ¡°I just feel that it¡¯s such a pity. If you could use the Thompson family¡¯s influence, you could¡¯ve retired ten years earlier!¡± Ryan sighed with regret. Justin crushed the cigarette butt and felt empty and regretful, but he said the opposite to Ryan. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why she wanted to marry me back then.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand either. You have a bad temper, and you¡¯re so unromantic. You even love someone else! She would be better off marrying me than you.¡± Ryan spoke bluntly. ¡°Ryan, do you think that Wyatt will like you? Are you worthy of Be?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. He had the urge to strangle Ryan. ¡°At the very least, I¡¯m not as petty as you. You just assume the worst of her when you see her with another man. Based on this alone, I think I would get more points than you in front of Be. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Ryan wanted tough. ¡°Oh, right! Remember how you used to make trouble for her every day because she was close to Asher? You even said so many unpleasant things to her. Don¡¯t you regret it now?¡± ¡°Who asked her to hide her identity from me?¡± Justin was infuriated when he thought of this. ¡°You¡¯re divorced, so there¡¯s no need for her to tell you her true identity. Besides, if you had any trust in her, you wouldn¡¯t have done all those shitty things. That¡¯s why I think that you two wouldn¡¯t havested long anyway. You have no feelings, no trust, and no responsibility for Ms. Thompson. I can only say that I admire her willpower to endure all this for three years. If I were her, I would¡¯ve left you in a heartbeat.¡± Ryan could see everything clearly as a bystander. At this moment, his analysis pierced through Justin¡¯s inner thoughts. Justin¡¯s thin lips were pursed tightly, and the veins on the back of his clenched fists were bulging. Ryan squeezed Justin¡¯s broad shoulders and smiled confidently. ¡°Bro, I have learned an important lesson from you. I promise to never follow in your footsteps and learn from your mistakes. Whether she is Anna Brown or Be Thompson, I will definitely pursue her as best I can. Wish me luck!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± If looks could kill, Justin would have chopped Ryan into pieces. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Before leaving, Ryan suddenly paused and narrowed his eyes intriguingly. ¡°Are you just going to forget about what happened tonight?¡± ¡°Shannon and Bethany are inevitably involved in this.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was as deep. ¡°Even if I have evidence, Gregory will suppress this matter because he wouldn¡¯t want a family scandal to be made public. So I can only suppress them in other ways to teach them a lesson.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson turned out fine this time, but what if¡­¡± ¡°Then Shannon and Bethany will be the ones taken away by the police tonight!¡± Ryan took a breath of cold air. At this moment, Justin¡¯s body exuded such chill and hostility. If anything happened to Be, he would kill them all without leaving a trace. Justin felt a sense of crisis all of a sudden. ¡°What about your fianc¨¦e? When Be was in trouble, Rosalind was the first one to spread the news to Chairman Thompson. Aren¡¯t you suspicious of her?¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Annoyance and suspicion filled his heart. After the birthday banquet, Nigel was worried about Carrie and asked his personal doctor toe over and check up on her. Only then did the old man feel reassured. In the corridor, two handsome men stood leaning against the window sill. Justin asked Ryan for a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep puff. The smoke filled the air. ¡°Anna¡­ Her real name is Be Thompson, and she is the legendary daughter of Wyatt Thompson?!¡± Ryan still felt like it was all just a dream. ¡°Yeah.¡± Justin¡¯s fingers trembled as he flicked the cigarette ashes. ¡°Fuck! Justin, you won the jackpot! How did you get so lucky?!¡± Ryan patted Justin¡¯s shoulder heavily. His charming eyes were sparkling. ¡°You unknowingly became Wyatt¡¯s ex-son-inw. If you hadn¡¯t divorced her, wouldn¡¯t your worth and career soar by now? You have the richest man in Hatchbay as your backer. Do you think your father and your evil stepmother will dare to bully you again? The entire Salvador Corporation will be in your grasp.¡¯ ¡°Even without Be, Salvador Corporation would still be in my hands.¡± Justin blew out a smoke ring and nced at Ryan resentfully. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m a useless man who needs to rely on women to get to my position?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not destined for that carefree life. You¡¯re a workaholic destined to work all your life!¡± Justin was speechless. ¡°I just feel that it¡¯s such a pity. If you could use the Thompson family¡¯s influence, you could¡¯ve retired ten years earlier!¡± Ryan sighed with regret. Justin crushed the cigarette butt and felt empty and regretful, but he said the opposite to Ryan. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why she wanted to marry me back then.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand either. You have a bad temper, and you¡¯re so unromantic. You even love someone else! She would be better off marrying me than you.¡± Ryan spoke bluntly. ¡°Ryan, do you think that Wyatt will like you? Are you worthy of Be?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. He had the urge to strangle Ryan. ¡°At the very least, I¡¯m not as petty as you. You just assume the worst of her when you see her with another man. Based on this alone, I think I would get more points than you in front of Be. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Ryan wanted tough. ¡°Oh, right! Remember how you used to make trouble for her every day because she was close to Asher? You even said so many unpleasant things to her. Don¡¯t you regret it now?¡± ¡°Who asked her to hide her identity from me?¡± Justin was infuriated when he thought of this. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°You¡¯re divorced, so there¡¯s no need for her to tell you her true identity. Besides, if you had any trust in her, you wouldn¡¯t have done all those shitty things. That¡¯s why I think that you two wouldn¡¯t havested long anyway. You have no feelings, no trust, and no responsibility for Ms. Thompson. I can only say that I admire her willpower to endure all this for three years. If I were her, I would¡¯ve left you in a heartbeat.¡± Ryan could see everything clearly as a bystander. At this moment, his analysis pierced through Justin¡¯s inner thoughts. Justin¡¯s thin lips were pursed tightly, and the veins on the back of his clenched fists were bulging. Ryan squeezed Justin¡¯s broad shoulders and smiled confidently. ¡°Bro, I have learned an important lesson from you. I promise to never follow in your footsteps and learn from your mistakes. Whether she is Anna Brown or Be Thompson, I will definitely pursue her as best I can. Wish me luck!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± If looks could kill, Justin would have chopped Ryan into pieces. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Before leaving, Ryan suddenly paused and narrowed his eyes intriguingly. ¡°Are you just going to forget about what happened tonight?¡± ¡°Shannon and Bethany are inevitably involved in this.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was as deep. ¡°Even if I have evidence, Gregory will suppress this matter because he wouldn¡¯t want a family scandal to be made public. So I can only suppress them in other ways to teach them a lesson.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson turned out fine this time, but what if¡­¡± ¡°Then Shannon and Bethany will be the ones taken away by the police tonight!¡± Ryan took a breath of cold air. At this moment, Justin¡¯s body exuded such chill and hostility. If anything happened to Be, he would kill them all without leaving a trace. Justin felt a sense of crisis all of a sudden. ¡°What about your fianc¨¦e? When Be was in trouble, Rosalind was the first one to spread the news to Chairman Thompson. Aren¡¯t you suspicious of her?¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Annoyance and suspicion filled his heart. Chapter 204 Justin never believed in coincidences. However, he hoped, for Rosalind¡¯s sake, that this was really just a coincidence. ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± Ian ran over, panting, and handed the phone to Justin. ¡°I have screened through the surveince footage for all movements of Madam Shannon, Ms. Bethany, and Ms. Gold tonight. Please take a look.¡± ¡°Good job! You¡¯re quite efficient!¡± Upon hearing this, Ryan stopped in his footsteps and turned back to take a look. Justin lowered his eyes and watched closely, breathing heavily. ¡°In the video, Ms. Gold had close contact with Madam Shannon and Ms. Bethany. What¡¯s even weirder is¡­¡± Ian¡¯s eyes darkened as he continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t see Ms. Gold anywhere near the room where Mr. Thompson and Ms. Thompson were at when I checked the surveince footage.¡± ¡°Hah! This is interesting.¡± Ryanughed. ¡°If she never showed up there, how did she allegedly see Mr. Thompson and Ms. Thompson going into the same room?¡± Justin frowned deeply. There was a buzzing sound in his ear, and he felt like he had been pped in the face. The Salvadors were gathered in the front hall. Rosalind was also there. Bethany¡¯s face was pale. She said she was feeling unwell, but in fact, she was frightened by what happened tonight. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Fortunately, Gregory believed Bethany unconditionally. Shannon also supported her, so Bethany escaped suspicion. At this moment, Bethany was ring at Rosalind, who looked innocent. She really wanted to scratch Rosalind¡¯s duplicitous face. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that we would allow a liar to marry Justin.¡± Shannon hugged Bethany¡¯s shoulders and sat on the sofa. She was furious when she thought of how Be stole the limelight tonight.¡± ¡°Yeah! She actually concealed her true identity and stayed with Justin for three years. It¡¯s scary to think about it¡­ Is this considered fraud?¡± Rosalind asked, pretending to be worried. ¡°Hah! You guys are quite good at orchestrating this performance, huh? Why didn¡¯t you two clowns go on stage and perform for my birthday?¡± Nigel red at them and sneered. Shannon and Rosalind¡¯s expressions instantly froze. At this time, Justin walked over with a sullen face. He had heard Nigel¡¯s words clearly. ¡°You two keep saying that Ms. Thompson is a fraud. But what did she take from you? Was it money, shares, or property? Ms. Thompson fulfilled her duties as a wife to Justin. She was respectful to her elders, polite to Bethany, and took good care of Carrie. Even when Justin divorced her, she left without taking a penny from us. So, how did she defraud you?¡± Nigel was old, but he was not senile. Instead, his mind was clear and sharp. ¡°You three have tortured Ms. Thompson over the past three years. Although I didn¡¯t live here with you all, I know what goes on behind closed doors!¡± ¡°Dad, we know what kind of person Ms. Thompson is. Shannon only voiced her worries¡­¡± Gregory gritted his teeth and spoke up to smooth things over. ¡°I think you thought the same of her until you found out that she was Wyatt¡¯s daughter, right?¡± Nigel leaned back and looked at Gregory scornfully. ¡°It¡¯s toote to regret it. You didn¡¯t want a billionaire heiress as your daughter-inw and insisted on choosing this woman from a poor family who has a millionwsuits and is on the verge of bankruptcy. Gregory, don¡¯t you think that your worth would be several times higher if you had Be Thompson as your daughter-inw? Haven¡¯t you always wanted to expand your business in Hatchbay? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re at a loss now?¡± Gregory gritted his teeth. His face was flushed with embarrassment. Even Shannon could see her husband¡¯s regret for choosing Rosalind over Be and felt vexed. Be was indeed the best of the elites. She was Wyatt¡¯s only daughter from his first wife. In comparison, the Gold family could not hold a candle to the Thompsons. It was no wonder Gregory would be upset. Justin¡¯s pale lips parted slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Rosalind said angrily, ¡°Grandpa, I know you have always looked down on me and my family, but love can¡¯t be measured in terms of money. So what if the Thompson family is rich? Justin and I truly love each other. We are childhood sweethearts, and I apanied Justin through his worst childhood trauma. Our rtionship is irreceable!¡± With that, Rosalind ran over to Justin and tugged at the corner of his shirt anxiously. ¡°Justin, please say something!¡± Justin lowered his eyes feebly and stared at her with an indifferent look that she had never seen before. At this moment, Justin tried hard to recall every bit of his childhood spent with this woman. However, he found that his mind was nk. Those beautiful memories he treasured gradually became distant and finally turned into nothing. In the end, the light in his eyes was extinguished. His hoarse voice was filled with exhaustion and disappointment. ¡°Rose, let¡¯s put our marriage on hold for now.¡± Chapter 205 Justin said those few words calmly. His heart was numb. However, that sentence was like a nuclear bomb thatnded on Rosalind¡¯s head. She was stunned, and her cheeks burned, as if she had been pped. Gregory and Shannon were also dumbfounded. Only Bethany could not help but smile sinisterly. After what happened tonight, Bethany finally saw Rosalind¡¯s true colors. Rosalind used her as a scapegoat, so Bethany did not want Rosalind to marry into her family. The wedding was only postponed. If it was up to Bethany, she would cancel the wedding and beat Rosalind to death. ¡°Justin¡­ Do you not want me anymore?!¡± Rosalind was shocked. She held Justin¡¯s arm tightly as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Is it because Anna happens to be Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter? Is that why you¡¯re going to abandon me? Do you regret divorcing her?!¡± ¡°Whether she is Anna Brown or Be Thompson has nothing to do with us.¡± Justin slowly and resolutely pushed her hand away. His stunning eyes were cold. ¡°I warned you not to cause trouble for her again, but what did you do? You repeatedly framed and ndered her, and even pushed her to the forefront. I don¡¯t understand why you hate her so much.¡± ¡°No! Justin! I just wanted you to see Anna¡¯s true colors. I didn¡¯t want you to be bewitched by her again!¡± Rosalind rushed forward in panic, but Justin took a step back. She missed him and almost fell to the floor. ¡°She has been lying to you from the beginning! You¡¯re going to ruin our rtionship of more than ten years just because of a wicked woman with ulterior motives¡­ Don¡¯t you feel sorry for me?!¡± ¡°She lied to me, but she never harmed anyone.¡± Justin thought of Be¡¯s bright smile, which was once only for him, and felt regretful. His eyes were red as he said in a cold voice, ¡°That¡¯s it. You and I should take a break to calm down and think about whether we are truly suitable for each other.¡± Rosalind watched the man leave. She felt like someone was strangling her throat, and she could not breathe. How could this happen? How did they end up like this?! Her dream wedding was gone just like that. Rosalind refused to ept this and swore to marry Justin at all costs. After more than ten years of strategizing, Rosalind would not allow that bitch, Be, to ruin her ns. ¡°Hmph! My grandson is a devoted person in rtionships, but he¡¯s not a fool. He can still differentiate right from wrong! Ms. Gold, I thought you could at least keep up the act until Justin marries you before you show your true colors. I didn¡¯t expect you to expose your devious thoughts so soon. Nigel became angrier as he spoke. The tip of his nose turned red. ¡°It¡¯s all your own doing that you two end up like this. You have repeatedly twisted the story, sowed discord, and bullied Anna!¡± ¡°Old Master, the young madam¡¯s name is Be now, not Anna¡­¡± Matt reminded Nigel in a low voice. ¡°Oh, what does it matter? It¡¯s all the same!¡± Nigel did not care. Rosalind¡¯s fingers were intertwined. She was so angry and embarrassed that she did not know what to do. Bethany, who was on the side, shrugged her shoulders and wanted tough. She felt relieved that Rosalind had been punished. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Matt! I need a drink and some food!¡± ¡°Um¡­ Old Master, you¡¯ve drank a lot today during the party. For the sake of your health¡­¡±- ¡°I¡¯m happier now than when I was at the party. Just do as I say. Don¡¯t be such a nag¡­¡± Nigel muttered and left with Matt. The air in the living room was tense. ¡°Greg! Greg, you must persuade Justin to change his mind! The news of their marriage is widely known, so how can he cancel it now? It will only embarrass our family!¡± Shannon was furious. She shook Gregory¡¯s arm frantically, acting just like Rosalind. ¡°You are Justin¡¯s father, so he will definitely listen to you! Rose has waited for him for so many years. How can he just back out of the marriage so easily?¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Gregory usually doted on his beloved wife, but at this moment, he felt annoyed by her. His tone became a little colder as he said, ¡°Is this the first day you know Justin? He¡¯s stubborn and never goes back on his word. He is never impulsive and always thinks through the consequences before acting on Chapter 206 Gregory said, ¡°Back then, Justin didn¡¯t even inform me about the divorce. Now that he wants to cancel his wedding with Rosalind, he won¡¯t even care about my opinion.¡± ¡°How is that the same?!¡± Shannon¡¯s voice was shrill and not as gentle as usual. ¡°Justin doesn¡¯t love Be Thompson at all. He and Rose are childhood sweethearts. They have deep feelings for each other!¡± ¡°Right. I really don¡¯t understand why your niece is still not satisfied when they have such deep feelings for each other. Why can¡¯t she just be content and wait for Justin to marry her? Instead, she insists on finding trouble with Ms. Thompson. What your niece did tonight by tattling in front of Wyatt before understanding the situation is what¡¯s embarrassing to the Salvador family! There is absolutely no way I will help her in this matter. I won¡¯t intervene in her marriage with Justin anymore.¡± Gregory thought of his father mocking him and felt stuffy in his chest. He red at Rosalind and added, ¡°If I had known that you¡¯d cause so much trouble, I would¡¯ve advised Justin not to divorce Be! You¡¯re not only inferior to us in status, but you also keep causing trouble for the family. There is too big of a gap between you and Justin, so there is no point in forcing a marriage.¡± Seeing that Gregory had given up on Rosalind, Shannon slumped her shoulders, feeling as if her ns to get rich were copsing. ¡°Aunt Shannon, what should we do now?¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were swollen from crying. She was twitching and could barely breathe. ¡°Hahaha! You deserve this!¡± Bethany no longer looked ¡°unwell¡±. She pped her hands and gloated. ¡°Why did you use me as a scapegoat and plot against me? How could a two-faced selfish bitch like you marry my second brother? You¡¯d better get out of my house!¡± ¡°I¡­ How did I use you and plot against you?¡± Rosalind was wiping her tears while quibbling. ¡°It was such a big party, and I couldn¡¯t manage on my own, so I asked you to cooperate with me. That way, we will be able to hit the target urately. Besides, I didn¡¯t ask you to drug Mr. Hoffman. You were the one who spiked his drink on your own initiative,plicating things!¡± ¡°How dare you me me?! You damn bitch! Why didn¡¯t I see your true colors sooner? I¡¯m going to beat you up!¡± Bethany was not a scheming person like Rosalind. She would always choose violence whenever possible. She rushed up to Rosalind with scarlet eyes and grabbed her diamond hairpin, which was worth hundreds of thousands of dors. Then she yanked it out, pulling a lock of hair with it. Rosalind screamed in pain. Bethany and Rosalind fought like cats in front of Shannon. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop fighting!¡± Shannon roared angrily. Rosalind and Bethany were panting heavily, still pulling at each other¡¯s hair with bloodshot eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to count to three, and you two better let go of each other! One! Two! Three!¡± As soon as Shannon said this, the two unruly women let go of each other. ¡°Bethany, go back to your room first. I have something to say to your cousin.¡± Shannon raised her eyebrows coldly. ¡°Mom! Rosalind plotted against me! If she hadn¡¯t instigated me tonight, I wouldn¡¯t have embarrassed myself! Mom!¡± Bethany refused to leave. Her hair was as messy as a chicken coop. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you should bear some responsibility for this? I¡¯ve told you more than once that you can¡¯t be rash with Mr. Hoffman! But you¡¯re so impatient that you want to bed him at your grandfather¡¯s birthday party! How can you be so frivolous?! I¡¯ve taught you better and given you an elite education! You will only make Mr. Hoffman look down on you even more! Why don¡¯t you go back to your room and reflect on this?!¡± Bethany had always been afraid of her mother, so she red at Rosalind fiercely and turned to leave. Rosalind clutched her wrinkled skirt and stood frozen on the spot. She felt a chill in her heart. Right, a true highborn woman would not resort to such despicable means, but what could Rosalind do? Shannon would help Bethany get whatever she wanted, but Rosalind had to rely on herself. Shannon was just using her as a pawn to spy on Justin. ¡°Aunt Shannon, what happened tonight¡­¡± p-! Shannon¡¯s eyes widened with anger as she raised her perfectly manicured hand to p Rosalind in the face. Chapter 207 Rosalind waspletely stunned by Shannon¡¯s p. ¡°I¡¯ve told you more than once to not involve Bethany in whatever you have nned. Don¡¯t me me for choosing my daughter over you!¡± ¡°Aunt Shannon, I¡¯m sorry. I was confused for a moment¡­ I will never do this again!¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, but she still begged Shannon for mercy. Shannon looked at Rosalind¡¯s ingratiating attitude with disdain. If it were not for the fact that Rosalind was the only niece she could use, Shannon would not have supported such a rebellious and sinister woman as Rosalind to be her stepdaughter-inw. It took years for Shannon to train Rosalind, so she did not want to waste this pawn until thest moment. What happened tonight made Shannon feel sick, but she would endure it for the bigger picture. ¡°Now, Anna is Wyat Thompson¡¯s daughter. Wyatt is known for being overprotective over his children, so don¡¯t you even think about touching her. Your top priority should be winning back Justin¡¯s heart and marrying him as scheduled.¡± The corners of Shannon¡¯s lips were pursed tightly. She looked scary with her blood-red lips. ¡°But Justin wants to break up with me! Just as Uncle Greg said, no one could change Justin¡¯s mind.¡± Rosalind burst into tears again when she realized that her dream of marrying into a wealthy family was at risk of copsing.. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that serious yet. }) Shannon¡¯s eyes were fierce. She suddenly pressed on Rosalind¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Rose, don¡¯t contact Justin for the time being, and don¡¯t leave the house or see anyone. You need to make everyone think that you¡¯re devastated by the breakup.¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± Rosalind was doubtful. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to trap a wolf if you can¡¯t sacrifice a piece of meat. Rose, you will have to suffer a little from now on. But you must listen to me. You need to make Justin remember how good you were to him in the past by invoking his deepest memories. That¡¯s the only way you can win back his heart!¡± That night, Justin sat in the study, smoking one cigarette after another. The smoke filled the room. His eyes were cold and gloomy, and his face was solemn. When he thought of how Be had reminded him to show up at City Hall at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, he could not fall asleep. Be visited Asher in the hospital and went back to her vi in Savrow because she had to go to City Hall to finalize the divorce tomorrow morning. Thus, she coaxed and persuaded Wyatt to go back to This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Hatchbay. After removing her makeup, taking a shower, and finishing her nightly skincare routine, Be made herself a bowl of spicy instant ramen and slurped it down. Then she put on a silk eye mask and slept until dawn. Due to the drama at Nigel¡¯s birthday party yesterday, Be did not get a good night¡¯s sleep. When she opened her eyes, it was already 8:00 a.m., and she did not even get to kayak. ¡°OMG! Steve, why didn¡¯t you wake me up earlier?! My rm clock didn¡¯t work!¡± Be walked downstairs while putting on the tassel earrings. Her dark eyebrows furrowed as she Steven hurried over in an apron and saw Be in barely any makeup, but she was still as pretty as ever. Her eyes were sparkling, and her lips were pinkish. She was so beautiful that he could not take his eyes off of her. He was surprised that he never got tired of seeing her like this every day. ¡°I saw that you were too tiredst night, so I didn¡¯t want to wake you. I wanted you to sleep a little longer.¡± ¡°How could you?! Today is my big day! I¡¯m finally getting a divorce!¡± Be looked at Steven angrily. ¡°I¡¯ve always been very punctual. Besides, if I turn upte on a day like this, that vain bastard will think that I¡¯m reluctant to leave him! Hmph!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that this day has finallye.¡± Steven sighed sincerely. ¡°Me too! Didn¡¯t you notice? I even wore a red skirt to look more festive!¡± Be spun around gracefully. Steven was originally worried that Be would feel depressed today, but it seemed like he was overthinking it. ¡°Ms. Be, have something to eat before you leave.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote. Just pack it up for me. I¡¯ll eat it in the car!¡± Steven wanted Be to feel morefortable, so he drove the Rolls-Royce instead of the Bugatti today. Be sat in the back seat and ate a sandwich. Her fingers clicked on theptop from time to time as she handled official business. ¡°In the past few days, our team has been actively trying to get in touch with Ada Wang, but that woman is really difficult to deal with. She doesn¡¯t even care that we¡¯re from KS Group!¡± Stevenined while driving. ¡°Our team has only spoken to her agent twice on the phone, and we haven¡¯t met Ada Wang in person yet.¡± Chapter 208 ¡°What about Salvador Corporation?¡± Be pursed her lips coldly. ¡°As far as I know, they¡¯re also facing the same problems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. That means we¡¯re notgging behind, and we¡¯re still on the same starting line as them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just uspeting with Salvador Corporation. I heard that there are no less than ten luxury hotels in the countrypeting for the chance to host Ada Wang¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡°In terms of hotels, the KS World Hotel and the Salvador Hotel have always been the benchmarks in the country. Ada Wang likes to show off, so other small brands won¡¯t be able to catch her eye.¡± Be took a bite of her sandwich and narrowed her shrewd eyes. ¡°Continue to contact her team and show her our sincerity. Ada is scheduled toe to Savrow early next month. I will meet with her in person to finalize this. That way, Salvador Corporation can give up on getting this project.¡± She would not let anyone steal this project from her. At the entrance of City Hall, many young couples were waiting in line to get in. They were either hugging each other or taking selfies tomemorate their happy moment. The air was filled with joy and love. Even the clouds seemed to take on a heart shape. At this time, the emerald-green Rolls-Royce stopped at the entrance of City Hall, attracting the envious eyes of all the young couples. Be was sitting in the back seat. She looked at her watch and saw that it was already 9:00 a.m. ¡°Hah! Justin didn¡¯te early.¡± Steven sneered. ¡°I guess a president like him wants to be fashionable late.¡± ¡°Forget it. Just let him be.¡± Be looked out through the privacy curtain at the smiling faces and sparkling eyes and said quietly, ¡± Anyway, I have already waited for him for so long. This is thest time I will be waiting for him.¡± Three years ago, when Be and Justin went to get their marriage license, she waited alone at the entrance of City Hall. She was starving because she had been waiting for him for a whole day. Just as City Hall was about to close, Justin arrived fashionablyte. He did not even apologize. Then he rushed them to get their marriage license. Even so, Be was so happy that she could not sleep a wink that night. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Looking back at her experience, Be felt that she was hopelessly humble. Only now did she realize that she must love herself before loving someone else. After waiting for another half an hour, a taxi stopped at the entrance of City Hall just as Be¡¯s patience was gradually running out. Be could hardly believe her eyes when she saw Justin getting out of the taxi. ¡°Um¡­ Was I mistaken? Did Mr. Salvador take a taxi here? Why? Have gas prices increased so much that he couldn¡¯t afford to keep the Maybach?¡± Steven¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Maybe he wants to keep a low profile. After all, this divorce isn¡¯t a glorious thing for him.¡± Be yawned and got out of the car with Steven. Justin was wearing his favorite ck-gray pinstriped suit with a wide cor and a matte blue shirt, paired with a dark-colored tie. He looked cold, reserved, and unapproachable, as usual. The appearance of this extremely handsome man caused a small stir at the entrance scene. The girls were so excited that they would have screamed if their boyfriends were not around. When Be walked toward Justin with confident and elegant steps, all the men in the room could not hide their excitement. ¡°Wow¡­ Look at her face! Her skin is so supple!¡± ¡°She seems like she¡¯s not wearing any makeup¡­ Her dress is so beautiful, but the price scares me off!¡± ¡°Tsk! That¡¯s the no-makeup makeup look. She definitely is skilled in applying makeup, so she looks like she¡¯s not wearing anything!¡± ¡°That means she has good skin! No one can achieve this look with makeup!¡± These young people, who were only interested in watching dramas and reality TV, did not recognize this handsome man to be Justin Salvador, the president of Salvador Corporation. The taxi also concealed his identity. Be stood in front of Justin with a cold look on her face. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡­¡± ¡°I got dyed on the way here.¡± Justin interrupted her. His thin lips twitched before he said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chapter 209 ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you arrive before 5:00 p.m. so we can still finalize the divorce today.¡± Be spoke coolly and walked toward the door. Justin was left on the spot. He felt a lump in his throat. He remembered that day three years ago when they decided to get their marriage license. However, he had an emergency meeting with a project manager from Inalia, so he had no choice but to stay back in the office. After the meeting finished, some important guests visited the office, so Justin had to entertain them. Finally, he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to inform Be to postpone their appointment. This memory was vivid and a cruel reminder of his attitude. When he rushed to City Hall as quickly as possible, the entrance was deserted. Be stood there alone with her head drooped. She looked so lonely and pitiful. Justin did not expect her to wait all day. He also did not expect a girl to be so stubborn. At that time, Justin wanted to apologize, but he hated his grandfather for forcing this marriage on him, so he did not say it. At the time, Rosalind had just left him as well, so he was emotionally messed 1. ¨C¡°Justin, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Until now, Justin could still see Be¡¯s bright and warm smile when he closed his eyes. At that time, he did not know what could make this woman give up on him. Now he finally found out that his ruthless abandonment would make her feel so disheartened that she would no longer love him. Justin felt ashamed. His expression was stiff as he followed Be into the building. ¡°Are they here to get a marriage license? Wow, they are a perfect match!¡± ¡°But neither of them looks happy¡­¡± ¡°I think the girl is just angry because the boy iste. I think she¡¯s right to be mad at him for beingte on such an important asion!¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear that this man is not as rich as this beautiful woman. He doesn¡¯t even have a car. So many men these days have be gold diggers.¡± ¡®Gold digger?!¡¯ Justin felt the anger surging in his chest. He gritted his teeth and nced at the young man who was gossiping about him. Justin exuded a strong chill, and the young man instantly shut up. At the divorce application counter, Be and Justin sat side by side in front of the staff. They handed over their marriage license and identification. The staff looked left and right and coughed slightly. ¡°Are you two sure? It¡¯s not easy to split after three years of marriage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not short of money, and neither is he. He has a nanny at home to prepare meals for him and keep the house clean, and a secretary to take care of his needs. There¡¯s nothing difficult about our split.¡± Be spoke coldly. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Justin and the officer were speechless. Be raised her wrist and nced at her watch. ¡°Please hurry up. I¡¯m quite busy.¡± ¡°I see that you two have no children. Do you need to divide any property?¡± The staff member asked. Be replied, ¡°No.¡± Justin was silent. He wanted to give her something, but she did not want it. Now that he found out that she was Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter, his menialpensation looked like an insult. ¡°Please sign here then.¡± The staff handed over two forms. Be signed her name neatly and nced at the man beside her. However, she discovered that Justin did not sign the papers. Not only that, his fingertips were trembling uncontrobly. Be frowned. ¡®Why the hell are his fingers trembling? Is he trying to act like he¡¯s in love with me and reluctant to leave me?¡¯ ¡°Mr. Salvador, please sign it quickly. Did you forget how to spell your name?¡± + Chapter 210 Justin felt a thinyer of sweat break out on his forehead. He held his right forearm firmly with his left hand, but he still could not control his trembling hand. The ballpoint pen fell to the floor. Be found it strange, so she observed him carefully. Justin looked slightly haggard. His ck hair was a bit tousled, and there was some dust on his ck suit. His cor and cket seemed dirty too. What did he do? Why did he look so unkempt? Be was full of doubts. She bent over to pick up the pen and pushed it in front of him. Finally, both forms were signed. The staffpleted the formalities and stamped the certificates. Their divorce was finalized atst. ¡°I wish you both a happy, independent life after separation.¡± Aftering out of City Hall, Be looked at the divorce certificate in her hand and had mixed feelings. This was dragged out for so long that she no longer felt the heartbreaking pain when Justin had forced her to sign the divorce agreement before. She only felt relieved and rxed now. Be used to limit herself because of love. Now that she has returned to her previous life, she just wants to focus on her career and make a lot of money. She did not want to get involved with men anymore. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I still have something to do here, so let¡¯s part ways here. Goodbye.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Be put the divorce certificate away, turned around, and walked down the stairs gracefully. ¡°Be, wait¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Be heard a muffled sound from behind her. She looked back and gasped in fright. Justin fell heavily down the steps and looked like he was in pain. Although it was only five steps, it would be quite painful to fall like that. ¡°Justin!¡± Be rushed over to help him up and found that his arms were shaking even more than before. ¡°You haven¡¯t been feeling well since just now. What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡± Justin was sweating profusely. He refused to tell her what happened. ¡°Tell me now!¡± Be was a little anxious and demanded an answer. Justin felt that his whole body was aching, and his head was dizzy. Seeing that she was worried about him, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart. ¡°Do you care what happens to me?¡± Be¡¯s lips twitched, and she scoffed. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a dog lying on the roadside, I won¡¯t pretend not to see it. I have no reason to ignore a living being.¡± Justin¡¯s pale face suddenly turned darker. He slowly pushed her away. ¡°I don¡¯t need your sympathy or worry.¡± ¡°Justin, you¡¯d better go to the hospital for a checkup. If you can¡¯t even walk properly and fall for no reason, it means that something is wrong with your cerebellum.¡± Be put on her doctor¡¯s hat and spoke in a solemn tone. ¡°Be, do you hate me for forcing this divorce on you? Is that why you¡¯re cursing me every chance you get?¡± Justin looked at her coldly. His thin lips were pressed into a straight line. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re overthinking it. I¡¯m not that petty or free to think about you.¡± Be¡¯s smile did not reach her eyes. She just felt that this jerk was being unreasonable. ¡°Also, you got it wrong. I¡¯m happy with this divorce. Didn¡¯t that officer wish us a happy and independent life after separation? I¡¯m already ecstatic about it. Since you can take care of yourself, I won¡¯t worry about you anymore. I hope you can keep your bnce. Bye.¡± Justin¡¯s heart was filled with anger, and his eyes were burning red. As soon as Be let go of him, he was unsteady on his feet and fell on her again. In an instant, they were tightly pressed against each other. Be¡¯s full breasts were pressed against his hard chest. His breathing became heavier, and his slightly trembling hands climbed up her slender waist, which was tightly wrapped in the red dress. Justin lost control of his brain and body. ¡°Get your filthy hands off me!¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes were sharp. She gritted her teeth and threatened him. ¡°Otherwise, I will chop them up and feed them to my crocodile as a teething stick!¡± Chapter 211 Be really wished she could transform into Sasha¡¯s pet crocodile, Bobo, and bite off Justin¡¯s head. During the three years of marriage, Be and Justin slept in separate rooms. He had never even held hands with her. Now that they were divorced, Justin kept hugging and harassing her. Be felt like Justin was so filthy that even Sasha¡¯s pet crocodile would not want to eat him. 1 Justin¡¯s heart cracked when he saw how repulsed Be was by his touch. ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± At this moment, a Porsche stopped in front of them. Ian jumped out of the car and ran over. ¡°Mr. Salvador, are you crazy?! After such a serious car ident, you should go to the hospital first! Why aren¡¯t you taking your health seriously?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet.¡± Justin struggled to keep his eyes open, but he still could not see Be¡¯s face clearly. ¡°Also, who are you to call me crazy?¡± Be was so shocked that she was petrified. Only now did she understand why Justin was sote this morning and why he was in such a bad state that he could not even pick up a pen. It turned out that he had gotten into a car ident. ¡°Justin, you should go to the hospital if you were in a car ident! Do you think that the Grim Reaper wouldn¡¯t take you away just because you¡¯re handsome? What if you have internal injuries? Do you know that you might get paralyzed if you dy treatment?!¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened in fear, and she felt nervous. Justin pursed his thin lips and said in a deep voice, ¡°Haven¡¯t you been waiting for this day for a long time? If I go to the hospital and dy finalizing our divorce, will you be happy?¡± Be was stunned for a moment. Then she scoffed. ¡°Of course not. So, I should thank you for showing up, huh?¡± ¡°Be!¡± Hearing that familiar voice, Be turned around abruptly. She saw two ck luxury cars parked side by side at some point. Asher and Axel were standing in front of the car, looking dapper in their suits. Her second brother was holding a bouquet of bold red roses while smiling brightly at her. ¡°Ash! Ax!¡± Be ran toward her brothers happily. Her eyes were beaming with joy. Justin felt as if his heart was soaked in bile because he felt bitter all over. Back then, he stupidly waited outside the Thompson family¡¯s residence, where the Thompsons were enjoying their time together. However, he stood out in the cold wind to wait for Be, only to end up getting insulted by the Thompsons. Justin did not know whether he should hate himself for being too stupid to find out Be¡¯s true identity or hate Be for deceiving him so well. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Be held up Asher¡¯s left hand, which was still wrapped in gauze, and said in distress, ¡°Ash, you should be recuperating at home. Why did youe here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that weak. I was fine a long time ago.¡± Asher hooked his sister¡¯s waist with his other arm and said in a gentle tone, ¡°Today is an important day for you, so it¡¯s also important for us. We couldn¡¯t be with you when you got married back then. But now, we can be here for you.¡± ¡°Ash¡­¡± Be¡¯s nose tingled, and her heart was moved. ¡°Congrattions, Be! Congrattions on getting rid of Jerkface Justin! You finally live like a queen!¡± Axel smiled and presented the bouquet of red roses to her. ¡°Thanks, Ax! Love you!¡± Be took the flowers and smelled them. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Axel¡¯s voice was very loud, especially when saying ¡°Jerkface Justin¡±. The said jerkface pulled a long face and looked like he wanted to murder someone. ¡°Be!¡± In another luxury car, Wyatt¡¯s wives-M, Celeste, and Sasha-got out of the car and happily surrounded Be. ¡°Why are you all here?!¡± Be was so surprised that she wanted to cry this time. ¡°Nonsense! Of course, we have toe!¡± Sasha came up and gave Be a big hug. M exined considerately, ¡°Be, your dad wanted toe too, but I was afraid it would cause a stir, so¡­¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Be smiled understandingly. Justin saw his ex-wife being surrounded and loved by her family and felt tormented and curious. In the past three years, what Justin offered Be was not even a smidgen of this love. But why did she still insist on staying with him? Why did she put up with his ruthlessness and neglect? Justin wanted an answer so much that he was about to go crazy. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s Celeste, the movie star who has taken a break from acting for many years!¡± Ian looked at Celeste, who looked just as charming and beautiful as before. He was so excited that he could not close his gaping mouth. ¡°I really want to ask her for an autograph! My mother is her fan!¡± Justin red at him. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the office.¡± However, Justin finally could not hold on any longer and fainted in the next second. Chapter 212 ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± * When Justin opened his eyes, he was lying on the hospital bed. ¡°Be¡­¡± As soon as he regained consciousness, he called out her name. ¡°You have a contusion in your right wrist and a mild concussion. There are some blood clots, but it¡¯s not a big problem.¡± Be was standing by the window at this moment. Be¡¯s silhouette against the light was so beautiful and cold. While Justin was in aa, Ian told Be about the car ident. Ian said that Justin did not sleep a winkst night. When Ian went to look for Justin in the study this morning, the cigarette smoke in the room was so thick that he choked on it. ¨C¡°Mr. Salvador probably didn¡¯t get a good restst night. That¡¯s why he got into a car ident. It¡¯s also possible that his headache affected his driving.¡± Be knew how painful Justin¡¯s headaches could get. Due to his severe headaches, Justin rarely drove by himself. Be thought, ¡®Who are you trying to fish for pity from by smoking heavily, not sleeping, and not going to the hospital when injured? Rosalind might pity you, but I won¡¯t fall for this trick!¡¯ Be¡¯s eyes were disdainful, and her lips curled up into a sneer. ¡°Get well soon. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± After that, Be strode to the door without looking back. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Be! Stop!¡± Seeing Be walk away, Justin became anxious. He stood up from the hospital bed and chased after her. Just as Be held onto the doorknob, Justin stepped forward and pinned Be against the door, trapping her between his strong arms. ¡°Justin! Are you crazy?! What the hell are you trying to do?¡± Be was shocked and furious. ¡°Give me an answer, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Justin stared at her. His voice was slightly hoarse. ¡°Why did you marry me back then?¡± ¡°Why do you have so many questions?!¡± Be raised her leg, wanting to kick him. But Justin pressed on her leg with his knee to stop her from moving. Be bit her lip anxiously. She knew self-defense, but her skills were nothing against Justin, who was the top student in the military academy. ¡°Be, I just want to hear the truth. Is it so difficult?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking straight, okay? Get away from me before I call security!¡± Justin remained unmoved. He was clearly dissatisfied with her answer. At this time, the door was pushed open from the outside. Suddenly, Be fell on Justin¡¯s chest because of the push. Justin had quick reflexes. He tightened his arms around Be¡¯s slender waist and pressed his palms against her t belly. He noticed that she was curvier than he had imagined. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled as a surge of desire arose in his heart. Be¡¯s breathing suddenly became chaotic. ¡°Mr. Salvador, Young Madam¡­¡± Ian was dumbfounded. He could not figure out what they were doing due to hisck of imagination. Be took the opportunity to escape from Justin¡¯s shackles. She wanted to step on his foot with her sharp stilettos, but the man dodged quickly, once again showing off his reflexes. She failed to hurt him, but she managed to escape. Thus, she fled from the ward. ¡°Mr. Salvador, the young madam ran away. Do you want me to chase after her?¡± Ian gulped nervously. Justin looked like he wanted to eat someone. Ian wondered if he showed up at the wrong time. ¡°Chase her?¡± Justin clenched his fists and narrowed his charming eyes. He said angrily, ¡°Go to HR and sign the order to deduct all your bonus this year!¡± Chapter 213 Finalizing the divorce meant that Be¡¯s 13-year bond with Justin had finallye to an end. If Be remembered correctly, Justin would marry Rosalind after Nigel¡¯s 80th birthday. Rosalind finally waited until the day she could marry Justin and show off to the world that she was the wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s president. Thinking of this, Be had no regrets. She only wished them the best. After all, Rosalind was a good match for Justin. In the evening, Be returned to Hatchbay with her two brothers and Steven. ¡°Be!¡± As soon as Be entered the gates of Yara Park, she heard a crisp and sweet voice calling out to her from afar. Be¡¯s beautiful eyes arched as she smiled and called out, ¡°Amelia!¡± Wyatt¡¯s ninth and youngest daughter, Amelia, ran through the long corridor to Be. She looked as happy as a bird returning to its nest. ¡°Be! I miss you so much!¡± Amelia hugged Be. Her animated kitten eyes were filled with tears, and her nose turned red. She looked adorable. ¡°Aww, my little crybaby. Aren¡¯t you happy that I¡¯m back?¡± Be hugged Amelia¡¯s waist tightly and kissed her smooth forehead. Be was about the same height as Amelia, but Asher and Axel felt that Be was towering over little Amelia. ¡°Be, you won¡¯t leave us again this time, right?¡± Amelia asked with tears in her eyes. Her delicate, rosy face looked like a bud waiting to bloom. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I came back this time to help Wyatt take care of KS Group and reunite with you all. I won¡¯t leave again.¡¯ C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. }) Be felt extremely guilty when she saw the worry in her little sister¡¯s eyes. In the past, Be was too willful. She yearned for freedom and pursued her so-called ¡°true love¡±, neglecting her precious family, who had always been there for her. Fortunately, Be returned to her family. Her heart broke when she saw just how much her little sister missed her. ¡°That¡¯s great! Everyone is waiting for you toe back!¡± Amelia clung to Be for a while longer before she turned to Asher and Axel and bowed politely. ¡°Hello, Asher and Axel.¡± ¡°Amelia, I¡¯ve told you not to bow to us. Just treat us the way you treat Be.¡± Axel sighed helplessly. He pitied Amelia. ¡°You¡¯re our sister too, just like Be.¡± Amelia nodded shyly, but she knew that she was different from Be. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯ve lost weight! Is college tough?¡± Asher asked gently. ¡°I¡¯ve been preparing for my graduation performance recently, so it¡¯s a little tiring. But it doesn¡¯t matter because I¡¯m enjoying it!¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes lit up. She asked in a soft and timid voice, ¡°When the timees, will you alle and watch my performance? It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t make it. I know you¡¯re all very busy. I¡¯m just asking casually. You guys don¡¯t have toe.¡± Asher and Axel replied, ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll attend.¡± ¡°Of course we¡¯ll be there! Do you even need to ask?¡± Be put her arm on Amelia¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Just let me know when the performance is, and I¡¯ll block my calendar for my precious baby sister!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely tell you in advance! Thank you for supporting me!¡± Amelia was so excited that her voice trembled. Be gently stroked Amelia¡¯s silky hair. Amelia was well-behaved and sensible. She never let her family worry about her. But Be pitied Amelia for being too sensible at times. As Wyatt¡¯s youngest daughter and Celeste¡¯s only daughter, Amelia should have been the most pampered one. But as the only daughter of Wyatt¡¯s first wife, Be had taken too much attention and love away from Amelia. That was because Be was far too outstanding. However, Amelia was not the least bit jealous of her sister. Celeste raised Amelia well to respect and love her older siblings. After Amelia came of age, she never asked for a penny from her family. She received a college schrship every year and worked part-time in her spare time. Amelia lived such a simple and ordinary life that none of her ssmates knew that she was the daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay. Be knew that Amelia had an inferiorityplex that could not be erased. Amelia always felt that she was not Wyatt¡¯s legitimate child. Therefore, she was inferior to everyone and treated everyone politely. ¡°Ms. Amelia, do you have any extra seats? Can I go as well?¡± Steven suddenly asked in a pleasant voice. Amelia suddenly raised her eyes. When she met Steven¡¯s bright eyes, her pretty face turned red. Chapter 214 ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Amelia replied. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with Ms. Be.¡± Steven¡¯s smile was warm, like a boy next door. Steven watched Be and Amelia grow up. He still had a vivid memory of Amelia when she was six or seven years old. Back then, Amelia followed Be everywhere with a lollipop in her mouth and snot flowing out of her nose. Be did not think much of Amelia¡¯s reaction because Amelia was shy and blushed easily. Amelia¡¯s skin was also clear and rosy all the time. What Be did not know was that Amelia had been crushing on Steven for seven years. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯m hungry. I¡¯ve been craving Aunt Celeste¡¯s cooking for many days. Let¡¯s feast!¡± Be held her sister¡¯s delicate hand and walked into the vi. ¡°My mom is still cooking. You arrived too early, so dinner¡¯s not ready yet.¡± Amelia shook her sister¡¯s arm, just like she did when she was a child. ¡°Oh, no! But I¡¯m starving!¡± Be¡¯s stomach growled. ¡°Ms. Be, why don¡¯t you have a snack first?¡± Steven smiled dotingly and took out a piece of chocte from his suit pocket. He tore open the wrapper and put the chocte to Be¡¯s lips. Be naturally turned her head, parted her lips slightly, and took a bite. Seeing how close and natural Be and Steven were, Amelia felt a little jealous. She pursed her pink lips and tried to suppress the bitterness in her heart. Amelia knew that Steven had always liked Be. She had noticed it since she was very young. Steven would rather ditch a promising career inw like his brother and father just so he could stay with Be. Even if there was not much career growth, Steven willingly became Be¡¯s personal secretary. Thus, Steven had never noticed Amelia. Everyone was in a great mood that night because Be finalized the divorce with Justin and cut off all ties with the Salvador family. It was also because Amelia took the time to return to Hatchbay, so the house was livelier than usual. It had been a long time since the servants had seen the Thompson sistersughing like this. They were all d to see the sisters together again. It was just a pity that Wyatt¡¯s sixth daughter, Cami, was married off to a distant country. Cami¡¯s husband was also in the running for the presidency of Sentania at the moment, so they were too busy toe back for a visit. Otherwise, the three Thompson sisters together would make such a nostalgic and beautiful sight. Celeste and the maids brought out all kinds of delicacies to the dining table. They looked appetizing and scrumptious. It was a pity that Be could only stare at the food and not eat it yet because Wyatt called everyone to the living room for an impromptu family meeting. Asher, Axel, Amelia, M, Sasha, and Celeste, who was still wearing an apron, were all gathered there. Wyatt sat in the middle of the sofa with a cold and stern expression, giving off the oppressive vibe of a formidable tycoon. ¡°Dad, if you have something to say, can¡¯t you say it after we¡¯re done eating? Everyone is hungry!¡± Be swallowed her saliva as she could smell the aroma of the fooding from the dining table. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°You still have the cheek to say this when you¡¯ve caused such a mess?!¡± Wyatt sneered. ¡°Oh, Lord! Aren¡¯t I divorced now? We got to have a drinkter to celebrate!¡± Be grinned. Everyone looked calm. Only Amelia, who was still clueless about Be¡¯s marriage and divorce, gasped in shock and widened her beautiful eyes. Amelia did not expect that Be was already married and divorced. Be was excellent at everything and had never missed her target. What made Be decide to get married? It was not for love, right? Be was not the emotional type who would do anything for love. ¡°You didn¡¯te home for three years because you were married to a bastard. You even ended up losing both your dignity and wealth. That Salvador boy is about to marry someone else! You¡¯re my daughter, so how can you let the Salvador family bully you?! Why didn¡¯t you bankrupt that family before you came home?!¡± Wyatt was so angry that he had barely slept a winkst night. The more he thought about it, the more infuriated he became. He wanted to go to Salvador Corporation, grab Justin by the cor, and punch him senseless. ¡°Wyatt, I thought we were putting this past us.¡± Be sighed and suddenly lost her appetite. ¡°Grandpa Nigel developed Salvador Corporation to where it is now. It was his life-long effort, so how could I bankrupt them? Do you want your daughter to be ungrateful?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you be the ungrateful kid that I had to clean up after than let you be bullied by outsiders! You¡¯ve suffered for three years!¡± Wyatt finally roared out his feelings. His neck was tense, and his eyes were red. Everyone was stunned. Asher lowered his eyes and pursed his lips, while Axel looked at his sister worriedly. Be¡¯s lowered eyshes fluttered slightly. Her nose was tingling, and her eyes were sore. She knew how much Wyatt loved her. It was because Wyatt loved her so much that she did not dare tell him about her marriage to Justin. However, this seemed to have backfired. ¡°M, I heard from the Salvadors that you and Be met in public. Did you know about Be¡¯s and Justin¡¯s marriage early on?¡± Wyatt looked at M disapprovingly. M lowered her eyelids and answered frankly, ¡°Yes, I found out a long time ago.¡± Chapter 215 M was ready to bear the full force of Wyatt¡¯s wrath as long as Celeste and Sasha were not discovered. Wyatt roared, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me?! Shouldn¡¯t you know better?! You watched Be grow up. Didn¡¯t you feel any pain when you saw her suffering in that hellhole?!¡± Wyatt was venting his anger at his second wife. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Wyatt.¡± M stood up slowly. The proud daughter of the Larson family looked humble as she said, ¡°Please don¡¯t me Be. You can me me if you want. I didn¡¯t take care of Be well enough.¡± Be¡¯s heart clenched. Just when she was about to defend M, the impulsive Sasha suddenly stood up from the sofa and said, ¡°Wyatt, don¡¯t me M. I¡¯m also responsible for this. I also found out about Be¡¯s marriage long ago!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Wyatt¡¯s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. ¡°Me too¡­¡± Celeste raised her hand weakly. ¡°I also knew about it for a long time¡­¡± ¡°Celeste! Even you were led astray by them?!¡± Wyatt felt dizzy. When did his obedient wife start to disregard him? Be¡¯s eyes were sore. Wyatt could not possibly direct his anger at everyone now. ¡°Dad, please calm down. They were all doing this for your sake. You¡¯d be better off not knowing.¡± Axel quickly stepped forward and acted as the peacemaker. He served the delicate teacup to his father and looked so ingratiating. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Wyatt was usually a refined and elegant man, but at this moment, he was so furious that he cussed out loud. ¡°Wait! Did you two also know about it?!¡± Asher and Axel looked at each other and cleared their throats. Wyatt thought, ¡®Look at this family of actors! They¡¯re all so good at acting, and I¡¯m the only fool who was kept in the dark!¡¯ Wyatt was a shrewd businessman who only fooled with others. He did not expect that he would be yed by his own family in the end. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He shouted infuriatingly, stood up, and went upstairs angrily without looking back. ¡°Wyatt, don¡¯t you want dinner?¡± Celeste asked but received no response. ¡°Celeste, why don¡¯t you go upstairs and console Wyattter? You¡¯re the softest among us, and he usually listens to what you say.¡± M sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t dare to. I¡¯ll just save some of his favorite dishes for himter and serve them to him.¡± Celeste knew how angry Wyatt was. She was also timid. ¡°Wyatt will usually go to his room of collections when he¡¯s in a bad mood. OMG! Won¡¯t he¡­¡± Sasha broke into a cold sweat. Before she finished speaking, Wyatt started screaming from upstairs. ¡°Call the police! My 100 million-dor antique rosewood chair is missing!¡± The Thompsons finished their dinner quickly. If it were not for her brothers holding Wyatt back with all their might, Wyatt would have driven to Savrow overnight to demand the antique rosewood chair that Asher and Be had given to Nigel. Wyat was getting more entric the older he got. Collectors of antiques were generally thick- skinned, so they would get what they wanted. Therefore, Wyatt became more hot-tempered and stubborn in the past two years. Wyatt was not easy to deal with in his old age. Women would no longer flock to him, even with his money. In the evening, Be and Amelia chatted for the longest time. They did their skincare routine together and massaged each other. ¡°By the way, do you like the birthday gift I gave you?¡± Ameliay on the bed, propping up her chin with her hands. ¡°I liked it so much that I framed it and hung it in the study of my vi in Savrow. The day I put it up, Steven thought I had 3D-printed my portrait. It was so life-like! He¡¯s not one to dish outpliments casually, but he certainly praised you a lot that day.¡± Be looked at Amelia dotingly and caressed her sister¡¯s soft hands. ¡°Amelia, you deserve to be knighted for your art skills. Why don¡¯t I get your hands insured? You are simply the pride of our family!¡± Chapter 216 ¡°Be, please stop praising me. My embroidery is far worse than my mother¡¯s.¡± Amelia bit her lip shyly, showing a pair of cute dimples on her cheeks. Amelia was d to be recognized by Be. However, what made her happier was that Steven also praised her. She was so excited that she was afraid she would not be able to sleep that night. ¡°You have not only inherited Aunt Celeste¡¯s ability to sing and dance but also her skillful embroidery. I will introduce you to a top fashion designer. If you work together, you¡¯ll be famous in an instant! What do you think about making a mark in the fashion world?¡± ¡°Thanks, Be. But I would rather work in the entertainment industry. After all, I¡¯m studying at the Savrow Film Academy. I hope to be an excellent actor after graduation.¡± Amelia spoke softly, without confidence. Her mother, Celeste, was bullied in the entertainment industry back then, so Wyatt strongly opposed Amelia from attending the film academy and entering the entertainment industry. Later, Amelia dropped out of school in Inalia and returned to Savrow, where she studied film for more than half a year without telling Wyatt. When Wyatt found out, he reluctantly acquiesced but also gave her an ultimatum. Amelia had to follow his arrangements afterpleting her studies. Otherwise, he would disown her. To realize her dream, Amelia swore to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She wanted to change her father¡¯s view about the acting profession and make him look at her with admiration. ¡°Great! If that¡¯s your dream, I will give you my full support!¡± Be put her arm around Amelia¡¯s shoulder. Her bright eyes shed with worry. ¡°But the entertainment industry is veryplicated. There are a lot of shady things going on behind the scenes. If you are just starting out without money or a background, no one will take a second look at you. It¡¯s quite impossible for you tond a decent job. So, when you audition for a role after graduation, don¡¯t be shy. Just write ¡°Wyatt Thompson is my father¡± on your profile. I guarantee it¡¯ll be smooth sailing for you then!¡± ¡°Be, Dad hates the fact that I¡¯m in the entertainment industry. If I do that, I¡¯m just making things worse!¡± Amelia did not know if she shouldugh or cry. ¡°Besides, I won¡¯t feel any sense of aplishment if I get opportunities based on my identity. I don¡¯t want to take shortcuts. I just want to work hard on my own and use my strength to prove that I made the right choice.¡± ¡°You are indeed a Thompson with your ambition!¡± Be sighed softly and pinched Amelia¡¯s delicate cheek. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you will be bullied.¡± Amelia was good at everything, but she was just as soft as Celeste. In a dog-eat-dog world, Amelia was bound to be bullied. ¡°Be, can I ask you a question?¡± Amelia pondered for a long time before she asked in a low voice. ¡°Do you want to ask me about my ex-husband?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Amelia nodded vigorously, unable to hide her curiosity. ¡°Why did you get divorced? Did your ex- husband treat you badly?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re just not suited to be together,¡± Be replied calmly. ¡°Well¡­ He¡¯s the president of Salvador Corporation, so he must have been very busy and neglected you. That¡¯s why you separated, right?¡± Be frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you guess that the reason for our divorce was because he cheated on me?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Amelia waved her hand. ¡°Huh? Why do you say this?¡± ¡°With so much money, isn¡¯t he afraid of dying without spending his money?¡± Be burst intoughter. It seemed that her ferocious persona at home was still solid. At this time, her phone rang. Be picked it up and saw Justin¡¯s name on the caller ID. Her face darkened. She was afraid that Amelia would think too much, so she hurriedly put on her velvet slippers and walked to the small living room to answer the phone. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You picked up the call very quickly this time.¡± Justin¡¯s deep voice rang in her ears. ¡°Haha! Please remember to give me a five-star review after this call, sir.¡± Be joked and mocked him. Justin felt a lump in his throat. He said in a deep voice, ¡°I will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, so meet me at Tideview Manor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting discharged tomorrow? Are you in such a hurry to die?¡± Be sneered. ¡°Just remember to go to Tideview Manor tomorrow. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Be refused without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m busy, and I won¡¯t ever set foot in that ce again. Stop contacting me in the future. Goodbye.¡± Justin said in a deep voice, ¡°You left a lot of things there. Aren¡¯t you going to take them away?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Chapter 217 Be thought, ¡®Oh, it seems that Rosalind is officially moving into Tideview Manor to live with Justin as his wife, huh? It makes sense that he wants my things gone. If I were her, I¡¯d be upset to see my husband¡¯s ex-wife¡¯s things piled up in the house. I get it.¡¯ ¡°Mr. Salvador, if you think that my things are taking up space, just throw them away. There¡¯s no need to ask me.¡± Be¡¯s voice was cold and calm. ¡°What about the gifts that you gave me over the years? Do you want me to throw them away too?¡± Be scoffed and said mockingly, ¡°I didn¡¯t give you those gifts. Anna Brown did. Anna might have regarded them as treasures, but to me, those are just trash.¡± Justin was rendered speechless. He felt suffocated. ¡°In the future, please contact my secretary next time. I don¡¯t answer calls from strangers. Bye.¡± ¡°Be!¡± ¡°What else do you want?¡± Be was so annoyed by him that she raised her voice. ¡°What about those costumes? You kept them so nicely in a garment protector. Don¡¯t you still want them?¡± Justin¡¯s voice was a bit colder and more oppressive than before. ¡°If you don¡¯te to get it, I will take it as you don¡¯t want them, and I will do with them as I please.¡± Be¡¯s heart clenched. She hesitated. Each of those well-made costumes was Celeste¡¯s private collection and was painstakingly hand- stitched. When Be asked to borrow some of those costumes to perform for Nigel, Celeste took them all out for her to choose from without saying a word. Celeste also said that Be could keep them. Be did not want Celeste¡¯s kindness and efforts to be ruined by that bastard, so she sighed and gave in. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get my secretary to pick them up from Tideview Manor tomorrow.¡± ¡°No, you have toe here in person.¡± Justin spoke domineeringly, as if he had the upper hand. ¡°I won¡¯t let your secretary in if hees. I¡¯ll wait for you at home tomorrow. Bye.¡± After that, he hung up the phone. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Damn it!¡± Be stared at the ck screen, furious. Those were just some clothes, but Justin acted as if he had grasped her weakness. Be thought, ¡®I¡¯ll go and take it as a game of ying demons!¡¯ The next morning, Be and Amelia washed up and went to the dining hall to have breakfast. Asher had an important meeting at the office, so he went to work first. Wyatt, his three wives, and Axel were already at the table. ¡°The twozy pigs are finally awake! We were all waiting for you two.¡± Axel rested his chin on his hands and teased his sisters with a smile. ¡°Amelia and I haven¡¯t seen each other for so long, so we had a good time catching upst night and didn¡¯t go to bed until past midnight.¡± Be yawned as she spoke. Her eyes were a little bloodshot in the corners. However, Amelia looked so refreshed, with supple skin and rosy cheeks. She did not look tired at all. It was great to be young! Be would never be in such good spirits. Wyatt sat at the head of the dining table and red at Be. He had dark circles under his eyes. It seemed that he had not slept well either. No one would ever imagine that a chair would cause the richest man in Hatchbay to be sleepless and heartbroken all night. Be did not feel the least bit guilty about it. She acted naturally and still had a great appetite, as if what happenedst night did not involve her. Anyway, she had already given out the gift, so it was toote to take it back. Wyatt had no choice but to ept his fate. Be was about to leave the table after finishing her food, but Wyatt said coldly, ¡°Do you still have feelings for that Salvador boy?¡± Everyone panicked. On the contrary, Be answered calmly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯repletely over the divorce?¡± ¡°Wyatt, we have known each other for 24 years. If you have anything to say, just spit it out. There is no need to beat around the bush and test my patience.¡± Be picked up the napkin and wiped her lips elegantly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Quentin!¡± Wyatt shouted for Quentin, his chief secretary. Quentin hurried over and handed over a document. Wyatt took it and threw it urately at Be. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A list.¡± ¡°What list?¡± Chapter 218 ¡°A list of blind dates.¡± Wyatt smiled slyly. Everyone was shocked. Amelia, who had always been graceful, was so shocked that she dropped her fork to the floor. Axel almost spat out a mouthful of coffee, which he had choked on until his face turned red. ¡°Wyatt!¡± Be quickly stood up and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Are you taking revenge on me? You¡¯re so petty!¡± ¡°A great man has to be ruthless.¡± Wyatt took a sip of coffee calmly and said, ¡°Besides, you are my daughter. Why would I take revenge on you? You¡¯re divorced now, so even if you keep a low profile, you probably won¡¯t be able to hide it for long. If this spreads among the elites, everyone willugh at you. Justin is marrying someone new soon after divorcing you. As your father, I must y Cupid for you and make sure you have everything that bastard has!¡± ¡°If he has a brain disease, should I get that too?¡± Be sneered, feeling infuriated. (C ¡®Anyway, I¡¯ve decided. I asked Quentin to sort out this listst night, which includes all the young, talented bachelors in the country who are around the same age as you. They¡¯re not yet married and are from well-matched families. You¡¯d better be mentally prepared. Starting next month, you will meet at least five of them a week. You can rest on the weekends.¡± Wyatt looked serious. He was not joking at all. Be almost flipped the table in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I won¡¯t go on any blind dates!¡± ¡°Fine. Then you can say goodbye to your position as CEO of KS Group.¡± Be thought, ¡®Fuck! This cunning old man is threatening me with my career!¡¯ Be was so furious that she clenched her teeth. Her cheeks were flushed. ¡°Wyatt, I agreed to revamp KS World Hotel for you in exchange for the role of KS Group¡¯s CEO. How could you go back on your promise? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll die young for breaking your promise?!¡± ¡°If my death can give my daughter a happy marriage for the rest of her life, then my little sacrifice as your father is not worth mentioning.¡± Wyatt looked so righteous. Be gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go on a blind date. You can go with whoever you want!¡± ¡°Then should I also pick whoever I like as the CEO of KS Group?¡± Wyatt narrowed his shrewd eagle eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I still have the final say in thepany.¡± This breakfast ended on a bad note. Be felt that she had eaten gunpowder because she was on the verge of exploding. Since she was young, Be would hide in the man-made cave in the garden and cuss to her heart¡¯s content or cry her eyes out whenever she was in a bad mood. At 24 years old, Be still had the same habit. After breakfast, she went to the cave to sulk. ¡°Ha! I knew that you would be here, baby sister!¡± Axel put his hands behind his back, bent down, and squeezed into the cave. ¡°Do you think that Wyatt is taking revenge on me for stealing his chair?!¡± Be asked angrily. ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s not entirely true. Dad probably wants to use this method to help you get over Jerkface Justin so that you can start anew.¡± Axel crossed his long legs and sat next to her. ¡°Do you think starting anew means having a new man? I¡¯m his daughter. Why can¡¯t I live a single and happy life?¡± Be skipped some stones across the pond. ¡°Men are just a burden! He can go on those blind dates! Maybe he¡¯ll finally get a fifth wife!¡± ¡°You know our dad. He holds a grudge and is a sore loser.¡± Axel leaned close to her ear and whispered, ¡°I think our father is really petty. If you don¡¯t go on those blind dates, he will definitely stop you from being the CEO of KS Group.¡± Be was a little frightened. Her eyes shed with fear. ¡°Ax, what do you think I should do now?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Why don¡¯t you give me a copy of that list?¡± ¡°What? Are you going to help me get rid of them one by one?¡± Be¡¯s bright eyes sparkled with hope. ¡°I¡¯ll check their backgrounds and shortlist them for you. Then you can choose the most good-looking one and keep him for fun as a side piece.¡± Axelughed. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Fun, my ass!¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened as she clenched her fists, looking like she wanted to hit him. Just then, her phone rang. Justin¡¯s name on the screen was particrly eye-catching. Be was furious at the moment, so she picked up the phone and used the man as a punching bag. Why the hell are you calling so early? Justin, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re very shameless?¡± ¡°Have you left the house?¡± Justin ignored her insult and asked calmly. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Thene out now.¡± The man paused and said in a low and steady voice, ¡°I¡¯m outside your door.¡± Chapter 219 Outside Yara Park, Justin stood tall next to his ck Ferrari. While waiting, he narrowed his eyes slightly while reading the elegant que at the front gate. In the past few days, Justin has not stopped investigating the Thompson family to get a better understanding of them. Wyatt had purchased this property for his first wife, who was also Be¡¯s mother. This high-end estate was the only one in the country, and its value could not be measured with money. Yara Park was named after Be¡¯s mother, Yara Brown. Be used her mother¡¯sst name when she made her fake identity to stay with the Salvadors. Justin wondered why she chose the name ¡°Anna¡±. It was the mostmon name, and Be was anything butmon. When Justin felt his mind wandering, the door suddenly creaked open. Hearing this sound, Justin quickly looked away from the que. His broad shoulders were tense. Be used her hand to shade her face from the sun as she stood on the steps, looking at Justin. At this moment, Justin did not wear his usual three-piece suit that seemed to be welded to his body. Instead, he wore khaki pants and a light blue jacket. He looked clean, refreshed, and gentle. Be had never seen Justin dressed like this before. Usually, he only wore formal and meticulous business suits that made him look strict and restrained. Seeing Justin dressed in rtively casual clothes, Be wondered if he did this on purpose. He was indeed good-looking, but it was a pity that his beauty did not extend inward. Be wore her house slippers to meet him. She moved lightly in small steps, which Justin found indescribably cute and casual. Justin lowered his eyes and looked at her feet, feeling a desire in his heart. ¡°Why are you looking at my feet? Have you never seen slippers before?¡± Be¡¯s toes hidden in the slippers curled ufortably as she red at him. Justin narrowed his eyes. ¡°You always wear high heels. I¡¯ve never seen you dressed like this.¡± ¡°Haha! Then you must be blind.¡± Be sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve been walking in front of you like this almost every day in the past three years, but you¡¯ve never noticed. I know that you don¡¯t pay attention to me, but you don¡¯t have to mock me by reminding me of how non-existent I was to you.¡± In an instant, Justin felt as if his heart had stopped. His face darkened. Right. He suddenly recalled the past. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Whenever he came home in the past, she would be the first person to greet him. At that time, she ran up to him cheerfully, wearing an apron and holding a small spat. Her bare face was always oily from cooking, but she still smiled at him gently. Back then, he had scoffed at her. Now, when he looked back at those memories, he found them precious. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the car.¡± Justin took a deep breath and opened the door. ¡°Let¡¯s just talk here.¡± Be was reluctant to get into his car. ¡°Do you mean you¡¯re going to invite me inside?¡± Justin urately grasped her weak spot and took a step closer to her. ¡°Justin, don¡¯t test my patience!¡± Before Be finished speaking, the bastard stretched out his long arm to grab her thin wrist and stuffed her into the car. He did this all so quickly that Be did not have time to react. ¡°You¡­¡± In the blink of an eye, Justin got into the driver¡¯s seat and locked the car doors. ¡°Justin, you don¡¯t need to lock the car door to talk to me, right?¡± Be tried the door handle, but it would not budge. ¡°I need to lock the doors when I¡¯m driving because I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll jump out.¡± As soon as Be heard this, she was infuriated. Her eyes dimmed, and she was about to explode. Justin suddenly leaned his scorching body on her. His tall nose bridge almost touched the tip of her nose, and he was close enough that his long eyshes were grazing her cheek. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Be panicked and hurriedly pushed his chest away from her. Unexpectedly, Justin grabbed her hand and held it tightly. His lips parted as he said in a low voice, ¡± Be, don¡¯t move.¡± Chapter 220 Justin put his left arm across Be¡¯s waist and slowly fastened the seat belt for her. Be gritted her teeth and retracted her hand as if she had touched something dirty. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°We agreedst night that you¡¯d go to my house to pick up your things today.¡± Justin let go of her and held the steering wheel. ¡°I will go, so you don¡¯t have to do this!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Justin started the engine and nced at her. ¡°You¡¯re such a good liar. How many times have you lied to me since you married me three years ago? Have you ever told me the truth?¡± ¡°Have I not?¡± Be sneered. ¡°Think whatever you like. It doesn¡¯t matter now.¡± Justin felt a chill, as if a bullet had shot through his chest. Sometimes, he wished that she had never had feelings for him. That way, he could move on without any guilt. The Ferrari sped through the highway, passing by the beautiful scenery along the way. Be simply resigned herself to her fate since she could not run away. She crossed her arms across her chest, adjusted the back of her chair, and fell asleep in afortable position. Out of sight, out of mind. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Justin tightened his grip on the steering wheel. ¡°About what?¡± Be discovered that this man had been acting abnormally after their divorce. He used to be as stubborn as a donkey, but he has been admitting his mistakes quite frequentlytely. Be thought, ¡®Did Rosalind enroll him in a morality course or something?¡¯ ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Asher was your brother.¡± ¡°Oh, whatever. I forgive you.¡± Be did not take it seriously. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you exin yourself?¡± Justin looked at Be¡¯s beautiful side profile. ¡°At that time, would you have believed me if I said that nothing was going on between me and Asher?¡± Justin felt a lump in his throat. Be shook her head. ¡°The world is always assuming the worst of women. If I wasn¡¯t Asher¡¯s sister and was just the poor Anna Brown, you and thousands of people in this world would just think that I was a shameless gold digger. Except for the people I love and care about, I don¡¯t care what others think of me.¡± Justin¡¯s face turned pale. His knuckles popped from gripping the steering wheel too hard. He thought, ¡®Does this mean that she no longer loves and cares about me?¡¯ There was nothing wrong with that, but Justin just felt frustrated. They drove in silence for a while before Justin suddenly asked, ¡°So, Asher is your eldest brother, Axel is your second brother, and Drew is your third brother? Why did Drew take your mother¡¯sst name?¡± ¡°Justin.¡± Be suddenly opened her eyes. Her face was as cold as ice. ¡°You¡¯re touching my bottom line by investigating my family.¡± Justin parted his thin lips, but Be spoke first. ¡°Why do you keep testing my patience? I¡¯m only putting up with you because I am from the Thompson family and have been raised to be a bigger person. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to make a scene. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be disgraceful. But if you continue to reach out your filthy paws into my family, I don¡¯t care who you are. I won¡¯t let you off the hook! So, you¡¯d better check your behavior.¡± The man¡¯s thin lips pursed tightly. His neatly trimmed nails were digging into the leather steering wheel. ¡°I didn¡¯t investigate Drew. I thought he was familiar when we fought thest time. So, I looked through the graduation photo album of the military academy I went to and found his photo. That was when I remembered that we used to be ssmates.¡± Be turned to look out the window and simply ignored him. She was still mad at him. Justin nced at her, picked up the phone, and dialed Ian¡¯s number. He pressed the speakerphone button. ¡°Hello, Mr. Salvador. What are your orders?¡± Ian answered the call instantly. ¡°Buy a pair of high heels for Ms. Be from one of these brands-Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, and Manolo hnik. Then send them to Tideview Manor.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Be was surprised to hear this. She slowly looked at the man¡¯s calm face. These were brands that she wore often. ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯ll make arrangements for the young madam right away.¡± Ian¡¯s voice was so cheerful that those who did not know would think that he had a sessful proposal. Justin lowered his cold eyes to look at Be¡¯s feet. His eyes darkened, and he said, ¡°Size 36. Don¡¯t get the wrong size.¡± Chapter 221 Be¡¯s long eyshes fluttered. She felt goosebumps on her fair skin. ¡°How do you know I wear size 36 shoes?¡± Justin looked calm and dignified. ¡°I was just guessing because your feet look very small.¡± Be¡¯s small feet curled up slightly in embarrassment under her house slippers. She sneered. ¡°Men are real perverts.¡± Justin was speechless He knew better than to tell the truth. The reason he knew Be¡¯s shoe size was because he carefully explored everything that she had left behind in Tideview Manor, like his personal treasure hunt. Thus, he knew that she liked to collect snacks at home like a little hamster. Chocte ounted for the majority of those snacks. Her usual perfume was Serge Lutens¡¯ La Fille de Berlin. He had vaguely smelled it before but thought that the strong scent did not suit her. Now it seemed that he was totally wrong. This strong and romantic scent was created just for her. Justin learned that she wore size 36 shoes because she had a few pairs of white sneakers stacked neatly on the shoe rack, as if she woulde home at any time. That day, she said disappointedly that he never understood her. So, he wanted to get to know her again this way. During the two-hour drive, they barelymunicated with each other. The Ferrari drove into Tideview Manor and stopped in front of the main door. Justin unbuckled his seat belt first before he leaned toward Be. p-! Be knew that he would try something again, so she suddenly blocked his arm and red at him. ¡± You don¡¯t need to do this. I can unbuckle myself.¡±. As a result, Justin took advantage of her momentary daze, stretched his long arm across her t belly, and unbuckled her seatbelt quickly. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Be narrowed her beautiful eyes and thought, ¡®How could he move so fast?! I didn¡¯t even have time to react!¡¯ Earlier, she had heard from Drew that it took him ten seconds to assemble a pistol in the military academy, but Justin only needed eight seconds. His speed was astonishing. It would be so easy to fool her. As soon as Justin and Be walked into Tideview Manor, the news spread among the servants at the speed of light. ¡°OMG! Am I seeing things? Did Mr. Salvador bring back the young madam?!¡± ¡°It really is the young madam! OMG! She¡¯s so beautiful! How could Mr. Salvador divorce such a pretty wife?¡± ¡°What should I call her now? Young Madam, or Ms. Brown? Oh, no¡­ ¡°Ms. Brown, I guess. If Ms. Gold finds out that we called someone else ¡®young madam¡¯, she¡¯ll make our lives difficult when she moves in here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Ms. Gold is a jealous woman. She¡¯s not as amiable as Ms. Brown.¡± The maids¡¯ gossip drifted into Justin¡¯s ears. His eyes were slightly gloomy as he nced at Be, who was beside him. If he could hear the maids, Be could too. But she turned a deaf ear to them and looked so indifferent that Justin felt even more ufortable. ¡°Where are my things?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still in the same ce in your room.¡± ¡°You knew I woulde to pick it up today. Why didn¡¯t you sort it out in advance? Are you thatzy?¡± Be frowned and murmured. ¡°Those are your precious things, so I don¡¯t dare to touch them.¡± Justin stared at her. Men really did not appreciate what they had. In the past, Justin did not take Be seriously when she was obedient and in love with him. Now that she pushed him away and insulted him, he wanted to get to know her more. Be did not want to have more eye contact with him, so she looked away. ¡°Then what should I do now? Should I go up and get it? Or do you want to send someone to pack it up and send it down to me?¡± At this time, Justin¡¯s phone rang. Only then did Justin remember that he had an important conference call. He said apologetically, ¡°I need to answer the phone first. I¡¯ll be backter.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. After the man left in a hurry, Be took a deep breath and rxed her tense nerves. She felt suffocated during their journey here. When she was his wife, she tried every possible means to create opportunities to be alone with him, but this ruthless man would always neglect her. Now, he personally drove to Hatchbay to pick her up, bought high heels for her, and helped her fasten her seat belt. He was as attentive and considerate as a husband should be. Chapter 222 Be just felt weird and awkward, as if a million little ants were crawling along her ankles and up her calves. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. This bted tenderness was sour, like expired milk. Be took out her phone and called Steven. ¡°Steve, I¡¯m at Tideview Manor in Savrow. Come and pick me up now.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Steven was shocked. ¡°Why are you there?!¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a long story. Come here first. I¡¯ll tell you about itter.¡± After hanging up the phone, Be walked straight upstairs. She did not want to stay in this house for too long, so she wanted to pack up her costumes and leave as soon as Steven arrived. The room she used to stay in was not too far from Carrie¡¯s room. She asked the servant about Carrie¡¯s whereabouts and thought of going over to see her. As soon as Be walked to the door of Carrie¡¯s room, she heard Bethany¡¯s shrill voiceing from inside. ¡°You little bitch! What on earth did you and Mr. Hoffman do at Grandpa¡¯s birthday party that day?! Tell me now!¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ Really¡­¡± Carrie¡¯s crying voice broke Be¡¯s heart. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Bethany became even angrier, thinking that Carrie was lying to her. ¡°How could you have done nothing with him after getting drugged? Where did the red marks on his necke from?! Did he get bitten by a dog?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t remember. I really don¡¯t remember¡­ Ah!¡± Shatter¨C! Suddenly, a vase shattered on the floor. Be¡¯s eyes turned red with anger. She clenched her fists tightly and kicked open the door, startling the furious Bethany. ¡°You again?!¡± As soon as Bethany returned to her senses, she felt something flying in front of her eyes. In the next second, something hit her in the face. ¡°Ah!¡± Soon after, another slipper came flying toward Bethany¡¯s face again. Bethany¡¯s nose was swollen. She was seeing stars, and there were shoe prints on her forehead. She looked ridiculous. Bethany covered her forehead and pointed at Be¡¯s face. She was so furious that she was speechless. ¡°Did you drink toilet water? You have such a foul mouth.¡± Be crossed her arms in front of her chest, tilted her head, and shed a stunning and threatening smile. ¡°Annie¡­¡± Carrie huddled in the corner and shivered. Seeing Be, Carrie was so excited that her lips trembled slightly and tears streamed down her face. ¡°Be Thompson! You crazy bitch!¡± Bethany was infuriated. She gritted her teeth, and her face was numb and painful from the impact. The soles of these slippers were more lethal than a p. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re so great just because you¡¯re a Thompson! As a Salvador, I¡¯m not inferior to you! I won¡¯t let you get away with hitting me today!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d better keep your word. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have a reason to beat you up.¡± Be did not take Bethany seriously. Her beautiful eyes were cold and mocking. ¡°If you¡¯re so great, you wouldn¡¯t just hide here and bully your sister. If I didn¡¯t know you were Shannon¡¯s daughter, I would¡¯ve thought you were raised by a bitch.¡± Bethany took a while to react. Then she rushed toward Be and yelled, ¡°How dare you call me a son of a bitch?! I¡¯ll fucking rip you apart!¡± Be only shook her head in disgust when she saw Bethany showing her true colors and ws. She did not want to touch Bethany for fear of getting rabies because Bethany was like a rabid beast. Just as Bethany¡¯s ws were about to touch Be, a strong arm suddenly grabbed Bethany¡¯s wrist. ¡°Ow! It hurts!¡± Bethany suddenly felt severe pain and bent forward. Be felt Justin¡¯s strong presence behind her and looked back in shock. Coincidentally, Justin was also looking at her. Their eyes met. Be thought she saw a hint of concern in his beautiful eyes, but she doubted her vision. She must have been mistaken. She would rather believe in magic than believe that this bastard would care about her. ¡°Did she hurt you?¡± Justin lowered his cold eyes to look at Be. His tone was filled with unprecedented concern. Chapter 223 Be was stunned for a moment. She said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but Carrie might be hurt.¡± Justin¡¯s dark pupils suddenly shrank. He tightened his grip on Bethany¡¯s wrist. ¡°Ahhh! Justin, Justin, please let go! It hurts¡­ You¡¯re hurting me!¡± Bethany was in so much pain that her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she was about to cry. Justin pursed his thin lips. Then he suddenly let go of Bethany. Bethany staggered back several steps due to the force and fell to the floor, looking wretched. ¡°Justin! This woman threw her slippers at me first! Look, there¡¯s still a shoe print on my face! This is the evidence!¡± Bethany cried and pounded the floor with her fists. ¡°This woman came to our house to beat your sister! How can you side with her without knowing the full situation?!¡± Unexpectedly, Justin did not even look at her. Instead, he asked Be in a deep voice, ¡°Are you really okay?¡± Be rolled her eyes and did not bother responding. She walked over to Carrie, kneeled in front of her, and stroked her soft hair. ¡°Annie!¡± Carrie threw herself into Be¡¯s arms, sobbing. She did not cry when Bethany beat her, but the moment she saw Anna, she felt so aggrieved that she could no longer hold back her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. As long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let anyone bully you, Carrie. I¡¯ll take care of you from now on.¡± Be¡¯s heart ached as sheforted Carrie. She red at Bethany fiercely. Bethany was really vicious, like an evil stepmother. Justin¡¯s cold heart trembled slightly when he saw Be and Carrie hugging each other. He liked seeing how close they were, and he greedily hoped that he could see such a scene more often. ¡°Bethany, you¡¯d better mark my words.¡± Be¡¯s gaze pierced Bethany¡¯s eyes like a sword. ¡°From now on, Carrie will be under my care. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m unaware of what happens at Tideview Manor when I¡¯m not around. I don¡¯t care about anything else, but if you dare touch a hair on Carrie¡¯s head, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless. I won¡¯t hold back against you.¡± Bethany¡¯s eyes trembled, and her heart shuddered in fear. She looked up with her tear-stained face, which was covered in ruined makeup, and turned to Justin for help. ¡°Justin¡­¡± ¡°Did you hear what Ms. Thompson said?¡± Justin asked coldly. His eyes were still on Be. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Bethany slumped to the floor in despair. She finally understood. There was no way this bastard could help her. He had never considered her his sister from the beginning. At this moment, Bethany had no choice but to give in. ¡°Apologize to Carrie immediately.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was cold and stern. Bethany bit her lip and refused to open her mouth. ¡°Bethany!¡± ¡°Forget it. An insincere apology means nothing.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were stern, and her clear voice was filled with derision. ¡°She¡¯s doing well as long as she doesn¡¯t pounce and bite someone.¡± Bethany wiped the shoe marks on her forehead and returned to her room angrily. ¡°Be! I won¡¯t let you go!¡± Bethany¡¯s eyes were red. She was breathing heavily. Only then did she wonder why Be showed up at her house. Did Justin bring her back? What did he mean by this? Did he want to remarry his ex-wife? No way in hell! Chapter 224 Though Rosalind was evil, she came from a poor family and looked sickly. Thus, Bethany thought that she could easily defeat Rosalind with brute force if necessary. However, Bethany could not defeat Be. That woman came from a prominent family and knew martial arts. If Be reconciled with Justin, Bethany would be Be¡¯s punching bag in the future. Thinking of this, Bethany secretly hatched a n. As they said, the enemy of her enemy was her friend. So, why not work together with Rosalind and sit back to watch Be and Rosalind fight to the death? After making up her mind, Bethany dialed Rosalind¡¯s phone number. ¡°Rose! Justin brought Be home, and the two of them looked so intimate. I¡¯m afraid your position in Justin¡¯s heart is gone now.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Justin ordered the servants toe over and clean up Carrie¡¯s room while Be kept hugging and comforting Carrie. ¡°Carrie, don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m right here.¡± ¡°Annie!¡± Carrie was already 20 years old, but she had a form of autism that made her behavior seem a bit childish. She clutched Be¡¯s clothes tightly and stubbornly insisted. ¡°Annie, please don¡¯t leave. Can you please stay here? I really miss you¡­¡± Be felt a little embarrassed that she had not told Carrie about her true identity. Her back stiffened awkwardly. Justin quietly watched their interaction and took a step forward, wanting to get closer to Be. ¡°Mr. Salvador.¡± However, Be seemed to have eyes behind her back. She suddenly spoke in a cold voice, ¡°I know you¡¯re busy and that you hate this family. But you watched Carrie grow up. She has always respected you as a brother. If you still have a trace of kindness in your heart, please don¡¯t turn a blind eye to Bethany bullying Carrie next time! If I find out that Bethany is bullying Carrie again, I will sue her for intentional assault.¡± Justin was startled. He pursed his thin lips tightly. He was usually too busy with work, so he spent very little time at home. Justin did not know that Bethany was so cruel to her biological sister. The sisterly affection Bethany had for Carrie was just for show in front of their grandfather. ¡°I swear to you that this kind of thing will never happen again,¡± Justin said loudly. ¡°Why are you swearing to me? I¡¯m not the one who got hurt.¡± Justin was criticized again, but he was used to it by now. Beforted Carrie for a while before she and Justin went to the room where she had stayed by herself for three years. She walked to the bedroom and opened the closet. Everything that belonged to Anna was neatly arranged inside. Be thought of how much heart and soul she had poured into preparing these gifts for Justin. She thought of the lonely nights she spent doing handicrafts and how he had always neglected her when she brought these gifts to him. He would not even spare her a nce. She was the only one carrying their rtionship. Her heart was filled with sadness, and her red lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. In the past, she was infatuated with this man. Now, she only felt disgusted by him. ¡°Do you have a box? I came in a hurry and didn¡¯t prepare anything. Please lend me a box so I can pack my clothes¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Be felt his arm go over her head. She raised her eyes in surprise and saw his fingers pressing on the cab door. The delicate cufflinks on his suit flickered with a dark light. Be shuddered and hunched her shoulders. She widened her eyes and asked, ¡°Justin, what do you mean?¡± Justin parted his thin lips and called out her name in a husky voice. ¡°Be.¡± His deep and alluring voice seemed to trigger her nerves like a surge of electricity. ¡°If you want to take your things away, just answer my question. Why did you marry me back then?¡± Chapter 225 Be said, ¡°You¡¯ll never give up, huh?¡± Her hand on the cab door clenched into a fist. She took a deep breath, and her eyes turned red with anger. ¡°I have said everything I should say. I can¡¯t do anything if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Have we met somewhere a long time ago?¡± Justin was eager for an answer. He leaned closer to her, almost covering her beautiful back with his body. ¡°Be, answer me. Have we met a long time ago?¡± Be¡¯s heart suddenly clenched. Her red lips instantly lost color. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. The time Grandpa introduced us and proposed that we get married was the first time we met. Before that, we had never seen each other before.¡± She was afraid that Justin would find out that she was the little girl he saved 13 years ago. Since they were already divorced, Be thought that her 13 years of love and pursuit only made her look more pitiful and embarrassed. Be wanted to save her dignity. She really did not want this bastard to know that she had been in love with him for 13 years. It was embarrassing. There was a trace of disappointment in Justin¡¯s eyes. He always thought that there was more truth behind it. ¡°Let me go. I need to get my things and leave.¡± Be¡¯s voice was trembling. She pulled open the cab door. ¡°Be, you¡­¡± ¡°Stop asking! That¡¯s enough!¡± Be suddenly seemed overly sensitive. Her voice was sharp as she said, ¡°Justin, we¡¯re divorced. Do you understand what the word divorce means?! Why are you insisting on digging up the past? So what if I was infatuated with you once? I don¡¯t love you anymore. Now when I see you and these gifts I prepared for you, I just feel sick!¡± ¡®Infatuated with me.¡¯ Justin heard nothing else but these words, which echoed repeatedly in his mind. He took a deep breath, held her smooth shoulders, and suddenly turned her body around so that she was facing him. Justin was shocked to find her eyes were teary and red. ¡°You can cry if you want.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was stiff, but his eyes were a little softer than before. ¡°Hah! Cry?! Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m furious? Divorcing you brings me such joy that I wake upughing in my sleep! Why the hell would I cry?¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes were as cold as ice. Her chest heaved angrily. ¡°From the moment I signed the divorce papers, I told myself that I would never shed a tear for you again.¡± Thest sentence struck Justin¡¯s heart like a hammer. Just as he was about to say something, there was a sudden knock on the door. ¡°Mr. Salvador, are you in there?¡± The butler said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Gold is here. She¡¯s waiting for you downstairs¡­¡± Be¡¯s eyes suddenly turned dark. Justin¡¯s face also became grim. Downstairs, Rosalind was waiting anxiously. The servants hid in the shadows and gossiped among themselves. Everyone knew that Justin¡¯s ex-wife was also there at the moment. If Rosalind bumped into her, would inevitably lead to another blood bath. ¡°Justin!¡± When Rosalind saw Justining downstairs with an expressionless face, she rushed toward him and hugged him tightly around the waist. it Justin instinctively wanted to push her away, but she hugged him so tightly as if he were her life raft that she had to hang onto to keep from drowning. ¡°Justin¡­ I miss you so much¡­ I really miss you!¡± Rosalind smelled the familiar cedar scent on Justin¡¯s body and started crying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I know my mistake. I just went astray because I was angry. Justin, you know exactly what kind of person I am. We grew up together!¡± At this point, Rosalind could not think of any good solutions except ying the emotional card. She wanted to do as Shannon said and give Justin some space during this time so that his anger would subside. However, when she learned that Be had gone to Tideview Manor, Rosalind could no longer sit still. Thus, she ran to see Justin in a panic. ¡°Rose.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was no longer as gentle as before. ¡°I told you that we should take a break from seeing each other. You should leave.¡± Chapter 226 ¡°Why?!¡± Rosalind asked with tears streaming down her face. Shannon taught Shannon to act pitiful and weak because most men were susceptible to this trick. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Suddenly, a crisp and pleasant voice came from upstairs. Everyone looked up to see Be carrying a suitcase down the stairs with ease. She raised her delicate This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. chin slightly and walked downstairs steadily. Compared to the crying Rosalind, Be looked so regal and upright. Rosalind hugged Justin tightly. A cold glint shed in her eyes, piercing Be¡¯s smiling face. The servants were excited to watch the drama unfold. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. He put his hands on Rosalind¡¯s shoulders, looking like he was about to push her away. However, Be only saw how intimate they were. Be thought, ¡®Hah! No wonder Justin wanted me toe over in person to pick up my things. If I didn¡¯te, I would miss out on their show of love.¡¯ At this moment, Be just wanted to go home immediately, burn the clothes she was wearing, and cleanse her body. Be thought that everything Justin touched was filthy. ¡°Ms. Gold is your fianc¨¦e. She came all the way to see you, so why are you kicking her out? Tsk, tsk! You¡¯re so cruel.¡± Be looked at Rosalind with a smile. ¡°Ms. Gold, please don¡¯t misunderstand us. I¡¯m just here to get my things. I¡¯m leaving now, so please continue. Time always feels short when one is in love.¡± Justin felt a lump in his throat. His handsome face turned pale, and his chest burned with frustration. Rosalind looked at Be with hatred. She had made such a fool of herself at Nigel¡¯s birthday banquet, so she did not dare confront Be again at this time. ¡°Oh, by the way, I don¡¯t want any of the things I left here, especially the gifts I prepared for Mr. Salvador back then. Could you please dispose of that trash when you move inter? I heard it¡¯s unlucky to keep an ex¡¯s things around because it might affect the couple¡¯s rtionship.¡± Be gave a simple exnation, picked up the box, and walked briskly past them. Rosalind was dumbfounded, and so were the servants. Justin¡¯s ex-wife was not at all jealous of his fianc¨¦e. Instead, she looked delighted. This showed what a magnanimous person Justin¡¯s ex-wife was. Seeing Be walk out of the vi, Justin could not bear it any longer and pushed Rosalind away. Then he chased after Be with quick strides. ¡°Ah! Justin!¡± Justin¡¯s forceful push made Rosalind stagger back and fall miserably on the coffee table. The cups and tes were smashed on the floor, cutting her hands. Her skirt was also ripped. At the same time, Bethany, who was hiding upstairs, witnessed this scene. She was so angry that she gritted her teeth and stomped her feet. Be carried the box and walked out of the door wearing her home slippers. ¡°Be! Wait!¡± Justin called out to her anxiously in a deep voice. However, Be ignored him and did not stop. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I bought the young madam¡¯s shoes!¡± At this time, Ian came back sweating profusely and carrying a bag of luxury goods in his hand. Justin caught up to Be in a few strides, grabbed the bag from Ian, and blocked Be¡¯s path. ¡°Here.¡± He handed her the shoes. Be lowered her eyes and took it, passing by him without a word. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened a little. His anxious heart slowly settled down. This was the first time she received something from him. As such, he felt an unprecedented sense of aplishment in his heart. However, what happened next shocked him to the core. Justin watched helplessly as Be swung the bag without aiming and urately threw the shoes worth tens of thousands of dors into the trash can. Ian felt as if someone had strangled his neck. He could not even breathe. He clearly saw what happened from the corner of his eye. Justin looked devastated, as if his heart was trampled on. Chapter 227 Outside Tideview Manor, Steven was pacing back and forth anxiously. He was worried about Be. When he saw Be walking out with a box, Steven ran over to help her. ¡°Ms. Be, did that jerk, Justin, do anything to you?!¡± Be frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t call him a jerk. It¡¯ll be embarrassing if you get used to it and blurt it out in public in the future, especially in formal settings.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Steven responded dully. ¡°That jerk won¡¯t dare do anything to me. If he does, I¡¯ll castrate him!¡± Be cracked her knuckles. Steven could not help butugh. That was when he noticed that she was only wearing home slippers. He asked, ¡°Why are you wearing slippers?¡± ¡°I came out in a hurry and forgot to change into shoes.¡± In fact, there were several pairs of white sneakers that belonged to her at the entrance. She could simply wear them before leaving. However, Be stubbornly chose not to do so. That way, she could express her resistance and disgust toward Justin and her life over the past three years. Those shoes belonged to Anna Brown. They were neatly ced and looked like they would be disposed of at any time. The shoes that belonged to Be Thompson were high-quality, luxurious, and mboyant stilettos. There was no way she would wear old white sneakers again. She would never go back to her domesticated life. ¡°Let¡¯s go to KS World Hotel.¡± The Bugatti engine roared as Be sped away. At this moment, Justin stood upstairs in front of the window of the room where Be had stayed before. He looked in the direction of Be¡¯s car and felt his heart burning. His eyes darkened. Back at the hotel, Be remained aloof. She took the exclusive elevator to the general manager¡¯s office with Steven. As soon as they entered the corridor, they were startled to see Ryan standingzily against the wall. He was wearing a ck shirt and ck pants. ¡°Ryan? How did you get up here?!¡± Be quickly walked up to him. Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise. ¡°I climbed up the stairs.¡± Ryan smirked. Ryan was panting heavily and had a thinyer of sweat on his forehead. His ck suit was draped on his muscr forearm, and the top few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his sexy corbone. Steven looked at this unrestrained man with disgust and secretly cursed him for being a man-slut. Steven thought, ¡®Does he think that Be will take another look at him if he shows off his pecs? She¡¯s not so shallow!¡¯ As a result, Ryan seemed to be able to read minds. Instead of buttoning up his shirt, he even pulled his cor down and smiled slyly at Steven. ¡°Are the administrative secretaries and security guards not doing their jobs? How can someone get into my office so easily without my permission and without an appointment?¡± Be¡¯s expression suddenly became stern. Ryan¡¯s heart trembled. He had wanted to sneak up to surprise her, but Be did not seem happy about 1. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it right away.¡± Steven red at the flirtatious man in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t! It has nothing to do with them. I ran up here secretly.¡± Ryan quickly put on a bright and ttering smile and grabbed Be¡¯s arm. ¡°They stopped me from coming upstairs, so I had no choice but to do this. Don¡¯t me them. You can me me if you want!¡± ¡°Deduct the administrative secretary¡¯s sry this month and find out who is in charge of security today. Fire those guards immediately.¡± Be gave the order and pulled her arm out of Ryan¡¯s grip. She then walked toward her office indifferently. ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Steven was delighted to see Ryan being left behind. ¡°Anna¡­ No, wait. Ms. Thompson!¡± Only then did Ryan realize that he was in trouble. He chased after Be and acted like a helpless child who had made a mistake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. What should I do for you to calm down? I¡¯ll do anything for you. Just say the word, and I¡¯m at your disposal!¡± ¡°Ryan.¡± }) Be said coldly, ¡°Come in. I have something to ask you.¡¯ Ryan¡¯s charming eyes sparkled as if he had been pardoned. He followed Be into the office excitedly. On the other hand, Steven was asked to stand guard outside the door. He could note in without orders. Chapter 228 Steven, thepdog, was suddenly asked to be a guard dog, so he felt aggrieved. After the door was closed, Be walked straight to the sofa and sat down. Her beautiful legs were so fair that they were glowing. She rested her left arm on the armrest of the sofa and ced her right arm casually on herp. She looked elegant and powerful. Ryan was overwhelmed by the sight. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his eyes widened. Be had such a strong and noble presence. Ryan loved her even more. ¡°Hehe¡­ I knew that you wouldn¡¯t kick me out, especially with our special rtionship.¡± Ryan squinted his charming eyes. Just as he was about to get closer, Be suddenly said in a cold voice, ¡°Ryan, did you think I was joking when I told you that I was not interested?¡± Ryan suddenly stopped. He looked stunned. ¡°In the past, Anna Brown might have shown you some respect. After all, you had helped her. But Be Thompson doesn¡¯t have so much patience to deal with your antics.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were estranged, as if they had never met before. Ryan shivered. How could he be willing to give up so quickly? He took two steps forward, but Be red at him with sharp eyes, forcing him to freeze on the spot and shudder in fear. ¡°Although you¡¯re Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter, you¡¯re still Anna Brown! How could a name change wipe out our friendship?¡± ¡°The moment Justin and I finalized the divorce, Anna Brown died and ceased to exist.¡± Be pursed her lips and said, ¡°Neither you nor Justin are qualified to be in my life. Mr. Hoffman, you¡¯re a romantic, so please save your heart for someone else. Don¡¯t get hung up over me, because I will never fall in love with you.¡± ¡°Did I do something wrong? Tell me what I did wrong, and I will correct it!¡± Ryan was so anxious that his eyes turned red. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I should remind you of, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Be¡¯s eyes turned gloomy. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m unaware of what you did to Carrie at Grandpa Nigel¡¯s birthday party.¡± Ryan¡¯s face turned pale instantly. His blood felt stagnant as he reyed the events of that night. He held Carrie¡¯s bare shoulders in the bushes that night. Her delicate and pinkish skin teased his desires, and Carrie¡¯s inexperienced and passionate kiss ignited his desires. If Carrie were not Justin¡¯s sister, and if Ryan had not loved Be, he would have gone along with it. Ryan was not a celibate person to begin with. Thus, he went along with his instincts. ¡°How you fool around with other women is none of my business, but I care about Carrie like a sister. She¡¯s an innocent and inexperienced girl, so I won¡¯t allow anyone to hurt her.¡± ¡°No, Be, you misunderstood!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Ryan did not know how to exin it. He was so anxious that his ck shirt was soaked with sweat. ¡± She was drugged that night. I just¡­¡± ¡°Did you want to ¡®help¡¯ her?¡± Ryan¡¯s throat was blocked. What Be thought of him became worse. ¡°We were at the Salvadors¡¯ vi at the time. If something happened to Carrie, you could have informed the Salvador family. You didn¡¯t have to sacrifice yourself to ¡®help¡¯ her.¡± Beughed. Her eyes were filled with contempt. ¡°Since you¡¯ve done it, why don¡¯t you even have the courage to admit what you did?¡±. ¡°I¡¯m so wronged in this! She took the initiative to kiss and hug me! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were full of despair, but he could not defend himself in front of Be. Be waved her hand and lost her patience. ¡°Ryan, Carrie is different from us. She¡¯s fragile and pitiful. You are used to being casual with women, so what you think is harmless may havepletely ruined Carrie.¡± Ryan¡¯s body slumped in defeat. He realized that it was useless, no matter how hard he tried to exin himself. That was because Be had alreadybeled him as a scumbag. Although he was indeed a scumbag, he did not want Be to see him that way. Perhaps it was useless to change his old ways. As soon as he turned over a new leaf, Be used him of something despicable. ¡°I still have work to do, so please leave. Also, if you show up at my office without making an appointment again, I will get security to kick you out. Steve, send Mr. Hoffman off!¡± ¡°Be!¡± Ryan was so anxious that he was about to explode. He strode in front of her, hoping to fight for thest chance to love her before she kicked him out. The moment his body approached Be¡¯s, Ryan heard a ¡°swoosh¡±. Be pointed a gorgeous and discreet butterfly knife at the base of his throat Chapter 229 Ryan¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. He did not realize when Be had taken out the knife. Before he could react, the knife was already on his neck. The butterfly knife was infamous for being an insidious and extremely lethal weapon. It was the most dangerous and shy weapon that could be used with a quick twitch of a finger. Be used this thing on Ryan. How cruel! ¡°Stop pestering me, Ryan.¡± Be narrowed her eyes slightly and patted his cheek gently with the sharp de. I won¡¯t choose you even if you were thest man on earth.¡± ¡°But if there are only two men left in the world, who will you choose between me and Justin?¡± Ryan asked in a trembling voice. His heartbeat was still pounding with fear. Be sneered. ¡°I still won¡¯t choose you.¡± Ryan had always been arrogant and dignified. At this moment, his heart and ego instantly shattered into a million pieces. Suddenly, the office door opened. ¡°Be, what are you doing?¡± Asher stood at the door, looking astonished. Be¡¯s eyes narrowed as she put away the butterfly knife. Then she smiled sweetly at her brother.¡± Ash, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you wereing?¡± Her expression changed faster than Ryan could blink. Ryan stood up stiffly, took a deep look at Be, and left with reddened eyes filled with despair. Asher nced at him and could see how defeated this arrogant prince was. Asher frowned and did not know if he shouldugh or cry. In all of Savrow, Be was the only woman who could make Ryan Hoffman look so defeated. ¡°Ash!¡± Be happily threw her arms around Asher¡¯s neck. ¡°How are you? Has your wound healed?¡± ¡°What do you think? I don¡¯t even have to wrap it in gauze anymore.¡± Asher lifted his little sister off the ground and spun her around like when they were children. ¡°It¡¯s just a superficial wound. Your brother is not that weak.¡± Right. Even Wyatt would be shocked if he knew about what Asher used to do. Who would have thought that the kind and gentle man in front of her was actually the boss of the Later, something happened that made Asher resign from his position as the mob boss. He turned over a new leaf and no longer got involved in mob affairs from then on. Instead, Asher turned to God and started to preach morality,pletely drawing a line with his dark past. Even Be could not figure out how a man who had never killed anyone, bullied the weak, smoked, or drank could be a mob boss. Be was convinced that there must be a deep secret under her eldest brother¡¯s gentle smile. ¡°What happened between you and Mr. Hoffman?¡± Asher chuckled helplessly. ¡°Ryan Hoffman is sincere with you, regardless of how he treats others. Even if you don¡¯t want to give him a chance, you shouldn¡¯t p his face with a knife. A man needs dignity. Not to mention, he¡¯s the future heir of the Hoffman family.¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t do this, he would have kept pestering me.¡± Be pinched her nose bridge tiredly. ¡°Men usually like to act cool when chasing gifts, but Ryan is really persistent and shameless. If I hadn¡¯t shown him my knife, he wouldn¡¯t have given up and would have continued to pester me. Anyway, now that I¡¯m back to being Be Thompson, I don¡¯t want to get involved with any of Justin¡¯s friends. I know I¡¯ve gone a bit overboard this time, but I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s better to rip out the Band-Aid.¡± ¡°Sometimes I think it would be great if Anna Brown and Be Thompson could merge into one.¡± Asher sighed lightly. ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s not possible because I¡¯ve killed that persona.¡± Be felt a little tired after talking to Asher for a while, so shey on Asher¡¯sp. Asher smiled slightly. His long and beautiful fingers massaged Be¡¯s temples gently. ¡°Ash, did youe over because you have information?¡± Be closed and rested her eyes with a look of enjoyment on her face. ¡°You¡¯re the smartest among us, so you must have guessed it.¡± ¡°Have you thought of some way to deal with the Salvador family?¡± Be asked in azy voice. ¡°If you¡¯re not bothered to deal with Ms. Gold, I can help you deal with her.¡± Asher always had a smile on his face, so it was difficult to distinguish his real emotions. ¡°No, leave Rosalind to me. I¡¯d regret not dealing with her myself if you did it for me.¡± Be¡¯s eyes narrowed into two lines like a cat¡¯s eyes, filled with a cold glint. Rosalind dared to mess with Be, so Be wanted her to suffer. Chapter 230 Asher¡¯s gentle eyes squinted in a smile as he handed a file to Be. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Be took it with doubt and browsed through the file. Suddenly, she looked revitalized. ¡°Salvador Corporation won the new Baxim project, and Gregory handed it over to Shannon. The project is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dors, with a huge profit. There are a lot of shady dealings involved, and it¡¯s an opportunity to expand one¡¯swork in Savrow. More importantly, Shannon is relying on this project to move up the corporatedder andpete with Justin. Although she was an actress before, she was very ambitious. She relied on Gregory¡¯s favor and wanted to gain control over Salvador Corporation.¡± ¡°Gain control of Salvador Corporation? Haha! How does she even dare to think about it? Isn¡¯t she afraid she won¡¯t be able to swallow it?¡± Be looked at the information with gleaming eyes. ¡°Grandpa has developed Salvador Corporation to where it is today. Even if Justin isn¡¯t capable of leading thepany, it¡¯s not Shannon¡¯s turn to call the shots.¡± ¡°You should study this information tonight. Gregory and Shannon have an appointment with Mayor Solloway at 1:00 p.m. the day after tomorrow. They will be meeting at the Salvadors¡¯ golf course in the western suburbs of Savrow. They are probably going to promote the Baxim project.¡± Asher put his arms around Be¡¯s shoulders, looking like he was entrusted with a heavy responsibility. ¡°Be, it¡¯s up to you to avenge me.¡± ¡°Pft! I know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Be tilted her head and leaned against Asher¡¯s broad shoulders. ¡°You know that I won¡¯t let them get away with what they did to you, so you did the groundwork. That way, I can take my revenge. You¡¯re treating me like a child, handing me freebies!¡± ¡°Be, don¡¯t expose my thoughts like that!¡± Asher pinched her cheek. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Ash, I¡¯m all grown up now. I¡¯m 24 years old and have been married and divorced once.¡± Be turned to look at him seriously. ¡°You guys have sacrificed too much for me. Let me protect you guys from now on, so you can live your carefree lives. I¡¯ll take responsibility over KS Group!¡± * Rosalind, who had been humiliated by Justin during the day, called Shannon when she got home. She cried and poured out her sorrows. ¡°Serves you right!¡± Shannon was so furious that she yelled, ¡°I asked you to hold it in and not to contact Justin while he¡¯s still mad at you. But you didn¡¯t listen to me! Now that he rejected you, who can you me but yourself? It¡¯s your fault! What¡¯s the use of crying now?¡± ¡°But that bitch Be came to the house! Justin brought her back to Tideview Manor!¡± Rosalind burst into tears. ¡°She¡¯s riding over my head. How can I just hold it in?¡± ¡°You have to, even if you can¡¯t. I understood everything Justin said that day. Why didn¡¯t it get through to your thick skull? If you want to be his wife, you have to be smart about it. All you do is get jealous, cry, and make a fuss. You¡¯ve wasted all my hard work grooming you!¡± Shannon said in a sinister voice, ¡°Your goal is to be the wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s president, not y in a romantic drama with Justin! As long as you can achieve your goal, it doesn¡¯t matter even if Be Thompson shits on your head!¡± ¡°But¡­..¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! I will make arrangements for you. Right now, I¡¯m busy securing a spot on the board of directors, so don¡¯t disturb me.¡± After saying that, Shannon hung up. Rosalind copsed on the bed and almost crushed her phone. At this time, she received another call. It was an unknown number. Rosalind wiped away her tears and answered angrily. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Ashley, we haven¡¯t kept in touch for a long time. How are you doing in Savrow?¡± Rosalind heard a man¡¯s yful voice. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Rosalind asked as her face turned as pale as paper. Ashley was the name she used when she was studying in Meridan. After she returned to Justin, Rosalind cut off all her social ties in Meridan. She deleted her social media ounts and changed her email address and phone number, just topletely draw a line with her past. Back then, she used to be a social butterfly who liked to sleep around. Rosalind did not expect this man to find her. ¡°I really miss you, babe. Why don¡¯t youe and meet me? Do you want toe, or should I go over to you?¡± The man had a threatening tone. Rosalind¡¯s cold sweat soaked her silk skirt. She felt as if someone had strangled her neck, making it difficult for her to breathe. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll go see you!¡± Chapter 231 Later that night, Rosalind came to a small and rowdy bar. She wore a low-key ck sports suit and sat in the corner. The women in this bar were all dressed scantily and wore heavy makeup. Rosalind looked so out of ce, like a thief. After some time, Rosalind suddenly felt someone¡¯s warm breath that reeked of alcohol next to her. Rosalind raised her eyes and saw a familiar man sitting close to her. His cologne was extremely pungent. ¡°Ashley, you¡¯re still as beautiful and sexy as before.¡± The man smiled ambiguously at her. Rosalind ducked to the side. She felt goosebumps all over her body. In Meridan, she used to hang out with this man every day because she liked to listen to his sweet talk and touch his strong muscles. At this moment, she just felt disgusted when she saw him again. How desperate was she back then to fall in love with such a scum? Nothing about this man couldpare to Justin. ¡°When did youe here? What are you doing here?¡± Rosalind lowered her voice and asked in a cold voice. ¡°I¡¯m here for you, of course. My home is wherever you are.¡± As he said that, the man smiled sinisterly and leaned toward her. ¡°Remember to wear a skirt when you see me next time¡­¡± Rosalind gritted her teeth. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°I miss you¡­¡± The man smiled and continued, ¡°Give me some money.¡± ¡°I alreadypensated you when we broke up! Why are you still doing this?!¡± Rosalind was so angry that her voice cracked. ¡°Well, I gambled it all away. I know you¡¯re getting married to the president of Salvador Corporation. I saw it on the news. I think if you want your wedding to go smoothly, you¡¯ll agree to my small request, right?¡± The man was ckmailing her. Rosalind felt like a bomb had exploded in her heart. She said bitterly, ¡°So what if you reveal our past to my fianc¨¦? He loves me. He will never care about my past! Everyone has a few ex-boyfriends in this day and age. Don¡¯t even think about threatening me with something like this!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But I don¡¯t think everyone will be able to ept the fact that his fianc¨¦e gave birth to another man¡¯s child out of wedlock, right?¡± The man picked up Rosalind¡¯s wine ss and sipped it slowly. ¡°How dare you mention this?!¡± Rosalind¡¯s scalp tingled when she thought of that baby girl. Her eyes were filled with hatred. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! I wouldn¡¯t have given birth to her if the abortion didn¡¯t affect my fertility!¡± The man bared his teeth and reached out to hug Rosalind¡¯s trembling shoulders. ¡°That child is the product of our love. Her existence proves that we¡¯ve loved each other once. If you didn¡¯t give birth to that child, how could we have the chance to meet again?¡± ¡°How much do you want?¡± Rosalind¡¯s face turned pale, and her tone was cold. ¡°$5 million.¡± The man demanded. ¡°My family is no longer what it used to be. How can I give you so much money?!¡± ¡°You might not have it, but Mr. Salvador does.¡± The man sneered disapprovingly. ¡°$5 million is like $50 to a rich man like him, right? He loves you so much, so he¡¯ll certainly give it to you if you ask.¡± Rosalind¡¯s round eyes were horrifyingly red. Suddenly, she calmed down. She had a sh of inspiration and quickly cooked up a treacherous n. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Rosalind suddenly changed her attitude and leaned her soft body against the man, staring at him pitifully. ¡°To be honest, my marriage to Justin is already in jeopardy. He told me a few days ago that he wanted to break up with me. He no longer wants to marry me.¡¯ ¡°What? Why?!¡± The man seemed more anxious than Rosalind was. After all, he also found out that the Gold family was on the verge of bankruptcy. The reason he could ckmail Rosalind was because Justin was her backer. If she broke up with Justin, then his n toe to Savrow would be for nothing. He would not be able to settle his gambling debt and would not be able to afford the air ticket back to Meridan. Chapter 232 Rosalind¡¯s ex-boyfriend thought to himself, ¡®I won¡¯t risk my life to fight in the underground boxing ring! I must continue to extort Rosalind.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s because Justin moved on and liked someone else¡­¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes turned red as tears streamed down her face. ¡°He doesn¡¯t love me anymore, so what can I do? I can¡¯t afford to pay you anymore because I can¡¯t even afford my own lifestyle. Even if you threaten to kill me, I really have no money to give you.¡± ¡°Then, is there no other way?¡± Rosalind¡¯s ex-boyfriend looked so anxious, as if he was the one who was supposed to marry Justin. ¡°If that woman no longer exists, Justin might just give me a second chance.¡± Rosalind cried until her eyes were swollen, but she had a murderous gaze. ¡°You¡­ You want me to kill her?¡± The man even made a slicing gesture at his neck. ¡°She¡¯s the only obstacle between me and Justin. If she¡¯s gone, Justin will marry me, and I can give you whatever you want.¡± Rosalind¡¯s cold hand touched the man¡¯s cheek and rubbed it gently. Her eyes were alluring and seductive. ¡°When the timees, I can give you however much you want, even $50 million.¡± ¡®$50 million?!¡¯ The man¡¯s eyes were filled with greed and lust. He pinned Rosalind against the wall and said, ¡°Who is that woman? Tell me her name.¡± The next day, at the president¡¯s office of Salvador Corporation, Justin held a cup of cooled ck coffee and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the magnificent view of Savrow¡¯s CBD. There was a chill in his eyes. ¡°This is unreasonable! What on earth is the chairman doing?!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Ian picked up the drafted appointment letter for the deputy chairman of the board of directors with Shannon¡¯s name on it and crumpled it in anger. ¡°Shannon is an actress who relies on men to get her position. What leadership skills does she have? What outstanding contributions does she have? Why should she be the deputy chairman?! If she can be the deputy chairman, then I can walk on water!¡± ¡°Gregory assigned her to work on the Baxim project to pave the way for her to join the board of directors.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were gloomy as he raised his hand to take a sip of coffee. There was a tightness in his chest that made it difficult for him to swallow. ¡°Does the chairman not trust you?¡± Ian was infuriated. ¡°Everyone knows about your eldest brother¡¯s physical health. How can he inherit the family business even if he has to rely on a caregiver? It¡¯s useless, no matter how much the chairman loves him. You¡¯re also his biological son, so why is he hindering you at every step? He supports Shannon just so he can check on you. How can a father be so calcting with his son?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ian.¡± Justin lowered his eyelids and frowned. ¡°I know you¡¯re feeling sorry for me, but don¡¯t talk about this when you leave this room.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, what should we do now?¡± Ian pursed his lips in frustration. ¡°There are some things that I don¡¯t n on revealing so quickly. But since Gregory wants to do this, I have no choice but to retaliate.¡± At this time, his phone vibrated. Justin turned around and saw Ryan on the caller ID. Justin was in a bad mood and did not want to answer the call, but the vibrating phone annoyed him even more. Thus, Justin picked up the phone. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Justin¡­ I¡¯m heartbroken¡­ Can you stay with me tonight?¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was soft and weak. ¡°Get lost.¡± Justin uttered it coldly. Just as he was about to hang up, Ryan shouted anxiously, ¡°Be dumped me! She¡¯s serious this time. She even put a knife on my neck! It¡¯s over¡­ My love¡­ My heart¡­ She¡¯s completely gone¡­¡± Justin heard this and smiled slightly. ¡°Serves you right!¡± Chapter 233 In order to promote the Baxim project, Gregory invited the mayor and his wife to y golf at the western suburbs golf course. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The golf course was a venue for expensive entertainment, so it only had a few customers on a normal day. Today, it seemed like it was closed off for a private event because only the Salvadors and the Solloways were there. Shannon was a bad golfer. Although she was not skilled, she was well-equipped. She looked good in a pure white golf suit and light makeup, Standing next to Bethany, Shannon looked like Bethany¡¯s sister instead of her mother. The reason they brought Bethany there was to introduce Bethany to the mayor and his wife. After all, Bethany was already 25 years old and of marriageable age. Thus, Shannon did not let go of any opportunity to promote Bethany. Even if she knew that her daughter was hung up on Ryan Hoffman, Shannon would not allow Bethany to forgo the entire ocean because of one fish. ¡°Hello, Mayor Solloway and Mrs. Solloway.¡± Bethany bowed gracefully and showed a gentle smile. ¡°Oh, this must be your daughter, right? She looks even more beautiful in person than on TV!¡± Mrs. Solloway looked at Bethany with a smile. Shannon and Bethany¡¯s expressions instantly stiffened. Mrs. Solloway did not mean anything by it, but the Salvadors felt that this was a reference to Bethany¡¯s public apology at a press conferencest time. Although the ¡°apology scandal¡± had lost traction, there were still some memes of Bethany embarrassing herself on the inte with all kinds of sarcasticments. Bethany felt humiliated. The mayor coughed hurriedly and shot a nce at his wife. Only then did Mrs. Solloway react and say with a wry smile, ¡°Haha¡­ Mrs. Salvador, your daughter is beautiful. In my opinion, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to call her the best-looking girl among the elite families in Savrow.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Mrs. Solloway.¡± Shannon hugged Bethany and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t your sone today? I heard that your son is a young talent. He and Bethany are schoolmates.¡± ¡°Oh, my son has to attend to some official business today,¡± Mrs. Solloway replied. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s such a pity. I will make arrangements for our families to meet again then.¡± Shannon was very considerate. ¡°Haha¡­ Sure, when the timees¡­¡± Mrs. Solloway was being perfunctory. She suddenly asked, ¡°By the way, I heard that you have a younger daughter. Why didn¡¯t shee with you?¡± The fake smile on Bethany¡¯s face was about to copse because this implied that Mrs. Solloway did not like her. Bethany thought, ¡®So what if she doesn¡¯t like me? I don¡¯t care about the mayor¡¯s son! But she¡¯s bringing that little bitch to p me in the face!¡¯ Shannon said politely, ¡°My youngest daughter is frail and sick. She usually stays at home on medication. She¡¯s also an introvert who doesn¡¯t like socializing, so she didn¡¯te with us.¡± ¡°Oh, my! What illness did she get at such a young age? Is she alright?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine as long as she¡¯s on medication.¡± Shannon knew what Mrs. Solloway was thinking. Mrs. Solloway did not like Bethany, but she still wanted a marriage alliance with the Salvador family, so she set her sights on Carrie. Shannon thought, ¡®What the hell! Are my daughters vegetables from the market that you can pick and choose as you please?!¡¯ Gregory and Justin had already yed a few games with the mayor. The three of them were chatting and taking a leisurely walk on the turf. ¡°Mayor Solloway, ourpany is able to win the Baxim project thanks to your strong support.¡± Gregory smiled and shook hands with the mayor. ¡°Oh, what are you talking about? This is not the first time that we have cooperated. I have a good project on my hands, so of course, I¡¯ll think about you.¡± The mayor was very friendly with Gregory because they had known each other for more than ten years. ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements tonight. We ought to have a drink to celebrate!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my father-inw¡¯s birthday tonight. So I have to attend no matter what.¡± The mayor smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush to celebrate until we officially sign the contract on Friday. We¡¯ll get properly drunk then!¡± Justin listened to the two chatting andughing with an expressionless face. However, he felt like a huge stone was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He had until Friday to secure the project. Justin had to act fast before the deal was signed. Even if he exposed what Shannon did, Gregory would dismiss it and cover it up to keep his family¡¯s scandal from the public eye. Thus, Justin had to make a fuss that was too big to cover up to kick Shannon out of thepany. At this moment, a golf cart came to a stop in front of them. Chapter 234 ¡°Hello, Mayor Solloway and Chairman Salvador!¡± A clear and sweet voice that sounded like a wind chime floated into Justin¡¯s ears. Justin suddenly opened his eyes and saw Be sitting in the golf cart. His heartstrings trembled, and his blood surged. Even though this woman had just humiliated him yesterday, he did not seem to care about it, as if he had lost his memory of what happened. Everyone was stunned. Bethany could not hold back and shouted, ¡°How did you get in here?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a VIP here, so I came in through the main entrance.¡± Be nced sideways at Bethany and spoke calmly. Bethany¡¯s eyes were on fire. Her cheeks felt a burning pain. After Be beat Bethany up that day, Bethany became traumatized by slippers. Shannon was surprised to see Be. On the other hand, Mrs. Solloway¡¯s eyes widened when she saw this beautiful youngdy. ¡®Where did this highborn girle from? She¡¯s so gorgeous! She¡¯s exactly my ideal future daughter-inw!¡¯ Steven got out of the golf cart first and helped Be off. Be was wearing a light blue golf suit and a white sun hat, which made her look cuter. Her beautiful slender legs were exposed under her short, flowy skirt. She looked bright and youthful.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Unexpectedly, Justin was wearing a polo shirt of the same color, which made it seem like they were wearing matching outfits. Justin¡¯s charming eyes narrowed slightly. That burning desire arose in his heart again. Be was indeed impably beautiful. ¡°What a coincidence to see you here, Ms. Thompson.¡± Gregory was also surprised by Be¡¯s presence, but he still greeted her with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence, Chairman Salvador.¡± Be put her hands behind her back and narrowed her beautiful eyes. ¡°I came here specifically to see Mayor Solloway.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gregory suddenly frowned. Justin¡¯s heart clenched. His stern and strong features were covered in ayer of frost. After several encounters, Justin finally understood Be¡¯s style of doing things. It was most appropriate to describe her as cunning and shrewd. Be would not make an appearance for no reason. Something big was bound to happen when she did. Justin thought, ¡®Could it be¡­?!¡¯ ¡°Mayor Solloway, I heard that you¡¯re in charge of the development of the new Baxim area and that you¡¯re now looking for a suitable developer to cooperate with you.¡± Be smiled. Her beautiful eyes shone with confidence, as if she were bound to win. ¡°I am very interested in this project, so I hope to cooperate with you to build Baxim into a developed township.¡± Everyone was shocked. Gregory and Shannon did not know how to react for a while. Mayor Solloway also looked confused. He turned to look at Gregory and Justin nkly. Justin stared at Be for a moment. His tongue felt dry and bitter, as if he had swallowed a fireball. However, Be did not bother to nce in his direction. ¡°Miss, you are¡­?¡± Mayor Solloway was confused. Be smiled slightly and stretched out her fair and slender hand. ¡°Hello, Mayor Solloway. My name is Be Thompson.¡± Mayor Solloway had a somewhat contemptuous expression when he heard this unfamiliar name. However, Be added, ¡°My father is Wyatt Thompson, the Chairman of KS Group from Hatchbay.¡± Chapter 235 These few words were like lightning that struck Mayor Solloway and his wife. ¡®She is the richest man in Hatchbay, Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter?¡¯ ¡°Are you really Chairman Thompson¡¯s daughter?!¡± Mayor Solloway was surprised and kept looking at Be. Steven coughed lightly and thought, ¡®Wow, most people show off their wealth with jewelry, but Ms. Be uses her father.¡¯ ¡°Yes. You can ask the Salvadors to confirm this.¡± Be smiled brighter. ¡°I¡¯ve had some dealings with Salvador Corporation, so they can verify my identity.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened as he stared at her. Be did not even want to mention that they were ¡°familiar ¡± with each other, as if they were mere business rivals. ¡°Chairman Salvador, Justin, you¡¯re acquainted with Ms. Thompson?¡± Mayor Solloway dabbled in politics, so when he heard that Be was Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter, his tone became more earnest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t recognize you. Then he immediately shook hands with Be. ¡°Mayor Solloway, am I qualified to discuss this project with you in my current capacity?¡± Be still had a smile on her face, but she had an oppressive gaze. Mayor Solloway was stunned. He felt that, although Be was young, she was just as powerful as Wyatt. Thus, he dared not look down on her. Justin took a deep breath and secretly clenched his fists. ¡°This woman is now taking advantage of the fact that she is Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter so that she can act recklessly, huh? Does she think that business is child¡¯s y and she can just step in anytime she pleases?¡¯ ¡°Ms. Thompson, we are very happy to see you here. But Mayor Solloway and I have to talk about something important today. This information is not something an outsider like you is privy to. You can¡¯t participate in it either, so will you please give us some privacy?¡± Gregory maintained a kind smile on his face, but his eyes were cold and hostile. Bethany was furious. She wanted to step forward, but Shannon grabbed her. Shannon thought, ¡®Be is overestimating herself. My husband will get rid of her without needing me to step in.¡¯ ¡°Mr. Salvador, I know that you want to talk about business. If it weren¡¯t for the Baxim project, I wouldn¡¯t be here either.¡± Be raised her eyebrows without changing her expression. ¡°Also, why can¡¯t I participate? In terms of resources and financial strength, KS Group is not at all inferior to Salvador Corporation. We can handle any projects that you can, too. It¡¯s always better to have more choices. Don¡¯t you think that Mayor Solloway deserves to have another option?¡± Mayor Solloway was startled. ¡°This girl came prepared!¡¯ Gregory and Shannon looked gloomy at the moment. ¡°Ms. Thompson.¡± Justin, who had been silent all this time, took two steps forward and towered over Be. ¡°Salvador Corporation has already reached a consensus with Mayor Solloway. We have discussed all aspects of the project and met the standards for Baxim¡¯s development. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re viting the rules of the business and causing unnecessary trouble if you step in to steal our project at this time?¡± Be raised her beautiful face and blinked her bright eyes with a smile. ¡°Steal your project? You¡¯re right. That is exactly what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°Be!¡± Justin¡¯s pupils shrank, and his teeth clenched. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m viting the rules or causing unnecessary trouble.¡± Be took a step back, away from the shadow he cast over her, and distanced herself from him. ¡°The rules are always made by the winners. If you have already signed the contract, then I am indeed making unnecessary trouble. But right now, you haven¡¯t signed a contract with Mayor Solloway, so who makes the rules this time is still up in the air.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Justin narrowed his eyes. He was rendered speechless. Be was right. Before signing the contract, everything was subject to change. Over the years, Justin believed in this unspoken rule and had destroyed countless opponents in the market without fail. However, he never imagined that he would be the one encountering such a hurdle this time. His opponent was also his ex-wife. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I don¡¯t think Mayor Solloway will cooperate with you.¡± Shannon could not stand Be¡¯s arrogant attitude and said with a smile, ¡°Mayor Solloway and our family have been friends for many years. We have always maintained a good cooperative rtionship as well, so this isn¡¯t something that can be easily overridden by most people.¡± Chapter 236 Shannon said, ¡°Ms. Thompson, you said you wanted to discuss a coboration, but you just rushed over alone without an appointment. You disregarded formalities just to meet Mayor Solloway. This is too much. It¡¯s insincere and rude.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Bethany muttered. ¡°Oh, I know I came unannounced, but I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m afraid if Ie anyter, it¡¯ll be a step toote for Mayor Solloway, and he may regret his decision.¡± Be let out a long, helpless sigh. ¡°Regret? What do you mean by that?¡± Shannon asked sternly. Be ignored herpletely and only spoke to the mayor. ¡°Mayor Solloway, are you really not considering coborating with KS Group? Is it because I am a woman and, therefore, you think I have no power or status within the corporation? My visit today is at the behest of my older brother, Asher, who is the CEO of KS Group. He has left this matter of importance entirely to me. If you don¡¯t believe it, I can immediately arrange for him to meet with you.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you. It¡¯s just that Gregory and I have known each other for a long time. We have worked together many times before, so it¡¯s easy to trust Salvador Corporation. Besides, this project is in Savrow, and Salvador Corporation is a well- known conglomerate here, so¡­¡± Mayor Solloway tried to reject Be politely. ¡°We will cooperate another time.¡± At this moment, a look of pride appeared on Gregory and Shannon¡¯s faces. It wasughable that this immature and inexperienced girl brazenly came over to discuss coboration and tried to snatch Salvador Corporation¡¯s project. ¡°Alright¡­ I know having a pre-established rtionship puts you in an awkward position. I dare not speak of other things, but if I may add, by cooperating with KS Group, one thing is for sure.¡± Be smiled deviously and added, ¡°You won¡¯t regret it.¡± Suddenly, Justin felt his heart tremble. This expression, this tone, this look-Justin knew that she was going to cause trouble! ¡°Ms. Thompson, what do you mean by this? Why does it sound like you are insinuating that it¡¯s trouble or bad luck to cooperate with Salvador Corporation?¡± Shannon scowled. ¡°Steven, what time is it?¡± Be asked confusedly. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s 3:00 p.m.,¡± Steven replied. ¡°Well, take out your phone. Please show Mayor Solloway the three o¡¯clock news.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Steven took out his mobile and yed the broadcast aloud. ¡°Wee to the ¡®Three O¡¯clock News¡¯. In today¡¯s headline, Zephyr Quarry, deputy general manager of Salvador Corporation, was prosecuted by the Public Prosecutor¡¯s Office of Savrow at 1:00 pm today on suspicion of bribery. The reason he was taken away was that he was involved in W Group¡¯s IT equipment bidding and illegal bidding operations for Salvador Corporation¡¯s projects, thereby seeking improper benefits. It is understood that Zephyr Quarry is the cousin of Shannon Quarry, wife of the Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman. Zephyr Quarry has cooperated with Shannon Quarry on many projects before. The prosecutors are still investigating how many people are involved in this case. Our news channel will continue to pay close attention to further developments of this case¡­ Gregory¡¯s face turned pale with shock while Shannon staggered in her steps. Her eyes turned dark. ¡°Mom! What the hell is going on?! Why is your cousin suddenly arrested?!¡± Bethany spoke in a panic. Justin stared at Be¡¯s leisurely face and raised his eyebrows. Shannon¡¯s cousin was taken away two hours ago, but the news has not leaked until now. Come to think of it, Be¡¯s second brother, Axel the prosecutor, must have contributed a lot to keeping this under wraps. ¡°Shannon¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Gregory questioned Shannon in a low voice and with a look of shock. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know! I really have no idea. Mayor Solloway, Mrs. Solloway, there must be a misunderstanding! This is all fake news! You can¡¯t believe it!¡± Shannon did not expect this incident to blow up so quickly and was left with no other choice but to resort to crocodile tears and innocent cries to overshadow the incident. However, Mayor Solloway¡¯s and his wife¡¯s expressions turned gloomy. Mrs. Solloway said sternly, ¡°Mrs. Salvador, is it true that Zephyr is your cousin? The news also said that you were also involved in his previous projects involving bribery. Is that true?¡± ¡°But¡­ I really don¡¯t know anything!¡± Apart from pretending to be confused, Shannon was at her wit¡¯s end. Just then, there was amotion on the golf course. A group of men with badges on their chests and suits walked up to them in a hurry. They were from the prosecutor¡¯s office. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Ms. Shannon, your cousin is suspected of multiplemercial crimes. Pleasee back with us to assist in the investigation.¡± Chapter 237 Shannon was flustered. From when Zephyr was arrested, to Salvador Corporation¡¯s negative coverage on the news, to when the prosecutors took Shannon away, this series of events left the Salvadors with no time to react. ¡°Why? Why are you arresting me? What evidence do you have?!¡± Shannon was so stunned that the nobleposure she had worked so hard to maintain suddenly fell apart. Even Bethany looked pale and petrified. She could only watch silently as her mother was taken away. ¡°Greg! Help me! You must save me!¡± Shannon stretched her neck and shouted at Gregory, tears spilling on the green grass below. Gregory was so anxious that his face turned red. He wanted to stop them, but he also did not want to lose hisposure as a chairman in public. Thus, he could only disce his anger on Be. ¡°Ms. Thompson! What is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Chairman Salvador, what are you yelling at me for? The people who took your wife away are from the prosecutor¡¯s office.¡± Be smiled back innocently. ¡°How did you know what would be broadcasted on the three o¡¯clock news today? Why did you dare make insinuations from all the nonsense you spoke of earlier? Aren¡¯t you the one who created all this?¡± ¡°KS Group is arge conglomerate. We have eyes and ears everywhere. If the media knew about this matter, why wouldn¡¯t mypany receive this news? Chairman Salvador, you are thinking too much.¡± Be¡¯s eyes shed with contempt. Gregory became so angry that his eyelids twitched. ¡°Ms. Thompson, just because your marriage to Justin ended in a divorce, you don¡¯t have to take revenge on our family. No one is to me for this! You two just aren¡¯t fated to be together!¡± Mayor Solloway and his wife looked dumbfounded. The Thompsons and the Salvadors actually had a marriage alliance? When did this happen? This seemed unbelievable. ¡°Because you are still harboring resentment from the divorce, you took your anger out on Salvador Corporation and plotted against them. Don¡¯t you think you are being petty and unscrupulous?¡± These words were really unpleasant to hear. Even Steven felt a stab in his chest. Just as Steven was about to defend Be, Justin took a step forward. Justin stood tall in front of Be and confronted his father with a cold re. ¡°Chairman Salvador, I know you¡¯re really angry right now, but you can¡¯t just me all this on Ms. Thompson without any evidence.¡± ¡°Justin! You are actually defending her?¡± Gregory¡¯s anger rose. His eyes were bloodshot. ¡°You are both divorced now. Not only is she irresponsible and shameful, she has now betrayed our family. Why are you protecting such a woman?¡± Justin frowned slightly. He then turned around to look at Be. There was depth in his gaze, but it was hard to read his emotion. Be¡¯s eyes met his deep gaze. Then she turned away in disgust and curled her lips into a sneer. Sure enough, this refined and self-serving man always sided with his family. After all, Gregory¡¯s blood was flowing through Justin¡¯s body. He was no different from his father. They were both idiots who were deceived by women. ¡°I believe she didn¡¯t do this.¡± Justin looked at her as he said it. Be was stunned and slowly turned to look at him. At this moment, he turned back and said, Even if we are divorced, I will stand by her side as long as she is wrongly used.¡± Justin smiled and added sternly, ¡°Even if we hadn¡¯t gotten divorced, it wouldn¡¯t be your ce to teach my wife a lesson.¡± Be rolled her eyes. She pursed her red lips and plugged her ears. What nonsense! No one should even be listening to this. Gregory was furious. His head buzzed, and his blood pressure rose. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. If there were no outsiders present, he would have definitely rushed up and pped his traitorous son in the face. Seeing Justin and Gregory quarreling like this, Be felt an inexplicable warmth within her, so she did not bother to continue arguing with Gregory. Anyway, she had achieved her goal. There was only one thing left. ¡°I reckon you will both be very busy today, so I won¡¯t bother you any longer and will take my leave.¡± Be and Steven turned around and walked toward the golf cart. ¡°Ms. Thompson! Ms. Thompson! Please wait for a moment!¡± (( Mayor Solloway wiped his sweat and hurriedly caught up to her. ¡°I think we should have an in- depth discussion about Baxim!¡± ¡°I think we should have a chat too.¡± Be smiled slightly, but her attitude was obviously that of someone with the upper hand. ¡°I will arrange to meet with you in the next two days. Please wait for the arrangements.¡± ¡°I will most certainly wait for you. You¡¯re wee anytime!¡± Mayor Solloway was so enthusiastic that he almost seemed like apletely different person. ¡°Ms. Thompson, if you don¡¯t mind, can I bring my son with me? It would be an honor if my son could meet someone like you.¡± Mrs. Solloway was all smiles as she tried to get to know Be. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be acquainted with the daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay? Justin suddenly felt suffocated. His expression turned as dark as a total sr eclipse. He thought, ¡®This woman should be hidden away somewhere and be well taken care of. As soon as she is out in public, she attracts too much unnecessary attention because of her beauty!¡¯ Chapter 238 ¡°Mrs. Solloway, I appreciate your kindness.¡± Be smiled and said, ¡°But I am a divorcee, my current status is a little awkward. Besides, I have no ns to be married for a while, so I¡¯d better not string along your son.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? What¡¯s wrong with a divorcee? Even if you¡¯re divorced, you are still a thousand times better than other youngdies out there who only have a superficial appearance!¡± After hearing this, Bethany¡¯s cheeks flushed. She gritted her teeth angrily and resented Be. Be was like the bright sun in the sky. With her presence, everything else was overshadowed. The golf cart left, and Be managed to escape sessfully whilst leaving a huge mess for the Salvadors to clean. ¡°Chairman Salvador, I think it¡¯s better to forget about the cooperation on the Baxim project this time. We will cooperate with you on future projects if there is a suitable one.¡± Mayor Solloway and his wife left in a hurry. If something went wrong with any of the projects he was overseeing, he would be in serious trouble. Just as Gregory was in a state of shock, he discovered that Justin had disappeared entirely too. Be changed out of her youthful and beautiful golf attire in the locker room and turned back into a noble and morous youngdy. She flipped her ck hair and strutted out of the locker room with her high heels. As soon as she turned the corner, she ran into a towering figure that sent chills up her spine. Be felt her heart flutter slightly as she calmly looked up to meet Justin¡¯s cold gaze, without showing any fear. ¡°Mr. Salvador, when did you get into the habit of squatting around women¡¯s locker rooms?¡± ¡°Be, I will not give you the Baxim project.¡± Justin felt a lump in his throat as he stared at her soft and alluring lips, which aroused a secret desire in his heart. ¡°This project belongs to the Salvador family. I won¡¯t let you interfere with it.¡± ¡°Well, but what can you do? Salvador Corporation¡¯s negative reputation is the talk of the town. Because of the Quarrys¡¯ case, the prosecutor will definitely start investigating Salvador Corporation. You can¡¯t sign a contract during the investigation, right? Even if you want to keep this project, there is nothing you can do about it.¡± Be smiled contemptuously. ¡°Be, you keep saying that we have nothing to do with each other after the divorce, but what are you doing now?¡± Justin suddenly turned around and put his long arms on the wall, directly trapping Be under his heaving chest. ¡°Are you only satisfied and happy if you keep fighting me? Do you just want to defeat me? Is this how you want to vent your grievances?¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you think too.¡± Be¡¯s red lips curled up, and the cold light from her eyes made his heart flutter. ¡°Since you think so, why did you pretend to be a good person and defend me earlier? Don¡¯t you know that this sanctimonious appearance of yours is disgusting?¡± ¡®Disgusting?¡¯ Justin gritted his teeth. He felt the anger swelling inside him, but he could not control it. In addition to anger, there was also frustration. No matter what he did, this woman¡¯s razor-sharp words never failed to stab him in the heart. ¡°Be, don¡¯t force me to retaliate.¡± Justin held her gaze and closed in on her charming and beautiful face. ¡°Don¡¯t think for a second that just because we have been married for three years, I will show mercy to you when ites to business. I will treat you the same as everyone else!¡± Be blinked and did not seem flustered at all. Instead, she was a little excited. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Salvador. If I make a move, you should too. Otherwise, this game of chess will be boring. Oh! By the way, let me tell you a secret. She tiptoed up to his ear and chuckled. }} Justin was filled with resentment and anger, but the moment he heard her chuckle, his cheeks and ears flushed, making it difficult to shake off the heat. ¡°I submitted the evidence of Zephyr¡¯s crime to the prosecutor. I also released the information to the media. To be honest, you should actually thank me. This way, your arrogant stepmother¡¯s attempt to join the board of directors will be in vain.¡± Justin¡¯s mind was spinning. He felt like his heart had been stabbed by a dull knife. ¡°Business is like a battlefield, Mr. Salvador. If you don¡¯t put your best foot forward, you will lose miserably. To show you the same respect, the next time I take action, I assure you, it will definitely be even more ruthless than this time.¡± As soon as Be stopped speaking, she also stopped smiling. She pushed him away and turned to walk away victoriously, leaving behind a dumbfounded Justin.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Justin stood there as his eyes turned red. He felt suffocated. Chapter 239 In just a few hours, negative news about the Salvador Corporation spread rapidly, quickly upying the top spot in the trending news. Shannon¡¯s humiliating arrest from the golf course was also posted online, and it spread like wildfire. Arge conglomerate like the Salvador Corporation could put pressure on the media andpletely suppress the news. However, Be took action first. By the time the Salvadors reacted, it was already toote. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Even if they put pressure on the media, it would be useless. The major shareholder behind the ¡°Three O¡¯Clock News Channel¡± was KS Group. Thus, they could broadcast the news of Shannon¡¯s arrest 24 hours a day, as long as Be wanted them to. Some talentedizens made some memes of Shannon and Bethany¡¯s embarrassing moments and posted them online for everyone to download. Their actions were edited and merged into a zumba dance. To calm public opinion, Gregory was busy trying to bail Shannon out. Be won the first battle and returned to the KS World Hotel happily. She had a luxurious afternoon tea and sat in the office ying games while video-calling Asher to report on her achievements that day. ¡°I have already booked a VIP room in our hotel¡¯s restaurant. Let¡¯s meet with Mayor Solloway the day after tomorrow and aim to nail down the Baxim project within this week!¡± Be was in great spirits, enjoying her time shing people in the game. ¡°Axel is interrogating Shannon. Although your second brother is usually a jokester, he¡¯s quite serious when ites to work. He won¡¯t let Shannon go without getting some valuable clues from her.¡± In the video call, Asher was sitting in the CEO¡¯s office. He was wearing a suit and leather shoes, looking meticulous. Although he had a warm smile, he looked naturally intimidating. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s useless. Shannon will still be released in the end.¡± Be was confident. ¡°Do you want her to be released?¡± Asher¡¯s tone was doubtful. ¡°So what if I don¡¯t want to? We may not be able to prove her crimes.¡± Be narrowed her cunning eyes. Her character in the game raised a bloody chainsaw and shed a zombie. ¡°Shannon hase to this point not only because Gregory favors her but also because of her smarts and cunning. She and her cousin, Zephyr, colluded to fill their own pockets. Zephyr was her scapegoat, while she hid in the dark and gave orders, reaping the benefits without getting her hands dirty. She¡¯s really good at nning.¡± Asher nodded thoughtfully. ¡°What you said makes sense. What a pity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a pity.¡± Be curled her red lips and smiled beautifully. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as we make a profit. Besides, I never nned to beat Shannon to death with one move. What I want is for her to lose her position as the deputy chairman of the board of directors and lose Gregory¡¯s trust. I want Gregory to think that Salvador Corporation lost this project because of Shannon, causing them to suffer huge losses.¡± This would be a thorn between Shannon and Gregory. Defeating the enemy was pleasurable. Since Be could not defeat Shannon with one blow, she wanted to make Shannon feel despair. In the future, Shannon would probably be as bored sitting in the office as she would be in jail. ¡°Be, do you know what I want to do most right now?¡± Asher leaned forward and asked with a smile. ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°I want to retire immediately to make room for you.¡± Asher sighed and pped his hands. ¡°There is really no one more suitable to be the CEO of KS Group than you.¡± At the mention of this, Be pulled a long face. The list of blind dates was like a mountain weighing on her head. She felt that even if she died, Wyatt would bury this list with her. At this time, Be received a call from Amelia. Be picked up the phone and said with joy, ¡°Ash, let¡¯s talkter. Amelia is calling me.¡± ¡°Okay, since Amelia has returned to Savrow, you can meet her more often and take care of her.¡± Asher gently reminded Be. ¡°Yes, I know. She¡¯s the baby of the family, so who else can I give my love to?¡± In fact, Be felt a little guilty about Amelia. Logically speaking, as the youngest child, Amelia should be cared for and loved more than Be was at home. However, the fact was that Be¡¯s charisma had made her Wyatt¡¯s favorite child since the day she was born. She was also the apple of his eye, and everyone pampered her. Be took away too much of the love that should have belonged to Amelia. Although she did. not mean to do it, she still felt sorry for Amelia. Thus, Be always wanted topensate Amelia by caring about her as much as possible. Chapter 240 Amelia would only share good news and keep her troubles to herself. Thus, Be did not know how she could help her. ¡°Amelia, are you back in Savrow?¡± Be asked with a smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m already at school.¡± Amelia paused and asked shyly, ¡°Um¡­ Be, are you busy today? Do you have ns tonight?¡± ¡°Do you want to hang out with me?¡± Be saw through her mind. ¡°Yeah!¡± Amelia said, ¡°We haven¡¯t spent much time together since you returned home. If you¡¯re free tonight, can I treat you to a meal?¡± ¡°Just a meal? Don¡¯t you want to go for a drink?¡± Be raised her eyebrows. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go for karaoke! We haven¡¯t sung a duet in such a long time. I wonder if you can still sing,¡± Amelia said in a teasing tone. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m a natural-born singer! Even Mariah Carey can¡¯tpare to me!¡± Be cleared her throat and continued, ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll just have to show you my skills!¡± A high-level meeting in the Salvador Corporation ended. Gregory issued three important orders. The first one was to eliminate the negative impact that the Quarries had on thepany as soon as possible, control public opinion, restore thepany¡¯s image, and prevent the stocks from plummeting. The second order was to remove Zephyr Quarry from all duties within thepany. All personnel rted to him must be thoroughly investigated and vetted. The third order was to put Shannon¡¯s appointment as the deputy chairman of the board of directors on hold for the time being. Further arrangements would be made after the case was fully investigated. After the meeting, all the senior executives left the meeting room with sighs, feeling pressured. ¡°Justin, stay back. I have something to tell you.¡± Gregory stopped Justin with a solemn look. Justin, who had already reached the door, turned around with an expressionless face and sat down gracefully. The father and son each sat at each end of the conference table. The air around them seemed cold. ¡°As the president of thepany, how do you n to handle this matter?¡± Gregory cleared his throat and asked sternly. ¡°By the book¡± Justin lowered his eyelids and showed no emotion. His thin lips parted slightly. ¡°Aunt Shannon is being investigated now, so she can only confess to everything she knows and cooperate with the investigation. There is no other way to solve this.¡± ¡°I will find a way to deal with Shannon¡¯s predicament.¡± Gregory¡¯s chest was tight and stuffy. He felt his throat burning, and his voice became hoarse. ¡°Do you think you can help her?¡± Justin¡¯s face was dark and still, and his eyes were bottomless. ¡°I have already found out that the prosecutor who is handling Zephyr¡¯s case is Axel Thompson.¡± ¡°Axel Thompson?¡± ¡°Wyatt Thompson¡¯s second son and Be¡¯s second brother.¡± Gregory gasped. His eyes trembled. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°From the very beginning, Be has nned every step forward. But this is also because the Quarrys gave her this opportunity. Now that things havee to this point, I think that as the chairman of Salvador Corporation, you should look at the bigger picture. The more pressing matter is to think about how to deal with the plummeting stocks when the market opens tomorrow morning.¡± Justin did not want to talk about Shannon anymore. He moved his body slightly, indicating that he wanted to end the conversation. ¡°Wait!¡± Gregory leaned forward. His eyes were zing. ¡°I remember that you had close contact with Dr. Faraday from Inalia. If we can hire Dr. Faraday as the technical consultant for Salvador Biotech at this time and get his patent, it will be a huge gain for us. That will save our stocks! Contact Faraday immediately and try to bring him to Savrow within this week to discuss cooperation in detail.¡± Justin frowned and said lightly, ¡°Okay.¡± Gregory breathed a sigh of relief. At least Justin was not entirely useless. ¡°But I have a condition.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to be Salvador Corporation¡¯s deputy chairman.¡± Justin narrowed his starry eyes and smiled faintly. Chapter 241 ¡°Justin! You¡¯re taking advantage of the situation!¡± Gregory looked shocked as he mmed the table and stood up. ¡°We have to settle the score, Dad. Isn¡¯t this what you taught me since I was a child?¡± Justin looked calm and leaned back in his chair slowly. ¡°You are so greedy! You already have a fair share. I even let you be president, which should have belonged to your eldest brother. Yet here you are asking to be the deputy chairman of the board! Why don¡¯t you just ask me to step down as chairman?!¡± Gregory scolded angrily. Justin curled his thin lips into a faint sneer. His dark eyes were unreadable. ¡°Think about it carefully. Do I get more from you, or do you get more from me? Since I was a child, you have put a price on everything that I got. You clearly know why I am the president of Salvador Corporation, so why do you paint me as a ruthless invader? We¡¯re alone here. Don¡¯t you feel tired from acting?¡± Gregory¡¯s face turned red. He was rendered speechless. ¡°The position of deputy chairman in exchange for Salvador Corporation surviving a serious business crisis smoothly. You can decide what¡¯s best.¡± Justin stood up and walked to the door. Suddenly, Justin stopped and added, ¡°Of course, you can also continue to support Shannon against all objections. That is, if you don¡¯t feel embarrassed.¡± Justin clenched his fists and went back to the office, mming his door shut. He felt relieved of a burden. He took a deep breath, stretched out his hand, and tugged at his restraining Windsor knot.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. It had been a long time since Justin felt this happy. When Justin saw how Gregory worked hard and racked his brains for Shannon yet was still unable to do anything about the situation, Justin just felt so rejuvenated and thrilled. However, Justin had to admit that he could only achieve the current results with Be¡¯s help. Originally, Justin only wanted to stop Shannon from bing the deputy chairman of the board. He did not expect to make such a big fuss because it would affect Salvador Corporation¡¯s stock price and affect everyone. Thus, he could not take the risk. However, Be had always liked to use earth-shattering means. She probably did not expect that such a move would have the miraculous effect of not only suppressing Shannon, but also giving Justin the opportunity to bargain with Gregory. Thuspletely eliminating Shannon¡¯s idea of checking on Justin in the Justin should have thanked Be. However, when Justin thought of Be¡¯s harsh words that hurt his self-esteem and her cold and heartless attitude, his eyes darkened. ¡°Thank her? Why should I? That woman¡¯s original intention was to snatch my project. Since she seeded in stealing my project, consider us even now.¡¯ At this time, his phone vibrated. Justin took it out, looked at it, frowned slightly, and answered, ¡°What do ¡°Justin,e and hang out with me tonight¡­¡± you want?¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was hoarse and weak. He sounded like a resentful wife who had been abandoned.¡± I have purchased three global limited-edition sports cars, found four female celebrities to drink with me at the bar, and opened expensive bottles of champagne to drink until dawn. But my mind is so chaotic right now. Why can¡¯t I relieve this tightness in my chest? Is this what it feels like to be heartbroken? It hurts so much!¡± ¡°It may not be a broken heart, but it could be angina. I suggest you go to the hospital and get it checked out. Stop bothering me.¡± Justin was frustrated. Just as he was about to hang up, Ryan said anxiously, ¡°Why don¡¯t we celebrate your stepmother¡¯s arrest with a drink then?¡± Justin pursed his lower lip and said, ¡°Fine. Give me a time and ce.¡± At 6:00 p.m., a Rolls-Royce parked at the back door of the Savrow Film Academy. Even though it was low-key enough, it still attracted the attention of many students. Chapter 242 ¡°Miss, I heard that there is a cafe in Savrow Film Academy that makes really good coffee. Let me buy you and Ms. Amelia a cup of coffee.¡± Steven suggested with a smile. ¡°Okay, you can go and pick Amelia up on the way.¡± Be kept her eyes on the proposal in her hand. ¡°I called her just now, but she didn¡¯t answer. Why don¡¯t you go in and call her againter? She doesn¡¯t know that we are waiting for her at the back door.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Steven got out of the car and walked into the school gate. As soon as his tall and handsome figure in a neat suit appeared on the school campus, he attracted the excited and eager eyes of many students around him. Steven walked into the cafe and ordered two cups of coffee. The waitress was focused on him the whole time.. At this moment, two female students who were fashionably dressed and wearing big brands walked in. ¡°Hey, have you heard that Amelia Thompson is the female lead for the acting department¡¯s graduation stage y?¡± Hearing Amelia¡¯s name, Steven narrowed his Steven narrowed his eyes and listened attentively. ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s her again? Amelia must have gotten the role by going through the back door and doing something disgraceful with the professor.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so too. I just saw her in the garden chatting with one of the popr boys in school. Tsk tsk! She¡¯s such a slut!¡± Suddenly, the two gossiping women screamed like chickens, scaring the waitress so much that the color drained from her face. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Without saying a word, Steven sshed the coffee he was holding at them. ¡°Are you crazy?! Why did you ssh us?!¡± The girls¡¯ makeup was smeared, and half of their false eyshes fell off. ¡°ording to Article 246 of the Criminal Law, the intentional fabrication and dissemination of fictitious facts that are enough to demean the character and damage the reputation of others is punishable by law with imprisonment of not more than three years. Steven¡¯s eyes were gloomy as he said in a low voice, ¡°You should be d that I don¡¯t hit women. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able to walk out of here in one piece.¡± One of the girls was trembling with fear, but the other girl argued angrily. ¡°Are you Amelia¡¯s boyfriend? Hmph! Instead of venting your anger on us, why don¡¯t you go and see the situation yourself?! We only said that because we saw what happened!¡± The garden was at the back of the teaching building. Amelia was stopped by one of the popr boys in school, Ethan Zaffino. ¡°Ethan, I have told you many times that I don¡¯t like you, so I won¡¯t ept your pursuit.¡± Amelia looked at the man in front of her coldly and said, ¡°I have an appointment with someone, so I need to get going.¡± ¡°Amelia, do you think I¡¯m not serious about pursuing you?¡± Ethan raised his eyebrows. Regardless of Amelia¡¯s rejection, Ethan took out a red box from his bag and opened it in front of her. Inside was a diamond-encrusted Cartier women¡¯s watch. ¡°This is a gift I specially picked for you. Keep it. As long as you are my girlfriend, I can satisfy you with sports cars, Herm¨¨s bags, or vis¡­¡± As he spoke, he smiled devilishly and licked his lips. ¡°I can satisfy your material needs as well as some other needs that you may have.¡± Although Amelia was innocent, she heard the double entendre. Her whole body shook with anger. Then she raised her hand and knocked over the box. Amelia did not even take a look at that expensive watch before it dropped into the mud. Ethan was a pampered child who had never been rejected before. Thus, he had never been humiliated like that. The veins in his neck bulged as he grabbed her wrist. ¡°Amelia! How dare you ruin the things I gave you? Do you think you¡¯re so noble? Why are you ying hard to get with me?¡± ¡°Let go of me, Ethan!¡± Amelia was flustered as she tried to struggle free. ¡°Haha¡­ I know you¡¯re ying hard-to-get, right? I¡¯ve seen too many women like you who are from poor families wanting to move up the socialdder by using their good looks.¡± Ethan¡¯s other hand was already restlessly touching her waist as he smiled greedily. ¡°You don¡¯t want to have a bleak future before graduation, right? As long as you are my girlfriend, you will get to pick and choose any resources you want when you enter the entertainment industry.¡± Chapter 243 Ethan said, ¡®Isn¡¯t this what you want? Being a prude doesn¡¯t suit you at all.¡± As he said that, he suddenly pinned Amelia¡¯s slender body against the tree trunk and tried to kiss her. ¡°No! Stop!¡± Amelia closed her eyes in horror as tears of humiliation leaked out of her eyes. ¡°Ah-!¡± A loud scream pierced through the air. Amelia slowly opened her tearful eyes. Through her blurred vision, she could see a tall and slender figure throwing Ethan over his shoulder with such agility. Ethan fell heavily to the ground with a thud. This was not enough for Steven, who grabbed Ethan by the cor again and punched him in the head repeatedly. ¡°Stop¡­ Stop fighting!¡± Amelia was afraid that Steven would kill Ethan, so she hurriedly stepped forward and hugged the angry Steven to stop him. ¡°How dare you hit me?! Do you know who I am?!¡± Ethan spat out some blood. He was beaten to a pulp, but he still yelled, ¡°My dad is Kane Zaffino, the chairman of Zaffino Corporation! Why don¡¯t you tell me who you are? I will make my dad avenge me!¡± ¡°My name is Steven Lovett, from Hatchbay.¡± Steven¡¯s voice was low and trembling with anger. He took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around Amelia¡¯s quivering body. She looked like a frightened bird, which made Steven¡¯s heart ache. Thus, he could not help but pull her into his arms. Amelia was enveloped by the body warmth of her crush, so her heart pounded with This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. excitement. She leaned softly against his chest. With Steven¡¯s hug, Amelia felt like everything was better. ¡°You bastard, listen clearly. Amelia is not someone you can bully. If you dare touch her again, even your father can¡¯t protect you.¡± Ethan quickly fled the scene. Amelia went to the bathroom to tidy up. When she came out, Steven was leaning against the wall, waiting for her with worried eyes. ¡°Steven¡­¡± Steven returned to his senses and smiled gently. ¡°Ms. Amelia.¡± He was once again polite and distant with her. Amelia lowered her long eyshes and felt sad. She pursed her lips and walked up to him, returning his suit jacket that was too big for her. ¡°Thank you, Steven. Here you go¡­¡¯ ¡°Ms. Amelia, what happened today is not a trivial matter. I will tell Ms. Be the truthter and let her decide how to proceed.¡± Steven looked serious. He clenched his jaw. ¡°No! Please, Steven! Please don¡¯t tell my sister!¡± Amelia¡¯s clear eyes were full of panic. She suddenly grabbed his arm and said, ¡°If my sister stands up for me, it¡¯ll just be a big deal, and things will get out of hand! It¡¯ll cause trouble for Be and worry my parents.¡± ¡°But that scum harassed you! Are you just going to put up with it?!¡± Steven was furious. His eyes were still slightly red. ¡°You¡¯ve taught him a lesson, so he won¡¯t bully me again.¡± Although Amelia was frightened, she was more afraid that her family would worry about her. Thus, she wanted to avoid the trouble. ¡°I¡¯m graduating soon, so I won¡¯t see him again. What else can he do to me? Besides, I¡¯m a Thompson.¡± Steven felt a lump in his throat. Just when he was about to say something, Amelia lowered her eyshes sadly. Her heart clenched as she said, ¡°Steven, I have my reasons for doing this. Please don¡¯t pursue this further.¡± Chapter 244 Ryan made an appointment with Justin to meet at a newly opened luxury karaoke bar in Savrow. In the VVIP private room, Ryan ordered a table full of expensive wine. He held a bottle in his hand and belted out ¡°I Will Always Love You¡± by Whitney Houston at the top of his lungs,pletely butchering the song. Justin sat on the dark red velvet sofa, holding the rim of the whiskey ss with one hand. He looked so dignified and aloof, as if he were sitting on a throne. The lights flickered on and off. Justin quietly hid himself in the darkness, but he still had such a strong presence that could not be ignored. ¡°We both know I¡¯m not what you need- And I- Will always love you- I will always love you Justin¡¯s face turned dark. He held the whiskey ss so tightly that he almost crushed it. Justin must have such a deep friendship with Ryan to be able to sit there and listen to his off- tune singing that sounded more like a donkey braying. Ryan finished the song with a heartbreaking roar, while Justin took a sip of whiskey with a stiff face. ¡°Bro¡­ Burp!¡± Ryan burped loudly, walked over, and plopped down next to Justin. He stretched out his long arm to hug Justin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Bro, how¡¯s my singing? Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve still got it?¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he ducked to the side, allowing Ryan to fall sideways on the sofa. He said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s astonishing how one donkey like you somehow manages to bellow with the shocking effect of a hundred donkeysbined.¡± ¡°Fuck you! Why are you so sharp-tongued¡­?¡± Ryan thought of Be¡¯s sharp tongue and heartless words, as well as her knife pping him on the cheek. For a moment, Ryan felt nauseous and sad. ¡°No wonder Be divorced you. You and your stupid mouth¡­ Being with you will probably make her menopause ten years early¡­ Burp!¡± ¡°Be?¡± Justin raised his eyebrows and nced at him coldly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ¡®heartbroken¡±? You two are probably more like strangers from now on.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Ryan choked. ¡®Fuck! This man really knows how to stab my heart!¡¯ ¡°I admit that your ex-wife is the most special woman I have ever seen in my life. I got off to a bad start and came back defeated. I really can¡¯t have her¡­¡± Ryan took a sip of wine and mmed the bottle on the table, unconvinced. ¡°But I just don¡¯t understand¡­ What¡¯s so good about you that Be would rather give up her status as heiress to KS Group and remain anonymous for three years to be your wife in name only? I get that you¡¯re handsome, but that doesn¡¯t mean anything. You treated her like trash back then, but she still never left you. In the end, you were the one who kicked her out too¡­¡± ¡°Ryan, are you done talking?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, and he clenched his fist. ¡°Of course not!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were red, filled with anger and grievances. He poured out his emotions under the influence of alcohol. ¡°I don¡¯t understand! I really don¡¯t understand! Maybe you two were in love with each other in your past lives and got reincarnated together in this life? I really don¡¯t get why she can endure such humiliation and shoulder all that burden just for you!¡± Even Justin did not understand this. That was why Justin stopped Be that day at Tideview Manor to ask her the reason she married him. This mystery gradually became a lingering worry for Justin. Ever since he learned her true identity on the night of his grandfather¡¯s birthday, he has not slept peacefully. Justin felt that his throat was dry. He was in a trance when Ryan suddenlyughed bitterly. Justin, I admit that I¡¯m adies¡¯ man and have done some ridiculous things back then. But this time, I¡¯m serious about Be. I¡¯ve always wondered why couldn¡¯t I have known her sooner?¡± Justin lowered his eyes and remained silent. ¡°If I got to know her sooner, I¡¯d definitely tell her to stay away from you. Otherwise, she¡¯d regret it!¡± Justin was speechless. He red at Ryan and resisted the urge to strangle his best friend. When Amelia saw her sister, her bad mood was gone. She insisted on treating Be to dinner. Be could not convince her otherwise, so she chose a small sushi bar and ordered some of the cheaper dishes on the menu, trying to spend as little as possible. Although the food was not great, the two sisters talked happily and drank frequently. Steven turned into a sake-pouring machine beside them and kept refilling their sses. He did not even get a chance to eat. However, Steven felt better when he saw how happy the two sisters were. After drinking four or five bottles of sake, they were a little tipsy. Thus, the two sisters went to the newly opened karaoke bar to continue drinking. Steven wanted to join them, but he received a call from his elder brother as soon as they arrived at the karaoke bar. His mother had a heart condition, so Steven had to go back and visit her. ¡°Steve, go back quickly. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± Be urged him understandingly. ¡°Yes, Steven. You should go home.¡± Amelia looked at Steven¡¯s worried face and said gently, ¡°You¡¯re probably tired from a long day too, so go back and rest after you visit your mother. Be and I will just sing a few songs and go home.¡± Chapter 245 ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not staying longer, Ms. Be and Ms. Amelia.¡¯ Steven sighed guiltily. ¡°Then I¡¯ll head back first. Ms. Be, if you encounter anything, you must call me as soon as possible. I will rush over immediately!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. You¡¯re such a nag. Go ahead.¡± Be pushed him gently toward the car. Steven stared at her longingly before he left reluctantly. Amelia watched their interaction helplessly. She pursed her soft lips as jealousy filled her heart. However, she did not resent her sister because she thought that Be was the most perfect woman in the world. It was only natural that Steven would like Be. ¡®A weak, inferior, in Jane like me doesn¡¯t deserve Steven. But why did Be¡¯s ex-husband divorce her? Is it because he has some terminal illness and doesn¡¯t want Be to be widowed?¡¯ Be booked a luxury private room. As soon as the two sisters arrived at the door, they heard earth- shattering howlsing from the opposite room. ¡°Ugh¡­ That¡¯s horrifying!¡± Amelia tightened her grip on her sister¡¯s arm and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If that¡¯s called singing, all donkeys can be singers!¡± Be quickly pulled Amelia into the private room, far away from the lunatic across the hall. The two of them ordered some beers, a fruit tter, and an assortment of snacks. They were quick to set up their song queue. From oldies to pop songs, the Thompson sisters sang to their hearts¡¯ content. Be sang, danced, and drank. She was in a good mood after winning the Baxim project, so she got a little tipsy. ¡°Amelia¡­ I need to pee. You should wait for me here. Don¡¯t wander around!¡± Be¡¯s vision was a little blurred, and she began to slur in her speech. ¡°Be, are you drunk? I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Amelia saw that Be¡¯s fair and supple cheeks were a little flushed, like a ripe peach. Be¡¯s beautiful eyes were a little dazed and watery. She hurriedly went over to help Be, but Be pushed her away. ¡°No! I¡¯m older than you, so how could I get drunk? You should be the one getting drunk first. I¡¯ll have to send you back to the dorms too!¡± Be hupped right after. Amelia did not know if she shouldugh or cry. What kind of logic was that? Be came out of the bathroom and walked back alone, using the walls as a support. At first, her limbs were not functioning properly, but now her head was starting to get a bit dizzy. The luxurious karaoke was decorated like the Pce of Versailles. It was magnificent, with mirrors everywhere. The room numbers were not arranged in order either. Thus, Be quickly lost her way. She was drunk and dazed, so she had been wandering around the maze-like corridors until she felt that she had arrived at her room. When she opened the door, she bumped head-on into a tall, muscr man. ¡°Ow!¡± Be let out a soft cry. Her head was already dizzy, and she was stumbling on her high heels, so her weak and soft body started to fall backward. The man¡¯s eyes flickered as he quickly supported Be¡¯s back. The man could make out the contours of Be¡¯s slender back with hisrge palm because Be was only wearing a thin silk shirt. She was amazingly thin and fit perfectly in his palm. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The man¡¯s breathing became a little heavier. He pushed his gold-rimmed sses over his upturned eyes and stared at Be¡¯s beautiful face as if he were appraising treasure. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°Um¡­ No!¡± Be stared drunkenly at the man¡¯s elegant and restrained face. Suddenly, she curled her red lips and raised her hand to take off his gold-rimmed sses. The man¡¯s eyes suddenly became sharp and solemn. Thest person who identally knocked off his sses had be fish food in the ocean. ¡°Hehe¡­ Critter! You¡¯re Critter!¡± The man gasped, and his expression changed dramatically! His deep eyes quickly scanned Be¡¯s rosy face before he asked tentatively in a deep voice, ¡± Be Thompson¡­?¡± Chapter 246 ¡°Hup¡­ You are indeed Critter!¡± Be¡¯s face was flushed from the effects of alcohol, and she was smiling brightly. The man smiled faintly. At this moment, the chill in his eyes disappeared. His left arm was still hooked around her slender waist, and he raised his right hand to push up his sses. He had not heard this nickname in a long time. Even his father stopped calling him that. Unexpectedly, Be was just as wild and unrestrained as when they were children. ¡°It¡¯s been 15 years since Ist saw you, and you¡¯re still as beautiful as before.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ You¡¯re not so bad yourself!¡± Be squinted her charming eyes and raised her hand to pat his cheek. She was frisky and frivolous, but it did not offend him at all. If she was well-behaved and proper at all times, then she would not be the Be Thompson he loved. Be covered her mouth and hupped again. Her body swayed, and she could not stand still. The man curled his lips and picked her up in bridal style without asking her for permission. ¡°Um¡­ Put me down!¡± Be¡¯s face was flushed as she twisted her body and struggled in the man¡¯s arms, like a squirming kitten. Her slender white calves were exposed under her burgundy skirt as she kicked around. Her skin was so fair that it seemed to glow under the light. His eyes darkened, and he suddenly became yful. ¡°I¡¯ll let you down if you call my name. ¡°You¡­ Your name is¡­ Cri¡­?¡± Be was so drunk that her brain was muddled. She barely knew what she was saying, let alone remember his name. ¡°My name is Christopher Iverson, but I don¡¯t mind if you call me Critter.¡± The man¡¯s long eyshes fluttered. He leaned close to her ear and whispered in a husky voice, ¡°But only you can call me that.¡± It was a pity that these words turned into chaotic gibberish in Be¡¯s drunken state. She could not understand a single word he was saying. Christopher carefully ced Be¡¯s delicate body on the sofa, being extremely gentle with her. At this time, his phone rang. It was his secretary calling. ¡°Mr. Iverson, everyone is here.¡± ¡°Tell them to go back.¡± Christopher¡¯s lips curled into a doting smile. His eyes never left Be¡¯s blushing face. ¡°Pardon?¡± His secretary was surprised. ¡°Cancel the meeting today. Tell them to go back, and don¡¯t disturb me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The secretary dared not ask any more questions and agreed immediately.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Also, buy a bottle of hangover medicine at the pharmacy ande here as soon as possible.¡± After hanging up the phone, Christopher slowly sat down next to Be. He turned sideways and raised his hand to tuck a strand of hair that was stuck to her face behind her ear. ¡°It¡¯s such a coincidence to see you again.¡± On the other hand, after Ryan finished singing ¡°Break My Heart Again¡±, he fell on the sofa and completely cked out. Justin frowned deeply and felt depressed as well. There was still some wine left in the ss, so he tipped his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Then he took Ryan¡¯s cigarette box, picked out a cigarette, and held it between his pale lips. His handsome and mncholy face looked more rugged at this time. As the nicotine filled his lungs, Justin thought about how Be invoked confusing feelings in him and puffed out a ring of smoke. After the divorce, his daily routine was messed up. He started smoking and drinking, and no one was there to persuade him otherwise. ¡°Be¡­ Be¡­¡± Ryan closed his eyes and tore at his ck shirt while calling out Be¡¯s name. Justin was pulled back from his thoughts. He flicked the cigarette, raised his long legs, and kicked Ryan¡¯s drooping arms with the toe of his leather shoes. ¡°Shut up. She won¡¯te to you no matter how much you call out for her.¡± Justin felt particrly spiteful, so he added, ¡°Besides, who are you to call out her name?¡± Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Ian stood at the door, panting and holding on to the door frame. ¡°Where are your manners? Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡± Justin crushed the cigarette butt and admonished his secretary. ¡°Mr. Salvador! I¡­ I just saw the young madam!¡± Ian was so anxious that his face was covered with sweat. ¡°What?¡± Justin stood up abruptly. ¡°Where is she?!¡± Chapter 247 ¡°Mr. Salvador, promise me that you won¡¯t do anything impulsive after I tell you this¡­¡± ¡°Spit it out!¡± Ian gulped and said, ¡°I just saw the young madam pushing the door of a private room. Then a man in sses carried her inside¡­¡± Justin¡¯s head buzzed, and his eyes turned bloodshot. ¡°Which room? Lead the way!¡± Christopher¡¯s secretary quickly bought the hangover medicine as requested. Christopher took over the medicine bottle and fed it to Be slowly. He thoughtfully prepared some water for her to wash it down as well. The secretary was dumbfounded. Christopher Iverson was a dark and cold-hearted person who hid his sinister intentions behind a gentle facade. No woman hade close to Christopher in all these years. Who was this youngdy who made his boss turn into such a caring man? This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Was Christopher in love with her? Tsk tsk! Since ancient times, even the greatest heroes have had a hard time resisting a beautiful woman. Christopher must be enamored with this gorgeous woman. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± Christopher asked gently when he finally saw Be¡¯s blush fading. Be stretched out her hand to cover her chest. Her eyes gradually regained focus, but her stomach was churning. She felt like vomiting. ¡°Alcohol is very harmful to the body. You should drink less in the future.¡± Christopher spoke with concern as he handed her a ss of water. Be could not remember what had just happened, but she could tell that the man had no ill intentions toward her. She also noticed how handsome he looked. He was elegant and chivalrous. His gold-rimmed sses made him look like a distinguished gentleman. ¡°Sir¡­ You look a bit familiar¡­¡± Be rubbed her throbbing temples. Christopher narrowed his deep, upturned eyes and thought, ¡®She forgot.¡¯ Suddenly, the door was kicked open. Justin barged in like a bull, aggressive and unstoppable. Christopher¡¯s face darkened, and a cold light shed through his lenses. ¡°Mr. Iverson, this is Mr. Salvador, president of the Salvador Corporation,¡± Christopher¡¯s secretary reminded him in a low voice, looking shocked. ¡°Kick him out.¡± Christopher raised his chin and did not bother with pleasantries. The secretary nodded and walked over to Justin. ¡°Mr. Salvador, please leave immediately¡­¡± Before the secretary finished speaking, the angry Justin had already knocked him over and strode up to Be. He was like a looming iceberg, enveloping her in a dark and cold shadow. Be did not realize what was going on. She rubbed her sleepy eyes like a child and raised her head. The next second, she was shocked. ¡°Justin? Why are you¡­¡± ¡°Come with me.¡± Justin interrupted her mid-sentence. Justin suppressed his anger and pulled her slender arm without effort. Soon, Be¡¯s soft body was pressed against his. He was overwhelmed with rage at this moment. Justin thought, ¡°This woman stole my project during the day. Now, she¡¯s celebrating with this nameless man?! He looks like a hypocritical, pretty boy! Does she have a conscience?!¡¯ ¡°Why should I go with you? Who the hell are you?!¡± Be was almost sober. She struggled to get out of Justin¡¯s grasp. ¡°Let go of me! Why are you following me everywhere I go? Are you a dog? Why should I go with you?!¡± ¡°Be, don¡¯t test my patience!¡± Justin gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His veins on his forearm were bulging. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened. Suddenly, he grabbed Be¡¯s other wrist. Be was caught in the middle and pulled from both sides. She felt like they were about to rip her apart. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Ms. Thompson doesn¡¯t want to go with you? Are you trying to take her away against her own will?¡± Christopher¡¯s pale lips curled into a sneer. ¡°It¡¯s not your ce as an outsider toment on my rtionship with her!¡± Justin was so furious that the veins on his forehead bulged. Christopher adjusted his sses and red at Justin with zing eyes. ¡°If I am an outsider, who are you to Ms. Thompson?¡± Be and Justin looked at each other and spoke in unison. Justin said, ¡°I¡¯m her husband!¡± Be shouted, ¡°He¡¯s my ex-husband!¡± Chapter 248 Christopher was stunned for a moment. His heart clenched. Be¡¯s flushed cheeks turned pale as she instantly sobered up. She red at Justin angrily. ¡± Justin Salvador! How can you be so confidently shameless? Let me go! I won¡¯t leave with you no matter what!¡± Justin let her struggle and scold him to her heart¡¯s content. He felt that there was no one else in the world that he cared about at this moment, and he had no other thoughts except taking her away from this man. Seeing her in the same room getting drunk with a stranger, Justin was infuriated that Be was so frivolous. ¡°Justin! You bastard! Let go¡­ Ah!¡± Unexpectedly, Justin wrapped his strong arms around Be¡¯s waist and lifted her over his shoulders, carrying her out of the room without hesitation. His face was cold and grim. ¡°Let me go! I¡¯m going to puke!¡± Be punched his broad back. Her stomach was churning, and she felt so sick that she wanted to cry. ¡°Go ahead and puke.¡± Justin¡¯s face was expressionless. He did not even have the slightest pity for her. He thought, ¡®Vomiting would be a punishment for a heartless little liar like her!¡¯ C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Seeing them disappear from the box, Christopher pressed his thin lips together as anger filled his eyes. ¡°That bastard is such a dirty brute.¡± ¡°Mr. Iverson, what should we do now? Do you want to chase after them?¡± His secretary asked anxiously. ¡°Send someone to follow her.¡± Christopher¡¯s pleasant voice was nonchnt. He was still holding the ss of water that Be drank from. He rubbed the faint lipstick mark on the rim of the ss with his fingertips. ¡°It¡¯s so surprising that Justin Salvador was married.¡± The secretary could not believe it. ¡°When did this happen? How could there be no news of it at all?¡± ¡°Go and check it out.¡± Christopher raised his hand gracefully to take a sip of water from Be¡¯s ss. He spoke calmly, but his cold eyes behind his gold-rimmed sses were exuding a piercing chill. ¡°Check what Justin Salvador has been up to in the past few years and what their current rtionship is.¡± Justin wanted to carry Be back to his private room, but when he thought about the passed out Ryan on the sofa, he simply carried her out of the karaoke bar. Along the way, some waiters and guests saw this scene, but no one dared to intervene. They thought a young couple had gotten into a fight. ¡°Justin¡­ I want to vomit¡­ I feel so ufortable¡­¡± Be finally recovered after drinking the hangover medicine. Now, she felt dizzy from being carried over Justin¡¯s shoulders, like she was seasick. She let out a soft moan, which tugged at Justin¡¯s heartstrings. Justin felt a desire welling up in his chest. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°Be, why did you get drunk if you know you¡¯ll feel nauseous?¡± As soon as he put her down, Be suddenly pushed him against the car door. Justin¡¯s breathing became heavier as he stared at her blushing face. Her fair hands were pressed on his strong chest muscles, and she slowly clenched her fists. The next second, Be puked. Justin¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You!¡± Be bent over and continued to vomit all the food she ate that evening onto Justin¡¯s spotless suit. The smell of digested seafood mixed with alcohol made Justin feel like vomiting as well. His face turned glum. ¡®This damn woman used me as a wall for support?!¡¯ ¡°Justin¡­ Are you a ghost? Why are you always haunting me? Go away! I don¡¯t like seeing your face!¡± Be pushed him away with all her strength, but Justin grabbed her wrists, red at her, and clenched his jaw. ¡°Who is that pretty boy in sses?¡± ¡°Who? He¡¯s my new man! Hehe¡­ Do you have any objections?¡± Be narrowed her almond- shaped eyes and smiled seductively. Chapter 249 ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Justin blurted out with red eyes. He no longer bothered to restrain himself. ¡°So what if you have objections? Haha¡­ You¡¯re just a fucking psycho!¡± Be struggled to free herself. Her drunken hue made her beautiful face look all the more seductive. ¡°You have a childhood sweetheart, so why can¡¯t I have a new lover? Who are you to stop me?!¡± Every word she said was like a knife that stabbed his heart. Justin recalled how close Be was to the man in sses. That man stared at her with such adoration, and the room was filled with romantic tension. At that moment, Justin lost all reason. His possessiveness overwhelmed him and made his blood boil. ¡°Hah! Ms. Thompson, you sure have a very exciting private life.¡± Justin sneered. The pain in his chest was from jealousy and anger. This feeling was intensified under the influence of alcohol. ¡°Why would you book such a big private room for just the two of you? Are you afraid that you won¡¯t have enough space to go wild?¡± He wanted to insult her, but those words were stabbing him instead. Why was he the one who was in such severe pain? ¡°Pft! Hahaha¡­¡± Beughed out loud. ¡°Exactly! Do you still think that I¡¯m the boring old Anna Brown that you know? There¡¯s nothing I¡¯m not capable of. I can only say that your imagination iscking.¡± ¡°Be!¡± Justin could not suppress his anger any longer. His chest heaved violently. ¡°I¡¯m taking you away today, whether you like it or not. As long as I¡¯m around, don¡¯t even think about finding a new lover!¡± Just then, a patrol car happened to drive past. Be had an idea. She was like a fierce little beast earlier, but at this moment, she put on a pitiful face and shouted, ¡°You pervert! Help! He¡¯s assaulting me! Help!¡± ¡°You!¡± Justin¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. The two patrol officers quickly jumped out of the car and shouted to Justin as they ran, ¡°Don¡¯t move! Let thedy go!¡± While Justin was distracted, Be broke free from his shackles, wiped away her tears in panic, and started telling lies. ¡°I identally vomited on this gentleman and soiled his clothes¡­ I offered to pay for the dry cleaning, but he refused to let me go and kept pestering me.¡± ¡°Sir, do you know that your behavior is considered harassment?¡± ¡°We can detain you on grounds of harassment.¡± Justin was surrounded by the two police officers and could not escape. He let out a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m not a rogue. I know her!¡± ¡°Miss, do you know him?¡± The police officer looked at Be with a tender gaze. Be shook her head with tears in her eyes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know him.¡± The police officer looked at Justin with contempt and said coldly, ¡°Why would you lie? You must have some evil intentions. You¡¯reing with us!¡± At this time, Justin¡¯s phone rang. It was Gregory calling. Justin¡¯s body was shaking with anger. He picked up the call. ¡°Where are you? Come over quickly!¡± Gregory¡¯s tone was extremely urgent. ¡°Rose attempted suicide and cut her wrists! She has lost too much blood now and is being rescued at the Savrow Hospital.¡± Justin felt as if he had been struck by lightning. All the blood drained from his already grim face. ¡°Justin, can you manage your affairs properly? Since you decided to be with Rose, you shouldn¡¯t get involved with Be anymore!¡± Gregory was furious over the phone. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done now! You almost killed someone! Rose was the one who saved your life when you attempted suicide in your adolescent years. Is this how you repay her? You promise to marry her but back out at thest minute. Who will be able to handle such emotional turmoil? You forced her into this situation!¡± In an instant, Justin¡¯s traumatizing childhood overwhelmed him. He clutched his chest tightly and felt suffocated. When he looked up again, Be had already gone back into the karaoke bar.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Chapter 250 Be returned to the karaoke bar, mostly sober after vomiting. However, her good mood was gone. How did she meet that jerk during a night out with her sister? Be thought that she had to find a way to get rid of that haunting ghost. At this moment, a pair of warm hands grabbed her arm. Be raised her eyelids. When she saw Amelia, she forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Be, was that man who pestered you just now your ex-husband?¡± Amelia put her arms around Be¡¯s waist and supported her while asking worriedly. ¡°Yeah,¡± Be responded softly. ¡°Wow¡­ He¡¯s so handsome!¡± Amelia¡¯s clear eyes sparkled. She sighed from the bottom of her heart. ¡°I thought that Asher, Axel, Drew, and Den were all handsome enough. I didn¡¯t expect your ex-husband to be as good-looking as our brothers. He might even have more of a visual impact. Is he really the president of apany? He looks more like a superstar!¡± Be held her forehead andined. ¡°Visual impact? He¡¯s not a 3D movie¡­¡± ¡°No wonder my mother said that day that your ex-husband was more handsome than George Clooney. I couldn¡¯t believe it because my mother has been in love with George Clooney since forever! But I finally understood why she said that when I saw your ex-husband today¡­ He was indeed more handsome than George Clooney!¡± Amelia kept yapping on about how good- looking Justin was. ¡°So what if he¡¯s handsome? His character is as good as a toilet bowl.¡± Be narrowed her eyes and nced at Amelia¡¯s rosy cheeks. ¡°If you dare mention that bastard¡¯s looks again, I¡¯ll tell Wyatt that Aunt Celeste¡¯s dream lover is George Clooney!¡± Since it waste, Amelia did not want to disturb her roommate and decided to stay in Be¡¯s vi for the night. She would go back to the dorms tomorrow morning. Amelia noticed that her usually alcohol-tolerant sister was a little drunk. Be kept rubbing her temples, and she leaned against the car window, panting softly. ¡°Be, let me help you.¡± Amelia gently massaged Be¡¯s temples. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Be leaned obediently into her sister¡¯s arms. Her breath was fragrant even with alcohol, and her smooth forehead was covered with sweat. Amelia gulped. As a woman, even she found her sister attractive. Honestly, how could someone be so beautiful and charming when they were drunk? It should be illegal for someone to be so stunning. Be ordered the driver to stop the car at the entrance of the neighborhood. She liked to take a walk home when she was drunk so that she could sober up before going to bed. The two sisters walked hand in hand along the road home. The evening breeze was cool. The moon was bright, so the stars were sparse. This quiet scenery eased Be¡¯s depressed mood. Suddenly, Be frowned and stopped in her tracks. Her grip on Amelia¡¯s hand tightened. ¡°Be? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Someone is following us.¡± Be lowered her voice. rm bells started ringing in her head. Amelia was startled. She looked around timidly, and a cold sweat broke out in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m right here. I will kill whoever attacks us.¡± Beforted Amelia softly and smirked. Be was still angered because Justin provoked her. Who could be so stupid as to offend her now? Axel and Drew¡¯s nickname for Be-Bruce Lee-when she was younger was not in vain. ¡°Stop sneaking around. Come out and show yourself!¡± Be¡¯s eyes were sharp and intense. She raised her voice and shouted. At this time, there was a heart-stopping sound in the trees. Be¡¯s beautiful eyes darkened as she hurriedly pulled Amelia behind her in a protective stance. The sound of muffled footsteps came from the bushes. A strong and burly man in ck sportswear and a ck mask walked up to them and twisted his neck. Amelia was frightened by the man¡¯s figure alone. She could hardly breathe. Be was calm and collected. Although she knew that the man was also a fighter, she was confident that she could beat ordinary fighters in a fight. After all, real life was not like the movies. Not many people could be as skilled at fighting as Drew and Justin. ¡°Which one of you is Be?¡± The man in ck asked with sinister eyes. He had a bit of an ent, so Be knew he was not a Savrow native. ¡°I am! Why don¡¯t you bow to me?¡± Be raised her eyebrows fearlessly. ¡°Okay.¡± The man shed a sharp dagger and lunged at Be. ¡°Ah! Be, be careful!¡± Amelia saw the knifeing toward them and shouted in fear, but Be pushed her ¡°Amelia! Run!¡± Where could she run to? How could she leave her sister alone? Thebination of fists and kicks created strong gusts of wind around them. away. In the blink of an eye, Be exchanged more than a dozen moves with the attacker. Chapter 251 Amelia watched the dizzying fight and found it more thrilling than an action movie. ¡°Come on, Be!¡± Amelia cheered her on. Be could barely dodge the man¡¯s violent kicks. She was speechless as she thought, ¡®Is this really the time to be cheerleading?!¡¯ ¡°Amelia! Call the police now!¡± ¡°Oh, right!¡± Amelia came to her senses and hurriedly took out her phone. The man in ck did not expect such a fragile-looking beauty to be so skilled at fighting. Seeing that he could not subdue Be, the man focused his thoughts on Amelia. Suddenly, he turned around and changed his target to Amelia. Amelia¡¯s phone fell to the ground. She froze in ce out of fear and closed her eyes tightly. ¡°Ugh!¡± There was a muffled groan. Amelia opened her eyes in a panic, only to see Be using her arms to shield her from the knife attacks. There was a long cut in Be¡¯s suit jacket. Bright red blood started dripping down in a line. ¡°Be!¡± Amelia eximed in shock as tears poured down her face. Be was panting and covering her bleeding arm. Her scalp had a numbing pain, and she was sweating profusely. This man was not just trying to rob them. He was a hired killer! Just when the man in ck raised the knife to stab Be again, he suddenly leaned back because someone had grabbed him by his back cor. Be seized the opportunity to attack him with a roundhouse kick, kicking the dagger away from them. ¡°Ah!¡± Immediately afterward, the man let out a painful scream. ¡°Crack-!¡± Be watched helplessly as someone dislocated the attacker¡¯s arms seamlessly, as if they were Legos. It was a real feast for the eyes. ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± Be looked stunned. She forgot about the pain in her wound and just stared nkly at the man in front of her, who had subdued the attacker under his feet. The gentleman was like her knight in shining armor./ ¡°What a coincidence! We meet again.¡± Christopher smiled gently at Be. He ground his high-end, handmade leather shoes onto the attacker¡¯s face. The attacker was in This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. so much pain that he pounded the ground with his fists. ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Steven shouted while running toward them. ¡°Steven! Come quickly! Be is injured!¡± Amelia was so scared that her eyes turned red again as soon as she saw Steven. ¡°Ms. Be! How did this happen?!¡± When Steven saw a pool of blood on the ground, his heart ached, as if the blood were his. Tears gathered in his eyes as he asked, ¡°Who hurt you?!¡± ¡°Why are you here? Is your mom feeling better?¡± Be took a deep breath and chided him. ¡°Is this the time to be thinking about my mom? You must go to the hospital immediately!¡± Steven felt severe pain, as if he were the wounded one. He bent down, wanting to pick Be up. Unexpectedly, Be took half a step back and stubbornly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not a deep wound, so there¡¯s no need to make such a fuss. Amelia is quite frightened, though, so pleasefort her. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Ms. Be¡­¡± Steven¡¯s eyes were nk for a moment. He clenched his fingers feebly. Be had always been a stubborn and toughdy. Even after being injured, she did not shed a single tear. ¡°Be, let Steven take care of you. I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Amelia felt guilty. Her tears could not stop sliding down her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­ I¡¯m such a dumb cow! Be wouldn¡¯t have been hurt so badly if I didn¡¯t drag her down¡­¡± ¡°Silly girl, what are you talking about?¡± Be raised her hand and pinched Amelia¡¯s wet cheek. She sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for implicating you. I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing to you.¡± On the side, two of Christopher¡¯s bodyguards tied up the attacker and put him in a car. ¡°Are you okay, sir?!¡± Christopher¡¯s secretary turned pale with fright. His boss moved so fast that they could not keep up. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Christopher dusted his suit off gracefully and looked at Be longingly. His deep eyes were sultry. Be took a deep breath, walked straight to him, and said politely, ¡°Sir, thank you very much for your help. But can you let me deal with this man? It¡¯s very important to me.¡± The man curled his lips slightly. ¡°Of course, but I have a condition.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± As soon as she said this, Be felt her body being lifted. Christopher carried her in bridal style again. He was so fast that even Steven did not have time to react. Be shrieked. The moment she looked up, her eyes collided with Christopher¡¯s tender gaze, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital to get your wound treated first. Then you can do whatever you want. Chapter 252 At the emergency room of Savrow Hospital, Rosalind had already received a blood transfusion, but she was still in critical condition. When she was brought in, her entire face was so pale that it was almost transparent. The cuts on her wrists were hideous and deep. Patrick, Jean, Gregory, and Bethany were waiting in the corridor. Jean was heartbroken and bawled while calling out her daughter¡¯s name. ¡°That¡¯s enough! How could you cry like this at your age? You¡¯re embarrassing us!¡± Patrick admonished her with a gloomy face. ¡°Are you kidding me? Our daughter¡¯s life is hanging by a thread, but as her father, you only think about how I¡¯m embarrassing you. Do you even have a heart?!¡± Jean grabbed and pulled her husband¡¯s cor while crying hysterically. ¡°My son is already in prison. Rose is the only child I have now! If anything happens to her, I won¡¯t be able to live anymore!¡± Patrick¡¯s face was glum. His daughter attempted suicide because of a man, and his wife was making a fuss. Patrick already had an inferiorplex with Gregory. But this time, he felt even more embarrassed in front of his brother-inw because he could not figure out how to deal with his wife and daughter. In a fit of rage, Patrick shoved Jean, who stumbled to the floor. ¡°Are you done making a scene?! This is a hospital. Do you think this is a farmer¡¯s market? Look in the mirror! Do you still look like the wife of a chairman?!¡± ¡°You¡­ You pushed me¡­¡± Jean copsed on the floor. She was so stunned that she forgot to cry. ¡°Aunt Jean, Uncle Patrick, please stop arguing! What¡¯s most important is that Rose can survive the critical period.¡± Bethany hurriedly stepped forward to help Jean. However, she was secretly smiling. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . If Shannon had not been assisting with the investigation at the prosecutor¡¯s office and Gregory had not dragged her over to console Jean, Bethany would not have cared about Rosalind¡¯s well-being. Since Bethany was already at the hospital, she would have toplete the act. Thus, she could not laugh, no matter how secretly happy she was. ¡°Gregory, my daughter has be like this because of your son. You must give us an exnation!¡± Patrick had nowhere to vent his anger, so he could only me Gregory. ¡°My daughter and your son have been in a rtionship for so many years. She gave Justin the most precious years of her youth! Now that their marital news is spreading, everyone in Savrow knows that my daughter is Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e. At first, their wedding was set to be after Old Master Nigel¡¯s birthday. Your son and that woman dyed finalizing their divorce, but we put up with it for Old Master Nigel¡¯s sake. Now that his birthday has passed and they have finalized their divorce, how could your son suddenly back out at this time? What kind of girl from a good family can bear this kind of betrayal? Your son is just forcing my daughter off a cliff!¡± Gregory was frustrated. His face was glum, and he did not know what to say. ¡°We¡­ Although we¡¯re not as rich and influential as the Thompsons, we¡¯re decent people who deserve respect. Justin is bullying Rose by treating her so callously!¡± Jean stood up with Bethany¡¯s support and said angrily, ¡°Chairman Salvador, our family will not let this slide! If Justin breaks up with my daughter, we will definitely leak it to the press. We can all go to hell together!¡± She knew that Rosalind attempted suicide to force Justin¡¯s hand in marriage. Rosalind and Justin were childhood sweethearts. As long as that man still had a hint of nostalgia for Rosalind, he would not sit idly by and watch her die. Even if they could not get married in the end, Jean would strive to get the maximum benefit from the Salvadors. That way, she could also save her family from bankruptcy. No matter how she looked at it, this was a profitable deal! Gregory sighed repeatedly. He looked troubled. With Shannon¡¯s arrest making headlines, if news spread about the CEO of Salvador Corporation two-timing his fianc¨¦e, forcing her tomit suicide, Salvador Corporation¡¯s reputation would go down the drain, and their stocks would plummet. At this point, Gregory no longer cared about Justin¡¯s willingness. He simply made a decision.¡± Don¡¯t worry, when Rose wakes up, you can tell her that I will make sure Justin marries her as nned.¡± After hearing this, the Golds¡¯ expressions rxed a little. However, Jean still had lingering fears when she thought about the past. Justin was gaining more power in Salvador Corporation. He was no longer the weak, illegitimate son who would listen to Gregory¡¯s orders. Thus, Justin might not even care about the promise that Gregory made. At this time, a series of footsteps came from the end of the corridor. Justin¡¯s handsome face was pale, as if it were covered in frost. He walked toward them with Ian in tow. ¡°How is Rose?¡± Before Gregory could answer, Jean rushed over with fiery eyes and grabbed Justin¡¯s shirt. ¡°Justin! What did my daughter ever do to you?! Look at what you¡¯ve done to her! Do you want Rosalind to die so that you can get back together with your ex-wife?!¡± ¡°Mrs. Gold! Calm down!¡± Ian hurriedly pulled Shannon away from Justin. This caused a big stir. Even though there were bodyguards standing guard over the area, some onlookers still poked their heads to watch the fun. Chapter 253 ¡°Calm down?! My daughter is still in critical condition right now! She has shed tears for this heartless man. Now she has even shed blood for him. I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s alive, so how do you expect me to stay calm?!¡± Jean pointed at Justin¡¯s cold and pale face. ¡°Justin! Since you weren¡¯t serious about Rose, why did you lie to her that you wanted to marry her?! How can you go back on your word when you¡¯ve already proposed?! My daughter is so kind. Back when you attempted suicide, she was the one who found out in time and saved you. Rose is so good to you, so how could you hurt her like this?! Where is your conscience?!¡± Justin felt a severe headache. His traumatizing childhood reyed in his mind. He felt so strangled that he almost could not breathe. The fragments of memories deep in his mind that he tried hard to forget surfaced. Christopher took Be to the hospital for emergency treatment of her wound. Be did not let Steven follow her. Instead, she asked him to take care of Amelia. That was because she did not want Amelia to see her wound and cry harder. That pitiful girl was soft-hearted and timid. Amelia kept crying and ming herself on the way to the hospital. Even Steven felt sorry for her. Thus, Be did not want Amelia to feel even more guilty. Fortunately, Be ducked back quickly when the attacker lunged at her, so the wound was not too deep. When she came out of the treatment room, Be¡¯s fair and slender forearms had been coated with medicine and wrapped in gauze. She had also been given a tetanus shot. Her coat was torn and dirty,pletely unwearable. At this moment, she was only wearing a thin burgundy dress. Her pretty and delicate face was as fair as snow, with a faint blush on her cheeks. Even when she was injured, she still looked astonishingly beautiful. Christopher lowered his eyes and saw her long, curled eyshes. His eyes darkened with desire. He took off his suit jacket and put it gently on her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Put it on.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not cold.¡± Be panicked and reached out to take it off. However, Christopher held the cor of his suit jacket and wrapped it tightly over her delicate body. ¡°The bandage on your arm is quite exaggerated. Aren¡¯t you afraid that your lovely sister and loyal secretary will be worried when they see you like this? Just wear it.¡± Be pursed her lips tightly. She hesitated and did not resist anymore. This man was too considerate and understanding, so she could not refuse the things he did for her. ¡°Sir, why were you there?¡± ¡°I also stay in that neighborhood.¡± Christopher lied. Although the neighborhood was his family¡¯s development, he did not live there. ¡°Oh? What a coincidence!¡± Her eyes flickered, but Be did not ask further questions. ¡°When they were cleaning your wound, it hurt me just looking at it. You didn¡¯t even flinch. You truly are the strongestdy I know.¡± Christopher changed the subject and kept looking at her. ¡°Many girls are strong at heart. You will meet many like me in the future.¡± Be smiled politely. Christopher smiled slightly and thought, ¡®I don¡¯t want to meet anyone else. I just want to get to know you.¡¯ ¡°Thank you for taking care of me. But don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit upfront for suddenly picking up a stranger, bridal style? Although I know you have good intentions, I don¡¯t like getting too close to strangers.¡± Be¡¯s tone was still polite. She really cared about being picked up. ¡°Sorry, I was too anxious when I saw that you were injured.¡± Christopher pushed up his sses. His clear eyes were apologetic as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my distance in the future.¡± Be smiled. He was so sincere that she could not hate him for it. ¡°Oh, by the way, I don¡¯t know your name yet. Do you mind telling me your name?¡± Christopher¡¯s heart trembled. Just as his lips parted, a cold and deep voice came from behind. ¡°Be!¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Chapter 254 Be was startled. She turned around slowly with eyes full of indifference, as if he were a stranger. Justin, who was just a few steps away, stood frozen on the spot. He felt so alone when he saw Be and Christopher standing together. His tall body trembled, and he felt as if he had stepped off a tall building, free-falling to the ground. He pursed his lips and lowered his gaze. That was when he noticed that Be¡¯s arm was wrapped in gauze. His heart clenched, and he subconsciously took a step forward to get closer to her. ¡°Your arm¡­¡± Be stepped back as if Justin were contagious. It gave Christopher the opportunity to step in front of her to protect her. Justin¡¯s throat tightened. He looked into the man¡¯s sullen eyes, and electric sparks seemed to be coursing between them in a silent fight. ¡°I won¡¯t allow what happened at the bar to happen again.¡± Christopher pushed his gold-rimmed sses slightly. His narrowed eyes were dark and aggressive. ¡°You have already snatched her from me once. Do you think I will let you do it a second time?¡± ¡°Who are you to her?¡± Justin stared at Christopher with intense eyes and asked in a cold voice. Justin had been deceived horribly by Be¡¯s brothers before, so he was afraid that this man was also one of Wyatt¡¯s elusive sons. However, the way this man looked at Be was full of affection and longing. It did not look like brotherly love. ¡°Someone closer and more important to me than you will ever be.¡± Be opened her mouth at this moment and stabbed Justin with her harsh words. Christopher looked back at Be with a satisfied smile. ¡°Justin, I remember telling you off at the karaoke bar just now. I really don¡¯t understand why you keep pestering me.¡¯ >> The man¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. ¡°Be, are you naive? You got drunk with a stranger. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll¡­¡± Be frowned impatiently and interrupted him with disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. Your opinions disgust me. I¡¯ve already vomited once tonight, so don¡¯t make me puke another t¨ªme, Mr. Salvador.¡± Those words could not be more heartbreaking for Justin. Justin¡¯s pale lips parted, and the jealousy in the deepest part of his heart arose. There were so many shocking events today that shook Justin to the core. His headache overwhelmed his nerves, and he felt like he was one step away from an emotional breakdown. Why? Why was he so hung up on her after they got divorced? Did he really regret getting divorced? Justin fell into an endless loop of self-doubt. Was he wrong from the beginning? ¡°Mr. Salvador! Ms. Gold¡­ Ms. Gold is no longer in critical condition.¡± At this time, Ian rushed over and shouted the good news. He did not notice that Be was also there. By the time Ian saw Be, it was toote. Seeing their gloomy expressions, Ian really wanted to p his big mouth. ¡°Mr. Salvador, it turns out that you already have a partner.¡¯ This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. }) Christopher figured out everything in an instant. He curled his lips slightly and said, ¡°Then why are you still pestering Ms. Thompson? Do you want a polygamous rtionship?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, while Ian was speechless. That was unpleasant to hear. Be¡¯s eyes widened slightly in shock. She thought, ¡®He called me Ms. Thompson¡­ He actually knows who I am?!¡¯ ¡°Now that you¡¯re divorced, you shouldn¡¯t continue to pester Ms. Thompson. This is basic etiquette.¡± Christopher nced at Justin with cold eyes. ¡°Since you can¡¯t be a good husband, you can at least be a decent human.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Are you insulting Mr. Salvador?!¡± Ian¡¯s face flushed with anger as he stepped forward to defend Justin. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Leave him alone. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Be did not want to cause unnecessary trouble in a public space. ¡°Okay.¡± Christopher put on a gentle smile and returned to Be¡¯s side obediently. Justin watched as the outstanding couple gradually disappeared from his field of vision. His heart stopped, and the blood in his body solidified into ice. Chapter 255 Someone else had upied the spot next to Be. Justin subconsciously covered his quivering heart. He wondered how his heart could hurt so much, as if it had been dug out entirely. It was not until this moment that Justin truly felt the reality of their divorce settling in. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . In the underground parking lot, Steven rushed over to Christopher and Be when he saw them. ¡°Ms. Be, how are your injuries?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a trivial matter. Where¡¯s the attacker?¡± Be only cared about this at the moment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have already sent someone over to take him away to the dungeons. He can¡¯t escape.¡± Steven whispered in her ear. ¡°Good. Steve, we have a big job to do in the next few days.¡± Be narrowed her beautiful almond eyes dangerously and patted his shoulder. Steven nodded seriously. ¡°I¡¯m always ready to fight!¡± ¡°Wait here. Let me say goodbye to him.¡± With that said, Be turned around and walked toward Christopher. At this moment, the man standing with his hands behind his back beside the Bentley looked like an exquisite sculpture. ¡°As you may have noticed tonight, Mr. Salvador and I have aplicated rtionship.¡± Be raised her beautiful eyes and met the man¡¯s smiling face. Her tone was filled with guilt as she said, ¡°I really had no choice but to pull you into this drama¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have gotten you involved in this. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s an honor to be used by you.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice was clear and seductive. Be pursed her lips lightly. This made her feel even more embarrassed. The man added with a smile, ¡°If you find it useful, you are wee to use me again.¡± ¡°Sir, you must be joking.¡± Be smiled bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to happen again.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get water on the wound for a week and watch for an infection. It¡¯ste, so you should go home early.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes were full of reluctance, but he knew when to keep a distance. He said goodbye to Be and turned around to get in the car. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Be knocked on the car window. The tinted car windows slowly rolled down, and Christopher looked at Be with a smile. ¡°You just called me Ms. Thompson in front of Justin. How did you know who I was? You knew who I was from the first time you met me, right?¡± Be was extremely curious. If she did not get an answer, she probably could not sleep well. ¡°Yes.¡± Christopher stared deeply into Be¡¯s clear and watery eyes. ¡°I never show my face in public, and few people in Savrow know my identity. How did you know who I was? Have we met before?¡± Be asked repeatedly. Her eyes were sparkling. Christopher¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the next time we meet.¡± Christopher¡¯s secretary and bodyguard also got in the car. The two luxury cars drove off in front of Be. Suddenly, Be remembered something and pped her forehead. ¡°Oh, no! I forgot to ask his name again!¡± The Bentley sped through Savrow¡¯s vibrant night scene. Christopher stared at the ss window. Among the gorgeous neon lights, what appeared in front of his eyes was Be¡¯s stunning and enchanting.face. He narrowed his upturned eyes and gently touched the cold ss window with his fingers. ¡°Be¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to meet you like this.¡± ¡°Mr. Iverson, I just briefly checked on the rtionship between Justin Salvador and Ms. Thompson. There is no information about their marriage, but I found out that they were officially divorced just this month.¡± The secretary was flipping through his iPad and said in an optimistic tone, ¡°Ms. Thompson is single now!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. She said that I am closer and more important to her than Justin ever will be.¡± Christopher was thrilled when he thought of those words. ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Iverson! You beat Justin Salvador!¡± His secretary was happy for him. ¡°This isn¡¯t remotely enough.¡± Christopher¡¯s gloomy and cold eyes, which were like arctic icebergs, only melted for Be. What I want is to be the only one in her heart.¡± Chapter 256 It was already past midnight when they returned to Be¡¯s private vi. Amelia was worried about her sister and kept trying to stay awake. Her eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion, and she looked so pitiful. ¡°Amelia, stop ming yourself. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t you have sses tomorrow morning? Go to bed quickly.¡± Be sat next to Amelia and reached out to hug her. ¡°Be, do you think that I¡¯m useless? You protected me when I was a child. Now that I¡¯m grown up, I still can¡¯t do anything for you¡­¡± Amelia pouted as tears filled her eyes again. ¡°Silly girl, what are you saying?¡± Be flicked Amelia¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°Because of you and Aunt Celeste, our family¡¯s bond became stronger. You are our baby and our most precious little lucky star. If you really want to do something for me, then you should work hard to realize your dream. When you make a name for yourself in the entertainment industry, I¡¯ll make you my spokesperson. That way we can keep the wealth within the family, and it can save me some money. How nice is that?¡± ¡°Be, I¡¯ll definitely seed!¡± Amelia wiped away the tears with the back of her hand and nodded seriously. After Amelia washed up, she fell asleep in seconds as soon as her head touched the pillow. Be covered her sister with the quilt and walked out of the room. Steven was already waiting for her in the study. ¡°I think Rosalind is hospitalized tonight. Have you found out the reason?¡± The warmth in Be¡¯s eyes disappeared as she sat down on the sofa. ¡°Yes. She attempted suicide by cutting her wrists and was rescued in time. She¡¯s currently out of danger.¡± Steven paused for a moment. A cold glint shed across his dark eyes. ¡°Justin has always been by her side.¡± ¡°Well, of course. That fake bitch tried to kill herself because of him. Even if Justin dies, he will have to be buried next to her.¡± Be mocked, not at all surprised. ¡°Miss, what do you think about Rosalind¡¯s suicide?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the funniest joke I¡¯ve heard all year!¡± Be leaned on her side, closed her eyes, and rubbed her sore temples. ¡°She hasn¡¯t be the wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s CEO or killed me yet, so how could she be willing to die first? Besides, people who really seek death won¡¯t want to be discovered.¡± ¡°So, you think that Rosalind is doing this just for show?¡± Steven frowned in confusion. ¡°But why did she make such a risky move? Wasn¡¯t she going to marry Justin soon? Did Justin think twice about marrying her? Is that why she¡¯s threatening him with her life?¡± Be felt frustrated. ¡°Who knows? Maybe he has his eye on someone else now that he¡¯s about to marry Rosalind. He thinks that the grass is always greener on the other side anyway. He¡¯s a ruthless man, so I won¡¯t be surprised if he abandons her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But I still hope they can get married smoothly. That way, they can rot together and stop harming others.¡± Steven ground his teeth angrily and asked, ¡°Who do you think sent the attacker? Shannon? But she¡¯s still in detention with Mr. Axel, so she shouldn¡¯t have time to arrange these things.¡± Be¡¯s eyes gradually turned gloomy. ¡°That man is a martial artist. Judging by his boxing and kicking skills, I think he¡¯s from an underground boxing ring. He has no technique, but he knows very practical killing moves. Shannon has no time to n this, and Bethany doesn¡¯t have the chance to meet such a person. Only Rosalind meets all the criteria. She used to live in Meridan for three years. Axel had done a background check on her before. Her interpersonal rtionships were veryplicated. She had affairs with multiple men. Maybe this simple- minded brute is one of them, and she used him to do her dirty work.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Steven¡¯s eyes trembled. He felt that Be¡¯s analysis made a lot of sense. ¡°As for the reason this man attacked me, I have no clue. Instead of ying the guessing game here, we might as well ask him tomorrow.¡± Be suddenly remembered something and leaned forward. ¡°By the way, did you leak this news to my eldest brother?¡± Steven sighed helplessly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t disobey your order. I didn¡¯t reveal a word to Mr. Asher.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s good.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Be¡¯s phone rang. Asher¡¯s name on the screen made Be¡¯s hair stand on end. Her eyes widened in fear. She hurriedly put her phone aside, not daring to answer it. Soon after, Steven¡¯s phone rang. However, he dared not reject his boss¡¯s call! ¡°Hi, Mr. Thompson.¡± Steven forced himself to calm down. ¡°Get Be to answer the phone.¡± Steven did not put the phone on speaker mode, but Asher¡¯s voice was deep and resounding, which made Be¡¯s eyelids twitch. Chapter 257 Steven replied, ¡°Ms. Be has gone to bed, Mr. Thompson¡­¡± ¡°Steven, you¡¯re bing more ballsy now, huh? Are you starting to collude with Be to deceive me?¡± Asher rarely showed his temper, but he was intimidating when he was furious. ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself. Get Be to answer the phone. Otherwise, you will no longer be her secretary by dawn.¡± Be¡¯s heart was beating like a drum. She was terrified. She quickly took over the phone, put it to her ear, and said in a sweet voice, ¡°Ash¡­¡± Asher took a deep breath to suppress some kind of emotion and said in a deep voice, ¡°Be,e out now. I have something to ask you.¡± Be walked out of the vi¡¯s door with a worried heart. Under the dim street lights, Asher stood in front of his ck Aston Martin with a stern face. His elegant gray suit made him look more solemn. The shadow of his long legs under the street light was fascinating. What a handsome big brother! However, at this moment, Be panicked when she saw him. She was like a troublemaking student going to see the principal. ¡°Ash¡­¡± Be walked up to Asher in small steps and pursed her red lips in fear. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. Let¡¯s talk in the car.¡± Without another word, Asher took off his suit jacket, wrapped it around Be¡¯s thin body, and pushed her into the car. They sat in the backseat of the car. Finally, Asher could not hold it back any longer. He held her shoulders and asked urgently. ¡°Where did that man hurt you?!¡± ¡°My arm¡­¡± Be did not dare to lie anymore. She lowered her eyelids and felt like a child who had made a mistake. Asher¡¯s handsome face turned pale. He touched her slender forearms and slowly rolled sleeves with shaky breaths. up This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . her The snow-white gauze came into view. Asher¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ash. It¡¯s nothing serious. It doesn¡¯t even hurt anymore.¡± Be hurriedly exined for fear that her brother would be worried. Asher put down her sleeves again and held her slightly cold hand. Asher¡¯s grip was so tight that Be¡¯s fingers turned red. She lowered her head in embarrassment and guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ash. I shouldn¡¯t have hidden this from you. But I think I can handle this by myself. I just didn¡¯t want you to worry about me.¡± After a crushing silence, Asher said word for word, ¡°He will die for hurting my sister.¡± Be¡¯s pupils shrank. Her heart clenched. Her eldest brother had been a saint for so long. At this moment, he seemed to have returned to the days when he was revered as the king of the underworld-¡°The Matrix¡±. ¡°Ash, I know you want to avenge me, but you promised me before¡­¡± Be hugged him and nuzzled her cheek against his heaving chest. ¡°That when youe back to me, you will turn over a new leaf. You promised not to touch those things in the past. That guy is just a hitman. It won¡¯t do anything if we burn him to ashes. The mastermind is still atrge! Our family has always been good at seizing opportunities. Since we have such a great pawn, it¡¯ll be a waste not to use it to its fullest potential, don¡¯t you think?¡± The murderous intent in Asher¡¯s eyes gradually subsided. He took a deep breath and reached out to the passenger seat with his long arm. He picked up a brown paper bag and handed it to Be. ¡°Open it and take a look.¡± Be blinked, took out the documents inside, and was startled to see the contents. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Steven told me about that man a long time ago. He was more anxious than you to find out who that man is, so he took a shortcut and asked me for help.¡± Asher suppressed the anger surging in his deep eyes. ¡°But that punk didn¡¯t tell me about your injury. Hah! He really knows how to avoid responsibility!¡± Be thought, ¡®Steven is such a loud mouth! I should start calling him Loose-lipped Lovett.¡¯ ¡°I told him not to tell you, so don¡¯t me him.¡± Although Be wasining about Steven, he was her secretary after all, so she still had to speak up for him. ¡°If he does this one more time, I will make sure he goes back to his own family business. No one can tell me otherwise.¡± Asher was stern and intimidating. Be pursed her little mouth and kept quiet. She was not even afraid of her father, but she was terrified of her eldest brother when he was angry. She would immediately turn into an obedient puppy. Be carefully looked through the stranger¡¯s details in the file. Suddenly, her beautiful eyes widened, and she eximed, ¡°It¡¯s him?!¡± Chapter 258 The man¡¯s name was Memphis. Asher¡¯s file contained a detailed background check on the man and even a stic surgery report. This man had undergone full-face stic surgery. Be was shocked to see the man¡¯s original face before stic surgery. She recognized him as Rosalind¡¯s fitness trainer-cum-lover in Meridan because Axel had shown Be his social media ount before. ¡°That¡¯s him! The man who groped Rosalind!¡± Be was so excited that she told Asher everything. After all, the photo of Rosalind being groped had left a deep impression on her. Asher coughed lightly, frowned, andughed. ¡°Be, watch your words.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right!¡± Be gritted her teeth and smiled slyly. ¡°Oh, I knew it! It¡¯s definitely Rosalind!¡± Asher¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold and filled with overwhelming anger. ¡°Before, I thought that woman was just jealous and only capable of ying some small tricks. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so ruthless. I really underestimated her.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s strange. Why would this man undergo full-face stic surgery?¡± Be curled her red lips and teased, ¡°Why did he have to lose his face after being with Rosalind?¡± ¡°Continue reading the file.¡± Asher reminded her with a doting smile on his face. Be flipped through the pages. It was a debt contract from a casino. ¡°Hah! I didn¡¯t expect him to be a gambler. He owes quite a sum too¡­ $5 million¡­¡± Asher said calmly, ¡°He¡¯s in debt. The casinos, banks, and loan sharks are all looking for him, so he went for full-face stic surgery to renege on his debt.¡± Be suddenly had an epiphany. Everything came together at once, and she understood the whole situation. ¡°This man was short on money, so out of desperation, he went to extort Rosalind. After all, Rosalind was the fianc¨¦e of Salvador Corporation¡¯s president, which equated to a human ATM. Through her, he could get whatever she wanted.¡± ¡°Then Rosalind took advantage of this man¡¯s greed and requested another condition.¡± Asher¡¯s breathing was heavy. He stretched out his long arms to pull his sister into his embrace in a protective stance. His eyes were bloodshot. ¡°That condition is to hurt you.¡¯ ¡°I guess this idiotic couple didn¡¯tmunicate well enough. Rosalind was nning to ¡®die¡¯ 1 the day that man attacked me.¡± Suddenly, Be looked at Asher with admiration. ¡°But it has only been a few hours since the incident. How did you find out everything so soon? You even have this man¡¯s debt contract. You¡¯re like a god!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡± Asher narrowed his eyes slightly and stroked his sister¡¯s soft hair. ¡°The casino in Meridan that he frequents was one of the ces I controlled, so I still have my people there. It¡¯s just a matter of words checking on someone.¡± Be was so shocked that she could not close her gaping mouth. She gasped and thought, ¡°The Matrix is so cool!¡¯ Gregory blocked the news of Rosalind¡¯s attempted suicide from leaking to prevent any damage to Salvador Corporation¡¯s reputation. In the study, the Salvador father and son once again fell into a stalemate. ¡°Justin, things have already gotten to this point. The only way to resolve this is for you and Rose to get married as soon as possible!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Gregory gave Justin an ultimatum. His tone was authoritative and stern. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? Since there is no time to hold a wedding ceremony, we can host an engagement ceremony first. We should get it done as soon as possible to prevent more trouble from arising.¡± ¡°I will find a way to get her out of this depressive episode.¡± Justin felt suffocated, but his eyes were resolute. ¡°But I can¡¯t marry her.¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°You were the one who insisted on Rosalind back then! You even divorced Ms. Thompson without telling everyone just so you could marry Rosalind as soon as possible! Now you have abandoned your ex-wife and forced your current fianc¨¦e into depression. What the hell are you thinking?! How could you break your promise and be so heartless?! You¡¯re nothing like me!¡± Justin sneered. His mocking eyes pierced through Gregory. Chapter 259 Gregory said, ¡°What are youughing at? Do you think what I said is funny?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Justin! You¡¯re so impudent!¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes were red with anger as he pped the table angrily. ¡°Instead of asking me to marry her, you might as well just say it¡¯s to restore thepany¡¯s image. That way, I¡¯llmend you for your frankness. But you want to talk about character, so I can only say that the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree.¡± Justin furrowed his eyebrows and bluntly exposed Gregory. There was bitter ridicule in hisugh. Justin did not know if he wasughing at Gregory or himself. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Gregory was stunned. The muscles around his eyes twitched. ¡°I wanted to marry the Rose that I grew up with. Now, I can no longer convince myself to marry the person she has grown up to be.¡± Justin lowered his long eyshes. ¡°But she did save my life. If it weren¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have been alive today. So to repay her, I will be with her during her depressive phase and wait for her to get better before I formally break up with her.¡± ¡°You¡­ You want to break up with Rosalind?!¡± Gregory thought he had misheard, so he asked again. ¡°Yes.¡± This time, Justin spoke without hesitation. ¡°Rosalind suffers from severe depression and attempted suicide because you postponed the wedding! If you break up with her, you¡¯ll just force her to die! How can she endure this emotional turmoil?!¡± Gregory was so furious that he wanted to spit fire. ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t mention it for now. When she is rehabilitated, I will mention the breakup to her.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were cold and dead. He had already made up his mind. Gregory was so shocked that his pupils shrank. He slowly sat back on the leather chair and looked at him probingly. ¡°Are you breaking up with Rose because you fell in love with Be Thompson?¡± Justin felt his heart tremble, but he blurted out without thinking, ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± ¡°Hah! You are my son. Although you didn¡¯t grow up under my care, you still have my blood flowing in your veins. I know you better than that!¡± Gregory narrowed his sharp eyes and smiled mockingly. ¡°After your grandfather¡¯s birthday party that night, you were so reluctant to part with Be when Wyatt picked her up. I even heard that you brought her home and humiliated Rose in front of her. Justin, you have never been so indecisive since you were young. If you didn¡¯t want something, you wouldn¡¯t even look at it. Why do you keep giving in to Be and showing her mercy at every turn? How could you deny liking her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time. Our breakup has nothing to do with Be.¡± Justin suddenly stood up. His eyes were red, and his veins were bulging along his long neck. He looked so pale. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not Be, but someone else, Rose shouldn¡¯t stir up trouble and use an innocent party.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all because she loves you! If she doesn¡¯t care about you and only cares about your identity and power, why would she go to trouble Be? Women get jealous easily. The more they care, the easier it is for them to get emotional. What¡¯s more, Be has been married to you for three years. Isn¡¯t it normal that Rosalind feels threatened by Be?¡± When Gregory said this, he suddenly thought of Shannon. At that time, Shannon was also like Rosalind. She loved to cry, make trouble, and crawl into his arms coquettishly. When they were intimate, she would be sweet and affectionate. He gradually became obsessed with her, so much so that he could not extricate himself. To Gregory, this was what love was. He thought that Rosalind must be so in love with Justin that she would risk her life for him, just to keep his heart. It was just like what Shannon did to Gregory. ¡°Be loved me once too.¡± After saying these words, Justin felt as if a nail had been pierced through his throat. ¡°In the three years she and I were married, she never hurt anyone. When did love be a reason to nder and hurt others unscrupulously?¡± He stopped talking to Gregory, turned around, and walked straight to the door. ¡°Justin! Are you going to let ourpany¡­¡¯ C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. }} ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Thepany is not yours alone. Even if I don¡¯t marry Rosalind, I will jeopardize the company.¡± Chapter 260 Justin walked out of the study with a pale face. His chest was so tight that he was about to suffocate. He found that Be was like a scar seared in his heart. He did not dare to touch it because the slightest touch hurt so much that his body might fall apart. However, what he dared not recall was the fact that Be had once loved him. Justin was proud by nature. When he was poor and hungry as a child, he never begged for money or humbled himself. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He and Be were like gamblers at the betting table who were fighting for not money but dignity. Justin must never admit that he was the loser in this bet. ¡°Mr. Salvador.¡± Ian hurriedly walked up to him. ¡°I have three things to report to you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Justin forced himself to calm down. A thinyer of sweat broke out on his forehead. ¡°The first thing is that Ms. Gold has woken up, but she¡¯s not in the right state of mind. She keeps shouting to see you.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°The second one?¡± ¡°The chairman has found a very powerfulwyer for Shannon, who will be released early tomorrow morning. I found out that her cousin Zephyr had taken all the me. Shannon is getting away unscathed.¡± Ian lowered his voice and sounded a little upset. ¡°What¡¯s thatwyer¡¯s name?¡± Justin frowned coldly. ¡°His name is Hunter Lovett. Justin was shocked. Gregory was indeed a veteran to be able to hire Hunter Lovett, the top attorney in the country, to represent Shannon. Ian took a step closer to Justin and continued, ¡°What¡¯s interesting is that Hunter Lovett is actually the eldest brother of the young madam¡¯s loyal secretary, Steven Lovett. He¡¯s actually the third son of the Lovett family! What a small world!¡± Justin¡¯s dark eyes shed with surprise. Although the Lovett family was not a wealthy family, they were extremely famous in the legal circle. Steven¡¯s father, Neil Lovett, was a well-known judge in the country. He was revered as the ¡°god of justice¡± in legal and political circles. Neil had three sons. His eldest son, Hunter, served as a legal consultant for tworge conglomerates. He had won numerous high-profilewsuits domestically and abroad and had never been defeated. Neil¡¯s second son, rence, followed his father¡¯s legacy and became a strict judge. Neil¡¯s youngest son, Steven, seemed mediocre, but his resume was astonishing. After graduating from high school, Steven went to Savrow University of Political Science and Law on schrship and became the youngest person at Savrow University to achieve a doctorate inw. He was a man of the hour in college. He could rely on his looks to earn a living, but he still got a full schrship and ranked first in every course. He was nicknamed ¡± Aces¡±. However, such a rare talent willingly became Be¡¯s secretary, who took care of her daily life like a male nanny. Be was truly surrounded by hidden talents. Justin could not help but feel bitterness in his heart. He said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before Shannon is released. But it doesn¡¯t matter. There is no way she can join the board of directors now.¡± ¡°The young madam is so amazing to be able to strike down that witch in one blow! Hehe¡­ Mr. Salvador, it¡¯s all thanks to the young madam that we have gotten a bargain this time!¡± Ian rubbed his hands happily. Justin looked at him coldly. His handsome face darkened as he said, ¡°If you admire her so much, why don¡¯t you work for her?¡± Ian was speechless. ¡°In the past, I won many battles, but you never got so excited. Think clearly about who pays your sry.¡± Ian kept quiet. ¡°What¡¯s the third thing?¡± ¡°Oh! I found the man who was with the young madamst night. It¡¯s really quite shocking to find out his identity!¡± Ian was creating suspense again. Justin¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened. His voice was hoarse. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Christopher Iverson, the fourth and youngest son of Iverson Group¡¯s chairman. He has been living in Sentania and just returned to Savrow a few days ago.¡± Christopher Iverson from the Iverson Group? Justin¡¯s heart twitched, and his charming eyes were gloomy. There were millions of projects in Savrow, and Iverson Group owned half of them. In Savrow, there was a saying in the businessmunity that the south was owned by the Salvadors, while the north was owned by the Iversons. The two families had hundreds of billions of dors in assets and were separated by a deep river. They seemed to be in harmony with each other, but in fact, they were at odds and had never stopped. Chapter 261 Long ago, Justin had heard about the extensive coboration between the KS Group and the Iverson Group in several major projects both domestically and internationally. The leaders of the two companies had a deep personal rtionship, having known each other for over twenty years. So, did Be and Christopher know each other since long ago? They were so close, as if there was no room for others in their eyes. Presumably, they were childhood sweethearts, inseparable from each other. Ian sighed with envy in his eyes. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not hard to understand. Young Madam¡¯s family background is extraordinary. She is the apple of Wyatt Thompson¡¯s eye and a rare, unattainable gem!¡± ¡°Look at her suitors. Each one is an exceptional individual. Just look at Neil Lovett¡¯s youngest son. He¡¯s only worthy of being ackey for the young madam.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. As he spoke, Ian pursed his lips and nced at his boss. He could not help but feel sorry for Justin. Even though Justin was the president of Salvador Corporation and soon to be the deputy chairman of the board, all these achievementsbined were not as impactful as the fact that Be Thompson was his wife. If word got out, it would surely make countless men turn green with envy! Justin¡¯s stern jawline tensed, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He raised his hand, supporting himself against the wall as his fingers slowly curled into a fist. He thought to himself, ¡®Christopher Iverson? Steven Lovett? What was that woman doing? Collecting men?!¡¯ The man pinched his nose bridge. His voice trembled as he took a breath. ¡°Ian, bring me my painkillers.¡± * As night fell, an emerald Rolls-Royce silently parked at the entrance of the ¡°dungeons¡±. The so-called ¡°dungeons¡± was a dpidated building on the western outskirts of Savrow that KS Group had acquired in its early years. Despite its remote location, Wyatt Thompson had wild ambitions for the ce. At the time, he heard through the grapevine that the western outskirts would be connected by subway in five years. He thought the building would skyrocket in value, so he bought it. Inside the unfinished building was a dark and damp basement. If someone were to be confined there, no one would be able to hear their cries. Since Asher knew about this matter, he could not possibly let his sister face it alone. So, he came along with Be. ¡°Mr. Asher, Ms. Be.¡± Two guards standing outside bowed respectfully. ¡°How is he?¡± Be asked in anguid tone, dragging her words. ¡°Still alive.¡± These two words carried a peculiar significance. Be nodded satisfactorily, walking alongside her eldest brother down the stairs and into the basement. Upon entering, a musty smell hit them, and a mouse scurried past Be¡¯s feet. However, she remained unfazed. She had experienced far worse conditions during her stint with Doctors Without Borders. In the dim and flickering light, a man was hung upside down in the center of the basement. His face was battered, bruised, and extremely red and swollen due to the prolonged inversion. Seeing the Thompson siblings, the man contorted his body like a silkworm. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he pleaded for mercy. ¡°I was wrong¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Thompson! Spare me, please! I¡¯ll do anything! Just let me live!¡± When he attacked them earlier, Be thought this guy was quite good at acting tough. She thought he had a strong backbone, but it only took three days for him to reveal his true colors. Asher¡¯s brows furrowed. As he started to move forward, Be promptly held him back. ¡°Ash, we agreed that I would handle this. You have to keep your word.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Asher took a deep breath to suppress his anger before taking a step back. Be crossed her arms and calmly walked up to Memphis. Lifting her slender and well-toned leg, she used the pointed heel of her stilettos to kick the man¡¯s shoulder. His body swung in mid-air, nearly making him vomit. ¡°Ms. Thompson¡­ I really didn¡¯t know it was you¡­ If I had known¡­ How could I have listened to evil Rosalind¡¯s instigation and attacked you?¡± Regret filled his heart as his tears overflowed from his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m willing to make amends¡­ I¡¯ll do anything! Please¡­ Please spare my life! Even if it means going to jail!¡± ¡°If you want to stay alive, just answer a few questions for me.¡± Be did not want to waste any time and got straight to the point. ¡°Ask away! I will definitely tell you everything¡­¡± Be Thompson¡¯s beautiful eyes shed with a cold light. ¡°As Rosalind¡¯s lover in the Meridan, you know if she has ever given birth?¡± Chapter 262 Asher¡¯s eyes narrowed subtly as he shot Be a deep, scrutinizing look. This younger sister of his was a real opportunist who did not y by the rules. A tiny gap was all she needed to flip the situation and catch her opponents off guard. Memphis¡¯s face went rigid. He had not expected Be to ask him about this! ¡°Going by your expression, you definitely know something,¡± Be said. Her gaze was cold and cynical. ¡°I¡­ I do,¡± Memphis stuttered, swallowing hard. His voice trembled as he confessed, ¡± Because¡­ That child¡­ Is mine and Rosalind¡¯s¡­¡± Both of the Thompson siblings were left bewildered! Be¡¯s small hand clenched with excitement. Her gamble with the question paid off handsomely! ¡°What¡¯s the whole deal? Exin in detail,¡± Asher demanded, his voice icy and pressing. Memphis exined, ¡°I¡­ I used to work as a fitness coach at a high-end gym in Meridan. I met Rosalind when I was her personal trainer¡­ And, well, things escted. She was particrly alluring and was quite forward in seducing me. Over time, we ended up together.¡± Be raised an intrigued eyebrow. ¡°Go on. Memphis continued, ¡°But we both had an unspoken understanding that our rtionship was just a casual fling. Rosalind always had other men around her, and I was just one of them. Later, there was a time when we experimented with some drugs. She got high, and we didn¡¯t use any contraceptives ¡­ Even though she took a morning-after pill afterward, it isn¡¯t 100% safe. Not long after, she found out she was pregnant.¡± Be blinked and thought, ¡®Well, well¡­ Looks like Rosalind was even into drugs. The more you dig, the more surprises you find!¡¯ She asked, ¡°With Rosalind¡¯s ruthless personality, she surely wouldn¡¯t have kept the child. So why did she go through with the pregnancy?¡± ¡°She imed she had a naturally weak body and that she wouldn¡¯t be able to conceive again if she got an abortion. She said no prestigious family would ept a barren daughter-inw. So, she reluctantly went ahead and gave birth to the child,¡± Memphis exined. The topic of children has always been a sensitive one for Be. This man¡¯s words had clearly struck a chord of pain in her, but she quicklyposed herself. Her voice was cold as she asked, ¡°Where is that child now?¡± ¡°I¡­ I only know she¡¯s in a welfare home in the southern province of Meridan. The girl is around two or three years old now¡­ Apart from that, I know nothing else!¡± Memphis confessed. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Memphis did not dare to conceal anything further. Unfortunately, he was heartless and had never once bothered to visit his daughter. He could only provide this limited information after racking his brain for details. ¡°Hah! People like you are the greatest insult to all parents in the world,¡± Asher angrily dered. ¡°That is your child, and you just discard her like trash without caring to check up on her?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like wepletely don¡¯t care¡­ I heard Rosalind¡¯s mother has been privately keeping tabs on my daughter. After all, the moment the child was born, Rosalind¡¯s mother took her away. That woman must know where my daughter is!¡± Memphis could not bear to be tormented again, so he revealed another crucial piece of information. Be¡¯s bright eyes flickered with determination, having made up her mind about something. She turned to look at her eldest brother. As if with an unspoken understanding, Asher also looked at her. When the siblings locked eyes, they understood each other without saying anything. At that moment, the door to the basement opened, and a bodyguard hastily entered, holding Memphis¡¯s phone. ¡°Miss, there¡¯s an iing call,¡± the bodyguard reported. With a cold nce at the screen, Be took the phone and asked, ¡°Who is Ashley?¡± Memphis flinched and swallowed hard, wiping his nose. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Rosalind¡­¡± ¡°Answer it. You talk to her,¡± Be instructed. Be leaned down, extending the phone toward him with a frosty gaze. ¡°No tricks, no nonsense. Act like nothing happened. Don¡¯t alert her.¡± Memphis nodded frantically, obedient as a dog. He answered the call. ¡°Hello, Ashley. Why are you calling sote? Did you miss me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself.¡± Rosalind paused and asked in a low voice, ¡°You haven¡¯t caused me any trouble lately, have you? I told you not to act impulsively and to wait for my instructions. You haven¡¯t messed things up, right?¡± Memphis could only grit his teeth and say, ¡°No, since you didn¡¯t give the signal, I didn¡¯t dare to act recklessly.¡± Be lowered her longshes, a faint smirk ying on her lips. Chapter 263 Memphis had taken matters into his own hands. He made a move on Be behind Rosalind¡¯s back, which ultimately led them to their current predicament because he was in dire need of funds. He wanted to quickly resolve this issue to im a reward from Rosalind. What a horrible teammate! Rosalind dered, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to Be until I give you the green light. The situation has improved now that I¡¯ve regained Justin¡¯s trust. Gregory has even agreed to our marriage, so we should be announcing our engagement soon.¡± Asher thought, ¡®Engagement?¡¯ His concerned gaze shifted towards his sister. Be remained indifferent. Her eyes narrowed as she let out a casual yawn. Asher could not help but smile when he saw his sister¡¯s nonchnt response. Memphis asked, ¡°Well, now that Justin and you are all sorted, what about the $5 million¡­?¡± Growing irritated, Rosalind retorted dismissively, ¡°Why are you so impatient?!¡± She snapped, ¡°Is it really necessary for you to rush me for that small amount of money? I will wire you $50,000 first. Go ahead and waste it all. Once Justin and I have finalized everything and the engagement ceremony is wrapped up, I¡¯ll transfer the bnce to you.¡± Memphis asked, ¡°Do I still need to take action against Be?¡± ¡°Make sure she gets what she deserves,¡± Rosalind replied, brimming with malice. ¡°She has made my life so unbearable. I want the rest of her days to be an endless loop of misery. Even if I can¡¯t leave her crippled¡­ I want to ruin that seductive face of hers!¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. The call ended, leaving Memphis visibly shaken by Rosalind¡¯s spiteful words. In contrast, Be remainedposed and poised, disying her remarkable mental resilience. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. I¡¯ll contact you if necessary,¡± Be calmly stated. At that moment, Be¡¯s phone rang. It was Steven. She answered it while turning to leave the underground basement. As Be left, the atmosphere turned ominous. Memphis¡¯ eyes widened in terror as Asher approached him. Asher was exuding a chill, like he had juste from hell. He narrowed his eyes and bent down slowly. Then he produced a silver cross dagger from his suit. Its de caught the cold light in the basement, flickering with an eerie gleam. It was as if he would cut off Memphis¡¯ head in the next second. Though Asher made no immediate move, Memphis was petrified, as if he had seen the grim reaper. Asher calmly said, ¡°My sister¡¯s arm was injured because of you. Memphis stuttered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±. Asher shook his head as he slowly closed his eyes and prayed. ¡°Merciful Lord, please forgive my transgressions. Everything I have done is for the one I love.¡± Within seconds, a wretched scream echoed in the dungeons as Asher severed the tendon on Memphis¡¯ hand. In an empty field, Steven stood alone, waiting. His clear and smooth face was now haggard and pale with exhaustion ¡°Steve, why did youe?¡± Be asked with concern as she noticed his paleplexion. Steven looked at Be with a heavy heart. He muttered with a trembling voice, ¡°Ms. Be, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Chapter 264 ¡°Steve, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Be asked with concern. Her eyes widened as she saw his disheveled figure. Steven, who was usuallyposed, stood in front of her with swollen eyes and pale lips, looking extremely pitiful. Asher asked, ¡°Is this about Shannon?¡± Asher walked up from behind Be, wiping his hands with a handkerchief. Be looked over and was surprised to find bloodstains on it. Be sighed at the realization that her brother had once again taken matters into his own hands, robbing her of the opportunity to showcase her talents. ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Steven bowed. His apology echoed in the tense air. Puzzled, Be nced at her phone as it rang. Axel¡¯s name lit up the screen. Be answered, ¡°Axel?¡± ¡°Be, Shannon left my ce just a few moments ago.¡± Axel¡¯s tone was tinged with helplessness and self-me. He continued, ¡°My team has been actively gathering evidence of Shannon¡¯s abuse of and bribery for the past few days. Unfortunately, it seems she was well-prepared. All the evidence now points to Zephyr Quarry.¡± power Axel added, ¡°Gregory had hired Hunter Lovett, a skilledwyer known for ying dirty and exploiting every loophole. Since we werecking evidence, we had no choice but to release Shannon.¡± Be replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Axel. You¡¯ve done your best. Besides, we¡¯ve achieved our primary goal. What truly matters is that the project in Baxim remains under our control. We can discuss the rest in due course.¡± Be was not as anxious as the men around her. Each one of them seemed ready to skin Shannon alive. While Shannon was undoubtedly despicable, Be understood a fundamental principle that haste often led to mistakes. Gregory¡¯s infatuation with Shannon meant that he would spare no effort to save his wife. It was not worth it to escte the conflict between the two conglomerates over a project. Axel continued, ¡°By the way, Be, Steven already called me. The poor guy was almost in tears. Please let him know that this matter has nothing to do with him at all.¡± Axel sighed. ¡°He¡¯s overthinking it for your sake. He was afraid you¡¯d be upset, so he burdened himself excessively.¡± Be replied, ¡°Alright¡­¡± Upon ending the call, Be seemed to have grasped the situation. She looked at Steven with complicated emotions and said, ¡°Steve¡­¡± Steven reproached himself. His eyes were red. ¡°Ms. Be, this is my family¡¯s fault. I am willing to bear any punishment.¡±. Steven found out today that his brother, Hunter Lovett, had taken on Shannon¡¯s case. He was so angry that he ran to Hunter¡¯sw firm and had a heated argument with Hunter at the office. -¡°Our father was upright and incorruptible. During his tenure, he offended countless people, so as soon as he retired, our enemies started targeting our family and seeking revenge against our father, attempting to frame us for injustice. If it wasn¡¯t for Chairman Salvadoring to our aid at that time and hiring our father as the legal advisor so that the conglomerate could protect us, how could our parents have enjoyed their retirement? How could yourw firm have be so sessful?! Now that Ms. Be is going against Shannon, how can you represent the Salvadors and help Shannon escape charges?! Isn¡¯t this betraying their trust for personal gain?!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Steven and Hunter had not argued for over two decades, but this time, Steven was putting his foot down for Be¡¯s sake. ¡°The Thompsons have been kind to us, but that doesn¡¯t mean our whole family is indebted to them! Besides, our father has sessfully won numerouswsuits for Wyatt Thompson over the years. Any gratitude owed has already been repaid. I am a professionalwyer. To me, everyone is a potential client. As long as it¡¯s a case I can handle, I will take it on. It has nothing to do with any ties to the Salvadors or the Thompsons. Instead, look at you! Our parents painstakingly raised you, provided you with the best education, and invested considerable effort to see you seed and achieve greatness, not to have you be ackey for the Thompsons!¡± Hunter¡¯s words pierced Steven¡¯s heart. Despite his heart belonging to Be, the weight of his family¡¯s expectations held him captive. He felt unworthy to face Be again. Be asked, ¡°Steve, what are you saying?¡± Be¡¯s brow furrowed as she approached him with a tender smile. She ced her hands on his trembling shoulders and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, and let¡¯s not allow this incident to sour our rtions with your family. Shannon isn¡¯t worth the trouble. Why should we let it cast a shadow on our families and dampen our spirits?¡± ¡°Ms. Be¡­¡± Steven¡¯s voice broke, heavy with guilt. Be interjected. ¡°Ipletely understand why Hunter is taking on Shannon¡¯s case. No hard feelings.¡± Be¡¯s gaze remained unwavering as she spoke earnestly, ¡°Professionals should stick to their duties, especiallywyers, who must remain impartial. If Hunter has been hired by the Salvador family under suitable conditions, he should handle their case professionally. I¡¯m confident that if we need legal assistance in the future, your family will be there, right?¡± Steven nodded shyly and lowered his gaze. The three of them got into the car. Asher held Be¡¯s hand, gently caressing her palm as he asked, ¡°Be, what are your ns moving forward?¡± Chapter 265 Be said, ¡°To find Rosalind¡¯s illegitimate daughter, we will lure them out of hiding.¡± Her eyes shined with a subtle gleam. ¡°Memphis let it slip that only Rosalind¡¯s mother knows the whereabouts of that child. So, I say we get Jean to lead us straight to her, sparing us the need for our own investigation.¡± Asher chuckled softly and asked with a mysterious smile. ¡°What about Rosalind? How are you going to handle her?¡± Be¡¯s expression turned cryptic. ¡°If you want to bring someone down, you¡¯ve got to make them lose it- drive them mad.¡± Be let out a yawn as she rubbed her eyes. With a hint of weariness in her voice, she said, She¡¯s almost getting engaged to Justin, right? If we don¡¯t let her bask in the limelight, how can we crush her?¡± Asher¡¯s heart stirred as he looked back on the situation. He added, ¡°Speaking of Justin, this guy is truly blind.¡± Be scoffed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s blind or not. I¡¯ve realized my worth. A guy with such ws doesn¡¯t matter to me anymore.¡± Suddenly, Be¡¯s eyes widened as she remembered something. She swiftly took out her phone and navigated to the gallery, revealing a series of photos she had secretly taken of Christopher. Be asked, ¡°Ash, take a look at this person. Do you recognize him?¡± Her voice was tinged with a mix of curiosity and excitement. Be added, ¡°The day Memphis almost got the best of me, this gentleman stepped in just in time. That¡¯s why I only ended up with minor injuries.¡± Asher was surprised. ¡°Really? Well, you should express your gratitude to him properly.¡± Be said, ¡°He¡¯s being all mysterious, though.¡± She continued with a yful smile on her lips, ¡°I asked him about his identity, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me who he is. What¡¯s more intriguing is that he actually knows who I am!¡± The image of Christopher¡¯s handsome, chiseled face popped up in her mind. She was getting increasingly curious. Under her gentle, youthful exterior, Be harbored a strong desire for control. She disliked the notion of anything or anyone slipping through her fingers. Asher leaned in, carefully examining the man in the photo. Suddenly, his eyes widened in recognition, and he looked at Be with an astonished gaze. Asher¡¯s tone carried disbelief as he asked, ¡°Be, do you really not recognize him?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Be was bewildered. ¡°Should I know him?¡± ¡°When you were little, I distinctly remember that the two of you had a good rtionship.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Be eximed, her surprise and skepticism evident. She scrutinized the photo and tried hard to recall her memories. He seemed somewhat familiar, but the memory eluded her at that moment. Asher continued, ¡°Christopher, from the Iverson family. When he was little, he was a bit introverted and didn¡¯t like to talk. You were the only one who was willing to y with him. Have you really forgotten?¡± Be was struck by the realization. ¡°He¡¯s Critter?!¡± She eximed in disbelief, ¡°Wow, what kind of food did he take to have grown so tall?!¡± Late at night, Christopher¡¯s private club was vibrant. Under the hazy lights, people were having a grand time. Laughter, clinking sses, and the asional passionate kiss filled the air. Amidst this lively scene, Christopher sat alone in a quiet corner, giving off an air of elegance and poise. His presence seemed to discourage any woman from approaching. He was infamous for being cold, surly, and mysophobic. He was not an easy person to please, and no one dared provoke him for fear of disappearing from Savrow. A somewhat tipsy guy stumbled towards Christopher and said, ¡°I can¡¯t make it to our yacht party in two days.¡± The man leaned unsteadily against Christopher. Frustration etched his face as he continued, ¡® My father wants me to go on a blind date¡­ Burp! What the fuck, right?! Who the hell gets married in their twenties anyway? Only Justin Salvador wants to settle down quickly.¡± Christopher sipped some red wine and calmly responded, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, then just say no.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°But I can¡¯t!¡± The man tugged at his tie in annoyance. ¡°The one I¡¯m set up with is the daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay, Wyatt Thompson! What¡¯s her name? Bel-¡® Christopher gasped. His eyes shed, and he quickly said, ¡°I have a perfect solution.¡± The man was eager to know. ¡°Tell me more!¡± Christopher finished his ss of wine. The shifting lights shadowed his facial features, giving him an eerie and mysterious allure. He proposed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the yacht party? And I¡¯ll go on the blind date on your behalf.¡± Chapter 266 Nearly a weekter, Shannon finally emerged from the prosecutor¡¯s office, looking visibly fatigued. Stripped of the high-end cosmetics, she appeared pale and haggard, as if she had aged a decade. Several strands of white hair had even appeared. To avoid the swarm of reporters, Shannon could not bring herself to return home in this ghostly state. She feared that Gregory might catch sight of her like this, causing her carefully maintained image to fall apart. Sensing her concern, Bethany apanied Shannon to a beauty salon first, where she washed up before venturing out to face the world. As they left the salon, Shannon said, ¡°Let¡¯s not go home just yet. Let¡¯s go see Rosalind.¡± She adjusted her hair in the mirror with a gloomy expression and continued, ¡°After all, she is my niece. Having risked half her life, I can¡¯t afford not to care. I must uphold my kind and benevolent image for your father.¡± Shannon thought to herself, ¡®A meticulously crafted persona for 25 years-it absolutely must not unravel!¡¯ Bethany said, ¡°Mom! Rosalind actually resorted to suicide!¡± Although Bethany harbored a dislike for Rosalind, the memory of that blood-soaked bathroom still haunted her. ¡°Let¡¯s not even talk about whether Justin will fall for her fake suffering. If her scheme went awry and nobody discovered it in time, she might lose her life. She¡¯s truly ruthless, even to herself!¡± ¡°Heh, how could anyone not discover it in time?¡± Shannon said with a yful smile as she put away her mirror. Bethany was momentarily stunned before a sudden realization dawned on her. She gasped. ¡± Mom! Did you already know¡­¡± Shannon immediately lifted her index finger to her lips, signaling for Bethany to not say another word. It was Shannon¡¯s idea to arouse Justin¡¯s sympathy by attempting suicide. Back then, she had used a simr strategy, leveraging it to evoke Gregory¡¯s sympathy. It granted her entry into the Salvador family, paving the way for the life she enjoys today. Justin had also suffered from depression, and it was Rosalind who supported him through that challenging period. Triggering the past trauma would naturally bring back memories of Rosalind¡¯s virtues. Despite the significant risk involved, the potential rewards were even more considerable. ¡°Even if Rosalind isn¡¯t an ideal candidate, I can¡¯t allow any possibility of a reunion between Justin and that wretched woman, Be!¡± Shannon had endured a lot these past few days dealing with the prosecution, and the mere thought of Be made her clench her fists. ¡°Be, how dare you y games with me? I swear, I will fight you to the end! I won¡¯t let you get away with it!¡± Shannon added, ¡°The Thompson family might be formidable in Hatchbay, but that¡¯s just a small town. In Savrow, the Salvador family has the final say.¡± Bethany said with resentment, ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of chances in the future to deal with that wretched woman!¡± She was determined to take revenge on Be for throwing the slippers in her face that day. Just as Shannon approached the hospital room¡¯s door, she learned that both Gregory and Justin were inside. Shannon put on a facade of a virtuous wife and loving mother. She entered the room as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Rosalind! My dearest Rosalind! Why would you contemte something so drastic and do such a foolish thing?¡± In the presence of the two men, Shannon embraced Rosalind and sobbed uncontrobly.¡± Why must the women in our family endure such misfortune? Framed and tormented by others¡­ If this continues, I won¡¯t be able to endure it any longer.¡± ¡°Aunt Shannon, please don¡¯t be like this¡­¡± Rosalind wept and skillfully yed the role of a distressed victim. Jean, who was in the room, joined in on their act. The hospital turned into a scene reminiscent of a funeral. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Meanwhile, Justin silently observed them. His face was devoid of any emotion. Rosalind sneakily nced at him, but the man¡¯s indifference sent shivers down her spine. In the past, whenever she cried, he would always be the first toe andfort her with soothing words. But now, all that tenderness seemed to have vanished. The affection that once belonged to her was gradually slipping away, and all this was thanks to Be! The three women embraced each other in tears, and Gregory¡¯s brow remained deeply furrowed. Gregory said solemnly, ¡°Shannon, Justin,e over here. I have something to say.¡± A few momentster, in the reception room, Shannon gasped, ¡°Greg!¡± Chapter 267 Tears streamed down Shannon¡¯s cheeks, she stared at Gregory with pitiful eyes and said, ¡°I thought I would never see you again. These past few days have been like a living hell for me! I was so scared, Greg¡­¡± Gregory sympathized with Shannon. He could see that his beloved wife was in distress. However, with a heap of troubles that umted over the past few days, hecked the mood to comfort her. Just then, the television mounted on the wall began broadcasting the news, capturing their attention. Much to their surprise, the news showed the signing ceremony of the coboration between Asher, president of the KS Group, and the project leaders of the Baxim development, including Mayor Solloway. In the footage, Asher exchanged contracts with Mayor Solloway, warmly shaking hands. The shing cameras below captured this significant moment. Justin stared at the screen intently. His grip tightened around the teacup, so much so that the veins on his forearm were bulging. His usuallyposed face turned frosty as a feeling of anger arose in his heart. At the same time, Gregory¡¯s expression turned gloomy. He thought, ¡®That bratty girl snatched away a perfectly good project!¡¯ Shannon¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She quickly hugged Gregory¡¯s arm andined bitterly.¡± This time, Be has crossed the line! What did our family do to offend her? Not only did she snatch the project, but she also wanted to send me to jail! How can this woman be so ruthless? Throughout her three years of marriage to Justin, the Salvador family treated her with kindness. How can she repay kindness with enmity?!¡± Upon hearing these usations, Justin felt an unsettling difort. He calmly set down his teacup and said, ¡°Is having Be cook for you for the past three years your so-called kindness?¡± Shannon, filled with anger, clenched her teeth. ¡°Be made that choice voluntarily. No one forced her!¡± ¡°Shannon.¡± Gregory, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, suddenly said, ¡± There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± He continued, ¡°The appointment letter has been issued. From now on, Justin will be the president of the Salvador Corporation and deputy chairman of the board. That¡¯s final.¡± Gregory¡¯s words exploded in her ears like thunder. ¡°Greg¡­ What are you saying? Why¡­¡± Shannon asked in shock. Her face turned pale in an instant. Gregory pursed his lips and chose to remain silent for a moment. Justin squinted, understanding theplex bond between them. Gregory found it difficult to speak on this matter, yet he was willing to shoulder the burden. Justin interjected, ¡°You¡¯re well aware of the reason, Aunt Shannon. A high-ranking executive who has just undergone a prosecutor¡¯s investigation, carrying charges of bribery, abuse of power, and corruption-how could such an individual hold onto a pivotal role in thepany? If this were to be public knowledge, the management of Salvador Corporation C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. would be aughingstock in the business circles of Savrow.¡± Shannon shouted, ¡°Be framed me! She used my cousin¡¯s predicament to take revenge and set me up!¡± Her eyes were bloodshot as she stood up abruptly. Driven by anger and distress, the world turned dark before her eyes. She eximed, ¡°Zephyr orchestrated everything! He has already confessed to it! It has nothing to do with me! Why can¡¯t I be the deputy chairman of the board?!¡± Justin smirked as he calmly stood up and left the room. He could not be bothered by the woman before him. Internally, Shannon was madly cursing Justin, ¡®Bastard! That heartless bastard!¡¯ She held on tightly to Gregory¡¯s stiff arm and said, ¡°Gregory! I¡¯m innocent¡­ I was manipted by that little bitch, Be! You promised me that position¡­ How could you give it to him?¡± ¡°Shannon, though I am the chairman of Salvador Corporation, it is a publicly listedpany with shareholders and board members. It¡¯s not solely my decision. In a situation like this, how can I still support you in taking that position?¡± Gregory took a deep breath, forcefully withdrawing his arm from her grip, and said, ¡°Also, are you truly innocent?¡± ¡°Gregory, are you doubting me? I¡¯m your wife! We¡¯ve been married for 25 years¡­ You know what kind of person I am. How can you believe those rumors and gossip?¡± Shannon¡¯s heart skipped a beat, attempting to mask her guilt. Gregory frowned and looked at her intensely. He said nothing and left. His gaze struck Shannon like a sharp bolt of lightning, piercing through her soul. She thought, ¡®It¡¯s over. After all the effort and schemes, everything is taken away from me!¡¯ Chapter 268 In the hospital room, Jean sat by Rosalind¡¯s bedside whileforting her. ¡°Your uncle has pulled quite a few strings and spent a significant amount of money to hire Hunter for your aunt¡¯s release. It shows that your uncle cares about your aunt deeply.¡± Jean spoke with a cheerful tone. ¡°Thanks to Shannon, your marriage with Justin seems almost certain! Didn¡¯t hee to the hospital to visit you whenever he had some free time? He also spoke gently to you. The rtionship between you two has clearly improved.¡± Jean¡¯s face was brimming with joy at the thought of bing the mother-inw of the Salvador Corporation¡¯s president soon. She asked, ¡°You understand Justin¡¯s temper better than I do. If he really disliked you, why would he bothering to the hospital to apany you?¡± ¡°Although that¡¯s true, I feel vaguely uneasy,¡± Rosalind replied, her uncertainty evident. Thinking of Justin¡¯s cold and indifferent gaze, Rosalind could not help but feel apprehensive.¡± Even though he¡¯s been with me these days and taking care of me, I just feel that he¡¯s different from before.¡± Jean replied, ¡°Alright now. Don¡¯t scare yourself.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. At that moment, the door swung open, and Justin walked in. Rosalind swiftly took on a frail appearance as if hanging between life and death, tearfully calling out, ¡°Justin¡­¡± He approached her with a stoic expression. She reached out, hoping to touch him, but he unexpectedly stopped. Her hand lingered awkwardly in the air, and her pale cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. ¡°I have to go back to the office for some business. I¡¯lle to see you tonight.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was still gentle, but with a chilly edge. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m sorry.¡± On the trouble¡­ It¡¯s all my fault.¡± verge of tears, Rosalind gazed at him tenderly. ¡°I¡¯ve caused you ¡°Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± After uttering these words, Justin turned and left the hospital room. Rosalind tightly gripped the bedsheet, holding back the words she wanted to say to him. The present Justin was not the same person who used to pamper and protect her. Sometimes, the way he looked at her made her feel uneasy. In a hurry, she signaled to Jean, who nodded and quickly chased after Justin. Jean called out. ¡°Um¡­ Justin!¡± Justin stopped in his tracks, giving Jean a cold nce before he asked, ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°In the past few days, you¡¯ve seen Rosalind¡¯s condition. When you¡¯re around, she seems more clear- headed, but when you¡¯re not, she¡¯s practically tormented by depression. Rosalind has suffered a lot abroad, enduring all the hardships just to return to your side. If you give up on her, my child¡¯s future will be ruined!¡± Jean wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Justin responded, ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for Rosalind¡¯s illness. After all, she once saved my life.¡± With that, Justin turned and walked away. Jean was left standing in contemtion, a cold shiver gripping her heart. In the days that followed, Be found herself immersed in the hustle and bustle of organizing meetings with the senior management, striving toplete the wedding nning project to perfection. On this day, while deeply engrossed in discussions with the project team, she received an unexpected call from Wyatt. Be answered, ¡°Wyatt, I¡¯m in the middle of something. What¡¯s up?¡± She tilted her head, holding the phone between her cheek and shoulder while flipping through documents. ¡®Wyatt? Wyatt Thompson?!¡¯ The lively atmosphere of the team shifted abruptly upon hearing that the chairman himself was on the line, causing everyone to hold their breath in anticipation. This was the kind of top-tier big shot that these ordinary folks could never dream of encountering their entire lives! In a low, abrupt tone, Wyatt said, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Be was bewildered. Wyatt suddenly raised his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s time for your blind date! You¡¯d better go, or else!¡± Be frowned in disapproval and moved the phone further away from her ears. As a result, everyone heard Wyatt¡¯s words loud and clear. Every one of them was so shocked that their eyeballs seemed on the verge of popping out! ¡®Shocking news! The talented and elegant Be, whose wealth could rival a nation¡¯s, needs a matchmaker to find a partner?!¡¯ Chapter 269 Would regr people even have a chance of finding a partner if someone like Be was having trouble finding one? ¡°Wyatt, I¡¯m in the middle of a meeting. Let¡¯s discuss pointless topics in private.¡± Be was exasperated. She rubbed her temples. ¡°Pointless? How is choosing a life partner pointless to you?¡± Wyatt snorted in response. ¡°I am not going to beat around the bush. Just one thing, do you think bing CEO of KS Group is pointless?¡± Be thought to herself, ¡®That cunning old fox! He¡¯s leveraging his position to put pressure on me! Did he learn such a maniptive technique from Justin?¡¯ ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go, but not today, as I have an important meetingter.¡± Be seized every opportunity to find excuses and push it back. ¡°Fine, go ahead and dy it, but you can¡¯t dy it forever.¡± In her mind, Be felt that Wyatt was belittling her. As the meeting continued, the air in the room grew tense. Everyone feared offending Be, well aware of the potential consequences. When Be went back to her office, she slumped onto the sofa in frustration, appearingpletely drained of energy, as if all life had been sucked out of her. Steven, with a cup of coffee in hand, walked in and asked with concern, ¡°Ms. Be, is there a problem with the project?¡± Beined, ¡°Wyatt, that heartless old schemer!¡± Beid on the sofa, pouting her lips as she forcefully pounded the couch. She ranted, ¡°I¡¯ve managed to revamp this chaotic hotel and secure a billion-dor project for KS Group. Yet he doesn¡¯t appreciate my efforts and goes on to bring up the topic of arranged marriage!¡± To her annoyance, Be added, ¡°I wonder if Drew is recruiting people right now. Perhaps I ought to be a spy and let Wyatt be an empty nester!¡± ¡°Ms. Be, I know you are the most filial child. You also know that Chairman Thompson is getting older. As he gradually steps down, he needs his children around to care for him. I believe you will definitely stay with us and look after Chairman Thompson.¡± Steven¡¯s clear eyes were filled with tenderness. He set down the coffee and sat beside Be. ¡± Moreover, KS Group needs your strategic nning to grow and strive in Savrow. There are many people in thepany who have been eyeing us, and internal struggles have never stopped. I¡¯ve witnessed how Chairman Thompson hase this far over the years. Frankly, the pressure on him is immense. He doesn¡¯t like being the chairman, but everything he does is to support the family.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Be muttered, ¡°Yes, I know that.¡± Be let out a light sigh and casually kicked off her high heels, revealing her feet. Steven hesitated briefly before he grabbed a thin nket and ced her delicate feet on hisp. He covered her legs with the nket and started massaging Be¡¯s legs with a practiced hand. Apart from his mother, Steven had never wholeheartedly cared for anyone else. As Be rested her eyes, she said, ¡°I want to take on this responsibility so I canpletely free Ash from his burden. Besides, I feel like I¡¯m capable enough to do this.¡± Not only did she have the capability, but Be was also naturally ambitious and intrigued by power and politics. If it were not for her marriage with Justin, she would have long been the CEO of KS Group and made a name for herself. Be thought to herself, ¡®I have to work harder to catch up on all the time I wasted on that worthless man.¡¯ Steven responded, ¡°Ms. Be, the blind date might not be a bad idea. Just think of it as making a new friend. The Chairman didn¡¯t say that you must marry them. He just cares too much about you.¡± Steven reassured her, but deep down, he could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy. He knew from the beginning that he was unworthy of Be. ¡®How could I ever be good enough for the elegant and poised Be Thompson?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s just a blind date. Could it be scarier than going to the battlefield?¡± Be smiled cunningly as her feet fidgeted under the nket. She giggled. ¡°He might have his strategies, but I¡¯ve got my own ns.¡± Seeing Be act like a mischievous little girl, Steven¡¯s heart felt warm as he asked, ¡°Ms. Be, what ideas do you have now?¡± Be stood up quickly and walked toward the desk with her bare feet. Steven knew how important it was for girls to keep their feet warm, so he hurriedly picked up her high heels and caught up to her. Steven kneeled beside her and urged gently. ¡°Put your shoes on quickly so you don¡¯t get cold feet.¡± Be lifted her foot, letting Steven help her put on the heels. She picked up a pen and jotted something down on a piece of paper. Soon, a list was prepared. She passed the list to Steven and said, ¡°Here, help me gather everything on this list by the end of the day.¡± Steven took it, nced down, and could not help but chuckle. ¡°Ms. Be, you¡¯re so mischievous.¡± Chapter 270 Under Chairman Thompson¡¯s meticulous arrangements, the blind dates were swiftly scheduled. Be applied her makeup in the restroom while Steven stood outside, holding an iPad and briefing her on the schedule for the day. ¡°11:30 a.m. lunch with Mr. Zimmer from H Group. 1:30 p.m. afternoon tea with the eldest son of Chairman Walter from S Group. 3:30 p.m. private screening of a musical with the second son of Chairman Lee from Z Group.¡± ¡°Okay, two hours each.¡± Be shrugged. She thought to herself, ¡®Even animals destined for the ughterhouse aren¡¯t rushed this way!¡¯ After a while, the bathroom door opened. When Be appeared in front of Steven, he could not help but burst intoughter. Stevenughed. ¡°Ms. Be, you¡¯ve really outdone yourself!¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. She had painted freckles all over her face and wore a wig, resembling the shape of a chicken¡¯s nest. There were ck smudges below her nose that looked like a mustache. She appearedpletely ridiculous with her left hand on the door frame and her right hand pretending to pick her nose. ¡°Do you think this is enough? I was thinking of adding a couple of scars to my face!¡± Be grinned, showing her ckened tooth as she waved to Steven. Steven, who was trained to remainposed as the chief secretary, rarelyughed at work. But this time, he could not stop himself from bursting intoughter. Be seemed to have a knack for mischief. She took a selfie with her phone and sent it to the group chat with her brothers. In a split second, the group chat was flooded with messages. [Asher: ¡­Excuse me. Who is this?] [Be: Hey there, handsome! Why don¡¯t you take a guess!] [Drew: Hahaha, I¡¯mughing so hard I¡¯m about to lose my mind! Be, this is hrious!] [Axel: Holy crap! You almost scared me to death this early in the morning! I almost peed my pants when I saw the picture!] [Den: Be, even if you want to get into cosy, shouldn¡¯t you choose something a little more fitting to your image?] [Drew: Why don¡¯t you cosy as Juliet? I¡¯ll y Romeo! We can be star-crossed lovers!] Drew even sent a hugging gif, to which Axel responded with a kicking gif. The group chat was quickly filled with stickers and gifs by the two brothers. Although they could not meet in person due to the nature of Drew¡¯s work, they squabble with each other in this virtual space. [Be: Gentlemen, in your opinion as straight men, what are the odds of my blind date falling for me when I look like this?] [Axel: 0%!] [Asher: True beauty resides within, not on the surface. Once someone gets to know you better, they will naturally be captivated by your charming personality, Be.) [Den: I can¡¯t really differentiate faces, so physical beauty is all the same to me, but finding an intriguing soul is rare. Be, with your exceptional personality and talent, those men will nitely be drawn to you.] 1 [Drew: You know, Be. I¡¯m not focused on looks. I¡¯m more into legs! (7) Axel, as a public servant, how can you judge someone by their appearance?] [Axel: Oh,e on! Are you the only one who¡¯s allowed to have an opinion?!] Be scrolled through the conversation and burst into a heartyugh. Be thought to herself, ¡®Axel always speaks his mind. Being too straightforward often leads to loss.¡¯ [Be: Wish me luck! I¡¯m about to meet my first victim.] [Asher: May the Lord bless you and your blind date.] [Axel: Be, if you go out with this wig on your head and some wealthy young man takes a liking to you, you should seriously consider him. There¡¯s an 80% chance it could be true love It means he¡¯s just like us. He doesn¡¯t care about physical appearances but values inner for you. beauty!] [Be: Hehe, if someone falls for me today with this look, I¡¯ll give him a free Thompson Hospital medical card, so that he can get a free checkup for a or cataracts!] Meanwhile, Steven¡¯s phone continued to vibrate. Seizing the moment while Be was engrossed somewhere, he pulled out his phone for a quick nce. He received private messages from all four of Be¡¯s brothers, almost simultaneously. The gist was more or less the same. [Thompson Brothers: Watch Be. If there¡¯s a problem, contact us immediately.] [Steven: Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely protect Be and ensure her safety.] [Thompson Brothers: Who said we were concerned about her? We¡¯re more worried about her date!] Steven smiled slyly. He was sure that they were all blood-rted siblings. The ill-fated blind dating game officially began. Be was an efficient person. Since she hade this far, she decided to treat it like a game and see all the eligible men in one day so that she could conclude this as soon as possible. Despite her ghostly and rming appearance, these wealthy and privileged young men remained unfazed. To her surprise, they stayedposed and rxed. They even exchanged.ughter, as if nothing could rattle them. Chapter 271 Be pondered to herself, ¡®Is my inner beauty so striking that it can¡¯t be hidden by this disguise? Or are these guys just overly eager to be Wyatt¡¯s son-inw?¡¯ She felt nauseated as she gazed upon her own reflection. The allure of power sure was incredible. It could make people willingly turn themselves blind. Well, fortunately, Be had a backup n. During lunch with the first date, Be suggested taking his pulse to show off her talent. She diagnosed him as being physically aged like a 70-year-old man, despite him only being 30 years old. This infuriated the man, who promptly ended the lunch by storming out. On the second date, Be kept her gaze fixed behind the man throughout the date, making the man visibly ufortable. He felt confused and asked, ¡°Ms. Thompson, what are you looking at?¡± Be replied, ¡°Mr. Walter, there¡¯s a child standing behind you, watching you. Are you certain you don¡¯t want to invite him over for tea?¡± Be¡¯s tone gradually turned eerie. ¡°He looks so¡­ Pitiful.¡± That man did not even finish his cup of tea before he fled in terror. For the third date, there was minimal interaction as they were watching a musical. This created an illusion of tranquility. As they finally reached the end, Mr. Lee politely extended an invitation. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I had a pleasant time today. Would you join me for dinner?¡± With a smile, Be said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love to!¡± She casually picked up her tote bag and slung it over her shoulder. Mr. Lee had not noticed her bag earlier. After taking a closer look, he saw a row ofrge letters ringly written on the bag. ¡°Memento of Hatchbay Psychiatric Treatment Center.¡± Be blinked innocently and asked, ¡°Mr. Lee, why aren¡¯t you walking?¡± Mr. Lee¡¯s face turned pale, and he slowly backed away. ¡°Actually, I just remembered I have another appointment. Let¡¯s reschedule for another day!¡± At this moment, Be and Steven found themselves at the final venue for today¡¯s appointments. It was an elegant and tranquil teahouse. The air was filled with the pure fragrance of tea, creating a serene atmosphere reminiscent of Yara Park. The fourth date seemed to have unexpectedly aligned with her taste. Be considered toying with himter for some fun. She had spent the whole day manipting these wealthy and privileged young men, while Steven stood on the sidelines, watching with a sense of apprehension. ¡°Ms. Be, today you sessfully cut off their romantic intentions towards you. But what should we do if these individuals go back and spread rumors? It might affect your reputation in Savrow.¡± Steven expressed his concern. Be snorted, ¡°It would be better if these rumors spread. I¡¯d love for those ordinary folks to think that Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter is a lunatic!¡± Be remained calm andposed. She picked up an eyeliner pencil, looked into a small mirror, and added a few more freckles to her face. ¡°This way, it willpletely cut off Wyatt¡¯s idea of finding a man for me. Hmph! Attempting to outdo me? He¡¯s losing his touch in this game!¡± Amused, Steven could not help butment, ¡°Well, honestly, at a time like this, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if Mr. Right were to appear.¡± Be let out a soft sigh as she stowed away her makeup and said, ¡°I also want to meet the one and stop with the hassle of blind dates.¡± Hearing these words, Steven felt a surge of emotion. He looked at her intensely and wished the same for her, but the only difference was that he wished to be ¡°the one¡± for her. Be wondered out loud, ¡°Wyatt is a sly old fox. I wonder what sneaky tactics he¡¯ll use against me next time.¡± ¡°Chairman Thompson holds you in the highest regard, Ms. Be. During your absence, he often confided that among all his children, your personality and demeanor are the most simr to his.¡± Steven spoke with a smile. Be smirked and said, ¡°Hah! Wyatt¡¯s just insulting me. Can¡¯t you you tell?¡± Steven could not help but smile. At that moment, his phone vibrated. He took it out, nced at it, and hurriedly said, ¡°Ms. Be, yourst date for the day has arrived.¡± Be blurted, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡¯ }) Steven turned around and left, walking into a room next door. While waiting, Be rested her chin on her hand and took in the beautiful and serene view outside the window. She gently closed her eyes, taking in the crisp floral scent and the melodious sound of birdsong filling the air. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the door to the private room opening. Be heard the steady, unwavering footsteps of leather shoes getting closer. She could vaguely smell a subtle, refreshing scent as the person got closer. It was like a gentle midnight breeze that rustled through window curtains and tugged at her heartstrings. It was an unusual fragrance that was rarely used by men-the rich scent of violet leaves blended with a light floral scent. Although Be was sensitive to smoke, she had an excellent sense of smell. She slowly opened her eyes and finally scanned the man from top to bottom Be¡¯s lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened in shock. Christopher said, ¡°Please ept my sincere apologies for beingte, Ms. Thompson. Be pondered to herself, ¡®Is my inner beauty so striking that it can¡¯t be hidden by this disguise? Or are these guys just overly eager to be Wyatt¡¯s son-inw?¡¯ She felt nauseated as she gazed upon her own reflection. The allure of power sure was incredible. It could make people willingly turn themselves blind. Well, fortunately, Be had a backup n.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. During lunch with the first date, Be suggested taking his pulse to show off her talent. She diagnosed him as being physically aged like a 70-year-old man, despite him only being 30 years old. This infuriated the man, who promptly ended the lunch by storming out. On the second date, Be kept her gaze fixed behind the man throughout the date, making the man visibly ufortable. He felt confused and asked, ¡°Ms. Thompson, what are you looking at?¡± Be replied, ¡°Mr. Walter, there¡¯s a child standing behind you, watching you. Are you certain you don¡¯t want to invite him over for tea?¡± Be¡¯s tone gradually turned eerie. ¡°He looks so¡­ Pitiful.¡± That man did not even finish his cup of tea before he fled in terror. For the third date, there was minimal interaction as they were watching a musical. This created an illusion of tranquility. As they finally reached the end, Mr. Lee politely extended an invitation. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I had a pleasant time today. Would you join me for dinner?¡± With a smile, Be said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love to!¡± She casually picked up her tote bag and slung it over her shoulder. Mr. Lee had not noticed her bag earlier. After taking a closer look, he saw a row ofrge letters ringly written on the bag. ¡°Memento of Hatchbay Psychiatric Treatment Center.¡± Be blinked innocently and asked, ¡°Mr. Lee, why aren¡¯t you walking?¡± Mr. Lee¡¯s face turned pale, and he slowly backed away. ¡°Actually, I just remembered I have another appointment. Let¡¯s reschedule for another day!¡± At this moment, Be and Steven found themselves at the final venue for today¡¯s appointments. It was an elegant and tranquil teahouse. The air was filled with the pure fragrance of tea, creating a serene atmosphere reminiscent of Yara Park. The fourth date seemed to have unexpectedly aligned with her taste. Be considered toying with himter for some fun. She had spent the whole day manipting these wealthy and privileged young men, while Steven stood on the sidelines, watching with a sense of apprehension. ¡°Ms. Be, today you sessfully cut off their romantic intentions towards you. But what should we do if these individuals go back and spread rumors? It might affect your reputation in Savrow.¡± Steven expressed his concern. Be snorted, ¡°It would be better if these rumors spread. I¡¯d love for those ordinary folks to think that Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter is a lunatic!¡± Be remained calm andposed. She picked up an eyeliner pencil, looked into a small mirror, and added a few more freckles to her face. ¡°This way, it willpletely cut off Wyatt¡¯s idea of finding a man for me. Hmph! Attempting to outdo me? He¡¯s losing his touch in this game!¡± Amused, Steven could not help butment, ¡°Well, honestly, at a time like this, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if Mr. Right were to appear.¡± Be let out a soft sigh as she stowed away her makeup and said, ¡°I also want to meet the one and stop with the hassle of blind dates.¡± Hearing these words, Steven felt a surge of emotion. He looked at her intensely and wished the same for her, but the only difference was that he wished to be ¡°the one¡± for her. Be wondered out loud, ¡°Wyatt is a sly old fox. I wonder what sneaky tactics he¡¯ll use against me next time.¡± ¡°Chairman Thompson holds you in the highest regard, Ms. Be. During your absence, he often confided that among all his children, your personality and demeanor are the most simr to his.¡± Steven spoke with a smile. Be smirked and said, ¡°Hah! Wyatt¡¯s just insulting me. Can¡¯t you you tell?¡± Steven could not help but smile. At that moment, his phone vibrated. He took it out, nced at it, and hurriedly said, ¡°Ms. Be, yourst date for the day has arrived.¡± Be blurted, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡¯ }) Steven turned around and left, walking into a room next door. While waiting, Be rested her chin on her hand and took in the beautiful and serene view outside the window. She gently closed her eyes, taking in the crisp floral scent and the melodious sound of birdsong filling the air. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the door to the private room opening. Be heard the steady, unwavering footsteps of leather shoes getting closer. She could vaguely smell a subtle, refreshing scent as the person got closer. It was like a gentle midnight breeze that rustled through window curtains and tugged at her heartstrings. It was an unusual fragrance that was rarely used by men-the rich scent of violet leaves blended with a light floral scent. Although Be was sensitive to smoke, she had an excellent sense of smell. She slowly opened her eyes and finally scanned the man from top to bottom Be¡¯s lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened in shock. Christopher said, ¡°Please ept my sincere apologies for beingte, Ms. Thompson. Chapter 272 ¡°Why is it you?¡± Be eximed with a look of surprise on her face. Despite the small freckles on her face and her tangled hair resembling a bird¡¯s nest, she still exuded a touch of innocence. Christopher asked with a wide smile, ¡°Can¡¯t I be your blind date?¡± Be pressed her lips together, unsure of how to respond. His question was direct, but his gentle smile eased the awkward atmosphere, making Be think that it was merely a harmless. joke. Christopher asked politely, ¡°Mind if I take a seat?¡± ¡°Please do,¡± Be responded gracefully. Christopher looked no different from their initial meeting. He presented a cultured image by donning a navy blue pinstripe suit and matching gold-rimmed sses. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Be, your look today is cute and distinctive,¡± Christopher remarked as his eyes squinted in a smile. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to pretend in front of me. Just be yourself.¡± Be awkwardly cleared her throat and said, ¡°I recall my blind date isn¡¯t with you. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Because I figured you must be eager to see me again. Fortunately, I had the same intention,¡± Christopher adjusted his sses, smiling calmly. The words seemed innocent but carried a hidden meaning. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Since ourst encounter, I¡¯ve been curious about your identity, so I did hope to see you again.¡± Be widened her eyes, staring directly at him. ¡°Thank you for your help, Christopher. You¡¯re the fourth son of the Iverson family, right?¡± Christopher¡¯s deep gaze contracted slightly, and his hand on his knee trembled imperceptibly. Suppressing his joy, he calmly responded, ¡°Be, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve met.¡± Be paused for a moment, politely replying, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± Despite sharing a pleasant childhood, over a decade had passed. Seeing him again, this man felt like a stranger to Be. She had vaguely remembered that the young Christopher from their early years was short and thin, with delicate features. Because of his reserved personality, he was frequently teased and bullied by other kids. Be was a popr student in elementary school, earning the nickname ¡°The Little Devil¡± for her fiery personality. She acted without hesitation when she saw Christopher being bullied and single-handedly took down three older boys, who were a head taller than her. No one dared to bully Christopher again after that, as Be was always watching out for him. Be had lost much of her recollection of these old stories. Unbeknownst to her, the man sitting across from her held onto every memory of their childhood. Through the years spent abroad, enduring the highs and lows of life, Be remained the bright spot in Christopher¡¯s otherwise gloomy existence. She was more than just moonlight-a term that would have been too humble for her. In his eyes, she was the sun, radiant and dazzling, her brilliance unrivaled. Be wondered, ¡°So that night at the karaoke bar, did you recognize me the night we bumped into each other while I was drunk?¡± With a faint smile on his face, Christopher responded, ¡°Yes.¡± Be continued, ¡°I was in danger that night. You didn¡¯t identally save me along the way, but you followed me the whole time?¡± Christopher nodded in response. ¡°But why?¡± Be frowned and added, ¡°If you recognized me, why keep your identity a secret?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I was waiting.¡± Christopher took a deep breath. His voice was slightly hoarse as he continued, ¡°I stayed quiet, hoping you¡¯d remember me on your own. Be felt a subtle sense of guilt inexplicably rising within her. It felt as if she had let him down and betrayed him. She continued, ¡°This ce-did you choose it as well?¡± He responded, ¡°Yes, I thought you might like it because it has the atmosphere of Yara Park.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes sparkled as he said, ¡°Do you still remember? When we were kids, we used to y hide-and-seek in your garden. Every time, you loved hiding in the fake mountains.¡± When they were kids, hide-and-seek was a game they both loved. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could always guess where she was hiding, but he always pretended to be clueless. He would spin around anxiously and intentionally avoid her hiding spot. He did not mind giving in to her, satisfying her simple desire for victory. However, this concession was exclusively reserved for Be. Be felt surprised and said, ¡°Wow, you still remember such things.¡± She scratched her messy wig, feeling embarrassed. Chapter 273 Christopher¡¯s lips curled into a graceful smile as he savored his tea. He exuded the air of a sophisticated young aristocrat in the modern world. The two of them chatted as they caught up with each other. Be learned that Christopher had dedicated himself to looking after his mother during her recovery in Sentania. His mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer¡¯s, which led to a gradual decline in her ability to take care of herself. Despite having numerous opportunities to return to Savrow, he remained in Sentania to care for his mother and develop his career. She remembered that the Iverson family dynamics were quite intricate. The Iverson family included four children, among them Christopher, who had two older brothers and one older sister. The trio shared the same mother. On the other hand, Christopher was the child of the second wife, introducing an additionalyer ofplexity to the family structure. Be had limited knowledge about Mrs. Iverson. Even though their families were once close when she was a child and she had visited the Iverson estate, she still had no impression of thatdy. Be asked again, ¡°Why did you suddenlye back this year?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Home is where the heart is. After all, I am a son of the Iverson family. I wanted toe back and reim a part of what belongs to me,¡± Christopher said, lowering his eyes. He yed with the delicate teacup with his slender fingertips. Be nodded slightly, understanding his meaning. Children born into wealthy and prestigious families were often caught in a power struggle. Those who did not navigate the power struggle were exploited and ultimately ended up with little to show for their privileged backgrounds. After all, a close-knit and happy prestigious family, like the Thompsons, were rare. Christopher suddenly asked with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s still some time before dinner. What would you like to do?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Caught off guard by the sudden suggestion, Be was momentarily stunned. Christopher continued, ¡°I can take you to see the roses under the sunset.¡± He leaned towards her slowly, sincerity evident in his eyes. ¡°I have a private rose garden, and we are having a public exhibition today. Let¡¯s go enjoy the flowers together.¡± ¡®Roses?¡¯ Be¡¯s heart fluttered, and her eyes sparkled. Roses were her favorite flowers. She personally maintained a small rose garden in Yara Park¡¯s backyard. She had not taken care of it herself in the past few years. M and the others had taken turns looking after it. She readily agreed, without hesitation. ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go for a stroll.¡± On the way to the Rose Manor, Be sat in Christopher¡¯s luxurious Bentley. Given their parents private friendship and longstanding acquaintance, going in separate cars and meeting at the destination felt superfluous. The Bentley glided smoothly ahead, closely trailed by Steven. Steven gripped the steering wheel tightly. Be had just gotten rid of Ryan. Now, Christopher popped out of nowhere. It was evident that Christopher radiated a higher level of sophistication than the flirtatious Ryan. In the past, Christopher had discreetly followed Be to her neighborhood. This time, he had somehow reced Be¡¯s blind date to meet her. It showed how scheming this man was. Steven took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering on the Bentley ahead. Having witnessed how much Jerkface Justin had hurt Be, Steven swore not to let any man harm her again. He was determined to do everything within his means to protect her. The Bentley¡¯s atmosphere was pleasant. Be had removed her disguise and had not bothered to wear makeup. Instead, she showcased her natural beauty. Her long, flowing hair was loosely tied into a simple bun with a hairpin, dismissing any concerns about maintaining the image of a wealthy youngdy. Christopher remainedposed while stealing a nce at her from the corner of his eye. Her radiant, wless face exuded natural beauty and calmness. He steadied his tumultuous thoughts and asked softly, ¡°Do you remember what you called me the first time you saw me that night?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Be blinked, feeling a bit dazed. ¡°I¡­ Really don¡¯t remember.¡± Christopher whispered, ¡°You called me ¡®Critter¡¯.¡± This man either left Be embarrassed or at a loss for words. Christopher exined, ¡°My dad used to scold me that way when he disciplined me. You overheard it one day and started teasing me like that.¡± ¡°We all said the dumbest things when we were kids¡­ I apologize for my childish and rude behavior back then,¡± Be muttered, feeling embarrassed. A hint of blush appeared on her cheeks. Christopher said with a yful smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you want to call me that now, you can.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ What am I? Twelve?¡± Be muttered under her breath, feeling a bit awkward. She waved and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just stick to calling you Christopher. We¡¯re not kids anymore. Besides, you¡¯re a man of status and have a reputation to uphold. I can¡¯t be disrespectful.¡± Christopher smiled gently as he leaned slightly closer to her. His gentle voice was infused with tenderness as he said, ¡°Sure, whatever makes you happy.¡± Chapter 274 If Christopher had not brought her here, Be would have never known about the vast rose garden on the southern outskirts of Savrow. The Iverson family did not own this ce. This was Christopher¡¯s private property, where only Damascus roses were cultivated in this hundred-acre field. Under the vividly colored sunset, the lush greenery and vibrant pink roses seemed to drip with charm. The fully blooming garden captured Be¡¯s gaze, providing a moment of rxation. Couples leisurely strolled and took photos, while even some inte celebrities conducted live broadcasts. This beautiful scene relieved Be, whose mind and body had been tense from work for many days. The remarkable sight of the outstanding couple attracted envious looks from onlookers. It was evident that they appeared to be a perfectly matched couple, almost as if a higher power had blessed them. Be bent down. Her slender and graceful hands gently lifted a rose as if caressing a lover¡¯s cheek. She yfully crinkled her small, dainty nose closer to inhale the fragrance with an intoxicated expression. Christopher¡¯s eyes deepened, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. ¡°Be-a name that befits its owner. Charming and graceful, even more so than these flowers.¡± Be giggled. ¡°I know I¡¯m beautiful, but thanks for yourpliment, Mr. Iverson.¡¯ Christopher approached her, his eyes sparkling with eager anticipation. ¡°If I were to call you Be like when we were young, would you call me Chris, just like before?¡± Be¡¯s eyshes fluttered. Her back was turned to him. She felt awkward that he still held onto the same feelings from their childhood, while she had distanced herself entirely from that past. To her, Christopher Iverson was practically a stranger now. After contemting, she said politely, ¡°It¡¯s possible, once we get to know each other better.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°I believe we will get close to each other again, just like when we were kids. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes zed with determination as he enunciated each word. Be sensed that the conversation was awkward and decided to shift it. With a serious tone, she inquired, ¡°Mr. Iverson, what is the annual rose production in this field? What are the costs of cultivating these roses? Do you currently have any exclusive contracts with corporate groups?¡± With a lightugh, Christopher adjusted his sses and asked, ¡°Ms. Thompson, are you interested in discussing a partnership with me?¡± ¡°Honestly, I do have that idea,¡± Be admitted. As soon as she entered, golden business opportunities flooded her thoughts. Since her return to KS Group, she has nned to expand into the cosmetics market, developing makeup and skincare products with a rose theme. However, Wyatt had instructed her to strengthen and grow KS World Hotel first, limiting her time and energy for this venture. Be¡¯s determination red up again the moment she entered the rose garden. ¡°The Damask Rose, scientifically known as Rosa Damascena, has deep roots in ancient Greek mythology. It symbolizes the beauty of the love goddess, Aphrodite, and the vegetation deity, Adonis. It¡¯s a profound emblem of love and beauty, exuding an exceptionally romantic essence.¡± Be shared, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. ¡°The essential oil of Damask Rose is precious, with effects that can simultaneously impact both the body and the soul. The price of air-flown roses is high, and very few estates cultivate this type of rose domestically.¡± Christopher gazed at her deeply, his handsome face adorned with a gentle smile. He had focused little on the business insights she was sharing. Over the past two years, many have coveted his rose field, yet he has never given it serious consideration. This sea of flowers, akin to a lively Gatsby party, was arranged solely for Be. Noticing that Christopher looked at her silently without an immediate response, Be mistakenly believed he was in deep contemtion. Sheughed heartily and said, ¡°I understand my proposal is abrupt. Moreover, my project is not a small one. Mr. Iverson, please take your time to consider. I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± Outside the Rose Manor, Steven stood in the fading sunlight. His thoughts were in disarray as he gazed at the vast sea of roses. He was well aware of the close rtionship between the Iversons and the Thompsons, especially the strong bond between Chairman Iverson and Chairman Thompson. He thought, ¡®While Christopher was clear about his intentions towards Ms. Be, she had always been distant from the opposite sex. For example, she cut Ryan off mercilessly. However, with Mr. Iverson, she seemed less resistant and willing to entertain him.¡¯ Of course, the fact that he had intervened and saved her from the knife attack yed a role. However, Steven could not shake the feeling that Be was particrly epting of Christopher. Chapter 275 ¡®Could it be¡­ True love¡­?¡¯ As those words echoed in Steven¡¯s mind, his heart tightened, and he sighed helplessly. At that moment, three ck sedans appeared in the distance and approached the Rose Manor. Looking at the license te on the leading sedan made Steven¡¯s eyes turn cold. The license te on the leading sedan made Steven¡¯s eyes turn cold. Those cars belonged to the Salvador family, Justin¡¯s car being among them. As the car came to a stop, Ian swiftly exited from the front passenger seat and respectfully opened the car door. Wearing bespoke leather shoes, Justin stepped outposedly, fastening his suit jacket as he descended the steps. ¡°Damn, such bad luck!¡± Steven cursed under his breath, his frustration evident at the sight of Justin¡¯s handsome face. A few secondster, a slender, pale hand slowly emerged from the car. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Justin¡­ Can you help me down?¡± Standing by the car, Justin looked at the hand with a slight frown. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he extended his hand toward Rosalind. Quickly seizing his palm, Rosalind clung as if afraid Justin might change his mind. A delighted smile yed on her face. Even though Justin¡¯s gaze remained as cold as ever, she was confident she could make him fall for her once again! Seeing Justin and Rosalind walking hand in hand towards the estate entrance, Steven¡¯s eyes were full of contempt. He could not be bothered to curse at them. He thought to himself, ¡®What terrible luck today!¡± ¡°Justin, I followed you here to appreciate the flowers¡­ You don¡¯t mind, right?¡± Rosalind¡¯s eyes were teary as she portrayed a pitiful appearance. However, she held the man¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll just go back. I don¡¯t want to be a burden for you¡­¡± However, Justin had note to the Rose Manor today to appreciate the flowers but to inspect a potential project. The Rose Manor boasted thergest Damascus rose field in the entire Savrow or even the whole province. He intended to personally assess the quality of these roses and inspect the condition of the soil. For this purpose, he even invited two botanists to join him for a thorough evaluation. If all the conditions met his high standards, Justin nned to negotiate cooperation with the owner of Rose Manor. He aimed to secure the raw material supply for the uing women¡¯s skincare brand under Salvador Corporation. Somehow, this matter gained too much attention and reached Rosalind¡¯s ears. She even proposed to apany him. Considering she had just attempted suicide and was suffering from severe depression, Justin had no choice but to agree reluctantly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Justin said with a low voice, his eyes still deep and sad. ¡°The doctor said that being in nature is beneficial for your condition.¡± thank all on the hiked site and re thewale 50 ding wadon Towards the woman d ¡°Justin¡­ Thank you for still caring about me like this¡­¡± Rosalind cried quietly, and she leaned on his shoulder. In that instance, Justin¡¯s face contorted as he felt a strong aversion towards the woman. His entire body responded with a visceral reaction of disgust. ¡°Mr. Salvador, look! Isn¡¯t that Ms. Be¡¯s secretary?!¡± Ian widened his eyes and whispered behind him. Justin suddenly raised his gaze, then was momentarily stunned. Unexinedly, a mysterious feeling surged through his chest, making his heart beat violently within his tensed chest. ¡®Why is she here?¡¯ Justin wondered. ¡®If Steven and Be were always together, it meant that Be must also be here in the Rose Manor. Why would she be here? Was she here to appreciate the flowers?¡¯ In the next moment, Justin gritted his teeth and shook his head. No, it was not like her toe here just to appreciate the flowers. Justin concluded, ¡®She must be here to interfere in my project!¡¯ Chapter 276 Tension filled the air as the two parties stared at each other. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I don¡¯t know if this is a coincidence or just sheer bad luck,¡± Steven said with a wry smile, his wordscking courtesy. Justin¡¯s brows furrowed as he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Is Be inside?¡± At the mention of Be, Rosalind felt her scalp tingling, and her heart suddenly tightened. ¡°Why? Is it not allowed?¡± Steven sneered, every word carrying a sting. ¡°Does Mr. Salvador wish to monopolize this ce, too?¡± Ian could not take it anymore and retorted, ¡°Damn¡­ Mr. Salvador didn¡¯t even do anything? We¡¯re just asking! Did you not eat your medicine before leaving the house?¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t done anything? Can you even say that with a straight face? I can barely listen to such nonsense,¡± Steven said with disdain, his thick eyebrows pressing down. Ian retorted, ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Ian, that¡¯s enough,¡± Justin interjected and coldly asked, ¡°What is Be doing here?¡± Steven coldly swept his gaze over the seemingly delicate Rosalind and sneered, ¡°Whatever Mr. Salvador is here for, our youngdy is here for the same reason.¡± Justin¡¯s brows furrowed deeper. It seemed that Be had developed an interest in the Rose Manor, but he would not let her seed this time! At this moment, Be had already lifted the hem of her dress and ventured into the sea of roses. The vibrant sunset cast a magical glow as she moved around with a lively and elf-like grace, resembling a floral goddess. Unperturbed, she squatted in the muddy flowerbed, delicately kneading the soil. She examined the rose stems and petals with nimble hands, diligently taking notes on her phone while capturing the beauty through snapshots. While other girls came to enjoy the scenery and snap some pictures, Be appeared to be on a treasure hunt, a modern-day gold prospector. Who would have thought such a stunning woman would break from romantic ideals, boldly showcasing the traits of being ¡°practical ¨C minded¡± and ¡°business- oriented¡±? Her focus was clear. She was determined to build her This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . career and make money. Christopher thought, ¡®Ambitious women are quite charming, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ Christopher stood with his hands behind his back, patiently waiting for her. He slightly bent his gaze, an indulgent and tender smile revealing itself between his refined brows. He murmured, ¡®Oh, Be, you are still the same as when you were a child. It¡¯s wonderful.¡¯ At this moment, a call from his secretary interrupted his thoughts. Christopher¡¯s brows furrowed as he answered, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Iverson, Mr. Salvador has arrived.¡± The secretary lowered his voice and said, ¡°Earlier, the Salvador team contacted me regarding the cooperation project for the Rose Manor. However did not give them a clear answer, following your instructions.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t anticipate them moving so swiftly; they¡¯ve even brought the inspection team today. It looks like they¡¯re dead set on partnering with us,¡± Christopher said, his gaze fixed on the bustling Be. In a deep voice, he asked, ¡°Besides Justin¡¯s team, who else is here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s also Justin¡¯s rumored fianc¨¦e. Even in situations like these, he insists on bringing that woman along. It¡¯s like they¡¯re deeply in love.¡± The secretary¡¯s words carried a tinge of sarcasm. Surrounded by roses, Be remained blissfully unaware of all this. Christopher pondered, ¡®Be, is this the man you once loved? The one for whom you changed your name and endured three years of marriage, even if you were miserable? Be, you are truly naive.¡¯ A surge of resentment red within Christopher, and he spoke, ¡°Are the things I asked prepare ready?¡± The secretary hurriedly replied, ¡°Everything is ready, Mr. Iverson!¡± you to ¡°Bring them over and send someone to lead Justin Salvador¡¯s team this way.¡± Christopher adjusted his gold-rimmed sses, a faint smirk ying on his lips. After crouching for too long, Be¡¯s back was a bit sore. She slowly stood up from the flower bed, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Chapter 277 Be was the kind whopletely immersed herself in her work when she encountered something she liked, to the extent of forgetting about space and time. At this moment, Be suddenly remembered that Christopher was still waiting for her. She hurriedly turned around and was surprised to see him still patiently standing in his original spot. There was now an intricately woven flower basket on his arm, adorned with beautiful, understated pink flowers. Be thought, ¡®Those flowers are lovely, which inevitably makes me think of the quote-a rose does not answer its enemies with words but with beauty.¡¯ ¡°Ms. Thompson,¡± Christopher called out to her, approaching with the flower basket. Seeing him dressed so cleanly, Be hurriedly tried to stop him with concern. ¡°Ah! Don¡¯te over! It¡¯s muddy here!¡± However, Christopher paid her warnings no attention. He walked straight through the thorny bushes, single-mindedly wanting to reach her side. Be pursed her red lips, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°Ms. Be, this is for you.¡± Christopher, his deep eyes filled with the soft glow of the evening sun, presented the flower basket to her. Be smiled gently and declined. ¡°Mr. Iverson, thank you for your kind gesture. But these flowers¡­ I can¡¯t ept them.¡± Although it was just a basket of flowers, they were roses with ambiguous implications. epting them would be inappropriate. Christopher anticipated her refusal and changed his approach. Smiling, he said, ¡°Flowersplement the beauty of ady; that¡¯s just one aspect. More importantly, I¡¯ve noticed Miss Thompson¡¯s interest in the roses I nted, so I wanted to give you a basket to take back and study. Underneath the flowers, there¡¯s soil from here that you can take back, transnt into your garden, and carefully nurture. They will bloom perennially.¡± With this exnation, Be had no reason to refuse any further. She hesitated momentarily, then reached out to ept the flower basket, saying, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Iverson, for your gift.¡± Suddenly, Christopher frowned slightly, standing with his hands behind him as he leaned towards her. A handsome, chiseled face gradually erged in Be¡¯s astonished pupils. She held her breath, and her long eyshes fluttered. Be asked, ¡°Mr. Iverson, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something on my face?¡± Christopher nodded earnestly, ¡°Mmhmm.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Be was bewildered, raising her hand to wipe her face, and another streak of mud smeared across her cheek. This time, she indeed became muddy. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Christopher was full of indulgence. He took out a pure white silk handkerchief from his pocket and naturally wiped away the dirt on her cheeks and forehead. He moved too quickly, and Be only snapped back to reality, hastily saying, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s already clean.¡± Christopher gazed deeply at her, smoothly retracting his hand. He was always like this, stopping at the right moment when she felt their interaction was getting too intimate. Somehow, Be¡¯s mind came up with a provocative thought. However, she quickly dismissed this thought. Perhaps Christopher¡¯s considerate actions were due to his gentle nature, and there might also be some childhood friendship between them. At this moment, a series of footsteps approached them. Be suddenly lifted her eyes and then froze. Just a few steps away, Justin¡¯s imposing figure stood like a mountain before them. He disyed neither excitement nor anger. Only his eyes had a faint reddish glow. It was like the calm before a storm. Just moments ago, Justin observed every interaction between Be and the man before him. His fists clenched fiercely beneath his refined sleeves, and veins bulged on his forehead. He watched her ept the roses from Christopher, witnessed her radiant smile, and observed him gently wiping away the dirt from her cheek. Their tacit understanding and intimacy were like a pair of harmonious musical instruments. Justin¡¯s back tensed, teeth grinding audibly, and a roaring pain echoed in his mind. He witnessed her interactions as if they were a couple, the silent agreement and closeness akin to a pair of perfectly matched partners. Justin¡¯s back was taut, his teeth grinding with a creaking sound, and a buzzing pain resonated in his mind. It turned out that Be wasn¡¯t here topete for the project but to appreciate the blooming flowers with a new lover. However, he preferred that shee here to snatch his project and torment him. He was willing to yield everything to her. Yet he was unwilling to see that everything that once belonged to him, she would willingly hand over to this man¡­ Chapter 278 A storm of emotions was brewing behind Justin¡¯s gloomy face. Be, on the other hand, did not have suchplicated thoughts. In her mind, she was cursing her bad luck. Be thought, ¡®Meeting this scumbag in such a romantic and beautiful ce is like stepping on dog shit.¡¯ As for Rosalind, who was clinging onto Justin, she was nothing more than an eyesore. Be¡¯s eyes hurt just from the sight of the woman. At that moment, Christopher¡¯s tall figure leaned towards her. His lips gently brushed against her ear, and he chuckled softly, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I¡¯m here.¡± Be¡¯s ear twitched, and she cursed in confusion. She thought, ¡®What¡¯s the fuss about? Just deal with it when ites. If they behave like dogs, let¡¯s beat them like dogs.¡¯ ¡°Ms. Thompson, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here,¡± Rosalind said sweetly, hiding her previous confrontational attitude. She continued, ¡°Is this gentleman your new boyfriend? You two look so perfect together.¡± Be¡¯s gaze remained indifferent, showing no interest in interacting with the scheming woman. Despite Be¡¯sck of reaction, Christopher smirked, ¡°Thank you for your praise. However, I am not Be¡¯s boyfriend at the moment.¡± Be seemed oblivious to his statement, but when Justin heard it, his expression froze, and he clenched his fist. He thought, ¡®Not at the moment? Will it be sooner orter? Is this guy trying to provoke me by implying they¡¯re dating, or has she moved on so fast?¡¯ With her hands wrapped around Justin¡¯s arm, Rosalind sensed his body tense with anger. She realized he hadn¡¯t let go of Be despite everything. It appeared that Be had discovered a new love interest, bringing a sense of relief to Rosalind. ¡®At least one of them has fully moved on from their three-year marriage,¡¯ she thought, finding sce in the idea. Rosalind couldn¡¯t help but wonder about Be¡¯s seemingly charmed romantic life. Pondering to herself, she mused, ¡®Which family does this young master belong to? He¡¯s not only handsome but also possesses a good temperament.¡¯ Breaking the silence, Christopher asked, ¡°Is Mr. Salvador here to apany his fianc¨¦e to enjoy the flowers?¡± He added, with a slight smirk, ¡°You should hurry. Rose Manor will be closing soon.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t afford to waste time on that,¡± Justin retorted, shooting Christopher a hostile look and deliberately ignoring Be. ¡°Secretary Harris, get in touch with the Rose Manor contact. We need to hash out the details of our coboration.¡± Ian promptly responded, ¡°Yes, Mr. Salvador.¡± swiftly pulling out his phone to dial the number. Within moments, the phone rang loudly. It was audible to everyone and was seemingly approaching them! ¡°Strange¡­ Sounds like that person is nearby,¡± Ian remarked, scanning the area in confusion. The distinctive ringtone echoed nearby, and a man sprinted over, announcing, ¡°Mr. Iverson Justin was taken aback, his attention fixed on the approaching man holding a ringing cell phone. ¡°Mr. Iverson, you¡¯ve got a call,¡± the secretary said, offering the phone to Christopher. He did not forget to shoot a disdainful nce at the Salvador team.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Christopher, seemingly unfazed, smiled and effortlessly ended the call with a casual sweep of his cold, pale fingertips across the screen. At that very moment, the calls on Ian¡¯s end abruptly ceased. Ian stood there, phone in hand, mouth slightly agape, clearly taken aback. Meanwhile, Justin, in a state of disbelief, squinted his eyes and turned visibly pale. ¡°The owner of Rose Manor you¡¯re trying to reach, Mr. Salvador, is me. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve already secured an exclusive partnership. It appears Mr. Salvador will be leaving empty- handed,¡± Christopher stated, directing his gaze toward Be. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I¡¯ve epted your proposal for coboration,¡± Christopher continued. Be¡¯s beautiful eyes widened as she observed the man extending his right hand towards her. Christopher added, ¡°Here¡¯s to a fruitful coboration in the future.¡± She casually nced at Justin, whose expression was darkening, his eyes bloodshot. Seeing Justin¡¯s defeated face, she felt a genuine sense of satisfaction. However, winning without a fight felt like bullying. Oh well, savor the victory for now! Be¡¯s lips curled into a smile, two yful dimples appearing on her cheeks. She gracefully extended her hand and shook hands firmly with Christopher, saying, ¡°Looking forward to a sessful partnership, Mr. Iverson.¡± Chapter 279 The members of the Salvador team looked at each other in astonishment. Ian suddenly felt his vision go dark, as if a thunderbolt had struck him from above. Seeing Justin¡¯s expression turn stormy, Rosalind, thinking she was offering helpful advice, quickly said, ¡°Justin, you don¡¯t need to worry. It¡¯s just a garden. There are plenty of ces like this in the country. We can contact other ces¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Justin abruptly pulled his arm out of her embrace. The force was too much, causing her to stagger backward, feeling embarrassed. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Iverson,¡± Be didn¡¯t bother giving them another nce. She smiled politely at Christopher. Christopher replied, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve already booked a restaurant. We can go there anytime.¡± The two shared a smile, leaving Justin feeling as if an invisible hand was strangling his throat, his brows tightly furrowed. He quickly stepped forward, blocking Christopher. ¡°Mr. Iverson, let¡¯s talk privately,¡± he said, his tone still strong, showing no sign of weakness due to the failed project negotiation. ¡°If it¡¯s about the Rose Manor project, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything left to discuss with Mr. Salvador,¡± Christopher replied, unwilling to waste time with him. Justin interjected, ¡°What if it¡¯s about something else?¡± As he spoke, Justin¡¯s dark gazended on Be¡¯s face. Christopher led Justin to a European-style pavilion in Rose Manor. They took their seats, facing each other amidst vibrant flowers, yet the room exuded a chilly and oppressive atmosphere. Looking impatiently at his watch, Christopher urged, ¡°Mr. Salvador, let¡¯s get to the point. I have a date with Ms. Thompson that I need to return to.¡± ¡°A date? Weren¡¯t we here to discuss cooperation?¡± Justin, unwilling to concede, especially when it came to Be, instinctively resisted letting Christopher gain the upper hand. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just wishful thinking on your part. After all, Be was my wife for three years. I know her much better than you do.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Christopher shrugged dismissively, a hint of mockery in his tone. ¡°It¡¯s only been three years, and it was only a marriage in name¡­ Mr. Salvador, where does your confidence stem from? Do you really believe you understand Be better than I do?¡± ¡°You investigated me?¡± Justin questioned as he clenched his fist in anger. His eyes were chilly. Christopher smiled and shook his head. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve done is for Be, and it has nothing to do with you from the beginning till the end. My coboration with her this time wasn¡¯t about snatching her from you. She¡¯s the one I¡¯ve been waiting for, and besides her, I won¡¯t let anyone else intervene here.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Christopher added, ¡°I know your subordinate contacted someone from mypany. I just didn¡¯t have the chance to tell you in person. From the beginning, I never intended to cooperate with Salvador Corporation.¡± He emphasized the name ¡°Be¡± so warmly! Justin quietly exhaled, his deep gaze flickering like a night fire. ¡°Christopher, even though you¡¯ve recently returned to the country, I¡¯m notpletely ignorant about you. Like Be, people who don¡¯t know you well might be deceived by the fa?ade you present. However, I won¡¯t be fooled. I¡¯ve heard enough about what you did in Sentania.¡± In Sentania, Christopher was indeed the embodiment of wealth and desire-a beautiful yet infamous figure. However, he couldpletely conceal his true nature before Be, presenting a gentle and humble image. It was evident how deep and cunning this man¡¯s scheming was. Indeed, they are divorced, and everything about Be is no longer his concern. But seeing her getting closer to Christopher, Justin could not help but feel a mix of anger, hatred, and fear. Christopher¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile, and he casually adjusted his sses. He didn¡¯t bother to refute Justin¡¯s words. ¡°You neverck women by your side. But Be is not a woman you can y with, not someone you can casually provoke, engage in a bit of romance, and captivate with a few bouquets of roses.¡± Justin¡¯s handsome face carried a deep and frosty demeanor. A few secondster, Christopher couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°It¡¯s strange. Since you are so reluctant to part with Be and care about her, why did you divorce her and marry someone else in the first ce?¡± This question hit the nail on the head, leaving Justin stunned and speechless. Pain and regret shed through his heart, shaking his entire soul. Christopher continued, ¡°I am very clear about what kind of person I am. Even if I am irredeemable, my sincere heart for Be will always remain pure and loyal. I can¡¯t say the same for you, Mr. Salvador, who married Be but still harbors thoughts for others, hurting her to the core. Anyone else in this world has the right to say these words to me, but not you.¡± Christopher¡¯s brows furrowed, his tone bing colder as he added, ¡°Regardless of whether you regret it now or not, you are already divorced. Whoever she is with, likes, or loves in the future has nothing to do with you.¡± He then stood up and walked towards the exit of the pavilion. Stopping abruptly, he turned back, observing Justin, who seemed frozen like a sculpture. He said, ¡°My feelings for her existed long ago. In my eyes, those three years are not worth mentioning.¡± Left alone in the pavilion, Justin, reflecting on Christopher¡¯s words, had a face as pale as paper, his broad shoulders trembling ever so slightly. Chapter 280 As the visitors gradually left Rose Manor, only Be and Rosalind remained in the vast flower gardens. The surrounding light dimmed, yet Be¡¯s bare face retained a pure, bright allure, like a clear and radiant moon. This scene sparked a mix of envy and jealousy in Rosalind. Setting aside all grievances, she must admit that Be was an exceptional beauty, a diamond among rhinestones. What woman wouldn¡¯t feel jealous when such a stunning woman lived under the same roof as her man for three years, even if it was all for show? Rosalind gritted her teeth and approached Be. She toyed with her long ck hair, discarding her delicate appearance in front of Justin. Instead, she revealed a triumphant smile, as if she were the victor. Rosalind asked, ¡°So, you¡¯ve found a new prospect so quickly? Your methods are truly astonishing. But wouldn¡¯t it have been better to do this sooner? No matter how you entangle Justin, he won¡¯t spare you another nce.¡± Be nced at her as if dealing with a lunatic and scoffed, ¡°Why would I want him to look at me? I¡¯m not a peacock in the park, and I don¡¯t need to unt my feathers.¡± Rosalind choked on her words for a moment, cursing inwardly. She decided to pull out her trump card. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve bumped into each other, I might as well tell you the good news. Justin and I are about to get engaged. The engagement ceremony will be on the same day as my birthday celebration.¡± ¡°Is that so? Congrattions are in order, then¡­ But I won¡¯t be giving you a gift.¡± Be spoke with azy tone, showing little interest. Seeing Be¡¯splete indifference, Rosalind couldn¡¯t help but feel infuriated. She felt offended and retorted, ¡°Huh, even if you act tough, deep down, you must be furious and hateful. But what¡¯s the use?¡± ¡°In the end, I got Justin, while you¡¯ve be theughingstock of the entire Savrow!¡± ¡°Ah, Rosalind, every time I see you, either you¡¯re moring that you want Justin or unting your rtionship with him. Is your life so dull and uninteresting? Other than a divorced man, do you have anything else noteworthy?¡± Be sighed in boredom, feeling that even talking to her lowered her standards. Be pondered, ¡°When dealing with such a self-righteous woman, it leaves you with a bad taste if you don¡¯t confront her¡± Rosalind red at Be and shouted furiously, ¡°What did you say?!¡± Be continued, ¡°I can understand that you want to show off that you have climbed up the socialdder and married into a rich family, but you should find a suitable confidant. What you regard as a treasure is garbage that I don¡¯t want to look at again. How mundane¡­.¡± Rosalind screamed, ¡°Garbage?!¡± Rosalind was so angry that her face alternated between red and white as she eximed, ¡°Be! C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. You¡¯re just jealous! The more you curse now, the more it shows how much you care about me being with Justin! You¡¯re calling Justin garbage just to vent your frustration. After all, you spent three years in vain, and it was you who got kicked out by Justin!¡± Be¡¯s eyes suddenly turned ice-cold. Her cold re made Rosalind shiver secretly in her heart. Be replied, ¡°Excuse me, but you need to know when to stop when things are going well. Just because I am giving you concessions does not mean you can use my kindness to bber nonsense in front of me. Let me remind you for thest time: don¡¯t use my tolerance as an excuse to push your luck. Otherwise, Ms. Ashley, your days ahead might not be so good.¡± The name ¡°Ashley¡± was like a thunderbolt on a clear day, shaking Rosalind¡¯s soul. Her face turned ashen, like the bottom of a burnt pot. Her whole body felt a rush of blood. Her breath caught, and she staggered back a tiny step in panic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why the sudden change in expression?¡± Seeing Rosalind turn pale, Be asked with a smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ashley your name from studying abroad in Meridan? I¡¯ve never seen someone react like they¡¯ve heard an exorcism spell just by hearing their name.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who Ashley is¡­ I¡¯ve never heard that name. I don¡¯t know what nonsense you¡¯re talking about!¡± Rosalind¡¯s breathing became more rapid as she attempted to distance herself. After all, the former Ashley was a lustful, money-hungry woman, far from the pure and virtuous image she portrayed for Justin now. Be squinted her dangerously beautiful, almond-shaped eyes. She approached Rosalind with her hands behind her back. Taking two steps closer, she leaned forward, revealing a prophetic and cold smile. Chapter 281 Be smiled and said, ¡°You can alter your face or name, but it doesn¡¯t change your history, no matter how you try to erase them. There are no secrets that can be hidden forever. There are some things I won¡¯t mention, not because I¡¯m kind, but because they have nothing to do with me, and I can¡¯t be bothered. However, if you dare provoke me again, don¡¯t me me for unveiling some of your lies.¡± Rosalind¡¯s heart convulsed violently, a shiver coursing down her spine. The thought that Be knew her secrets left her with an unsettling chill By the time Justin came out of Rose Manor, Be and Christopher had departed. After the conversation with Christopher, Justin sat alone in the cold breeze, stunned. By now, it was alreadyte in the evening. Justin had someone escort Rosalind back to the hospital. He then headed to Observation Tide Manor with Ian, who was visibly distressed. Ian was so anxious along the way that a cold sweat soaked through his suit. With a red face, he continuously apologized to Justin, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Salvador¡­ Punish me however you see fit! It¡¯s all my fault; I should¡¯ve done better research. I had no idea the person I was dealing with was from the Iverson family! It¡¯s all my fault.¡± As he talked, the young man. choked on his tears. Immersed in thought with closed eyes, Justin let out a faint sigh and said mockingly, ¡°It¡¯s such a trivial matter. Why are you shedding tears over it?¡± Ian stuttered, ¡°But this¡­ doesn¡¯t seem trivial.¡± ¡°Christopher hasn¡¯t been seen in the country for over a decade. It¡¯s understandable if you can¡¯t find information about him,¡± Justin said, closing his eyes once more and taking a deep breath. ¡°Even if you uncover something, the oue will likely be the same. He won¡¯t cooperate with us. The country has several simr rose gardens; just contact them, and we¡¯ll find another supplier.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do that tomorrow.¡± Ian rubbed his eyes and sighed helplessly. ¡°Mr. Iverson is quite generous with Ms. Thompson. For such a significant project, he readily agreed. A regr businessman would weigh multiple options and carefully consider them, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± This remark, like a thorn, dug deep into Justin¡¯s heart. He asked with a solemn tone, ¡°Ian, did I treat Be poorly before? Did I mess up that badly?¡± As Justin posed the question, Ian¡¯s throat tightened. The pressure to respond to his question left him grappling for words. Despite his straightforward nature, he wasn¡¯t a fool. He had just messed up a task, and now his boss presented him with a life-or-death question. He felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. ¡°It¡¯s okay; I don¡¯t me you. You can speak your mind,¡± Justin saw through his cautious thoughts. them.¡± ¡®It was a marriage my grandfather had arranged between her and me-more in name than in fact. As long as it¡¯s within my means, I¡¯ve never been stingy,¡¯ thought Justin as he pinched his nose, a mncholy lingering in his heart. Ian added, ¡°If Ms. Thompson had seen this union as a business opportunity, reaping the benefits for three years and then leaving, you indeed haven¡¯t treated her poorly.¡± Ian¡¯s tone grew serious, and his brow furrowed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, though. Ms. Thompson genuinely cares for you. She once loved you wholeheartedly and cared for you tirelessly, day in and day out. Despite your cold treatment and the Salvador family¡¯s mistreatment, she never uttered aint. Treating a woman who regarded you as a husband with such cruelty for those three years was just too ruthless. In the eyes of a woman deeply in love with you, the money was a stark humiliation.¡± Justin found himself grappling with emotions. The weight of it sent a shiver down his throat. His chest surged with intense emotions, creating an internal storm he desperately tried to suppress. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Reflecting on those words, ¡°she loved you¡±, Justin looked like he was on the verge of copse. Chapter 282 Christopher prepared a special Omakase dinner for Be, indulging her love for surprises. The air- flown bluefin tuna had a smooth and delicious texture. The tempura was perfectly bnced with a crispy exterior and tender interior, while the sashimi was remarkably fresh and velvety. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Each dish was exceptional and stood out as Be savored the delicious food and drank some wine. She was re-energized and loosened up to Christopher. Christopher was highly knowledgeable in various subjects and found a kindred spirit in Be, who also shared his knowledge. They discussed literature, music, and even games. There was virtually no topic that Mr. Iverson could not engage in. What surprised Be the most was their shared interest in an online game. They both preferred the role of the primary attacker. Be¡¯s enthusiasm soared when discussing games. Her face flushed with excitement, and her delicate hands were gesturing in the air as she spoke, revealing a side of her that was particrly lively. Christopher smiled indulgently as he let Be take the lead in the conversation. After a satisfying meal, the two strolled out of the restaurant together. Christopher didn¡¯t bring up coboration during the enjoyable banquet, and their conversation remained casual, leaving Be feeling a bit awkward. As they were getting ready to say goodbye, Christopher seemed to anticipate what she was about to ask and said, ¡°Be, regarding the coboration with Rose Manor, you can send me the proposal whenever you¡¯re ready. Once we review it, we can proceed with signing the contract.¡± ¡°Christopher,¡± Be paused for a moment, speaking in a gentle tone, ¡°You chose to coborate with me instead of the Salvadors today. I have a feeling that you did it to help me get back at Justin and make him suffer a little.¡± Christopher remained nomittal, his expression carrying a faint smile as he looked at her. Be continued, ¡°Remember, the business world isn¡¯t a game. It¡¯s all about looking out for your own interests.¡± After a brief pause, she added, ¡°It¡¯s important to consider your own interests. I hope you¡¯ll be careful and not let personal rtionships sway your decision when choosing a business partner. While I do have some issues with Justin, I won¡¯t take advantage of anyone. As for the coboration with Rose Manor, since he¡¯s also interested, I suggest you review both our proposals and choose the better one through fairpetition.¡± As Be departed Rose Manor, her mind was filled with contemtion. After much reflection, she still felt that coborating with Christopher in this way wasn¡¯t quite right. While she considered the possibility of benefiting from Salvador¡¯s actions, Be found it hard to justify acquiring resources through her rtionship with Christopher. She felt uneasy about achieving sess by relying on a man, something that went against her personal values as a youngdy who, except for her father and brothers, avoided depending on men. As they were discussing, Christopher looked deeply into Be¡¯s clear eyes and nodded with smile, saying, ¡°Yes, that makes sense.¡± However, Be was still unsure about coborating Christopher added, ¡°But even if Justin presents a n to me, I will still choose you.¡± Be was left speechless. It seemed like Christopher didn¡¯t listen to anything she had said earlier! Christopher smiled yfully and responded, ¡°Be, I understand your concerns. However, everyone has their own unique approach, and mine is to work together with acquaintances. I am not familiar with Justin, so I will not choose him. Be, we have known each other for a long time, and it feels like we are old friends. Therefore, I choose you.¡± Be listened as he spoke. His words were not unusual, yet they seemed to convey a deep sense of sincerity, almost like a confession. She blinked, feeling a sudden wave of embarrassment wash over her. In response, Be said, ¡°I appreciate the high regard you hold for me, and rest assured, I will do my best to not let you down. However, due to recent matters at my hotel, the proposal may take a little longer than expected. I hope you understand.¡± Be spoke with a cooperative and courteous tone, indicating that she no longer had any reservations. Christopher opened the door to Be¡¯s car and said, ¡°No worries. Take your time. It¡¯s chilly, so you should head home soon.¡± Be waved goodbye and settled into the car, but Christopher leaned in and looked at her through the window. She asked in surprise, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Christopher replied, ¡°Today at Rose Manor, Justin wanted to talk to me privately. Aren¡¯t you curious about what we discussed?¡± Christopher had anticipated that Be would bring up a certain topic during dinner, but he was mistaken. Beughed, exhibiting a confident smile, and stated, ¡°I have no interest in knowing. I am finished with Justin, and whatever he says has no bearing on me.¡± With that, she bade him farewell and departed. Chapter 283 The Bugatti drifted off into the night sky. Christopher adjusted his sses, and a smile spread across his face as his heart swelled with excitement. The car sped along the road, its engine echoing through the night. Be lowered the car window, enjoying the whistling night breeze, looking at the neon scene on the other side of the river, and fell into deep thought. Steven tightened his grip on the steering wheel and asked sullenly, ¡°Ms. Be, have you be acquainted with Mr. Iverson so quickly?¡±. Be replied, ¡°It¡¯s not bad. We hit it off quite well.¡± Steven Lovett grumbled discontentedly, ¡°Although Christopher saved you, it¡¯s a fact that he trailed you to the vi. You should be cautious.¡± Be smiled and said, ¡°Maybe he recognized me and was curious, that¡¯s all. Having interacted with him twice, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad person. It¡¯s just that sometimes he speaks strangely. Perhaps he¡¯s influenced by the bold customs of Sentania?¡± Be¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°The most important thing is, we both love the same game! We even made ns to team up one day!¡± Steven¡¯s bitterness grew as he listened. He pressed his lips together, remained silent momentarily, then asked in a hushed tone, ¡°Ms. Be, you¡¯ve never been so amodating and tolerant towards any man you just met. Do you¡­ Perhaps like him a bit?¡± Be gave Steven Lovett an exasperated look, ¡°Oh, where did you get that idea from?¡± She rolled her eyes and added, ¡°If anything, it¡¯s Christopher who likes me. Besides, why would I be interested in a man? I have better things to do! Men will only hinder my money-making speed!¡± Steven couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, dispelling his worries. Steven silently reassured himself,¡± Fortunately, Christopher hadn¡¯t swayed Ms. Be.¡¯ At that moment, the sports car glided over a speed bump, and a card slipped from the flower basket. ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s this?¡± Be frowned, bending down to pick it up. Upon opening it, the elegant and beautiful handwritten note revealed the words left by Christopher: ¡°Don¡¯t miss out on the good times in this moment of youth.¡± Be narrowed her eyes slightly and thought, ¡®This Christopher is quite interesting.¡¯ Breaking the silence, Steven asked, ¡°You ran into Rosalind again today. Did she say anything unpleasant?¡± He asked with concern, remembering the infuriating face of that vile woman. ¡°What do you think?¡± Be responded, raising an eyebrow coldly. ¡°Can an animal stop behaving like one?¡± ¡°Ms. Be, Rosalind had already made a move against you. She¡¯s even willing to sacrifice her own life to climb the socialdder.¡± Concerned, Steven asked Be, ¡°How do you n to deal with this?¡± Be replied, ¡°Steve, I don¡¯t need you to assist me here for the next few days. Instead, go take care of something for me.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Steven replied, ¡°What are your instructions, Ms. Be?¡± ¡°I need you to keep an eye on Jean, Rosalind¡¯s mother,¡± Be said calmly while caressing the roses in the basket. Her expression turned cold as she continued, ¡°After tonight, Rosalind won¡¯t be able to control herself anymore. She will make a move soon.¡± ¡°Did you mention something to her tonight?¡± Steven frowned in confusion. ¡°I dropped a hint about her past in the Meridan. She was so shocked.¡± Be smiled as she recalled the ghostly look on Rosalind¡¯s face. Steven asked with concern, ¡°Isn¡¯t that giving the enemy a heads-up?¡± Be shook her finger yfully and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to alert the enemy but rather lure the snake out of its hole. I deliberately said things to Rosalind tonight to provoke her. The closer she gets to being engaged to Justin, the more agitated she bes. She¡¯spletely focused on marrying into the Salvador family and will stop at nothing to eliminate any obstacles.¡± Steven suddenly realized and eximed, ¡°So she will definitely look for that child and hide her again?!¡± Be smiled slyly, nodding. ¡°Rosalind is currently confined to the hospital daily, making it inconvenient for her to scheme. So, she will likely assign this task to her mother. After all, only her mother knows about the girl¡¯s location. I¡¯ve already cast the bait. Now we just wait for the fish to bite.¡± Chapter 284 Rosalind returned to the hospital, full of panic and confusion. Be¡¯s ominous words echoed in her mind, and she anxiously bit her nails as she paced around the hospital room. Rosalind was worried. She couldn¡¯t let Be, a Thompson, uncover her past in the Meridan. She knew Be was very cunning and would likely discover even more soon. Rosalind couldn¡¯t just sit around and do nothing. She had to take some measures to prevent this from happening. Trembling, Rosalind called Memphis with bloodshot eyes and a hoarse throat. She finally heard his voice after a long ring. Memphis finally answered the call, ¡°What¡¯s the matter in the middle of the night¡­¡± ¡°Memphis, Be is investigating me and may soon discover our rtionship. I¡¯m anxious and worried,¡± she said, her voice hoarse. ¡°You need to leave Savrow as soon as possible.¡± Memphis sneered, ¡°Are you trying to get rid of me? I won¡¯t let you go without getting my money.¡± Frustrated and enraged, Rosalind yelled, ¡°If Be finds out about us, my engagement with Justin will be ruined! You won¡¯t get a single penny. Forget about five million!¡± Memphis replied, ¡°Fine, fine, fine¡­ I¡¯ll trust you just this once. But don¡¯t y tricks, or else¡­¡± Rosalind assured him, ¡°I promise you won¡¯t be shortchanged on the money! To avoidplications, let¡¯s not contact each other during this period.¡± After saying this, Rosalind hung up the phone, but her hands still trembled. She took a moment to compose herself and then called her mother, Jean. any ¡°Mom, pleasee to the hospital right away. I have something urgent to discuss with you!¡± In the basement, Be held Memphis¡¯ phone in her hands. These days, Memphis was kept locked up in the dungeon and was under constant surveince. He had no chance to escape and was granted the small mercy of being able to sit in a chair instead of being hung upside down. This slight change almost made him want to bow down and express gratitude to Be. After all, if he continued to hang upside down, his brain might end up congested, possibly dying. Be handed the phone to Steven, yfully raising her eyebrows. ¡°Not bad. I see your acting skills are bing more exquisite.¡± Memphis turned pale as he responded, ¡°No. It¡¯s only natural that I do this for you, Ms. Be.¡± Having recently lost two tendons, leaving him virtually incapacitated, Memphis had no desire to go through the same painful experience once again. Be smirked. ¡°It will be Rosalind¡¯s birthday in a few days.¡± She sat elegantly in the chair, crossing her legs. She spoke firmly. ¡°When the timees, I need you to cooperate in our little drama. You can make amends for your mistakes if you y your part well. I will send you to prison for reform. However, if you do not perform well, your sins will escte, and I will make sure you end up in hell!¡± Memphis was sweating profusely and stuttered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll do whatever you tell me, Ms. Thompson!¡± Be pursed her lips and chuckled. ¡°I heard that you only eat a bun a day. How do you manage that? Steve, please bring some food over.¡± Steven responded, ¡°Yes, Ms. Be.¡± Steven arrived with a tray of food for Memphis, which included four slices of toast, a roasted chicken, and a bottle of beer! Memphis had been surviving on stale bread for days, causing him to be visibly emaciated. At the sight of the roasted chicken, he looked at it longingly, tears and drool streaming down his face simultaneously. Steven ced the te of food before Memphis and said, ¡°Go ahead and eat it. This is a reward from Ms. Thompson.¡± He had a cold expression on his face, almost as if he were serving dog food to Memphis. Memphis swallowed the food, and his eyes glistened with tears. With a pitiful look, he asked, Ms. Thompson, this is so luxurious¡­ Could it be myst meal before execution?¡± || Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Be emerged from the dungeon, stretching in a luxurious yawn. She turned to Steven and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to head home. Let¡¯s go.¡± Steven quietly asked, ¡°Ms. Be, why bother preparing a meal for that wretched guy?¡± He recalled the events of that particr night, his heartache visible and his eyes faintly reddened. He said, ¡°He is a profit-driven and ruthless beast. It is too generous to feed him like this!¡± Be responded, ¡°To bring down Rosalind, I need Memphis to lend me a hand.¡± Chapter 285 Be yawned tiredly and said, ¡°Memphis must harbor resentment towards me and Rosalind, given his captivity.¡±. She continued, ¡°But if I show him a little kindness while he¡¯s on the brink of mental copse, I¡¯m confident he¡¯ll be profoundly grateful to me and channel his hatred towards Rosalind. At that point, he¡¯ll put all his energy into seeking revenge against her.¡± Stevenplimented, ¡°Ms. Be, you¡¯re so intelligent.¡± He added, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see them fight!¡± A weekter. Be finished a thorough inspection of the restaurant and returned to her office, feeling satisfied. It had been almost six months since she took over the hotel, and every aspect of the business was thriving with an increase in profits. During the recent evaluation, the hotel not only sessfully retained its star rating but was also awarded the title of ¡°Most Popr Hotel of the Year.¡± Be, however, had her sights set higher. She aspired to win the prestigious ¡°Best Hotel of the Year¡± title, which had been held by the Salvador family for five consecutive years. With Be on board, the Thompson family had a chance to im the coveted title and steal the limelight. Be surprised Steven by epting interviews from three well-known media outlets and making public appearances, which was quite different from her usual discreet approach. She had her reasons for taking such bold actions. Be realized that relying solely on being Wyatt¡¯s daughter would not earn the trust of everyone if she wanted to be the CEO of KS Group. In order to establish herself, she understood that she couldn¡¯t remain a silent leader in the shadows. She had to step forward into the limelight and showcase her achievements to the people of KS Group. When Wyatt entrusted her with the hotel¡¯s management, it was akin to handing her adder. Be seized this opportunity and intended to make the most of it. Be achieved another significant victory in her pursuits. She was with Steven and about to ask for another cup of coffee when she remembered that Steven had left to handle an important matter. A week had passed, and with Rosalind¡¯s birthday banquet approaching in just two days, Steven had not yet returned. Be closed her eyes and lightly tapped her fingers on the table. She was confident that her strategy was right on target. Therefore, she remained calm and patient. Just then, Be received a phone call. On the screen, she saw that it was her beloved disciple, Roza Walker. She quickly answered with a smile, ¡°Roza, what delightful news do you have for me this time?¡± Roza greeted her on the phone, ¡°Master!¡± Roza spoke in a sweet and friendly tone, ¡°I have baked some homemade pastries and have the finest tea ready for you. Would you like to drop by my ce today for a treat?¡± She had set aside her usual cold demeanor and opted for a gentler approach. Be saw through Roza¡¯s scheme. ¡°You want me to check out Rozab¡¯s new haute couture designs again, don¡¯t you?¡± she responded. Roza yfully objected and said, ¡°Come on, Master, don¡¯t expose me!¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Be offered Roza heartfelt encouragement, saying, ¡°Your talents are exceptional! You no longer need my guidance. You¡¯ve be an inspiration to numerous aspiring designers and have carved out a significant reputation in the fashion industry. Trust your instincts. If I meddle too much, it might overshadow the essence of your work. Believe in yourself, Roza!¡± ¡°Thank you, Master. Without you, I would not have achieved what I have today.¡± Roza remained as humble as she was in her unknown days. Deep down inside, Be remained her inspiring role model. Roza hesitated for a moment before she continued, ¡°Master, actually, there¡¯s something else I need to share, but I¡¯m afraid it might upset you.¡± She added, ¡°Just an hour ago, that bitch, Rosalind, showed up again, pestering me for clothes. She had her eyes set on the silver off-the-shoulder dress hanging in the design room. Honestly, she has no shame!¡± Be asked casually, ¡°Did you give it to her?¡± Roza¡¯s voice softened. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I am here to apologize to you, Master. Be reassured her, ¡°Ipletely understand. Much like me, you do everything with a purpose and reason. You have your own goals.¡± Roza¡¯s disdainful snort cut through the air as she recounted the scene. ¡°That dress she borrowed, a high-end design, mind you, is sost year-already out of fashion. And the fit? Oh, it¡¯s a disaster. The bust and waist measurements don¡¯t suit her figure at all, but she insisted on unting the dress anyway!¡± A coldugh escaped Roza¡¯s lips. ¡°I made it crystal clear to her that each haute couture piece I create is unique and precious. She¡¯s allowed to borrow, but if she dares to alter any of my designs, even with a safety pin, I¡¯ll make herpensate five times the price!¡± Be chuckled, her eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°Won¡¯t there be issues with wearing such an ill- fitting dress?¡± Roza responded with a shrug. ¡°Whether there¡¯s an issue or not is not my concern. After all, it¡¯s Rosalind¡¯s reputation at stake. Don¡¯t you agree, Master?¡± Chapter 286 Rosalind had channeled all her energy and effort into preparing for her birthday banquet. She was full of vitality, far from resembling a bedridden soul. Her days were spent coordinating venues and preparing her outfits and makeup. For those unaware, one might think she was preparing for an engagement celebration. During this time, Justin saw that her condition had improved and stopped visiting her at the hospital. Despite the underlying discontent in her heart, Rosalind prioritized organizing the birthday banquet. On the eve of the birthday banquet, she found herself in her room, struggling with the dress she had borrowed from Roza. She had a delicate figure like a willow, but the dress was too loose in the chest area, rendering it impossible for her to wear. Two maids were sweating profusely, but their efforts were in vain as the dress could not fit. Rosalind pushed the maids away. Her cheeks flushed angrily as she eximed in frustration. How did the Golds hire a bunch of useless people like you?¡± One of the maids timidly suggested, ¡°Ms. Rosalind, perhaps we could call a tailor toe and make adjustments or use a couple of pins to fix it?¡± Rosalind was so irritated that she was sweating, but she didn¡¯t want to admit that she was afraid of losing money. The dress was worth seven figures, and she had signed an agreement. If it got dirty, damaged, or altered without permission, even if it was just a pin, she would have topensate Roza five times the value. Setting aside the pain of parting with money, she couldn¡¯t let that woman, Roza, earn a single extra cent from her! Rosalind was extremely annoyed, so much so that she was sweating profusely. However, she didn¡¯t want to acknowledge that her irritation stemmed from her fear of losing money. The dress she had borrowed was worth a fortune, and she had signed an agreement wherein she would have to pay Roza five times the value of the dress if it was damaged, soiled, or altered without permission. Apart from the pain of losing such arge sum of money, she was determined not to let Roza earn even a single extra penny from her! Rosalind screamed, ¡°Get some tape for me right away! Hurry!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Soon, the maids brought tape and skillfully fixed it to the chest area of the dress. Rosalind attempted to try it on again, and it stayed in ce. The maids praised enthusiastically, ¡°You¡¯re so clever, Ms. Rosalind! This trick worked!¡± Rosalind breathed a sigh of relief, disying a triumphant expression. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Jean, who appeared tense, walked into the room. ¡°Mom!¡± Rosalind was anxiously fidgeting with her dress upon seeing her mother. She quickly instructed the maids to leave the room, ensuring privacy for the impending conversation. Jean locked the door behind them as the maids swiftly exited the room. Rosalind rushed forward anxiously while clutching her dress. ¡°Mom, how did things go?!¡± (( Jean firmly grasped her daughter¡¯s hand, her palm cold, and said, ¡°It¡¯s settled.¡± Rosalind squeezed her mother¡¯s hand appreciatively, her expression darkening with the weight of the situation. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve worked hard on this trip. I won¡¯t forget the kindness. you¡¯ve shown me. I¡¯ll take good care of you and repay you in the future!¡± Jean¡¯s face turned pale, and she locked her gaze with Rosalind. ¡°What are you saying, Rosalind?¡± Jean continued, ¡°You¡¯re my flesh and blood. Who else can I stand by if I don¡¯t stand by you? Now that you and Justin have reconciled and Gregory supports your marriage, we¡¯re just one step away. I won¡¯t let anyone or anything stop you from marrying into a wealthy family!¡± The much-anticipated birthday banquet unfolded the following day as dusk settled and the lights began to shine. The Gold family spared no expense, reserving the grandest banquet hall at the Salvador Hotel to host the guests. This choice highlighted the strong family ties between the two families and symbolized unity beyond kinship. Also, Shannon, acting on behalf of Gregory, extended invitations to many distinguished guests from Savrow and across the country to support her niece. The event¡¯s grandeur made people think it was Shannon¡¯s second wedding. The music yed melodiously within thevish banquet hall, and the guests were elegantly dressed. The wealthy and influential figures from Savrow who attended the event did so to celebrate the birthday and as a gesture of respect towards Gregory. Although Shannon had previously been summoned to the prosecutor¡¯s office for an informal investigation, it ultimately revealed that her cousin was responsible for the messy affairs. Now, she had been revitalized, appearing carefree as she walked arm in arm with her husband, attending the event in splendid attire, and engaging in lively conversations with the other guests. The guests continue to congratte both Gregory and Shannon. Shannon was radiant. Her spirits were remarkably high. ¡°Today is my dear niece¡¯s birthday. You should congratte her.¡± ¡°Ms. Rosalind is Justin¡¯s fiancee, the president of Salvador Corporation. I suppose congrattions are for you two as well. The Salvador¡¯s are on the brink of weing a new member!¡± Another personughed and added, ¡°Congrattions to you both!¡± Chapter 287 Amidst the celebration, Bethany was chatting with several acquaintances. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Congrattions, Bethany! You¡¯re about to have a sister-inw soon,¡± Amy teased with a smile. ¡°Oh, your words aren¡¯t urate. It should be ¡®another¡¯ sister-inw.¡± Beatrice joked. ¡°Nevertheless, novelty always trumps the old, right? Besides, Ms. Gold is also the niece of Mrs. Salvador. It¡¯s a double kinship. They should get along very well in the future. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Bethany smiled with a thin disguise, concealing her true feelings. ¡®As if we¡¯ll get along!¡¯ Amy remarked, ¡°I heard before that Rosalind and Justin were childhood sweethearts. After oveing numerous obstacles in recent years, they finally found sess in their rtionship. Right after divorcing his ex-wife, Justin was now weing her into the family. It seems like their love is undeniable.¡± Beatrice added, ¡°Bethany, when will your brother stop attracting so much romantic interest? When will you introduce a boyfriend and let us relish the sweetness of your wedding ns?¡± Upon hearing those, Bethany eagerly scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of her crush, the wealthy and eligible young master, Ryan Hoffman. Meanwhile, Ryan and Justin were waiting in the luxurious presidential suite. The two of them sat by the window, impably dressed in stylish suits. They gazed at the dazzling Savrow skyline, lit up by the bustling city. Ryan wore a white suit with a ck shirt tonight. He had a ck choker with a golden rose pendant around his neck that added a touch of aristocratic charm and seduction to his overall appearance. As a result, he looked incredibly appealing and irresistible. Justin, on the other hand, was dressed in his customary outfit, consisting of a ck suit, ck shirt, and ck tie. The only adornment present was the gold dragon design on his cor pin, emphasizing his exquisite sense of style andmanding presence as a person inplete control. Ryan eximed, ¡°Goodness gracious.¡± Ryan found it amusing how the man next to him emanated a somber vibe. He couldn¡¯t resist yfully teasing Justin. ¡°If someone sees you dressed like that, they might think you¡¯re going to a funeral instead of a birthday party.¡± Justin had a cold expression on his face and replied sarcastically, ¡°ck is usually worn during funerals, but does wearing white change the asion?¡± Ryan was surprised and jokingly said, ¡°Wow, it seems like God really knows how to bnce things out. You have an incredibly handsome face, but it¡¯s paired with a really rude attitude!¡± Ryan shifted his attention to the cor pin on Justin¡¯s neck and remarked, ¡°This little thing is quite unique. Can I borrow it for a couple of days?¡± Justin responded firmly, ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Ryan let out a sigh and said, ¡°Back in the day, we used to share each other¡¯s underwear. Now I only ask to borrow a cor pin and you act like I¡¯m asking for a leg. Are you bing stingier as you age?¡± Ian entered the room in a hurry and walked straight to them. ¡°Excuse me, sir. Ms. Rosalind sent me to remind you that the opening speech for the birthday banquet is about to start. She kindly invites you to join her on stage.¡± Justin coldly refused, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Ian¡¯s eyebrow twitched with satisfaction. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go inform her that you will not be attending!¡± He just loved seeing his boss put Ms. Rosalind in her ce and felt inexplicably satisfied. Ryan teased at him from the corner, ¡°After she just recovered from a depressive episode and attempted suicide, you¡¯re provoking her again. Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll sh her wrists in front of you the next time?¡± Justin wore a somber expression. ¡°I can¡¯t be on stage with her for the event tonight,¡± he stated, his voice devoid of emotion. Ryan wondered in bewilderment, ¡°Why not? Aren¡¯t you dating her?¡± Justin simply responded, ¡°I have decided to break up with her.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief at what he had just heard. On the other hand, Ian was so shocked that he almost shouted in excitement! Justin looked down and spoke in a calm tone, ¡°I haven¡¯t told her yet because I want to make sure she¡¯s healthy and well before I do so.¡± He continued, ¡°Once she¡¯s stable, I n on breaking up with her. I want to reduce the damage as much as possible. After all, she saved me once.¡± Ryan blinked his eyes, seemingly enlightened. Suddenly, he leaned towards Justin and asked, ¡± Justin, please tell me the truth. Are you breaking up with Rosalind because you have feelings for Be?¡± Justin felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if his breath had momentar Chapter 288 At the Salvador Hotel, Rosalind was enjoying her glorious moment under the spotlights. Meanwhile, Be drove alone in her Bugatti. She cruised along the mountain road, encircling Crescent Bay while enjoying the gentle breeze. Inside the car, the cheerful tune yed, and she sang along while driving, an air of happiness surrounding her. At this moment, Axel¡¯s call came in. Be answered the call in a sweet and tender voice, ¡°Hello, Ax!¡± ¡°Oh my, how sweet. I¡¯m tempted to record this and send it to Drew just to make him jealous!¡± Axel laughed. His voice was cheerful and lively. ¡°Since you called me, does this mean Circling back to the serious matter, Be asked, ¡°Since everything has been sorted?¡± Axel answered, ¡°Yes, everything is all prepared, Asher¡¯s side included, ¡°Axel said proudly.¡± Your brothers are very capable, so just rest assured.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way to visit Grandpa Nigel now.¡± Be continued, ¡°I heard that everyone in the Salvador family was coerced by Shannon to attend Rosalind¡¯s birthday banquet. Only Grandpa Nigel chose not to go.¡± Be sat in silence, lost in her own thoughts. ¡®Grandpa Nigel enjoys lively moments. He keeps it to himself, not wanting to trouble anyone, but he is really afraid of loneliness. Grandpa Nigel has always cared for me deeply. I should be there by his side now.¡¯ When thinking about Nigel, Be¡¯s eyes held a soft, warm light. She could not help but feel sad for him. Back when she was still Justin¡¯s wife, she would keep Nigelpany whenever she could. They would have the most wonderful conversation. They even wrote poetry and appraised antiques together. She would even serenade him with his favorite opera songs and take long walks by the beach. Their time together was always filled with warmth. On thest Valentine¡¯s Day, there was a heavy snowfall in Savrow. Despite the harsh weather, Be decided to visit Nigel at his ce with handmade snacks. She still clearly remembers the day when Nigel saw her with her red face and nose due to the cold and was surprised to see her there. Nigel eximed, ¡°Be, it¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day! Why aren¡¯t you spending it with Justin? What brings you to this old man¡¯s ce?¡± At that moment, Be was still deeply in love with Justin and quickly made up an excuse for her visit to Nigel¡¯s house. Be replied, ¡°Justin is the president of Salvador Group. He¡¯s always busy with work. Even on Valentine¡¯s Day, presidents don¡¯t get a day off. Besides, Justin has prepared a gift for me. It¡¯s the thought that counts.¡± Nigel sighed and said, ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯re too kind and patient. If you want to get through to Justin, you need to be tougher. He¡¯s a stubborn mule, just like I used to be when I was young. Your grandmother either gave me an earful or pinched my thigh. That¡¯s how she managed to tame me into a good husband.¡±. She merely chuckled in response. The two admired the falling snow for a while, and Nigel suddenly said, ¡°Be, are you afraid of the cold?¡± Without waiting for her to answer, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! Let¡¯s go visit Grandma.¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes showed the deep affection that Be could only ask for in her life. ¡°I¡¯m going to sweep away the snow for your grandma. She¡¯s afraid of the cold.¡± Soon, Be arrived at Nigel¡¯s house and called out, ¡°Grandpa! I¡¯m here!¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Just like in the past, Be¡¯s clear and melodious voice echoed throughout every corner of the living room as soon as she entered. ¡°Annie!¡± An equally sweet and pleasant voice called out. Carrie walked out while pushing Nigel in a wheelchair. Be was surprised. ¡°Carrie?! You¡¯re here too!¡± Be was delighted to see Justin¡¯s younger sister, Carrie, here. She ran over and gave Carrie a tight embrace. Responding to Be¡¯s hug, Carrie used her hands to feel around her thin back and asked, ¡± Be, you¡¯re so thin now! You weren¡¯t this thin before. Haven¡¯t you been eating welltely?¡± She replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve been eating well.¡± Be had indeed lost some weight recently. Due to her busy schedule at work, she has been skipping meals. Nigel called out, ¡°My dear,e over and let Grandpa have a look at you!¡± Nigel was so delighted to see Be that he continued to call her affectionately, just like before. Be did not mind because she had no lingering attachment to Justin. As long as Nigel was happy, it did not matter to her. Be kneeled next to the wheelchair. ¡°Grandpa, yourplexion looks a bit off. Haven¡¯t you been resting welltely?¡± She asked with concern as she looked at Nigel. Chapter 289 ¡°It¡¯s just an old ailment acting up. Nothing serious.¡± Nigel assured Be as he gently caressed her head. His face was pale with a greyish tint. Be held Nigel¡¯s left hand and carefully checked his pulse, feeling a heavy sensation in her heart. After a while, she said seriously, ¡°Grandpa, I will dedicate a specific time each week to give you acupuncture, and I¡¯ll also prepare a new set of medicines for you. You must not neglect this, and Uncle Matt will supervise your medication.¡± Nigel spoke softly, ¡°My dear, you¡¯re not the person you were before. You¡¯re now the heiress of the Thompson family, and Wyatt loves and cares for you deeply. How can I let you take on all these responsibilities? I heard from Justin that you¡¯re also managing the Thompson Hotel, which must be challenging. Don¡¯t go through all this trouble. I have Matt taking care of me, and that¡¯s enough.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Although Nigel wanted to see her often, he worried she would exhaust herself. Upon hearing this, Be was slightly stunned. She had not expected that Justin would discuss her affairs with Nigel. He seemed topletely disregard her in the past, treating her like an ornament. She wondered, ¡®Now that they were separated, he was reminiscing about her. What was going on?¡¯ Be raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°So what if I am Wyatt¡¯s daughter? Are you saying that I can¡¯t be your granddaughter?¡± She continued confidently, ¡°I have control over my own life. I will do whatever I like!¡± Her fiery and cute act made both Nigel and Carrie smile. At that moment, her phone vibrated. Be lowered her gaze to the screen and saw a message. [Steven: Ms. Be, everything is ready. I will be waiting for your orders.] A magnificent stage adorned with flowers in the banquet hall took the spotlight. As the lights gradually dimmed, those on the stage became increasingly dazzling. Justin and Ryan entered the venue fashionablyte, arrivingter than expected. Despite their attempt to maintain a low profile, their charming presence instantly captured the audience¡¯s attention. The eyes of the guests swirled around Justin, sparking hushed discussions. A guest muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. The usually reserved Justin is attending the birthday banquet of the Gold family¡¯s heiress. That woman must have quite the influence.¡± Another guest chimed in, ¡°Did you think this was just a simple birthday banquet? You¡¯re too naive! Haven¡¯t you noticed? Rosalind¡¯s parents, as well as the Salvador family, are all here. This birthday banquet is a cover, and they will likely announce more important news.¡± Someone else added, ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what is happening. It seems like I came at the right time. Anything interesting going on?¡± A random guest said, ¡°Nothing hurts more thanparison. I have discovered some interesting details through my connections with the Salvadors. When Justin married for the first time, it was a covert affair. There was no grand ceremony, just secrecy. That woman spent. three quiet years with Justin. And now, look at them. They¡¯re throwing a grand celebration for the girlfriend¡¯s birthday. Can you imagine how extravagant their wedding will be when they tie the knot? If I were the ex-wife, I¡¯d be heartbroken!¡± Hearing the whispered words, Justin felt as if someone had pped him in the face. His heart was riddled with guilt toward Be. When he was married, Justin never thought he had wronged Be. But now, after the divorce, he felt like a sinner. He was scrutinized and scorned by everyone. His personal affairs were exposed andid bare for everyone to see. Ryan elbowed Justin and asked, ¡°Justin¡­ Are you okay? Why do you look so pale?¡± Justin replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He took a deep breath and tried to calm his turbulent emotions. In the front row of the audience, Gregory and the Gold family sat together, giving the impression that both sides¡¯ parents were attending a wedding ceremony. Suddenly, the lights changed, and delightful music filled the air. Amidst the enthusiastic apuse, Rosalind made her entrance. She wore a silver couture evening gown adorned with jewelry worth millions of dors. Her dress elegantly showcased her shoulders and wrapped around her bountiful figure. Apanied by Shannon, she gracefully bowed to the audience, expressing her gratitude for their attendance. Someone in the audience couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Wow! Look at her! She¡¯s wearing an haute couture gown designed by Roza Walker!¡± Another added, ¡°So beautiful¡­ It¡¯s just a birthday banquet! And she borrowed a million-dor dress. Mr. Salvador showers her with affection!¡± Hearing the whispers from the audience below, Rosalind was on cloud nine as she basked in the spotlight. The only regret was that Justin was not standing by her side. Regardless, she was the center of attention tonight. She would not let anything dampen her mood. Shannon approached the stage and spoke into the microphone, ¡°I want to thank all of you for being here today to celebrate my niece Rosalind¡¯s birthday. This moment is extraordinary, and I know Rosalind will forever cherish the memories we create together.¡± She then took Rosalind¡¯s hand and looked at her lovingly, seemingly motherly, conveying the depth of her affection. ¡°Before we continue, there is an important announcement that I would like to share with all of you.¡± A sudden hush fell over the audience. Gregory maintained a subtle smile, his expression unreadable. Meanwhile, the Gold family couple¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. ¡°Rosalind is officially getting engaged to Justin!¡± Shannon announced. Chapter 290 ¡°Wow!¡± The audience gasped, followed by vigorous apuse. Ryan was momentarily stunned before he turned to look at Justin with concern. Justin stood motionless, like a frozen sculpture. He gave off a cold aura that prevented anyone from getting close. Unconcerned about his feelings, a beam of light swept through the crowd and shined on Justin, who had turned pale in shock. Shannon tightly held Rosalind¡¯s hand, her face glowing with excitement. ¡°Rosalind and Justin have known each other since they were kids, facing challenges together. Now, they are getting married. The Salvador family is thrilled, and we wanted to share this good news with all the esteemed guests!¡± Rosalind¡¯s cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were filled with the shy smile of a new bride. She looked affectionately at Justin in the audience, thinking his stiff expression was due to nervousness. Be was busy in the kitchen, preparing soup for Nigel and Carrie. Suddenly, Carrie rushed in, screaming, ¡°Be, something¡¯s wrong!¡± Her face was pale, and her hands trembled as she cried, ¡°Grandpa¡­ Grandpa has fainted! He fainted!¡± Be was momentarily stunned as she processed the news. Her pupils contracted, and her heart pounded in her ears. Regaining a sense of rity, she dropped the spoon in her hand and rushed out of the kitchen. Nigely t on the floor in the living room, his eyes wide open. His limbs were cold and convulsing like an epileptic seizure. His mouth twisted, and drool flowed uncontrobly. Be gasped, realizing that Nigel was having a severe stroke! Matt was burning with anxiety, nearly on the verge of tears, and cried out, ¡°Old Master Nigel! I¡¯ve already called for an ambnce! Hold on, Old Master!¡± ¡°Uncle Matt, don¡¯t panic! I won¡¯t let anything happen to Grandpa!¡± Be clenched her teeth, quickly kneeling beside Nigel, performing preliminary first aid efficiently. Both Matt and Carrie were stunned. The only difference between her and a professional doctor was that Be was not wearing a white coat. Be¡¯s forehead was covered with sweat by now. She anxiously asked, ¡°Uncle Matt, is the set of acupuncture needles that Grandpa usually uses still here?¡± Matt immediately answered, ¡°Yes!¡± Be instructed Matt to bring them over quickly. She took a deep breath, her eyes reddening with intense determination. She continued, ¡°The ambnce is too slow! I need to give Grandpa acupuncture quickly to buy him some time!¡± The joint performance by Rosalind and Shannon at the banquet hall brought the celebration to its peak! The daughters of the social elite looked on with envy and jealousy at the woman on stage, who seemed like a noble princess.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . All the socialite daughters present cast jealous looks toward Rosalind on the stage, who resembled a noble princess. The consensus held by her peer was, ¡®How much good karma did she umte in her previous life? Why is Rosalind so lucky to marry Mr. Salvador? I¡¯m so jealous!¡¯ One guest seemed to take notice and whispered, ¡°Look at her loose-fitting dress. Could it be that she¡¯s carrying Justin¡¯s child? In upper-ss society, isn¡¯t this kind of thingmon?¡± Someone added, ¡°Oh, now that you mention it, I did feel that her dress seemed weird when she came out. It is quite possible!¡± -¡°Pregnancy before marriage? That¡¯s not true love. It¡¯s just a scheme, so despicable.¡± -¡°If scheming can get you married to Mr. Salvador, I¡¯d willingly be a lowly woman for once! This move is truly a jackpot!¡± Chapter 291 Rosalind was aware of the cacophony of voices below the stage. However, she carried herself like an elegant swan, lifting her chin, unfazed and even more spirited. ¡°Go ahead, say what you want,¡¯ thought Rosalind to herself. My splendid life has just begun, while you could only be frogs at the bottom of the well looking up at me!¡± ¡°Justin! Look at this!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the trending search online before quickly handing Justin the phone. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. There, the top trending topic that boldly caught everyone¡¯s attention pierced through the mysterious depths of the man¡¯s eyes-#JustinAndRosalindsEngagement. Shocked, Ryan immediately asked in Justin¡¯s ear. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m baffled right now. Didn¡¯t you tell me you were breaking up with Rosalind? Why did your stepmother announce your engagement? Now, it¡¯s trending! It seems Gregory isn¡¯t against it. What the hell is going on? Are you breaking up with her or not?¡± A buzzing sound echoed in Justin¡¯s ears as his hand clenched and his muscles tensed beneath his suit. He felt like a fully drawn bow, his chest holding back a surge of intense frustration, teetering on the edge of breaking loose. Suddenly-! The giant screen, which initially had beautiful pink floating flowers in the background, suddenly turned to darkness. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Power outage? Or did the screen malfunction?¡± Amidst the confusion, the screen flickered back to life. Instead of the pink flowers, there was now a photo of a girl! The girl in the photo was thin and small, with messy hair on her head and tattered clothes. She was crying, with tears and snot all over her face. She looked extremely pitiful, making the crowd feel sorry just by looking at her. ¡°My goodness! Whose child is this? She looks so miserable!¡± ¡°Yeah! Is Ms. Gold using this birthday banquet as a charity fundraiser? Then I have to donate some. I am the most enthusiastic about charity!¡± Hearing the discussions below, Rosalind and Jean realized that something was wrong quickly turned around to look at the screen. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on?¡± Shannon asked, surprised. and ¡°Who is that dirty child? How could such a thing appear at my birthday banquet? Did the backstage crew make a mistake?¡± Rosalind¡¯s jaw dropped as she stared nkly at the screen with the little girl. Jean turned pale and jumped up from her chair like it was on fire. She pointed at the screen and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Turn it off! Turn the screen off now!¡± The crowd around her was startled, looking at her with puzzled expressions. Even Gregory and Patrick needed rification. They could not understand why a small screen malfunction triggered such an exaggerated reaction. Suddenly, from somewhere in the audience, a man¡¯s hoarse voice echoed. ¡°Turn it off? Why turn it off?¡± Rosalind followed the voice around the room. When Memphis¡¯s sinister face appeared in her sight, she almost screamed from fear! Rosalind broke into a cold sweat, soaking through her expensive haute couture dress. Her legs were shaking uncontrobly under her skirt. Her delicately made-up face was as stiff as a mask! Memphis sneered and took a few steps forward into the light. The rough-looking man quickly drew everyone¡¯s attention. He dered, ¡°Family members should be united. While you¡¯re enjoying yourselves here, eating and drinking extravagantly, this poor child is suffering from abuse and hardship in an orphanage in Meridan. Rosalind, as the child¡¯s mother, do you still have any conscience?!¡± Chapter 292 ¡®Daughter? My¡­ Daughter?!¡¯ Rosalind couldn¡¯t help but tremble uncontrobly at the thought. It was as if two sledgehammers were relentlessly pounding on her temples. Her mind only had one thought, ¡®Why! This matter was supposed to be a secret!¡¯ Once the news was revealed, the girl did seem to resemble her more and more! ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­ Impossible!¡± Rosalind muttered to herself as if she were under a spell. ¡°Hehe, how ridiculous. How ironic.¡± Memphis stared at her ghostly, pale face and chuckled ominously. ¡°As the biological mother of the child, how could you not recognize your own daughter?¡± Memphis sneered, ¡°You really are a ¡®dutiful¡¯ mother.¡± The entire venue was thrown into chaos, like a massive stone plunging into the sea and creating shockwaves. Half of the attendees looked up at the panicking Rosalind on stage, while the other half gazed down at the icy-cold Justin, whose clenched teeth revealed his true feelings. The spotlight shining on him seemed to have a green tint to it. Shannon¡¯s elegant and noble demeanor crumbled as she grabbed Rosalind forcefully and whispered through gritted teeth, ¡°Rosalind! What¡¯s going on? Who is this man? How did he get in? What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± Meanwhile, Jean, who was a caring mother but also feared the exposure of a scandal, rushed towards Memphis in a fit of fury. ¡°Where did youe from, you filthy rogue?! How dare you defame my daughter!¡± Memphis, who was used to boxing, had quick reflexes. He promptly dodged Jean¡¯s attack, causing her to dive into the air. Her arms iled wildly as she staggered forward andnded on the ground with a muffled thud. The room was filled with bursts of snickers that echoed around. Patrick felt embarrassed as his face turned crimson. He didn¡¯t want to admit that the woman in front of him was his wife. Rosalind was afraid and shouted for help, ignoring her mother. She wanted to get rid of Memphis and urged her bodyguards toe quickly. ¡°Someone, bodyguards! Drag this presumptuous rogue out of here! Hurry!¡± she eximed. Memphis was ovee with anger when he saw the woman refusing to admit her fault. He was about to speak when suddenly, a low, chilling, yet maic voice echoed from behind. ¡°No one is allowed to take him away,¡± Justin said, his eyes visibly reddening. He advanced step by step towards Rosalind. He gazed at Rosalind, who stood on the stage, trembling. In his childhood, she was as kind as an angel, and as an adult, she was as warm as the sun. She had always told him that he was the only man in her life and that she loved only him. He felt a sense of terrifying unfamiliarity as he watched the same face he had known since his childhood. His breath got stuck in his throat. ¡°Justin¡­ I¡¯m being framed! Somebody has brought in a strange man to tell lies and ruin my reputation!¡± Rosalind was in a state of panic and clumsily rushed towards Justin, almost tripping over the hem of her own dress in the process. The short distance between them felt like an arduous journey, akin to crossing mountains and wading through water. She reached Justin unsteadily, feeling as though her legs might give way. Desperately grabbing his arms, her fingers tightened as if holding on for dear life. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Rosalind begged, ¡°Justin, darling! From the beginning until now¡­ I¡¯ve loved you with all my heart! Even during our three years apart, I remained chaste for you! This man¡­ I don¡¯t know who sent him to sow discord! Please, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense! You must believe me, Justin, darling!¡± Memphisughed at the absurdity of Rosalind¡¯s im. ¡°Hahaha¡­ I don¡¯t know if you only love him. But remaining chaste¡­?¡± he asked, finding it quite thrilling to witness someone telling such an enormous lie. Rosalind¡¯s eyes shed with anger, and she pointed her sharp fingers directly at Memphis. I¡¯m going to sue you! I¡¯ll sue you for defamation and spreading rumors! I¡¯ll call the police to arrest you!¡± she threatened, her intent to seek justice clear. ¡°Sue me? I damn well should sue you for abandoning your child at birth!¡± Memphis did not bother wasting words on this bitch. He pulled out a document from his pocket and forcefully threw it at Rosalind, saying, ¡°This is the DNA test report between you and our daughter! It¡¯s written in ck-and- white. What else can you argue about?!¡± There was no turning back now. Since that was the hell with him! Case he would drag this woman down to Chapter 293 The shocking revtion reverberated through the room like thunder. Rosalind felt her world crumble beneath her feet. -¡°Oh my god! This filthy man is Rosalind¡¯s lover?! What kind of taste does she have? Being with Mr. Salvador and yet still getting involved with a bum?!¡± -¡°Don¡¯t you get it? After indulging in delicacies, one always craves some forbidden wild game!¡± ¡°She even had a child with this man! After giving birth, she turns around and wants to marry into a wealthy family as the young madam¡­ How can her heart be so malicious? She was even willing to cast away her flesh and blood!¡± -¡°This is a bombshell of epic proportions!¡± ¡°Oh no, bright!¡± oh no¡­ Suddenly, I feel like the green halo above Mr. Salvador¡¯s head is blindingly Amidst the chaos, Ryan walked over, his left hand casually in his pocket, as he bent down to pick up the DNA test from the ground. He frowned and, after confirming twice, brought the report to Justin. He deliberately raised his volume, speaking with a precise and measured tone to ensure that everyone could hear every word. ¡°Justin, the identification agency that issued this report, is highly reputable in the country. This report should be genuine.¡± Justin¡¯s lips tightened as he slowly closed his eyes. It seemed like the only window of hope had closed for Rosalind, and a tsunami of fear surged through her chest! ¡°Justin, darling¡­ When I left you back then, I was suffering from severe depression! You know all of this! My condition worsened while I was in Meridan¡­ I suffered physically and mentally! I¡­ Many of my actions werepletely beyond my control! I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing!¡± At this point, Rosalind could only emphasize her ¡°depression,¡± hoping to evoke Justin¡¯s sympathy. After all, he had been in the rain before; how could he not offer an umbre to someone else?! Shannon witnessed all this from the stage and felt anger and despair. Anger because Rosalind, this self-righteous foolish woman, had finally yed herself, and it was a headlong fall she could never recover from! Despair because she was now indirectly admitting, in no uncertain terms, that she had had a rtionship with this man and had indeed given birth to a child. ¡°Hahaha! Depression?! Rosalind, are you joking?! How can a heartless woman like you possibly have depression?¡± Memphis retorted, holding his stomach,ughing so hard tears were about toe out. At that moment, therge screen changed again! A diagnostic report, presented in Chinese and English, shocked everyone. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect this, did you? The psychotherapist who has been ¡®treating ¡®you for years had a backup! You took the forged diagnosis report, but they kept the original! Just in case some unexpected event happened and you tried to drag them down!¡± Memphis remembered the miserable days he had been through recently because of this woman, and his anger surged. He spat at her, ¡°You¡¯re disgusting! Depression, my ass! I suggest you go get yourself checked for STDs!¡± ¡°Shut up! Just shut up!¡± Rosalind¡¯s face turned green with hatred, yet she put on a pitiful expression, tearfully looking at Justin. ¡°Justin, darling¡­ don¡¯t believe¡­ don¡¯t believe him¡­ ah! Justin¡¯s gaze was heavy as he forcefully shook Rosalind off his arm, causing her to almost fall to the ground. Anger and shame, fueled by being deceived and apanied by remorse, surged through, piercing his chest. The pain caused his heart to throb violently. In an instant, he raised his pale lips, unable to contain the redness welling up in hisughed with a trembling voice. eyes, and This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . He wasughing at himself for being blind and for being fooled. Heughed at his foolishness for being ensnared by a woman full of lies and cruelty, causing him to mistreat Be for three years, repeatedly hurting her heart for the sake of this deceitful woman. No wonder Be hated him so much. At this moment, he had to be cruel to himself. ¡°Rosalind, let¡¯s break up.¡± ¡°Justin, darling¡­ What are you saying¡­?¡± Justin¡¯s handsome yet heartless face became hazy as her eyes filled with tears. All of a sudden, the grand doors of the banquet hall swung open. Four imposing police officers strode towards Rosalind, startling her to the point where she began trembling uncontrobly once again. However, the police officers did not linger in front of her. Instead, they brushed past her and headed straight for her mother, Jean. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing?!¡± Jean¡¯s lips quivered as she asked in a strained voice. ¡°Are you Jean Quarry?¡± One of the police officers stepped forward, producing a pair of handcuffs that gleamed with a cold light. He promptly secured Jean Quarry¡¯s wrists. ¡°You have been formally arrested on charges of hiring someone tomit murder! You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court!¡± Chapter 294 Everyone stared at the ashen-faced Jean in shock. They knew that the police would not arrest someone so decisively unless the evidence was conclusive. That meant Jean hiring someone tomit murder was practically confirmed! Looking at the cold handcuffs on her wrists, Jean felt a buzzing in her ear as she felt darkness envelop her, like the sky had copsed and the ground had caved in. ¡®What¡¯s going on? How could this happen?!¡¯ Jean had entrusted a reliable person to handle that illegitimate daughter and paid the money as agreed. All of this had not even happened within the country. ¡®How could it be exposed like this? How had she been discovered?!¡¯ ¡°Jean! Jean!¡± Patrick desperately shouted. He was terrified as he witnessed his wife taken away by the police. He wanted to chase after her and intervene, but after just a few steps, he grimaced, clutching his chest, and copsed. ¡°Hurry! Call an ambnce!¡± Gregory was shocked and immediately ordered someone to take the unconscious Patrick away. Ryan was utterly dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Damn, damn! Justin, your ex- mother- inw, was arrested on suspicion of murder! That is the biggest bombshell tonight!¡± Justin observed with an expressionless face and cold eyes. He showed no intention of helping the Gold family in any way. He said coldly, ¡°Commit a crime, and face the consequences. It¡¯s only natural.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. In full view of the onlookers, a disheveled Jean was brought away by the police. As she passed by Rosalind, she tearfully nced at her daughter for thest time, and this nce nearly shattered Rosalind. ¡°Don¡¯t take away my mom! She didn¡¯t kill anyone! Mom!¡± Rosalind cried and shouted as she tried to run, but she barely took a few steps before there was a loud crash. Immediately, she felt a chill on her body, and there were gasps of shock around her! The haute couture gown, which had only been taped to her body, had lost its stickiness due to her sweat. The off-shoulder dress slipped down, and her body, with only a tube and underwear, was exposed in front of everyone! ¡°Ah!¡± Rosalind was scared as she curled up her body and covered her chest with her arms. She was overwhelmed with embarrassment and resentment. Shannon, witnessing this irreparable scene, hated it so much. Her eyes were filled with anger and regret for organizing this embarrassing birthday banquet for this woman. On the other hand, Bethany hid in the corner, sipping red wine while enjoying the spectacle. She felt immense joy witnessing this despicable woman¡¯s downfall, and a smile blossomed. There were already some men who took out their phones to capture the moment sneakily. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ This figure, honestly, is not much to look at, brother. You¡¯re not losing much by breaking up with her.¡± Ryan rested his elbowzily on Justin as his eyes looked on mockingly. Justin felt that decades of friendship from years gone by had turned into a ludicrous joke. He decisively turned away from the scene. For Rosalind, a suffocating sense of overwhelming despair took over. She stood up and chased after him, calling, ¡°Justin, darling!¡± In her desperation, she had forgotten she was undressed, leaving herpletely exposed from head to toe. ¡°Ah! Look at Rosalind¡¯s stomach! What are those lines?!¡± ¨C ¡°They look like stretch marks!¡± ¡°They are stretch marks! I¡¯ve given birth to two kids. How could I not recognize them!¡± ¡°Oh my god! She has had children, yet she pretends to be a delicate and innocent woman. This woman is truly disgusting!¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador is fortunate. He almost ended up with a rotten deal. Fortunately, he came to his senses in time!¡± It was over-her beautiful dream of marrying into a wealthy family. Everything had gone down the drain and vanished into thin air. Justin¡¯s gaze was dark as he walked forward with heavy steps. Ryan silently walked alongside him, wanting to say something several times. His lips opened and closed, but words failed toe out. Chapter 295 Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m pitiful? Stupid? Ridiculous?¡± Justin¡¯s hoarse voice sounded. His lips formed a broken, bitter smile. Ryan shook his head thoughtfully. ¡°No, Justin, I¡¯m your best friend, your brother. No matter what happens, I won¡¯tugh at you. I just feel sad.¡± ¡®Regret¡­¡¯ Justin closed his bloodshot eyes and tore apart every scene rted to Rosalind in his mind, leaving nothing behind-not even a trace. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to regret. It¡¯s my fault for being blind. I deserve this,¡± Justin sighed. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Ryan sighed with heartfelt sympathy. ¡°It¡¯s those three years when Be married you. Perhaps you could have loved her if it weren¡¯t for that woman. You could have been happy instead of being at war with each other. Do you think so?¡± ¡®Could have been happy.¡¯Justin halted abruptly, his pitch-ck eyes momentarily losing focus. ¨C ¡®Justin, can we¡­ not get divorced?¡¯ ¨C ¡®Because¡­ I love you.¡¯ His ear buzzed with a ringing sound as he clutched his head in pain. He hastily leaned against the wall. A suffocating sensation overwhelmed him. Back then, Be had cried and begged him not to divorce her. He thought it was just her desperate struggle to cling to the marriage, viewing her as a cage and wanting to escape. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Only now did he realize this. Be never intended to tie him down. Thest time she said she loved him, she hoped to continue the love. She knew he had never loved her. She had tried her best to keep him, fearing that after the divorce, she would not even be qualified to love him. Ryan interrupted, ¡°I saw the child was already three or four years old. It means that when Rosalind was in Meridan, she was secretly with that man.¡± He continued, ¡°But if I remember correctly, she was still clinging to you then. Giving you the feeling that she deeply loved you and that she ended up in a foreign country waiting for you and enduring hardships for your sake. In reality, behind your back, she was anything but idle.¡± Justin gripped his chest, his heartache causing his entire body to tremble as if even breathing might take his life. ¡°There have always been men around Rosalind. You were just one of them.¡± Ryan gazed sincerely at him. ¡°But in Be¡¯s heart, it has always been you. Do you remember the night you went to her house in the heavy rain? Do you know what she told me?¡± Justin stared nkly at him, his forehead soaked with sweat. ¡°I tried to confess to her, but she rejected me.¡± Ryan¡¯s smile carried a bitter taste. When did he ever bow down like this for a woman? ¡°She said if it weren¡¯t Justin, she wouldn¡¯t love anyone. Without leaving Justin, she wouldn¡¯t love anyone else.¡± Justin¡¯s pupils contracted. Every organ in his body felt like it was being cruelly stirred by a sharp de, causing spasms of pain in every inch of his nerves. ¡®Be, you said you wouldn¡¯t love anyone else without me. We have not known each other for more than three years. Did I appear in your life much earlier than that?¡¯ ¡®Why! Why!¡¯ ¡®Be, I want you to give me an answer!¡¯ At that moment, Justin¡¯s phone vibrated in his hand. Trembling, he took it out and saw that it was a call from Matt. Thinking something might be wrong with his grandfather, he quickly answered, ¡°Uncle Matt, is there something wrong with Grandpa?¡± ¡°Young Master Justin! Old Master Nigel has had a sudden stroke. Pleasee to Savrow Hospital right away!¡± Matt said. ¡°What?!¡± Justin¡¯s chest tightened. Matt promptly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Old Master Nigel has been transferred from the emergency room to a VIP ward, and his condition is rtively stable.¡± Matt spoke with lingering fear. ¡°Thanks to Ms. Thompson¡¯s timely first aid for Old Master Nigel, we managed to buy time for the emergency rescue. Otherwise¡­ He would have been in serious danger!¡± Justin¡¯s cheeks flushed with a burning and scorching sense of shame, as if he had been pped in the face countless times. Chapter 296 The sensational scandal surrounding the Golds spread rapidly across the inte. The top trending topic online was no longer the news of Justin and Rosalind¡¯s engagement. Instead, it was dominated by hashtags like #RosalindGoldsIllegitimate Daughter and # JeanGoldHiresHitman. The chaotic scene at the birthday banquet leaked and spread like wildfire. Rosalind¡¯s hysterical outburst, resembling a madwoman, and the unexpected exposure of her half-naked appearance became the story¡¯s highlights. Under the posts, Rosalind faced a barrage of mockery and insults. Manyizens expressed their disgust at the actions of a woman who abandoned her daughter to climb the socialdder. Some even created petitions, calling for legal consequences for Rosalind¡¯s cruel acts. [She doesn¡¯t even recognize her daughter and abandons her overseas without care. Can she even be considered a human being? Even dogs protect their pups! Rosalind isn¡¯t even as good as a dog!] [Dog: Don¡¯t get me involved!] [Heard that Justin left his wife for this trash? Wow.] [Justin proves with strength that he has shit in his eyes and gas in his brain! I haven¡¯t seen his ex-wife, but I bet any woman is better than Rosalind!] [Ex-wife: Better than Rosalind? Haha, baseless rumors!] [Heard Justin and Rosalind were childhood sweethearts? Childhood sweethearts are trouble. I¡¯ll be careful whenever I see those four words in the future!] [Hahaha, I¡¯mughing so hard! It¡¯s so damn melodramatic! Can we get a talented director to turn this into a drama? My mom and I would love to watch it!] Ruining someone¡¯s reputation seemed easy at first nce. However, perhaps only a few brothers from the Thompson family knew that, from discovery to revtion, Be meticulously nned every step to push Rosalind from the pinnacle of glory to her darkest moments. She had always been the calmest and seldom acted impulsively. But once she took action, she ensured her enemies would never rise again! At this moment, the entrance of the Salvador Hotel was swarmed by crowds of onlookers, journalists, and police cars, causing aplete standstill. When Jean appeared before everyone, her face was ashen, and her legs were weak and unsteady. She couldn¡¯t stand up and was dragged to the police car by two officers. Many in the crowd were excited to witness a police arrest and eagerly recorded videos to be shared on social media tforms. Across the street, Asher and Axel sat in their Rolls-Royce. They slowly raised the car window, concealing their sess at taking care of everything for their younger sister. ¡°Ash, I¡¯d been thinking of asking you to buy inte trolls to stir discussion about the Gold family mother and daughter. But looking at this, it¡¯s unnecessary. The public is very enthralled in this matter.¡± Axel was scrolling through thements about Rosalind. His eyes bore a striking resemnce to those of their fourth brother, Drew. ¡°Hmm?¡± Asher raised the coffee cup to his lips, his eyes carrying a hint of annoyance. ¡°Ax, you¡¯re good in many ways, but this habit of taking advantage is ridiculous. Can¡¯t you change a bit? You¡¯re Wyatt Thompson¡¯s son. Do you know how much I would have to pay just for some inte trolls? Eighteen million. In your eyes, it¡¯s like loose change, right?¡± ¡°Wow! Brother, are you saying I¡¯m stingy?! Since we were children, I¡¯ve generously spent ¡®money like there¡¯s no tomorrow on Be. When have I ever been stingy?¡± Axel widened his eyes, feeling a bit dissatisfied. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ve never seen you be generous to anyone besides Be.¡± Asher elegantly sipped his coffee, teasing him as usual, ¡°But this time, isn¡¯t it for Be?¡± Axel¡¯s eyes flickered, and he chuckled. ¡°Ash, didn¡¯t we handle this matter together this time? You took the lead, so you get the most credit. I can¡¯t steal your thunder. Besides, I¡¯m younger, and you¡¯re older. It¡¯s only natural for you to protect me! Just consider it as showing me some sympathy, okay?¡± Asher smiled helplessly, patting him gently on the head. ¡°Being a prosecutor all these years hasn¡¯t been for nothing. You¡¯re much smarter than before.¡± Axel scratched his head and suddenly remembered something. Just as he was about to take out his phone, it rang. ¡°Hey! True brothers think alike. I was thinking of contacting Ralph, and here he is calling me!¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Axel quickly put the call on speaker and smiled, ¡°Ralph, how¡¯s the situation on your end?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to apprehend Jean. As you mentioned, the person who harmed Be will also be brought back to the police station.¡± Ralph¡¯s hoarse voice, filled with resentment, came through from the other end. ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t let that bastard have a good day!¡± M Larson, Wyatt¡¯s second wife, had two sons and a daughter. Wyatt¡¯s fifth son, Hugh Thompson, was the chief pilot. His sixth daughter, Camillia, married a foreigner and was currently a senator¡¯s wife with the prospect of bing the future First Lady of Sentania. Chapter 297 Ralph Thompson, the seventh son of the Thompson family, aspired to be a crime-fighting police officer since childhood. Now, he had fulfilled his dream and had be the captain of the first Criminal Investigation Division in Savrow. ¡°Yeah, yeah! Beat him to death! Give it to him until he can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Ralph¡¯s words also stirred Axel¡¯s emotions. ¡°Can¡¯t you detectives use some unique methods during interrogation?¡± ¡°We prosecutors don¡¯t have that authority. Don¡¯t waste this chance!¡± Axel said, mming his fist on the car window. Asher, on the side, listened with a wry smile. Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughters were refined and elegant, like princesses. However, his sons were aggressive and often resorted to brute force. Even more so than him, who had once been on the streets. The three brothers, working together, left those targeted with only two paths ¨C a dead end or no way out! Justin rushed to the hospital to apany his grandfather. Worried about Justin, Ryan insisted on following him as well. The sports car skidded to a stop at the hospital entrance. Without any hesitation, Justin left the car and sprinted into the hospital. Justin¡¯s grandfather was his only concern and attachment to the Salvador family. His grandfather was the one who truly treated him as a beloved grandson, showering him with genuine care and affection. ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa¡­¡± Justin ran like the wind, his hoarse voice murmuring repeatedly. The moment he burst into the corridor, he saw Be sitting on a bench, cradling a sleeping Carrie in her arms. The scene was serene, like a delicately painted oil painting capturing the tranquility of a peaceful life. With her longshes, Be gently caressed the girl in her arms. Her features were serene and peaceful, emitting a radiant and holy light, though her petite figure seemed to harbor an unstoppable and powerful force. Whenever someone needed her, she descended upon them like a redeeming angel. Suddenly, a sense of guilt and bitterness surged through Justin¡¯s nose. Fortunately, she was there¡­ Hearing footsteps, Be lifted her head and locked eyes with Justin, their gazes meeting like rivers converging. In that brief moment of confusion, a trace of long-lost warmth flickered in her bright eyes, causing a throbbing in the man¡¯s chest. Unfortunately, it was fleeting. Be¡¯s gaze toward him again turned indifferent, cold, and ruthless. ¡°Ms. Gold¡¯s birthday banquet is over, I suppose? Is it right for Mr. Salvador to leave that mess behind and rush over? She refrained from using foulnguage, but Justin felt as if he had been stripped naked, publicly humiliated, and subjected to an execution on the spot. He walked toward her step by step, his eyes filled with remorse. Be lowered her eyes, wishing all her senses could shut down. ¡°Grandpa has gone to sleep, and Uncle Matt is looking after him. You should wait outside for now and let the old man rest.¡± ¡°Be¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Justin struggled with his emotions, his voice hoarse. ¡°Sorry? Are you apologizing to me?¡± Be¡¯s lips curled into a cold and mocking smile. ¡°Justin, the one you should be apologizing to is Grandpa lying inside, just barely escaping the gates of hell. Why would you owe me an apology? I have nothing to do with you. Grandpa, at least, cared for you once. I hope you can spare some time to be with him. I happened to be here this time, but what about next time? Grandpa won¡¯t always be lucky, and the Grim Reaper won¡¯t show mercy each time.¡± As she spoke, a faint pain gripped her heart. She took a deep breath, her eyes turning red. ¡°I just hate it. I hate that he¡¯s not my biological grandfather. I hate that I can¡¯t be with him all the time. I wish I could sew a small pocket on my body and put Grandpa in it so I can take care of him every moment. }) ¡°Be¡­¡± Justin¡¯s throat tightened, bitterness filling his lungs and rendering him speechless. His apologies seemed worthless in Be¡¯s eyes. They had lost any significance. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Justin!¡± At this moment, Ryan hurriedly walked in. He nced at Be with a confused expression before turning to Justin and saying in a deep voice, ¡°Come out. I need to talk to you.¡± Chapter 298 ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Just give it to me here,¡± said Justin, his intense gaze fixed on Be. ¡°Justin! Justin! Darling!¡± A pitiful cry echoed across the hospital corridor. A tearful cry suddenly echoed, which made Ryan¡¯s scalp tingle. Justin¡¯s expression darkened, and his body stiffened at the sound of Rosalind¡¯s shriek. Startled by the loud sound, Carrie woke up and grabbed Be¡¯s clothes, eyes wide open. What¡¯s going on? Is something wrong with Grandpa?!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Be replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay, Carrie. With me here, how could Grandpa be in trouble?¡± Be coldly nced at the dazed Rosalind, then helped Carrie, saying, ¡°Carrie, I¡¯ll take you somewhere to rest. When Grandpa wakes up, you can see him right away.¡± Seeing her leave with such indifference made Justin feel as if he had been shot in the chest, making it hard to breathe. ¡°Justin!¡± Rosalind cried. Her eyes were swollen from the crying. She wanted to rush towards Justin but was stopped by Ryan¡¯s outstretched arms. ¡°Ms. Gold, I don¡¯t think you should be looking for Justin now. You should be at the hospital to check on your dad and then find a reliablewyer for your mom. That¡¯s what a filial daughter would be doing right now,¡± Ryan chastised her. Ignoring his words, Rosalind continued crying to Justin, ¡°I¡¯ve been framed! I am the victim! Justin, you must believe me¡­ How could I betray you when I love you so much?!¡± With his back to her, Justin bit down on his teeth, his eyes filled with coldness. Hearing this woman speak of love, he felt nothing but disgust and the urge to vomit. He eximed, ¡°The child is already so old! You¡¯ve created such a mess! If you had any sense of shame, you wouldn¡¯t dare mention anything about love. Just listening to you makes me sick. Ryan gave her a cold look and said, ¡°You should be grateful that Justin is kind-hearted. If it were me, your adulterous husband wouldn¡¯t even have a decent burial, and I¡¯d kick the entire Gold family out of Savrow, so I¡¯d never have to see your faces again!¡± His ruthless words shook Rosalind, and she broke down into sobs. After a while, Justin turned around slowly and looked at Rosalind with a cold gaze. ¡°You should leave.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t leave!¡± Rosalind eximed with a hint of coyness. She thought Justin would not do anything to her if she yed the victim. Little did she know he had already sent a message to Ian. With two bodyguards in tow, Ian arrived to intervene. Justin¡¯s voice was bone-chillingly cold. ¡°Take her away. Don¡¯t disturb the rest of the patients.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Salvador!¡± Ian responded promptly. Fuming with anger, he rolled up his sleeves as he approached Rosalind. Along with another bodyguard, they grabbed her arms and started pulling her away. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything with Memphis! It was him¡­ He asked me to be his girlfriend, and I refused! He became furious and raped me! That¡¯s how I ended up pregnant with that wild bastard!¡± In an attempt to salvage Justin¡¯s affection, Rosalind resorted to an outrageous lie in a desperate attempt to justify herself. ¡°He had leverage over me¡­ He ckmailed me repeatedly, and when I refused to give in, he wanted to drag me down to hell. His goal is to ruin mepletely! Justin, I¡¯m also a victim! Why won¡¯t you believe me?!¡± ¡°Rosalind.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes permeated with a chilling sternness that left her utterly hopeless.¡± My breakup with you has nothing to do with that man or the child.¡± His words left Rosalind bewildered. She stared nkly at Justin with her mouth half open. Chapter 299 ¡°If you had fallen in love with someone else in Meridan and even gave birth to a child without telling me, I wouldn¡¯t have med you,¡± Justin¡¯s eyes gradually reddened with resentment, and his fingers curled into a tight fist. ¡°But you lied to me. You imed to have depression. You used your illness as a cover and manipted my emotions. You even attempted to force me into a marriage with you!¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± Rosalind¡¯s face turned pale, unable to speak coherently. Only then did she realize how wrong she had been. When she had lied to him about having depression, she had only thought of it as a means to hold onto Justin¡¯s heart. However, she had forgotten that both Justin and his mother were painful victims of depression themselves. He feared she would follow in his mother¡¯s footsteps, so he kept amodating andpromising. It was also why he had callously abandoned Be, who loved him deeply. Yet, she had not considered that once this colossal lie was exposed, she would not just have toyed with Justin¡¯s emotions but also humiliated his mother! How could it even be possible to forgive her now? Impossible! ¡°My mother¡¯s condition and my past have be tools for you to manipte me.¡± Regret and anger intertwined in Justin¡¯s chest, forcing a bitter, self-deprecatingugh out of him. ¡°Rose, you¡¯ve made me feel like a fool.¡± ¡°Justin, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s not¡­¡± Rose stuttered. Ryan shook his head, angrily questioning, ¡°Rosalind, you grew up with Justin. You should know better than anyone how much pain he went through.¡± ¡°If you had even a sliver of a conscience, you wouldn¡¯t have tortured and deceived Justin. How can you use the memories of your youth together as moral ckmail? I doubt you ever truly loved Justin. How could you do that to someone you imed to love? I¡¯d rather be a bachelor for the rest of my life than be in a rtionship. It¡¯s too damn disgusting.¡± ¡°Ryan, stop talking.¡± Justin didn¡¯t want to recall anything rted to Rosalind¡¯s past, let alone be entangled with her again. ¡°Ian, I never want to see her again. Get her out of my sight immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Salvador!¡± Ian looked at Rosalind as if she were a pile of garbage as he forcefully dragged her out. ¡°Justin! Who do you think you are? How can you treat me like this?!¡± Rosalind finally tore off her mask of pity and shrieked hysterically, ¡°All these excuses you¡¯ve made to abandon me are so that you can find a new love! You¡¯ve fallen for Be, and you don¡¯t want me anymore! What¡¯s so great about that bitch?! Did she save your life? From the very beginning, she approached you with a fake identity. She had sinister motives! Isn¡¯t she deceiving you too?!¡± ¡°Shut up! You have no right topare yourself to her!¡± Justin¡¯s bloodshot eyes widened fiercely, and he roared at Rosalind like never before. ¡°If you say one more insult about Be, I¡¯ll make sure the Gold family has no ce to stand in this country! Get out right now!¡± Justin¡¯s furious countenance and ruthless words were like a massive boulder, smashing into Rosalind and leaving her courage shattered. If it were not for Ian dragging her away, she would have copsed onto the ground long ago. She never expected that Be would have such a ce in Justin¡¯s heart. She never imagined that using Be as a cover would backfire. Rosalind was dragged away, and the corridor returned to calm. ¡°Justin, no matter what, I must congratte you, brother.¡± Ryan felt relieved to see Justin turn Rosalind away. Hisrge hand pressed heavily on Justin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No matter how you were deceived before and for how long, as long as you can turn away, it¡¯s never toote.¡± ¡°Not toote, huh¡­¡± Justin gave a bitter smile. His shoulders trembled in dejection. Then why did he feel like everything was already toote?Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chapter 300 Rosalind was dragged to the door. The disturbance attracted many curious nces from the medical staff. She had truly lost everything at this point. She no longer cared about preserving any shreds of dignity. ¡°Hah!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. In a synchronized move, Ian and the bodyguard released her hands, and Rosalind fell disgracefully to the ground. ¡°Bro, got any tissues?¡± Ian asked the bodyguards. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Harris, I don¡¯t have any.¡± ¡°Never mind. Make sure to ask the nurse for a few more alcohol wipes for us to clean our hands properly. After all, we just touched something dirty!¡± Ian spat at Rosalind before turning around and entering the door with the bodyguard. Right then, the dark night sky was punctuated by two deafening thunderps. A few secondster, torrential rain began to pour. The ground emitted white steam as the raindrops hit. Having endured one fatal blow after another, Rosalind sat on the ground, her gaze vacant. Shecked the strength even to get away from the heavy downpour. Her meticulously styled hair was now in disarray, and her makeup resembled a palette that had been knocked over, painting a chaotic mess on her face. ¡°Justin¡­ I¡¯m the one who saved your life! How could you be so heartless to me?¡± Rosalind cried bitterly, pping the water puddles. Dirty water sshed across her face, and her gem- studded nails broke, causing her to scream in pain. Amidst all that was happening to her, a ck Rolls-Royce pulled up to the hospital entrance, sshing mud all over Rosalind. ¡°Bah, bah, bah! Do you know how to drive?! Are you blind?¡± Rosalind vented her anger towards the luxury car, screaming like a madwoman in the pouring rain. Amidst the curses, the car door opened. The driver stepped out with a ck umbre and respectfully opened the passenger door. Axel exited first and took the umbre from the driver. He held it above the car door. Next, Asher stepped out of the car, and the two brothers shared the same umbre. Even in the dark and stormy night, their majestic figures brightened the night. The moment Rosalind saw the Thompson brothers, she shivered violently. The profanities that were flowing out seemed stuck in her throat. ¡°Ms. Gold, your father isn¡¯t admitted to this hospital, is he? Aren¡¯t you crying in the wrong ce?¡± Axel coldly nced at the woman drenched like a drowned rat, unable to suppress a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go, brother. Be¡¯s waiting for us,¡± Asher, focused entirely on his sister, said as he gently tapped Axel¡¯s shoulder. The two brothers didn¡¯t spare another nce at Rosalind, walking side by side through the entrance. ¡°Be, why do you have so many people caring for you, loving you¡­ while I end up with nothing? Even Justin abandoned me for you¡­ Why?!¡± Rosalind eximed. Thunder roared, and lightning shed, casting an eerie glow on Rosalind¡¯s pale face, her eyes twisted in madness. ¡°Be! One day, I will kill you¡­ I will kill you!¡± Beforted Carrie, coaxing her to sleep. She sat by the bed as Be stroked the girl¡¯s face, sighing softly. Tonight had truly frightened and exhausted her. After tucking Carrie in, Be got up and walked to the door worriedly. Opening the door, she was met with Justin¡¯s soul-piercing eyes. He stood there, still impably dressed in his suit, yet looked even more deste than ever before. Be raised her eyebrows slightly and slowly moved her gaze down. The dazzling, intricate dragon- patternedpel pin on the cor of his suit caught her eyes. The pin was a gift Be had given him for Valentine¡¯s Day on the first year she had married into the Salvador family. She had personally handled every detail, from the design sketches to the material selection, including the selection of two tiny, high-quality rubies that adorned the pin. It was reminiscent of how Justin had meticulously prepared ¡°The ming Heart¡± for Rosalind. Be¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, and a subtle scorn curved her lips. The things that he had been cast aside were now worn by him. She found itedic and ironic no matter how she looked at it. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 ¡°I¡¯ve asked Rosalind to leave, so she won¡¯t bother you again.¡± Justin stared into Be¡¯s emotionless eyes. His Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down with difficulty. ¡°Really? Congrattions, Mr. Salvador. At least you got rid of one trouble tonight.¡± Be¡¯s mocking smile was like a red rose covered with thorns. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve always been very experienced in dealing with rtionships. I wonder if Ms. Gold got $20 million and a vi this time.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Boom The purple lightning outside the window seemed to hit Justin. His shoulders shook, and his heart felt numb and painful. The image of him dumping the divorce papers in front of Be cruelly emerged again. At that time, he was hopelessly stubborn and only wanted to escape from that contract marriage. However, he never imagined how deeply it would hurt her and almost destroy her pride and self-esteem. The tear-stained divorce papers were still on his bedside table. Justin dared not think about how Be had signed the divorce papers while sitting in pain and alone in the room that day, when he left her to find Rosalind. His throat hurt like it had been slit with a knife. He felt suffocated, and his heart ached as if it was about to fall apart. The whole world might have betrayed him, but Be was the only one who loved him sincerely back then. Even if he had no love for her, Justin should not have shattered her precious heart. Now, he struggled to put it all back together. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Uncle Matt that you used acupuncture to save Grandpa. Thank you.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°You¡¯re wee. He¡¯s also my grandpa, after all. Excuse me.¡± Be was not bothered to continue talking nonsense with him. She lowered her eyes coldly and wanted to leave, but Justin¡¯s tall figure blocked her. ¡°Hah! Even dogs know how to get out of people¡¯s way. Mr. Salvador, are you worse than a dog?¡± Be clenched her teeth and looked angry. ¡°Be, I want to make it up to you.¡¯ Justin looked at her with an intense gaze. ¡°Tell me, how can Ipensate you?¡± ¡°Are you sick in the head? You should really get your brain checked out.¡± Be frowned andughed, feeling insulted by his words. ¡°In the past, it was my fault for hurting you¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Be made an impatient gesture. ¡°Justin, don¡¯t apologize to me from now on. I really don¡¯t want to hear those words again. In fact, I figured it out a long time ago. You were deeply in love with Rosalind, and you promised that you wouldn¡¯t marry anyone but her. What¡¯s wrong with that? You were just being loyal to the love of your life. Justin, you were right from the beginning. It was my fault for falling in love with the wrong person. But I will only let this happen once. I swear that I will never fall into the same pit twice.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes slowly turned red. His fingertips trembled and curled up. Every word she said was like sharp flying knives, nailing him to the pir of shame. They loved the wrong person. The difference was that Be had profound enlightenment, so she stepped back and made her life better. On the other hand, Justin sank deeper and deeper, as if he could only continue diving into this endless loop of sin. ¡°Be!¡± Hearing her name, Be quickly turned around and saw Asher and Axel walking toward her from the other side of the corridor. ¡°Ash! Ax!¡± She was so happy that the gloom in her eyes dissipated. She pushed away the frozen Justin and could not wait to run into her brothers¡¯ arms. ¡°I¡¯m starving! Can you please make me a midnight snack?¡± Be held Asher¡¯s arm and pouted. ¡°Ash, I¡¯m hungry too. Please feed me!¡± Axel imitated Be and took Asher¡¯s other arm. It was as if they were children again for a moment. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll feed you two little gluttons when we get home.¡± Asher looked at his siblings and smiled dotingly. Justin watched them disappear into the corridor, feeling that the whole world waspletely silent. The pain in his heart was overflowing. After leaving Justin, Be was still loved. But without Be, Justin felt like his soul had been sucked out. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Though Be left the hospital, she was still worried about Old Master Nigel. She nned to contact Mter. After all, the Larson family had been practicing medicine for generations. Their medical technology was top-notch in the country, so M might be able to think of a way to treat Old Master Nigel¡¯s chronic illness. On the way back, Axel kept scrolling through social media. When he came across interesting comments criticizing Rosalind, he would read them out to Be as a joke. ¡°Hahaha¡­ I usually hate keyboard warriors, but I find them so cute now. Hahahaha! I want to frame up some of these quotes!¡± Axel looked at the viciousments andughed to tears. Be pursed her red lips and looked out the car window. When she thought of the goldenpel pin Justin was wearing tonight, she felt indescribably irritated. Those gifts she had given him were a reminder of the humiliating past. She did not want to recall them. She would rather destroy them than let Justin have them. ¡°Be, Ralph has arrested Jean and Memphis.¡± Asher ced his warm and rough palm on the back of Be¡¯s neck and rubbed it gently tofort her. ¡°Ralph just sent me a message saying that Memphis confessed to what he had done as soon as he was arrested. But Jean remained tight-lipped. No matter what the police officers tried, she insisted that it was her idea to kill that girl. No one instigated her.¡± ¡°Although Jean is vicious, she¡¯s still protective of her daughter.¡± Be sorted out her frustrating emotions and said in a clear and cold voice, ¡°Now that her husband is ill and her son is in jail, Jean¡¯s biggest hope for survival is Rosalind. As a mother, it¡¯s only normal for her to protect Rosalind.¡± Be yed this game of chess well. She lured the snake out of its hole and even tricked them into falling for her trap. She got Steven to follow Jean to Meridan. Jean was just a regr rich housewife and was not trained to be observant. Thus, she did not notice that Steven had been following her. That was how Steven could find the orphanage where Rosalind¡¯s illegitimate daughter was hidden. Steven described the ce as a refugee concentration camp for children. Seeing the dirty and beggar-like orphans, Steven felt disheartened and vexed. He really wanted to crush Jean and Rosalind. How could such cruel people exist in this world? Jean took the girl away from the orphanage. But she did not even dare to ughter a chicken, so how could she kill a person? Thus, she hired a poor and ignorant woman to do the dirty work. Fortunately, Steven rescued the girl in time and brought her back to Savrow with Be¡¯s private ne. Now, the girl was well-protected in the police station. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°That girl is Jean¡¯s granddaughter, her flesh and blood. How could she do this?¡± Asher¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Jean wasn¡¯t being protective. She made a cruel choice after weighing the pros and cons, just so her daughter¡¯s marriage to a wealthy man could go smoothly.¡± Be nodded. ¡°Indeed,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Be. Ralph and I will make sure Jean stays in prison for life. As for Memphis¡­ Hmph!¡± Axel clenched his fists until his knuckles popped. An evil smile appeared on his face that was simr to Drew¡¯s. ¡°Does he think that we¡¯ll let it slide after he goes to jail? No, his nightmare has just begun!¡± The entire Salvador family was in a state of unrest after the banquet. Justin stayed with his grandfather in the hospital, but Gregory and Shannon had not visited Nigel for a long time. The mess caused by Jean and Rosalind must have left them too exhausted to care about anything else. ¡°Mr. Salvador, there are a lot of negativements about you on the inte. Do you want me to contact the public rtions department to deal with it?¡± Ian stood in front of him and asked worriedly. Justin sat listlessly in the corridor. His handsome face was pale and tired, and his eyes were dark and grim. His left leg was crossed over his stretched-out right leg. He leaned his head against the cold wall, and his long neck made a beautiful curve. How could anyone be so breathtakingly handsome even when they were dejected? ¡°Aren¡¯t they right for criticizing me? I think they are, so let them be.¡± Justin closed his eyes and loosened his tie. However, he still felt out of breath. ¡°After all¡­ I deserve it.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, don¡¯t say that.¡± Ian felt ufortable, as if a lump were stuck in his throat. ¡°You were also deceived by that evil witch, so you¡¯re a victim¡­¡± Victim. Justin¡¯s eyebrows twitched. There was a sharp pain in his heart, but the only victim he could think of right now was Be. He had once be a knife that Rosalind wielded against Be. His suffering was caused by Rosalind, but Be¡¯s suffering was caused by him. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 ¡°Young Master!¡± On the other side of the corridor, Wilma ran toward Justin, carrying a few bags. ¡°Wilma.¡± Justin quickly stood up and helped her carry some things. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I heard from Ian that Old Master Nigel is hospitalized and that you¡¯re staying here tonight, so I brought you some toiletries and a change of clothes. I also prepared somete-night snacks. You and Ian can have some.¡± As Wilma spoke, she pulled Justin over to the chair and hurriedly took out the lunch boxes. ¡°Wilma, I¡¯m not hungry. Let Ian eat.¡± Justin looked down at the hot food in the lunch box and felt a surge of warmth in his icy heart. After all that had happened, Justin needed some time to adjust his mental state. He really had no appetite. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not hungry either! Thanks, Wilma.¡± Ian quickly shook his head. How could he eat his boss¡¯s food? ¡°Hmph! I¡¯d like to see how long you can keep this up!¡± Wilma looked at Justin¡¯s haggard face, picked up a piece of bread, and roughly stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°Are you so miserable because of that evil witch? You¡¯re hopeless! Don¡¯t make me look down on you!¡± Justin could not help but smile bitterly as he reluctantly chewed on the bread. ¡°I¡¯m not sad because of her.¡± ¡°Then why are you so down? Is it because of the young madam?¡± Wilma blinked her bright eyes. Justin choked. His cheeks flushed slightly. ¡°Ahem¡­ It¡¯s because of Grandpa.¡± ¡°Oh, since you¡¯re in the hospital, I think that you should get a CT scan early tomorrow morning.¡± Wilma nced at him sideways and said in a teasing tone, ¡°Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything wrong with your brain.¡± Ian quietly gave Wilma a thumbs-up behind Justin¡¯s back. Wilma was really brave to speak her mind. ¡°Wilma.¡± Justin¡¯s throat was blocked. He said coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t appreciate the right people in the past. I know that I hurt Be because of Rosalind. But even without Rosalind, I would still divorce Be. She and I only got married because Grandpa arranged this marriage. There was no foundation of love between us, so we were bound to get separated. I don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been three years, Young Master! Young Madam loved you with all her heart and soul. Even ice would melt with the warmth she provided. Do you really not have any feelings for the young madam? None at all?!¡± Wilma asked with a dry mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t love Be.¡± Justin¡¯s heart trembled. His thin lips were dry, and he said word by word, ¡°Since I don¡¯t love her, why should I hold her back?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. After hearing this, Ian felt indescribably disappointed and ufortable. He felt that his boss must have some feelings for Be. However, with Justin¡¯s traumatizing childhood, his mother¡¯s suicide, his family¡¯s neglect, and the betrayal of his childhood sweetheart, Justin could no longer trust or open up to others. ¡°Young Master, there is no shame in admitting your mistakes, apologizing, and regretting your decisions. Your pride can¡¯t be more important than a lifetime of happiness, right? As long as you¡¯re happy, I¡¯ll help you win over the young madam!¡± Wilma sighed sadly. Justin raised his eyebrows. ¡°Wilma¡­¡± ¡°Me too! Me too!¡± Ian hurriedly raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll help too!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes twitched. He wanted to send his useless secretary to a coal mine. ¡°Oh, by the way, here.¡± Wilma hurriedly took out a voice recorder from her pocket and handed it to Justin. ¡°A handsome young man came to the house tonight and asked me to give you this.¡± Justin took it. ¡°Who gave it to you?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s Mr. Lovett.¡± Justin¡¯s breath hitched. He looked at Ian and pressed the y button on the recorder. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Overnight, the Gold family went bust and went viral. Theizens jokingly said that their family was a negative example of criminalw for everyone, and they should be awarded a ¡°Lifetime Achievement Award¡± for being so dedicated to poprizing the law.¡± Jean was detained on charges of hiring a hitman and abetting murder. Although it was not enough for the death penalty or life imprisonment, it was at least a 20-year jail sentence. Jean was 50 years old, so she would probably spend the rest of her days in prison. Patrick suffered a heart attack and was admitted to the ICU due to this huge blow. The scene was chaotic at the time, so he could not get rescued in time. This resulted in cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, brain tissue damage, and severea. ¡°Ms. Gold, you must be mentally prepared. There is a great possibility that your father will remain in this vegetative state.¡± After hearing the diagnosis from the doctor, Rosalind, who was standing at the door of the ward, felt like she was struck by lightning. Her stiff face lost all color. The Gold Corporation was heavily in debt. In the past few days, manufacturers and creditors went to look for Rosalind to ask for payment. Rosalind was so scared that she stayed in a hotel and dared not go home. Between hiring awyer for her mother and her father¡¯s hospital bills, Rosalind had almost used up the remaining of her savings, which gave her a taste of what it felt like to be poor. However, things got worse. Within two days, Roza Walker¡¯s employee found Rosalind. That day, Rosalind left the dress behind when she ran away from the banquet. When she remembered the dress and went to pick it up, she discovered that the expensive dress was covered in footprints, as it had been trampled on like a piece of rag. ¡°What?! Five times thepensation?!¡± Rosalind clutched the im form and shouted angrily. Her eyes were red with anger. ¡°Five times the amount is more than $6 million! Why would you charge me $6 million for a piece of tattered clothing? Why don¡¯t you just rob a bank?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only $6 million. Do you think it¡¯s expensive?¡± Roza¡¯s assistant smiled. ¡°Those who order dresses from us are either rich or famous. They can afford dresses in the tens of millions of dors, let alone $6 million. If you thought it was expensive, you shouldn¡¯t have borrowed Ms. Walker¡¯s clothes in the first ce. Why would you buy something you can¡¯t afford?¡± ¡°You! How can you talk to me like that?! I want to file aint against you!¡± Rosalind was so angry that she was breathing fire. Her facial features were contorted. ¡°Okay. You canin as much as you want, but please pay thepensation to the ount on the im form within two weeks. If you don¡¯t pay us in time, we will bring you to court.¡± After that, Roza¡¯s assistant looked at Rosalind contemptuously and left. Rosalind narrowed her eyes and plopped down on a chair. At first, she covered her face and sobbed softly. In the end, she could not hold it in anymore and burst into tears. After a while, she was tired of crying. She gritted her teeth, wiped her face, and drove to Tideview Manor alone. Now, herst hope was Shannon. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. How could Shannon shirk off the responsibility for putting Rosalind in this situation? That woman was her aunt, so she could not stand idly by no matter what! At this moment, the Salvador family was in the dining hall. Nigel¡¯s condition stabilized, so hisplexion turned rosy again. The old man did not like staying in the hospital and had returned to his vi in Crescent Bay to recuperate. Everyone in the Salvador family was present tonight. Justin was also at the table. However, the dining atmosphere was so depressing that they could get indigestion. Usually, Shannon liked to show off her love for Gregory at the dining table in front of Justin by sharing food. But tonight, Shannon and Gregory each ate their own food. Gregory¡¯s face was gloomy, and Shannon kept picking at her te. She clearly had no appetite. However, Bethany had a great appetite and ate more than usual. ¡°You should eat less! Can¡¯t you see that your face is much rounder than before? You¡¯ll have trouble getting married if you keep this up!¡± Shannon was frustrated because of her sister¡¯s family affairs. Seeing Bethany stuffing her face, Shannon finally found an outlet to vent her anger. ¡°Tsk! Why can¡¯t I eat more? Besides, I don¡¯t need to worry about getting married.¡± Bethany muttered and said nonchntly, ¡°Dad, Mom, you don¡¯t need to look so sad. Although it¡¯s a difficult problem to deal with now, it¡¯s better that you find out sooner rather thanter. Short-term pain is much better than long-term pain.¡± Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Bethany continued, ¡°It¡¯s better than letting that shameless woman and her leeching family suck us dry. Rosalind and Justin haven¡¯t had an engagement party. It was just an announcement of the marriage, so it¡¯s not that difficult to cut them off.¡± ¡°Shut up and stuff your face!¡± Shannon red at Bethany, hating her stupid daughter for being so tactless. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Sure enough, Gregory¡¯s face turned gloomier. Shannon made another wrong decision, which had a negative impact on the Salvador family again. Fortunately, Rosalind¡¯s dark past was exposed in advance. Otherwise, Rosalind¡¯s scandal and illegitimate daughter would make Justin and the Salvador family aughingstock! ¡°Madam!¡± At this time, the housekeeper hurriedly walked into the dining hall with aplicated expression. ¡°Ms. Gold is right outside the door, demanding to see you.¡± Shannon¡¯s face instantly turned cold. She felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles. ¡°Let¡¯s meet her. She¡¯s your niece after all.?¡± Gregory¡¯s voice was cold, and his eyes were downcast. Shannon knew very well that Rosalind was at the end of her rope, so she would never leave until Shannon met her. Thus, Shannon had no choice but to walk out of the vi. ¡°Aunt Shannon!¡± Rosalind ran over crying and held Shannon¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°You must save my mother! You must save her! She¡¯s your biological sister!¡± ¡°Save her? How should I do that?¡± Shannon was furious when she thought of her stupid sister, but she tried to suppress her voice. ¡°Only her dumb brain could think of buying a hitman to kill a child. She could have easily solved this problem by giving away that kid. Why would she want to kill that girl to destroy the evidence? Does she think killing someone is so easy?¡± ¡°But what can I do? Be already knew about my past in Meridan. She wants to destroy me. With her power, she¡¯ll definitely find the child! We were just too desperate at that time!¡± ¡°What a bunch of idiots! Be is deliberately trying to trick you. Be barely did anything, but you guys made a big deal out of it and got yourselves into trouble. She effortlessly defeated you and your mother! Now that everyone knows what you¡¯ve done, and your child even showed up here, how could you ask me to help you?!¡± Shannon¡¯s chess piece, which she had worked hard to groom for more than ten years, was destroyed by Be. Thus, she was resentful. However, Shannon would not make the same mistake again. She wanted to cut off all ties with her sister¡¯s family immediately, lest she be implicated. ¡°Aunt Shannon, you can¡¯t just leave us to die! The creditors are chasing me constantly, and my dad is unconscious. I can hardly pay for his hospital bills!¡± Rosalind¡¯s legs shook in fear when she thought of those ferocious creditors. ¡°Can you help me to pay off the debt first? I¡¯ll take a loan from you! When thepany gets back on its feet, I¡¯ll pay you back!¡± ¡°How are you going to pay me back?¡± Shannon knew that Rosalind was no longer of use, so she no longer held back her emotions and sneered. ¡°Your brother is in prison, and your father has be a vegetable. The Gold family is helpless. Yourpany has been nothing but a shell for a long time. Even if I sell you off, it won¡¯t be enough to pay me back! If I were you, I¡¯d buy a ne ticket right now and hide out in Meridan for the rest of my life. After all, I wouldn¡¯t have the cheek to stay here anymore if I were in your shoes. Don¡¯t you have many good friends in Meridan? Go find them and think of a solution!¡± Shannon was disowning her rtives. She waved her hand with disgust, wanting to get rid of this trouble immediately. Unexpectedly, Rosalind gripped Shannon¡¯s arm with her sharp nails. Her tearful eyes turned sinister by the second. ¡°Aunt Shannon, we¡¯ve worked together for so long, and I have listened to your arrangements since I was a child. I¡¯ve done so much for you. Have you forgotten all of them?¡± Shannon was frightened. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Now that my reputation is ruined and Justin hates me, I have nothing to be afraid of!¡± Rosalind¡¯s haggard face gradually turned fierce as a dark light shed across her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, I will have no choice but to tell your husband all the things you have instigated me to do over the years. I¡¯ll tell him how you asked me to deliberately approach Justin and asked me to spread rumors, which caused Justin to be discriminated against and isted. I¡¯ll also tell him about how Justin¡¯s mother¡¯s depression worsened and how she finallymitted suicide. I¡¯lle clean to Uncle Gregory and Justin! You¡¯re my aunt, so don¡¯t force me to turn against you!¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Shannon broke out in a cold sweat as she walked back to the dining hall, deep in thought. ¡®How dare that little bitch Rosalind threaten me!¡¯ There was no evidence for all the little things Shannon did, so she was not afraid. However, Gregory was no longer as affectionate to her as before. If Rosalind added fuel to the fire, Shannon¡¯s situation in the Salvador family would worsen. At this moment, Shannon wanted to help Rosalind settle her debts, but she did not want to pay out of her own pocket. Thus, she would shamelessly stage a crying and pitiful scene in front of Gregory. Greg, although Rose made a mistake, you¡¯ve watched her grow up, so you know how well- behaved and sensible she used to be. Now that my sister is in prison and my brother-inw has be a vegetable, Rosalind has no way to make ends meet. She¡¯s so frightened by the debt collectors that she dares not return home. After all, I raised her too, so I can¡¯t bear to see her like this.¡± Shannon ced her slender hand on the back of Gregory¡¯s clenched fist. She had tears in her eyes, as she said, ¡°Greg, you have always been kind-hearted and magnanimous, so just think of this as charity. Let¡¯s help Rose get through this difficult time. That way, you¡¯ll be seen as benevolent and righteous¡­¡± Gregory¡¯s frown rxed a little. He was getting convinced. Suddenly, someone mmed the table. Gregory and Shannon were shocked. Bethany was so frightened that she almost choked on her food. Justin, who had kept silent, took out a recording pen from his pocket and threw it in front of Gregory and Shannon.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°If you want to help Rosalind, then listen to this first before making a decision.¡¯ Shannon¡¯s heart was beating like a drum. She could not figure out what Justin was ying at. Gregory picked up the recorder with a puzzled look and pressed the y button. It was a conversation between two people. One of them was Memphis, and the other was Rosalind. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to Be until I give you the green light. The situation has improved now that I¡¯ve regained Justin¡¯s trust. Gregory has even agreed to our marriage, so we should be announcing our engagement soon.¡± ¡°Well, now that Justin and you are all sorted, what about the $5 million¡­?¡± ¨C¡°Is it really necessary for you to rush me for that small amount of money? I will wire you $50,000 first. Go ahead and waste it all. Once Justin and I have finalized everything and the engagement ceremony is wrapped up, I¡¯ll transfer the bnce to you.¡± When the recording ended, there was dead silence in the dining hall. Shannon¡¯s face turned frosty. She regretted interceding for Rosalind now. ¡®What a dumb cow! Why would she leave traces of her misdeed?! She really deserves what¡¯sing to her!¡± ¡°Aunt Shannon, is this the sweet girl you raised?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He sneered. ¡°You should be lucky that my ex-wife was smart enough to nip your niece¡¯s treacherous n in the bud. Otherwise, if anything happens to Be, Rosalind will end up much worse than she is now. I have ways to make her life worse than death.¡± Shannon gasped and stared at Justin¡¯s ruthless eyes in disbelief. She thought that Justin was like his father-emotional, indecisive, and clingy. After all, Justin had been loyal to Rosalind for so many years. Even if Rosalind betrayed him, it would not be easy to sever the emotional bond of more than ten years. Shannon did not expect Justin to be so cold and heartless. Those feelings he had for Rosalind were clearly long gone. ¡°Rosalind just treats me and our family as an ATM and a means to climb the socialdder. Who can guarantee that she will actually use the money to save Patrick Gold and the Gold Corporation when she gets the money? She might even be up to no good.¡± Justin picked up a napkin and wiped his lips. Then he stood up slowly and gracefully, all the while staring at them coldly. ¡°Chairman Salvador, if you want to do charity, there are hundreds of welfare homes and nursing homes in Savrow and millions of schools across the country that you can offer your kindness to. Why would you want to waste your money on a woman with ulterior motives?¡± Chapter 307 Chapter 307 After saying that, Justin¡¯s handsome face turned cold, and he left the dining hall. Shannon¡¯s heart trembled as she looked at the man¡¯s tall and cold back. At this moment, Gregory took his hand out from under Shannon¡¯s palm and stood up with a stern face. ¡°Justin is right. They brought this on themselves! We¡¯ve done our best to help them before, but now that they¡¯ve caused a catastrophe, we can¡¯t help them, lest we be their aplice. From now on, you should stop meddling in the Gold family¡¯s affairs. Stay away from this kind of toxic rtive!¡± Gregory also left the table angrily. ¡°Yeah, Mom. Why do you care about her? You should let that little bitch, Rosalind, fend for herself¡­¡± Bethany chewed on her steak with her cheeks puffed out. ¡°Eat your food! You know nothing!¡± Shannon¡¯s gaze was vicious. She could not hold back her anger and could not care less about keeping her graceful manners. She picked up a bun and hurled it at Bethany. Shannon thought, ¡®I¡¯ve underestimated this boy. He is far crueler than his father!¡¯ It seemed that she had to use her private savings to pay for the Gold family¡¯s debt. It felt like she was shooting herself in the foot. Her heart ached just thinking about it. * After Justin had dinner, he went to the garage to pick up the car and drove to Crescent Bay.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Justin was not as relieved as he imagined after getting rid of Rosalind. From the first day he became the heir to the Salvador Corporation, he had always wanted to do everything perfectly. However, he seemed to have messed everything up, including his marriage and family. -¡°Ms. Thompson is so kind and skilled! I was so scared at the time that my heart almost stopped. But Ms. Thompson calmly took out the needle and urately inserted the needle into several acupuncture points on Old Master Nigel¡¯s head, buying him more time for rescue. This is the first time in three years that I have discovered that Ms. Thompson has medical skills. She¡¯s certainlyparable to Old Master Nigel¡¯s personal doctor!¡± Justin took a deep breath and stepped on the elerator. In fact, Justin should have noticed that Be had medical skills. Not only did she save Nigel but she also rescued the housekeeping staff who suffered from epilepsy at the hotel. Before they were divorced, Justin suffered from severe headaches several times. Back then, Be also did some acupuncture on him to relieve his pain. She had sacrificed a lot for him, and she had always quietly done her duty as a wife and taken care of his family. But why had he only thought of how annoying and hypocritical she was at the time? She was full of advantages, but Justin felt like he was blind because he could not see them back then. Justin clenched the steering wheel with his right hand and pressed on his shaking chest with his left hand. Looking back now, Justin felt that he had wasted all his time on Rosalind and that she was his biggest mistake. Perhaps to Be, he wasparable to Rosalind. When Nigel heard that his grandson wasing, he was overjoyed and waited for him in the living room. Nigel had never told anyone that he loved his grandson, but he had always doted on Justin. Otherwise, Nigel would not have gone out of his way to help Justin be the president of Salvador Corporation. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 ¡°Grandpa, how have you been these past two days? You must tell me if you feel unwell.¡± Justin got down on one knee in front of Nigel¡¯s wheelchair and looked up at his grandfather with clear and youthful eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay with me in Tideview Manor? Wilma and I can take good care of you.¡± ¡°Why should I go back to that ce? I think I¡¯ll die faster if I see your father and his hapless wife every day.¡± Nigel¡¯s head hurt whenever he thought of Shannon, and he could not help but exhale deeply. I vowed that I wouldn¡¯t stay at Tideview Manor again until Gregory divorces Shannon. Moreover, I like living here. It¡¯s the secret of longevity! Out of sight, out of mind!¡± Justin curled his lips and smiled helplessly. There was really nothing he could do about his stubborn grandfather. ¡°This vi is Old Master Nigel¡¯s and Old Madam Deborah¡¯s love nest. Old Master Nigel wants to stay here because it has the remnants of Old Madam Deborah¡¯s presence. That¡¯s why he¡¯s reluctant to leave.¡± Matt exined with an understanding smile. ¡°Matt, I may really be old and senile. Sometimes, I hallucinate.¡± Nigel turned his head and looked in the direction of the garden with a longing gaze. ¡°One time, I actually saw Deborah singing while watering the flowers in the garden. When I got closer, she even smiled at me.¡± ¡°Old Master, you¡¯re not senile. Old Madam must have felt how much you¡¯ve missed her over the years, so she was also reluctant to leave you and kept youpany.¡± Mattforted him softly. Justin felt a lump in his throat and hung his head guiltily. He was well aware that his grandfather and grandmother had a good rtionship and a deep love for each other. It was because he witnessed their blissful marriage that he was hopeful that his love would be as strong and beautiful as theirs. That was why he was so obsessed with being with Rosalind. Along the way, he noticed something wrong with Rosalind and that their personalities did not match. They did not have much to talk about. More often than not, he was the one amodating her. However, Justin was too eager to receive love. He was afraid that all his efforts would be in vain if it did not work out. In the end, he still failed miserably and even hurt another person who was sincere with him. He was truly stupid. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa.¡± Justin¡¯s long eyshes fluttered, and his voice trembled. Nigel looked at his proud grandson, who was feeling so ashamed at this moment. He sighed in distress and patted Justin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re just as stubborn as I was when I was younger. But I¡¯m luckier than you in the sense that I love the right person. You¡¯re not as luck as me in that respect. But, fortunately, you took a step back and didn¡¯t make the same mistake again. Hehe! This is something to be celebrated!¡± ¡°Grandpa, I¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m also at fault. I shouldn¡¯t have forced you to be with Anna. From now on, I¡¯ll allow you all to pursue your own happiness. It¡¯s really unfair to Anna to force her to be with someone who doesn¡¯t love her.¡± Nigel said with a serious face, ¡°Matt, please make a list of all eligible bachelors for me tomorrow. I¡¯d like to screen through them for Anna. That way, I can introduce Anna to them when she¡¯s free. Although Anna is divorced, I can¡¯t let the divorce be the reason she¡¯s unmarried. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to die in peace!¡± ¡°Oh? Oh, right. Yes, sir.¡± Matt responded, feeling dumbfounded. After hearing this, Justin suddenly recalled the scene of Christopher giving Be roses under the sunset. He secretly clenched his fists, and his heart felt sore and sour. After talking to his grandfather for a while, Justin drove away from the vi. ¡°Old Master, you¡¯ve always wanted Young Master Justin to be with Ms. Thompson. Why did you want to introduce someone else to Ms. Thompson?¡± Matt asked with confusion. ¡°I know my grandson best. If I force him to o opposite.¡± back together with Anna, he will do just the Nigel narrowed his cunning eyes and smiled slyly. ¡°Men are naturally possessive, and we like a challenge. He will only admit his feelings and figure out who he really wants when he feels a sense of crisis.¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 A lot of things happenedtely, but today, the dust finally settled. Be triggered a butterfly effect by using Memphis topletely overturn the Gold Corporation. Although Salvador Corporation was affected, Justin did not marry Rosalind yet, so many considered him a victim in this rtionship. He had just be aughingstock. In the general manager¡¯s office, Be yed two rounds of video games while Steven peeled grapes for her and reported on several important events. ¡°Mr. Ralph said that Jean is about to go for her first trial. So far, nopetentwyer is willing to defend her because the evidence is solid. No one wants to lose a case that cannot be overturned. It¡¯s quite certain that she¡¯ll be sentenced to 20 years in prison.¡± Steven leaned down considerately and fed a juicy, peeled grape to Be. Be swallowed it in one gulp, narrowed her cat eyes, and licked her red upper lip. ¡°Mmm! It¡¯s so sweet!¡± Steven could not help but smile. He thought that she was sweet. ¡°Ralph should¡¯ve called me to tell me about these things in person. Why would he ask you to convey them to me? Sigh¡­¡± Be sighed helplessly, feeling a little frustrated. Her seventh brother, Ralph, was simr to her youngest sister, Amelia. They were both considerate and burdened by their identities. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Ralph was only three years older than Be. He has cared for her as much as her four brothers have since Be was a child. ¡°Mr. Ralph has an inferiorityplex. He couldn¡¯t tantly pamper you.¡± Steven was a bystander, so he could clearly see the rtionship between the Thompsons. ¡°Ralph is overthinking it.¡± Be shook her head. ¡°To me, he¡¯s the same as Asher, Axel, Drew, and Den. I love them and admire them the same.¡± ¡°By the way, Memphis is now in lockup, so Mr. Axel and Mr. Ralph arrested several gang members from the casinos and loan sharkpanies and locked them up with that scumbag.¡± Steven gritted his teeth and looked cold. ¡°Memphis can pay back what he owes them.¡± Be smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯re so thoughtful. I¡¯ll cook a feast for them tomorrow as thanks!¡± ¡°Also, I heard that the debt owed by the Gold family is almost paid off.¡± Be¡¯s finger stopped mid-air as she frowned slightly. ¡°Did Justin help pay it back? Hah! How kind and generous of him! ¡°It¡¯s not Justin. It¡¯s Shannon.¡¯ Be pursed her lips and said nothing. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Rosalind¡¯s reputation went down the drain, so she¡¯s of no use to Shannon anymore. Shannon is not a kind person, so why would she clean up the mess for the Gold family?¡± Steven asked, expressing his doubts. ¡°Rosalind may not be of use anymore, but she probably has something on Shannon.¡± Be smirked. ¡°They¡¯ve been in this act for so many years, so how could Rosalind be clueless about Shannon¡¯s dark past? As you said, Shannon is not a phnthropist, so she must have been manipted by Rosalind. Shannon had no choice but to help the Gold family fill this ck hole.¡± ¡°Hmph! She deserves it!¡± Steven peeled another grape and put it to Be¡¯s lips. ¡°I heard that Rosalind paid the hospital bills and left her father alone to go abroad to avoid the limelight. I think she won¡¯t being back to Savrow anytime soon. Rosalind did not even care about her poor daughter. I¡¯ve done as you requested and sent her to an orphanage in Savrow that KS Group has sponsored. The girl is living well in a new environment, so you can rest assured.¡± ¡°What a pity.¡± Be swallowed the grape. ¡°Pity?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Rosalind and Justin didn¡¯t get married. They are both selfish and cold-blooded people, so they belong together.¡± As soon as Be quit the game, she found that a yer named ¡°Rose¡± had sent a friend request. The yer was at quite a high level in the game. Be did not think much about it. After all, as the number one yer in the game, ¡°Lucifer¡±, she had many friend requests every day. Since she liked roses, she added ¡°Rose¡± as a friend. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Soon, Rose sent Be a message in the game. [Rose: Do you want to y a round?] [Lucifer: I¡¯m going offline now. Maybe next time.] [Rose: Then can we have a cup of coffee at the cafe in KS World Hotel?] A few minutester, Be hurried to the cafe on the third floor of the hotel. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. There were no customers in the cafe at the moment. Christopher was sitting alone by the floor -to- ceiling window. The setting sun shone on his tall figure, making him particrly eye- catching. ¡°Mr. Iverson.¡± Be walked up to him and asked in surprise, ¡°When did you get here? Why didn¡¯t youe to my office to say hello?¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯re very busy, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb your work. I just came back to Savrow and had nothing to do, so I thought I¡¯d sit here and wait for you to get off work.¡± Christopher¡¯s narrow eyes arched as he smiled. He shook his phone and said, ¡°As soon as I logged into the game, I discovered that you were online, so I contacted you.¡± ¡°What do you want to drink? My treat.¡± Be only felt that this man was too meticulous and thoughtful, although he came unannounced. It made her feel a little sorry for him. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve had three cups of coffee, so I¡¯m not thirsty now. I am a little hungry though.¡± Christopher gently pushed up his gold-rimmed sses and smiled sincerely. ¡°Ms. Thompson, will you treat me to dinner at your hotel? I¡¯ve lived in Sentania for many years. It has been a long time since I tasted authentic Savrow cuisine.¡± Be did not want to reject him again because she felt bad for making him wait so long, so she agreed to it. ¡°Sure! It¡¯s my treat, so you can eat to your heart¡¯s content!¡± Be told Steven to book a high-end private room and prepare several of the restaurant¡¯s signature dishes for Christopher. During dinner, the two chatted andughed happily. They got along well. Outside the door, Steven stood miserably against the wall. He faintly heard Be¡¯s brightughter coming from the room and felt very ufortable. 1 Steven hated Justin, but he disliked Christopher as well. Some people just gave others a bad vibe. Steven knew at first nce that he could not be friends with Christopher. Steven admired Be, but he was not the jealous type who did not like Be talking to other men. He just felt that Christopher had a deep secret under his smiling face. Steven could not figure him out because he was so unpredictable. Even Be could not predict when Christopher would suddenly show up. It was better to be wary of that man. ¡°The chef at KS World Hotel is great. The food here is delectable. Thank you for treating me to this meal, Ms. Thompson,¡± Christopher said with a satisfied smile. ¡°You¡¯re wee. In fact, I¡¯ve wanted to treat you to a meal for a long time now. After all, you saved my life that day.¡± Be spoke gently and sincerely expressed her gratitude. ¡°Since I saved your life, are you calling it even with just a meal?¡± Christopher gently smiled and tilted his tall body slightly. His charming smile was extremely pleasing to the eye. Be was startled by his beauty. The next second, two concert tickets appeared in front of her. ¡°Christian, the famous pianist from Inalia, is performing his first concert in Savrow at 7:00 p.m. tonight. Shall we go together?¡± Be narrowed her eyes slightly, obviously caught off guard. Christopher breathed lightly and stared at her intensely for fear that she would reject him. His deep and clear voice was sultry and yful as he said, ¡°Ms. Thompson, you wouldn¡¯t reject your savior¡¯s little wish, right?¡± Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Back in the president¡¯s office of the Salvador Corporation, Justin leaned back in his leather chair after wrapping up a high-level meeting, weariness evident in his eyes. The buzz surrounding the matter between Rosalind and him had spread like wildfire within the company. Surprisingly, within the vast expanse of the Salvador Corporation¡¯s skyscraper, not a single soul dared to utter a word of gossip about Justin. Unless, of course, they were willing to face the consequences, which could potentially lead to their demise. Having earned the promotion to deputy chairman of the board, Justin transformed into a true powerhouse,manding unparalleled authority. However, despite his prestigious status, a profound sense of heaviness weighed on Justin, devoid of any satisfaction. ¡°I never expected Shannon to resolve the financial issues with Gold Corporation. It seems she¡¯s been pocketing a significant amount of money. At least now, she¡¯ll have to spit it back out.¡± Ian felt immensely satisfied to see Shannon take a loss. Still contemting the situation, Justin responded, ¡°Shannon built her wealth with Zephyr¡¯s help. Even with Zephyr in prison, she still manages to umte a substantial sum. It implies there¡¯s another source for her ie.¡± Ian¡¯s skepticism grew evident as he leaned forward, questioning, ¡°Could the EV boutique be one of them? Could that mediocre boutique have such massive money-attracting power? It¡¯s just bags and clothes. How can it generate such significant profits?¡± ¡°After all these years working for me, how can you be so naive?¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. With a casual flick of his hand, Justin tossed a neatly folded paper airne urately toward Ian¡¯s chest. ¡°That boutique is just a facade for the extensive undergroundwork in Savrow that Shannon has meticulously built over the years. While openly dealing in luxury goods, behind the scenes, she¡¯s involved in bribery and shady dealings.¡± Ian shivered. ¡°We really underestimated this old witch!¡± ¡°I have never underestimated her. We should never underestimate our enemies.¡± Justin rubbed the bridge of his nose, his lips curling into a cold expression. ¡°Dealing with Shannon is no overnight task. She has deep roots in Savrow, and with Gregory protecting her, it¡¯s not the right time to make a move. We stillck sufficient evidence and the right opportunity. If you y with fire, you¡¯re bound to get burned. The time wille.¡± Ian nodded with resentment. ¡°Exactly! Sooner orter, we¡¯ll spill that old witch¡¯s blood as an offering to the heavens!¡± Justin changed the subject with indifference. ¡°How¡¯s the progress on Ada Wang¡¯s project?¡± ¡°The wedding nning proposal from our team has been revised, and we¡¯re ready to meet with Ada Wang¡¯s team at any time,¡± Ian reported. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Ian hesitated briefly befofe cautiously suggesting, ¡°Mr. Salvador, didn¡¯t you mentionpensating the young madam? This might be an opportunity to make amends. What if we hand over the wedding nning rights to the KS World Hotel? I think she would appreciate it }) Justin interrupted, ¡°Why should I give it to KS World Hotel?¡± Justin¡¯s face wasposed as he looked at Ian. ¡°I owe Be, not KS Group. Why would I give the opportunity to the Thompson family?¡± Ian was left speechless. ¡°Truly, what kind of logic is this?¡¯ ¡°She once mentioned that in business, we must give our absolute best topete with her. If I ck off now, wouldn¡¯t that be looking down on her?¡± Justin lowered his gaze again, maintaining a cool demeanor as he added, ¡°Just prepare as you should. In the business world, I won¡¯tpromise my standards or principles for anyone or anything. I¡¯m not Christopher Iverson.¡± Ian was puzzled. He felt like there was a subtle hint of jealousy in his boss¡¯s words. At that moment, the phone on the table vibrated. Ryan¡¯s call came through. ¡°What is it?¡± Justin answered the call with a neutral expression. Ryan¡¯s voice on the other end was full of excitement. ¡°Justin, I¡¯ve got VIP tickets for the concert of the renowned pianist Christian. Let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to a piano recital? When did a donkey like you start appreciating music?¡± Justin teased without holding back. ¡°Tsk, if I can understand what you say, why wouldn¡¯t I appreciate a piano recital?¡± Ryan, used to Justin¡¯s banter over the years, took it in stride and added a touch of self-mockery. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll swing by your office to pick you up in a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°Why? Are you still sulking over Rosalind? After being cheated on for so many years, you can¡¯t get used to not having her around, huh?¡± Ryan seized the opportunity to tease him back. Justin, looking disdainful, furrowed his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t associate Rosalind with me anymore. It disgusts me! I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¡°Wait, just a minute!¡± Ryan struggled with the task of dealing with this stubborn mule, forcing him to reveal the truth. ¡°Zoe has returned from studying in Inalia. She is Christian¡¯s proud protege and will be performing as a guest at her concert tonight. I wanted to surprise you, but you just had to spoil it. I thought it¡¯d be more romantic that way, but I guess you¡¯re allergic to romance!¡± Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Zoe Hoffman was Ryan¡¯s younger sister. She had been part of Justin¡¯s life since her early years, practically growing up before his eyes. Ryan was an elder brother who took on a fatherly role. He was exceptionally doting toward his only sister and showered her with attention that even rivaled the Thompson brothers¡¯ affection for Be. After a moment of contemtion, Justin gave in and said, ¡°Alright,e pick me up.¡± Not long after, night fell upon the Savrow National Music Hall. Ryan had secured a VIP box on the second floor well in advance, ensuring the best view to witness his sister¡¯s brilliance. Beyond that, he had arranged for a camera setup and was fervently manipting the video equipment, eager to capture his sister¡¯s entire performance. On the sidelines, Justin sat with his legs crossed. He cast a disdainful nce at Ryan, who appeared more professional than the paparazzi, deeply engrossed in his camera. Unimpressed, Justin said, ¡°The organizers will document the entire performance and even engrave it ontomemorative discs for the performers. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself with your half-baked efforts.¡± Ryan retorted, ¡°A heartless person like you wouldn¡¯t understand! The footage captured by a beloved brother is filled with brotherly love. How can itpare to the official recording?¡± Just as Ryan adjusted the camera angle, his eyes widened, and an exmation escaped his lips. ¡°Damn! Be is here too. Did I miss something? And who the hell is that guy next to her? Why is his face so pale? Is he sick?!¡± Justin¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he hurried to the railing. In a VIP box across the hall, Be and Christopher were both seated, exchanging nces while fully engrossed in their cheerful conversation. On the other side, Be waspletely unaware of the green-eyed observers. With fewer people on the second floor and the air conditioning running, the hall was colder than usual. Thus, Be, wearing only a thin emerald green evening gown, had small goosebumps forming on her arms. Christopher noticed her shivering and, without a word, took off his suit jacket and kneeled in front of her. ¡°Christopher, what are you doing¡­?¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He covered her slender legs with his suit jacket and said, ¡°If your legs are warm, won¡¯t feel so cold anymore.¡± then you With a charming smile, he continued, ¡°Initially, I thought about suggesting you wear this jacket, but your dress is just too stunning. You¡¯re like a siren from ancient Greek mythology. I wouldn¡¯t want to hide your beauty.¡± Be, feeling a bit flustered, shifted her toes ufortably in her high heels. The direct and bold gesture from Christopher was a stark contrast to what she was used to. ¡®Perhaps men in Sentania are always this bold. Maybe this is why Cami fell for her husband!¡¯ Meanwhile, Justin, who was watching from afar, could not hide his growing frustration. Watching Christopher kneel in front of Be heightened Justin¡¯s emotions. He held on tightly to the railing until his knuckles turned white. The prominent blue veins on his hands revealed the tension building up within him. In the midst of all this, Justin could not help but wonder about the true nature of Be¡¯s rtionship with Christopher. The question lingered in his mind. ¡®Were they really just friends, or was there something more?¡¯ In an instant, Justin¡¯s chest tightened as he held his breath, wary of the subtle ache intensifying. ¡°Who the hell is that guy?!¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Ryan, who once had his eye on Be, felt a twinge of dissatisfaction seeing another suitor by his goddess¡¯s side, despite the fact that she hadpletely rejected him. Heined, ¡°He must be a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Also, look at how pale he is! Is he a vampire?¡± Justin¡¯s gaze was still fixated on Be. His voice was as cold as ice. ¡°He¡¯s Chairman Iverson¡¯s youngest son, Christopher.¡± Ryan was momentarily stunned. ¡°The Iversons? Why do I have no memory of him?!¡± Justin exined, ¡°He has been in Sentania for over a decade and has just recently returned to Savrow.¡± ¡°The Iversons are indeed a tough nut to crack. Why is everyone so eager for Be¡¯s attention? The rivalry sure is heating up!¡± Ryan squinted his eyes as he spoke, his eyes fixated on Justin¡¯s tense expression. ¡°Justin, you know the saying, even the sturdiest tree can sway in strong winds. You¡¯ve got two options- either retreat gracefully or face the challenge head-on. It¡¯s your choice.¡± Justin took a deep breath and clenched his teeth. ¡°Just keep your mouth shut!¡± Chapter 313 Chapter 313 The concert officially began. The renowned pianist, Christian, gracefully ascended the stage. She was adorned in an elegant deep blue velvet gown. Seated at the entirely ck grand piano, she began to perform her renowned composition, ¡®Seasons in the Wind¡¯, captivating the audience. The audience was immersed in the enchanting melody, and a tranquil hush filled the auditorium. Even though the piano piece was lovely, Be¡¯s attention was fixated on Christian¡¯s dark blue gown. This unique haute couture dress was the only one of its kind in the world. It was personally designed by the internationally acimed fashion designer Sharon-Be herself. Individuals of such international high-end talent, celebrity status, and virtuous character, with a distinguished reputation, were the only ones deemed worthy to wear a gown designed by Sharon. Justin sat through the performance, but it did not capture his interest at all. His fists were clenched so tight that his arms subtly trembled. Throughout the concert, he tried hard to hide his frustration, but his eyes stayed fixed on Be. She looked stunning, and every move she made seemed to bother him. asionally, Christopher and Be leaned in, exchanging soft, whispered words. Be nodded with a yful glint in her eyes, seeming like she was genuinely entertained by whatever Christopher was saying. Justin pressed his lips together, and he gripped his fists so hard that his veins popped out. His face turned pale, like it was covered in ayer of frost. He could not look away. ¡®What could they possibly be talking about? Be was married to me for three years and spent every day living with me, so why does she have more to say to him?¡¯ As the concert progressed, Ryan was baffled by the sudden cold. ¡°Damn, why is it suddenly so cold? The air conditioning is too strong¡­¡± Christian yed a few more pieces before the spotlight shifted to Zoe, Christian¡¯s talented protege. Zoe graced the stage in a stunning green chiffon gown, embellished with silk flowers. This entuated her ethereal charm, making her appear like a forest fairy. Ryan, excited to see his sister on stage, enthusiastically waved at her. ¡°Zoe! Zoe, look over here! It¡¯s your brother!¡± Justin was irritated by Ryan¡¯s behavior and had the urge to kick him down from the balcony. Meanwhile, Zoe, who was on stage, remained blissfully unaware of her brother¡¯s disruptive antics on the second floor. Her face, as radiant as a full moon, beamed with a confident smile as she elegantly bowed to the audience below. Soon after, she gracefully positioned herself in front of the piano, resembling a swan¡¯s elegance. Her ten fingers delicately touched the ck and white keys, producing a seamless flow of smooth notes, The ssicalposition was Mozart¡¯s ¡°Turkish March¡±. Be gazed at Zoe¡¯s captivating performance. Her eyes were gleaming with admiration. However, a subtle hint of envy lingered beneath the surface. Her left hand rested on herp, and with the precision of well-trained muscle memory, her fingers effortlessly followed the lively melody. Surprisingly, the once-crippled little finger seemed to regain vitality. Christopher, captivated by Be¡¯s graceful movements, spoke with affection. ¡°I remember how well you yed the piano as a child.¡± He leaned in, whispering in her ear, ¡°If you had chosen to pursue music back then, your skill would undoubtedly surpass hers by now.¡± However, Be brushed aside the idea, her trembling fingers clenching tightly. ¡°It¡¯s impossible,¡± she dered, her certainty evident in her voice. ¡°Those days are long gone.¡± During the battle in Kridor, she carried the heavily injured Justin back to the army camp. The ligaments in her left hand suffered severe damage, leaving her little fingerpletely paralyzed and powerless. Countless rehabilitation sessions and hours of effort and sweat were poured into restoring the remaining fingers to a semnce of normalcy. However, Be harbored no regrets about saving Justin. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Despite the hurt he deeply inflicted upon her, they once fought side by side for world peace. It was not Justin the scumbag she saved, but a soldier in the peacekeeping force. Her wounds were not a reminder of her mistakes but rather a badge of personal, supreme honor. As the concert concluded sessfully, Christian, apanied by her talented prot¨¦g¨¦, Zoe, took a bow as they received flowers and apuse. ¡°Be, would you mind joining me backstage?¡± Christopher smiled and extended an invitation to Be. ¡°Is there something you need, Christopher?¡± Be inquired. ¡°I have a personal matter. My mother is a big fan of Ms. Christian, so I¡¯d like to request a signed album from her.¡± Be responded, ¡°Christian is quite proud, so it might be challenging.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes softened with a gentle smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Sincerity can move mountains. As long as I have the chance to meet her and genuinely express my request, there¡¯s a chance she will agree.¡± Ryan beamed with pride,ughing all the way while carrying arge bouquet of flowers backstage with Justin. Unexpectedly, from the other end of the corridor, Be and Christopher walked side by side toward them. The vast and open corridor suddenly felt narrow and cramped. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 The atmosphere instantly became tense. Be was caught off guard as her eyes unexpectedly locked with Justin¡¯s intense gaze. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed with annoyance. Christopher also seemed to be taken aback. He adjusted his gold-rimmed sses with his fingertips. After a brief moment, his gaze turned somewhat awkward. ¡°Sorry, Be, I didn¡¯t know he would be here before bringing you. Let¡¯s forget about the autograph. We should leave first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Be smiled nonchntly, unfazed by Justin¡¯s unexpected appearance. ¡°There¡¯s now in our country that says we have to take a detour when we encounter an ex-husband, right? Besides, I really hope you can get the autograph and fulfill Mrs. Iverson¡¯s small wish.¡± Christopher¡¯s sharp eyes widened. He gazed deeply at Be, profoundly moved. However, the expression on Justin¡¯s face turned increasingly gloomy. The distance between them was not too far, so Be¡¯s voice was distinctly audible to him. Despite the fact that Justin and Be had already divorced, Justin found himself unable to resist the pull of conflicting emotions during the concert. When he heard Be express concern for Christopher¡¯s mother, he could no longer contain himself. He urgently wanted to approach Be and ask how far she had progressed in her rtionship with Christopher. He battled an internal struggle, fearing potential embarrassment if he approached Be. These were futile thoughts. After all, they had already parted ways. But against his better judgment, his heart seemed to steer him toward her uncontrobly.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Suddenly, the door to the dressing room swung open. ¡°Justin!¡± A crisp, doll-like voice broke the tense atmosphere. Before Justin could fully grasp the situation, a soft, green mass immediately engulfed his tall figure. Zoe, Ryan¡¯s younger sister, clung to Justin like a ko. Her rosy face nestled against his chest as she coquettishly asked, ¡°Justin, did youe just to watch my performance? Were you nning to surprise me?¡± Justin¡¯s demeanor shifted abruptly. His entire body tensed up. His eyes darted toward Be discreetly, but Ryan remained blissfully unaware of his sister¡¯s behavior. In his eyes, the interaction between Justin and Zoe appeared ordinary, reminiscent of their yful childhood days. It seemed perfectly normal to him. But he forgot that they were no longer children. Zoe, already 22 years old, had blossomed into a graceful young woman. Moreover, she and Justin were not blood rtives, making her current behavior rather inappropriate. Especially considering it was happening right in front of Be. ¡°Come on, Justin! Give me a hug!¡± Zoe¡¯s arms tightened around Justin¡¯s waist. She raised her face, making enthusiastic requests, However, Justin remained stiff as a rock. He refused to respond to Zoe. His gaze was fixed on Be ever since she appeared. Zoe, sensitive to the nuances, quickly realized that Justin¡¯s attention was not on her at all. Following the direction of his gaze, Zoe instantly spotted Be standing not far away, radiating beauty as if a goddess had descended to earth. Jealousy ignited within her, and her eyes darkened with envy. Ryan waspletely oblivious to the situation and said, ¡°Zoe, now that you have Justin, have you forgotten about your real brother?¡± He pouted and teased, ¡°I want some hugs, too! Come give your brother a hug!¡± ¡°You have so many admirers. You can go get hugs from them,¡± Zoe retorted, lifting her hand with a mischievous smile, ready to touch Justin¡¯s chiseled jaw. She continued, ¡°Ryan is so sleazy. I prefer Justin-cool and broody-totally my type!¡± Justin furrowed his brows. He turned away from Zoe¡¯s touch. At that moment, he abruptly noticed something. Be¡¯s gaze was calm, and her graceful figure was striding towards him with an air of elegance. Justin¡¯s breath caught in his throat, and his heartbeat raced as if it might burst out of his chest. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Be gracefully tilted her head up, maintaining eye contact with Justin as she walked closer. At that moment, it felt like every drop of blood in his body seemed to converge at the tip of his heart. His throat tightened, and the muscles in his body tensed even further. It was as if every part of him was urging him to be with Be, longing to reach out to her right then. Zoe, noticing Justin¡¯s reaction, furrowed her brows slightly. She held onto him tightly, as if guarding a precious treasure. Her overwhelming sense of possessiveness was triggered. She could sense that Justin not only knew this beautiful woman but also cared deeply for her! Just when Justin thought Be was approaching him, she unexpectedly turned like a gentle breeze, gliding past him. ¡°Christian!¡± Be called out, leaving the bewildered Justin behind her. ¡°Oh! My sweetheart!¡± Christian, walking from the other end of the corridor, saw Be as if encountering a long-lost friend. She waved at Be with immense excitement and greeted her with kisses on the cheek. It was evident how close the two of them were. Everyone, including the three men and Zoe, was left speechless. Having been Christian¡¯s protege for three years, Zoe knew Christian as a solitary and somewhat arrogant person. Christian rarely sharedpliments and often had a sour expression. ¡®How did this woman effortlessly earn the rare sight of a smile from her mentor?¡¯ ¡°My dear, I never expected to see you in Savrow! OMG¡­ If only I had known, I would have cleared my schedule to have dinner with you!¡± Christian joyfully embraced Be. ¡°You still have rehearsals to prepare for. I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± Be spoke fluent French, her tone soft and intimate as if it were her nativenguage. Be used her identity as Sharon in her interactions with Christian, who had not only ordered more than one custom dress from her but had also developed a close personal rtionship with her. It could be said that Be had a magical charm. Anyone who coborated with her would eventually be her friend. As Justin watched Be chat happily with the internationally renowned pianist Christian, memories of the past flooded his mind. His shoulders shuddered slightly, and suddenly, everything he thought about the world turned upside down. He remembered the early days of his marriage, when Be¡¯s eyes used to light up with joy, much like Zoe¡¯s. Be woulde across interesting things, chatting away like those young girls. However, he often neglected her, not sparing her a single nce. Gradually, Be became quieter, transforming into a silent presence at Tideview Manor, standing by his side. In those three years, Be had no social life, and the arts and schrly pursuits gave way to the mundane daily chores. Justin found her uninteresting, thinking she fell short in every aspectpared to Rosalind. He believed marrying Be was a regrettable mistake. Little did he realize, he nearly destroyed Be with his own hands. His emotional abuse had turned Be into a docile and submissive woman, someone who walked on eggshells and settled forpromises. The deep affection Be once had for him. was like the Titanic colliding with an iceberg. Even the me-like fervor of their romance ultimately became a heartbreaking disaster. ¡°Mr. Iverson,e over!¡± Be¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked beyond Justin towards Christopher. She waved at him with a cheerful smile. Christopher hastily adjusted his tie and the corners of his clothes and said, ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. A hint of nervousness appeared in his usuallyposed features as he strode toward Be with determined steps. Justin clenched his fingers tightly, bitterness piercing through his chest, while Ryan was seething with jealousy. Just as Christopher and Justin brushed past each other, Christopher suddenly halted. He smirked and adjusted his sses as he nced sideways, directed at Justin, who exuded the triumphant mockery of a victor. Christopher¡¯s contemptuous gaze was like a sharp de, cutting into Justin¡¯s heart and leaving it in a blurry mess. Justin watched helplessly as the man walked to Be¡¯s side and stood shoulder-to- shoulder with her. Justin witnessed everything unfold and yet felt powerless. ¡®Is this all I can do? Can I only be a useless bystander? Is there no way to stop their rtionship from developing further?¡¯ In the midst of this tension, Be introduced Christopher to Christian, the renowned pianist. Be grinned. ¡°Christian, this is my friend, Christopher. His mother is a big fan of yours, so he¡¯s hoping to get a signed album from you as a memento for her.¡± ¡°Of course! I would be happy to!¡± Christian graciouslyplied, disying an unexpected warmth. Not only did Christian provide a signed album, but she also asked her manager to capture the moment. As the trio posed for a photo, a bitter taste filled Justin¡¯s heart. The scene was a mix ofplex emotions, rivalry, and an underlying sense of powerlessness for Justin. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Exiting the concert hall, Zoe, reminiscent of her childhood self, clung to Justin¡¯s arm throughout, sharing her overseas adventures with him while expressing her yearning for Justin. The only difference from her childhood habits was that she used to hold Justin¡¯s hand with her left and her elder brother, Ryan, with her right. But now, her elder brother had been reduced to a mere bag carrier,pletely forgotten. Her entire heart was dedicated to Justin. Ryan trailed behind them, his lips downturned, wearing a discontented expression. With Be absent and his sister paying him no mind, Savrow¡¯s most renowned yboy was beginning to question his worth. Upon reaching the parking lot, Justin abruptly halted. He took a deep breath and decisively withdrew his hand from Zoe¡¯s grasp. ¡°Justin? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zoe blinked innocently. Her small hand froze in mid-air. ¡°Zoe.¡± Justin turned to look at her with a stern face. His gaze was no longer as gentle as it used to be during her childhood. It carried a sense of distance, sending her a chill that made her uneasy. ¡°You¡¯re a youngdy now and no longer a little girl, so certain behavior with me is inappropriate.¡± ¡°Why is it inappropriate? You are like my second brother!¡± Zoe, feeling a bit anxious, insisted, ¡°Is there something wrong with a younger sister holding her big brother¡¯s hand?¡± ¡°Ryan is your real brother, and I¡¯m not, so I won¡¯t condone such behavior.¡± Justin stopped his words there, refraining from expressing anything further. Zoe pouted, looking all innocent but holding a trace of anger in her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but think that Justin¡¯s sudden change of attitude was because of that beautiful woman. Finally, with Rosalind striking out, Zoe hurriedly returned to Savrow when Justin was at his loneliest and in need of companionship. She nned to captivate his heart and im victory. She could not allow another woman to appear out of nowhere and disrupt her ns to win over this man she had a crush on for so many years. ¡°Justin, your words are too hurtful.¡± Ryan, being a caring brother, could not bear to see his sister suffer even a bit. He swiftly approached and enveloped Zoe in his arms. ¡°You¡¯ve seen Zoe grow up. You used to carry her all the time, so holding hands now shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Besides, you¡¯re not in a rtionship now. If you get a wife, it¡¯s right to maintain a distance from the opposite sex. But we¡¯re both bachelors, so we shouldn¡¯t be concerned about such things.¡± ¡°Zoe will have a boyfriend in the future. Her hands should be reserved for her future boyfriend to hold.¡± Justin took a deep breath. He inexplicably pictured Be¡¯s face when he said, ¡°My hands should be reserved for my woman to hold.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. After parting ways with Christopher, Be got into her own Rolls-Royce. ¡°Achoo-!¡± Not sure if it was due to the cold air in the concert hall, Be sneezed continuously. ¡°Ms. Be, are you catching a cold? When we get back, I¡¯ll prepare some medicine and make ginger tea for you.¡± Steven hurriedly handed her a tissue. Be wiped her nose. The tip of her small nose turned red. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I think someone is badmouthing me behind my back.¡± ¡°I never imagined that we would encounter Jerkface Justin even at a concert!¡± Steven grumbled in annoyance. He took the tissue from his boss without minding the snot. A shadow crossed Be¡¯s beautiful eyes when she thought about how Zoe had hugged, snuggled, and touched Justin. ¡®That contemptible man indulged the little girl¡¯s flirtatious antics. Deep down, he probably enjoys it.¡¯ In reality, she had long been aware that Zoe was Ryan¡¯s sister, but she remained oblivious to Justin¡¯s connection with Zoe, especially the level of intimacy between them. Be sneered and shook her head. She felt her three years of marriage to Justin had indeed been futile. She knew too little about that man. ¡°This scoundrel isn¡¯t content with having two sisters and wants to recruit more. How vulgar.¡± ¡°Ms. Be, what are you talking about?¡± Steven asked in confusion as he saw her muttering to herself. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just casting a spell to dispel the bad luck of encountering that bastard,¡± Be said, crossing her arms and closing her eyes to rx. In just a few seconds, her phone rang. It was Asher on the line. ¡°Ash?¡± ¡°Be, the day after tomorrow, when you finish work, don¡¯t leave right away. I¡¯lle to the hotel to pick you up, and we¡¯ll head back to Hatchbay.¡± ¡°Go back to Hatchbay? Did something happen to Dad?¡± Be¡¯s heart suddenly tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad is fine.¡± Asher¡¯s voice softened. ¡°Uncle Lance is bringing his two sons to our house for dinner, so Dad wants all of his children who can make it to attend. They¡¯ve been friends for over 20 years, and Dad doesn¡¯t want to neglect the guests.¡± Be¡¯s tense heart rxed, and she took a breath. ¡°Alright. Chapter 317 Chapter 317 The moon was bright in the night sky, with no stars in sight. The Maybach halted at Tideview Manor. Mr. Salvador stepped out alone, instructing the driver, ¡°Take Mr. Harris back. I¡¯ll go in by myself. No need to follow.¡± ¡°But, Mr. Salvador, it¡¯s going to rain. I heard thunder on our way back.¡± Ian was concerned. There is still some distance from the main gate to the manor. It might be better to escort you in.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Justin¡¯s features were cold and deep. He lightly tugged at his Windsor knot tie and said, ¡°I feel a bit stuffy, so I want to take a walk. You may leave.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ian leaned against the car window like a loyal guard dog and watched Justin until the carpletely disappeared into the night. Justin took a deep breath and turned to walk toward the manor. However, before he could take more than a few steps, a loud p of thunder echoed, and it began to pour. By the time Justin entered the house, he waspletely drenched from head to toe. The harsh rain and fall winds were chilly and unyielding, and the stuffiness in his chest was particrly bothersome. Wilma rushed over in a panic. ¡°Oh my goodness! Young Master! How did you get soaked like this?! Where¡¯s the driver? And where¡¯s Ian?!¡± His face was pale. His jet-ck hair that covered his twinkling eyes was soaked, and his lips trembled. Water dripped from his arms that were hanging at his sides. He looked like a stunning sea god that had just emerged from the sea and transformed into his human form. ¡°Wilma¡­¡± His throat tightened, and he asked in a hoarse tone, ¡°Is there any wine? I want a drink.¡± ¡°You¡¯re soaked, and you still want to drink alcohol? Are you out of your mind? I¡¯ll go make some ginger tea for you. Hurry upstairs and get changed!¡± Wilma was deeply concerned. She turned to leave, but Justin grabbed her. ¡°I just want to drink wine. Let me drink.¡± ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± Wilma had a sense that something was not right. Unable to bear it any longer, Justin said, ¡°I ran into Be tonight.¡± ¡°Young Madam? You saw the young madam?¡± Wilma was initially pleased, but Justin¡¯s next words made her furrow her brows. ¡°Someone is with her.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°She has a boyfriend.¡± The words came abruptly from Justin¡¯s lips, his voice husky and broken. Wilma gasped, inhaling a cold breath and staring in astonishment. ¡°So soon?! Well, I guess that¡¯s expected. Young Madam is outstanding, beautiful, kind-hearted, and has a prestigious background. Even after a divorce, she will surely have plenty of suitors. She won¡¯t have trouble remarrying.¡± ¡®Remarry?¡¯This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Justin¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, and his heart pounded heavily. ¡°So, is it because Young Madam has a boyfriend that you¡¯re like this? You drenched yourself in the rain and want to drink away your sorrows?¡± Wilma looked at him with a serious expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Justin shook his head absentmindedly. ¡°Young Master, if you¡¯re feeling uneasy because Young Madam¡¯s love, which was originally meant for you, has been given to someone else, I advise you to quickly adjust your mindset and let it go. It will be good for both you and Young Madam. But if you genuinely desire Young Madam as a person, even though you two are separated now and it may feel like it¡¯s toote, I still hope you can figure out your own heart and try to chase Young Madam back.¡± Wilma ced her warm hands on Justin¡¯s damp shoulders. Her gaze was intense. ¡°Young Master, even if it turns out to be in vain in the end, at least you won¡¯t regret trying. Besides, Young Madam deserves it.¡± ¡®Figure out my own heart?¡¯ Justin kept shaking his head, continually denying something in his aching heart. But with each denial, his heart would ache even more. After graduating from the Royal Music Academy in Inalia, Zoe was selected to join the Royal Symphony Orchestra. However, she ultimately gave up the position and chose to return to Savrow. Despite being an economic center, Savrowcked the cultural richness of Inalia. It was permeated with the scent of money and materialism, making it an unwise decision toe back for someone seeking an artistic atmosphere. However, she had her own secret ns-ns even Ryan, her elder brother, was unaware of. Upon learning from her elder brother that Justin had definitively broken up with Rosalind and that there was no possibility of reconciliation, Zoe was reignited with hope. In a hurry, she returned to Savrow, ready to embark on her mission to conquer the man. With nothing else to do that day, Zoe invited Bethany to her home. ustomed to being pampered, Zoe was haughty, arrogant, and self-assured in her beauty. As a result, she generally looked down upon women in Savrow¡¯s elite circles. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Yet, Zoe was exceptionally close to Bethany, driven solely by a simple reason-Bethany was from the Salvador family. In Zoe¡¯s eyes, only individuals with such prestigious family backgrounds were worthy of her friendship. ¡°Oh, Bethany, you look so beautiful today! Oh, you brought a gift. That¡¯s incredibly thoughtful of you.¡± Zoe greeted Bethany at the door with a radiant smile. The two appeared as affectionate best friends, holding hands. ¡°Zoe! I¡¯ve missed you so much! You look even prettier than thest time we met!¡± Bethany showered her withpliments, all while harboring her own ulterior motives. Given Ryan¡¯s affection for his younger sister, establishing a good rtionship with Zoe would provide Bethany with a reason to frequently visit the Hoffmans. Bethany intended to take a subtle approach to win Zoe¡¯s favor. If Zoe were to speak highly of her to Ryan, she could swiftly ascend to the position of the young madam of the Hoffman family. Bethany was truly quite cunning. ¡°A few days ago, I traveled around Europe and bought some souvenirs. I bought something for you and for Mrs. Hoffman. They¡¯re not very valuable, so please don¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Zoe gazed at the mountain of luxurious gift boxes, a sly smile ying on her lips. ¡°Is there a gift for my big brother in there?¡± ¡°Yes, there is¡­ I was worried your big brother might not like it and wouldn¡¯t ept it¡­¡± Bethany blushed, shyly lowering her head. ¡°Oh, look at you! How deep is your affection for him, blushing like a peach at the mere mention of him?¡± Zoe yfully beckoned with her finger toward Bethany. ¡°Leave it to me. He¡¯ll ept it as long as I give it to him.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Zoe! You¡¯re the best!¡± Bethany felt ted and promptly retrieved the gift intended for Ryan. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Zoe took the exquisite box, opened it, and discovered a tinum tie pin with sapphires embedded at both ends-a clearly valuable item. At that moment, Ryan descended the vintage-style spiral staircase in a YSL purple haute couture suit. He wore a rose-patterned ck silk shirt underneath, maintaining an ethereal and noble air about him. Bethany stared in admiration at her idol, her mouth slightly agape, almost on the verge of drooling. Zoe called out sweetly to her elder brother. ¡°Ryan!¡± Ryan, who had been smiling indulgently at his sister, turned cold and distant at the sight of Bethany. ¡°Ms. Bethany, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Bethany stammered, nervously swallowing. ¡°Ryan, I invited Bethany to visit our home,¡± Zoe said as she embraced Bethany, leaning intimately on her shoulder. ¡°We have always had a great rtionship, didn¡¯t you know? She¡¯s best friend in Savrow.¡± my ¡°Is that so? I really didn¡¯t know.¡± Ryan squinted, offering mock advice. ¡°Zoe, I don¡¯t oppose you making friends, but be discerning in your choice of friends. Some friends guide you, while others lead you astray.¡± Zoe discreetly nced at Bethany, who was now pale with embarrassment. ¡°I understand, Ryan. I¡¯m already 22! Don¡¯t you think I can distinguish between good and bad people?¡± Zoe replied calmly. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t been in Savrow much in these years, and you don¡¯t have many friends here. If you really want to make friends, I can introduce you to Ms. Be Thompson. She¡¯s the beautifuldy you sawst night.¡± Ryan suggested. His tone softened when he mentioned Be. ¡°Coincidentally, she¡¯s acquainted with your mentor, Christian. You¡¯ll surely have a lot inmon.¡± Zoe sneered inwardly at the suggestion. What a joke! How could she be friends with her love rival? Ryan walked over to his sister, gently pinching her cheek. As he was about to leave, Zoe took the opportunity to ce the gift in his hand. ¡°Ryan, this is a gift Bethany specially selected for you. She put a lot of thought into it, so you must ept it with care,¡± Zoe said, blinking her innocent, charming eyes at him. Ryan took the box without saying anything, striding away with effortless grace. ¡°You see, I told you. As long as it¡¯s from me, he will definitely ept it,¡± Zoe boasted, hands on her hips. Bethany was so moved and excited that tears welled up in her eyes as she looked gratefully at Zoe. Ryan walked calmly to the doorway, hisposed face revealing nothing. He coldly red at the delicate box, not even desiring to open it. He raised his arm, seemingly prepared to toss it far away. Then, recalling his sister¡¯s words, he spotted his female secretary by the car. He licked the tip of his tongue against his upper pte and flung the box towards her. The secretary hurriedly caught it, looking puzzled. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, what is this¡­?¡± ¡°A gift for you.¡± She opened it and stared in confusion. ¡°But Mr. Hoffman, this is a men¡¯s tie clip. I don¡¯t even have a boyfriend. I have no use for it.¡± Ryan red irritably. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a father? If not, use it to clip some documents. I don¡¯t care what you do with it.¡± Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Since Ryan was not around and Mrs. Hoffman was still convalescing abroad, Bethany¡¯s scheme to earn some brownie points faced a temporary setback. However, the thrill of Ryan epting her gift made her heart race. She might not be able to fall asleep tonight. In the afternoon, the two of them enjoyed the fall scenery beneath the enormous parasol tree in the Hoffman family¡¯s backyard, sipping afternoon tea. ¡°Zoe, when did you meet Be?¡± Bethany¡¯s internal rms red, carrying a mix of hatred and jealousy directed at Be. ¡°I bumped into her backstage the day before yesterday during my master¡¯s music performance,¡± Zoe replied nonchntly. With a rxed posture, legs crossed, Zoe took a sip of ck tea and nced at Bethany, inquiring, ¡°From the tone of your voice, it seems like you have a grudge against Be.¡± ¡°Grudge? More like an irreconcble feud!¡± ¡°Is it that serious?¡± ¡°Zoe, you¡¯ve been abroad for a long time, so there are many things you don¡¯t know.¡± Bethany gritted her teeth, her voice dripping with disdain. ¡°Be is like a puppet master pulling the strings, manipting Justin¡¯s and Ryan¡¯s every move, and causingplete chaos!¡± ¡°The Salvador family is in utter chaos because of this woman!¡± ¡°What? My elder brother likes her too?¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Ryan was seduced by that bitch! Be is quite skilled at captivating men. She¡¯s a natural-born temptress!¡± Bethany was on the verge of exploding. Her cheeks flushed in anger. ¡°But luckily, they are not as close now. I suppose that vixen has found a new target. ¡°Ryan doesn¡¯t get seduced by just anyone. He¡¯s usually the one who fools around with women, not the other way around. Be has probably already been with Ryan. He just never sleeps with the same woman twice. She¡¯s just a ything for him. He won¡¯t get serious. I know him too well.¡± Shifting her focus to Bethany¡¯s troubled expression, Zoe quickly reassured her with aforting smile. ¡°But Bethany, you¡¯re different. Our families have a good rtionship. With me around, I¡¯ll ensure you win Ryan¡¯s favor.¡± Bethany was moved to tears. ¡°Aww, Zoe! You¡¯re such a good friend!¡± She felt like she had embarked on a journey toward happiness. ¡°By the way, Zoe the most. what¡¯s going on between Be and Justin?¡± This was the matter that concerned ¡°Heh, talking about this makes me even angrier!¡± Bethany clenched her fists tightly, expressing her hatred. ¡°She is Justin¡¯s ex-wife!¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Zoe suddenly stood up, and the precious tea cup in her hand fell onto thewn. ¡°Ex-wife?! How is that possible? Didn¡¯t Justin just break up with Rosalind? He hasn¡¯t even gotten married! How can there be an ex-wife?!¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know. They had a secret marriage, and they just divorced recently. Additionally, my grandfather was the one who set them up. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Noticing Zoe¡¯s interest in Justin, Bethany added fuel to the fire. ¡°Even after their divorce, Justin and Be remained close. Rosalind tried to cling to him and make a scene twice, but Justin hadn¡¯t completely moved on from Be! Rosalind brought it upon herself by annoying Justin with her silly tricks, but can he deny his decision to break up with her had no connection with that vixen, Be?¡± This time, it was Zoe¡¯s turn to be furious. ¡°No wonder! That night, Justin¡¯s gaze toward that woman seemed like he was entranced.¡± Zoe, with a tinge of bitterness, clenched her jaw. Zoe continued, ¡°Rosalind struggled for more than ten years to win his heart. How did that woman be his wife? On what grounds?!¡± Zoe¡¯s words left a sour taste in her mouth. ¡°Bethany, if you don¡¯t mind, let me be your sister- inw!¡± Upon hearing this, Bethany was left speechless. She thought to herself, ¡®This girl really doesn¡¯t see herself as an outsider!¡¯ ¡°I certainly don¡¯t mind! Compared to that ruthless and scheming Rosalind, of course, I would hope you be part of our family!¡± Bethany quickly expressed her loyalty. ¡°Since we both have clear goals, why don¡¯t we form an alliance and work together? What do you think?¡± Zoe approached Bethany, bent down, and ced her hands firmly on her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll help you win my brother¡¯s heart, and you can help me with Justin. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Zoe, you¡¯re aware of my family dynamics. I have a half-sibling rtionship with Justin and am not as close to him as you are to Ryan¡­ I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be of much help to you!¡± Bethany¡¯s words were genuinely heartfelt, and in her eyes, this was almost as difficult as reaching for the heavens. Chapter 320 Chapter 320 ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Salvador deeply cherish you! You can assist me in gathering information, serving as my inside source. Bybining our efforts, the advantages will outweigh the drawbacks, especially when confronting Be. I think it¡¯s definitely more advantageous if we work together!¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes flickered with desire. Upon learning Zoe¡¯s n to deal with Be, Bethany immediately lit up, full of enthusiasm.¡± Alright, let¡¯s form an alliance! We¡¯ll see how that despicable Be dares to act arrogantly in Savrow in the future!¡± Zoe crossed her arms, and her boldly painted lips exuded an air of arrogance and confidence. Zoe had enjoyed a life of luxury, endlessly pampered by her parents and brother since childhood. She attended school alongside members of the royal family and won international awards. Her entire life had unfolded under the spotlight and apuse. She had never tasted defeat. Whatever she desired, she never failed to obtain it. ¨C¡®My hand is reserved for the woman I love.¡¯ Zoe thought to herself, ¡®I won¡¯t let you slip away again, Justin. I am determined to marry you. I am the only one destined to hold your hand!¡¯ In the blink of an eye, the day arrived for the return to Hatchbay. To make it back in time for the evening banquet, Be dedicated the entire day to a whirlwind of activities-approving documents, attending meetings, and delving into wedding ns. Her schedule was relentless. Fortunately, the efforts yielded gratifying results. Guided by Be¡¯s leadership, Ada Wang¡¯s wedding n saw sessfulpletion after days of coborative teamwork. As Be dered the words ¡°approved¡±, cheers erupted from the crowd, creating a joyous atmosphere no less exhrating than the celebration of a sessful Olympic bid. Coborating with Be demanded both robust mental and physical endurance. Otherwise, someone might sumb midway. Yet, during this period, not a singleint was voiced, and there was no hint of retreat. Despite her elevated status, Be personally immersed herself in the tasks at hand, showing no pretense as the heiress of KS Group. She worked just as hard as they did, providing a continuous supply of meals, coffee, and snacks, never shortchanging anyone. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Although Be upheld high standards and pursued perfection, her words flowed with grace, revealing a blend of creativity and ingenuity. When others faced challenges, she effortlessly provided timely solutions, earning admiration and appreciation from all. ¡°Everyone, thanks for the tremendous effort during this period. Take a well-deserved three- day break to rest and recharge. Then, head to the dining director¡¯s office to pick up two deluxe buffet vouchers and treat yourselves. I have an appointmentter, so unfortunately, I won¡¯t be hosting a meal for us.¡± Be stood at the head of the oval-shaped conference table. Her fair and slender arms rested on the table¡¯s edge as she smiled at the crowd. ¡°Once we secure Ada Wang, you won¡¯t just get bonuses and paid time off. You¡¯ll also get those trips to the Maldives or d that you guys talk about! I¡¯ll pay for it out of my own pocket, so you can have fun. I¡¯m a woman of my word!¡± ¡°All hail, Ms. Thompson!¡± The crowd cheered, raising their arms in excitement. Although the bid had not yet seeded, Be¡¯s encouraging words infused everyone with a glimmer of hope. It was already 5:00 p.m. by the time Be left the conference room. ¡°Ms. Be, I¡¯ve prepared your attire for the dinner. It¡¯s in the dressing room. Would you like to change now?¡± Steven followed behind her and asked gently. ¡°I¡¯m toozy to bother. Uncle Lance has seen me grow up, and he¡¯s like a brother to Wyatt. He¡¯s witnessed all kinds of moments from my childhood.¡± Observing that time was running out, Be and Steven entered the executive elevator. As the elevator descended, she adjusted her hair in the reflective doors and meticulously applied lipstick to her delicate lips. Like the final stroke on a canvas, herplexion immediately improved. Witnessing her discreet grooming, Steven smiled adoringly. Indeed, beneath the assertive and sassy exterior, there was still a soft and adorable youngdy. Engrossed in their thoughts, neither of them noticed that the elevator had already reached the first floor. Ding- The doors opened. Once again, the enchanting scent of violet leaves filled the air, lingering and tantalizing the senses. It was warm, profound, and elegantly elusive. If this fragrance had a name, Christopher would likely be its creator. As expected, Be suddenly raised her gaze and unexpectedly met Christopher¡¯s deep, mysterious eyes. In an instant, her pupils slightly contracted. Her hand trembled, and her carefully applied lipstick deviated from its course, leaving a yful red smudge. Christopher smiled as he locked his gaze on her surprised expression. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I¡¯vee to take you home.¡± Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Be stared at him in astonishment and asked, ¡°How¡­ How did you end up here?¡± Steven, who was standing behind her, witnessed Christopher¡¯s mysterious reappearance. His heart sank, and he silently clenched his fist. ¡°They told me this elevator was only reserved for you, so I waited here,¡± Christopher said with a gentle, shallow smile, skillfully sidestepping the real question. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about that. I meant, why did youe to find me?¡± Be furrowed her brows. ¡°Your dad is supposed to visit our house tonight. Aren¡¯t you heading to Hatchbay with him?¡± Christopher calmly and confidently rified, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here-to pick you up. Let¡¯s go back to Hatchbay together.¡± Be pursed her red lips, suspicion creeping into her heart. His words were faultless, but not entirely innocent. ¡°Thank you foring to pick me up, Mr. Iverson, but Asher has already made ns with me. He should be here soon, and I¡¯ll be following him back home.¡± Be politely smiled. ¡°See you at Yara Park tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already informed Uncle Wyatt of my intention toe and pick you up. He agreed, so Asher won¡¯t being,¡± Christopher said with an unruffled demeanor. ¡°What?!¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes widened. She lost herposure. ¡°Our families have a long-standing rtionship. Chairman Thompson and my father are sworn brothers, and you and I grew up together. With such a connection, Uncle Wyatt shouldn¡¯t worry that I¡¯d kidnap you,¡± Christopher exined calmly. Christopher thought to himself, ¡°Though I really wanted to whisk you away¡­ I¡¯d love to bring you back to Sentania, cherish you, protect you, and love you like my exclusive treasure.¡¯ ¡°Well¡­ Alright, thank you for making the trip.¡± Be remained polite, maintaining a sense of propriety in their rtionship. This was rather unexpected from her eldest brother. Asher was usually so caring and protective of her, like a mother bear guarding her cub. But this time, he actually pushed her toward another man. Be thought, ¡®Does Asher also want to market me off like Wyatt? What if Christopher was a psychopath in disguise?¡¯ Be sighed silently, feeling guilty for being suspicious of her savior. ¡°No trouble at all. I always have time for you, Ms. Thompson.¡± Christopher smiled warmly. Be had grown ustomed to this man¡¯s flirtatious way of speaking. She did not dwell on it too much as she walked alongside him. ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Steven¡¯s heart felt a pang, and he quickly called out to her. Both of them came to a halt. Be¡¯s beautiful eyes filled with curiosity as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Steve?¡± At this moment, Christopher adjusted his sses. His dark, hawk-like eyes squinted slightly as he turned his gaze slowly toward Steven behind him. Steven felt a stinging pain in his heart from that gaze. He stiffened, hesitating to speak. ¡°Miss, I¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right, Steve, I almost forgot.¡± Be raised her gentle, bright eyes to him and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me home. You can leave early. You¡¯ve been working hardtely, so go home and rest well tonight.¡± With that, they walked away from Steven. Steven¡¯s shoulders slumped. A shiver ran up his spine when he recalled Christopher¡¯s concealed, chilly gaze. He felt a cold force wrap around him, like being plunged into a dark cer. Be and Christopher walked side by side in the lobby, quickly drawing the attention of all the hotel staff. ¡°Wow, look! Ms. Thompson has changed herpanion! There¡¯s finally a male presence besides Mr. Lovett!¡± Someone eximed. Another colleague said, ¡°Really! And he¡¯s so handsome! Mr. Lovett is totally outssed!¡± ¡°Mr. Lovett and this gentleman havepletely different styles, right? This one is like a handsome and stern Dobermann, while Mr. Lovett is like an adorable Golden Retriever. They¡¯re iparable!¡± ¡°I vote for Mr. Lovett!¡± ¡°I vote for the handsome vampire-looking guy!¡± ¡°Choosing favorites is for kids. As an adult, I¡¯ll take both!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Outside the hotel¡¯s main entrance, Christopher¡¯s car had been waiting for some time. His secretary respectfully opened the car door. Just as Be was about to get in, the man gently took hold of her arm. ¡°Ms. Thompson.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Iverson?¡± Be looked at him in surprise. Christopher¡¯s eyes brimmed with indulgence as he gently curled his lips. He retrieved a brand new and pristine white handkerchief from his pocket, intending to help her wipe away the lipstick that had strayed beyond her lips. However, this time, Be did not let him have his way. Her almond eyes sparkled as she quickly took the handkerchief from his palm. ¡°I can manage on my own.¡± Christopher¡¯s gaze flick¨¦red, and he merely smiled without saying anything. Soon after, the top-of-the- line Bentley departed from the hotel entrance. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Across the street, the tinted windows of a sleek ck Lamborghini glided down, revealing Justin¡¯s sculpted and handsome face. His lips remained tightly pressed, and his eyes, usually cold, now held a subtle hint of red as he focused on the Bentley moving away. The sight of Be and Christopher as a couple sent a palpable shock through him, causing his heart to react as if electrocuted. A chill surged through his veins. Justin had gone without sleep for two consecutive nights, and not even sleeping pills proved effective. Since they parted ways at the concert, Justin has been preupied and absent- minded. Known for his focus at work, he even skipped important meetings and let reports pass unnoticed. The reason behind his behavior eluded him, but he was certain that Be was the root cause of his insomnia. Today, without informing Ian, he quietly drove himself to the KS World Hotel and waited patiently for the afternoon. His sole objective was to catch a glimpse of Be. Even if it were just to ensure a full night¡¯s sleep, he longed to see her. However, the shock hit hard when he saw Be still in Christopher¡¯spany. Intense pain radiated in his head, and a momentary haziness clouded his vision. The uncertainty of whether this encounter would alleviate his insomnia lingered, but the impact was akin to a heart attack. Justin¡¯s bloodshot eyes darkened. He gritted his teeth and floored the gas pedal. The sports car surged forward and raced to catch up with the Bentley. * Tonight, Yara Park buzzed with activity as the servants hustled to prepare for the arrival of distinguished guests. Following Wyatt¡¯s invitation, the kids who could make it had returned Asher, Axel, and his seventh son, Ralph, were already there. Be was en route. Amelia, who was swamped with important coursework, could not make it. Since it was not a particrly important gathering, Celeste insisted her daughter prioritize studying. ¡°Another night of testosterone overpowering estrogen.¡± Axel sipped his tea in the living room. He nced at Asher on his left and then at Ralph on his right, shaking his head with a yful smile. ¡°Why is it so tough for us to meet up with our sisters?!¡± ¡°Ax, be grateful. We just cracked a big case, and the chief gave us a two-day break. Otherwise, we won¡¯t get to see each other in another decade!¡± Ralph, sporting a leather jacket, lounged on the sofa with his head propped up on his arm. His rxed posture revealed the vibe of a guy who had spent considerable time in the police force, void of the grace that an elite man should have. As the youngest Thompson son, he bore the closest resemnce to Wyatt-thick brows, doe- like eyes, a steep nose, full and slightly upturned lips, and a sun-kissed, wheat-colored ¡°Ugh, I really don¡¯t mind that.¡± Axel teased. ¡°Be thankful for my presence!¡± Suddenly, there was a sharp snap. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Asher and Axel jolted up in their seats. Their faces reflected a mix of confusion and curiosity as the scene unfolded before them. Ralph, the picture of nonchnce on the sofa, effortlessly raised his arm, nabbing a walnut hurtling toward him from an unidentified source. ¡®Damn! Is this the kind of reflex humans are supposed to possess?¡¯ Axel thought. ¡°Hehe! Mom, you really know how to pamper me. You chose such arge walnut, knowing they¡¯re my favorite!¡± Ralph smoothly rose from the sofa, delicately cing the walnut on the coffee table. With practiced finesse, he crushed the shell with one hand, retrieving the kernel with a cheerful grin. ¡°Sit up straight or stand properly! Honestly, you¡¯recking all the poise expected of a Thompson man! Are you really a cop? Or have you spent a decade undercover in the underworld?¡± M scolded Ralph with her hands on her hips. She strode over to her youngest son with a frustrated expression. ¡°Well, it¡¯s no big deal, right?¡± Ralph grinned, munching on a walnut kernel and extending his hand to his mother. ¡°Mom, this isn¡¯t remotely enough to fill my cravings. Got any more walnuts?¡± ¡°What on earth are you wearing? Hurry upstairs and change into something befitting our status before our guests show up!¡± Even the sophisticated and well-informed M could not suppress her irritation. She delivered a stern kick to her son¡¯s butt. ¡°I don¡¯t care how you conduct yourself in the police force. The moment you step back into this house, you¡¯re Wyatt Thompson¡¯s 7th son, and I expect you to act ordingly! Chairman Iverson and his sons will be arriving shortly, so don¡¯t embarrass your father!¡± In the study, Wyatt sat on a vintage leather sofa, sporting a pair of reading sses on his straight nose, attentively flipping through the photos in his hands. The protagonists in the pictures were none other than Be and Christopher. ¡°As per your instructions, I¡¯ve been discreetly keeping an eye on Ms. Be¡¯s dating situation,¡± Quentin reported respectfully. ¡°She hasn¡¯t contacted anyone else on the list, but her interactions with Mr. Christopher from the Iverson family have been quite frequent.¡± Wyatt repeatedly flipped through the photos, nearly wearing them out. Upon hearing this, he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Has Christopher Iverson made any inappropriate advances toward my Be? Any improper behavior?¡± ¡°No, Mr. Christopher is a refined gentleman. He knows how to conduct himself in thepany of Ms. Be and has shown no signs of crossing any boundaries.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wyatt pondered in silence, choosing not to say more. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Celeste¡¯s gentle voice came from outside. ¡°Wyatt, Chairman Iverson and his sons have arrived.¡± Chapter 323 Chapter 323 On the ground floor, within the main hall. Asher and Axel, alongside Ralph, who had donned a sophisticated suit, and the two madams, had graciously received Lance and his second son, Charles Iverson, into their residence. ¡°Asher the CEO and Axel the prosecutor! My, you two have grown into such fine young men! Oh, is this Madam M¡¯s younger son? Thest time I saw you, boy, you were still so small and yful. Now, you¡¯ve grown to be so handsome! Where are you working these days?¡± Lance Iverson, the chairman of the Iverson Group, warmly approached the Thompson brothers and enthusiastically shook hands with them. ¡°I am currently serving as a police officer, assigned to the criminal investigation department, Uncle Lance,¡± Ralph replied with a faint smile. ¡°Really¡­ A police officer?¡± Lance expressed a degree of surprise, a glint of shrewdness flickering in his eyes. From the perspective of this business magnate, a police officer was the lowest rung among public servants, earning meager wages, constantly putting themselves in danger, and engaging in a variety of gritty and strenuous tasks. More importantly, the career trajectory was limited. The pinnacle would be a senior policemissioner, far from the significance of inheriting a multi-billion-dor family business. ¡°My soncks talent. I¡¯m sure his career choice has given you a goodugh.¡± M disyed a hint of embarrassment. Her younger son¡¯s chosen profession had always been a source of concern for her. Among Wyatt¡¯s wives, M held the highest social status because she was from the Larson family. She did not want topete with Wyatt¡¯s other wives or partition the rest of the Thompson family, but her upbringing had instilled a strong sense of family honor. Thus, M aspired for her children to be exceptional individuals, subjecting them to particrly stringent expectations. Yet, her youngest son, Ralph, happened to be an unambitious person and insisted on dedicating his life to criminal investigation, deviating from the path she had envisioned for him. It truly caused her a considerable headache. ¡°M, you¡¯re being too humble!¡± Sasha, who had always been forthright, stepped forward and proudly patted Ralph on the shoulder with a beaming smile. ¡°How is Ralphcking talent? At the age of 27, he achieved first -ss merit and three second-ss merits for consistently solving major cases. He¡¯s genuinely the pride of the Savrow Police Department!¡± ¡°Not only that, Ralph is now the captain of the Savrow First Criminal Investigation Division. He¡¯s also the youngest captain in the history of the division, Uncle Lance.¡± Axel added. He joined in with support, as he did not want the Iverson family to look down on his impressive seventh brother. ¡°Haha¡­ Truly a promising young talent, indeed!¡± Lance chuckled in agreement. Ralph, upon hearing the des from his family, was even more pleased than receiving merits. He shyly scratched his head and grinned. ¡°Lance! Oh, my¡­¡± Apanied by Celeste and Quentin, Wyatt approached Lance and his son. His smiling eyes concealed a hint of teasing. ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while since you paid me a visit! I was starting to think some part of you malfunctioned and you went overseas for maintenance, afraid to face me.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s riching from you!¡± Lance briskly approached, sporting a yful frown. ¡°Two months ago, I invited you to go horseback riding with me, and you came up with some excuse about being busy. What happened to the enthusiasm you used to have for horseback riding? It made me wonder if your legs aren¡¯t nimble enough to climb onto a horse anymore due to your age. Were you afraid I¡¯d make fun of you, so you declined my invitation?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Haha¡­ You really worry about inconsequential matters. My body is still agile!¡± Wyatt mischievously curled his lips. At 60 years old, he could still exude such arrogance. ¡°When we are both elderly, toothless, and residing in a nursing home, I am certain I will be the one pushing your wheelchair. Just wait and see!¡± Observing the two brothers banter like in the old days, everyone could not help but chuckle on the side. Tonight, Lance adorned a meticulous four-piece suit, featuring a charcoal gray base and a silver-white tie with fine ck stripes as an ent, radiating finesse. Unexpectedly, Wyatt did not adhere to the usual conventions. He chose to wear a white silk long robe with delicate embroidery, which added a touch of luxury. He looked effortlessly handsome in such casual attire. Not a single strand of white hair adorned his temples, and his posture remained as straight as it was twenty years ago. It was genuinely exasperating for Lance. Lance and Wyatt were both individuals who ced special emphasis on their appearance. Since their youth, they have dedicated considerable effort to dressing and skin care. They had engaged in this friendlypetition for more than twenty years, seemingly determined to outdo each other until they were both in their coffins. Chapter 324 Chapter 324 ¡°Hello, Uncle Wyatt.¡± Charles approached with grace and politely bowed toward Wyatt. Although Charles and Christopher were half-siblings, their physical traits diverged noticeably. Christopher, Lance¡¯s fourth son, boasted a delicate and androgynous appearance, rendering gender identification challenging. Conversely, Lance¡¯s second son showcased more sharply defined features- thick, arched eyebrows gracefully extending into his temples. His eyes were deep-set, and his gaze was as sharp as his father¡¯s. He was also tall and slim. ¡°Oh, Charles, greetings to you as well!¡± Wyatt extended an affectionate smile to the younger Iverson, whom he had watched grow up. ¡°Lance, didn¡¯t you say that you were bringing your youngest son along as well? It¡¯s been quite a few years since Istid eyes on your fourth son. Why isn¡¯t he with you?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ That rascal mentioned having somest-minute business to attend to, so he will be arriving a bitter.¡± Lance scanned his surroundings, expressing confusion. ¡°Wyatt, didn¡¯t you say Be would be joining us tonight? Why haven¡¯t I seen her?¡± ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Be mentioned she had some matters to attend to and would join us after resolving them.¡± Wyatt could not quite grasp his daughter¡¯s routine, but she usually would not break a promise. ¡°Tsk, Be better not bail on us! I came specifically to see her!¡± Lance insisted, ¡°I won¡¯t leave without seeing Be tonight!¡± Soon after he said this, the butler¡¯s clear voice echoed from outside. ¡°Chairman Thompson, Ms. Be is back!¡± ¡°Speak of the devil!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Upon hearing of his daughter¡¯s return, Wyatt instantly lit up with a beaming smile. His eyes sparkled with indulgence. At this moment, everyone turned to look at the entrance. Lance¡¯s eyes immediately brightened. He extended his neck and eagerly gazed outward. Charles, who was usually nonchnt, also subtly changed his expression. ustomed to grand scenes, he even discreetly adjusted his tie. He was inexplicably nervous. ¡°Dad! I¡¯m back!¡± A crisp and sweet voice resounded through the hall. Be, radiant as the sun, walked in with graceful steps alongside Christopher, shocking everyone except for Asher., Even Wyatt was astonished. At this moment, Lance¡¯s and Charles¡¯s expressions became intriguing. Lance¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, while Charles pressed his lips together, the color draining from them. His gaze turned cold and gloomy. A sense of irritation at being yed surged in his chest. With a sullen face, he tugged at his tie. ¡°Uncle Wyatt, Dad, apologies for our tardiness,¡± Christopher said. First, he cast a deep nce at Be by his side, then politely bowed to the two elders. ¡°Chris, did you happen to run into Be at the door?¡± Lance¡¯s gaze shifted between them, probing. ¡°No, Dad.¡± Christopher slowly curled his lips. His affectionate gaze lingered on Be¡¯s side profile. ¡°I deliberately went to pick Be up from her hotel and came here together with her.¡± Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Suddenly, the hall fell silent, and the air became somewhat tense. Be turned in surprise, meeting Christopher¡¯s gentle gaze. The way Christopher said ¡°Be¡± made Charles scowl even more. Wyatt nced at his beloved daughter and appraised Christopher. His gaze was unreadable, yet he only smiled lightly, saying, ¡°Chris, you purposely went to pick up Be? That¡¯s too much trouble.¡± ¡°Uncle Wyatt, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Axel nudged Asher with his elbow and asked in a low voice, ¡°Ash, when did Be get so close to Christopher? I had no idea!¡± ¡°Do I need to disclose every detail about Be?¡± Asher remarked casually. ¡°Are you aware of their rtionship, then?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Damn! Are you showing off how much closer you are to Be?!¡± ¡°I asked Christopher to escort Be back.¡± Axel drew a sharp breath. ¡°Ash, how can you casually push our baby sister toward another man? It¡¯s hard to know someone¡¯s true colors. What if this Christopher has impure intentions toward her? What if he makes unwanted advances on the way?¡± ¡°Impure intentions aremonce. In this world, no man will be immune to Be¡¯s charm. As for the latter, we don¡¯t need to concern ourselves with it.¡± Asher lightly smirked. ¡°If Christopher were the person you described, would he still be standing here in front of us with all his limbs intact?¡± ¡°Hmm, valid point.¡± After all, being the heiress of KS Group, Be had been taught by Drew and Asher how to wield a sword and handle a gun since childhood, while her peers were still ying with dolls. In truth, Asher¡¯s actions were not entirely selfless. Justin had firmly entrenched himself in Be¡¯s life for 13 full years. Even though Be had uprooted that man from her heart, the deep and heart-wrenching wound left by Justin could not be ignored. At this moment, she needed someone in her life to fill the void in her heart. Her brothers could not y this role, but Asher felt that Christopher could do so. The men engaged in conversation in the living room, while the three madams ¡°interrogated¡± Be in the backyard. ¡°Be,e clean. What¡¯s your rtionship with Christopher?¡± Sasha, with a sly smile, hugged Be¡¯s slender waist and straightforwardly posed the question. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Consider us friends,¡± Be said calmly. ¡°A boyfriend?¡± Sasha excitedly pressed for details. ¡°A male friend!¡± Be was exasperated. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no such thing as tonic friendship between men and women. So, he¡¯s your boyfriend. Even if you¡¯re not official now, it¡¯s bound to happen!¡± Sasha casually pinched Be¡¯s slim waist. ¡°Back then, when I saved your dad from an attempted assassination by a business rival, he said he wanted to be sworn siblings with me. Look at us now! We just haven¡¯t had a child.¡± Be waspletely speechless, defeated by Sasha¡¯sck of filter. M and Celeste looked at each other, not annoyed but rather amused by the situation. After all, if it were not for Sasha¡¯s brave intervention back then, Wyatt might not be alive today. There were still two gunshot scars on Sasha¡¯s lower back and left shoulder from the time she shielded Wyatt from a bullet. ¡°Be, it would be great if you could be with Christopher. It¡¯s not just about matching social status. Lance Iverson and your father are close. If you marry into the Iverson family, they will surely treat you well.¡± Celeste swooned. ¡°Besides, Christopher is very handsome. Your children would undoubtedly be incredibly good-looking.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! How did we suddenly jump to having children together?! He has nothing to do with me¡­ Where is this even going?!¡± Be felt the conversation was getting more absurd. ¡°Celeste, I think Be should not choose a lifelong partner solely based on looks.¡± M, being more rational, narrowed her eyes slightly and seriously analyzed the situation. ¡°From what I know, Christopher had just returned from Sentania. He doesn¡¯t hold much stake in the Iverson Group, and his foundation is not very stable. His mother has been exiled abroad by Lance under the guise of seeking medical treatment, and she¡¯s rarely heard from. If we let Be marry him, it may seem like a good match on the surface, but in reality, she might be marrying beneath her status. Who knows? Christopher might be eyeing Be¡¯s worth, wanting to leverage her substantial background to gain power within the Iverson family.¡± M expressed her concerns. ¡°Oh dear! What you said makes a lot of sense. We really shouldn¡¯t be hasty about this!¡± Sasha, always swaying with the wind, was now echoing caution. ¡°Be, even when shopping, wepare prices from three different stores. When ites to marriage, we can¡¯t treat it lightly. Either don¡¯t get married, or marry someone truly exceptional if you do. Maybe you should consider Charles?¡± Celeste suggested. Be felt overwhelmed and could not find the words to exin herself. She covered her head with both hands, feeling frustrated. With so many mothers around, their nagging was like having eight hundred mosquitoes buzzing in her ears. Her head was throbbing. Chapter 326 Chapter 326 During dinner, everyone indulged in delectable dishes and savored the Lafite wine from Wyatt¡¯s collection, carefully curated for over a decade. The ambiance retained its harmonious tone, just as it had before. In reality, for the two tycoons, this meal served as a nostalgic gathering, reminiscent of times over two decades ago. The significant changey in the addition of children, adding to the joyful scene under their roofs. Lance had a specific purpose in mind this time-finding suitable wives for his two unmarried sons. Throughout the banquet, Charles upied the seat directly across from Be, while Christopher sat beside her. The dining table was wide, so the one sitting beside Be was closer to her as opposed to someone sitting across from her. Charles observed with a sense of helplessness as his younger brother attended to Be with the utmost care and attention. Dark mes flickered in his eyes, and the fork in his hand was nearly deformed. ¡®What a bad start! This little bastard took advantage of the ideal circumstances. He¡¯s at the right ce at the right time, with the right people!¡¯ Christopher, having learned from their previous encounter, knew Be¡¯s fondness for seafood, especially crabs and shrimp-a delicacy she couldn¡¯t resist. So, throughout the banquet, Christopher barely touched his te. Instead, he patiently peeled the shrimp for Be. He continuously offered the sulent morsels to her, while everyone discreetly observed their interactions. Be reveled in the feast, showing no restraint in front of her family, and enthusiastically devoured her food. Christopher¡¯s longshes were downcast, a smile gracing his lips. His slender, fair fingers expertly peeled open shrimp shells and delicately ced the plump, deshelled shrimp onto Be¡¯s te. For a man from a wealthy family, such actions might be considered beneath his stature. However, Christopher appeared wholly engrossed, oblivious to onlookers, and savoring every moment. Be disyed no signs of embarrassment, nor did she decline his offer. Instead, she graciously epted each delectable offering, appreciating everything he did for her. If it were just the two of them, she would undoubtedly reject him. However, with Lance present, the dynamics changed. Given this golden opportunity to expose his vulnerabilities, she couldn¡¯t let it slip away. As Christopher peeled each shrimp, meticulously wiping his fingers with a tissue after each one, Charles couldn¡¯t help but sneer. He knew his younger brother had a cleanliness obsession. He wouldn¡¯t even wear the same piece of clothing twice. Yet, for Be, he willingly broke his own rules. It seemed Christopher had decided to go all-in topete with him. ¡°My girl is bing more and more outrageous. You must excuse her behavior, Lance.¡± Wyatt was somewhat embarrassed by Be¡¯s behavior. ¡°Oh, Wyatt, don¡¯t say that. We¡¯re all family here, so there¡¯s no need to feel embarrassed. Be¡¯s genuine nature is just like yours when you were young. I like it. I wish I could carry her back home rightContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. now in a grand procession and make her my daughter-inw! Hahaha!¡± Lance, after holding back all evening, finally revealed the purpose of his visit. Wyatt merely smiled in agreement, not delving further into that particr topic. On this side, Be finally felt satisfied. She covered her small mouth as she let out a burp. Christopher turned his head. His deep gaze focused on her, tenderness swirling in his eyes. ¡°Wipe your hands,¡± Christopher said as he pulled out a tissue and handed it to her from under the table. ¡°Um, thanks.¡± Be smiled, gracefully dabbing her lips. ¡°Be seems to have a hearty appetite tonight,¡± Charles said with a gentle smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. The dishes at home are just too delicious. I couldn¡¯t resist¡­¡± Be began. ¡°No, no, Be, you misunderstood me. I don¡¯t mean it as an insult. I just think that you¡¯re different from the other wealthy youngdies I¡¯ve encountered,¡± Charles said warmly. Charles leaned forward and said sincerely, ¡°I appreciate your genuine nature. I find you adorable and real.¡± ¡®Hmm, being real just because of a meal. Hasn¡¯t he met any women who eat regr food?¡¯ Be thought to herself, but she politely responded, ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Mr. Charles.¡± ¡°I noticed you haven¡¯t had much to drink. You must be thirsty. Have some red wine,¡± Charles suggested, smiling as he stood up, intending to pour wine for Be. Unexpectedly, at that moment, Christopher interjected with a cool tone and a mocking smile. ¡± Seafood should be paired with white wine. How can you suggest red wine? Charles, it seems you have been living with your head in the clouds, unaware of even suchmon knowledge.¡± Chapter 327 Chapter 327 With Christopher¡¯s taunting, Charles¡¯s expression shifted instantly, and he discreetly clenched his fists.¡± The Thompson family members pretended not to notice, but at this precise moment, Lance exhibited keen perception. As he gazed at Christopher, his eyes unmistakably conveyed displeasure. ¡°Be, I¡¯ll have someone fetch you a ss of white wine to wash down the seafood. A small ss won¡¯t do any harm,¡± Christopher suggested gently, now disregarding the pallid Charles. Be coughed. ¡°Well, to be honest, anything is fine for me.¡± Caught between the two Iverson brothers, Be felt a tingling sensation on her scalp. She could only offer an awkward smile and say, ¡°But I actually prefer beer¡­¡± To her surprise, both Charles and Christopher simultaneously redirected their attention to her, saying in unison, ¡°No! That could lead to gout!¡± As dinner neared its end, Christopher briefly excused himself and headed toward the restroom. Standing in front of the sink, Christopher methodically dispensed hand sanitizer into his palm. His cold and pale hands resembled finely preserved specimens immersed in formaldehyde. He rubbed them together vigorously until they glowed with a rosy hue. He repeated this handwashing ritual five times and raised his hands to sniff them, but he still smelled a faint fishy odor. Once again, he squeezed another pump of hand sanitizer, meticulously attending to each finger. At that moment, the restroom door swung open. Charles entered with a somber expression, observing Christopher¡¯spulsive handwashing. He couldn¡¯t resist teasing his brother. ¡°You¡¯re really going all out, Chris. Spending the entire night peeling shrimp for Ms. Be must be a nightmarish task for a clean freak like you. I wonder if you¡¯ll dream about washing your hands tonight.¡± Christopher paid no heed to his taunts, gracefully pulling out a few tissues and lowering his fair eyelids, elegantly drying his hands. ¡°Chris, it¡¯s been many years. I thought you might have learned some remarkable skills in a foreign country.¡± Charles sneered disdainfully. ¡°Turns out, you¡¯ve be quite adept at bootlicking.¡± ¡°Oh, Charles, are you jealous?¡± Christopher smirked, unfazed. ¡°After all, in front of Be, you don¡¯t even have the chance to be a bootlicker, do you?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Compared to your futile attempts to get closer to Be, it¡¯s evident that being a bootlicker like me holds more value.¡± Charles choked at the remark,ughing with fury. ¡°Haha¡­ No wonder Dad never liked you. Your brain is indeed abnormal. Being a person is not enough for you. You want to be apdog!¡± ¡°In this world, where peopleugh at poverty but not at immorality, achieving the goal is the most important, no matter the means.¡± Christopher tossed the crumpled paper towel into the bin and smiled. ¡°Since we were children, you¡¯ve always been too proud to say more than a few words to me. Why the sudden change tonight? Could it be that you¡¯re anxious to watch my rtionship with Be take off? Seeing your grand ns fall apart, do you feel like you can¡¯t evenpare to apdog like me?¡± ¡°Chris! Don¡¯t get cocky too soon! I¡¯m telling you, Dad will never approve of you being with Ms. Be! Do you think you even have the right topete with me?!¡± Charles was genuinely agitated this time. ¡°Whether I¡¯m worthy or not has never been up to you to decide.¡± Christopher turned slowly to face the furious man. His deep eyes narrowed slightly, and he pushed up his gold-rimmed sses. ¡°When ites to Be, victory is inevitable for me.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. As expected, the conversation reached a breaking point. Charles, consumed by anger, mmed the door and left. Christopher¡¯s smile faded as he clenched his fists tightly. At that moment, his phone vibrated in his grasp. He coldly answered, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mr. Iverson, there¡¯s something you need to hear, but please remain calm.¡± His secretary paused for a moment before speaking in a hushed tone, ¡°Mr. Salvador showed up at Yara Park¡¯s gate. He came alone, without anyone else!¡± Christopher¡¯s dark eyes contracted as he replied in a chilling tone, ¡°Alright.¡± At this moment, Justin, dressed in a thin suit, stood alone under the streetlight opposite Yara Park. Although Hatchbay was by the sea, the night wind was chilly in the fall. It slipped through the cuffs and cor of his suit, prating to his core. This marked his third time standing here, waiting for Be. However, the state of his mind this time was entirely different from the previous two asions. The subtle anticipation had transformed into an indescribable longing, silently burning in his heaving chest. Justin had considered what he would do if he couldn¡¯t see Be tonight. His pride as her ex- husband told him not to reach out to her. Anyone with a bit of self-respect could not endure repeatedly subjecting themselves to such humiliation. Therefore, he decided to wait and keep waiting. Be would eventuallye out, and he would see her. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Justin just wanted to catch a glimpse of Be. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Suddenly, the gates of Yara Park eased open. Justin¡¯s heart tightened abruptly. Every nerve in his body stirred, and his tall frame leaned forward. His gaze was focused, firmly locked in the direction of the gate. He held his breath for a moment. However, when Christopher appeared in his line of sight with a smirk and strolled over casually, Justin felt his heart sink. Justin observed with cold detachment as Christopher walked up to him. ¡°Mr. Salvador, it¡¯ste, and there¡¯s no one around. Isn¡¯t it impolite and inappropriate for you to show up here in the middle of the night without an invitation?¡± Christopher looked at him mockingly. Justin¡¯s handsome face remained calm, and his thin lips curled into a sneer. ¡°My presence here has nothing to do with you. Since when was Hatchbay owned by the Iverson family?¡± ¡°Justin, are you always this insolent? Have you always been a sore loser?¡± Christopher sneered with extreme disdain. ¡°I know why you came, and I know what you¡¯re thinking. You¡¯re regretting that you chose Rosalind over Be. Now that you realize you¡¯ve been yed by Rosalind and have woken up to your own foolishness, you want Be back. You¡¯re unwilling to lose everything and look pathetic. What do you think Be is a tool to fill your emptiness? You¡¯ve hurt her deeply. Do you think she¡¯ll still be waiting for you?¡± ¨C Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down as bitterness rose at the back of his throat. ¡°Be already has someone new by her side, near and far. If you want to have any ideas about Be again, you should ask whether I agree and if she can tolerate you.¡± Christopher adjusted his sses. His gaze was chilling. ¡°It¡¯s not your ce to say these words, Christopher.¡± Justin tilted his chin slightly. The intense desire for victory burned like a fierce fire in his heart. ¡°Even if I regret it, even if I want to start anew with Be, she should be the one rejecting me. Everything you say in front of me is invalid.¡± ¡°Justin.¡± ¡°Justin!¡± Christopher furrowed his brows and no longer cared to hide his hostility toward this man. Unexpectedly, their voices turned into a duet. Justin suddenly lifted his gaze, and when Be walked towards him in anger, his heart uncontrobly pounded violently. ¡°Be, why are you dressed so lightly? It¡¯s chilly out here¡­¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened abruptly, and the harshness dissipated. His gentle undertone. resurfaced. Just as he was about to greet her, he saw her rush past him like a gust of wind, not pausing in front of him. At this moment, Be and Justin locked eyes. It was as if an invisible barrier surrounded them, completely isting Christopher from them. They stood there in a standoff, doing nothing, yet it gave the distinct impression that there was no room for a third person between them. Christopher tightened his fists. The cold air in his lungs transformed into sharp knives that twisted his internal organs painfully. The animosity hidden behind his dark eyes gradually twisted into murderous intent. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡¯re touring Hatchbay again, huh? Every time youe around, you have to linger around my doorstep. Is it because Yara Park has a nice view? Have you thought of it as andmark?¡± Be, with one hand on her slender waist, asked aggressively. Justin¡¯s heart was still trembling. He fixed his gaze on her and caught himself saying, ¡°The scenery here is quite nice.¡± Be thought to herself, ¡®The scenery is quite nice?! Is this man missing some brain cells? Can¡¯t he hear the sarcasm in my voice?!¡¯ ¡°Heh, then next time, I¡¯ll arrange a local guide for you and take you on an in-depth tour of Hatchbay. Don¡¯t keep hanging around my doorstep. This isn¡¯t a tourist attraction!¡± Be could no longer tolerate this man. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Leave here immediately. I won¡¯t be seeing you off!¡± Justin continued to stare at her nkly, his reddened eyes dimming. Then he said softly, ¡± Alright, goodnight.¡± Be froze. ¡®What?! Goodnight?! This man came all the way here, and all he said was goodnight? What is wrong with him?¡¯ The next moment, Justin, as if resolving something, turned around and headed toward his car. ¡°Justin, wait!¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Justin¡¯s heart fluttered as he turned away from Be, an uncontroble smile ying at the corners of his lips. Yet, in that very moment, courage failed him, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to face her. Christopher¡¯s lips were pressed tightly together. There was a storm in the depths of his eyes. Despite the tumultuous divorce between Be and Justin that had turned their world upside down, he still sensed the subtle, tangled emotions lingering between them, subtly pulling at the threads that bound them. ¡°Justin, since you¡¯re here, speak your mind before you leave.¡± Be¡¯s expression was cold as she took a step forward and stared at Justin, who stood with a perfect posture. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak around like a thief. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have nightmares tonight.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. A hint of bitterness rose in Justin¡¯s throat as he turned to face her, each word spoken deliberately. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve just been suffering from insomnia these past few days.¡± Be frowned, unable toprehend the inevitable connection between his visit to Hatchbay and his insomnia. ¡®Could his insomnia really be rted to me?¡¯ Be thought. Be was speechless. ¡®How could he me everything on me? To be fair, I didn¡¯t mess with him!¡¯ ¡°If you have insomnia, try sleeping pills or counting sheep. Coming here won¡¯t solve anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already solved.¡± Justin locked eyes with her. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to sleep well tonight when I get back.¡± With that, he turned away again and left. Be stared nkly at his somewhat deste figure until the ck sports car vanishedpletely into the night. Only then did she vent her frustration. ¡°What a psycho!¡± Back in the sports car, Justin suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. His encounter with Be had left him emotionally drained. As he gripped the steering wheel, he felt a profound exhaustion engulfing him. The air inside the car crackled with restlessness as he watched Be and Christopher disappear beyond the gates of Yara Park. With trembling fingertips, Justin picked up his phone and dialed Ian¡¯s number. ¡°Mr. Salvador, any instructions?¡± ¡°Investigate.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Ian was utterly confused. ¡°Look into the rtionship between the Thompsons and the Iversons, as well as the rtionship between Be and Christopher.¡± Justin gritted his teeth. ¡°Be is not a woman easily captivated. I don¡¯t believe their rtionship is as Christopher described.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯ll get right on it!¡± Ian felt a hidden joy. His tone was suddenly more cheerful. Mustering his courage, he mumbled, ¡°If you had trusted the young madam earlier, how could she have left you? Those pests wouldn¡¯t be bothering her then¡­¡± ¡°Say one more word, and you¡¯re reporting to the most remote branch of Salvador Corporation!¡± Justin gritted his teeth. Ian immediately apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Salvador! I know I messed up!¡± Be had long known about the fact that Justin showed up unannounced at the entrance to Yara Park. Initially, she did not want to bother with it. Regardless of whatever that contemptible man was up to outside, she simply wanted him to face some hardship. Unexpectedly, Christopher had gone out to confront him. With the intention of preventing one problem from escting into another, Be had to step in and personally untangle the mess. The brief incident did not impact the cordial family gathering, and the dinner concluded in a peaceful ambiance. Wyatt, apanied by Quentin, returned to the study. He secretly called Asher and Axel over. ¡°Dad, is there something you need from us?¡± Asher asked. ¡°How much do you two know about the situation between Be and Christopher? Tell me the truth.¡± Wyatt shook out his robe and sat elegantly on the sofa. The two brothers exchanged nces, and Axel promptly betrayed his older brother. ¡°Dad, you should ask Ash! I really don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going on between Be and Christopher!¡± Asher remainedposed, showing no sign of emotion. ¡°Ash, what¡¯s the current status between them?¡± Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Wyatt adopted a serious, almost detective-like tone. ¡°Be¡¯s only ever had shrimp peeled by you and me. When has she ever let another guy show her affection? Tonight, Christopher was going all out with his attention on Be. He might as well have been spoon-feeding her. Also, Be didn¡¯t shut him down, so spill it. What¡¯s their deal? Is Be really into him?¡± ¡°Dad, judging from your tone, it looks like you¡¯re not exactly Christopher¡¯s biggest fan.¡± Asher cut to the chase. Wyatt pursed his lips without giving a clear answer. ¡°Christopher and Be go way back. Now that they¡¯ve reunited, they¡¯re hitting it off. Be rarely clicks with a guy without putting up a fight, plus the Iversons and our family have a good rtionship. If Chris and Be want to take things further, it might not be all bad.¡± Asher calmly shared his thoughts. ¡°When Lance came over tonight, you both knew the meaning behind it. He clearly intends to form a marriage alliance with our family. Why else would he drag his two single sons along? He¡¯s got his eyes on Be!¡± Wyatt¡¯s eyes dropped, shaking his head. ¡°But let me make it clear. I¡¯m not signing off on this marriage.¡± Upon hearing these words, the Thompson brothers¡¯ expression subtly changed. They had not expected their father¡¯s strong opposition to the Iverson family. ¡°Dad, are you and Uncle Lance going through a rough patch? Did you secretly block each other¡¯s numbers?¡± Axel could not resist teasing his father. ¡°Seriously, even after falling out, you can still sit down and chat like nothing happened. If it were me, I¡¯d definitely hold a grudge.¡± ¡°How did you be a prosecutor with that brain of yours? Did you use my name to get special treatment?¡± Wyatt shot Axel a nce, then he continued with a serious tone, ¡°Be is my dearest daughter. She just escaped from the mess of the Salvador family. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m sending her into a lion¡¯s den-that is, the Iverson family! Do you think the Iverson family is some kind of paradise? There¡¯s serious infighting going on in that family. None of Lance¡¯s four children are easy to deal with. If Be marries into that family, she¡¯ll be constantly embroiled in family disputes, enduring endless internal strife. Moreover, Christopher is Lance¡¯s least favored son. Christopher¡¯s business abroad might be significant, but he had a rough start, and his deals might not be entirely clean. A person with such a background might want to clean up his act by marrying into our family and establishing a foothold in Savrow.¡± Axel¡¯s gaze lingered in astonishment, while Asher¡¯s eyes disyed a hint of self-me under his long lashes. His lips pursed in regret. He had dedicated himself entirely to offering his sister a new beginning, unintentionally overlooking these underlying issues. Critical considerations had slipped through the cracks in his focus. ¡°As my daughter, Be can brighten up someone¡¯s life, but she should never sacrifice herself to light up someone else¡¯s world. I cannot bear to see that happen!¡± A luxurious Bentley cruised toward Savrow. Charles returned in his posh car, while Lance broke the norm by having Christopher ride with him. The father-son pair sat in the back seat with an undeniable tension lingering in the air, hinting at a familial connection that was present but not particrly strong. ¡°Chris,e clean with me. What¡¯s going on between you and Be?¡± Lance questioned him with a cold expression. ¡°Are you prying into my love life?¡± Christopher half-smirked, half-teased. ¡°For fifteen years, you didn¡¯t bat an eye about my life in Sentania when Mom and I were living together. Now that I¡¯m back in Savrow, it seems you¡¯re unusually interested in every move I make.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dodge the question. I¡¯m asking about your rtionship with Be!¡± Lance¡¯s stern tone and angered expression were clear. ¡°As you witnessed tonight, my connection with Be is quite intimate.¡± A glint of cold light reflected off his gold-rimmed sses as he responded with a mocking smirk. Lance sighed deeply. The veins on his forehead were pulsating. He issued a strictmand. Starting now, you must cut off allmunication with Be. Keep your distance from her immediately!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Christopher asked with a smile. ¡°Be is the marriage partner I¡¯ve chosen for Charles. If you interfere now, it¡¯ll disrupt my ns!¡± ¡°Charles is your son, and I¡¯m not? If Be were with me, she would still be your daughter-in-w. What¡¯s the issue?¡± ¡°My decision is final. Charles must marry Be. If you¡¯re interested in forming an alliance with the Thompsons, Wyatt has a younger daughter named Amelia, born of his third wife and still unmarried.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°So, are you saying that an unprivileged son can only marry the daughter of a mistress?¡± Christopher adjusted his sses, a touch of scorn on his lips. ¡°Christopher! Don¡¯t speak nonsense!¡± Lance, infuriated and embarrassed, eximed, ¡°You shouldn¡¯tpete with Charles. I¡¯ll give you what you¡¯re entitled to, but you shouldn¡¯t take what¡¯s not yours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard this saying since I was a child, but up to now, I haven¡¯t received anything that truly belongs to me.¡± Christopher calmly closed his eyes as he sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t want your empty promises. Go back and tell Charles to keep his feelings to himself. Be can only belong to me and no one else. Don¡¯t even think aboutpeting with me.¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 During this period, although the Salvador Hotel and KS World Hotel appeared to be at peace on the surface, they were quietlypeting against each other behind the scenes. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. As an international superstar, Ada Wang held a prestigious position in the entertainment industry and always conducted herself in an extremely high-profile manner. She would spare no expense for her wedding. Thus, she would not look at wedding nning proposals unless several top-tier brands sponsored the event. It was widely known that Ada Wang was a jewelry connoisseur, having privately held small- scale exhibitions of her extensive personal collection, where each piece was valued at no less than a million dors. For this grand wedding, Ada Wang presented a demanding requirement to both the Salvador Hotel and the KS World Hotel. The jewelry she would wear must be globally top-notch, made by master craftsmen, and exclusively for her. ¡°Ms. Ada insisted that only something unique would be fitting for her superstar status.¡± Ian faithfully conveyed the agent¡¯s words to Justin and the executives present. ¡°She also mentioned that Ms. Ada won¡¯t make any demands or impose restrictions on the style of the jewelry or the selected designers. She leaves it entirely to the hotel¡¯s wedding nning team to figure it out. Whoever can present jewelry that satisfies her will be chosen to organize her wedding. She means what she says.¡± Justin listened with a furrowed brow. His signing pen tapped the table intermittently, and his eyes gradually clouded. The executives were all in awe, sparking lively discussions. ¡°She¡¯s clearly taking advantage of the situation! Does she think that the Salvador Hotel and the KS World Hotel are her treasure chest?!¡± ¡°What international superstar? A hundred years ago, she would¡¯ve been a jesting performer. Now she thinks she¡¯s some kind of hot cake?¡± ¡°She¡¯s practically proposing a half-baked question. Ms. Ada is wasting her talent as a star. Why doesn¡¯t shee up with exam questions?¡± Justin suddenly raised his eyes, exuding a strong sense of oppression. ¡°This is a meeting room, not a supermarket. Speak if you have solutions. Otherwise, keep your mouths shut.¡± Seeing the big boss angered, everyone dared not babble this time. They racked their brains, each busy offering suggestions. The director of the Product Design Department listed the names of renowned domestic and international jewelry designers. Not only that, she had prepared a PowerPoint presentation, meticulously introducing the background information and notable works of each designer to Justin. Justin listened expressionlessly, then suddenly asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Alexa mentioned in this list?¡± The moment Alexa¡¯s name was uttered, the entire room fell silent. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you all making those faces?¡± Justin raised an eyebrow, not understanding why they were as silent as corpses. ¡°Ahem¡­ Well, Mr. Salvador, forgive me for being straightforward. But it¡¯s absolutely impossible for us to hire Alexa¡­¡± The director of the design department spoke cautiously. ¡°Why? Did she pass away?¡± Everyone was speechless. Justin asked seriously, genuinely not harboring any ill intent. As the president of Salvador Corporation, Justin was a master in business negotiations and management, but when it came to the intricacies of the jewelry and fashion world, he truly was an outsider. ¡°It¡¯s not that. Alexa is hailed as a god in the jewelry design world. All of the craftsmen I presented to you just now have praised Alexa endlessly. Some even openly admit that when theyck inspiration, they turn to Alexa¡¯s works to find it. Alexa is simply a titan in the design world, an almost god-like figure. Anyone who can purchase her jewelry considers themselves blessed with a family heirloom. How could we possibly invite her toe out of retirement to design unique jewelry for a superstar like Ada Wang? It¡¯s simply a fantasy.¡± The director of the design department was a big fan of Alexa. She even felt that having Alexa design jewelry for a celebrity like Ada was somewhat diminishing the value of the goddess Alexa. ¡°No matter how legendary she is, she¡¯s human as long as she lives in this world,¡± Justin said with a strong resolve. He would not consider anything less than the optimal solution. Thus, he proimed, ¡°Let¡¯s get Alexa as Ada Wang¡¯s wedding jewelry designer.¡± Everyone thought, ¡®What the hell?!¡¯ The design department director was anxiously sweating. ¡°Mr. Salvador¡­ The designers I introduced you to are all exceptionally talented. Their works have won numerous international awards and are absolutelymendable.¡± Justin shook his head lightly. ¡°I¡¯m not rejecting your choices because they¡¯re not good. On the contrary, you did well. You just overlooked one thing-ourpetitor.¡± The crowd exchanged puzzled nces. ¡°Our opponent this time is KS World Hotel, Ms. Be Thompson.¡± In the past, whenever this name was mentioned, Justin felt an intense headache. However, this time, his eyes sparkled with admiration and respect for her. ¡°I know Be very well. Like me, she strives for excellence in everything she does, always aiming for perfection. We know the requirements Ada Wang has put forth. With the financial strength of KS Group and Be¡¯s decisive approach, do you think she¡¯ll settle for anything less than the best?¡± Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Be won¡¯t do it at all, or she¡¯ll aim for the absolute best, leaving no room for her opponents and rendering them powerless to counter. Therefore, we must outdo her and take down Alexa first.¡± The crowd remained somewhat skeptical. After all, if even Salvador Corporation could not hire someone, was Be Thompson really capable of being able to secure them? ¡°I want information on Alexa by the end of the day-not about her work, but about her as a person.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. After issuing themand, Justin was about to adjourn the meeting. However, the director of the design department spoke up bravely. ¡°Mr. Salvador, regarding Alexa¡¯s works, I can provide you with a wealth of information, but about her as a person, I can only give you one thing.¡± Justin frowned and turned back. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a woman.¡± The next day, after the meeting with her team, Be returned to the general manager¡¯s office. ¡°Steve, I¡¯m a bit hungry. I want some take-out-fried chicken with beer. Hurry and order for me.¡± Be sat in front of theputer and entered a game while giving instructions to Steven. ¡°Ms. Be, how can you be so rxed?¡± Steven looked at her, amused. ¡°It¡¯s already thiste, and you still have the mood for fried chicken. I¡¯m so anxious that I¡¯m about to turn into fried chicken here. Ada Wang¡¯s team is seeking a top-notch jewelry designer for her, and Salvador Corporation must have taken some action by now. Why aren¡¯t you worried at all? You also rejected the jewelry designer proposals from the team members, saying you wanted to hire Alexa. Even I know who Alexa is. Hiring Alexa is like inviting a deity to earth! Our time is limited! How can we possibly secure Alexa?¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t get Alexa, then Salvador Corporation won¡¯t get her either. We have nothing to worry about!¡± Be spoke nonchntly and even started to hum a tune. ¡°But¡­¡± Right at that moment, a video call popped up on theputer screen. Steven was about to excuse himself, but Be squinted and stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s a call from my friend. You¡¯re not an outsider, so you can stay.¡± Be epted the video request. The next second, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty appeared on the screen. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sliva.¡± ¡°Just a moment ago, Justin, the president of Salvador Corporation in Savrow, contacted me. He hopes that Alexa cane out of retirement to design jewelry for them.¡± Sliva reported to Be in fluent French. ¡°Oh? Justin personally contacted you? That¡¯s quite a blow to his pride.¡± Be sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who contacts me. The result would be the same. I can¡¯t agree to their request.¡± ¡°If I were the one to ask Alexa toe out of retirement, as Alexa¡¯s chief assistant, could you help me out, sliva?¡± Be rested her head on her hand, her almond eyes sparkling. Steven, listening on the side, was in shock. He now understood why Be seemed so confident during the meeting. It turned out she had a close rtionship with Alexa¡¯s assistant, so she had a backdoor! However, the next second, what sliva said left Steven dumbfounded and utterly astonished. Sliva leaned closer to the screen and looked at Be, half-chiding and halfining as she smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been so hard to reach you, so stop joking with me, Ms. Alexa.¡± Steven thought, ¡®Ms. Alexa? Be was the top international jewelry designer and a legend in the jewelry world-Alexa?!¡¯ Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Steve stood there with his mouth wide open in sheer astonishment. However, Be was calm and even let out a casual yawn. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Why reveal my identity at this moment? Look, you¡¯ve scared poor Steve,¡± Be said. ¡°Alexa, why haven¡¯t we heard from you since you returned to Savrow? Everyone in the studio has been eagerly awaiting your return!¡± Sliva said as her eyes turned red. ¡°Sigh, sorry, my dear. For a considerable amount of time, I need to support my family, so I can¡¯t get away. You¡¯ll have to handle things at the studio in Inalia for now.¡± Bringing up this matter, Be sighed guiltily. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry about the studio closing down. The jewelry pieces I designed in the early years are all invaluable, and the funds are absolutely sufficient to sustain the studio¡¯s operation. However, you must tell everyone not to dy their own futures for the sake of following me. If anyone wants to leave my studio, I will offer my blessings without anyints, including you, Sliva. If you want to leave, you can tell me. There¡¯s no need to hold on like this.¡± Sliva rubbed her eyes. ¡°Alexa, I owe you a debt of gratitude. I will never leave you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve supported me so much, and the favor has long been repaid. I don¡¯t want to be your burden. It¡¯s an honor that you want to work for me, but you have the right to choose any life you want.¡± Be¡¯s eyes shimmered with gentle light as she softlyughed. ¡°The reason Alexa has be a legend is because of all of you by my side.¡± Listening to Be, Steven could not help but have tears welling up in his eyes. At this moment, Steven realized he had been too presumptuous. He had never truly understood Be. He thought she was a perfect person, but she was practically a deity! He had utterly underestimated her. ¡°Alexa, if Salvador Corporation contacts me again, I¡¯ll clearly reject them. Moreover, I¡¯ll tell them that Alexa is preparing to coborate with KS Group to give them a bigger blow.¡± Be lifted her red lips in a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t refuse Salvador Corporation outright. If you don¡¯t give them hope, how can you disappoint them?¡± Sliva, wide-eyed in surprise, nodded. ¡°I understand what you mean. ¡°The game hasn¡¯t even started, and Justin hasn¡¯t yed his trump card yet. If we win effortlessly and leave them in the dust, won¡¯t it be boring?¡± Be revealed her wless teeth with a bright smile, and that cunning little fox-like grin reappeared. ¡°I¡¯ve been nning for so long. How can I not give Justin a chance to showcase his talents? When he exerts all his efforts to reach the finish line, only to find his opponent waiting for him, that feeling is far more frustrating than failure, isn¡¯t it?¡± As the video call ended, Steven was still in shock from the intense impact of Be revealing her true identity. Although Be possessed various talents, the moment he learned she was the real Alexa, he couldn¡¯t help but feel the urge to bow to her and pay his respects. This was definitely the closest he had ever been to a deity. ¡°Hello! Earth to Steve!¡± Be curved her enchanting eyes and snapped her fingers in front of Steven. As if breaking out of a trance, Steven returned from his thoughts. ¡°Steve, do you think what I did was a bit unfair?¡± Be leisurely ced both arms on the armrests and spun her chair around. ¡°Considering how ruthless Justin was to you in the past, I¡¯d say what you did was quite subtle,¡± Steven said with frustration, gritting his teeth. ¡°Hmm. With you saying that, I feel reassured.¡± Be closed her beautiful eyes in a rxed manner, slowly turning the chair half-circle, facing the bright floor-to-ceiling windows. ¡°I spent three years by Justin¡¯s side. The most agonizing part wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t love me; it was that he neglected me and treated me as if I were nothing. What hurt the most was his shameless love for Rosalind while we were married.¡± Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Be continued, ¡°I watched him buy solo ne tickets to Meridan repeatedly. I watched as he, the man who feared inconvenience, tirelessly flew to Feranco to have a top-notch craftsman design a unique birthday gift for Rosalind. You can say he has preferences, but back then, I was still his wife. Even if he had no feelings for me, he should have given me a basic level of respect.¡± Be had her back turned to Steven, her tone devoid of any emotion. It was as if she were a storyteller, narrating a love tragedy with all the drama of a romantic tale. Steven felt a lump in his chest, kneeling beside Be like a loyal dog, lifting his face to gaze deeply at his boss. ¡°For the sake of such a stinking pile of garbage, Justin would heartlessly hurt you. He deserves to die a thousand deaths for his cruelty!¡± Be smiled and waved nonchntly. ¡°In the past, I would have been full of resentment and unwillingness. But now, I feel calm, almost amused. If Rosalind is a pile of garbage, then Justin is the trash bin. Rosalind has transformed from recyble waste to non-recyble waste, but Justin has always been a trash bin. I am affectionate, but not indiscriminate. There¡¯s no need to dwell on a trash bin. However, I am quite entertained by watching Justin tirelessly run around for Alexa. I¡¯d love to see him struggle hard for me, only to end up with nothing in the end. She thought to herself, ¡®Justin, you¡¯ve always been an unfeeling person. It¡¯s quite a coincidence that I¡¯ve be one too.¡± To be in the presence of Alexa, Justin took a chartered flight to Inalia. High in the sky, memories flooded back to him, reminding him of the first year of his marriage to Be. In that year, amid his busy schedule, he had flown to Feranco to craft ¡°The ming Heart¡± for Rosalind. He had gone to great lengths, even persuading the designer who had crafted jewelry for the royal family. Never before had he humbled himself to such an extent for anyone. The designer had been moved by his sincerity and reluctantly created the ne for him. Today, ¡°The ming Heart¡± remained permanently locked away in its box, never to be looked upon again. The ne no longer carried his sincere love. Instead, it bore regret and shame. Justin¡¯s deep gaze was fixed on the opaqueyer of clouds. In a trance, above the ethereal clouds, Be¡¯s radiant face appeared as vivid as spring sunshine. The illusion felt too real, causing a tremor in his heart. Involuntarily, he reached his hand toward the window. Yet, it was cold and empty/ He took a deep breath as memories flooded his mind. ¡°Do you know how much Young Madam loves that ne? When she heard you were going to give it to Rosalind, she was so envious that tears streamed down her face!¡± -¡°If it were Young Madam, she would never treat a gift from you lightly. She¡¯s the kind of person who even carefully keeps the ties you discard, never willing to let go. She would never do anything to trample on your feelings.¡± A sudden spasm of pain gripped Justin¡¯s chest, tearing at him, and his vision blurred. The woman he thought would cherish his sincere feelings had trampled upon them until his heart shattered. Even in this wreckage, it was something that bled in Be¡¯s heart, something she cried over and yearned for in her dreams. Justin¡¯s pale lips twisted into a silent, bitter smile. He thought, ¡®What kind of drivepelled Be to endure three years of suffering by my side? Why was she so infatuated with me?¡¯Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 335 Chapter 335 At this moment, Ian walked over with a cup of coffee and ced it on the table. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ve already contacted Ms. Sliva, the person in charge of Alexa¡¯s studio. She said she¡¯s willing to meet you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Justin¡¯s dim eyes finally lit up. ¡°Yes, but she only agreed to a meeting, and her attitude seemed quite cold and reluctant.¡± Ian sighed with concern. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we might hit a snag in this matter.¡± ¡°No need to worry. As long as someone from Alexa¡¯s team is willing to meet me, we shouldn¡¯t give up any hope.¡± After arriving in Inalia, Justin anxiously waited for three days before finally meeting Sliva, the person in charge, at a caf¨¦ near Alexa¡¯s studio. He did not even get to step inside the studio. ¡°Mr. Salvador, if you don¡¯t mind me being straightforward¡­¡± Sliva crossed her arms. Her gaze toward Justin was somewhat arrogant. ¡°Up until now, Alexa has only designed and crafted jewelry for the First Lady, royal members, and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the country, society, and charity. Despite Ada Wang being an international superstar, she still doesn¡¯t meet the criteria to summon Alexa for her services.¡± Ian inwardly rolled his eyes. ¡®Alexa is so discriminatory. It¡¯s just jewelry, not a military medal!¡¯ ¡°Although saying this might make you think I¡¯m showing off, I genuinely don¡¯t intend to. In my early years at the Salvador Corporation, I established a charity foundation in my mother¡¯s name. Over the years, I¡¯ve been dedicated to charitable activities, supporting nursing homes, impoverished students, and orphans in welfare institutions. I hope that Ms. Alexa can take a broader perspective on this matter and not view it as a simple task of creating jewelry for a celebrity. As long as Alexa agrees to coborate with us, we are open to negotiations regardingpensation.¡± ¡°Not only that, but all the additional ie generated from Ada Wang¡¯s wedding at our hotel will be donated to the charity foundation,¡± Justin said firmly. ¡°Heh, Mr. Salvador, are you insinuating that Ms. Alexa is narrow-minded?¡± Sliva sneered. ¡°I have no such intention¡­¡± Justin¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°In recent years, there have been plenty of unscrupulous capitalists who im to be charitable and approach Alexa for jewelry design. Who¡¯s to say that you¡¯re not one of them, Mr. Salvador? Who¡¯s to say that the money flowing into your family¡¯s charity foundation isn¡¯t a matter of robbing Peter to pay Paul?¡± Sliva¡¯s words hit a nerve, and Justin¡¯s expression darkened. Hisrge hand on his knee was clenched into a fist. Unable to tolerate it any longer, Ian, with his unorthodox yet fluent French, eximed, ¡°Ms. Sliva, we came here sincerely for coboration. Isn¡¯t your choice of words a bit too much?¡± Justin maintained hisposure, gesturing to Ian to quiet down. ¡°The Salvador Foundation has always been managed by me personally. Every penny raised for charity has transparent and publicly essible records. I can provide the ounts for your scrutiny.¡± Sliva disdainfully curled her red lips and coolly remarked, ¡°I will truthfully convey Mr. Salvador¡¯s sentiments to Alexa, but whether we can coborate is ultimately up to Alexa herself. After all, there¡¯s been more than just youtely vying for a design opportunity.¡± With that, Sliva stood up and left without taking a sip of the coffee on the table. ¡°Is this a case of a little burst of temper, or do women in Inalia hit menopause this early?!¡± Ian blurted out, his face turning red. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on that for now and prepare the backup n,¡± Justin said. His Adam¡¯s apple ¡®rolled with difficulty as he loosened his meticulously tied Windsor knot. ¡°The attitude from Alexa¡¯s side is quite tough, and I assume it¡¯ll be the same with Be. Besides, I don¡¯t believe Be can offer more favorable conditions than I can.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your next move?¡± Ian asked anxiously. ¡°Start with Ada Wang, but we can¡¯t ck off on Alexa¡¯s side either,¡± Justin said, tightly clenching his fist. His starry eyes darkened. ¡°Keep a close eye on Be¡¯s movements. If she and Alexa take any further action, report it to me promptly.¡± Chapter 336 Chapter 336 After Ian returned to Savrow from Inalia, he closely monitored Be¡¯s activities. However, Justin received an unexpected answer. There were no changes in Be¡¯s routine. Day in and day out, she remained upied with various tasks at the hotel, not venturing outside Savrow. Sitting in his office, Justin stared out of the floor-to-ceiling window at the cityscape with a cloud of doubt hanging over his head. With Ada Wang¡¯s wedding approaching, was Be genuinely unruffled? Or had she forsaken the Alexa-rted path and chosen a different strategy instead? The incidents at Rose Manor and the noteworthy event involving Shannon¡¯s arrest and Baxim¡¯s intervention seemed to make Justin subtly cautious of Be, this petite woman. Honestly, who bes afraid of their ex-wife after a divorce? At that moment, the internal office phone rang, and Justin pressed the speaker button. The secretary respectfully informed him. ¡°Sir, Mr. Hoffman is here to see you.¡± ¡°Let him in.¡± Ryan entered the president¡¯s office as if he were entering his own home, casually lounging on the sofa. He seemed almost ready to take off his shoes and climb into bed. ¡°How many times do I have to say this? You can¡¯t just barge in here without an invitation. Do you think I have as much free time as you do?¡± Justin did not even lift his gaze and focused on signing his documents. Ryan sneered and mocked him as he spoke. ¡°What invitation? Who do you think you are? The King? Or the Pope? But I do think you resemble a king in the dramas my mother watches. You¡¯re both heartless hogs.¡± Justin snapped the pen shut and sat up straight. ¡°Spit it out if you have something to say. If not, just get lost.¡± Ryan ignored his remark and continued, ¡°It has been a few days since Zoe has returned to Savrow. My mom invited you to have dinner at our house.¡± Justin responded, ¡°I¡¯ve been busytely. With the Ada Wang situation unresolved, I don¡¯t have the mood for social gatherings.¡± Ryan sneered. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s been ages since you saw your godmother. My mom just returned from overseas and insisted on cooking for you. You¡¯re not giving her any respect!¡± He continued, ¡°My mom remembers your favorite dishes and prepared all the ingredients. If you don¡¯t come, she¡¯ll be really disappointed.¡± Justin pursed his lips and answered, ¡°Alright, I¡¯lle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it! Zoe will be overjoyed when she hears you¡¯reing. Although you poprity in your own family, you¡¯re definitely a crowd favorite in my family!¡± Ryan¡¯s spirits lifted immediately upon Justin¡¯s agreement. Suddenly, Justin recalled the incident at the music hall that night. He remembered Zoe¡¯s overly intimate actions and felt ufortable. Back then, when he held Zoe¡¯s hand to stroll in the park, it was because she was only ten years old. She was still a cute little girl then, and she was his best friend¡¯s sister, so he treated her like a younger sister. Now that she was a grown woman, Justin did not want to be overly intimate with her. After contemting for a moment, he muttered, ¡°Zoe¡­¡± At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted his words. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯vepleted the investigation on Young Madam¡¯s rtionship with Christopher Iverson, as well as the connection between the Iverson and Thompson families.¡± Ian barged in with documents, pulling off his trademark loud voice. Ryan blinked his eyes. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Justin almost broke his pen. His temples throbbed. ¡°Oh¡­ You have a guest. I¡¯ll take my leave then. Please continue your discussion¡­¡± Ian awkwardly chuckled and retreated. ¡°Tsk, just report it since you¡¯re here. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a stranger.¡± Ryan scoffed wickedly and casually picked up an orange. As he peeled it, he nced sideways at Justin, observing his somewhat ufortable expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re still unwilling, so you¡¯ve chosen to confront that man?¡± ¡°Eat your orange. It¡¯s none of your business, so don¡¯t ask.¡± Justin lowered his gaze, but his heart inexplicably skipped a beat. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I ask? Back then, I pursued Be first. You and that guy should step aside!¡± Ryan tossed a piece of orange into his mouth, chewing fiercely. ¡°So what if you pursued her first?¡± Justin¡¯s dark eyes shimmered with a hidden possessiveness. He clenched his jaw and said, ¡°She ended up marrying me, and she will never belong to you.¡± ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s the use of showing off in front of me when you¡¯re divorced and all?¡± Ryan wanted to throw the orange in his hand at Justin¡¯s face. His eyes widened. ¡°Go on and chase her back if you¡¯re so great! Why are you snooping around behind her back?¡± Chapter 337 Chapter 337 ¡°By the time you make up your fickle mind, Be will probably have a whole bunch of kids with Christopher!¡± Ryan provoked Justin. Justin felt a stab in his heart, but he kept his cool and responded with a nonchnt tone. ¡°Who said I¡¯m after Be? I was just checking up on their coboration because Be stole one of my projects. It might mess with some of Salvador Corporation¡¯s ns.¡± Ryanughed and yfully tossed an orange peel at him. ¡°Sure¡­ Say what you want. You¡¯re as stubborn as theye.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Justin caught the peel. His face turned red with anger as he crushed the orange peel in his hand. Ian struggled to keep a straight face and put on a serious expression. ¡°Mr. Salvador, it looks like there¡¯s nothing special going on between Young Madam and Christopher. For the past three years, she¡¯s been right by your side. No one else caught her eye. In thest ten years, I¡¯ve found no link between Young Madam and the Iverson family.¡± Justin¡¯s expression rxed a bit upon hearing this. It seemed Christopher had not quite won over Be. It was probably just wishful thinking on Christopher¡¯s part. ¡°But a few days ago, I found out that Chairman Iverson took his two unmarried sons, Charles and Christopher, to Hatchbay, presumably to visit Chairman Thompson. Considering the long-standing rtionship between the Thompson and Iverson families, Chairman Iverson might be intentionally setting up a union between his two sons and the Thompson family!¡± ¡®A union?!¡¯ Justin and Ryan were both dumbfounded. Be and Christopher were childhood friends around the same age, and both their families had close ties. No matter how Justin looked at it, they seemed like a match made in heaven. A profound sense of crisis swept over Justin and Ryan simultaneously. It was overwhelming and unavoidable. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s game over.¡± Ryan shot a meaningful nce at Justin¡¯s flushed face and chuckled. ¡°It seems like even the Iversons are eager to win over my goddess! You know what they say. Good women fear persistent suitors. If Chairman Iverson personally proposes a marriage alliance and Chairman Thompson adds pressure on Be, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Be agrees in the end.¡± Justin¡¯s face turned cold as ice./ Ryanughed. ¡°Oh boy, it looks like you might be attending your ex-wife¡¯s wedding soon! Considering your history, you should definitely be more generous with the gifts, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ryan teased and munched on another orange slice. A strange surge of heat rose within Justin. His voice was noticeably hoarse as he retorted, Impossible! Be would never agree to a business marriage arranged by her family. She¡¯s not interested in Christopher. A woman who has faced a lion would never dance with a wolf.¡± Ryan chuckled. ¡°Whoa, how sour!¡± Justin furrowed his brow and shot back. ¡°Ryan!¡± ¡°I meant the orange is sour. Why are you so sensitive?¡± Ryan teased and enjoyed the orange slices. * In the evening, Justin arrived at the Hoffman residence as nned, apanied by Ryan. Despite his long-standing familiarity with the Hoffman family and his consideration of Mrs. Hoffman as a godmother since childhood, Justin still observed the necessary etiquette. He came bearing thoughtful gifts-high-quality supplements known for their health benefits. Mrs. Hoffman, who held a special ce for Justin in her heart, hadid out a table full of delectable dishes. 80% of the spread consisted of Justin¡¯s favorite dishes, with the remaining 20% tailored to Zoe¡¯s preferences. Ryan, yfully wielding his fork,ined, ¡°Mom, your favoritism is reaching new heights! I asked for a few specific dishes before I left, but it seems you¡¯vepletely ignored my requests. They say that after marriage, you forget your mother. It looks like you¡¯ve forgotten your biological son now that you have your godson, Justin. It¡¯s truly heartbreaking!¡± Ryan quipped. ¡°You¡¯ve been enjoying my cooking for over 20 years. Since Justin doesn¡¯te around as often, I naturally have to treat him properly. Don¡¯t even try topare yourself to him in this matter.¡± Mrs. Hoffman yfully shot back at Ryan¡¯sint. Upon seeing Justin, Mrs. Hoffman was ted. Her gaze was filled with affection. ¡°Justin, these are all your favorite dishes. Make sure to dig in.¡±. ¡°Thank you, Godmom,¡± Justin responded with a smile and picked up his fork. ¡°Justin, you¡¯ve got to try more!¡± Zoe strategically took a seat next to Justin and used her fork to offer him a taste. ¡°I made this dish just for you. Give it a try!¡± However, before her fork could even reach Justin¡¯s te, Justin intercepted it mid-air, causing her smile to freeze. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ll help myself to the food.¡± Chapter 338 Chapter 338 The young embarrassed. and beautiful Zoe blushed instantly upon hearing Justin¡¯s remarks, feeling quite Ryan frowned. ¡°Justin, are you mad at Zoe for trying to serve you with her own fork? She hasn¡¯t used it yet, and she offered you the first bite.¡± Being a protective brother, Ryan immediately stepped forward to defend his younger sister. Quickly, Zoe apologized. ¡°Sorry, Justin. I didn¡¯t think it through.¡± Zoe promptly switched to another fork and attempted to ce a piece of fish on Justin¡¯s te, but he stopped her once again. ¡°I can handle it myself.¡± Zoe pouted. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back in years. Justin, are you trying to distance yourself from me? We used to share ice cream when we were kids!¡± ¡°That was back when we were kids. You¡¯re not a child anymore.¡± Justin calmly responded as he looked at the food. He picked up a small piece of crab meat and chewed it slowly.. Zoe¡¯s heart tightened. Her face darkened as she dejectedly stuffed the fish into her mouth, chewing with force. Meanwhile, Justin surveyed the exquisite dishes on the table, reminiscing about the times Be used to cook for him. He understood the time and effort these dishes required. He knew Be used to spend the entire afternoon in the kitchen, enduring the smoke that made her face oily while holding back her coughs. Yet he had never praised her, not even once. Even if the dishes reached the level of a state banquet chef, Justin refused to acknowledge her. Each time he ate her food, he found himself craving an extra serving. An inexplicable pang hit his heart as he thought of the pitiful look in Be¡¯s eyes, eagerly awaiting his praise with starry eyes, only to be disappointed every time. But after a brief moment of disappointment, Be always regained herposure and smiled at him cheerfully. -¡°Next time, I¡¯ll do even better!¡± ¡®Next time¡­ Will there be a next time?¡¯ With these thoughts, Justin lost his appetite. Even swallowing became difficult. ¡°Justin, Bethany mentioned you¡¯ve been busy with Ada Wang¡¯s wedding. Are youpeting with KS World Hotel for the hosting rights?¡± Not long after, Zoe chimed in, Sensing Justin might be interested in business matters, she propped her chin on her hand and blinked her grape-sized eyes. She asked with an innocent look on her face, ¡°I heard that Ada Wang will being to Savrow in a few days. Justin, are you nning to host a wee banquet? Taking advantage of the situation can also promote the hotel. After all, Ada is an international superstar!¡± Justin¡¯s charming eyes turned slightly cold, but his expression remained calm. What he disliked the most was discussing business during family meals, especially when unrted people inquired about the internal affairs of hispany. ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Can I help with anything?¡± Zoe blinked her eyes eagerly. Justin declined Zoe¡¯s offer. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Zoe tried to showcase herself to Justin. ¡°I can y piano pieces for Ada Wang and other guests! It¡¯s my specialty!¡± To Zoe¡¯s dismay, Justin once again rejected her. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± ** Justin frowned slightly and decisively declined. ¡°You are the heiress of the Hoffman family. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to entertain guests like that. Professionals will be hired to perform live.¡± Zoe¡¯s expression instantly fell. ¡°So, do you think that I¡¯m not professional enough?¡± At this point, Justin hadpletely lost his appetite. He initially attended the dinner reluctantly, not wanting to offend Mrs. Hoffman and Ryan, but he found it increasingly annoying. ¡°Justin, Zoe is the top protege of a renowned pianist. She¡¯s more than qualified to y at your weing banquet. Just let her go.¡± Ryan chewed and spoke on behalf of his sister. ¡°Yes, Justin. Zoe regards you as a brother, so let her help you this time.¡± Mrs. Hoffman, who doted on her daughter, also advised him. Zoe continued to plead with a pitiful expression. ¡°Justin, I promise I¡¯ll y exceptionally well. I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Justin frowned and reluctantly nodded.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. After the dinner, Justin bid farewell to the Hoffmans and left. Outside Hoffmans¡¯ residence, Ian received an important message and hurriedly conveyed it to Justin. ¡°Mr. Salvador, there¡¯s a bit of an issue. Your n has shed with KS World Hotel on the same day!¡± Justin¡¯s face turned cold as he asked, ¡°Did Be prepare a weing banquet for Ada Wang on the same day too?¡± Chapter 339 Chapter 339 ¡°Mr. Salvador, your wisdom knows no bounds!¡± Ian could not help but break into a nervous sweat as he cautiously asked, ¡°Given Young Madam¡¯s unpredictable nature and her relentless tactics, do you think she might actually steal Ada away? Maybe we should¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Justin interrupted, his eyebrow furrowing in response. Ian grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. ¡°Why not let Young Madam have her way this time? Anyway, it¡¯s not the ultimate showdown. It¡¯s just a weing banquet. A real man shouldn¡¯t compete with a woman, especially considering you two used to be married¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± Justin cut him off decisively and frowned. ¡°Since the n with Alexa is not feasible right now, we have to start with Ada Wang. If Be can think of it, it means her situation is simr to ours. At this critical moment, any small progress could change the situation dramatically. I won¡¯t let her have the upper hand. By any means necessary, Ada Wang must attend our weing banquet!¡± Having dered this, the imposing boss entered the luxurious car with a grave expression. Ian stood frozen in ce. His expression gradually turned mournful. ¡®Oh my, Mr. Salvador seems to be made of reinforced concrete. How can someone so utterly stubborn win back the young madam¡¯s heart?¡¯ At this moment, Justin leaned back in the car seat and took a deep breath. ¡®Should I do as Ian proposed and let Be have her way?¡¯ From the divorce to now, Justin has never defeated Be once. She had always been riding high, overwhelming and crushing himpletely. Justin was astonished to realize that Be was no longer the calm, gentle, and simple woman he once knew during their marriage. She had be intelligent, outstanding, and shrewd. She seemed increasingly unattainable. Justin genuinely yearned to defeat her, as if winning just once could bridge the distance between them. Late at night, Ryan headed out to ACE for some entertainment. With only Mrs. Hoffman and Zoe left at home, Zoe entered her mother¡¯s room, climbed onto the bed, and acted coquettishly. Reflecting on the dinner table scene earlier, Mrs. Hoffman couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°Zoe, why did your attitude toward Justin be so affectionate tonight? You made him feel awkward.¡± Mrs. Hoffman sighed with a hint of frustration. ¡°You¡¯re not a child anymore, and Justin is not the big brother who used to y with you. He¡¯s now the president of the Salvador Corporation and a person of stature. Every move he makes is scrutinized by many, so you must watch y actions. It might not be appropriate for you to act coquettishly toward him in the future. I think you should still¡­¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Zoe suddenly sat up and looked her mother in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m not acting like a spoiled brat, and I never regarded Justin as my brother.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Mrs. Hoffman looked confused. ¡°Why do you think I turned down the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Inalia and gave up my great future to return to Savrow? It¡¯s all for Justin. I want to marry him and be his wife!¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°What?!¡± Mrs. Hoffman sat up abruptly, staring at her daughter with astonishment. ¡°Are you out of your mind? He¡¯s your brother!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my biological brother anyway!¡± Zoe retorted. Her eyes sparkled at the thought of Justin. ¡°I¡¯ve waited for so long, and Justin has finally broken up with Rosalind. Now, no one can stop me.¡± Faced with her daughter¡¯s wishful thinking, Mrs. Hoffman became particrly conflicted. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look like that? Don¡¯t you want me and Justin to be together?¡± Zoe furrowed her brow and shook her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Mrs. Hoffman hesitated for a moment and expressed her concern. ¡°Justin is indeed an outstanding person, but he¡¯s not a suitable match for you. It¡¯s not just about Rosalind. As your eldest brother mentioned, Justin was married before. Oh, Zoe, you¡¯re so kind and innocent. The situation in the Salvador family isplicated. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be treated unfairly or even bullied if you marry Justin.¡± Zoe chuckled in her heart. ¡®I¡¯m innocent? I think Bethany Salvador is the real simpleton! If I marry Justin, I will definitely y around with the women in the Salvador family. Mom is underestimating me!¡¯ ¡°Mom! I am the heiress of the Hoffman family. We are no less than the Salvadors, and with your and Ryan¡¯s support, anyone from the Salvador family who dares to mistreat me won¡¯t get away with it!¡± ¡°But feelings have to be mutual. Even if you want to marry, Justin has to be willing!¡± Mrs. Hoffman felt a sense of helplessness with her wayward daughter. Zoe smiled confidently. ¡°With you and Ryan¡¯s backing, I already have an added advantage over others. As long as I can prove to Justin that I¡¯m no longer the child I used to be, that I hold value to him, and that I can stand by his side, he will surely notice me!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no buts, Mom. In any case, I won¡¯t marry anyone but Justin in this lifetime!¡± Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Three dayster, Ada Wang and her team were about to arrive in Savrow. However, Steven received shocking news from the agent today-Ada had ultimately chosen to attend Salvador Corporation¡¯s weing banquet. In the entertainment room of the KS World Hotel, Steven brought this infuriating news to Be. Be was leisurely engaged in a game of billiards with Ralph, her seventh brother, demonstrating a professional level of skill with each shot and effortlessly sinking one ball after another. ¡°Ms. Be! Something bad has happened!¡± Steven anxiously called out. ¡°Hush¡­ It¡¯s match point!¡± Be delicately ced her slender finger to her lips, signaling him to keep quiet. This shot was crucial for tonight¡¯s dinner and could not be taken lightly! However, Steven found himself truly at his wit¡¯s end. He desperately wanted to rush her, yet he did not dare to! Even if the sky was falling, he could not interrupt Be from having fun. ck! ck! Be skillfully took her shot and concluded the game, winning in a spectacr manner. She screamed with satisfaction, ¡°Yes!¡± Be joyfully raised a victorious gesture, and Ralph, seated on the pool table¡¯s edge, grinned at his sister,pletely indifferent to whether he had lost to her. ¡°Be, your billiards skills are improving,¡± Ralph said. Leaning gracefully on the cue, Be yfully stuck out her tongue in response. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your excellent teaching.¡± Adorned in a red satin spaghetti strap dress, Be had only yed two shots when her red strap slowly slid down, revealing her porcin-like bare shoulders, which was particrly alluring. Steven¡¯s eyes involuntarily wandered over, and he gulped. Ralph astutely noticed Steven¡¯s not-so-innocent gaze. His eyes darkened abruptly. He casually approached Be and nonchntly hooked up the strap that had nearly slipped off her arm. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Even when you¡¯re out having fun, you still need to be careful. This is eptable in front of your brothers, but in the presence of other men, you can¡¯t be so bold.¡± After saying this, Ralph subtly nced at Steven. Being a seasoned detective, Ralph had such sharpness in his eyes. Under the scrutiny of Ralph¡¯s eagle-like eyes, Steven felt a chill running down his spine and sensed that his innermost thoughts were on the verge of being exposed. He hastily redirected his burning gaze elsewhere. ¡°Yes, big brother! Steve isn¡¯t a stranger. Besides, I haven¡¯t revealed anything. You¡¯re such a prude.¡± Be¡¯s voice was as sweet as honey. Ralph raised an eyebrow. He experienced a tingling sensation in his heart from Be addressing him as ¡°big brother¡±. He hesitated but could not bring himself to scold her. ¡°Steve, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Be turned her head, picked up a ss of red wine, leaned against the pool table, and took a sip. Her charming eyes were carefree.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Ms. Be, Ada Wang has finally confirmed her attendance at the weing banquet hosted by Salvador Corporation! She stood us up!¡± Steven nervously conveyed. ¡°Good.¡± Be took another sip of red wine. ¡°Good?! Justin intercepted our distinguished guest, and you say it¡¯s good?¡± Steven¡¯s clear eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Let me guess. In the next three days, Salvador Corporation will definitely send invitations to various celebrities. Moreover, they will publicize the banquet extensively. After all, the international superstar¡¯s first stay in Savrow is at the Salvador Hotel. This will attract a lot of attention, like free publicity.¡± Be continued, ¡°This move indirectly certifies the supreme status of the Salvador Hotel in Savrow and even the entire country. Whether it¡¯s the president or a superstar, anyoneing to Savrow will only stay there.¡± Be¡¯s bright eyes sparkled as she swirled the red wine in her ss with satisfaction. ¡°So, Ada Wang chose the Salvador Hotel. This is a huge loss for our group, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Smooth sailing is boring.¡± Be smiled. To Steven, her smile was more intoxicating than the red wine in her ss. ¡°I like challenges that bring you to life, turning the tide against the wind. That¡¯s what makes it thrilling.¡± Steven¡¯s heart fluttered. His boss¡¯s smile at this moment carried a mischievous charm that was breathtakingly beautiful. ¡°Be, it seems you already have a n for this, huh?¡± Ralph asked with a smile. Be nodded. ¡°Steve, prepare the banquet as usual.¡± ¡°Huh? Should we continue preparations when the distinguished guest is not attending? What¡¯s the point of organizing the banquet?¡± Steven felt somewhat disheartened, thinking they had already lost to Justin. Be¡¯s eyes held a mysterious and unpredictable smile. ¡°Who says it¡¯s pointless? The victor is still undetermined, and the prize may still fall into our hands.¡± * On the roadside outside the KS World Hotel, Ian concealed himself in a ck Porsche. He was assigned to monitor Be¡¯s every move. When he almost dozed off from the wait, he finally spotted Steven, Be¡¯s loyal secretary, walking out of the hotel with a gloomy expression. During these past few days, Ian has suffered a lot following Justin. Now, seeing the poor fellow beside Be also wearing a gloomy expression like him, Ian suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction, as if the fortunes were turning in his favor. Thinking that they must have learned that Justin had taken the lead in securing Ada Wang, Ian could not help but feel triumphant! ¡®Hehe! It sure feels good to win!¡¯ Ian thought. madam. A few secondster, Be emerged from the main entrance. ¡®Steven and the young Huh? Why is there another man?!¡¯ Ian picked up the binocrs, rubbed his eyes, and scrutinized the trio again with great intensity. ¡°Oh, damn! It really is another man!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go for a barbecue!¡± Ralph casually draped his arm over Be¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then I want pork ribs, beef brisket, corn on the cob, baked beans, and mac and cheese!¡± Be licked her crimson lips. ¡°Wow, Be. That¡¯s a lot of food just for the two of us.¡± ¡°Well, those are ssic barbecue must-haves! Ooh, I want extra sauce too!¡± ¡°We might as well chug some beer while we¡¯re at it!¡± The siblingsughed in harmony and got into the car. Ian nervously gulped, not knowing how he managed to put down the binocrs. All he could think was, ¡®Oh crap! It¡¯s over!¡¯ He trembled as he sneakily took pictures and shakily sent a message to his boss. [Mr. Salvador! SOS! Ms. Thompson has a new love interest again!] Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Back at the Salvador Corporation, Justin sat quietly in his office, lost in thought as he stared at the computer screen. With each click of the mouse, a new photo appeared, featuring a single protagonist-a beautiful woman with a radiant smile and an elegant demeanor-Be. These photos were the result of Ian¡¯s surveince of Be over the past few days. Originally, he intended to gather intelligence from the KS Group, but Be¡¯s side proved to be exceptionally secretive. Ian only managed to capture these everyday scenes. As Justin repeatedly browsed through the photos, his gaze deepened. It was as if, by looking at them multiple times, the figures in the pictures woulde to life. If they were on paper, they would probably have developed a vintage charm. Suddenly, his phone on the table vibrated consecutively. Justin finally snapped back to reality, picked up the phone, and focused on the screen. Seeing the messages, Justin felt his heart drop. He abruptly stood up from his leather chair, grabbing his suit jacket before rushing out the door. * Ralph and Be arrived at the barbecue restaurant. It had been a long time since Be had met with Ralph, and the siblings had plenty to catch up on along with drinks. After three rounds of drinks, Be¡¯s eyes were slightly zed. She suddenly leaned in and asked, ¡°Ralph, spill it. When are you going to bring back a sister-inw for me?¡± ¡°Ugh, not you too! My mom is already nagging me about this. Besides, my job is so tiring and dangerous. Why would I want to find someone in the same line of work? We both need to live a good life, right?¡± Ralph looked nonchnt, quietly pouring out the leftover alcohol in front of Be and recing it with mineral water. Be pouted in frustration. ¡°What¡¯s with the men in our family? None of you are settling down. It¡¯s annoying! I don¡¯t even have a sister-inw to care for or a nephew to y with. It¡¯s so frustrating!¡± Hearing this, Ralph teased Be. ¡°With so many brothers doting on you, aren¡¯t you content? Aren¡¯t you afraid that if your brothers get married, we won¡¯t have as much energy to pamper you?¡± ¡°Stop pampering me so much! It¡¯s because of you guys that I didn¡¯t have a boyfriend until after I graduated from college! During school, you knew I liked chocte, so you bought all the choctes in the campus supermarket every day and waited for me at the school gates after ss. Every boy in our school thought you guys were my boyfriend! Because of you guys, I still haven¡¯t had a proper first love!¡± Be¡¯s cheeks turned red. When she drank too much, she tended to bring up old times. It was a Thompson family trait. ¡°Because of the choctes I got for you, my mom thought I was dating someone in school. She sent people to stop me at the school gates and imed that she caught me red-handed. Then she gave me a good beating when I got home!¡± Ralph winced at the memory. Be blinked in surprise. ¡°Did that happen? I have no memory of it.¡± She continued, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you exin to your mom? You could have told her that those snacks were for me!¡± ¡°That was right before the college entrance exam. She even went to the school to meet with the principal and my homeroom teacher, asking them to keep a close eye on me so that I wouldn¡¯t get distracted during my exams.¡± Ralph smirked. ¡°I¡¯m clearly innocent, but my mom thinks that I¡¯m a yboy. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unfair?¡± Be teased him. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t exactly look innocent.¡± ¡°Around that time, the school did a poll on the best-looking students. I don¡¯t know who put my picture up, but I ended up winning first ce. Suddenly, I was surrounded by those infatuated girls everywhere I went, and my locker was either filled with gifts or love letters. It was so damn annoying!¡± Ralph comined. He smiled and continued, ¡°So, I just went with the flow. With my mom¡¯s controlling nature, she cleared the path for me.¡± 4 huh?¡± ¡°So, you used me as a shield to ward off your love troubles? You¡¯ve got some nerve, Be furrowed her eyebrows and lightly flicked his forehead with her fingertip. Ralph yfully stuck out his tongue. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want to get married. With my current career, anyone marrying me would basically be a widow. That¡¯ll be a miserable life for them.¡± Be nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, same here.¡± ¡°You should get married, though. Thest time Christopher came to our house, he seemed quite interested in you. That night, his eyes were practically glued to you. Why not consider him?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Suddenly, Ralph leaned close to her ear and said mysteriously, ¡°But I noticed how pale hisplexion is. Do you think he¡¯s sick?¡± Be was left speechless upon hearing this. ¡°To be honest, money isn¡¯t something weck in our family, but you must find a healthy partner with excellent gics, someone who can carry on the legacy of the Thompson family,¡± Ralph said with utmost seriousness. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s sick, as long as he¡¯s not sick in the head. ]) Be smiled. Whether it was embarrassment or the effects of drinking too much, her rosy cheeks flushed even more. As Ralph and Be exited the restaurant, Steven had already parked the car at the entrance. Seeing Be leaning on Ralph with a flushed face, Steven hurriedly came over to assist her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡± Ralph¡¯s right arm tightened around Be¡¯s shoulders as his left arm forcefully kept Steven at bay. He spoke coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve got this. You don¡¯t have to touch her.¡± Steven stood frozen and pressed his lips together in embarrassment. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Steven was deeply aware of Ralph¡¯s harbored prejudices against him. Ralph thought that every man who showed excessive attention to his sister had bad intentions. ¡°Ralph, you¡¯re too cautious. Steve is not a stranger,¡± Be said helplessly with a smile. ¡°He may not be a stranger, but he¡¯s still a man,¡± Ralph retorted. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. He cast a cold nce at Steven and added, ¡°You should find a female secretary tomorrow. I don¡¯t like the idea of you having a male secretary.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Be waved her hand dismissively and squinted her eyes. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re such a suspicious cop. You see everyone as a potential criminal.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t hurt to stay vignt and alert,¡± Ralph replied. Ralph assisted Be into the car and closed the door. As Steven bowed to him before leaving, Ralph stopped him. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Ralph?¡± Steven asked with a calm expression. ¡°As Be¡¯s secretary, you¡¯re with her 24/7. While supporting her, remember to maintain your boundaries,¡± Ralph instructed. Ralph¡¯s gaze carried a chilling fierceness. ¡°What doesn¡¯t belong to you won¡¯t ever be yours. Don¡¯t harbor any inappropriate intentions or cross the line. Unlike my older brothers, I won¡¯t tolerate your presence around Be. I was born with a suspicious mind, and I¡¯ve witnessed too much evil in this world. So, I never assume the best in people.¡± Steven took a deep breath and clenched his fists. ¡°In short, don¡¯t entertain any improper thoughts you have about Be. Don¡¯t you dare take a single step beyond the boundaries, or else I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± ¡°Mr. Ralph, I understand the rules. While the rules can control actions, they can¡¯t control one¡¯s feelings.¡± Steven asserted, forcefully suppressing his inner grievances. Steven¡¯s eyes got a little teary as he bluntly revealed the emotions that had been suppressed for too long. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything to Ms. Be because I genuinely admire and respect her. But you can¡¯t ask me to stop loving her. Loving someone is not a crime.¡± Ralph¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Although he did not like Steven, he found his words surprisingly straightforward. ¡°You¡¯d better remember what you said today.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you guys talking about? Are we leaving or not? I¡¯m exhausted!¡± Be lowered the car window, squinting her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ming, Ms. Be.¡± Steven turned back and smiled warmly at her. ¡°Be, give me a call when you get home.¡± Ralph seemed a bit concerned and made a gesture mimicking a phone call. Be made an ¡°OK¡± gesture, waved to him, and left with Steven. Ralph smiled as he watched his sister leave but did not immediately follow. His eyes lost their yfulness and scanned the opposite side of the road. He turned and walked away. Across the road, Ian¡¯s ck Porsche was discreetly parked. He had just sent a location to Justin, and within seconds of Be leaving, both she and the ¡°gigolo¡± had disappeared. ¡°Strange¡­ Where did they go?¡± Ian muttered to himself. Ian was puzzled. He muttered to himself when suddenly the car door was violently yanked open. In an instant, he felt his breath hitch as a rough and powerful hand firmly seized his cor. He was effortlessly pulled out of the car as if he weighed like a feather. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?!¡± Ian, shocked to see Ralph appear out of nowhere like a ghost, panicked and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around! We havews in this country! I¡¯ll report you to the police!¡± ¡°No need for all that trouble.¡± As the words fell, Ralph¡¯s expression turned cold. He pulled out an ID from his pocket and shed it in front of Ian. ¡°The police are here to catch people like you who have slipped through the cracks of this law-driven society.¡± Ian involuntarily gasped, his head buzzing. Be sat in the car, yawning several times and feeling drowsy. At that moment, her phone rang. ¡°Ralph, what¡¯s up? I haven¡¯t reached home yet. You¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Be, do you know who Ian Harris is?¡± Ralph¡¯s hoarse voice came through. Be¡¯s drunkenness disappeared immediately, and she sat up straight. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Ralph? Why did you suddenly mention this person?¡± ¡°Be, where did you meet this creep? His phone is full of photos he secretly took of you! I caught him red-handed!¡± Chapter 343 Chapter 343 By the time Justin rushed to the barbecue restaurant, Be and Steven were long gone. Gritting his teeth, he reyed the images of Be and the man from the photos in his mind. His face was frozen and stern, but hisposure was on the verge of copsing. Amid the lively atmosphere, he could not help but feel like he was humiliating himself. Alongside this self-inflicted humiliation, he was worried about Be. He thought, ¡®Be was having dinner with a seemingly unreliable man in such a chaotic environment at such ate hour. Does she even understand what fear means?¡¯ Suddenly, his phone vibrated, disying an unknown number. Justin sighed and answered, ¡± Who is this?¡± ¡°Is this Mr. Justin Salvador?¡± A robotic female voice came from the,other end. Justin responded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This is the Savrow West District Police Station. May I ask, what is your rtionship with Mr. Ian Harris?¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed deeply. ¡°He¡¯s my secretary. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Pleasee to the police station now. We¡¯ll discuss it when you arrive.¡± * The events of this night could only be described as illusionary. The Lamborghini raced down the road, and Justin¡¯s mind was in a whirlwind. He could notprehend how Ian, who would not harm a single soul, had ended up in the police station. As Justin briskly entered the station, he collided with a handsome man in a ck leather jacket. The man was tall and strong. He was the same man who was being intimate with Be in those photos that Ian sent! Ralph also noticed Justin. His eagle-like eyes scanned him as if piercing through light. A cold glint shed in Ralph¡¯s eyes, and he asked with a mocking smile, ¡°Are you Justin Salvador? Here to defend Ian Harris?¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Ralph with hostility. ¡°How does this concern you?¡± Ralphughed. ¡°Interesting choice of words.¡± He continued to mock with a cold sneer. ¡°Ian Harris is here because of me. How does it not concern me?¡± Justin frowned, breaking hisposure. ¡°Are you doing this for revenge?¡± ¡°Revenge?¡± ¡°My secretary exposed your illicit rtionship with Be. Is this your way of retaliating against me?¡± Blinded by anger, Just¨ªn failed to recognize that the young man before him was actually an experienced detective. Justin naturally assumed the man was merely standing up for Be. Ralph, upon hearing Justin¡¯s assumption, chuckled instead of getting angry. ¡°It¡¯s truly a miracle that you can be the president of a major conglomerate with that level of intelligence.¡± Justin gritted his teeth and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re a gigolo who dares to appear so boldly in a police station. You even try to frame Ian for exposing you. I must say, I¡¯m quite impressed by your courage.¡± Ralph was shocked by what he heard and thought to himself, ¡®What the hell is this guy bbering about? Gigolo?! Do I look that promiscuous to him?¡¯ Ralph sized Justin up. ¡®So, this is the pretty boy who hurt my Be. Look at his thick eyebrows and big eyes. He has quite a sturdy figure hidden beneath his suit. He looks like he could fight.¡¯ At that moment, two police officers happened to pass by and salute Ralph. ¡°Hello, Captain Thompson!¡± Ralph smiled and nodded at them. Justin¡¯s breath hitched as he stared at Ralph in disbelief. ¡°This guy isn¡¯t a gigolo, but a police officer?! Captain Thompson¡­ He¡¯s a Thompson, too?¡± Upon closer inspection, Justin noticed that Ralph¡¯s bright and sharp eyes, steep nose, and chiseled jawline looked familiar. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Ralph!¡± Justin abruptly froze. A pleasant yet familiar female voice pierced through his heart. This was yet another surprise revtion. Justin thought, ¡®Just how many sons does that old yboy, Wyatt Thompson, have?! Isn¡¯t Wyatt afraid that there will be disputes over inheritance when he¡¯s older?¡¯ Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Justin turned slowly, only to find Be standing a few steps behind him. Her gaze was cold and piercing. ¡°Be, why did youe over?¡± Ralph no longer paid attention to Justin and swiftly approached his sister. ¡°I told you that I¡¯d handle this. You should just go home and rest.¡¯ ¡°No, I must handle this matter in person.¡± As Be spoke, she looked at Justin. The coldness and unfamiliarity in her eyes cut deep into his heart. After the divorce, she treated him with a cold demeanor. He had resented it before, but now he was afraid. Deep down, he dreaded the thought of Be treating him as aplete stranger. He would prefer to be hated, cursed, or even physically assaulted by her. The chill of her indifference was something he could not bear. ¡°Be¡­¡± Justin hesitated, trying to call out to her. ¡°Justin, let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Be shot him an icy re before turning away and walking ahead. Justin¡¯s gaze trailed her graceful figure. He was eager to catch up to her, but Ralph pulled him back. ¡°Hey! You clueless idiot, you¡¯d better behave yourself. This is a police station. If you dare do anything to my sister, I¡¯ll put you in handcuffs!¡± Justin responded, ¡°As Be¡¯s brother, you should be aware of my history with her.¡± Taking a deep breath, Justin quelled the turmoil within and replied coldly, ¡°When she was my wife, we treated each other with respect. You have no reason to be concerned now.¡¯ Ralph sneered, a chillyugh escaping his throat. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not necessarily true. From my experience dealing with criminal cases, a man who hires someone to stalk his ex-wife is either mentally unsound or a murderer. None of those husbands were ever deemed normal.¡± Justin was speechless. Be and Justin found themselves in a secluded area behind the police station, a spot ideal for a private conversation. Given their prominent positions in society, discretion was crucial in this sensitive setting. The two of them faced each other, silhouetted by the dim light. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Justin asked, ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± Without waiting for Be to finish, Justin stepped closer. His broad frame cast a shadow over her, blocking the remaining light. Be, secretly surprised, watched as he tilted his head and gently sniffed her hair. In a deep voice, he remarked, ¡°This liquor has a high alcohol content. Do you think you have a good alcohol tolerance? Remember how drunk you were at the karaoke barst time? During the three years of our marriage, you never touched a drop of alcohol.¡± Be responded with a cold tone, ¡°I¡¯ve always had a high tolerance for alcohol, and I¡¯ve always enjoyed drinking. You just never knew.¡± Be¡¯s gaze was cold. She took a step back with her back against the wall. ¡°That¡¯s because you never showed me your true self. You have never been honest with me.¡± Justin approached her. His heart was filled with bitter emotions. Be scoffed. ¡°Justin, you¡¯re pretty good at dodging responsibility.¡± She tilted her head. Her seductive red lips captivated him, making his throat tighten involuntarily. He struggled to keep his emotions in check. Be continued, ¡°Remember the kind of person you used to be, the husband you were? Even when I opened up to you in the past, you never bothered to care. And let¡¯s not forget how you found me annoying back then. Why would I want to show you the real me and risk even more turned off by me?¡± Be spoke these words with indifference. Every word she said had the power to stir up tumultuous waves in Justin¡¯s heart. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. As it turned out, she hid her true self back then to please him. you being After all, which woman did not wish to present her best self in front of the man she loved? Just like how Rosalind once acted all innocent around him, feigning ignorance of the world. Rosalind even resorted to despicable tactics like pretending to have depression, all just to win his heart. Justin finally realized that, at that time, Be had really gone all out to please him. Rosalind¡¯s fake love and carefully calcted moves were all about controlling him and getting what she wanted. On the other hand, the old Be had only pretended to be someone else to avoid being disliked by him. Justin felt like his heart was crushed. His eyes turned red. Just as he was about to speak, Be said coldly, ¡°Justin, I get why you had Ian spy on me. Ada Wang¡¯s wedding ising up, and I¡¯m your biggestpetition. I get that you want Ian to keep an eye on your business rival. But hasn¡¯t Salvador Corporation done pretty well so far? Didn¡¯t Ada Wang choose to attend your weing banquet? Why would you still want Ian to follow me and even secretly take pictures of Ralph? Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s a bit too much?¡± Chapter 345 Chapter 345 ¡°You are so despicable.¡± Be uttered those words through gritted teeth. Wyatt Thompson and his wives had protected their children well. It was because of this protection that they had the freedom to pursue their dreams. In the past, Be was blinded by love. For Justin, she made sacrifices, abandoned her family, and repeatedlypromised her dignity, all for the sake of aughable notion of true love. Now that she has sobered up and returned to the Thompson family, Be intends to shoulder the responsibility as the heiress of KS Group. This was not just a way to make amends, but also to ensure her siblings could pursue their own careers without any hindrance. Be did not want her family¡¯s peaceful life to be disturbed. At this moment, Justin¡¯s shameless and reckless probing of her boundaries struck a nerve with Be. He had pushed her patience to its limit. ¡®Despicable?¡¯ Hearing her ruthless words, Justin felt a piercing ache in his heart. His eyes turned even redder. Suddenly, he extended his arms and pulled Be to his chest. His warm breath brushed against her nose as he implored, ¡°Be, if you think I¡¯m despicable, thene at me. Why arrest Ian? Is this your way of taking revenge on me?¡± Be¡¯s eyes also reddened at the mention of revenge. She was infuriated by the man¡¯s apparentck of reason. He was the one who instructed Ian to secretly photograph her. Ralph caught Ian in the act, and there was irrefutable evidence. Not only did Justin not apologize to her, but he tried to turn the me on her. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your orders, why would Ralph randomly arrest Ian and detain him?¡± Justin narrowed his eyes with a hint of resentment. Complex emotions weighed on his chest that were difficult to relieve. ¡°Be, did I earn your hatred just by winning against you once? Prompting you to conspire with your brothers against me and mypany?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you jealous?¡± Be¡¯s lips curled up in a provocative smile. ¡°My brothers care about me. What can I do if they want to stand up for me?¡± ¡°Be!¡± Justin¡¯s temples throbbed intensely. ¡°You have so many great sisters, so why can¡¯t I have a few good brothers? If you can¡¯t stand it, you can retaliate. You can ask your little sisters to fight me!¡± Be was not one to typically utter such words. But tonight, she was intoxicated, so she did not hold herself back. ¡°Little sisters? What do you mean?¡± Justin appeared puzzled, still not grasping the situation. Be disdainfully mocked him, pressing both hands firmly on his chest. ¡°Are you ying dumb? I really can¡¯t be bothered by a disgusting man like you.¡± Justin¡¯s dark, longshes fluttered, and his obsidian eyes rippled. Memories flooded back to the time when Be had vomited on him outside the karaoke bar and used him of being a hooligan, which had nearlynded him in jail. After he returned home that day, he stripped off his soiled clothes and stood bare-chested in front of the mirror. He was astonished to find red scratches all over his chest, like he had been wed by a kitten. Those were marks left by her. A gentle caress left a warm, lingering sensation. When Be touched him once more at this moment, the vibrant feeling and his heart that had melted by her presence now quivered uncontrobly within his chest. The man¡¯s deep eyes held unclear emotions, stirring restlessly and quietly growing more intense. ¡°I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. From now on, stop sending people to stalk me. Or else it won¡¯t be as simple as ending up in jail!¡± ¡°Be, you can¡¯t just walk away.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was rough. ¡°This is a police station! If you act like a hooligan, I¡¯ll call Ralph toe over and arrest you!¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened in anger. Her cheeks were tinted red. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re not allowed to leave.¡± Justin stubbornly persisted. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°Exin to me, which sister are you talking about?¡± Justin¡¯s brow furrowed as he urgently questioned her. ¡°I only have two sisters, Bethany and Carrie. Who are you referring to?¡± Be was so angry that she bit her lip. She was tempted to p this scumbag. At that moment, Justin¡¯s pupils contracted. He suddenly turned and used his left arm to block a fierce attack from behind. Years of military experience and intense training had kept his reflexes sharp. Be widened her eyes. Before she couldprehend the situation, Justin was already engaged in a fight with Ralph. The two exchanged punches and kicks, making her heart pound with fear. Justin moved like lightning, and his attacks were fierce. In this fight between the ex-military ace and the impulsive detective, Ralph was clearly at a disadvantage. After all, among Be¡¯s brothers, the only ones who could contend with Justin were Drew and Asher. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Seeing that Justin¡¯s fist was about tond on Ralph¡¯s face, Be panicked and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t hit my brother!¡± Justin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his fist instantly froze in mid-air. Seizing Justin¡¯s momentary distraction, Ralph took the opportunity tond a heavy punch on the corner of Justin¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ugh-!¡± Justin felt the pain in his lips and teeth as the taste of blood filled his mouth. Despite the powerful blow, he only staggered a step backward. Be clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes were filled with disbelief. She did not expect this man to be so obedient as to actually listen to her words. Justin just stood there and let Ralph hit him. Ralph quickly rushed over, embracing Be¡¯s shoulder and ring at Justin, whose lips were now bruised. ¡°Motherfucking scumbag! If you dare touch my sister again, I¡¯ll make sure I beat you to a pulp till your mother can¡¯t even recognize you, even if it means being stripped of my police badge.¡± However, Be felt a subtle sense of fear in her heart. That scumbag had already shown mercy. Otherwise, Ralph would probably be the one beaten until his mother could not recognize him. In the end, Be chose not to dwell on the matter ofn spying on her. After all, she was well aware of Ian¡¯s character after three years of interaction with him. Justin broughtn back to the car. Ian¡¯s head hung low, and if he had a tail, it would be tucked between his legs. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Salvador¡­ I¡¯m useless. I got caught by that stupid cop and caused you trouble¡­¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Justin spared a few words. His mouth was still aching from the punch. ¡°Mr. Salvador! Are you hurt?!¡± It was only now that Ian noticed the bloodstains at the corner of Justin¡¯s lips. He was so distressed that he was about to cry. ¡°Did that stupid cop hit you?! As a police officer, how dare hey hands on an innocent citizen?! I¡¯ll file aint against him!¡± ¡®Innocent citizen?¡¯ Justin recalled the scene when he trapped Be with his own body. No matter how he thought about it, it did not seem like something an innocent citizen would do. ¡°This matter is over. Don¡¯t stir up trouble again.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°That so-called stupid cop is Be¡¯s seventh brother. He¡¯s one of Wyatt Thompson¡¯s many sons,¡± Justin said, recalling the face that resembled Wyatt Thompson¡¯s and feeling a bit slow in realizing the connection. ¡°Wow, the seventh brother?!¡± Ian eximed. ¡°Why does the young madam have so many brothers? There will be no end to it if theye at you one after the other!¡± Justin tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and lifted his hand to gently wipe away the bloodstains from the corner of his lips with his thumb. He sighed deeply. He was also curious about how many brothers Be actually had. They might as welle at him in one go because he was losing his patience with them popping out of nowhere one by one. While he was wallowing in frustration, his phone rang. Justin took out his phone from his pocket and saw Zoe¡¯s name on the caller ID. He felt even more irritated. ¡°Zoe, do you need something?¡± Justin answered the call in a cold and indifferent tone. ¡°Justin!¡± Zoe¡¯s cloying voice entered his ear. In an instant, Justin opened his eyes abruptly. He suddenly recalled Be¡¯s words earlier. -¡°You have so many great sisters. Why can¡¯t I have a few good brothers?¡± So, that was what she was referring to. Justin felt enlightened as his heart filled with adrenaline, causing him to sit upright. On the other end, Zoe continued babbling, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the repertoire for the performance at Ada Wang¡¯s weing banquet three days from now. Would you like to see it in advance?¡± However, Justin did not hear a word she said. His mind was filled with the hidden meaning behind Be¡¯s statement. Be cared about his interactions with other women. ¡®Was she jealous?¡¯ N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Justin? Are you even listening to what I¡¯m saying?¡± Zoe asked in a sweet voice. ¡°Stop that.¡± The man spoke in a low voice. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your brother, so don¡¯t call me at random.¡± Zoe was startled. She asked in confusion, ¡°Justin¡­ What do you mean by that? Do you not like it when I call you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Be more careful next time.¡± With that, Justin hung up the phone. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Three days went by in the blink of an eye. Ada Wang finally arrived in Savrow as scheduled, attracting attention both domestically and internationally. On the evening of the banquet, Bethany had picked out a splendid purple haute couture gown for herself. She had meticulously curled her hair and done herself up from head to toe. She radiated the same elegance as always. Naturally, Shannon also attended in her finest attire. She styled her hair in an borate updo, revealing a pair of generously sized emerald earrings and an almost 2-inch-diameter imperial green jade pendant. It was as if she was wearing the value of a mansion around her neck. ¡°Mom, I remember you have a better piece of jade than this one, right? Why don¡¯t you wear that one?¡± Bethany asked curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Just thinking about it gives me heartache!¡± Shannon gritted her teeth and held onto her pendant tightly. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that bitch, Rosalind! I don¡¯t know what the Gold family has been doing to have millions of dors in debt!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have any cash on hand, and the authorities were watching me like a hawk. The boutique has also been without customers for two months now, so I had to reluctantly part with that piece of jade and sell it to help pay off some of the Gold family¡¯s debt!¡± ¡°My goodness! You¡¯re generous. If I were you, I¡¯d be in tears. That was a birthday gift from Dad!¡± Bethany felt the pain for her mother. She asked in confusion, ¡°But I really don¡¯t understand, Mom. Why are you helping the Gold family? It would be better to let those rotten rtives fend for themselves!¡± ¡°Hmph! I wish I could¡­¡± Shannon muttered with a sinister tone. However, when she was grooming Rosalind to cozy up to Justin, Shannon was overambitious and put all her eggs in one basket. It never urred to her that her own actions would backfire, leaving her with nothing but failure. Now, not only did she fail to achieve her goal of controlling Justin, but the pawn she groomed ended up threatening her. Recently, Rosalind had tasted the sweetness of extorting her aunt for money. Just the day before yesterday, Rosalind called Shannon from Meridan to ask for more money. Shannon was so furious that she almost considered hiring a hitman to take Rosalind out. However, killing Rosalind was definitely ast resort. She would not consider it unless it was absolutely necessary. Thus, she promised Rosalind that she would soon find an opportunity to work with Rosalind again and let her return to Savrow. That was how she managed to keep that despicable girl in check. ¡°Mom, how do I look in this outfit?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Bethany happily twirled in ce, wearing the purple evening gown she chose after seeing how handsome Ryan looked in a purple shirt. It was as if, by wearing this, she and Ryan would be in matching outfits. ¡°Tonight, I must be stunning, and I absolutely can¡¯t let down our family¡¯s reputation!¡± ¡°The undisputed star tonight is Ada Wang, a renowned international celebrity. Your chances. of impressing anyone are minimal. You should focus more on Ryan. Your attention should be on him rather thanpeting with those girls. Even if you look more beautiful than them, what¡¯s the point if Ryan doesn¡¯t take another look at you? The doors of the Hoffman family won¡¯t open for you!¡± To Shannon, Rosalind was done for, and Carrie had always been a disappointment. Shannon was d that Bethany did not disgrace their family. She pinned all her hopes on Bethany and used all means to ensure Bethany would marry into a prominent family. A daughter who married well would only make her journey to seize control of Salvador Corporation smoother. ¡°Mom, you can rest assured. This time, I will definitely be Ryan¡¯s wife!¡± Bethany puffed out her chest, full of confidence. Shannon raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Do you have a n?¡± ¡°Mom, Ryan¡¯s younger sister, Zoe, has returned from Inalia. She said she would help me! You should know how much Ryan dotes on his sister. With her assistance, I¡¯m confident I can be her sister-in- law!¡± Bethany became more excited as she spoke, as if she already had one foot in the Hoffman family. ¡°Zoe?¡± Shannon¡¯s slender eyebrows tightened as she recalled the times when Ryan used to bring a little doll to Tideview Manor to meet Justin. That little girl was quite clingy. She seemed to like Justin as well. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no free lunch in this world. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being used?¡± Shannon sat on the sofa, lazily flicking her red nails. ¡°Zoe wouldn¡¯t help you in vain. She must have exchanged some conditions with you, right?¡± ¡°Mom! No wonder Dad loves you so much. You¡¯re really smart!¡± Bethany sat down beside her mother, holding the heavy dress. ¡°Zoe is interested in Justin, so her condition is to marry Justin.¡± ¡°What? This won¡¯t do!¡± Shannon¡¯s voice suddenly became sharp. ¡°Zoe is the daughter of the Hoffman family. If she marries Justin, that bastard will be even more powerful within Salvador Corporation. If that happens, I won¡¯t have any foothold anymore!¡± Chapter 348 Chapter 348 ¡°But Mom, I can also marry into the Hoffman family. It will be equally beneficial for you!¡± Bethany¡¯s face turned pale as she was startled by her mother¡¯s intense reaction. Shannon maintained her silence. She pursed her lips and had a sinister glint in her a moment, she said, ¡°What is the progress between Zoe and Justin?¡± eyes. After ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any significant progress. From what Zoe hinted, Justin seems to be lingering over that little harlot, Be. She doesn¡¯t stand a chance at all,¡± Bethany replied with a disgruntled expression. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s even better,¡± Shannon remarked. ¡°Dear, don¡¯t you understand? This is a great opportunity to sow discord between Justin and Ryan!¡± ¡°Mom, what do you mean?¡± Frustrated, Shannon flicked Bethany¡¯s forehead. ¡°Ryan is the sole heir of the Hoffman Group. Despite Chairman Hoffman¡¯s current control, Ryan has inherited a substantial amount of shares from his father. In the future, the Hoffman Group belongs to him!¡± Shannon continued, ¡°If we use Zoe to create a rift between Ryan and Justin, it¡¯s much more meaningful than bing inws. I understand Justin¡¯s stubborn nature. It¡¯s futile to force anything he doesn¡¯t want on him. So, even if Zoe doesn¡¯t marry him, this will be a thorn in their friendship. They can never go back to the way they were!¡± Realizing this, Bethany looked at Shannon with admiration. Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± Shannonposed herself, hiding her menacing gaze. The door creaked open, and Carrie entered clutching a teddy bear. Upon seeing her sister, Bethany immediately thought of the grudge between them. She wished she could destroy both Carrie and her ugly teddy bear. ¡°Carrie? What are you here for?¡± Shannon asked indifferently. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°M-Mommy¡­¡± Carrie lowered her head and held the teddy bear tightly. She asked in a barely audible voice, ¡°C -Can I attend the banquet tonight?¡± Both Shannon and Bethany were taken aback. They could not recall a time when Carrie had ever asked for something on her own. This was a first. ¡°My dear sister, your innocent facade is finally on the verge of copse, huh?¡± Bethany sneered with a devious grin. ¡°Did you hear that Ryan would be there? You just couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to meet your crush, right? After what happened with Ryanst time, are you unable to resist the urge to throw yourself at him again? Why are you so shameless?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t!¡± Carrie quickly denied any lingering feelings for Ryan and pushed aside the awkward encounter in the bushes. ¡°Carrie, luck won¡¯t always be on your side. And don¡¯t forget, you¡¯ve got some mental illness. Aren¡¯t you afraid of scaring Ryan with your crazy behavior?¡± Bethany expressed disgust with a roll of her eyes. Carrie¡¯s face instantly turned pale. ¡°Carrie, it¡¯s probably best if you skip tonight¡¯s event. Just stay at home. Also..¡± Shannon¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°About what happened between you and Ryan before, I won¡¯t hold it against you. But from now on, don¡¯t cause any more trouble for your sister, or there will be consequences. Understand?¡± ¡°Mommy! I-I just want to meet Ada Wang¡­ I really like her movies!¡± Carrie pleaded as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Who would believe such ame excuse? Mom, don¡¯t fall for her lie. She may look innocent, but deep down, she¡¯s scheming after Ryan!¡± Bethany gritted her teeth, seething with resentment. ¡°Carrie, don¡¯t get in your sister¡¯s way. You¡¯ve caused enough trouble. No more, understand?¡± Shannon commanded with an authoritative tone, as if Carrie was not part of the family. Carrie stood there in confusion with her head hung low. She sniffled pitifully. The neglect from her mother and the hostility from her sister left her feeling like an outcast in her own family. She was the daughter with a mental illness who brought shame to the family. She was an unwee existence and an unnecessary burden. Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Ada Wang¡¯s first visit to Savrow immediately became a big deal in the media. Coupled with the high- profile image of the Salvador family, the headlines in the past three days have been centered around the international superstar and the hotel where she stayed. During this period, the Salvador family¡¯s reputation took a hit in the public eye. Any publicity was good publicity, but the Salvador Hotel was in a particrly tricky situation and could not withstand such negativity. For decades, the Salvador Hotel had maintained a ster reputation as a top-tier brand in Savrow and even across the country. It had been the choice for distinguished guests from various fields like politics, business, the arts, and sports. Even the former President of Orealm always chose to stay at the Salvador Hotel during his visits to Savrow. However, over the past six months, a series of events have dealt a severe blow to the Salvador Hotel¡¯s once-pristine reputation. Now, wheneverizens mentioned the Salvador Hotel, the immediate association was with Justin¡¯s marital scandal and Rosalind¡¯s infamy. Reputation was something that took time to build but could crumble in an instant. Recognizing the urgency, Justin dedicated considerable effort and resources to win over Ada Wang, aiming to salvage the Salvador Hotel¡¯s tarnished image. In this battle, he desired victory even more than Be. At precisely 6:00 p.m., the hotel¡¯s reception area was bustling with journalists and eager fans, all hoping to catch a glimpse of Ada Wang. A luxurious red carpet wasid out, adding a touch of grandeur. ¡°I¡¯m Ada Wang¡¯s biggest fan! I¡¯ve watched all seven of her movies! After a whole decade, I¡¯m finally going to meet the goddess in person!¡± ¡°In the entire Savrow, the only hotel that suits Ada is the Salvador Hotel! KS World Hotel doesn¡¯t compare. Their reputation, facilities, and conditions can¡¯tpete with the Salvador Hotel!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°But recently, the Salvador Hotel¡¯s series of actions have been confusing and unclear¡­¡± ¡°Nevertheless, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the Salvador Hotel is a pioneer in the hotel industry of Savrow!¡± ¡°Ada Wang¡¯s decision to stay here is a recognition of Salvador Hotel¡¯s capabilities!¡± The bodyguard opened the door of the luxurious car. The star of the night, Ada Wang, emerged amidst the cheers of her fans. With a blend of Asian, French, and Italian heritage, Ada possessed curly, dark brown hair, and almond- shaped eyes. Her facial features were prominent and stunning. Standing at 1.76 meters, she could easily stand out in a crowd of women. As it was her first time in Savrow, Ada underestimated the enthusiasm of her fans. Nevertheless, in good spirits, the usually proud superstar smiled and waved at the cheering crowd. ¡°Ada! I¡¯ve grown up watching your movies!¡± ¡°OMG, why doesn¡¯t she age?! She¡¯s unbelievably beautiful!¡± Shielded by her manager and personal bodyguard, Ada made her way into the Salvador Hotel, opting to take a dedicated elevator to the banquet hall. Outside the hall, Justin and Ian awaited her arrival. Upon Ada¡¯s appearance, Justin calmly stepped forward and extended a polite handshake. ¡°Ms. Ada, wee to Savrow.¡± Tonight, Justin was impably dressed in a four-piece suit, radiating elegance and charm. His powerful presence matched that of the superstar. ¡°Hello, Mr. Salvador.¡± Ada greeted him and returned the handshake. ¡°It¡¯s your first time in Savrow. Are you adapting well?¡± Ada shared, ¡°My mother is from here, so you could say that Savrow is where my roots are. Although it¡¯s my first time visiting this city, I fell in love with it the moment I smelled the air here.¡± Justin¡¯s impable image and refined demeanor eased the initial awkwardness, and the two of them walked into the banquet hall engaged in conversation andughter. Inside the hall, the air buzzed with the presence of celebrities, emanating a delightful fragrance. Ada Wang¡¯s entrance triggered excitement, prompting even some A-list celebrities to consider rushing up for a photo with the superstar. After all, Ada was a celebrity who was usually seen only at grand events like the Oscars. Nearly all the female celebrities could not resist sending admiring nces Justin¡¯s way. Now that the annoying ¡°gatekeeper ¡± Rosalind had fallen, numerous elitedies and heiresses in Savrow were eyeing the coveted position of being thedy boss of Salvador Corporation. Justin was undeniably an eligible bachelor. Holding a ss of champagne in hand, Shannon and Bethany found themselves with gloomy expressions. Despite their position in the Salvador family, they had be mere figures in the background. ¡°Mom, we¡¯re also part of the Salvador family. Why should we y second fiddle to Justin?¡± Bethany grumbled indignantly, and Shannon¡¯s face grew tense. As the wife of the chairman of Salvador Corporation and a former movie star, Shannon had grown ustomed to a morous life. She could not tolerate being overlooked. Shannon quickly put on a fake smile, swaying her figure as she approached Justin and Ada. ¡°Ms. Ada, I¡¯ve heard so much about you. You truly live up to your reputation.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± Ada took a quick nce at Justin. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 ¡°I am Shannon Quarry, wife of Chairman Gregory Salvador.¡± Shannon introduced herself with. a hint of arrogance, keeping her head high. ¡°Justin, I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s saying, but there¡¯s no need to trante it for me. because I¡¯m not interested in knowing who she is,¡± Ada replied, not bothering to look at Shannon, and continued chatting with Justin in French. Shannon only understood about a third of the conversation due to her limited proficiency in French. Just as she was about to introduce herself again in French, Justin smiled faintly and said to Ada, ¡°That¡¯s just my intention. There¡¯s no need to introduce irrelevant people to you.¡± This statementpletely baffled Shannon. However, at this moment,ughter erupted around them, and the surrounding conversations were crystal clear to her. ¡°Wow¡­ Ada dared to confront the wife of Chairman Salvador so directly! She¡¯s really brave and bold! I thought she was just acting, but now I see that she¡¯s genuinely being herself!¡± ¡°Oh, this is hrious! Ada Wang is from Meridan. She doesn¡¯t care about the business politics in Savrow at all. How could she possibly care about the wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman?¡± ¡°Exactly! Shannon¡¯s big talk won¡¯t impress Ada!¡± Hearing the mockingments, Shannon¡¯s face turned red and then pale. The wrinkles around her eyes deepened. However, she was extremely concerned about her reputation and unwilling to swallow her pride. She put on a forced smile and said, ¡°Ms. Ada, as you may know, our hotel and KS World Hotel have always beenpetitors. Your choice to attend our banquet tonight is a recognition of the Salvador Hotel. As thedy boss of Salvador Corporation, I feel extremely honored.¡¯ Justin¡¯s expression remained cool and distant. ¡®Thedy boss of Salvador Corporation? She certainly knew how to tter herself.¡¯ The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Ian quickly tranted Shannon¡¯s words for Ada, hoping to stir up some trouble. ¡°No, I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± Ada shook her head after listening. ¡°KS World Hotel and Salvador Hotel are both excellent establishments. I chose to attend this banquet tonight not because the Salvador Hotel is superior to the KS World Hotel, but because Justin has impressed me through his actions and charisma.¡± As these words were spoken, Shannon¡¯s cheeks burned as if she had been pped in the face. Ada Wang might have appeared haughty, but in reality, she was quite shrewd. If she had agreed with Shannon, it would mean that she admitted the Salvador Hotel¡¯s superiority over the KS World Hotel. This would not only belittle KS World Hotel but also offend KS Group, one of the global Fortune 500 companies. This would leave Ada with no way out and force her to continue letting the Salvador Hotel host her wedding. Ada was not, that foolish to easily fall into this woman¡¯s trap. In the slightly tense atmosphere, the doors of the banquet hall swung open. Zoe, dressed in a million- dor Swarovski crystal-studded pink evening gown, walked in gracefully, resembling a floral fairy. ¡°Is she Christian¡¯s apprentice?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not just a pianist. She¡¯s also the younger sister of Ryan Hoffman, heir of the Hoffman Group!¡± ¡°Ryan¡¯s younger sister?! Doesn¡¯t that make her my future sister-inw?!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then who¡¯s my future sister-inw? Bethany? Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t really like that woman. She looks annoying.¡± On the other side, Bethany sneezed. Upon Zoe¡¯s arrival, Bethany¡¯s eyes scanned the scene like radar, eagerly searching for Ryan. However, her hopes were dashed. She felt that her rtionship with Zoe was truly shallow. Zoe noticed that the attention of the crowd shifted from Ada Wang to her, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of pride. In fact, she had worked hard to persuade Justin to let her y the piano, aiming to quickly gain fame in Savrow¡¯s upper ss and carve her own identity in the Hoffman family. She did not want people to associate the Hoffman family solely with her brother, Ryan. She aimed to be an undeniable presence. With a sweet smile, she walked toward Justin, lifting the hem of her dress. However, Justin¡¯s indifferent gaze left her feeling uneasy. Suddenly, a sharp and steady click of high heels echoed from outside the door. It sounded so familiar to Justin. Justin¡¯s heart tightened abruptly as his gaze fixed on the door without blinking. His breathing instantly became chaotic. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Behind Zoe was the grand door to the banquet hall. From her perspective, it seemed like Justin¡¯s gaze was fixated on her. ¡°Justin.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement as she approached him. Suddenly, a strong scent of roses filled the air-vibrant, bold, and a tad dangerous. Click, click, click! The sharp and forceful clicks of high heels passed by Zoe, making her heart race. The intense presence felt so overwhelming that she hesitated to even breathe. Everyone was stunned, especially Justin, who remained frozen in ce. His ink-ck pupils locked onto Be¡¯s cold and delicate face. Her eyebrows formed a picturesque arch, and her face bore the chill of frost. Only her lips, painted in fiery red, moved like mes, dancing restlessly on Justin¡¯s heart. Be¡¯s tailored ck suit bestowed upon her an understated elegance. Yet, with delicate features that couldn¡¯t go unnoticed, she naturally stood out in the crowd. Those around her quickly engaged in discussions about Be¡¯s unexpected presence. Shannon and Bethany shuddered upon seeing the appearance of this uninvited guest. Suddenly, a low exmation could be heard. ¡°I know who she is! Several well-known magazines and websites interviewed her some time ago. She¡¯s the daughter of Wyatt Thompson, chairman of the KS Group! She¡¯s now the general manager of the KS World Hotel.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I remember now! Her name is Be Thompson!¡± ¡°Is she the one who has been challenging Mr. Salvador? This woman is stunning, but she doesn¡¯t seem like an easy opponent.¡± ¡°Just look at her sharp eyes. I can tell at a nce that she¡¯s a strong career woman. She just exudes power and elegance, like a queen!¡± ¡°Yeah, I think she and Mr. Salvador make a perfect match. Why be enemies when they could be a power couple?¡± When Justin heard these nonsensical words, his heart still simmered with undisclosed anger. Surprisingly, upon hearing thest sentence, his frown softened a bit. Inexplicably, that sounded pleasant to his ears. As Be walked past Zoe and stole all the attention that belonged to her, Zoe¡¯s anger reached a boiling point. The corners of her eyes turned scarlet, and she felt as if her soul had momentarily left her body. Yet, what stung Zoe even more was the fiery intensity in Justin¡¯s gaze, which was fixed on Be at that very moment. In her memory, his eyes were usually as somber as a deep pool. She had never witnessed him looking at a woman with such passion and desire. ¡®Did he still harbor feelings for Be? Could he be in love with her?¡¯ N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Ms. Wang, Mr. Salvador, I hope you don¡¯t mind me showing up uninvited.¡± Be stood before them with calm grace. Her red lips curled into a warm and soothing smile. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t mind if you join us, Ms. Thompson. I wee your presence.¡± Justin responded with a hint ofplexity, curling his lips slightly. ¡°If I had known you were Be, smiling with wide-open eyes, replied, ¡°Why bother? Mr. Salvador, you should know that if I show up at this time, I¡¯m definitely not here to attend the dinner.¡± Justin¡¯s cold and handsome face suddenly darkened. Sweat dripped down Ian¡¯s forehead, and he quickly took out his phone to message the security guards outside. [Ian: What¡¯s going on?!] [Security: Sorry, Mr. Harris! We don¡¯t know where Ms. Thompson came from¡­] [Ian: What kind of excuse is that?! Did she pop out from the ground?!] [Security: It¡¯s our negligence. We¡¯ll escort Ms. Thompson out right away!] Chapter 352 Chapter 352 [Ian: Are you out of your mind?! Thatdy is the daughter of Hatchbay¡¯s wealthiest man, Wyatt Thompson. She¡¯s also someone Mr. Salvador cares a lot about! If you dare touch her, Mr. Salvador will eat you alive! Pay more attention to the surroundings and report any issues. promptly!] ¡°OMG!¡± Ada Wang suddenly covered her mouth in a gasp as her eyes brightened. ¡°Ms. Thompson, the brooch you¡¯re wearing on your chest¡­ Is that Alexa¡¯s creation, ¡®The Twilight God¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. This brooch is indeed ¡®The Twilight God¡¯,¡± Be replied with a smile. Due to Be¡¯s striking looks, everyone was busy watching her and did not notice the yellow- diamond brooch adorning her chest-¡°The Twilight God¡±. It won gold in the International Jewelry Design Competition. ¡°Jewelry designed by Alexa?! Dazzling! I really want to touch it!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the news before? This brooch is valued at over a billion dors! The 10-carat yellow diamond alone is worth tens of millions of dors. It¡¯s a dream treasure for countless jewelry collectors!¡± ¡°This extravagance is expected of the daughter of Hatchbay¡¯s richest man!¡± ¡°That piece of jade on Shannon¡¯s neck is also quite valuable, but it¡¯sckingpared to Alexa¡¯s work.¡± Shannon was infuriated. She choked and stifled a cough. ¡®Lacking?!¡¯ Gregory purchased this imperial green jadeite for Shannon. It was the most presentable piece. among all her jewelry, but those people dare say it wascking?! In her heart, Shannon cursed Rosalind and the Gold family. If she had not paid off the Gold family¡¯s debts, she would not have suffered such mockery tonight. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I¡¯ve always been searching for ¡®The Twilight God¡¯. Two years ago, after witnessing its charm at an exhibition, I just couldn¡¯t forget about it. I never expected to find it in your possession!¡± Ada could not help but sigh with admiration. Zoe¡¯s anger filled her chest. Her sharp gaze was like a dagger that almost pierced through Be. She could not decide what to envy about this woman first-Be¡¯s beautiful features or the fact that she wore jewelry that even international superstars couldn¡¯t obtain. Or perhaps Zoe envied the intense gaze from Justin that Be received. ¡°Two years ago, I was at a low point in my life and couldn¡¯t get over the grief, so I thought about buying some jewelry as a pick-me-up.¡± Be gently smiled and said nonchntly, ¡°Coincidentally, I saw this piece at the exhibition and fell in love with it the moment I saw it. My bad mood was instantly healed. So I bought it without hesitation.¡±/ Her words stirred Justin¡¯s heart and lungs like a knife, to the point he dared not look into Be¡¯s bright eyes. Two years ago was precisely when he was busy running around for Rosalind, creating ¡°The ming Heart¡¯. Whatever Rosalind desired, Justin would eagerly present it to her as a surprise, even if she did not ask for it. Yet Justin remained indifferent to whatever Be desired. Justin continued to gaze deeply at Be, but she never spared him more than a nce. It seemed that she still resented him. Her resentment toward him meant that she had not gotten over him. ¡°Jewelry personally designed by Alexa is something you can¡¯t buy with money!¡± Ada looked at Be with admiration and said, ¡°This is evident that you must be passionate about charity and public welfare, Ms. Thompson.¡± Be smiled gracefully, lowered her gaze, and took off the expensive ¡®Twilight God¡¯ from her chest. She pulled a silk handkerchief from her pocket, ced the brooch in her palm, and offered it to Ada with both hands. ¡°Ms. Thompson, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I think ¡®The Twilight God¡¯ suits your heroic and unquestionable temperament better, Ms. Wang. I hope you don¡¯t mind me gifting this brooch to you at our first meeting.¡± Shock and astonishment spread among the crowd. Bethany, Shannon, and Zoe gaped in disbelief. This was jewelry worth millions of dors, yet Be did not even flinch when she gave it away casually. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Only a crazy rich person would do this! Justin tightly pursed his lips together. The palm of his clenched fist oozed sweat. ¡®Be, what kind of trick are you ying this time?!¡¯ Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Ada felt a surge of surprise and excitement, almost at a loss for words! She had pleaded with everyone she knew to help her get a piece of jewelry designed by Alexa, but so far, nothing has worked out. In a surprising turn of events, Be presented her with Alexa¡¯s brooch as a gift. Thus, Ada was thrilled. ¡°No, no, no¡­ Ms. Thompson, I appreciate your kindness, but this gift is too precious. I really can¡¯t ept it,¡± Ada expressed. Despite genuinely liking it, she hesitated out of pride and politely declined. ¡°The brooch once consoled my wounded soul, but now I havepletely emerged from the shadows, and in the future, I will never tread the same path again.¡± Be smiled lightly, her gaze incredibly resolute. ¡°So, this gift is more of a beautiful wish. It once helped me ovee my sadness, and I hope this little thing will bring you the best of luck in the future.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Justin¡¯s pupils contracted. He felt a piercing pain, as if his chest had been struck. His heart ached and went numb. The fleeting hidden joy from moments ago was ruthlessly extinguished by Be with a bucket of icy water, chilling to the core. ¡°Oh! Well then¡­ Ms. Thompson, I¡¯ll ept your generous gift. Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.¡± Ada eximed, cradling the brooch that Be had once again bestowed with sacred value. Her grin was so wide that she could not close her mouth. Goodness, was this still the aloof international superstar? What a drastic transformation! ¡°Why?!¡± Bethany could not contain her anger as she turned to Shannon and said, ¡°Mom, our family has spent a fortune to set up this stage. Why should we let this wretched woman show off here? It¡¯s just a worthless brooch. We can afford to give her the same! You should think of a solution to get that bitch out of here!¡± ¡°A solution? Why should I bothering up with a solution?¡± Shannon¡¯s eyes darkened as her lips curled into a sinister smile. ¡°Be is a jinx. Just now, that bastard used Ada to mock me. Now, he¡¯s getting what he deserves.¡± Though Bethany felt annoyed, she could not help but be suspicious. Before the divorce, Be used to be terrified of Justin, like a startled bird. A slight furrow in his brows would make her feel troubled for days. Now, after the divorce, it seemed like she hadpletely turned the tables, toying with Justin at her fingertips. If Be had disyed this skill earlier, Rosalind might not even be in the picture. ¡°Ms. Be Thompson!¡± Zoe finally became indignant, thinking herself righteous as she stepped in front of Be. With a fake smile, she said, ¡°Of all the times you could present Ms. Wang with your gift, why choose tonight at the Salvadors¡¯ weing banquet? Are you trying to steal the limelight?¡± When Justin saw Zoe unnecessarily defending him, his eyes darkened. ¡°If presenting a gift is stealing the limelight from Mr. Salvador, I think that you might be underestimating Mr. Salvador¡¯s charm, Ms. Hoffman.¡± Be narrowed her beautiful eyes. ¡°The Salvadors are the hosts of this weing banquet. Mr. Salvador is right here to witness everything, and he hasn¡¯t objected to anything. Ms. Hoffman, don¡¯t you think that you are overstepping your boundaries as a guest?¡± Zoe was so enraged that her eyes seemed ready to spew fire, but with so many people watching, she could not afford to lose herposure. Be let out a faint sigh and said apologetically to Ada, ¡°Ms. Wang, it seems I¡¯m not very wee here, and I understandpletely. After all, Salvador Corporation and KS Group have always been business rivals. My appearance is indeed abrupt. Since I¡¯ve delivered my gift, I won¡¯t intrude any longer. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± With that, she turned to leave. ¡°Ms. Thompson, wait!¡± Ada hurriedly approached Be. ¡°I would like to have an in-depth discussion with you about Alexa Jewelry. Do you have time tonight?¡± ¡°Of course. KS World Hotel has prepared exquisite Savrow cuisine and fine wine for you, Ms. Wang. Why don¡¯t we chat over dinner?¡± Be replied. The crowd was stunned. Be Thompson¡¯s audacity was astonishing. She was openly poaching the star of the show at the Salvadors¡¯ event! Justin felt a pang in his chest. Just as he was about to stop Ada, Ada happened to nce at him and offer him a slightly apologetic smile. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I have some unexpected matters to attend to, so I¡¯m afraid I have to leave early tonight. I wish you all a pleasant time ahead.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. Was that all Ada had to say?! This woman, just as rumored, only did as she pleased. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I don¡¯t mind arranging another seat at the table for you. Would you like to join the feast?¡± Be smiled and extended an invitation to Justin, but there was no hint of warmth in her eyes. Justin clenched his teeth, his heart pounding against his ribs. Just as he was about to say something, Be suddenlyughed. ¡°Well, with so many guests here tonight, it seems you already have your hands full, Mr. Salvador. Perhaps next time, if there¡¯s a chance.¡± Chapter 354 Chapter 354 In front of all the attendees, Be left the banquet hall with Ada Wang as if they were long- lost friends. The entire venue fell into an awkward and suffocating silence. Justin stared intensely at Be¡¯s delicate figure with red eyes. Last time, she snatched his project. This time, she snatched his guest. He thought, ¡®Be, you¡¯re not at all like a wealthy heiress, but rather like a bandit who forcefully takes what she wants! You¡¯re really something!¡¯ Justin instinctively covered his chest, feeling an emptiness inside, as if Be had also taken something on the inside. At the entrance of the Salvador Hotel, a few reporters remained gathered. Logically, Ada would have already checked in, and after the banquet, she should have gone straight back to the presidential suite to rest. These reporters waiting here seemed to be wasting their time and should have gone home long ago. However, the number of reporters did not seem much less than before the banquet started, which was unusual. The reason being that these reporters were all tipped by Steven under the pretext of ¡°a guarantee of shocking news¡±. Some reporters had be impatient andined about waiting. ¡°Why are we waiting here in this freezing weather? What other big story could happen tonight?¡± ¡°I guess KS Group isn¡¯t going to give up and wants to make somest-ditch effort.¡± ¡°What can they do if they don¡¯t give up? This is Savrow, not Hatchbay. A foreign behemoth can¡¯t necessarily suppress a local top dog. Anyway, the Salvador family is the top dog in Savrow, and KS Group is just an outsider. They¡¯re bound to face difficulties. Moreover, how could Be Thompson compete with Mr. Salvador?¡± ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re spot on! Mr. Salvador might be a fool in matters of the heart, but in business, he¡¯s top- notch. KS Group can¡¯t hold a candle to Salvador Corporation in Savrow!¡± Suddenly, a loud honk startled everyone. The reporters turned to look in the direction of the headlights, only to see a dark green, top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce slowly approaching. It smoothly came to a halt in front of the hotel entrance. Seeing this fancy car, the reporters thought another celebrity had arrived and began vigorously taking photos. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. When the car door opened, Steven, dressed in a well-fitted suit, descended. The shes abruptly stopped, leaving the journalists disappointed. Although this man was quite handsome, good looks alone couldn¡¯t make headlines. ¡°Ah! Ada Wang! Ada Wang ising out!¡± Someone in the crowd shouted. The reporters¡¯ attention once again focused on the hotel entrance. Steven had opened the door to the backseat. His gaze was focused in the same direction everyone else was staring. Be and Ada strolled side-by-side as the camera shes became frantic. ¡°What?! Ada Wang left the Salvadors¡¯ party for Be?!¡± ¡°The banquet hasn¡¯t even started yet, but their guest of honor has already been stolen away. Mr. Salvador must be so embarrassed!¡± ¡°OMG! This is a huge headline! Thepetition between Salvador Corporation and KS Group is truly sensational. Hurry, take pictures!¡± The shes turned the night into day. Tonight, the spotlight on the Salvador Hotelpletely shifted to Be. The trending topic online had quickly changed from #AdaWangCheckingInAtSalvadorHotel to #BeThompsonWithAdaWang. Just as Be was about to get into the car, a reporter loudly asked a pointed question. ¡°Ms. Thompson! You¡¯re taking away Mr. Salvador¡¯s distinguished guest so openly. Isn¡¯t this hical interception?¡± Be paused. Her sharp and fierce gaze lifted and instantly intimidated the reporter who had asked the question. Although she looked demure, she was actually quite imposing. ¡°Just because Ms. Wang chooses to stay at the Salvador Hotel doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t invite her to dinner.¡± Be smiled and continued, ¡°Mr. Salvador is magnanimous and open-minded. He has shown no objection to this, so you all specting about this just makes it seem like he¡¯s quite petty, doesn¡¯t it?¡± With that, Be entered the car. The Rolls-Royce¡¯s engine roared to life and left everyone in the dust. Chapter 355 Chapter 355 At the ballroom, the banquet proceeded. However, Ada Wang¡¯s departure with Be somewhat dampened the guests¡¯ enthusiasm. Initially, Zoe had dressed extravagantly to showcase her talents in front of an international superstar. Now, with Ada gone, she had no stage to perform on, and all her preparations were in vain. ¡®This is all Be¡¯s fault!¡¯ Zoe thought. Outside the banquet hall, Justin stood by the French windows, an icy aura emanating from him like a frozen sculpture. He stared intensely in the direction the Rolls-Royce departed. Breathing heavily, his fists clenched tightly in the shadows. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I hate to say it, but it seems like we have been outyed by Ms. Thompson,¡± Ian said cautiously as he wiped the sweat from his brow. ¡°The trending topics now are all about KS Group. Plus, the news of Ms. Thompson taking Ada Wang away has already spread. Even the chairman knows about it.¡± ¡°Now, everyone is questioning the Salvador Hotel, saying we should not have taken on something beyond our capabilities and doubting whether the overall standard of our hotel has declined,¡± Ian continued. The anticipated oue of Be¡¯s clever move hade to fruition. Be¡¯s strategy left her opponent with no breathing room. Justin gazed wistfully at the tail lights of the Rolls-Royce until they were no longer visible. He asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Why the sudden change? Weren¡¯t you used to calling her ¡®Young Madam¡¯?¡± Ian took in a sharp breath, looking a bit flustered. ¡°I call her ¡®Ms. Thompson¡¯ because she¡¯s bullying you¡­ ¡®Young Madam¡¯ is reserved for when she¡¯s not bullying you.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s just a title. Call her what you want.¡± Justin sighed. His gaze deepened. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not really upset. Be has always been like this, hasn¡¯t she?¡± Ian was surprised. Every time Justin faced off with Be, Justin always gritted his teeth in anger. This time, why was he so calm after such a significant incident? Ian thought, ¡®Does Mr. Salvador have some hidden masochistic tendency?¡¯ ¡°Every guest needed an invitation to enter the banquet hall, and the hotel had strict security surveince. How did Be manage to get in?¡± Justin could not help but feel curious. ¡°Um¡­ I heard that just before the Young Madam entered, there was a brief malfunction in the surveince system. But the hotel¡¯swork equipment was serviced a few days ago, so it couldn¡¯t have gone bad so quickly. We suspect it might be a hacker attack or some kind of virus.¡± ¡°A hacker?¡± Justin frowned. Justin thought, ¡®Could Be have been behind this too? Did she have that capability? Or had her brother, once again, yed a part in making things worse?¡¯ ¡°Justin!¡± A sweet voice disrupted Justin¡¯s thoughts. Seeing Zoe rush toward him, he frowned even harder. His mood did not improve, even when he turned to face her. ¡°Be is outrageous! How dare she take Ada away in front of you? It¡¯s almost like she wants to humiliate you. She clearly doesn¡¯t have any regard for you!¡± Zoe stomped her foot and took the opportunity to vent her frustration about Be. She understood that men, especially those with high status like Justin, were sensitive about their reputation. They couldn¡¯t tolerate anyone challenging their authority. However, Justin¡¯s response drained the color from her face. ¡°You just met her yesterday, so you don¡¯t understand her. Be has always been like this. She never really cared about my position.¡± ¡°Justin, what are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. I don¡¯t mind it at all.¡± Justin turned to look at Zoe coldly, a hint of displeasure in his eyes. ¡°Ms. Hoffman, I find your actions tonight rather puzzling.¡± The two words ¡®Ms. Hoffman¡¯ felt like iron rods stabbing her heart, rendering her almost immobile. Justin felt so distant from her. Was he trying to distance himself from her?! ¡°This is the Salvadors¡¯ banquet, and I am present. Regardless, you shouldn¡¯t have been the one standing up for the Salvadors.¡± ¡°But Justin, I was just trying to help you out!¡± Zoe¡¯s anxiousness almost made her voice tremble. She clutched Justin¡¯s arm. ¡°Are we really going to let that wicked woman run wild at your banquet, let her take away your guest, and turn the Salvadors into a joke in Savrow? She¡¯s too arrogant. Why does she think she can act so recklessly? Just because she¡¯s your ex-wife?!¡± As her words trailed off, Zoe panicked, realizing she might have said too much. Sure enough, Justin¡¯s brow twitched. ¡°I¡¯ve been married. That¡¯s not a secret. But who told you that Be is my ex-wife?¡± ¡°Ryan did!¡± Zoe lied, her voice sounding strained. ¡°Bethany told you, right?¡± Zoe did not dare answer and bit down on her lips. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 ¡°That is Be and my private matters. No one else has the right to interfere. She¡¯s started a new life, so please stop bringing up her past connection to me,¡± Justin said sternly. Zoe¡¯s heartbeat pounded like a drum, resentment building. The undertone of Justin¡¯s words. was clearly speaking in defense of Be. ¡®He was protecting her privacy, wasn¡¯t he?¡¯ ¡°Ada Wang has left. If you don¡¯t want to perform for the guests tonight, I can send you home. at any time.¡± Justin looked away from Zoe¡¯s pale face, pulled back his arm, and left without as much as a second nce. Ian clicked his tongue twice, contemptuously stealing a nce at Zoe. He could not help but wonder if this girl with a sharp tongue was really Ryan¡¯s younger sister. Somehow, she seemed a bit irritating, almost like she was asking for trouble. ¡°Justin! Justin! Justin Salvador!¡± The first two calls went unanswered. Justin did not stop until Zoe used his full name. ¡°Are you defending Be because you¡¯ve fallen in love with her? Are you still not over her?¡± Her voice trembled with anger. ¡°No, I don¡¯t love her,¡± Justin replied without hesitation, as if he were afraid that even the slightest dy would reveal some truth he was not aware of. ¡°Then why do you keep speaking up for her? She doesn¡¯t love you. She toyed with you, took what belongs to you, and then ruined the banquet you¡¯ve worked hard to arrange!¡± ¡°She¡¯s rotten to the core! She¡¯s caused nothing but harm to you. Why do you side with her?¡± Zoe¡¯s voice became increasingly hysterical as she spoke. She did not have Rosalind¡¯s skill at disguising her emotions. After all, being the cherished daughter of the Hoffman family, Zoe had always gotten whatever she desired. So, she spoke her mind and did as she pleased. Now, for the first time, she had a taste of frustration. The closer she tried to get to Justin, the more he seemed to retreat, distancing himself from her. When he turned to look at her, his gaze was almost devoid of any warmth. ¡°You¡¯ve never been married. You probably don¡¯t understand the respect that couples have for each other. Be was my wife once, so I showed her mercy. What¡¯s the problem with that?¡± His words pierced through Zoe like an arrow to the heart. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t love her, she was once my wife. I¡¯m the only one who can speak poorly of her. No one else has that right.¡± Cold rain began to fall from the night sky. Carrie sneaked out of Tideview Manor, holding a small teddy bear close to her chest. She walked in the wind and rain before finally hailing a taxi. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. By the time she made it to the Salvador Hotel, Carrie¡¯s thin white cotton dress was already soaked. However, the little bear in her arms remained perfectly dry, untouched by the rain. Suffering from severe social anxiety, Carrie dared not enter through the front door and could only sneak in through the back door of her family¡¯s hotel. Carrie avoided all the elegantly dressed guests, fidgeting as she hurriedly walked through the corridor. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Carrie abruptly halted, her heart pounding in her chest. Despite being Gregory Salvador¡¯s youngest daughter, at that moment, she felt like a thief. Two patrolling bodyguards approached, disdainfully scrutinizing Carrie for her disheveled appearance and in clothing. ¡°This hotel is hosting an important banquet tonight. Stay away!¡± ¡°I¡­ I want to see Ada Wang¡­ Please, let me see her. Just one look, and I¡¯ll leave!¡± Carrie pleaded pitifully. ¡°No! You¡¯re not allowed to enter without an invitation. Hurry up and leave!¡± The bodyguard said harshly, reaching out to shoo her away. ¡°Look around you! Do you think this is a ce for poor students like you? Hurry up and get lost!¡± Carrie truly liked Ada Wang, so she was extremely determined. Whatever she set her mind to, she would do it, no matter how difficult. Gritting her teeth, Carrie hugged the teddy bear tightly, took a few steps back, and rammed into the bodyguard. ¡°Ah!¡± The fragile Carrie was caught by the burly bodyguard. He flung her, along with the teddy bear, away. Carrie closed her eyes and braced for impact, but she did not fall to the ground. Instead, shended in a firm and familiar embrace. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Carrie¡¯s little face paled as her entire body flew straight into the man¡¯s arms. Ryan lowered his eyes, feeling a coolness in his chest. His longshes trembled slightly. The dampness from her body blended with his warm skin through his thin ck shirt. His breath grew heavy as his arms instinctively tightened around her. ¡°Carrie?¡± Ryan called to her in a low and hoarse voice. Carrie tightly shut her eyes, clutching his smoothpel and not saying a word. Ryan could not help but suppress a chuckle. He softly inquired, ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± She rested her forehead against his chest and shook her head. A sense of pity welled up in his heart. The two security guards, upon witnessing Ryan¡¯s grand arrival, immediately straightened up. They hurriedly bowed respectfully and greeted, ¡°Good evening, Mr. Hoffman!¡± ¡°What was the meaning of that?¡± Ryan asked in azy tone, still holding Carrie.. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, just a minor issue.¡± The security guard, who was previously rude toward Carrie, now smiled with great enthusiasm. ¡°This youngdy is a fan of Ms. Ada Wang, and she insisted on entering without an invitation. We tried to persuade her, but she wouldn¡¯t listen, so¡­¡± ¡°So, you resorted to brute force?¡± Ryan scowled. ¡°Well, not exactly. We were just doing our job by keeping her out.¡± The bodyguard evaded the question, not willing to admit they had bullied a young girl. Ryan smirked, then whispered softly into Carrie¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you want me to help you settle the score?¡± Carrie, still not daring to look at Ryan, nodded slightly but quickly shook her head. Ryan gave a slight smile as his right hand slipped into his wine-red velvet suit, retrieving his phone to dial Justin¡¯s number. ¡°Hey Justin, can I deal with your employees?¡± Upon hearing that, the two bodyguards exchanged confused nces. Ryan slowly moved his hand to the back of Carrie¡¯s neck, gently stroking her damp hair. ¡± Good, I¡¯ll handle it then.¡± After ending the call, Ryan steadied Carrie on her feet and raised his hand, gesturing forward. Suddenly, the well-trained bodyguards from the Hoffman family stepped forward, surrounding the two confused Salvador Hotel bodyguards. Carrie, unaware of what was happening, stared nkly as Ryan put his hand into his pocket. With a nk expression, he walked into the circle as the Hoffman bodyguards closed in around him, obscuring him from view. ¡°Ah-!¡± ¡°Oof-!¡± The Hoffman bodyguards formed a seamless and imprable barrier, so Carrie could not see what Ryan was doing, but she could hear screams that made her shudder. After what felt like a lifetime, Ryan finally stopped and coldly red at the two battered men kneeling before him. He took a handkerchief from a bodyguard and casually wiped the blood off his hands. ¡°If you can¡¯t even recognize Ms. Salvador, then what¡¯s the point of keeping your eyes?¡± The two terrified bodyguards trembled as they looked toward Carrie. Then, in unison, they bowed in front of Carrie with their heads touching the floor. ¡°Ms. Salvador, forgive us! Forgive us, please! We¡¯ve been ignorant! Please spare us!¡± In Savrow, everyone knew that the Hoffman family was involved in both legal and shady dealings. Offending the Hoffman family meant a bleak future in Savrow. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this small matter. There¡¯s no need to trouble your boss,¡± Ryan dered. His eyes still held a hint of amusement as he casually tossed the soiled handkerchief onto their faces. ¡°Leave Salvador Corporation and get out of Savrow. If my people catch sight of you in this territory again, you won¡¯t be leaving with your limbs attached.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Hoffman! Thank you!¡± The two men were escorted out by the Hoffman bodyguards, who sobbed and thanked Ryan profusely. Carrie pressed her lips together, standing timidly in ce. Ryan approached her again, bending down to meet her eyes with a mischievous look on his face. ¡°Carrie, you¡¯re quite mysterious. Even your family¡¯s employees didn¡¯t recognize you.¡¯ ¡°Did you have to go that far?¡± Carrie murmured softly, taking a small step back. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 ¡°Did I push it too far?¡± Ryan questioned, his eyes narrowing. Carrie nced downward and nodded in response. ¡°Well, I still think it wasn¡¯t sufficient.¡± Observing her pitiable expression, Ryan couldn¡¯t help but pat her head. ¡°You¡¯re Justin¡¯s sister, and they were mistreating you! Of course, I had to stand up for you. That was me being gentle because I didn¡¯t want to frighten you.¡± ¡®So warm. Soforting.¡¯ Carrie, feeling the warmth of Ryan¡¯s hand on her head, could not resist shrugging her shoulders and purring like a kitten. Coincidentally, Bethany walked out of the banquet hall and witnessed the entire incident. She never expected her usually obedient sister toe all the way here.¡± Bethany thought, ¡®That little slut! I turn my back for a moment, and she¡¯s already trying to seduce my man. How audacious!¡¯ Bethany, furious and wide-eyed, took a step forward but hesitated when she noticed Ryan still present. She did not want to act impulsively and risk further alienating her crush. After all, she had picked up a few tricks after spending all that time with Rosalind. At the very least, she was moreposed than before. Thus, she hid in the shadows and observed them. Ryan noticed Bethany¡¯s damp hair and the mud-spattered white dress. He removed his luxurious red velvet suit and draped it over Carrie¡¯s slender shoulders. Bethany gritted her teeth, seething with jealousy at the sight of Ryan¡¯s caring gesture toward that fool. Her face was twisted with jealousy. ¡°Why are you in such a state? Didn¡¯t your driver bring you here?¡± Ryan inquired with concern. ¡°I came here secretly. No one knows,¡± Carrie replied honestly. ¡°Secretly?¡± Ryan frowned, perplexed. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Carrie did not know Ryan¡¯s name, nor did she remember the passionate kisses under the starry sky that night on Nigel¡¯s birthday. ¡°Carrie, my name is Ryan Hoffman. I¡¯m your brother¡¯s best friend.¡± Ryan¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°You can call me Ryan.¡± ¡®Ryan¡­ Ryan?!¡¯ Carrie recalled Bethany¡¯s threats and abuse, every word circling this man¡¯s name. ¡®Is he that Ryan?!¡¯ Fear struck her like lightning, but Ryan remained oblivious to her unease. Instead, he firmly held her cold hand and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to bring you a change of clothes.¡± ¡°No, No need¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy with me. Your brother and I are best friends, so his sister is like my sister. Come on, let me find someone to help you change.¡± Ryan guided her forward, still holding her hand. ¡®Ryan¡­ Ryan.¡¯ Carrie was not naive. Being led by an unfamiliar man made her ufortable, yet she did not. dare to resist. She tightened her hand in his palm and asked, ¡°Do you treat my sister the same way you treat me? She¡¯s also Justin¡¯s sister¡­¡± ¡°Bethany? Is she worth it?¡¯ Ryan thought. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No.¡± Ryan lowered his gaze, looking at her intently with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m only like this with you.¡± Bethany heard every word and felt ready to explode. Her gaze turned into knives, slicing through Carrie. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Ryan booked a presidential suite at the hotel and instructed his female secretary to swiftly purchase a discreet evening gown for Carrie to change into as soon as possible. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. As Carrie entered the room to change, he remained seated on the sofa, crossing his legs and tapping on his knee. If he had opted for a ck suit for the evening, he might have resembled a groom patiently awaiting his bride to try on wedding dresses. Before long, the door opened. The secretary warmly smiled as Carrie shyly emerged from the room. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, Ms. Salvador is ready.¡± Ryanzily turned his head and observed Carrie approaching him hesitantly, elegantly dressed in a wine-redce evening gown. Her eyes sparkled with innocence, subtly tinged with a hint of confusion. He was momentarily taken aback, and his gaze subtly deepened. In Ryan¡¯s world of extravagance and debauchery, he had encountered a myriad of women, but never before had he beheld eyes so untainted. Ryan¡¯s gaze appeared to linger for a moment too long, staining her innocent eyes. ¡°Tsk, why did you choose such an old-fashioned color? She¡¯s so young! Shouldn¡¯t she wear something more youthful?¡± Ryan chastised his secretary, though his gaze was fixed on Carrie¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ve been with me for so long. Why is your taste still so unrefined?¡± The secretary knew that Ryan was seeminglyid-back but meticulous about the smallest details. She blushed shyly and was about to apologize. Carrie spoke candidly. ¡°Ryan, I really like this color, but red doesn¡¯t suit you at all. It makes you look dark¡­¡± The female secretary behind Carrie looked visibly startled. Ryan¡¯s expression darkened at that moment. Apart from Be, no woman had dared to openly critique him in such a manner. Truth be told, he was confident in his looks and considered himself second to none. nationwide. Only Justin dared to im the top spot! ¡°Considering you¡¯re Justin¡¯s little sister, I¡¯ll let it slide,¡± Ryan admitted, feeling uneasy. His voice was slightly stiff. ¡°Ryan, are you angry?¡± Carrie asked, genuinely concerned. Feeling a bit flustered, Carrie timidly continued, ¡°So, if I were to say that you look like a ball of coal in red, would you scold me or hit me?¡± The female secretary could no longer contain herself and covered her mouth before bursting into laughter. Ryan, the heartthrob of countless women, had been dubbed a ball of coal in the eyes of this girl. How audacious of her! Ryan widened his eyes, struggling to catch his breath. He was so furious that he almost choked. He approached Carrie calmly, his tall figure casting a shadow over her. It made her and her teddy bear seem small and helpless. Bending down slowly, he raised his hand. Carrie instinctively closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the teddy bear. A gentle smile spread across Ryan¡¯s lips, and he lightly flicked her forehead with his fingertips. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m going to hit you. Did that hurt?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Carrie rubbed her forehead with her hand and shook her head. ¡°Next time, if you dare mock me again, I won¡¯t go easy on you,¡± Ryan yfully scolded, as if teasing a child. The chaos caused by Be required Justin to step out and handle it. Thus, he left the banquet in Ian¡¯s capable hands and temporarily left the hotel. With Ada Wang taken away by Be and Justin absent, Zoe felt her carefullyid-out ns fall apart. Frustrated, she downed two sses of wine. Then, with an annoyed huff, she walked up to the stage and sat at the piano. Initially, the guests were engaged in casual conversation, paying no attention to this resentful woman. Suddenly- A loud ¡°ng¡± echoed as Zoe angrily pressed down on the piano keys, startling everyone. All eyes turned to the stage, some with frowns on their faces. Chapter 360 Chapter 360 ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Yeah, seriously. How can she behave so rudely? Doesn¡¯t she have any manners?¡± Zoe Hoffman was indeed arrogant, unruly, and spoiled. The more she thought about Justin¡¯s words, the more furious she became. She did not care about the asion and just wanted to throw a tantrum. However, she was surrounded by Savrow¡¯s upper society at the moment. Being a Hoffman, Zoe should not disregard her image. Thus, she gritted her teeth, feignedposure, and coughed lightly. Then, she skillfully began to y Beethoven¡¯s Symphony No. 5 in C minor to ease the awkwardness. Zoe was a top student at the Royal Academy of Music in Inalia. With her agile fingers, the piano piece flowed with delight, and apanying it was the release of her fluctuating emotions. The audience was immersed in the music, forgetting her earlier gaffe. Bethany, holding her long gown, stormed back into the banquet hall. She returned to Shannon¡¯s side. ¡°Mom! Carrie is here!¡± Shannon was surprised. ¡°What? Where?¡± ¡°I just saw her with Mr. Hoffman. He even patted her head and gave her his own jacket!¡± Bethany¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and were about to shed tears. ¡°Mom, do you really think Carrie is a fool? She¡¯s sharp, but she pretends to be innocent to deceive us. She¡¯s set her sights on Mr. Hoffman from the start! Why is she so despicable?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fool. Did you throw away all the etiquette anddylike qualities you learned in elementary school?¡± Shannon frowned, discreetly pinching her. ¡°Carrie is your sister! You¡¯re both my daughters, so don¡¯t speak ill of her in the future!¡± Bethany was infuriated. Trembling with anger, she bit her lip and remained silent. She felt that Shannon¡¯s words were not necessarily in defense of Carrie but rather a refusal to admit she had given birth to an autistic daughter. ¡°Mom, what should I do?¡± Bethany anxiously asked, clutching Shannon¡¯s arm. ¡°I finally got Be to break up with Ryan, and now my sister ising to undermine me! He doesn¡¯t like me much to begin with, and now there¡¯s even less hope for me to marry into the Hoffman family!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Carrie won¡¯t get in your way. I think you¡¯ve misunderstood her. She wouldn¡¯t have such intentions. Later, go call Ian and ask him to quickly send someone to find Carrie and bring her back.¡± Shannon did not really see this as a serious matter. After all, she had tight control over her daughters for so many years. Carrie¡¯s mental state made it challenging for her to marry well. However, Shannon was determined to present her in the best light and find her a match from a higher social ss. Ideally, this would also benefit Shannon, ensuring her efforts in raising her seemingly foolish daughter were not in vain. ¡°Ms. Hoffman doesn¡¯t seem to have a good temper,¡± Shannon remarked casually as she watched Zoe passionately y the piano on stage. ¡°Mom, honestly, her temper stinks like a pile of crap!¡± Bethany, no longer pretending in front of her mother, whispered, ¡°Compared to Rosalind, she¡¯s far worse. She¡¯s like a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment!¡± ¡°Good,¡± Shannon said, as she gazed at Zoe on the stage with cold eyes. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Good?¡± Bethany questioned. ¡°What¡¯s ¡®good¡¯ about this?¡± ¡°People with a strong temper and outward emotions tend to be less cunning. They¡¯re easier to manipte. Plus, Zoe only wants to be Justin¡¯s wife. She¡¯s been pampered since she was young and lacks nothing. She has a simple mindset and is just a bit possessive,¡± Shannon exined, coldly snorting. ¡°On the other hand, someone like Rosalind, who sweet-talks you while harboring deceit, is much harder to deal with.¡± As Shannon spoke, the heavy doors of the banquet hall were pushed open. Zoe was immersed in her own piano performance,pletely unaware that the guests¡¯ attention had shifted away from her toward the entrance. Carrie, under the protection of Ryan¡¯s bodyguards, walked in hesitantly with her head lowered. ¡°Oh, my! Who¡¯s the petitedy beside Mr. Hoffman? Why have I never seen her before?¡± Some gossip- loving elite women observed Carrie and murmured to each other. ¡°Probably a new love interest. After all, Mr. Hoffman changes women like he changes his clothes. I heard the longest a woman stayed by his side was a month, and nobody has broken that record yet.¡¯ ¡°She¡¯s quite pretty, but I remember Mr. Hoffman always prefers the sexy and morous type. She seems different from his usual taste¡­¡± ¡°Personally, I think this girl is more beautiful than Zoe Hoffman on the stage and definitely better- looking than Bethany Salvador. You men not onlyck Mr. Hoffman¡¯s wealth, but you alsock his taste. Thedy by Mr. Hoffman¡¯s side is a top-quality gem, not some fake!¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, Mr. Hoffman¡¯s taste in women is definitely much better than Mr. Salvador¡¯s. This youngdy looks quite honest. She definitely won¡¯t be cheating on Mr. Hoffman¡­¡± Bethany, hearing the discussions about Ryan and Carrie, turned red in anger. Her gums even hurt from clenching her teeth too hard. Meanwhile, Shannon¡¯s expression had turned to disdain. Chapter 361 ¡°What did I tell you, Mom? I told you they were more than friends. Carrie is trying to get in my way!¡± Bethanyined. Bethany was jealous because Ryan dressed Carrie in a fancy red gown. Even without makeup, Carrie glowed. To make matters worse, Carrie¡¯s evening gown sported the same burgundy color as Ryan¡¯s tuxedo, making them appear to be a perfect match. Under the spotlight, they stood alongside each other like newlyweds. All eyes were on them. Bethany found her purple gown to be a painful joke. The color would never go well with burgundy. ¡°I gave birth to Carrie. I know the type of person she is.¡± Shannon had a deeper perspective that extended beyond Bethany¡¯s surface-level understanding. ¡°Carrie might be 22 years old, but she has the mind of a 12-year-old. Shecks the capacity to date a man, let alone steal your man.¡± While Shannon¡¯sment wasforting, Bethany still found herself furious. ¡°I think you have bigger problems on your te than you realize. Ryan has never shown you any attention. After your grandfather¡¯s birthday celebration, Ryan is probably feeling repulsed by you because you wanted to pursue something more with him by using underhanded means Since he knows Carrie is your sister, he¡¯s likely befriending her to get on your nerves and kill any chances of anything developing between you two.¡± ¡°W What? N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Bethany was flustered. ¡°What should I do now? Does that mean I¡¯ll never get to marry him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself worked up. You need to work with Zoe to get her help in getting closer to Ryan. You need to change your attitude and be patient. Since Ryan is nice to Carrie, you need to be extra nice to her too. Change Ryan¡¯s opinion of you and let him see your kind side. Get it?¡± Shannon uttered somberly as she strategized for her daughter. ¡°Fine,¡± Bethany replied grumpily. Carrie¡¯s eyes lit up at the thought of meeting her idol tonight. She scanned the ce for Ada Wang. Her gaze fell on the stage where Zoe was ying the piano. She froze as the color drained from her face, her expression turning ashen and lifeless. Her slender legs shook under her gown. The painful memories of her childhood washed over her, drowning her in despair. -¡°Hahahaha ! Who would want to be friends with an idiot like you? Why would you think that?¡± -¡°Dump her into the trash can. That¡¯s where trash belongs.¡± -¡°Cut her hair off. I hate girls with better hair than me in school.¡± -¡°It¡¯s no wonder Chairman Salvador and Madam Shannon hate you. Your sister doesn¡¯t like you either. It¡¯s unbelievable that you call yourself a Salvador. You¡¯re the family¡¯s disgrace.¡± Carrie thought, ¡®I¡¯m a disgrace¡­¡¯ Zoe focused on ying the piano on stage, oblivious to that resentful and terrified gaze in the audience. With her eyes welling up, Carrie clutched to her teddy and backed up in a cold sweat. Suddenly, Ryan grabbed her arm. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Carri¨¦? Are you shy? Didn¡¯t you want to see Ada Wang and get her autograph? Come on. I¡¯ll take you to her.¡± To his surprise, Carrie shook his arm off and ran for the door without looking back. ¡°Carrie! Where are you going?¡± Ryan was astonished and concerned that she might encounter trouble venturing out alone in the dark, so he followed her. Bethany was furious to watch the whole scene unfold. Despite Shannon¡¯s advice to remain calm, Bethany could not stand to see Ryan so worried about the dummy. Terrorized by fear, Carrie recklessly sprinted out of the hotel and tried to cross the road tearfully. Moments earlier, she was dying to meet Ada. She often locked herself in her room for countless lonely nights, immersing herself in films. Carrie was a big fan of Ada¡¯s films. Ada would y heroines who could do anything and always stood up for justice. Carrie always got a kick of adrenaline watching the films, and it was almost as if Ada was fulfilling her biggest wish for her. However, in reality, Carrie desperately wanted to flee as far as she could when she saw Zoe. ¡°You¡¯re a burden that nobody wants, loser!¡± The mocking words and harsh criticisms clung to Carrie like shadows, never leaving her alone. Chapter 362 ¡°Honk! Honk! Honk!¡± A car beeped furiously. The blinding beam struck Carrie. She cocked her head back, and her paleplexion reflected under the car¡¯s blinding lights. Carrie froze like a doe caught in the headlights. It was toote for the approaching truck to m the brakes. Carrie clutched her teddy in terror and closed her eyes. ¡°Carrie! Watch out!¡± Gritting his teeth, Ryan came up from behind and pulled her out of danger in the nick of time. He shielded her from harm just as she did for her teddy. They twirled in the air, and Ryan cushioned Carrie¡¯s fall as they crashed onto the ground. The man hit his shoulder on the curb and grunted in pain. Sweat seeped through his suit. The truck crashed into a flower bed by the roadside after swerving to avoid hitting Carrie. Luckily, the driver was uninjured. Feeling the pain all over his body, Ryan let go of Carrie. To his surprise, the ingrate crawled out of his embrace and slipped away. ¡°Hey! Hey! Come back, Carrie! Shouldn¡¯t you at least help me up?¡± Ryan was beside himself as the pain hindered him from getting up from the ground. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The party tonight was highly publicized. It started off with a bang but ended hastily. To spare his sister and mother from worry, Ryan told his secretary to hide his car ident and hospitalization. Furious with Be, Zoe was not in a hurry to leave after the party. She had a drink with her frenemy, Bethany, at the hotel bar. ¡°Damn it! Justin only has eyes for that bitch, Be.¡± Zoe mmed her ss on the table, her eyes bloodshot. ¡°Why did they divorce if he has lingering feelings for her?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one confused, Zoe.¡± With her hand propped under her chin, Bethany looked frustrated.¡± Be waited on us hand and foot before they divorced. She attended to Justin¡¯s every need, despite his cold indifference. For three years, she cooked and cleaned for our family. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get through a day if I were in her shoes, but she managed it for three years. That¡¯s one thing I¡¯m impressed with about her. Still, Justin wouldn¡¯t even give her any attention. Rosalind was the only one for him. He divorced Be, the only woman who stood by him, for Rosalind. I used to think Justin did the right thing. Now that I think about it, he was blind The alcohol loosened Bethany¡¯s tongue. Bethany¡¯sment upset Zoe further. She scoffed. ¡°Are you feeli bad for Be, Bethany? What, are you regretting that she can¡¯t be y sister-inw anymore?¡± ¡°No, no. You got the wrong idea, Zoe.¡± Realizing she had let more slip than she should, Bethany smiled awkwardly and replied, ¡°I was just breaking it down for you. I don¡¯t understand why Justin ignored the bitch before the divorce and now gives her so much attention. Maybe he only realized what love was once he lost it. That was why he was unwilling to let go.¡± Zoe felt bummed and took a sip of wine. She was consumed by a burning desire to win him over. ¡°I refuse to believe that Justin has feelings for Be! They had been married for three years. If there was a spark, something would have happened a long time ago. Justin is showering his ex-wife with attention out of spite because he can¡¯t stand to see her happy.¡± While talking, Zoe flicked her brown hair and curled her lips arrogantly. ¡°Justin and I have a solid rtionship, unlike what Be had with him. He definitely feels something for me, but Be¡¯s got him wrapped around her finger for now.¡± Bethany stuck out her tongue in secret and did not say a word. She had a feeling that Zoe was a little delusional. Nevertheless, Bethany would not put her down, as she needed Zoe¡¯s help to marry into the Hoffman family. ¡°We should figure out a way to get Ada on our side and help Justin close the case, Bethany. I will help you.¡± Zoe scowled at the thought of Be smugly pulling out ¡°The Twilight God¡±. She muttered with resentment, ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid brooch. That isn¡¯t Alexa¡¯s only masterpiece. If Be can do it, I can too.¡± Chapter 363 That was a load of hot air. Zoe could not possibly acquire a jewelry piece that even an avid collector like Ada Wang had no ess to. Though stunned by Zoe¡¯s behavior, Bethany ttered her, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re amazing, Zoe! If you can get your hands on Alexa¡¯s jewelry, I¡¯m sure Ada wille back to us. We can get even with Be, help Justin, and, while doing so, improve his perception of you. You¡¯ll be Salvador Corporation¡¯s hero, and Justin will be drawn closer to you.¡± Zoe smiled smugly and uttered, ¡°So we should steal the case from Be.¡± While Bethany echoed Zoe¡¯s sentiment, she had other thoughts in mind. Bethany did not want to help Justin, as they were not from the same mother. However, it was a chance to shine. If she ran the nning instead of Justin, she could show her dad that she was capable and make him proud, restoring her mother¡¯s recent declining standing. Zoe was only a tool to get a leg up. With that in mind, Bethany was thrilled, her eyes gleaming with desire and her cheeks flushed.. ¡°Tonight was horrible. Justin left halfway, and my brother didn¡¯t even show up when he said he would. What the hell? I¡¯m not going to threw a tantrum. ¡°Your brother came tonight, Zoe, but he left soon after,¡± Bethany said curtly. ¡°When did that happen?¡± ¡°You were ying the piano. He brought my sister, Carrie, along too. Ha. My sister is the belle of the ball because of Ryan,¡± Bethany said sarcastically with a smile. ¡°Who? Your sister, the idiot?¡± Zoe was taken aback. She could not picture her brother and a dummy like Carrie together. She knew Carrie too well. Back in junior high, Zoe and Carrie studied at the same girls¡¯ school in Savrow. They were also ssmates. ¡°I¡¯m already having problems before I marry into the Hoffman family, Zoe.¡± Bethany sighed in distress, her eyes chilling. ¡°For all we know, your brother might be feeling something for my sister.¡± ¡°What? Feel something? The idiot is not worth my brother¡¯s time.¡± Zoe jolted to her feet furiously, spilling the drink on the table. Her eyes were bulging. Bethany smirked to herself but kept up with the sympathy act. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it tonight, but Ryan was sweet to my sister. He bought her a new dress and said she was the only one that he cared for. I was near to tears in envy Knowing him, Bethany believed Ryan was too much of a yer to have feelings for Carrie. However, Bethany had to get Zoe fired up, seeking her help in dealing with Carrie, the bitch. Zoe¡¯s anger subsided as Bethany described the incident. She sank back into her seat and sipped her wine in contemtion. The shadows under her eyes spoke of a darkness beyond her years. Ryan was her brother, and no one knew him better than her. Over the years, Ryan rarely showed interest in any woman. Bethany observed his special treatment of Carrie. That would not work for Zoe. Zoe spearheaded the bullying of Carrie, making Carrie¡¯s school years a hellish nightmare. Although many years had passed, Zoe doubted Carrie had gotten over 1. If there was a spark between Ryan and Carrie, Carrie might use him to get back at Zoe if her past caught up with her. It did not matter whether Ryan would marry Carrie, as he would just want Carrie to be happy. Zoe reflected for a long time. Gritting her teeth, Zoe said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. So long as I¡¯m around, Carrie and my brother will never get together.¡± KS World Hotel¡¯s VIP suite oozed luxury. A huge round table feature ten dishes, each a feast for the eyes and nose. The wine served was top-shelf, auction-worthy vintage. Tope Every Day speak III of Saivauti voipuiu filming, movies, and jewelry collections. The dinner was a delight.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 364 After dinner, Be and Steven walked Ada to her car in the basement parking lot. ¡°Ms. Thompson, thank you for the feast tonight. It was amazing. I can¡¯t get enough of the dessert. Please give mypliments to the chef.¡± ¡°If you enjoy the dessert, I will drop off two boxes at your hotel before you leave Savrow. You can keep one box for yourself and give your mother the other,¡± Be said with a smile. ¡°Ms. Ada, the delicious meal you just enjoyed, right down to the dessert, was all handcrafted by Ms. Thompson herself.¡± Steven beamed at the chance to present his boss¡¯s stunning creations. ¡°What? Did you make theplicated dessert, Ms. Thompson?¡± Ada was shocked and moved. It was hard to believe that, despiteing from riches, Be was a sessful businesswoman and an aplished cook. She was talented. Be¡¯splex dessert, layered with effort, proved her ¡°Yes, but I could¡¯ve done a better job. Sorry about that.¡± Be was shy and humble. Ada fell into contemtion for a moment before smiling. ¡°Did you have a contract with you, Ms. Thompson?¡± Surprised, Be and Steven exchanged looks and sounded Ada out. Are you saying that¡­¡± ¡°I want KS World Hotel to make my dream wedding a reality. If possible, I want to seal the deal now.¡± Be¡¯s eyes sparkled with joy. She was always one to y it cool. Although she appearedposed, her heart was beating out of her chest. Overjoyed, Steven rummaged through his briefcase. ¡°I brought it along. We always carry contracts with us.¡± ¡°Ms. Wang.¡± Be drew a deep breath and asked solemnly, ¡°You¡¯ve entrusted KS Group and Salvador Corporation with the task of finding a designer for your unique jewelry piece. As I have yet to fulfill that request, I¡¯m curious as to why you went ahead and picked us to host your wedding.¡± Steven blinked. He was dying to find out as well. Ada pursed her lips, looking abashed. ¡°To be frank, I didn¡¯t want either of you to organize my wedding. I¡¯ve never been to Savrow, and I¡¯m only having my wedding here to fulfill my mother¡¯s wish. I¡¯ve been skeptical of your hotel and the Salvador Hotel right from the start. I ¡± epted Mr. Salvador¡¯s invitation tonight, but I wasn¡¯t interested in going. It was either you or him. For that, I¡¯d like to apologize. I Content ? N?velDrama.Org. shouldn¡¯t have been so arrogant and dismissive of you. Now that I¡¯m here, I realize you and Mr. Salvador are great and talented leaders. I know I¡¯m in great hands no matter who I choose to organize my wedding.¡± ¡°Why did you choose us?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t made up my mind when you gave me the Twilight God. The feast you prepared tonight was a work of art, showcasing your hard work and ingenuity like fine jewelry. I was touched by your sincerity, so I chose to work with KS World Hotel.¡± Ada put aside her haughtiness and spoke to Be from the heart. While Be got her answer now, she still could not believe it. She did not learn to cook for nothing. It came in handy during a time of need. With Be and Ada getting into the car, Stevenid out two sets of documents in front of them. He could not stop smiling. Before putting her name on it, Ada thought for a moment and said tenderly, ¡°Can I add one more thing to the contract, Ms. Thompson?¡± ¡°Of course. What is it?¡± Be was patient. Her brows were rxed, and she did not rush Ada into it. ¡°I hope to keep my wedding setup a secret until the big day. I want to give my fans and my mother a surprise. Can you do that?¡±. ¡°Sure. We aremitted to delivering everything as outlined in the contract.¡± Be had a gift for giving people the assurance they tie Past week had finally melted away. Ada reached her hand out to Be with a smile. ¡°Here¡¯s to working well together, Ms. Thompson.¡± Be shook Ada¡¯s hand firmly, her eyes glistening. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure. doing business with you.¡± Chapter 365 The next morning, Justin dropped his work when he heard about N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Ryan¡¯s car ident. Worried, he rushed to the hospital as fast as he could. Ryany t in bed in a VIP ward with a back and neck brace. He opened his mouth as his secretary fed him a sliced apple. He looked like a pampered child who could not do anything for himself, and his secretary was the maid bearing the brunt of his demands. Justin walked into the room and furrowed his brows at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Hoffman Group recently develop an oilfield? You¡¯re acting like you¡¯re dry even before you hit 30.¡± The secretary stepped aside and nodded at the man before giving Ryan and Justin space to talk. ¡°Holy shit! Are you here to visit me or give me hell? How am I acting dry? I wouldn¡¯t need help if I could feed myself.¡± Ryan broke out in a sweat and grimaced in pain the moment he leaned over. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Just stay there.¡± Justin took quick steps to the bed with a long face andid him back down. ¡°Will you wheel me around if I be paralyzed, Justin?¡± Ryan scrunched his face and asked. ¡°You have plenty of girlfriends to do that for you. You don¡¯t need me.¡± Justin curled his lips indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if the only body part you can move is your mouth, you¡¯re the heir of the Hoffman Group. You¡¯ll still have your fun with women throwing themselves at you.¡± ¡°Tsk. You have a point. I have the charisma,¡± Ryan added. ¡®Charisma? Ha, more like the charisma of money.¡¯ Justin thought. ¡°What did you get yourself into?¡± Justin asked with a frown. ¡°You should ask Carrie.¡± Ryan huffed, picturing the tiny frame skittering away into the night. It¡¯s her fault that I am in this situation. Carrie should be the one to wheel me around forever.¡± ¡°Exin, Ryan. How is Carrie involved?¡± Justin scowled. ¡°Carrie sneaked into the partyst night, but she was stopped from entering the hotel. If I hadn¡¯t run into her, your ignorant security team would have kicked your sister out.¡± ¡°Carrie camest night?¡± Justin was shocked. That must be the reason why Ryan called him out of the blue about getting his ducks in a row. ¡°I was kind to dress her in-¡± ¡°You dressed her?¡± Justin turned pale and raised his voice. He was ready to pull a punch. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. My secretary dressed her. I didn¡¯t touch her.¡± Ryan was quick to exin, not wanting his limbs to be broken. ¡°I took her to see Ada Wang at the hall, but something got into her when she arrived. She ran out of there like she had lost her mind. I followed her because it¡¯s dangerous for a girl to be roaming alone at night. She crossed the road without looking and was nearly run over by a truck. I saved her in the nick of time, but I bumped my back.¡± ¡°What about Carrie? Was she hurt?¡± Justin asked worriedly. ¡°I guess not. The pain crippled me from getting up, but she slipped away before I knew it. She could¡¯ve at least helped me up. What would I do to her anyway?¡± Furious, Ryan nagged. ¡°Ryan, I have told you before not to get any ideas about Carrie.¡± Justin grimaced. ¡°What happened at my grandfather¡¯s birthday party was an ident. Carrie doesn¡¯t belong in your world. Keep your inappropriate thoughts to yourself.¡± ¡°No, I got hurt shielding her from harm. Have a heart. You¡¯re giving me an earful instead of thanking me.¡± Since Ryan could not move, he looked hrious sticking his neck out while arguing with Justin. ¡°Why did you take her to the venue, dress her up, and expose her to the group of strangers?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ryan looked confused. ¡°Carrie has severe social anxiety and autism. She can¡¯t deal with strangers and social events.¡± Justin got emotional, thinking about Carrie¡¯s overly cautious and timid behavior. Chapter 366 ¡°A-Autism?¡± Ryan was stunned. As the realization hit him, he gripped his fingers. It exined Carrie¡¯s behavior. At 22 years old, she should know everything, but she behaved like a naive little girl. That must be the reason why Shannon kept her at home from seeing anyone. ¡°Have you gotten her consent before doing everything for her? Have you asked whether she would like to attend the event in glitz and mor? You never considered her feelings because that¡¯s the type of guy you are.¡± Justin drew a deep breath to ease his restlessness. ¡°Carrie just wants a quiet life. Don¡¯t mess things up for her. You are doing more harm than good to her.¡± Ryan was caught in his emotions for a while before asking in a raspy voice, ¡°C-Can she get better?¡± Justin shook his head helplessly. ¡°It would have happened long ago if she could.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Ryan froze as Carrie¡¯s horror-stricken facest night came to mind. He felt bad saying anything. Justin¡¯s phone rang. It was Gregory calling. Furrowing his brows, the man hesitated for a moment before taking the call. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Come to the office now. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± The call ended. With downcast eyes, Justin looked at the dimmed screen and scowled. Were they really rted? Sometimes, Justin wished Gregory was not his father. At least he would not hate Gregory so much. The secretary opened the door to the chairman¡¯s office at Salvador Corporation for Justin. The man was dumbfounded the moment he walked into the office. Gregory sat behind a wide desk, but there was someone else in the room-Bethany. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened as he had a feeling something was about to happen. ¡°Justin,¡± Bethany said sweetly, her face beaming. People might think they had a close rtionship. Justin nodded with a nk face. He had always been indifferent to Bethany. ¡°I heard from Bethany about the incident at the hotel, including Ms. Thompson whisking your honorary guest, Ada Wang, away. My secretary has shown me the trending news on Twitter.¡± Gregory leaned in, fingersced on the desk, eyes fixed aloofly on Justin. ¡°Public opinion toward our hotel has gone south afterst night. What¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°Our PR and marketing team worked on it all night to wipe the negativements off Twitter and other social tforms,¡± Justin said in a t tone, his eyes emotionless. ¡°Even so, the damage has already been done. Word is spreading among our circle aboutst night. Word spreads fast in our Justin tensed his jawline. ¡°No matter what happens, there¡¯ll always be two negative and positive narratives. That¡¯s the game of business. ¡°So long as the Salvador Group emerges victorious, the doubters and skeptics will go away.¡± The man eyed Bethany coldly. ¡°Our focus should be on the long term in business, not the short term, or we risk significant losses.¡± Reading between the lines, Bethany gnashed her teeth in rage. Following frantic drumming on the door, the secretary rushed into the room. ¡°Take a look at this, sir.¡± Gregory was enraged by what the secretary showed him. He said sternly, ¡°Turn on the TV and put the news channel on.¡± Chapter 367 The secretary turned on the TV and put the news channel on. It was the ¡°Three O¡¯Clock News¡± again. Justin furrowed his brows. Since losing the Baxim project, he could not stand to watch the news program. ¡°Thank you for watching the three o¡¯clock news. Let¡¯s jump into the headlines for the day. Internationally renowned actress Ada Wang arrived at Savrowst night, drawing the attention of fans and the media. ording to sources, Ada Wang¡¯s visit to the city is to fulfill her mother¡¯s dying wish of holding a wedding in her mother¡¯s hometown. The Salvador Corporation and KS World Hotel have been vying for the right to host Ada¡¯s wedding at their hotels. Ada has finally chosen her ideal wedding venue after days of deliberation.¡± Justin¡¯s throat went dry as he fixated on the TV screen. ¡°Congrattions to KS World Hotel, who will be hosting Ada Wang¡¯s wedding.¡± Justin¡¯s heart sank, and his ears buzzed. The news hit him like a ton of bricks. Bethany was secretly d. With the situation falling apart, Bethany knew her chances to rise to power were higher as Justin would be deemed useless. The scene cut over to Ada¡¯s interview with the ¡°Three O¡¯Clock News¡±. She exined briefly why she had picked KS World Hotel. Ada said, ¡°Salvador Corporation is in the hotel industry for a reason, but I personally prefer KS World Hotel¡¯s wedding proposal. It has nothing to do with the hotels¡¯ services or quality. It¡¯s just a matter of personal preference.¡± Justin grabbed the remote control and turned off the TV, unable to listen to another word. He then hurled the remote control onto the table. ¡°Ha! And here you were talking about focusing on the long term instead of the short term. You have nothing to go on anyway. You didn¡¯t close the deal on Ada¡¯s wedding, and your PR effortsst night helped thepetition instead. How do you n on turning things around?¡± Pale-faced, Justin was about to respond when Bethany stepped in andforted Gregory. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Dad.¡± Bethany, heavily influenced by her mother, Shannon, knew defending Justin now would fuel Gregory¡¯s resentment of him. ¡°Ada has made it clear that it was a matter of personal preference, not about Salvador Corporation¡¯s capabilities. Besides, Justin did his best. Be is just too cunning and maniptive . She¡¯s always one step ahead of us. That¡¯s the nature of business, I guess.¡± Justin looked up at Bethany menacingly. ¡°Be didn¡¯t do anything wrong. We just didn¡¯t cover all our bases.¡± Narrowing her gaze, Bethany gritted her teeth and kept her thoughts to herself. ¡®Hmph! No point in having her back now that you¡¯re divorced! Maybe it¡¯s a good thing. You¡¯re just digging your own grave by jumping to Be¡¯s defense.¡¯ Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you let Be win on purpose, Justin,¡± Gregory questioned. ¡°No.¡± Justin kept his head down. ¡°I should remind you that you and the girl are divorced. She has no rtionship with Salvador Corporation. In other words, you¡¯re enemies. You can¡¯t even be friends. The wicked and cunning girl has been giving us a lot of trouble. I didn¡¯t make things difficult for her because you were once married, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll put up with her forever.¡± Gregory Salvador mmed the table in rage. Justin narrowed his eyes at Gregory¡¯s grimacing face, his eyes bloodshot and his fists clenched. ¡°Are you trying to defy me, Justin? What¡¯s with the look on your face?¡± While Gregory looked stern, his heart raced. The kid once gave him the same stinging look when his mother jumped off the building to her death. To this day, Gregory was brought back to that fateful incide every time he looked into his son¡¯s eyes. Chapter 368 ¡°Even though Be and I are divorced, and she¡¯s no longer mine, she¡¯s still off-limits.¡± Justin took a step forward as rage flickered in his eyes, icy and intense. Gregory shuddered. The father and son locked gazes in confrontation. Bethany was intimidated by the stern look on Justin¡¯s face. Nevertheless, she pulled herself together and came behind Gregory at the desk with an ingratiating smile. She kneaded his shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t get into it with Justin because of Be, Dad. She has the upper hand for now, but the game isn¡¯t over. The ultimate victor is yet to be This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. determined.¡± ¡°Bethany, are you saying that you can turn things around?¡± Reading between the lines, Gregory asked eagerly. ¡°Dad, if you give me a chance to take over the project, I have m ay of winning Ada over.¡± Bethany added with a confident smile, ¡°Ada might have announc that her wedding will be held at KS World Hotel, but nothing ever goe as nned, don¡¯t you think?¡± Justin frowned. He knew his half-sister well. Bethany was always hungry for power, but she did not have the brains to match her ambition. However, Bethany had the nerve topete with him this time. She looked like she had it in the bag. Justin believed something fishy was going on. ¡°Very well! I knew I could always count on you. You have aspirations and ambitions.¡± Gregory smiled contently and took Bethany¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you in charge of getting Ada to have her wedding with us. Your brother will do the handover with youter. Justin, you¡¯re off this project. I don¡¯t want you getting involved with Be again. Just leave everything to Bethany.¡± Justin pulled a stoic face without saying a word. Gregory would neverpliment his aplishments, but he would not hesitate to punish Justin and strip him of power the moment something went wrong. Firstly, Gregory did not think an illegitimate child like Justin was good enough. Secondly, Gregory fretted over the idea of Justin overpowering him: ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, Daddy!¡± Bethany clung happily to Gregory¡¯s neck. ¡°I will reward you once you are sessful.¡± Gregory stroked his daughter¡¯s head dotingly and asked with a smile, ¡± What do you want? Just tell me. Is it a vi with a sea view or a fancy sports car?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not what I want.¡± Bethany simpered. ¡°I¡¯m your daughter, a member of the Salvador family. I want to contribute to the family business too. If I win Ada over, can I be the general manager of the Salvador Hotel? Given an opportunity, I can prove my management skills are superior to Be¡¯s.¡± With his breath hitched, Justin smirked. So that was what Bethany was after. ¡°Alright, you have my word. If you can prove your worth, I will put you in charge of the hotel.¡± Gregory was open to the idea. ¡°Thank you, Dad!¡± Bethany smirked at Justin. She could already imagine Justin with his tail tucked between his legs when she took over the hotel management. Chapter 369 Justin walked out of the chairman¡¯s office and returned to his. ¡°How did it go, Mr. Salvador? I hope the chairman didn¡¯t make things hard for you.¡±n had a cup of coffee ready for Justin. With a worried look on his face, he asked cautiously. The man approached the sofa and sat down with poise. He held the cup up and took a sip with a glum face. ¡°He didn¡¯t.¡± Han sighed in relief. ¡°As if that will happen.¡± much from him. He¡¯s not a real father to you.¡± ¡°Ha! Sometimes I wish he wasn¡¯t my father.¡± Justin gulped down the bitter coffee that had lost its aroma. ¡°It¡¯s a shame I carry half his DNA.¡± ¡°Gregory has tasked Bethany with getting Ada to use us as a wedding venue.¡± ¡°What?¡± hard, meeting with the team countless times to discuss the wedding proposal. Nobody could have predicted the oue. Why couldn¡¯t he think about what you did for thepany instead of handing over your blood, sweat, and tears? I bet Shannon, the witch, put her up to it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. If Bethany is sessful, she will take over the Salvador Hotel¡¯s management.¡± Justin narrowed his eyes with a smirk. Gregory was clueless at running a business, but he excelled at one thing-making his son¡¯s life miserable. ¡°Did you challenge the decision? You can¡¯t just let Bethany steal your project.¡± ¡°Is it necessary, though? Gregory and Bethany are on the same team. He wants to strip me of my authority to begin with.¡± Justin seemed unfazed. ¡°Bethany just gave him a reason.¡± He would not live a long life if he got worked up over every little thing. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So we¡¯re sitting ducks?¡±n hissed through clenched teeth. Without a word, Justin savored his coffee. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m a little angry at Young Madam, Mr. Salvador.¡±n pouted with a frown. ¡°You always hold her in high regard. What made you change your mind?¡± Curling his lips, Justin teased him. ¡°Business is business. We can¡¯t mix business with personal emotions. I think she¡¯s trying to get even with you. She¡¯s walking you. off the cliff.¡± Driven by rage,n made a bold statement. ¡°I get her. I¡¯ve hurt her in the past,¡± Justin said honestly. The past still haunted him. ¡°But at this rate, you might lose your position in thepany.¡± Chairman Thompson adores her. She can never understand where you areing from. You are alone in thepany. She can use her family¡¯s connections to screw with you, and one day, you might just go down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s not easy to take me down.¡± Justin smiled faintly. ¡°Though her love and being her husband are a thing of the past, I don¡¯t deserve them if I¡¯m easily defeated. That¡¯s why I have a n in ce.¡± ¡°Really? What is it?¡± Justin closed his eyes for a breather and smiled tenderly. A whileter, he uttered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Be has to win all the way.¡± Still, he grasped what Justin was trying to say. If Justin could not win it all, he would rather everything go down in mes. ¡°I will not let anyone or anythinge in her way.¡± Justin had a meeting in the evening, but he canceled it and drove to the KS World Hotel, He stepped into the hotel lobby with a mix of emotions. During his first visit to the ce, Be tricked him into climbing the stairs to her office and fooled him with a substitute. He was humiliated. Chapter 370 No woman had ever made Justin feel so defeated. Even when Rosalind used him and betrayed him, all he felt was anger. Justin let out a wry smile at the sight of the newly improved hotel lobby. KS World Hotel ran a tighter ship than the Salvador Hotel. Be presented herself as inexperienced and submissive when she married Justin. Although he had never looked down upon her for being from the countryside, Justin felt she did not belong in his world. It dawned on him now that it was the other way around. It was him trying to catch up to her. Be put aside her pride and dignity to stay by his side for three years. He was the closest to her when they were married. He was never the one who was unattainable. Steven was talking to two executives of the hotel about work hen he turned around and saw Justin in the lobby. Shocked at first, Steven quickly pulled a long face. ¡°That¡¯s it for now. You should get to work.¡± ¡°Of course, Mr. Lovett.¡± After dismissing the executives, Steven aloofly took strides toward JuJustin. M¡±Mr. Salvador, the restaurant is to your left, the bar is to your right, anand the caf¨¦ is on the third floor. If you wish to book a room, you can head to the reception desk.¡± ¡°I want to see Ms. Thompson.¡± Justin cut to the case, his face expressionless. He scanned the ce. ¡°My boss is too busy to see every Tom, Dick, or Harry.¡± Steven sneered. If Steven did not have to demonstrate courtesy at the hotel, he would have released the hounds on Justin. ¡°Say whatever you want, but I must see her today.¡± Justin realized that he had developed thick skin. In the past, he would walk away after being insulted. This time, he yed dumb to stay. It did not hurt him to take a scolding. Justin probably would not sleep well at night if he did not meet with Be, though. ¡°Ms. Be won¡¯t see you, Justin. You¡¯ll only upset her.¡± Steven narrowed his eyes at the man, his teeth clenched. He barked in a chilling voice, ¡°If you know better, you should leave this ce at once. So long as I am here, you can forget about seeing her.¡± ¡°Sure, but I need Be to tell me that.¡± The man refused to budge, and the determination showed in his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t make that decision for her.¡± ¡°Justin! Are you trying to cause a ruckus?¡± Hot under the cor, Steven wanted to give Justin a piece of his mind when a cheery voice came from behind. The voice crawled under Justin¡¯s skin. ¡°Mr. Lovett, is Be around?¡± Justin turned around and saw Christopher strolling into the lobby, looking sharp. The two good-looking men stood before Steven. Although the men refused to acknowledge each other¡¯s existence, Steven could feel the sparks of animosity flying between them. Steven could potentially get himself caught in a crossfire. Christopher could not arrive at a worse time. Steven was tempted to lock the two men in the same room so they could have a go at one another. ¡°We are in a public space, Mr. Iverson. You should address her respectfully as Ms. Be or Ms. Thompson, especially in the hotel sheN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. manages. Steven was indifferent to both Christopher and Justin. Justin curled his lips, finding Be¡¯s secretary less of an eyesore at this very moment. ¡°Fine. Is Ms. Thompson around? What time will she be free tonight?¡± Christopher was unoffended. He knew when to yield. ¡°I wish to have dinner with her tonight to thank her for getting Christian¡¯s autographed album for my mother.¡± ¡°She¡¯s busy.¡± Steven was telling Justin and Christopher that. ¡°I can wait.¡± Justin and Christopher replied in unison. Chapter 371 Despite Be¡¯s absence, she knew everything that went on in the hotel. ¡°Mr. Salvador and Mr. Iverson are here to see you, Ms. Be. What do you think¡­?¡± Steven pressed on his Bluetooth earpiece and turned around to speak in hushed tones. The two men straightened their backs, their nerves on edge. ¡°See me? Why? Are they hoping I¡¯ll give them a discount?¡± ¡°Ms. Be, they refuse to leave until they see you. I can¡¯t call security on them.¡± Steven was put on the spot because Justin and Christopher were not the easiest people to deal with. ¡°Ask them why they want to see me.¡± Be¡¯s voice bore no emotion: ¡°Ms. Be asked the purpose of your visit,¡± Steven said peevishly. ¡°I want to ask Ms. Thompson out for dinner to thank her.¡± Christopher smiled and pushed his gold-rimmed sses up his nose. ¡°I have mailed Christian¡¯s autographed album to my mother, and she loves it. She told me to treat Ms. Thompson to dinner, or she¡¯d feel bad getting the gift for nothing.¡± He gave Justin the side-eye. Christopher assumed that Be was too kind to turn down his invite. Besides, even if Be had no feelings for Christopher, he was better than the cold-hearted two-timer who once hurt her. Steven turned to Justin. The man responded indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s work-rted.¡± Christopher frowned. Be paused for a moment before instructing Steven. ¡°Take Mr. Salvador to see me.¡± Christopher and Steven were shocked. Justin curled his lips. He could not hide the joy on his face. It was as if he was picked first. during a children¡¯s sports game. ¡°Please lead the way, Mr. Lovett.¡± Steven turned around angrily. ¡°Follow me.¡± As Justin walked away, Christopher hid the darkness in his eyes. behind his sses. Rage consumed him. When Christopher returned to the basement parking lot alone, his secretary knew things did not go well and said nothing but ushered him into the car respectfully. Sitting in the back seat, Christopher closed his eyes for a rest. However, his tensed jawline exposed his brewing rage. Be called Justin away. The never-before humiliation overwhelmed Christopher¡¯s every being. It felt like Be had pped him in the face in front of his rival. ¡°Where to, Mr. Iverson?¡± His secretary asked cautiously. Christopher uttered in a chilling voice, ¡°Did I say you could speak?¡± The secretary hung his head low in fright and broke out in a cold sweat. It took a while before Christopher opened his eyes. He gripped his fingers until his knuckles popped. ¡°Investigate Ryan Hoffman¡¯s sister and her present rtionship with Justin.¡± ¡°Does Ryan Hoffman have a sister?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes flickered with a cold glint. ¡°I¡¯ll get right to it now.¡± The secretary was scared out of his wits. Christopher closed his eyes. ¡°Drive to Pivotage.¡± Pivotage was a private club he established in his secretary¡¯s name five years ago. The woman managing the club was his key to navigating Savrow¡¯s social circles. However, she mighte in handy now too. With that in mind, Christopher nudged his sses up and smirked N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. sinisterly. Steven led Justin to the back kitchen of the hotel. Justin clutched his Windsor knot and nced to the side to check. himself out on the reflection of a metal surface. He had never been so nervous when he wasmended in the army. or when he hosted his first organizational meeting as the president of Salvador Corporation. Chapter 372 ¡°Ms. Be said you can enter.¡± Steven stepped aside as if he might catch something from Justin if he got too close. ¡°Thank you.¡± Steven scowled without hiding his resentment toward Justin. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Ms. Be is gracious to you. If it were me, I would beat the crap out of you.¡± He opened the door to the back kitchen before walking away. After taking a long exhale, Justin stepped inside. The KS World Hotel¡¯s kitchen was sparkly clean, like a sterilized surgical theater, gleaming stainless steel and white. The space was quiet, and the only thing Justin could hear was hist breathing and beating heart. After a turn, he saw a lithe figure working behind a stainless-steel counter. The wide and tall counter made her frame tiny. Be took his breath away once again. d in a pristine chef¡¯s uniform with her hair tucked under a hat and her face masked, she sculpted the dough with a pair of scissors. She was so focused on the task at hand that she did not notice hisN?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. presence. Justin¡¯s eyes welled up as he remembered Wilma¡¯s words. ¡°Young Master Justin, the dessert wasn¡¯t bought or made by our chef. The young madam made it for you. The chef said that the young madam cooks better than him. You enjoyed it so much, but you have no idea the amount of effort the young madam put into this tiny dessert. She locked herself in the kitchen all day to make the food for you. She didn¡¯tin once about her body aches.¡± A wave of emotions washed over Justin. For the first time, he got to witness Be in the kitchen. So that was how she spent her three years in the Salvador household. She poured all her love, blood, sweat, and tears into the food, but he never once cherished or showed any appreciation for it. He was a fool who had wiped away any affection she had left for him. With furrowed brows, Be sculpted the dough into shapes. She was making pastries for Ada to bring back to her mother. It was a difficult dessert to make. It took Be the whole afternoon just to sculpt four doughs. ¡°Phew! All done.¡± Be heaved a sigh of relief as she stared at her fifth sculpture. She raised her arm to wipe her sweat with her sleeve. That was when she heard a munching noise. Dumbfounded, Be looked up. She gasped sharply as her eyes widened. She let out a cry.. ¡°Justin! W-W-Why¡­¡± Justin met her gaze and continued munching. There were only three of the four pastries left on the te. ¡°Who said you could eat it? Spit it out now!¡± Be¡¯s cheeks flushed in rage. She was tempted to punch him in the face. However, the man remained oblivious as he took another bite. The food was yummy. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve my food, bastard! Stop it!¡± Seeing red, Be tried to snatch the half-eaten pastry from him. Justin stuffed the remaining pastry into his mouth in a fluster. ¡°Damn you, Justin!¡± Be yelled. She was fuming. The kitchen floor had just been mopped, so it was still wet. She slipped and crashed into the man¡¯s firm chest. Thud! Hitting his back on the counter, Justin grimaced in pain. He spread his arms to hold Be before she hurt herself. As his grasp tightened, her breathing turned heavy. It felt like time froze on them. Be¡¯s luscious lips, pressing through the barrier of the stic mask, met the man¡¯s in a kiss. Justin and Be had no words. The man narrowed his gaze, and hisshes fluttered. Despite his self-restraint, he could not stop the intensity in his loins. Chapter 373 Be pushed Justin¡¯s firm chest away to get up. She swiftly shot back and pressed her back against the freezer door. She inhaled sharply, her eyes darting. As a flush crept across her cheeks, she sweated profusely. Though her lips were shielded by a mask, Be could still feel the lingering heat from his lips. ¡®Goddamnit! Why did she feel so¡­¡¯ Be heaved heavily with a blushing face and removed the mask to hurl it to the ground. She could not possibly use it anymore. The mask was sullied. Justin slowly rose to his feet before resting his hips on the edge of the counter. His brows were rxed as he pursed his crimson lips. Even though he looked like he had his act together, he could not ignore his racing heart. ¡°Doesn¡¯t your back hurt?¡± Justin looked dazed, still lost in the idental kiss. Still, he kept up with his appearance and spoke in a t tone. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Be gnashed her teeth, furious because the man ate her dessert. Why did you eat my food without permission, Justin? I toiled away the whole afternoon not to waste it on you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had anything you made. I want to enjoy your cooking. I remember that you used to make pastries for me.¡± Justin was not one to live for food. He often went without food and drinks when he was busy. However, he was tempted by the food when Be poured her heart and soul into making it. The resentment and temptation drove him to eat it. He was not thinking when he grabbed her dessert. All he knew was that he would not get another chance if he let it slip by. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s in the past.¡± Still angry, Be said harshly, ¡°I cooked and cleaned for you when your were my husband. But you mean nothing to me now. Who are you to eat my food? I¡¯d rather feed it to the dogs than you. You don¡¯t deserve my cooking.¡± That hurt a lot. Justin¡¯s eyes darkened as her words got to him. He tried his best to look into her eyes. However, he could no longer find the woman who once toiled away all N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. day in the kitchen to make him delicious food. Was the love really gone? Was there really nothing left? Leaving Justin rooted to the spot, Be swiped up thest pastries with a scowl and tucked them safely away in the cab. She was wary of him. ¡°It was rude of me. I didn¡¯t think the food was important to you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Justin admitted to his mistake. Since he was in the wrong, he was willing to ept the reproach. Be¡¯s emotions were apparent in her flutteringshes. She turned her back toward Justin and washed her hands in the sink. She asked curtly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re here to talk business? Speak up. You can tell that I am busy, and you¡¯re keeping me from my work.¡± As his throat hitched, Justin calmed himself. ¡°I came to tell you that I am no longer in charge of Ada¡¯s wedding nning.¡± Be paused from scrubbing her hands and chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Ada has already signed the contract with KS World Hotel. The only thing you can do now is keep tabs on thements that could give your hotel a name.¡± Ignoring her taunts, Justin said, ¡°Gregory has left Bethany in charge now.¡± Be finally turned to face him with a scowl. ¡°You¡¯re smart. You know there¡¯s more to that decision,¡± Justin said in a husky voice, his eyes observing the worry behind hers. ¡°So you came all the way to tell me this? As expected from you. You¡¯re still the same selfish man.¡± Be put her hands on her waist and smirked. ¡°You¡¯re bitter about losing, so you¡¯re telling me about it so that I¡¯ll deal with Bethany for you. ¡°We all know Bethany ys dirty. Even if she¡¯s trying to y me, she¡¯s not smart enough to be a match for me. She¡¯s got the IQ of a gnat. Maybe she¡¯ll stand a chance in another life.¡± Tension loosened in Justin¡¯s jaw as he smiled tenderly. He realized that Be¡¯s vilements were adorable when they were not directed at him. ¡°Even so, Bethany is not a dummy. She has Shannon¡¯s support for ideas.¡± Chapter 374 Justin added, ¡°Shannon is maniptive and cunning. I¡¯m worried they will harm you, so I came to give you a heads-up.¡± Hiding the emotions behind her eyes, Be turned away from him. ¡°That¡¯s all I want to say. I shouldn¡¯t keep you from your work.¡± Justin took a long, hard look at her back before turning to leave. ¡°Hold on, Justin.¡± Be stopped him. With his heart skipping a beat, the man turned back around. ¡°Why are you telling me this? You, of all people, understand the grand scheme of things. Anybody from the Salvador Corporation can boost the Salvador Hotel¡¯s influence and reputation by winning Ada over. That was what you have been nning.¡± Be looked at him skeptically. ¡°So why are you doing this now?¡± ¡°I want you to win.¡± Justin stared at Be with clear and sincere eyes. Having been in the business for over a decade, the sentiment was a rare sight. ¡°Why do you want me to win?¡± ¡°We were once married, after all.¡± Be sneered in disdain. ¡°You weren¡¯t nice to me in the three years we This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. were married, and now that we¡¯re divorced, you want to talk aboutmitment? Are you kidding me, Mr. Salvador? Bye now. Don¡¯t hit your head on the way out.¡± It still hurt as bad the second time around. Justin cleared his throat, choking on the piece of dessert stuck there. He could barely breathe. Night fell at the Hoffmans¡¯ residence. Zoe gave Bethany a call, telling her toe over to her ce. She had an important matter to discuss. Thedies arrived at Zoe¡¯s private piano room and shut the door b¨¦hind them. ¡°Why did you want to see me sote, Zoe?¡± Bethany asked curiously. ¡°It has been five days since KS World Hotel announced their coboration with Ada. Have you figured out a way to get the bitch?¡± Folding her arms in front of her chest, Zoe asked sternly. Bethany was a snobby princess. Only Shannon could speak to her with that tone, so she did not take it well when Zoe came at her. She murmured peevishly, ¡°It¡¯s only been five days. I¡¯m not God. Ideas take time.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ You¡¯re lost without me.¡± Zoe gave Bethany a contemptuous look, but she loved to be superior intellectually. Clearing her throat, she went to her piano, lifted the cover, and pulled a document from under it. She threw it near Bethany¡¯s feet. chapura Though insulted, Bethany dared not show it on her face. She gritted her teeth and picked up the document. Attached was a picture of a young woman and her personal information. ¡°Who is she?¡± Bethany was confused. ¡°She¡¯s Xena Gordon, a reporter for an online news portal, Headlines.¡± Sitting behind the piano, Zoe pressed the keys absentmindedly. ¡°Headlines? I never heard of it.¡± Zoe wagged her finger. ¡°It¡¯s just shitty media. That¡¯s not the point, -though. Take a closer look at the woman¡¯s family information.¡± Bethany blinked and read the document with a frown. ¡°Xena Gordon. Her father is Michael Gordon. Michael Gordon¡­ That sounds familiar. Where have I heard the name before?¡± ¡°Michael Gordon is the former vice president of KS World Hotel. He conspired with Zeke Gold to embezzle the hotel¡¯s procurement funds, but Be caught him and sent him to jail. He got less than two years, but his career is gone,¡± Zoe said with a smile, propping her chin over her hand. ¡°Woah. The grudge runs deep.¡± It then hit Bethany, and she jolted up from the sofa. ¡°Xena must be bitter about it. I bet she resents Be. ¡°Her father wouldn¡¯t be ruined and jailed if it wasn¡¯t for that bitch.¡± Zoe sighed and nced at Bethany in disdain. Chapter 375 Two weeks remained until Ada¡¯s wedding. Be had been swamped with worktely, altering the ns to Ada¡¯s preference, overseeing the venue setup, and verifying materials, costs, and staff members. She only had three hours of sleep on her most exhausting day. Still, she enjoyed doing it. With a clear and profitable goal in mind, she was highly motivated to work. After a morning meeting with the team, Be sat in her office, munching on a piece of sandwich while going through paperwork. Steven knocked on the door and came in to deliver coffee. Although working herself to the bone, Be still looked adorable. Steven shook his head with a helpless smile. ¡°It¡¯s unhealthy to eat while you work.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time. I have a fashion event to attendter.¡± Be took another bite of the sandwich, her gaze never leaving the document. ¡°Why is your schedule packed today? I saw that you¡¯d finally have a break this afternoon and wanted to book you a spa treatment to rx.¡± Steven felt bad for her. ¡°Leave that until after Ada¡¯s wedding. I can¡¯t rx when there¡¯s so much on my mind.¡± Be held the coffee mug up and looked up. ¡°Anything on Bethany and Shannon in thest few days?¡± ¡°I have been keeping an eye on them, but they have been quiet. I don¡¯t see anything.out of the ordinary.¡± Steven uttered in contemtion, ¡°With our nning going full force, they might have just given up since they can¡¯t stop us.¡± Be reflected on the conversation she had with Justin the other day and smirked. ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t let our guard down. Now that Bethany stole a chance to shine from Justin, she couldn¡¯t possibly back down without a fight. What would she say to Gregory? She wouldn¡¯t give up so easily.¡± There was a knock on the door. The administrative secretary carried a white, exquisite -looking gift. box into the room. ¡°Here is the dessert from the back kitchen, packed and ready as requested, Ms. Thompson.¡± ¡°Thank you. Leave it on the coffee table.¡± Once the secretary was gone, Steven walked to the coffee table and opened the box. The beautifully sculpted pastries reminded Steven of Be¡¯s dedication to baking. He curled his lips. ¡°Get ready, Steve. We¡¯re leaving in a minute.¡± That afternoon, Justin returned to his office after a meeting. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you received an invitation to today¡¯s jewelry fair a week ago. Ada will be there. We don¡¯t have to¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Beforen could finish, Justin declined without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Are you sure?¡± petty.¡± ¡°Bethany will be there. She¡¯s responsible for winning Ada over.¡± Unfazed, Justin taunted, ¡°Like attracts like. When there¡¯s a bustle, you can count on Bethany to be there.¡± ¡°Ahem. I just received word that the young madam is there right now.¡± The man¡¯s dark eyes flickered. ¡°I need a change of clothes, and bring the car around.¡± Be was concerned. The luxury jewelry brand AX held a show at the Savrow International Convention Center. Many influential figures in the fashion industry and A-list celebrities arrived on the scene, gracing the red carpet like it was the Oscars. The international star, Ada Wang, stood out among the crowd. She was not just the biggest celebrity but also the ambassador of AX in Meridan. As the heiresses of Savrow¡¯s conglomerates, Bethany and Zoe were on the list that other D-list celebrities cracked their heads to get onto. Bethany and Zoe walked the red carpet, posing endlessly in front of the cameras. The press was annoyed with their extended airtime. If the host had not invited them into the venue time and again, they would probably have rooted themselves on the red carpet. ¡°Jesus, get a life. Don¡¯t they own carpets? It¡¯s embarrassing that they keep hanging around and refusing to leave.¡± Chapter 376 The reportersined about Zoe and Bethany, who were on the red carpet. ¡°I would have just let it go, but they came outter than Ada. They think too highly of themselves to be fashionablyte.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take a single photo. I don¡¯t want to waste my storage space. on the worthless.¡± ¡°Bethany is the heiress of Salvador Corporation. I heard Zoe is the sister of Ryan Hoffman, the ¡®Prince of Savrow¡¯. These women aren¡¯t famous, but they¡¯re made of money. I bet they bought their order of appearance.¡± Thinking they had gotten their 15 minutes of fame, Bethany and Zoe happily walked into the venue. Once there, they realized that the press either interviewed big stars. like Ada or fashion designers. No one asked about them. ¡°Damn it! Are these reporters blind?¡± Getting the snub, Bethany stamped her foot in rage. ¡°How dare they ignore us! They must be blind. They won¡¯t be able to work in this cityThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. again if they cross me.¡± ¡°Those reporters are snobs. They will circle you like sharks if you¡¯re famous, capable, and influential.¡± Furious, Zoe took it out on Bethany by putting her down. ¡°Yeah. My mom won¡¯t let me interact with the media, and it¡¯s not al social circle I hang out in. She said it¡¯s beneath wealthy people to associate with the lower ss.¡± Bethany might be working together with Zoe for her own purpose, but she was not going to let Zoe push her around. Pulling a harmless look, she mocked, ¡°But Zoe, you¡¯re a socialite and the apprentice of a top pianist. I can¡¯t believe no one came to interview you. That¡¯s just rude. I¡¯m angry for your sake. Why don¡¯t I pull a few reporters over to interview you, so it won¡¯t look embarrassing?¡± ¡°Ha! That isn¡¯t necessary. I prefer to keep a low profile. I don¡¯t like to be surrounded by reporters like a monkey in a zoo.¡± Zoe scoffed. The frenemies rolled their eyes and turned away from each other. A flurry of footsteps came behind them. ¡°Look! It¡¯s Ms. Thompson!¡± ¡°Wow! I didn¡¯t see her on the red carpet, so I didn¡¯t expect her to be here. She¡¯s so elusive!¡± ¡°The Thompson heiress is discreet. She¡¯s sessful at manag hotel and winning Ada Wang over. She¡¯s beautiful and capable! unlike most heiresses, who only spend money and hang around r carpets.¡± Even though the press did not name anyone in particr, Bethany and Zoe felt their cheeks burning. The press swarmed toward Be. Among them, two reporters did not look where they were going and bumped into Bethany and Zoe. They staggered, nearly falling to their feet. ¡°Hey! Are you blind?¡± Bethany shouted angrily once she stopped herself from falling. Zoe shook in rage. Herplexion was flushed as the press crowded. over to Be. ¡°Ms. Thompson, you have won the contract to organize Ada Wang¡¯s wedding, defeating the Salvador Corporation. What are your thoughts?¡± A reporter asked loudly. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to work with Ada. I am grateful for her trust in the KS World Hotel. I want to make it clear that KS Group and the Salvador Corporation werepeting for the same opportunity, but that doesn¡¯t mean the Salvador Corporation is any less because we won the contract. The Salvador Hotel has a longer history in Savrow than the KS World Hotel, setting the standards in the industry. I hope you don¡¯t hold the oue against the Salvador Hotel. It doesn¡¯t change. KS Group¡¯s business rtionship with the Salvador Corporation.¡± Even though Be had won a major victory, she knew when to be humble. She would never gloat, make enemies, or belittle the Salvador Corporation because it would be an ugly look on her. ¡°Oh, my! Ms. Thompson is so charismatic. I¡¯m falling for her.¡± ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s humble even when she has won. She¡¯s so nice. I found her underhanded before for swooping in on the project, but I don¡¯t think so now.¡± The crowd expr¨¨ssed their praise for Be. Zoe¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with resentment, and her clenched fists trembled. She noticed that Be wore a pair of golden rose earrings embedded with red gemstones. She matched the earrings with a red gemstone. ne. It was the red beryl, the most valuable gemstone of its kind. Bethany stared at the huge red beryl hanging around Be¡¯s neck and took a huge gulp enviously. Zoe was jealous too, but she quickly noticed something. As she narrowed her eyes, a n came to mind. Chapter 377 ?Chapter 377 Be attended the fashion event today, not to show off or unt her status as the Thompson heiress but to aplish two things. First, she wanted to respond to the usation of stealing the project from the Salvador Corporation in an interview with the media. She wanted to set things straight and put an end to the rumors. Second, Be wanted to present Ada with a gift, but in truth, she was keeping an eye on Bethany, making sure she had the upper hand in the situation. Be refused to allow the scheming woman to ruin things for her. Ada and a dashing middle-aged man in a tailored brown tux walked toward Be. "Ms. Thompson, let me introduce this man to you." Ada introduced, "This is Vincent Anderson, the CEO of AX Jewelry. He''s a good friend of mine. "Vince, meet Ms. Be Thompson, the general manager of KS World Hotel. She''s a talented youngdy."Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Vincent, a native of Inalia, hailed from a royal lineage. This was not his first visit to Savrow or the country of Orealm. He had fallen in love with this country a long time ago. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Anderson. Wee to Savrow." Be smiled and extended her hand to Vincent. "I''m pleased to meet you too, Ms. Thompson. It''s an honor to have you at our show," Vincent responded, shaking her hand. Ada nced at Vincent and then Be. Something appeared strange between them. They should be meeting each other for the first time, but Vincent and Be behaved like they had met before. The press was stunned. Vincent, born into privilege and with royal blood in his veins, held himself above all. Nevertheless, he smiled warmly at Be, like she was his daughter. Be was something else. Still, she was a beautiful youngdy, so it made sense that she was popr among the men. "What a coincidence, Ms. Thompson. Fancy seeing you here." Holding onto her fancy train, Zoe strutted her way toward Be. Zoe looked like an innocent angel with her smiling eyes and cute dimples. Be narrowed her eyes, her icy gaze falling on Zoe. She proceeded to give Zoe the cold shoulder. Be said to Vincent and Ada with a smile, ¡° Let''s chat over there." The snub drove Zoe mad. Her eyes turned bloodshot, and her blood ran cold. Her brother was Ryan Hoffman! The nerve of Be to look down on her! Vincent and Ada shared the same idea. Just as the trio were about to leave, Zoe said with a fake smile, "That''s a beautiful set of jewelry you have there, Ms. Thompson. The red beryl goes well with the rose gold. I was drawn to your jewelry from afar." All eyes were on Be. Be curled her lipsposedly. "Thanks for thepliment." "But I doubt these jewelry pieces are the work of AX." Zoe pointed out with sinister eyes. Everybody squinted for a good look, and Zoe was right. While Be''s jewelry was exquisite, the experts could tell that it was not AX''s design. That was a major faux pas for the brand, and it happened right in front of AX''s CEO, Vincent Anderson. "Today is AX''s show. It''s inappropriate for you to wear the works of other designers, Ms. Thompson." Zoe lifted her chin, revealing the taunt in her eyes. "For a woman of your status, with the support of Hatchbay''s KS Group, it shouldn''t be difficult toply with and respect the brand. You are attending the brand''s event. Maybe you''re wearing your own design, Ms. Thompson? Are you trying to promote your brand through AX''s show? Well, you''re the businesswoman who beat Mr. Salvador, and you''re all about the business. That''s good marketing," It was just the right amount of sarcasm. The press whispered among themselves and nced at Be. Chapter 378 ¡°She¡¯s an heiress of the KS Group. Surely, she knows the rules of the trade.¡± ¡°Duh, of course, she does. She¡¯s probably trying to take advantage of the situation. Gee, the lengths businesswomen go to get a leg up in the industry. For all we know, she might have used underhanded methods to beat Mr. Salvador and gain Ada¡¯s trust.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk. I was impressed with Ms. Thompson, but she turned out to be shameless and despicable.¡± Zoe smirked, knowing she had won this round. ¡®You¡¯re one cocky bitch, Be. I¡¯ll show you your ce today. The best way to take you down a notch is to make people question your integrity.¡± Unbeknownst to Zoe, Justin, who camete, had witnessed everything she had said and done. The man hung back in the dark, staring indifferently at Zoe, who was pleased with herself. Standing tall in his tailored suit with fabric that draped smoothly across his toned chest, Justin scowled. ¡°Mr. Salvador, that woman is picking on the young madam.¡±n was anxious to watch. Justin pursed his lips. He leaned in and paused. ¡°Just wait.¡± ¡°Still¡±n widened his eyes in confusion. ¡°She¡¯s Be Thompson, not a typical woman. She has her way of dealing with it.¡± Justin narrowed his eyes. Even he did not realize that his smile was tender and proud. ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t, she has me.¡± held onto his chest. Justin added, ¡°She was my woman. No one but me can pick on her. -No one.¡± Has the world turned upside down? Could this tender look on Mr. Salvador¡¯s face melt the Antarctic iceberg? Sigh¡­ It¡¯s a shame that Young Madam could not witness it.¡± Public opinion was swaying on the other end of the room. Be¡¯s choice of jewelry started a stir, as promoting another business during a brand event was disgraceful and against the rules. Hiding behind Zoe, Bethany took delight in Be¡¯s unfortunate situation. Be observed with a calm expression as Zoe stirred the pot. Her unperturbed gaze did not sit well with Zoe. Zoe expected to see Be flustered, helpless, and embarrassed. She had a problem with that. ¡°Miss.¡± Vincent, who had kept quiet thus far, said with a pretentious smile, ¡°I see that you¡¯re wearing AX¡¯s Evesting Flower collection. It¡¯s a limited edition with only ten of its kind.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Anderson. I love AX¡¯s jewelry pieces, and this is my favorite collection.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes lit up, and her heart raced as she managed to catch the eye of AX¡¯s CEO. ¡°Since you love the collection, you should know that the inspiration for AX¡¯s Evesting Flower collection came from a talented jewelry designer, Alexa¡¯s Rose of Desire.¡± Vincent cocked his head. A flicker of light dancing on Be¡¯s left rose gold earring held his gaze. The look on Vincent¡¯s face was too suggestive from Justin¡¯s This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. perspective. He pursed his discolored lips, unable to take the male attention Be received. ¡°Ms. Thompson¡¯s jewelry set is Alexa¡¯s Rose of Desire. In other words, without the Rose of Desire, the popr Evesting Flower collection would¡¯ve never existed.¡± Chapter 379 Everybody¡¯s jaw dropped. Zoe and Bethany were not the only ones shocked. As Vincent¡¯s friend and Alexa¡¯s die-hard fan, Ada had no idea. Ada could not believe that Be¡¯s jewelry set was Alexa¡¯s masterpiece. She had heard about the ¡°Rose of Desire¡± but had never seen it. For once, Ada envied the rich. Be sneaked Vincent a grateful look. She knew she did not have to exin herself because Vincent would sort out those troublemakers at his show. There was no need to waste time on unimportant people. Justin¡¯s eyes never strayed away from Be. He was fuming. He was certain that Be knew the man, and they were close. ¡°Who is that old man?¡± Justin asked in a chilling voice. ¡°Vincent Anderson is the CEO of AX. His grandfather was thest Duke of Inalia, and his grandmother was the founder of AX. His family owns the brand, so that¡¯s why he¡¯s the CEO. family bestowed him with a huge estate. That¡¯s not the only thing. He is one of the top five richest men in Inalia. His worth is tens of billions of dors. The young madam is awesome. I can¡¯t believe she has royal friends!¡± Justin breathed heavily and swallowed hard. He clutched his fingers. resentfully. ¡°Wow, Mr. Anderson just stood up for the young madam. Don¡¯t tell Content ? N?velDrama.Org. me he fancies her!¡± Hit by a realization,n eximed, ¡°If Mr. Anderson is interested in the young madam, she will have hope of bing a duchess. She¡¯s a wealthy heiress. If she marries royalty¡­ OMG! The young madam. will be living the life of every woman¡¯s dreams!¡± ¡°That¡¯s never going to happen. Vincent is old enough to be her father.. She won¡¯t fancy him,¡± Justin responded solemnly. A fan of gossip,n could not stop yapping. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t say for certain. The young madam might prefer mature men. Otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have fallen for you. You¡¯re six years older than her.¡± Justin shotn a menacing look. Six years and twenty-odd years were a huge difference. Breaking out in a cold sweat,n pinched his lips together and made. a gesture to zip them. He lookedical and pitiful. His banter got to Justin¡¯s head. Justin no longer resented her for lying to him again and again. He started to whine about the outstanding men around her. He was pushed to the back of the line. ¡°OMG! The CEO of an international luxury jewelry brand just publicly admitted using Alexa¡¯s pieces as a reference. This is an embarrassment to hispany.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think Mr. Anderson is forthright. Besides, he wasn¡¯t using Alexa¡¯s work for reference. He said he drew inspiration from Alexa¡¯s creation.¡± ¡°We did take elements from Alexa¡¯s designs.¡± Amid the press¡¯ chatter, Vincent admitted, ¡°Ms. Alexa is well aware of 1. We talked in private, and Ms. Alexa permitted us to apply the elements in the Evesting Flower collection. She has also. participated in the design.¡± Everybody gasped in awe. Zoe¡¯s smug face stiffened, ¡°So I¡¯m d Ms. Thompson wore Alexa¡¯s pieces to attend AX¡¯s event.¡± Vincent nced at Be before looking away. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing you aren¡¯t aware of, Ms. Hoffman.¡± Be chuckled and continued, ¡°AX and Alexa have been close partners for many years. There is one rule the VIP members of AX Jewelry know 1. ¡°They are free to wear Alexa¡¯s jewelry pieces to AX¡¯s events and will be seated in the VVIP section. If that isn¡¯t enough, AX offers free lifetime maintenance and care for customers who own Alexa¡¯s jewelry pieces. You¡¯re a fan of AX jewelry. Howe you didn¡¯t know?¡± Zoe turned pale. She was speechless. Although she owned many of AX¡¯s jewelry pieces, the membership threshold was set too high. Not only did it require a significant amount of spending history, but there was a strict assessment of the either member¡¯s wealth and background. Zoe did not pass requirement despite being Ryan¡¯s sister. Hence, she did not know about the rule. Chapter 380 Bethany quietly stepped back, keeping her distance from Zoe. She did. not want to be associated with Zoe now that she had made a fool of herself. It dawned on the press. They gave Zoe strange looks. ¡°It¡¯s absurd that Ms. Hoffman pointed her finger at someone else. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. when she wasn¡¯t even a VIP member of AX.¡± ¡°She should¡¯ve minded herself instead of others.¡± ¡°Just because she owns a few jewelry pieces doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s an expert. She talks big in front of the brand¡¯s CEO, but he probably doesn¡¯t even know who she is. ¡°Tsk, tsk. She certainly doesn¡¯t have Ms. Thompson¡¯s refinement and grace.¡± ¡®What did they say?! The horrible media listed me, a Hoffman, beneath Be.¡¯ Zoe nearly lost it. She had never been so humiliated. Without sparing Zoe a nce, Be walked away, sharing a good conversation with Vincent and Ada. The press followed them, leaving Zoe all on her own. The shame washed the color off her face. ¡°Oh, no, Zoe!¡± Bethany took quick paces to her and grabbed her arm. She murmured nervously, ¡°Justin is here!¡± ¡°Justin? W-Where is he?¡± Zoe sweated bullets. ¡°He¡¯s not too far behind you, and he¡¯s looking in this direction. I don¡¯t know when he got here or how much he saw.¡± Zoe gasped and stiffly turned her head. In the shadows, Justin looked coldly at her from the corner. Zoe felt strangled by an invisible pair of hands. Her breathing, heartbeat, and brain threatened to stop working all at once. ¡°J-Justin¡­¡± Furrowing his brows, Justin shook his head emotionlessly and walked away without looking back. Ian followed him. As a cold shiver ran down her spine, Zoe staggered backward. Justin¡¯s gaze cut through her, severing any ties between them. Zoe cried in the washroom. ¡°Sob, sob, sob¡­ Damn it¡­ Why can¡¯t the bitch go to hell? I wish a car could run her over.¡± With her hands over her face, Zoe wailed until her makeup smeared. Her ck eyeliner smudged all over her face. She cried, not just because Be ruined her socially. It was also because Justin caught her giving Be hell, and Zoe could not talk her way out of it. ¡°I know, right? Why can¡¯t God strike her with lightning?¡± Bethany ranted with Zoe, but in secret, she was d. ¡°Why did you just stand there and watch? Why didn¡¯t you stand up for me?¡± Zoe took her anger out on Bethany. ¡°I-I¡¯m slow. I didn¡¯t know what to say. You¡¯ve been the one to give me ideas. What can I do? I wouldn¡¯t have waited until now to deal with Be if I was smart enough,¡± Bethany exined. Zoe wept and asked resentfully, ¡°Have you gotten a reply from Xena Gordon yet? Still no update? She¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°Take it easy. Good thingse to those who wait. The woman hates Be with all her heart. She will do everything to help us.¡± Bethany¡¯s phone buzzed. She pulled it out for a look and smiled wickedly. She waved the phone aat Zoe. ¡°Speak of the devil! Xena¡¯s calling.¡± 2 Zoe gritted her teeth menacingly. ¡°This time, I must make Be fall indrom grace for sure.¡± Chapter 381 Vincent led Be and Ada to the lounge backstage, where the trio enjoyed a ss of champagne and talked. After a long chat, Ada¡¯s agent called her for an important interview. With her gone, Vincent and Be were the only ones left in the lounge. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in three years. How have you been doing, Alexa?¡± Vincent looked at her tenderly, his eyes reflecting the affection of a mentor. There was nothing romantic between them. ¡°As you can see, nothing has changed much.¡± Be spread her arms apart and smiled rxedly. ¡°You have matured a lot in thest three years. I can see it in your eyes. Where have you gone? Did you find inspiration all around the world?¡± Noticing the crease etched between her brows, Vincent asked worriedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t travel. I¡¯ve been to the farmer¡¯s market and back for three years. The passion¡¯s long gone.¡± Be sighed with sadness in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re funny as always.¡± Vincent clinked sses with her and asked with a smile, ¡°When are you nning to reveal that you¡¯re Alexa? It¡¯s a shame to hide that dazzling side of you.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I want to, but I have more important things to do. Revealing it might invite unnecessary problems too. Whenever I¡¯m going to unveil my identity, I must make it valuable and meaningful. I need tond it at the precise moment for the maximum impact.¡± ¡°True, I¡¯ve known you long enough to know that you always focus on maximizing your efforts.¡± Vincent chuckled warmly. ¡°We¡¯re long-time friends. Don¡¯t be a stranger. Talk to me if something¡¯s bothering you.¡± Be responded with a smile, understanding what he was trying to say. ¡°Someone always wanted to be an exclusive part of AX. The sudden drop in sales recently seems to be linked to their bad management.¡± Vincent nodded, listening intently. ¡°Ms. Thompson, it seems Ms. Young has something to do with the declining market. She has been throwing her weight around, but now it¡¯s obvious there¡¯s something more.¡± Be shrugged gracefully. ¡°Do what makes you happy. In my view, the way you¡¯ve handled everything has been impressive. It¡¯s your decision, and no matter what, I¡¯ll support you.¡± With the show beginning, Vincent left the lounge with Be. The pair had not gotten far when a husky voice was heard. ¡°Be.¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she looked back with a frown. Justin walked toward her against the light with a long face. The man gave Vincent a dirty look as he drew close, and Vincent got the hint. He chuckled and asked Be, ¡°Is he a friend of yours, Ms. Thompson?¡± ¡°A friend? As if.¡± Be sneered, but she was bewildered. Justin was a proud and aloof man, a stark contrast to the outgoing Ryan. Thus, Justin was never keen on attending such events. It was unlike him to attend a jewelry show. Ha. Be believed it probably had to do with his foolish, mean, and clingy little admirer. Justin strode toward them, his eyes fixated on Be. ¡°Ms. Thompson, aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to this man here?¡± ¡°I doubt that¡¯s necessary, Mr. Salvador. The Salvador Corporation doesn¡¯t dabble in jewelry. I don¡¯t think you and Mr. Anderson mingle in the same social circle.¡± Be declined indifferently, reluctant to waste pleasantries on him. Justin pursed his lips. Despite the setback, Justin did not back down. Instead, he courteously extended his hand to Vincent. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Anderson.¡± ¡°Likewise, Mr. Salvador. I didn¡¯t think you knew Ms. Thompson.¡± Vincent shook his hand withposure. ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t close with Ms. Thompson.¡± Justin narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°If you two were close, you would know who I am to Ms. Thompson.¡± Vincent furrowed his brows, feeling the strong grip from the man¡¯s handshake. The pair put their muscle power into the handsp. Justin had no idea what had gotten into him. He was not the immature and restless type. Chapter 382 Justin could not shake off the frustration when he saw Be being close to another man. He wanted to get rid of all the male attention around her. He could not exin his strange behavior. He was acting like an abandoned husband. Justin had always been good at self-restraint, but that was out of the window when Be was in question. Annoyed, Be sneered, ¡°We have a special rtionship, the see-you- never type.¡± ¡°Be.¡± Justin¡¯s breath hitched, and his voice turned raspy. ¡°Ex-husbands are never considered close. A good ex keeps their distance and stays out of the picture. Surely, Mr. Salvador, you¡¯re familiar with this concept?¡± ¡®Ex-husband?¡¯ Vincent was shocked. He did not think Alexa had been married before. As her long-time friend, Vincent had never heard of her marriage. Why did Alexa marry this man? A perfect woman like Alexa had better choices. Why did she marry a jealous man? ¡°Feel free to make things hard for me, Mr. Salvador. Seeing you is enough to make me miserable, so I don¡¯t mind getting more hell from you. But Mr. Anderson is an important friend of mine. I hope you don¡¯t give him any trouble.¡± Be furrowed her brows. ¡°Have some dignity, my dear ex-husband.¡± Justin tensed his jawline, and his fingers dug into his mmy palms. Her words bit. Be would take him on just to protect and stand up for someone else. Justin, an ex-husband she once loved, was dead to her. ¡°The show¡¯s starting. Aren¡¯t you going to keep your littledypany, Mr. Salvador? She might panic if she doesn¡¯t see you.¡± Be left Justin frozen there and prepared to leave with Vincent. Flustered, the man gripped her arm. ¡°Hey! Your rtionship is over the moment you divorce. Please respect Ms. Thompson.¡± Vincent tried to intervene, but Be raised her arm to stop him. ¡°They¡¯ll be waiting for your speech. Go on ahead, Vincent. I¡¯m fine here.¡± ¡°But- ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re divorced. What can he do to me?¡± Justin felt like she ripped his heart out, and the pain made him clutch. her arm harder. Vincent knew that others should not get involved in the history between the former couple. Trusting that no one would have the audacity to stir trouble at his event, Vincent left ahead of Be. It was quiet along the corridor. Justin could hear his heart thumping, so he held his breath. Still, it did. nothing. ¡°Let go.¡± Be gritted her teeth and put up a struggle. Her eyes. reflected herck of emotion. ¡°You were talking about Zoe, right?¡± Anxious, Justin pulled her toward him. As her supple body pressed against his strong body, their breaths mingled. ¡°Ha, I didn¡¯t name any names. How did you know I was talking about Ms. Hoffman?¡± Justin could not stand to see Be¡¯s mocking gaze. ¡°Oh, little Zoe must mean something to you because you thought about her right away as soon as I mentioned yourdy friend.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Be intentionally said this. Justin let out a wry smile. He could not argue with this woman However, Justin was more curious than angry. He was curious as to who he was to Be. He asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Are you jealous, Be?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Beughed and shook her head. ¡°Are you dumb, Justin? Why would you ask me that? When I was your wife, you were all over Rosalind, taking her to see the lighting ceremony in Meridan during Christmas and creating a unique jewelry piece for her. I wasn¡¯t jealous when you were cruel to me. Now that we¡¯re divorced, you have the nerve to ask me whether I am jealous. How vile are you?¡± Chapter 383 Standing before Be, Justin took Be¡¯s tongueshing defenselessly. Be was right. He had done all the things she mentioned. ¡°Nothing is going on between me and Zoe, Be. She¡¯s not my littledy!¡± The anxiety flushed Justin¡¯s ears red as he shouted. He was not one to apologize, but he was desperate this time. ¡°Why tell me? It has nothing to do with me.¡± Be had no patience with him anymore. She looked at him with disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t care if anything or nothing is going on between you two. I don¡¯t want your exnation. Let go of me. I want to see the show.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you concerned? Why did you talk about it if you didn¡¯t care? You mentioned it at the police station that night and now.¡± Justin hated the misunderstanding. His eyes welled up, and his shoulders trembled as the emotions got to him. ¡°You care about the women I get with, so it shows that you still care about me. You¡¯re not over me, as you said you were.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I care, but I loathe you, Justin.¡± Be stared at him while prying his fingers from her arm. ¡°If I knew you kept your old me anddy friends around, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with you. I¡¯m relieved I got out of it when I did, but I can¡¯t stand the fact that the man I once loved can¡¯t admit that he¡¯s a cheating bastard.¡± Justin breathed heavily as his world came crashing down on him. It felt awful to be misunderstood. He felt bitter and wronged. Be was stung by the man¡¯s broken look. Still, she did not stay. She turned her back against him and walked away. The past is in the past. Despite the unclosed chapter of regret and love, it was time to move on. Be¡¯s phone rang. It was Steven. ¡°What¡¯s up, Steve?¡± She pulled herself together. ¡°TL: ¡°This is bad, Ms. Be. Check Twitter now!¡± Steven spoke in a panic! Be scowled. She had a bad feeling. She pulled out her phone to check Twitter. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The color drained from her face, and she cussed. ¡°Shit!¡± Ada¡¯s leaked wedding ns were trending in the top spot. Be and her team painstakingly put together a wedding setup, but the ns were exposed in photos on the web. Everything was out there. Justin was lost in his whirlwind of emotions when he heard Be curse. Dumbstruck at first, he soon curled his lips. The woman seemed more alive since leaving him. It felt like she was living life rather than going through the motions now. She was more adorable than when she simply did as she was told. He approached her. She sprinted to the end of the corridor in her high heels, ditching him. far behind. Feeling that something was not right, Justin looked at her receding figure and picked up the phone to calln¡¯s number. ¡°Mr. Salvador.¡± ¡°Did something happen at KS Group?¡± The man asked intuitively. ¡°Yes, Mr. Salvador. I was about to report to you about it.¡± Chapter 384 design are taking Twitter by storm. The photos are going viral. because of the sheer number of shares.¡± With a raised brow, Justin asked, ¡°Which media released them? ¡°A verified frencer in the media.¡± ¡°Some people would just expose anything.¡± The man¡¯s eyes darkened as he scowled. ¡°M-Mr. Salvador, with photos of the wedding setup out, will they do the young madam any harm?¡±n asked nervously. ¡°Of course. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have disappeared in the blink of an eye. She usually keeps it together.¡± Justin looked in the direction Be left, feeling for her. ¡°If my guess is N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. right, Ada must have added a term to the contract with Be about keeping her wedding details under wraps until the big day. Otherwise, it will be a breach of contract.¡± ¡°A breach of contract? That bad?¡± ¡°Since the wedding setup was leaked, KS Group has vited the terms. Even if KS Group doesn¡¯t need topensate Ada marily, I believe Ada will have her wedding elsewhere. KS World Hotel will no longer be her consideration,¡± Justin said solemnly. In other words, Be¡¯s efforts went up in smoke after the borate scheme. The incredible KS World Hotel was out of the game! ¡°Jesus¡­ The young madam is intelligent and cautious. How could she be yed?¡± Justin clenched his fists angrily.. He and Be were rivals, so he should be happy that KS Group was in trouble. However, Justin could not smile. ¡°Investigate the media. Who is the person in charge? Look into why the photos are exposed.¡± Ada¡¯s exposed wedding venue photos quickly became a hot topic. Everybody at the show knew about it, but the severity of the matter eluded onlookers. They complimented the wonderful wedding setup. in front of Ada. It was the wedding of their dreams. However, Ada was miffed. Before the show was over, Ada shied away from public attention and left the scene in a hurry without saying goodbye to Vincent. Sitting across from the runway, Zoe and Bethany caught sight of it all. ¡°Hehe. Xena works fast.¡± The malice in Zoe¡¯s eyes was out of ce on her angelic face. When Ada stormed off, Zoe knew she had gotten what she wanted. Zoe thought, ¡®So what if you¡¯re the daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay, Be? So what if you own ten thousand pieces of jewelry? You¡¯ve been yed. You lost.¡±¡® ¡°I guess the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Xena knows her stuff like her father.¡± Bethany pped her hands with a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how quickly she got pictures of the wedding setup. Is she a journalist? I think she should change careers and be a spy.¡± ¡°Refrain from contacting Xena for now. We don¡¯t want the whole thing to trace back to us.¡± Following a glint in her eyes, Zoe stood tall. ¡°I took out Be for you, Bethany. Now it¡¯s up to you to seal the deal with Ada.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that Ada¡¯s furious, I¡¯m sure she will pick us after KS Group¡¯s breach of contract.¡± Bethany straightened her back triumphantly. ¡°The Salvador Hotel and KS World Hotel are the only reputable hotels in the city. Ada will have to choose us now.¡± Chapter 385 After hearing from Vincent that Ada had left the show early, Be rushed to the basement parking lot with Steven. Ada sat in the MPV with a scowl. As the car door began to slide shut, a hand gripped the edge, preventing it from closing. ¡°I know you must be furious to see the post on Twitter, Ada. I¡¯m livid too because the photos were leaked. KS Group has been kept in the dark about everything.¡± Be was out of breath and sweating from running. Ada smiled pretentiously at Be. She had been in the acting business for over thirty years, so she was an expert at controlling her expressions and emotions. Without throwing a fit, Ada said indifferently, ¡°We have a deal, Ms. Thompson. I know that you might not be aware of the leak. I trust that you are a woman of principle, Ms. Thompson. Or Vincent won¡¯t speak highly of you.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes lit up because he believed all was not lost yet. Well, Steven and Be were in for a rude awakening. ¡°But you can¡¯t deny that KS World Hotel has a serious concern about security measures, and that¡¯s your responsibility as the general manager. The design of the wedding setup was leaked this time. Next, it might be the client¡¯s personal information. KS World Hotel¡¯s management issue is the cause of today¡¯s incident. Don¡¯t you think so, Ms. Thompson?¡± Fuck. Things turned ugly quickly, and the woman did not hesitate to dump them. Flushed in the face, Steven was dying to stand up for Be. He could take the insults and even a beating, but he could not stand others questioning and challenging Be. It pained him to see the woman he watched growing up get hurt. Be raised her arm to stop Steven. Composing herself, shel graciously admitted her fault. ¡°My apologies, Ms. Wang. It was our negligence that resulted in the leak of the wedding setup photos. As the general manager of the hotel, I am at fault.¡± ¡°Ms. Be¡­¡± Seeing red, Steven clenched his fists. ¡°You are better than most managers for acknowledging your mistake, Ms. Thompson, but it¡¯s a fact that the contract has been breached. Regardless, the terms have been vited, so I will end my coboration with KS Group as dictated in the contract. Otherwise see no point in having a contract in the first ce. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d agree.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Ada smiled and gave her agent a look to close the door. ¡°Please wait, Ms. Wang.¡± Be took a box from Steven and handed it to Ada humbly. ¡°I understand your choice to cancel our partnership. Although we can¡¯t work together, I believe we¡¯re still friends. I have made the dessert you love, so I just want to deliver it to you.¡± Ada nced at the box without taking it. She said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness. When we have a chance to work together again, I¡¯ll ept your gift.¡± Be gritted her teeth as the MPV drove away. ¡°Ada insulted you by not epting the gift. That was mean!¡± Steven was furious, but there was nothing he could do about it. KS World Hotel was at fault to begin with. ¡°I can understand why she did what she did. She wasn¡¯t insulting me. She didn¡¯t have a reason to ept my gift since the deal was off. With her wedding drawing close, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s restless after what happened. She has to look for another hotel now.¡± Be drew a deep breath to calm herself. ¡°Even though Ada isn¡¯t coborating with us anymore, I¡¯m not over the matter. The priority. now is to find the person who did this to me. Let¡¯s not forget about- the mole hiding among us.¡± ¡°A mole?¡± Widening his eyes in disbelief, Steven murmured, ¡°Are you suspecting one of us? I thought Bethany was behind this.¡± ¡°Sure, Bethany started it, but without help from the mole, she couldn¡¯t possibly have seeded. We should start vetting from inside our organization.¡± Chapter 386 Elia¡¯s almond-shaped eyes gradually opened, feeling as if everything around her was fading. It¡¯s interesting that they think if I don¡¯t show them my power, they won¡¯t back off. Be was discouraged that their big client, Ada Wang, had canceled the cooperation. However, what was most important at the moment was to find the traitor in the hotel. Otherwise, they would face even bigger problems. Steven felt very ufortable seeing Be worried. She gently ced the box on the table and walked out without looking back. ¡°It¡¯s just trash now. Let¡¯s go,¡± Be said, urging Steven as they left. As Steven and Be left, a tall and upright figure walked in. Lexin covered Be¡¯s retreating figure withplex emotions in his starry eyes. ¡°Mr. Salvador, it seems the young madam will be very busy during this time. It¡¯ll be difficult to meet with her.¡± Justin was silent. He walked to the trash can, leaned over, and picked up the box that Be had discarded without any care. ¡°Mr. Salvador! Don¡¯t pick it up. It¡¯s too dirty!¡± Ian, usually a carefree person, couldn¡¯t stand the dirt. Ian thought, When has the dignified and arrogant Mr. Salvador ever humbled himself like this? He shouldn¡¯t have picked it up, even if the young madam was the one who threw it away. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like I never did this kind of thing when I was a kid,¡± Justin spoke nonchntly. He recalled the time he saw Be in the kitchen carefully making this dessert and couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of warmth in his heart. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Be returned to the KS World Hotel and called all senior management and members of the wedding nning team to the conference room for an emergency meeting. Everyone was furious when they heard that Ada Wang had canceled the cooperation. Seeing that their efforts were in vain, some even cried in exasperation. Be saw it and felt the same way. Her heart ached too. She was not afraid that the cooperation fell through, nor did she care that she had suffered a loss. What she feared most was the disappointment of her colleagues, who had worked hard with her. ¡°It¡¯s alright. This isn¡¯t a big deal, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re out of solutions. We will operate as usual, and please don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Beughed heartily, her beautiful eyes arching into crescents. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the holiday I promised you all. We¡¯ll still go ahead with it. Don¡¯t cry because of this. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± However, everyone said they would cancel the holiday and devote themselves to work to make up for the losses. After the meeting ended, everyone left. Steven looked outside to make sure no one was lingering behind before he closed the door of the conference room. ¡°Ms. Be, why didn¡¯t you tell them about the mole in the hotel while everyone was here?¡± Steven couldn¡¯t help but frown in confusion. ¡°You could put pressure on them, and I¡¯ll observe their micro-expressions. That way, we can find out who the mole is!¡± ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re so naive, Steven.¡± Be¡¯s fair arms naturally rested on the armrest of the leather chair. She spun around in circles and said, ¡°Since this matter is widely known, do you think the traitor will be unprepared? They must assume that I wanted to discuss this in the meeting. But I didn¡¯t fulfill their wish and pretended not to care. That way, they won¡¯t be able to predict my thoughts.¡± Steven couldn¡¯t help butugh. Be was indeed a quirky person. ¡°Since the traitor has already seeded in their n and got away without getting caught, there is no point in putting pressure on them.¡± Suddenly, Be¡¯s beautiful eyes darkened. ¡°What we have to do is make them let down their guard and think that nothing is wrong. Then we¡¯ll throw out the bait and let them bite it.¡± ¡°Ms. Be, I will check the surveince cameras in a moment to see if any suspicious people have approached the wedding venue. In addition, I will investigate the ount that exposed the photos to see who broke the news to them!¡± Be¡¯s narrowed eyes revealed a dangerous sense of oppression. ¡°Alright. Go ahead.¡± Chapter 387 The next day at Salvador Corporation,n knocked on Justin¡¯s office. door and entered in a hurry. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ve investigated¡­ Ahhhh!¡± to stop Justin from eating the contaminated food. He watched helplessly as Justin sat at the table and took a bite out of the pastry that came from the dirty box. Crunch¨C Justin opened his mouth wide, squinted his eyes, and took a bite with relish. ¡°Mr. Salvador! You can¡¯t eat this! It was from the trash can. How could you eat it?!¡±n spoke anxiously. ¡°Only the box is dirty. The inside is still clean.¡± Justin took another bite. It tasted really good. However, it was a pity that this box of dessert was not made for him. Thinking of this, Justin felt bitterness on the tip of his tongue and throat. Be used to do this for him every day back then, but he did not cherish it. Now, the only way he could taste her food was if he picked it up from the trash can. His life was truly miserable. ¡°So, how¡¯s the investigation going?¡± Justin put away the remaining dessert and asked in a leisurely manner. ¡°Ahem¡­ After some coercion and inducement on my part, that influencer finally revealed an important clue!¡± ¡°Stop beating around the bush.¡± ¡°That influencer said that he only received Ada Wang¡¯s wedding setup through a private message. Someone just used him to help break the news, but he had no idea who was behind the scenes.¡± ¡°Oh, have you signed up for any courses in your spare timetely?¡± Justin raised his eyes coldly. ¡°Huh?¡±n was startled. ¡°Perhaps ¡®How to Bullshit for Dummies¡±?¡± Justin raised his eyebrows and continued, ¡°Is this the supposedly important clue you found? You don¡¯t even know who is behind the scenes. I think your bonus should be donated to those in need.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, have mercy! I¡¯ve already found that person¡¯s oun but I haven¡¯t checked the ount yet before I rushed back to report to you. I¡¯ll check it out right now!¡± lan¡¯s face turned pale when he heard that his bonus was going to be deducted again. Although he did not have a family to raise, he wanted to save up for a future wedding. ¡°Give me the ount details. I¡¯ll check it out myself.¡± Justin hooked his finger. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t bother you with this little thing¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to lose if I wait for you.¡± Justin frowned. He had always been calm, but this time, he could not help but feel a little anxious. ¡°I have to hurry up and find out the culprit before Be¡¯s brothers help her.¡± Oh, men and theirpetitive nature. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I can finally die with no regrets seeing youe out of retirement!¡±n was so excited that he almost covered his face and cried. ¡°You¡¯ve been acting too much.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, and he cracked his knuckles. In the military academy, Justin learned how to track, counter-track, collect intelligence, and decipher encryptions. However, after bing the president of Salvador Corporation, these skills were left unused, so he became a bit rusty. At first, when Be still went by the name ¡°Anna Brown¡±, Justin had secretly used his hacking skills to obtain information on the identities of the mysterious men around her. As a result, he could not find anything. This made him understand. one thing-the men around Be were no ordinary people. However, this time, the opponent should not be that strong. Justin. had to find out who it was. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Seeing Justin so eager to give it a try,n found it sweet and smiled suggestively. ¡°Mr. Salvador, please tell me the truth. Do you have feelings for the young madam?¡± Justin nced at him coldly and said, ¡°Do you think that your sry is too high, so you¡¯re eager to do charity?¡± Chapter 388 ¡°I owe her for thest three years.¡± Justin took a deep breath and lowered his eyes sadly. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up. to her in every little way I can.¡± At night, Asher and Axel dropped their work and rushed over to Be¡¯s vi after learning that something had gone wrong with Ada Wang¡¯s cooperation. In the study, Axel was sweating profusely as he sat in front of the track the information about the users behind the ounts that Be provided him. Meanwhile, Be sat leisurely on the sofa, clinking sses with Asher and enjoying the top-quality red wine he brought over. ¡°Hello, don¡¯t you think you two are big bullies?¡± Axel was so busy that he had not even had a sip of water. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I came here just to be your ve while you two happily sip on wine. Don¡¯t you think you guys are mean? How could you bully a public prosecutor?!¡± Seeing that his two siblings held no sympathy for him, Axel helplessly and aggrievedly shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t drink it all. Leave me a sip!¡± ¡°Axel, if you work hard, I¡¯ll offer you the hundreds of bottles of red wine in my underground wine cer. Isn¡¯t that enough of a bribe?¡± Be teased him with a smile. ¡°Bah! I¡¯m an upright public servant. Don¡¯t you try to corrode my will!¡± Axel frowned and clicked on the keyboard loudly. ¡°Be, Dad has already heard about this matter,¡± Asher said gently. ¡°Haha. I knew that Wyatt would hear about the bad situation as soon as it happened. Is he just sitting at home waiting to see me fail?¡± Be no longer had the mood to sip on wine. She folded her small feet and pouted her lips in distress. ¡°Well, Dad didugh at you.¡± Asher chuckled and raised his hand to pinch her angry little face. ¡°Hist exact words were, ¡®Why would she get depressed over such a trivial matter? Isn¡¯t there anyone in the world that the brat can care about?!¡±¡± Be was speechless. ¡°Also, Dad said that Ada Wang will be filming the eighth season of March of the Dead¡¯ next year. The producer found him through various connections and asked him to be an investor.¡± Asher leaned forward slightly and smiled mysteriously. ¡°Dad told me privately that if you feel upset about what happened with Ada, he can. ask the producer to change the female lead of the 8th season at any time.¡± Be gasped. She did not expect her father to have contacts in Hollywood. This old guy was really influential! ¡°Ahem¡­ There¡¯s no need for that. We breached the contract first. Ada Wang did nothing wrong, so don¡¯t ruin her career.¡± Be sighed and still felt a little downcast. ¡°Besides, I have already gone out to work on my own. I shouldn¡¯t keep relying on my family for everything. Now that something like this has happened, the only way This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. to relieve my anger is to find out the people who are involved. Then I will personally punish them.¡± ¡°Very well. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This is how Wyatt¡¯s daughter should act.¡± Asher¡¯s eyes held a warm smile as he touched his little sister¡¯s head. Be could do whatever she wanted. She did not have to be afraid of anything because, even if the sky fell, her brothers would be there to support her. At this time, Be¡¯s phone vibrated on the coffee table. Be nced sideways. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. Justin¡¯s name on the caller ID pierced her eyes. ¡°Your ex-husband is calling.¡± Asher looked at her with a smile and joked with her. ¡°Ugh! I hate spam calls.¡± Be turned over her phone screen, not wanting to pay attention to it. Suddenly, Steven rushed into the study with a frown. ¡°Ms. Be, Justin is here. He¡¯s right outside our door!¡± At the same time, the doorbell rang Chapter 389 ¡°Well, I guess this spam call came to harass you in person.¡± Asher took a sip of red wine, still in the mood to joke. After all, with Asher and Axel around, Jerkface Justin would not dare try anything. Otherwise, Asher would deal with him. By then, even Jesus would not be able to save him. ¡°How dare that jerke to our door? That motherfucking son of a bitch!¡± Axel cursed, keeping his eyes on the screen and typing with his hands. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡­¡± Be shook her head and stood up in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m the reason he¡¯s here, so I should be the one to drive him away. I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Be came to the entrance alone and turned on the video inte. Justin¡¯s cold and handsome face instantly appeared on the screen. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Be¡¯s eyes were nk, as if he were a stranger to her. ¡°Are there no other attractions in Savrow that you had to take a stroll around my house?¡± ¡°Be, pleasee out. Let¡¯s talk,¡± Justin said in a deep voice, ignoring her mocking tone. ¡°Can¡¯t we talk like this? I can still see your face and hear your voice.¡± The man¡¯s throat tightened as he exhaled deeply. The woman in front of him was truly cold and ruthless. ¡°Be, stop making a fuss ande out. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Make a fuss? How am I making a fuss? You¡¯re clearly not wee here. Can¡¯t you tell?¡± Be could not help but sneer. ¡°Come out. I want to see you.¡± Justin¡¯s charming eyes twinkled in the dim light. His voice was so hoarse. He was holding back too manyplicated emotions and only revealed them after it was too overwhelming. He wanted to let go of his pride and dignity.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I want to see you.¡± Be¡¯s heart throbbed violently as her blood surged. She pursed her lips and took half a step back. After a while, she took a deep breath andughed lightly. If she had heard Justin say this in the past, she would have be excited that she would have cried tears of joy. For these words, would be willing to do anything for him. However, these words came toote. It was disgraceful to be entangled in an expired marriage. It would only make her seem worthless. ¡°Justin, the world is a cruel ce. You can¡¯t always get what you want.¡± Be tilted her head. Her mocking tone chilled his heart. ¡°You spent three years teaching me this concept.¡± ¡°Be¡­¡± Justin felt a lump in his throat, and all the nerves in his body spasmed. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll rain tonight.¡± Be raised her eyes to look at the moon and said in a cold tone,¡± Justin,st time I went out to see you, I was afraid that you would be struck to death by lightning. This time, there¡¯s no way I will go out to see you.¡± Beep- The video inte was turned off. The screen plunged into darkness. Justin stood outside the door with dull eyes. His body was enveloped in the deste and chilly air ofte fall, and the cold prated his core. Be returned upstairs with sluggish steps. She did not understand how the man who used to ignore her had the nerve to go over to her house and tell her that he wanted to see her after their divorce. He was truly shameless. What else could he say to her? In the past three years, he could have talked to her about everything under the sun, but he chose to leave her alone in the huge vi and neglect her. She had wasted three years on him, so she vowed not to waste any more time with this man. As Be walked into the study, Steven asked with concern, ¡°How are you feeling, Ms. Be? Did Justin make things difficult for you?¡± ¡°Hmph! He won¡¯t dare.¡± Be walked behind Asher, leaned over, and wrapped her arms tightly around her eldest brother¡¯s neck, acting coquettishly. ¡°What about you? Did you make things difficult for Justin?¡± Asher asked with a smile.. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°What a pity.¡± Asher gently raised his hand to touch her cheek and joked, ¡°I¡¯m here tonight, so this is your opportunity to beat him up and vent your anger.¡± Be rolled her eyes. ¡°Thanks for the offer, Ash. But devout believers should use peaceful means to solve problems.¡± ¡°Be! I finally did it! Why don¡¯t you open a bottle of red wine and reward me? I want the most expensive one!¡± Axel shouted with excitement and pumped his fists in the air. ¡°Steve, head down to the wine certer and give my second brother a bottle of our best red wine.¡± The worries in Be¡¯s eyes disappeared as she hurriedly walked to Axel. She put her left hand on his shoulder and her right arm on the table. She stared at the screen intently and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the user behind that ount?¡± ¡°This is her!¡± Axel pointed at the screen. ¡°She is a social news reporter from ¡® Headlines¡¯, Xena Gordon! The IP address of the other ount is exactly the same as her official one Chapter 390 ¡°Well done, Ax! Although you are a bit slow.¡± Be raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m faster this time! Why didn¡¯t you call Drew for help? He¡¯s a professional in this kind of shady activity. You should really employ the right people for the right services!¡± ¡°I called Drew a few days ago. He has an important mission, so I dare. not disturb him.¡± ¡°Be, I remember that you¡¯re quite the hacker yourself, no less than Drew. You could have found out yesterday.¡± Asher was also puzzled. Be yawned. ¡°Oh, I was justzy.¡± Axel was speechless as he thought, ¡®Oh, so I really am a ve to her!¡¯ Be browsed the Twitter ount carefully and sneered. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s al reporter with a strong sense of justice. Why did she suddenly change. her focus to expose Ada Wang¡¯s wedding setup? She looks like she¡¯s trying to mess with us.¡± ¡°Be, do you mean that someone instigated this reporter?¡± Asher asked with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s not instigation. She probably received money from someone to help them do their dirty work. Media reporters have their own forte. Since she is a social news reporter, she wouldn¡¯t have reported on the entertainment industry.¡± Be stared at Xena Gordon¡¯s and murmured to herself, ¡°Xena Gordon¡­ Xena Gordon¡­ Why does this name seem so familiar?¡± Suddenly, she had an epiphany and shouted, ¡°I know who she is! She¡¯s Michael Gordon¡¯s daughter!¡± ¡°Who is Michael Gordon?¡± Axel asked, still clueless. ¡°Is he the former vice president of the hotel whom you fired and sent to jail?¡± Asher raised his eyebrows with interest. ¡°Yes! Xena is his daughter!¡± Be had an excellent memory. She had read Michael Gordon¡¯s information before, so she immediately recognized Xena Gordon¡¯s identity. ¡°I can understand if she was the one who exposed this.¡± ¡°I get it too. You were the reason her father lost his job and went to prison. I think she¡¯s rather merciful that she didn¡¯t make you viral on her tform.¡± Axel nodded with a serious face. ¡°He¡¯s involved in corruption and bribery. Should I have promoted him instead of sending him to jail?¡± Be raised her chin arrogantly. ¡°Michael Gordon was at fault, not me. If she¡¯s a good daughter, she should visit her father more often. instead of trying to seek revenge on me tofort herself. Why should I pay for the mistakes her father made? How ridiculous!¡± ¡°Ms. Be, I checked the surveince cameras. Except for our team members who take turns supervising the work on-site, the workers will hand over their mobile phones during construction. No outsiders. can approach the wedding venue.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes darkened as he continued, ¡°I can be sure that someone in the team is indeed working with this woman.¡± Be saw how pretty Xena Gordon was and made a bold guess. Steve, from now on, keep an eye on everyone on the team, especially the men. Have them monitored 24/7. If anyone has personal contact with Xena Gordon, please report it to me in time.¡± ¡°Be, why the men?¡± Axel was curious. ¡°Because all men are lustful creatures who can¡¯t control their lower bodies and forget their loyalty!¡± Be sneered. Her failed marriage. made her prejudiced against men. Asher and Axel said in unison, ¡°Except me!¡± Steven hurriedly raised his hands and seconded. ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Oh, I know you¡¯re all good men, so there¡¯s no need to defend. yourselves so quickly.¡± Be straightened her arms and stretched like a cat. ¡°No matter what, you all are much better than the bastard standing at the door, right?¡± It waste by the time Axel finished the investigation, so the Thompson brothers stayed in the guest rooms that Steven had prepared for them. Be was too exhausted in the past two days, so she went back to her room and fell asleep after taking a shower. In the middle of the night, a burst of lightning tore through the night. sky with a loud rumble, waking Be from her deep sleep.. She was not usually such a light sleeper, but for some reason, she jolted awake.tonight. Then she lost her sleepiness. Be stood up, put on a silk robe over her burgundy spaghetti-strap nightgown, wore her red velvet slippers, and went out to get some water. It was raining heavily outside, with strong winds, thunder, and lightning. Be stood in front of the window in the corridor with a ss of water in her hands. When she was a child, she remembered that her mother would hold her in her arms and sit on the rocking chair in front of the window every time it rained heavily. Her mother would look out the window in a peaceful daze and whisper like she was in a trance. ¨C¡°It was also such a stormy night like this when Mommy left that ce.¡± Be thought, ¡®Where was the ce that Mom was referring to?¡± Suddenly, another lightning bolt lit up the night sky. Through the brightness, Be was shocked to see that Justin was still standing at the door to her vi. Justin raised his head and looked in the direction of the window in her room. He was standing upright in the strong wind and rain, Content ? N?velDrama.Org. unmoving like a mountain. His hair was messy from being blown. around. Chapter 391 Be thought to herself, ¡®What the hell is that bastard doing out there? Is he trying to gain sympathy by doing this? Does he think that I¡¯ll fall for such a despicable trick?!¡¯ Be¡¯s heart burned with rage. She turned around and wanted to go. back to her room, but she stopped after taking two steps. The rain inte fall was not like the one in the summer. The temperatures in Savrow can reach below 0 Celsius at night during the fall. Justin had been standing outside for 3 to 4 hours, and he was wearing thin clothes. Be thought, ¡®What if he won¡¯t leave? If he froze to death at my doorstep, wouldn¡¯t I have to exin it to the police? How troublesome! Thinking of this, Be quickly walked back to her room, picked up her phone, and called Justin. As a result, Justin¡¯s phone was turned off. Be could not understand what Justin was trying to do. Justin¡¯s self-torture did not arouse Be¡¯s sympathy, but it aroused her curiosity. Thus, she quickly walked to the entrance, opened the door, and walked out with a huge ck umbre. When Justin saw Be¡¯s thin and slender figure walking toward him, he thought he was hallucinating from standing too long in the cold rain. Justin only realized that Be was real when she was right in front of him. He suddenly froze. A warmth surged in his heart, and his eyes widened with joy. ¡°What on earth are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?!¡± Be¡¯s voice was sharp as she reprimanded him. ¡°Are you cold, dressed like this?¡± Justin still looked cold and emotionless. His hands trembled slightly as he unbuttoned the middle button of his suit jacket. He wanted to take off his jacket and put it on for her, but he realized that his jacket was already soaked through, so he froze in embarrassment. ¡°Why did you turn off your phone?¡± Be asked, furious. ¡°The battery died,¡± Justin answered honestly, like a stupid husband being scolded by his wife. Inexplicably, he was delighted by her fierceness. He was a bit masochistic. ¡°Were you nning to stand like this all night if I didn¡¯te out to see you?¡± ¡°Yes, I have something to tell you.¡± Beughed in exasperation, her chest heaving. ¡°Justin, why do you always make me despise you so much? Apart from such despicable tricks, can¡¯t you do something more original? Are you a scumbag or the president of Salvador Corporation?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what the means are as long as I can see you.¡± Justin¡¯s deep voice was cold, but his eyes were incredibly alluring. Be was so angry that her breathing became rapid. Her puffed-out, trembling chest made Justin¡¯s eyes darken with desire. Fortunately, he was a gentleman with principles. Otherwise, no ordinary man would be able to control himself with that view. ¡°You couldn¡¯t sleep well tonight?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I remember that you never got up at night before. You always slept until dawn.¡± Be¡¯s heart trembled, and her grip on the umbre handle tightened. When they first got married, they slept in the same bed for almost half a year. Even if they shared the same bed, Justin would only turn his back to her. There was always a huge gap between them, like the Grand Canyon. She knew that Justin was a light sleeper, but she did not know that he had also paid attention to her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something to say? Spit it out! It¡¯s cold out here!¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Be couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the car.¡± Justin grabbed the umbre from her hand and quickly opened the car door with his other hand. He pushed her into the car without further exnation. The car was humid as soon as they got inside. In the dim light, Be noticed how Justin¡¯s pale and thin lips were trembling slightly. His hands on his knees were already turning purple from the cold. She pursed her lips. Justin took out a nket from somewhere and wrapped it tightly around her delicate body. ¡°I found the person behind the expose. It¡¯s a woman named Xena Gordon. Her father is Michael Gordon. You should be familiar with him, so you should also know why she did this. Xena Gordon was waiting for an opportunity to take revenge.¡± Be raised her eyes in shock. ¡°You came here just to tell me this?¡± ¡°Yes, but not entirely.¡± Justin¡¯s restrained voice was trembling. ¡°I also wanted to see if you were sad or affected by this incident.¡± Chapter 392 ¡°Hahaha!¡± Be did not like Justin anymore, so she no longer had to pretend to be a meek girl in front of him. She threw her head back andughed out loud. ¡°Do you think such a trivial matter can make me sad? Be Thompson is not so easily defeated. Justin, you¡¯re really underestimating me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes showed a bit of relief. ¡°What¡¯s your real intention for telling me this?¡± Be felt that Justin was getting more and more strange. However, she could not fathom the possibility of Justin liking her no matter what. For three years, Be gave him countless opportunities to fall in love with her. How could he be tempted now? If so, it was ridiculous how slow this man¡¯s reaction was. ¡°Be, I owe you. Although our marriage was only in name during the past three years, I wasn¡¯t good to you.¡± Justin tried hard to give a reasonable exnation for his behavior and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°So, I still want to make it up to you as Yong as there is a suitable opportunity.¡± ¡°Make it up to me, huh? Okay.¡± Be looked at Justin with her bottomless, cold eyes. ¡°Then promise me that you will never again appear in front of me and stop meddling in my affairs. That¡¯s how you can make it up to me.¡± Justin frowned. His heart ached as if it was stabbed. His heart almost stopped beating. Be took off the nket on her body and red at him. ¡°Stop saying that you¡¯ll make it up to me. I¡¯d rather you say that you¡¯re doing this to attack Bethany. That way, I might have listened a bit more.¡± As he watched Be enter her vi, Justin felt an emptiness in his chest. His mood was like the rain outside. Deep down in his heart, he was hoping that Be still had feelings for him. He was unwilling to let go and helpless. He thought, ¡®Was this how Be felt during those three years of suffering when I didn¡¯t respond to her love?¡¯ As soon as Be returned to the vi, she leaned against the door and took several deep breaths to stabilize her fluctuating emotions. She could hear the faint roar of the sports car engine outside, so she knew he had left. Then she slowly walked to her bed and looked out. At this moment, a pair of warm hands fell on her shoulders. Be panicked at first, but she smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Ash, you scared me to death. Why don¡¯t you make any sound when you walk?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t being quiet. You were just too deep in your thoughts.¡± Asher sighed, put his arms around his little sister¡¯s shoulders, and stood with her at the window to look out. ¡°Has he left?¡± ¡°Sorry for disturbing your sleep.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Be lowered her long eyshes shyly and leaned on Asher¡¯s broad shoulder. ¡°Just now, Justin came to tell me that he found out that Xena Gordon was the one who leaked the photos.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The brother and sister fell into afortable silence. After a while, Asher squeezed Be¡¯s shoulder and asked with a smile, ¡°What if Justin fell in love with you¡­?¡± ¡°Ash!¡± Be frowned, her tone full of resentment. ¡°I mean, what if? If Justin fell in love with you and is now willing to dedicate himself and sacrifice for you, will you give him another chance?¡± Asher looked at her seriously. ¡°After all, he¡¯s the man you loved throughout your youth.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Be was resolute. A bitter pain slowly rose in her heart. ¡°Ash, at this point, it¡¯s no longer about forgiveness. I¡¯m afraid. I have been let down for too long, and I have suffered enough because of love. I no longer want to worry about a man¡¯s moods, and I no longer want to stay up all night waiting for him. I no longer want to cook a feast just to get no response from him. Ash, I¡¯m so tired. I never want to make the same mistakes again.¡± ¡°Right. Justin has no right to regret his behavior after treating you like that.¡± Asher held his sister¡¯s cold hands tightly and sighed sadly. ¡°My Be is too good for him. Even if he regrets it, he can only live with that regret for the rest of his life.¡± Chapter 393 After KS World Hotel lost the cooperation with Ada Wang, Bethany dressed up meticulously the next day and went to the presidential suite of the Salvador Hotel to meet Ada Wang in the afternoon. Ada was not surprised by Bethany¡¯s visit and was contemptuous of Bethany. After all, Ada felt that Bethany could not hold a candle to Be in all aspects. Her clothing preference, temperament, and intellect were farckingpared to Be. If Bethany had not been the daughter of Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman, Ada would not have any affiliation with such a superficial woman. ¡°Ms. Wang, KS World Hotel has breached the contract and hindered your wedding nning. I was very anxious on your behalf when I heard about this matter. I think that KS Group handled it too hastily. It¡¯s unprofessional to expose a customer¡¯s information. This behavior should be condemned and made an example of in the industry.¡± Bethany insulted the KS World Hotel,pletely unaware that Ada Wang¡¯s expression had turned glum. ¡°If you had chosen the Salvador Hotel, these things would never have happened.¡± ¡°Ms. Salvador, are you implying that I¡¯m not farsighted enough to pick your hotel?¡± Ada Wang sipped on a cup of ck tea and asked with a pretentious smile. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Bethany¡¯s face froze, ¡°Ms. Salvador, you should understand one thing. Although I will no longer cooperate with the KS World Hotel, it does not mean that the Salvador Hotel is my only option. Ms. Thompson is an excellent manager, and there may be another reason behind KS World Hotel breaching the contract. It¡¯s still unclear whether they have been framed by apetitor.¡± Bethany¡¯s heart twitched after hearing this. She felt attacked. ¡°But didn¡¯t you eventually cancel your cooperation with KS World Hotel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we have signed a contract and must abide by the terms of the contract.¡± Ada Wang curled her lips indifferently. ¡°One shouldn¡¯t badmouth others behind their back. Ms. Salvador, you¡¯re a well-groomed youngdy, so you should understand this principle. What¡¯s more, the dignified Salvador Corporation should not need to belittle their opponents to promote themselves.¡± Bethany¡¯s expression froze with embarrassment. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She thought that Ada was on bad terms with Be because of the leaked wedding setup photos. She did not expect Ada to actually defend Be. Was she bewitched by Be? Or was she possessed? ¡°Ms. Wang, your wedding is just around the corner. It will definitely be toote to change to another hotel or make new ns.¡± Bethany knew that she had gotten a little carried away just now, so she quickly regainedposure and humbled herself. ¡°If you choose our hotel, you can still keep your wedding date. We will arrange the venue for you right away andplete it on time!¡± ¡°I can cooperate with the Salvador Hotel, but I have a condition.¡± Ada Wang flipped her short hair nonchntly. ¡°I want Mr. Justin Salvador to personally handle the whole wedding. I only trust him.¡± Bethany left the hotel angrily. Thinking of Ada¡¯s words, ¡°I only trust Mr. Salvador¡±, Bethany felt seriously offended. This was a personal insult to her. She really wanted to check to see if Ada was possessed by Be. Why else would Ada show her such animosity? ¡°Mom! What do you think I should do now?!¡± Bethany called Shannon with a sad tone. ¡°That actress thinks that she¡¯s a big deal? How dare she ignore my precious daughter? I hope her marriage doesn¡¯tst long!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Shannon was also furious. She said in a cold tone, ¡°Go and beg your dad to put pressure on that bastard. For the sake of the hotel, Justin will definitelye forward to solve the problem.¡± Bethany followed her mother¡¯s instructions and rushed to Salvador Corporation in a hurry. In the chairman¡¯s office, Bethany leaned against Gregory and cried,ining about the cold shoulder she received from Ada Wang today. ¡°Bethany, you¡¯re too naive and well protected by me and your mother. How could you know that the world is a cold and cruel ce?¡± Gregory kneaded the back of his daughter¡¯s neck infort and felt distressed. ¡°You are new to this, so you need to gain some experience. Just take this as a little feedback. Next time, you have to understand that your expressions and eyes are a reflection of your heart.¡± Chapter 394 Gregory continued, ¡°You can¡¯t let others figure out what you are thinking through your eyes. This is very dangerous.¡± ¡°I know, Dad¡­¡± Gregory took out his phone and made a video call to Justin. When Justin picked up the call, his stern and angr face filled the screen. Bethany hurriedly hugged Gregory¡¯s arm tighter, trying her best to show off how much Gregory loved her in front of Justin. As a result, Justin ignored itpletely and asked coldly, ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Your sister has already reached an agreement with Ada Wang, and now it¡¯s up to you to finalize the deal.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Gregorymanded, ¡°Meet with Ada Wang as soon as possible and sign the contract.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already talked about it, so there¡¯s no need for me toe forward.¡± Justin raised the corners of his lips. ¡°Bethany, congrattions in advance for snatching such a big project from Ms. Thompson. Since you¡¯re so smart and capable, you shouldplete this important contract signing process by yourself. I won¡¯t steal your limelight.¡± Bethany was so angry that her insides were burning. Her eyes were red from suppressing her anger. If Justin did not take up the project, Ada Wang would not work with the Salvador Hotel. ¡°Justin, Bethany is your sister. It¡¯s not easy for her to push things to this point. As an elder brother, can¡¯t you help herplete the deal?¡± Gregory¡¯s voice was deep, and his eyes were filled with anger. ¡°Whether this project goes through is Bethany¡¯s responsibility. There¡¯s no such thing as only sharing hardships but selfishly reaping all the benefits.¡± Gregory was fuming. ¡°Justin!¡± ¡°If you really want to solve this matter, you might as well meet Ada Wang in person. Can¡¯t you, the chairman of Salvador Corporation, handle a celebrity?¡± The call ended, and the screen turned ck. Justin hung up the video call without giving them a chance to respond. The Hoffman family also encountered trouble. Mrs. Hoffman had beenpeting with Lance Iverson¡¯s daughter, Astrid Iverson, for the jewelry charity auction. Originally, Mrs. Hoffman had almost reached an agreement with Vincent¡¯s team, but she suddenly received news yesterday that Vincent had chosen Astrid. Her hard work in recent days was in vain, and she was so depressed that she could not eat. Zoe saw this and felt resentful. She knew why Vincent suddenly changed his mind. He was venting his anger on Be¡¯s behalf. Zoe returned to her room, furious. She had no choice but to call her frenemy, Bethany. ¡°I¡¯m in a bad mood. Let¡¯s go for a drink at my brother¡¯s club tonight.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ I¡¯m also in a bad mood.¡± Bethany told Zoe about Ada Wang¡¯s refusal to sign a contract with her, ¡°Although we stopped Ada from working with Be, I didn¡¯t reap the benefits. How infuriating!¡± ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t worry. Ada Wang just doesn¡¯t want to admit that she made the wrong choice. She¡¯ll naturally figure it out in a few days.¡± Zoe entered her walk-in closet, went through the expensive designer clothes, and asked in azy tone, ¡°A lot of things have happened recently, but I had to endure it all. Bethany, can you organize something fun to make me happy?¡± Bethany was startled. She immediately understood what Zoe meant and said with a yful smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely make you happy tonight!¡± Chapter 395 That day, after Carrie escaped from Ryan¡¯s arms, she did not get to sleep all night. She was also injured. When she returned home, she found arge scrape on her elbow, with pus seeping out. The stinging sensation made her pout, and she almost cried in pain. Carrie sneaked out of the house, so she did not dare to tell anyone that she was injured. Thus, she found the first aid kit and simply cleaned the wound. That night, she hugged her teddy and went to bed in tears, but she could not fall asleep. In a daze, she recalled many things. Carrie recalled being forced to eat lunch in a dirty bathroom. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She remembered being thrown headfirst into a trash can by a boy under Zoe¡¯s instructions. Carrie thought of the dead mouse she found in her school bag. She also thought of her favorite novel that Zoe had shredded and thrown everywhere as if it were snow. Finally, Carrie thought of the piano in the music ssroom¡­ That was a nightmare that would traumatize her forever. Zoe Hoffman and Ryan Hoffman. Ryan is her brother, huh? Carrie¡¯s fair and thin little face was covered with tears. She clutched the quilt with both hands and suppressed her cries until dawn. Although Carrie was autistic, she was not a heartless little fool. She knew that even though Ryan was Zoe¡¯s brother, he had saved her from dying in a car ident. Thus, in the afternoon, Carrie quietly came to the kitchen and made a blueberry mousse cake ording to an online tutorial. She thought about asking Justin to bring this cake as a token of gratitude to Ryan. After making the cake, Carrie put it in the refrigerator. She pped her hands with satisfaction, turned around, and walked toward her room. As soon as she pushed open the door, Carrie¡¯s rxed expression instantly froze, and she backed away in panic. She saw Bethany sitting on her bed with her legs crossed and arms folded across her chest while looking at her with a smile that made her scalp tingle. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you say hi when you see your sister?¡± Bethany flicked her newly made golden manicure and said, ¡°You¡¯re just a dummy. Have you be mute now too?¡± ¡°Hello, Bethany¡­¡± Carrie whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll take you out tonight to y, okay?¡± Bethany suddenly smiled at her. ¡°No¡­ No need¡­ I don¡¯t know how to y. You will feel bored with me around.¡± Carrie lowered her head and answered in a trembling voice. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go? Tsk, fine then.¡± Bethany stood up slowly, looking at Carrie with mocking eyes. ¡°I thought of finding an opportunity for us sisters to get close, but since you don¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force it.¡± After saying that, Bethany walked out of the door with her hands behind her back. Carrie took a long breath and walked into the room with heavy steps. Suddenly, she ran to the bedside in shock and fumbled through the neatly folded quilts and stacked pillows. However, she could not find her cherished teddy bear, which Be had given her. ¡°My Teddy! Bethany!¡± Carrie knew that Bethany would never set foot in her room without harboring some evil intentions because Bethany liked to torture her. Thus, Carrie knew that Bethany must have taken away her teddy. Carrie¡¯s whole body was soaked in cold sweat. She staggered out of the door and ran downstairs. Outside the vi, Bethany had already sat in the car, and the housekeeper closed the door. ¡°Give it back to me! Give me back my teddy!¡± Carrie shouted at the top of her lungs as she ran. Bethany lowered the car window, stuck out her tongue evilly at the sweating Carrie, picked up the teddy, and shook it in her face. ¡°Drive,¡± Bethany instructed the driver. The luxury car¡¯s engine roared as the car disappeared in the blink of an eye. ¡°Bethany! Give it back to me¡­ Give me back my teddy!¡± Carrie cried, but it was in vain. At this moment, Carrie looked like a weak mother, helplessly watching someone kidnap her child. Even the housekeeper on the side felt ufortable seeing this scene. ¡°Prepare a car for me!¡± Carrie looked at the housekeeper with red eyes. This was the first time in her life that she had ordered someone to do something for her. ¡°But, Ms. Carrie¡­ Madam Shannon doesn¡¯t allow you to go out alone Chapter 396 Carrie shouted, ¡°I am also the daughter of Chairman Gregory Salvador, so why can¡¯t I go out when Bethany can? Hurry up and get the car ready!¡± Thus, the butler had no choice but to prepare a car for Carrie. As night fell, the lights in the city lit up. In a luxury private room at ACE Club, Zoe and several of her peers from Savrow¡¯s upper ss smoked and drank. They no longer look like the prim and proper youngdies they were trained to be, but like wild girls who were experienced in the nightlife scene. Zoe went to Inalia to study abroad after graduating from junior high school, so she did not have many friends in Savrow. These men and women were a part of a small group in her junior high school ss. Everyone here had bullied Carrie under her instigation. ¡°I wonder how Carrie is doing now. I haven¡¯t seen her since graduation. As a daughter of the Salvador family, she¡¯s so low-profile.¡± ¡°I heard from my mother that Carrie has mental problems, so Mrs. Salvador doesn¡¯t allow her to meet people.¡± ¡°Seriously! No wonder I thought she was stupid when we were in junior high. I didn¡¯t expect she was actually a retard!¡± ¡°Hey, retard is a strong word!¡± Zoe crossed her slender legs and held a cigarette between her red lips. She inhaled deeply and blew out a smoke ring. ¡°The scientific name for that is autistic.¡± ¡°Ah, but still mentally retarded. Hahahahaha!¡± The whole group burst intoughter. Zoe listened to their wild and mockingughter and smiled slyly. At this time, the door to the private room opened. Bethany walked in under the guidance of the waiter. As soon as Bethany arrived, the room fell silent in an instant, and everyone exchanged shocked nces. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Carry on. Bethany is one of us.¡± Zoe hooked her fingers. Immediately, a young man brought over a crystal ashtray and waited for her to flick the ashes into it. When Bethany saw this, she was stunned. She originally thought that Rosalind was thest of the evil fakers she had to deal with. She did not expect Zoe to also be good at pretending to be an innocent little sweetheart. Bethany wondered what Ryan would think if he saw that his normally dignified and elegant sister behaved like a promiscuous woman. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Would he be furious? ¡°Hey Bethany, why didn¡¯t you bring Carrie here?¡± When Zoe saw that Bethany was alone, she was a little upset. ¡°Well, there will definitely be a lot less entertainment tonight.¡± ¡°The older Carrie gets, the more disobedient she bes.¡± Bethany sighed andughed jokingly, waving Carrie¡¯s teddy bear in front of Zoe. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. With this, my sister will definitelye over here tonight.¡± ¡°What? Bethany, are you ying a new trick with her?¡± Zoe asked with raised eyebrows. ¡°Haha, just watch.¡± Not long after Bethany entered ACE, Carrie¡¯s cars arrived soon after. Seeing the majestic nightclub with bustling traffic and people at the entrance, Carrie suddenly felt a burst of anxiety due to her social phobia. Her lips trembled slightly, and her face became paler. She hurriedly got back into the car, took out her phone, and called Bethany. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, my dearest sister?¡± The other end of the phone was extremely noisy, but Carrie could still hear a hint of derision in Bethany¡¯s tone. ¡°Give me back my teddy!¡± Carrie¡¯s voice trembled, and her face turned red with anger. ¡°You mean this dirty, ugly thing? I hid it.¡± ¡°Hide it? Where did you hide it?!¡± Carrie was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s in the ACE club! Tsk, if I told you exactly where it is, it would defeat the purpose of me hiding him, don¡¯t you think?¡± Bethany¡¯s charming voice was filled with malice. ¡°My dearest sister, we haven¡¯t yed together since we were kids, so I want to y a game with you tonight. Go on and find it! Otherwise, your teddy will be all alone in a dark corner. Hahahaha!¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes instantly turned red with anger. Bethany¡¯s evilughter made her hair stand on end, and she could not stop shaking. Carrie did not even feel so much hate for Bethany when she insulted and tortured her. The resentment she felt at this moment was overwhelming. Her red eyes were filled with tears as she contemted what to do. Carrie gritted her teeth and decided to rush into the ACE club. Chapter 397 The music in the ACE club was sting at full volume, but the luxurious private room was so quiet that everyone could hear their own heartbeat. Ryan was wearing a ck suit and a dark-patterned silk shirt with a wide cor. A silver ne dipped between his solid chest muscles. He held a ss of red wine, sipping on it leisurely with his long legs crossed. A drop of bright red blood oozed from the corner of his lips, which he had wiped away with his thumb. His expression wasnguid and frivolous, but his charming eyes held a hint of coldness that deterred people from approaching him.¡± His gaze was so icy, like a cold abyss. Ryan¡¯s bodyguards stood in a row in the private room. Ryan raised his head and drank the red wine in his ss before snapping his fingers. Then his bodyguards dispersed. A tied-up man kneeled on the ground in front of Ryan. His face was bruised and swollen, and his facial features were distorted. ¡°Mr. Hoffman¡­ I was wrong¡­ Please have mercy¡­¡± Some of the man¡¯s teeth were broken. He leaked saliva and blood when he spoke. ¡°Tsk, your blood is flowing to the floor.¡± Ryan nced at him with disgust and raised an eyebrow nonchntly. ¡°Do you know how expensive the carpet in my private room is? You won¡¯t be able to afford it even if I sell your organs on the ck market.¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman¡­¡± The man rolled onto his stomach in front of Ryan, but Ryan raised his long legs and kicked him away. ¡°Mr. Hoffman¡­ I have been with you for many years and have always been loyal to you. This time, I was coerced by Mr. Liam Hoffman! He threatened to kill me. He didn¡¯t ask me to do much, only to report your whereabouts¡­¡± Liam Hoffman was Ryan¡¯s second uncle and his father¡¯s only younger brother. When Ryan was seven years old, his father died in a ne ident, leaving Ryan and his sister orphaned and his mother widowed. Fortunately, Ryan¡¯s father had transferred all his shares and assets to Ryan¡¯s mother and Ryan early on. Thus, their family fortune was not left at the mercy of others. Logan Hoffman, Ryan¡¯s grandfather, was in charge of the Hoffman family. Although Ryan was Logan¡¯s eldest grandson, the position of CEO that originally belonged to Ryan¡¯s father fell into the hands of his second uncle. Ryan had seen through Liam¡¯s intentions. His second uncle, who cried the most at Ryan¡¯s father¡¯s grave, was, in fact, sinister and cunning. On the surface, Liam took care of Ryan¡¯s family, but he was secretly plotting and guarding against Ryan. All this was something that the weak Mrs. Hoffman and the inexperienced Zoe had no idea about. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. As the backbone of the family, Ryan shouldered all the responsibility and pressure. Even his best friend, Justin, was unaware of the hardships Ryan went through. ¡°You¡¯re quite good at pleading for yourself. You know that you¡¯ve been working for me for the longest time, so you want to please both sides and save more money for yourself, right? Hah! You ought to know that you might be able to earn more, but you might not have the life to enjoy all that money.¡± Ryan let go of his hand. The wine ss he was holding shattered. The cold light in his charming eyes was terrifying. The man kept kowtowing to Ryan, so much so that the floor covered with luxurious velvet rugs made a clunking sound. ¡°I don¡¯t care that you lied to me. It¡¯s expected for the boss of a big conglomerate to have one or two traitors around them. That¡¯s a show of sess, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ryan leaned forward slightly. His broad shoulders cast a beautiful shadow on the floor. The moment Ryan lowered his long eyshes and smirked slowly, the miserable man in front of him looked so afraid, as if Ryan were the grim reaper. ¡°What you did wrong was to expose yourself. Since you¡¯ve deceived me, you should¡¯ve continued lying to me. This way, you won¡¯t ruin my mood, and you can even live longer.¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman¡­ Please¡­¡± The man¡¯s body was shaking, and he almost peed his pants. Ryan narrowed his eyes and drawled, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I visited my second uncle. I should¡¯ve been more courteous. Yasmin.¡± A charming woman wearing a deep V backless slit dress came out of a dark corner. She was Ryan¡¯s secretary. ¡°Mr. Hoffman,¡± Yasmin said respectfully. Ryan¡¯s smile suddenly disappeared. ¡°Cut off his treacherous tongue!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°No, no, no! No¡­ Ah! Mm!¡± Yasmin¡¯s face was expressionless as she raised a knife and cut out the man¡¯s tongue with more skill than a butcher. Ryan stood up slowly, put his left hand in his pants pocket, and smoothed back his hair. ¡°Wrap it up and send it to my second uncle. He can eat it as an appetizer for his next meal.¡± ¡­. In the private room on the other side of the club, Zoe ordered the staff to broadcast the hundreds of surveince cameras in the entire club on therge screen. That way, they could watch Carrie from various angles. Carrie was like a deer lost in the forest-flustered, frightened, and helpless. Zoe and her friends watched it with interest. Chapter 398 Carrie bumped around the ACE Club like a headless fly. She was pulled around by drunken guests. Some men even harassed her. She managed to avoid them, but they started yelling at her. Everyone in Zoe¡¯s private room watched this andughed heartily. They found it more amusing than anyedy. ¡°Hahahaha! This retard! She hasn¡¯t changed one bit since she was in junior high school. Has she stopped growing since then? Hahahaha!¡± Zoe pointed at the screen andughed wildly. ¡°Bethany, I¡¯m really curious. Where did you hide that tattered bear?¡± ¡°I hid it in¡­¡± Bethanyughed yfully and whispered something to Zoe. After hearing this, Zoe burst outughing. ¡°That¡¯s creative of you! I doubt that dummy will be able to find that tattered bear by tomorrow. Hahaha¡­¡± ¡­. Carrie looked through almost all the tables in the club. She had been kicked so many times by the guests unintentionally that her arms and calves were all bruised. She stood there stupidly, hugging herself with trembling arms and looking at the strangers in front of her who were casting strange looks at her. Her mind went nk. Her breathing hitched and became Suddenly, the lights in the club changed colors. Colored confetti floated down like flowers in the spring. Everyone cheered and swayed their bodies on the dance floor. ¡°Teddy¡­ My teddy¡­¡± Carrie was only thinking about her toy. She bent over and tried to find the whereabouts of her teddy. Suddenly, her little face, which was covered in sweat and tears, bumped into a warm wall made of muscles. The collision made her see stars. Her nose was sore and numb, and the tears that were pricking at the corners of her eyes overflowed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Carrie lowered her head and was about to run away when that moving ¡°wall¡± blocked her way. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, miss¡­¡± ¡°Carrie?!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Carrie¡¯s heart pounded rapidly. She covered her small nose and raised her clear, doe-like eyes slowly. What she saw next was Ryan¡¯s deep and drunken gaze and thick eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I? Is it really you?¡± The next second, Ryan widened his eyes. He suddenly opened his arms wide-to-wrap Carrie in his embrace. His left arm tightened around her waist, and his right hand sped the back of her neck to shield her protectively. After all, the dance floor was too chaotic. These adrenaline -fueled people were wild and might identally hurt her. Carrie¡¯s heartbeat was racing. Her trembling little hands pressed on the hem of Ryan¡¯s shirt. She wanted to push him away, but she had felt scared all night. With him supporting her, she wanted to hide in his arms for a while, even if it was only for a few seconds¡­ Carrie thought, ¡®This is wrong¡­ He¡¯s a good man, but he¡¯s Zoe¡¯s brother.¡¯ When people on the dance floor saw the ¡°Prince of Savrow¡±, they felt as if they had seen a deity and gasped in surprise. Ryan¡¯s gorgeous face made countless men cry and countless women scream. His charming eyes were famous for being the sexiest ones in Savrow, driving people to ecstasy and lust. At this moment, those captivating eyes were staring at the girl in his arms. The luxuriant life and the hustle and bustle in the club seemed like another world because Ryan and Carrie only focused on each other. ¡°Did youe here alone?¡± Ryan asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear. Carrie nodded, then shook her head. ¡°What happened? Tell me.¡± The man¡¯s eyes darkened for a moment, but his voice was gentle. ¡°I¡­ Lost my teddy¡­¡± Carrie did not want to speak at first, but when he asked, she could no longer hold back her grievances and started crying. ¡°Ryan, my teddy is missing¡­ Annie gave me that teddy¡­ It¡¯s my favorite teddy¡­¡± Chapter 399 Ryan¡¯s heart melted when he heard Carrie cry. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled, and he actually had an inappropriate reaction The crystal tears that streamed down Carrie¡¯s face seemed to have caused ripples in Ryan¡¯s heart. In an instant, Ryan forgot about how Carrie had abandoned him and ran away thest time they got into a car ident. ¡°Annie? Do you mean Be? Be gave you the teddy?¡± Ryan narrowed his eyes and gently wiped the tears from Carrie¡¯s cheeks with his calloused fingertips. Carrie nodded vigorously, the tip of her nose red. ¡°Where did you lose it? Here?¡± Carrie nodded again, her eyes still red. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you find it.¡± Ryan took Carrie¡¯s little hand and walked to the stage step by step, in full view of everyone. A dreamy and crimson light followed, illuminating the two of them. Carrie lowered her eyes timidly, but she could not help but sneak nces at him. Although Ryan looked a bit fierce, he was really handsome. His strong and chiseled face was unparalleled in this world. Carrie pursed her lips. Her twinkling eyes wandered all over the man¡¯s face as she carefully etched his deep facial features in her heart. ¡°Stop the music.¡± Ryan stood in the DJ¡¯s position, picked up the microphone, and said only three words. The originally boisterous ce fell silent. Zoe and Bethany were having fun, so they did not look at the screen until someone reminded them. In an instant, Zoe sat upright on the sofa and screamed angrily. Everyone was so frightened, thinking that she was possessed. When Bethany saw Carrie and Ryan standing side by side, and Ryan was holding Carrie¡¯s hand as if they were a couple, Bethany felt so angry that her chest felt tight. Her mind buzzed. Ryan was holding Carrie¡¯s hand so openly and looking at Carrie with such affection as if she were the one for him. Was Ryan showing the world that he loved Carrie? Bethany thought, ¡®Carrie! That little bitch! If you dare steal my man, I will definitely kill you!¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Why is my brother with that fool? Exin!¡± Zoe called her personal bodyguard over and red at them with piercing eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep an eye on that fool? How could she and my brother run into each other?!¡± ¡°Ms. Zoe, please calm down¡­ I kept an eye on her the whole time, but I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Ryan to show up at ACE tonight. Carrie was running around, so she would definitely bump into Mr. Ryan.¡± Zoe¡¯s bodyguard panicked and exined it incoherently. ¡°Useless fool!¡± Zoe had nowhere to vent her anger, so she simply kicked her bodyguard in the leg. In the end, she missed the bodyguard¡¯s leg and fell to the floor with a scream. Bethany and her friends stifled augh. On the stage, Ryan¡¯s charming eyes held a smile as he spoke, ¡°I hope everyone is having fun tonight. Why don¡¯t we y a little game? My sister has lost a teddy bear here.¡± As soon as he said this, a photo of Carrie¡¯s teddy bear appeared on the huge screen behind him, which Carrie had taken before on her phone. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. There was a lot of discussion in the audience. ¡°Sister? I thought Mr. Hoffman only had one sister. She¡¯s the prot¨¦g¨¦ of a famous pianist. I don¡¯t remember her looking like this.¡± ¡°Sister? More like a backup lover. You just called that man bro, but are you his sibling?¡± ¡°But thisdy doesn¡¯t even look like she hase of age! She¡¯s still a child, right? I doubt she¡¯s an adult yet!¡± ¡°What do you know? Rich men like girls much younger than them. They like the innocent, natural, and real type.¡± Carrie vaguely heard a word or two of criticism. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment, and she wanted to withdraw her hand from Ryan¡¯s grip. Whenever this happened, all she could think of was running away. However, the man held her sweaty little hands so tightly that she could not move despite struggling with all her might. ¡°So, whoever can find this teddy bear tonight will get all their expenses at ACE waived for one year!¡± Ryan¡¯s alluring voice made the whole audience scream in surprise. At this moment, huge numbers appeared on the big screen, starting a countdown. ¡°Five, four, three, two, one¡­ Let the game begin!¡± The corners of Ryan¡¯s lips rose in satisfaction as he waved his hand nonchntly. The crowd quickly dispersed and spread to every corner of the club. The scene was truly spectacr when Ryan saw it from the stage. Carrie blinked her doe-like eyes in surprise. She could not close her mouth. Ryan stared at her surprised face, his eyes getting darker by the second. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s wait in my private room. They¡¯ll find your teddy soon.¡± Chapter 400 Ryan took Carrie to another private room. In the private room, a few escorts were drinking with three rich young men, Ryan¡¯s friends in Savrow. When Carrie saw these strangers hugging each other, her face turned red like a tomato. She lowered her head so much that she resembled an ostrich sticking its head in the sand. Ryan pulled her into the room. As soon as Ryan led her in, his friends wolf-whistled and cheered. ¡°Ooh! Hi, Mrs. Hoffman. You¡¯re definitely young and promising for being able to take down our brother!¡± Carrie panicked. Her face turned red ¡°Shut up! This is¡­¡± Just as Ryan was about to introduce Carrie as Gregory Salvador¡¯s youngest daughter, he suddenly remembered what Justin told him and quickly changed his tune. ¡°This is my sister. You bastards better get your mind out of the gutter!¡± ¡°Ryan, your littledy¡¯s teddy bear is quite expensive. Free consumption at ACE for one year is a lot! It¡¯s at least hundreds of thousands of dors, or even millions if theye every day. You¡¯re really generous just to find a teddy bear for her. With that money, you can probably buy a tonne of teddy bears.¡± Ryan¡¯s friends did not believe that Ryan and Carrie were not in a rtionship. There were countless women around Ryan, but he would not treat just anyone so generously. Thus, they concluded that Ryan must like Carrie. ¡°She wants that bear, given to her by my first love. It means so much to the both of us, so what do you know?¡± Ryan rolled his eyes. He felt that his friends were insufferable. ¡°First love? Are you talking about my sister-inw?¡± Carrie stared at him in shock. ¡°Yes, I used to like your ex-sister-inw. Be was my first love.¡± Ryan smiled and admitted it frankly. He had fallen in love with Be. Even though Be rejected him harshly, he felt honored to have loved such an outstanding woman. Even if he died, he would have this written on a monument. As a result, Carrie screamed in horror. ¡°No, no, no! You can¡¯t like my sister-inw! My sister-inw belongs to my second brother! No one is allowed to steal her from my second brother!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you friends with my second brother? How can you steal his wife?!¡± Carrie showed a righteous expression on her face and clenched her fists tightly. ¡°My brother will feel sad and betrayed if you steal his wife. If you want to take my sister-inw away from me, I won¡¯t be friends with you anymore!¡± Carrie could not think of a way to threaten this man, so she said something childish and ridiculous. There was silence in the room before everyone burst intoughter. Carrie suddenly blushed. She curled her toes and pinched the corners of her shirt shyly. Ryan also did not know whether tough or cry. It was obvious that Carrie was embarrassed, so he suppressed his smile and turned to re at everyone. As if a pause button were pressed, everyone held their breaths and did not dare to make fun of Ryan¡¯s girl anymore. ¡°Carrie, I didn¡¯t expect that you have quite upright views.¡± Ryan bent over slightly and stretched out his hand to rub the top of her head. Her hair was so soft. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re standing up for your second brother. Otherwise, might have thought that you were a little sour.¡± ¡°Am I sour? I don¡¯t think I taste sour¡­¡± Carrie said seriously. Ryan was speechless. He finally realized how different he and Carrie were. However, she had sessfully attracted his attention. Everyone in ACE was busy trying to find a teddy bear for Carrie. There was a ss door in the private room that opened out to arge terrace. Ryan was drinking with his friends in the room, while Carrie stood alone on the terrace, nervously grabbing the railing and praying that someone would find her beloved bear. ¡°Found it! I found it!¡± At this point, a woman yelled and jumped on the stage, holding a teddy bear high above her head. ¡°What the hell?! Where the hell did you find it?!¡± ¡°In the toilet flush tank, in the men¡¯s bathroom!¡± The men present subconsciously covered their crotches and thought,¡¯ Wow, this woman really gave her all to find this bear¡­¡¯ Carrie jumped up with joy, like a child. ¡°Oh, this is much faster than I thought. Sure enough, money does wonders. I guess they might even smile if I ask them to eat their own shit.¡± Ryan turned and walked into the terrace, holding a cigarette between his thin red lips. The orange fire flickered on the bud of the cigarette. ¡°I¡¯m going to get my teddy!¡± Carrie was afraid of being alone with Ryan and wanted to run away again, but she was stopped by the man¡¯s strong body. Ryan would not allow Carrie to run away from him again. After the car ident that night, he secretly swore to himself that he would never let this little rabbit escape the next time. ¡°Don¡¯t rush. Your toy is wet, so I¡¯ll get my secretary to dry it for you before returning it to you.¡± Carrie lowered her head, not daring to look into his eyes, which were so alluring. She just muttered, ¡°T- Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Congrattions to thisdy for winning the first prize! Your consumption at ACE will be free for one year!¡± Yasmin smiled and took the bear from the woman¡¯s hand. The woman was ecstatic, and everyone was jealous. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ACE was the most expensive nightclub in Savrow. Free consumption for one year was a big deal, like hitting the jackpot! One would cry tears of joy at winning this prize. Ryan narrowed his eyes and gestured toward Yasmin with his hand, which was holding the cigarette. Yasmin understood what he meant andughed loudly. ¡°To thank everyone for their hard work helping Mr. Hoffman¡¯s sister find her teddy bear, Mr. Hoffman will settle everyone¡¯s tabs tonight!¡± Chapter 401 Chapter 401 ¡°Woohoo! Long live Mr. Hoffman! Long live Mr. Hoffman!¡± ¡°Damn! Ryan is awesome! I want to get a membership at ACE!¡± ¡°I want to renew my membership for another two years! Mr. Hoffman sure is a man of his word!¡± The guests were moved and extremely excited. Yasmin immediately received a text message from the sales department. The sales volume tonight was the highest since the club¡¯s opening! Although Ryan was filthy rich, he was not a brainless trust fund baby. He seemed like he was losing a lot of money by treating all the guests at ACE Club tonight, but in fact, he gained poprity with the masses. Thus increasing ACE¡¯s poprity and stimting more consumption. Ryan was killing three birds with one stone! ¡°It¡¯s too wasteful¡­¡± Carrie lowered her long eyshes and pursed her lips in embarrassment. ¡°What? Are you worried about my money?¡± Ryan raised his eyebrows yfully. He had really wasted his time and money tonight, but he enjoyed it. He had not felt so happy in a long time. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Ryan could not tell if he was being nice to this girl to please her or to satisfy himself. Carri¨¦ blinked her watery eyes and nodded slightly. ¡°Pft! That¡¯s interesting. I¡¯ve had so many women who were all eager for me to spend more money on them, but you actually feel sorry for me spending money for your sake.¡± Ryan turned around and leaned against the railing. He turned his head to nce at Carrie¡¯s flushed face. A seductive smile surfaced. ¡°Why? Do you want to manage my money in the future, little one?¡± He was tipsy, so his words were a little unrestrained. They were side by side in close proximity. Carrie did not understand what he was implying, but she could clearly feel his warm breath lingering on the tips of her red ears. It wasfortable and a little ticklish, making her heart tremble unconsciously. She shrugged timidly. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not a bank. I don¡¯t want to manage your money.¡± ¡°Not just banks can manage my money, Carrie.¡± Ryan¡¯s thin lips parted, and his solid chest heaved as he reached out to casually touch her long, silky hair. He loved this feeling. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you perm your hair like before? I do like this new hairdo on you. It¡¯s quite cute.¡± Carrie felt insulted and turned away with red eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like perms.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± The man was stunned. The moment her silky hair slipped away from his fingertips, his heart felt empty. ¡°I don¡¯t like perms, but if you want me to, I can get a perm. That¡¯s because you saved me and helped me find my teddy tonight¡­¡± Carrie raised her pretty face slightly and stared at him with bright eyes. ¡°I¡¯m grateful to you, so I¡¯ll do whatever you want¡­¡± ¡®Whatever I want?¡¯ Ryan felt a surge of dark desire in his heart, and his breathing became more labored. If it were any other woman, he would have thought this was an erotic suggestion. However,ing out of Carrie¡¯s mouth, he knew that it was as literal as it could be. ¡°Mr. Hoffman.¡± At this time, a waiter came in holding a wine decanter filled with red wine and two sses on the tray. ¡°This is the fine wine that Mr. Fuller brought back from Feranco to treat you and yourdy.¡± Ryan nodded. The waiter put down the tray and retreated, closing the door behind him. When Carrie saw the red wine, she licked her red lips, and her eyes lit Ryan could read Carrie¡¯s expression. Thus, he offered her the wine with a smile. ¡°Do you want to have a drink with me?¡± ¡°C-Can I?¡± Carrie widened her eyes in anticipation. ¡°Of course! I can tell that you like drinking. Otherwise,st time¡­¡± Ryan hesitated to speak. Thinking of everything that happened in the bushes that night, he cleared his dry throat and forced himself to dispel the heat rising in his core. Before he could finish his sentence, Carrie picked up the decanter and poured the wine into an expensive ss. When she picked it up, she put her little nose to it and sniffed it, looking as naive as a little puppy. Then, she swayed the ss and carefully observed the color and tears of the wine, looking like a professional sommelier. Finally, she took a sip and patiently tasted the notes. Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Carrie muttered, ¡°This is the 1998 Petrus Merlot, specially supplied to the White House. It¡¯s an opaque purple color with a concentrated and pure taste. It has aplex aroma of ck fruits, caramel, and roasted coffee. The tannin is powerful and noticeable¡­¡± Ryan was stunned. Not only did Carrie know how to draw, but she could also taste wine. He had been in the nightclub business for many years and owned private wineries in Feranco and Belpaes, but his wine-tasting level was far inferior to Carrie¡¯s! Carrie had such a subtle flex. Zoe and Bethany were no longer in the mood to party. They both wanted to barge into Ryan¡¯s private room and beat up that little bitch, Carrie. ¡°Sob, sob, sob¡­ Zoe, look! What I said was true!¡± Bethany hid in the bathroom and cried until snot and tears streamed down her face. Half of her false eyshes fell off. ¡°Carrie is having an affair with your brother! As you saw just now, he went all out just to find her teddy bear! When has your brother ever doted on a woman? You¡¯re his sister, but he¡¯s being nice to Justin¡¯s sister. Zoe, I don¡¯t know what you think, but I can¡¯t bear it! This is so frustrating!¡± While Bethany was crying, she did not forget to incite Zoe¡¯s emotions. was no need to fan the mes because Zoe was However, the of already at the peak of her anger. ¡°How could Ry¨¢n do this?! He has never even pampered me like this since we were young.¡± In the past, Zoe often misced her expensive toys, but every time she cried about losing them, Ryan would just buy her a new one that was more expensive and better than the previous one. Zoe thought that she had received her brother¡¯s unconditional love, butpared to how he treated Carrie just now, that was nothing! Ryan was azy person who was afraid of trouble. But he would overturn the entire club just to find a stupid toy for Carrie. The more Zoe thought about it, the more her heart broke. ¡°At home, Justin also protects that little bitch. Now, even Ryan dotes on her. If this continues, she will probably rob you of your position in Ryan¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°She wants to steal my ce? Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. She finally could not bear it any longer and rushed out of the door on her sharp stilettos. After Zoe left, Bethany suppressed her cries and sneered. Bethany hummed a tune, looked in the mirror, and put her false eyshes back on. Carrie and Ryan drank most of the wine in the decanter. Thus, they were drunk. Carrie was usually stiff and awkward around people, but after drinking wine, she opened up. Her crimson lips kept moving as she poured out a barrage of words. However, Ryan liked listening to her talk. It made him feel rxed. He had not felt like this in a long time. ¡°Do you know that women are naturally horny?¡± Carrie¡¯s pretty face was flushed. She took two more sips and continued, ¡°There is a gene on the X chromosome that enhances color perception. Since women have one more X chromosome than men, they are particrly sensitive to colors!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Ryan stared at her with a smile. His eyes wandered to her slightly pouty lips, as well as her cute little feet that had been hidden under her simple sneakers before. His eyes darkened with lust. ¡°Also, women have a higher water content than men. It ounts for 60% of their body weight because the proportion of fat in a woman¡¯s body is actually higher!¡± Carrie talked more enthusiastically. She had not talked to anyone like this for a long time. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Suddenly, the lights in the entire venue went out. ¡°Huh?¡± Carrie was stunned for a moment and asked in a daze, ¡°Ryan, is there a power outage in your club?¡± Her soft body was suddenly enveloped by a man¡¯s. Her breath hitched, and her heart was pumping violently. Ryan kneeled in front of her, lifted her chin with his fingertips, and kissed her passionately. Their hot breaths, which smelled of wine, intertwined, and their lips and teeth shed. Blurred and ethereal music sounded. Suddenly, there was a sh of light as a shadow flickered by Carrie caught a glimpse of Ryan¡¯s half- closed eyes, which were shining like stars. It was fascinating, yet dangerous. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 The crimson light and shadows swayed back and forth on their ovepping figures. Carrie¡¯s thin and delicate body trembled slightly in Ryan¡¯s arms. She did nothing, but her innocent reaction was an irresistible temptation for Ryan, who had overstepped his bounds. Under the influence of alcohol, Ryan became more unrestrained. Carrie suddenly felt imbnced as the man¡¯s tall figure pressed down on hers. Her limp little body sank onto the sofa. Ryan¡¯s breathing became heavier. His lips never left hers, kissing and sucking them to his heart¡¯s content. At this moment, a sultry female voice came from the stage. ¡°Heaven is in your eyes, bright as the stars we¡¯re under. Oh! Is it any wonder? I¡¯m in the mood for love¡­¡± Ryan kissed Carrie until her head felt dizzy. Her bright eyes turned watery. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were red with desire. He was like a wild beast that had been starving for many days. Although he was drunk, he was subtly aware that Carrie was his best friend¡¯s sister. The second before he went all in, he reluctantly pulled himself away from Carrie. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes were dazed. She could no longer think or speak coherently. This kiss made her intoxicated. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°I just wanted to verify whether your scientific theory is true.¡± Ryan narrowed his drunken eyes and continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that women are naturally horny?¡± ¡°You¡­ Do you think I¡¯m horny?¡± Carrie suddenly felt so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. Ryan kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear. ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll tell you the answer tomorrow.¡± Carrie, who was so talkative a few minutes ago, only felt drowsy at this moment. She vaguely heard the beautiful singing as she fell asleep. ¡°Why stop to think of whether this little dream might fade? We¡¯ve put our hearts together. Now we are one. I¡¯m not afraid¡­¡± Bang-! Zoe furiously kicked open the door of the private room. The disheveled young men in the box turned pale with fright, and the women screamed and crawled into the arms of their malepanions. ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± One of the young men pointed at Zoe and asked. Ryan protected his sister very well. Zoe went abroad when she was young, so few people in Savrow recognized her. Zoe was resentful and infuriated. Without saying a word, she walked to the coffee table, picked up an empty wine bottle, and threw it at a young man¡¯s head. The wine bottle shattered. The women screamed, and the men were dumbfounded.. ¡°Your mother!¡± Zoe stared at them with scarlet, murderous eyes, looking like she would eat someone. ¡°Where did this bitche from?! How dare she cause such a mess?!¡± The other two men stood up for their friend. ¡°What¡¯s going on out here? What are you guys doing to my biological sister?¡± Ryan held the sleeping Carrie in his arms and walked back slowly from the terrace. Everyone was stunned. ¡®Biological sister?!¡¯ Chapter 404 Chapter 404 The two men who stood up looked at each other and sat back down. The one who was smashed by the wine bottle had a stream of blood flowing from his hair. He said with a smile, ¡°Haha¡­ Oh, so this is Ms. Hoffman. We didn¡¯t mean to disrespect you.¡± ¡°Ryan! What on earth are you doing?!¡± Zoe was furious when she saw her eldest brother carrying Carrie. ¡°Zoe, what are you doing?¡± Ryan asked sternly, frowning. ¡°Ha¡­ I asked you first! Are you mad because I crashed your party and interrupted your time with that bitch?!¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes were red with anger. ¡°If he offended you, you have the right to throw a bottle at him.¡± Ryan¡¯s three other friends were so frightened that they dared not say a word, even though one of them was bleeding from his head. ¡°But what did I tell you before? Why did you disobey me? I asked you not toe to ACE, and if you doe, you must tell me in advance so that I can make arrangements for you.¡± Ryan looked serious as he lectured her like a father. ¡°Why are you so disobedient? You¡¯re making me worry for nothing. How can I protect you if I¡¯m unaware of your presence and something goes wrong here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sanctimonious and pretend that you care about me, Ryan!¡± Zoe put his hands on his hips and pointed angrily at his face. ¡°Admit You¡¯re only angry because I interrupted your intimate session! Carrie is Justin¡¯s sister, but you still dare to fool around with her behind his back. Ryan, you¡¯re so shameless!¡± ¡°Zoe Hoffman.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened. Zoe¡¯s heart trembled with fear, and she took a small step back. She could not recall a time since she was born when her eldest brother had called her by her full name. Ryan must have been infuriated. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here, so go home!¡± Ryan took a deep breath and shouted sternly. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I will, but you have to go with me!¡± The man lowered his eyes and looked at Carrie, who was sleeping soundly in his arms. ¡°I won¡¯t be going home tonight. Go home now and stop making trouble.¡± ¡°What?! Are you really going to sleep with her?!¡± Zoe¡¯s voice was so shrill that everyone¡¯s ears hurt. ¡°Yasmin!¡± Ryan stopped talking nonsense with his sister and shouted for his secretary. ¡°I¡¯m here, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Yasmin walked in urgently. ¡°Please take Zoe home.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As Ryan¡¯s secretary and bodyguard, Yasmin only obeyed his orders. Therefore, she was not merciful toward Zoe. Yasmin strong-armed Zoe and dragged her out. ¡°Ahh! Don¡¯t touch me! Get your filthy hands off me! You¡¯re hurting me! Get away!¡± Of course, her shouts were pointless. Zoe did not know what kind of monster her eldest brother had trained. Yasmin¡¯s hands were like shackles that she could not break free from. Thus, Zoe was dragged away in full view of everyone. Late at night, Be put on a facial mask, lit some rose aromatherapy that she had made by herself, and lay in arge bathtub filled with rose petals. She was nning to pamper her tired body after many days of hard work. ¡°Mm¡­ This feels so good¡­¡± Be wiggled her toes and narrowed her almond-shaped eyes in contentment. Men or a hot bath-at least one of them had to satisfy her, right? At this time, her phone rang. It was Steven calling. Steven did note back with her tonight. Instead, he stayed at the hotel to work overtime, helping Be deal with some trivial matters so that her workload tomorrow would not be so heavy. ¡°Steve, if this is about work, let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow. You should go home and rest.¡± Be put the call on speaker mode so that she could fiddle with the floating rose petals on the water. ¡°Ms. Be, I just witnessed something that I think you should know¡­¡± Steven paused. There was a hint of worry in his voice as he continued, ¡°But you have to promise me that you¡¯ll stay calm.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been through all kinds of storms in my life. I¡¯m always calm.¡± Steven took a deep breath and said, ¡°I just saw Ryan Hoffman carrying Carrie Salvador to the hotel and checking into a room.¡± Ssh¨C! Be sat upright in the bathtub, like a carp jumping out of the water. What did you say? Who checked into a room with whom?¡± ¡°Ryan Hoffman and Carrie Salvador. Ryan checked in personally. I can¡¯t be mistaken.¡± Be took a deep breath. The next second, the huge bathroom echoed with Be¡¯s earth- shattering roar. ¡°That monster! Where is my knife?! I¡¯ll make that bastard regret his actions!¡± Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Be did not even have time to blow dry her hair. Thus, she pulled on a cashmere coat over her nightgown and drove her Bugatti to the KS World Hotel. Her hair was still dripping wet. On the way, she deliberated again and again. Finally, for the first time since the divorce, she called her ex-husband willingly. At this moment, Justin was on a business trip in Lisenne, a neighboring city 200 kilometers away from Savrow. Justin bought a piece ofnd in the suburbs to build a hot spring resort, which was still under construction. At that moment, Justin andn wore yellow safety helmets as they inspected the construction site in person to get to know the progress of the project. Just asn was holding the shlight for Justin, who was checking the drawings, Justin¡¯s phone rang. Justin frowned impatiently and took out his phone. On the screen, Be¡¯s name was dazzling, like gold in the night. Justin¡¯s breath hitched, and his heart was pounding. His hand, which was holding the phone, trembled slightly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Young Madam!¡±n looked excited on the side. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± Justin pretended to be calm. He pursed his lips and wanted to pick up the call. His fingers were a little stiff after being exposed to the cold wind for so long. He was also so excited that he did not control his muscles well. As a result, he rejected the call. Justin panicked. He hated his fingers for failing him at such a critical moment. Fortunately, Be called in again immediately. ¡°Hey.¡± Justin did not miss this time. His voice was hoarse. ¡°Oh, you finally picked up.¡± Be¡¯s voice was pleasant, but her tone was mocking. ¡°Of course. I always answer your calls.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was sincere. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you don¡¯t need to pretend. I know you well enough after being with you for three years. This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve hung up on me either.¡± Be sneered. Justin was confused and asked in surprise, ¡°When have I ever hung up on you? I¡¯ve never done that before.¡± ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m not calling to reminisce.¡± Be¡¯s voice was cold and indifferent. ¡°I¡¯m calling to tell you to prepare a funeral for your best friend.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Ryan? Did he do something to you?¡± Justin¡¯s expression quickly turned cold. ¡°If he did, he would already be buried in the cemetery in the eastern suburbs! It¡¯s Carrie!¡± Be clenched her teeth in anger. ¡°Ryan got Carrie drunk and checked in with her at my hotel. My secretary witnessed it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Justin was shocked, then he quickly shook his head. ¡°Ryan is not that kind of person.¡± Be sneered. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t expect much from him since he¡¯s your friend.¡± ¡°Be.¡± Justin was helpless. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the KS World Hotel now. I hope that beast still has some reason left in him. Otherwise, I will castrate him!¡± Be sounded furious. ¡°I will also suppress the news about this matter. If it spreads, I¡¯m afraid it will affect Carrie¡¯s reputation. You shoulde over right now. I will rescue Carrie, and you can take her home immediately. Don¡¯t alert anyone else.¡± After that, Be hung up without another word. Justin looked at the dimmed screen with a frown. He suddenly remembered that Be used to find some odd reason to call him back when they were married. Justin was not annoyed at that time, but he still treated her indifferently. In his memory, he had never hung up on her, Did she remember it wrong? ¡°I have an emergency, so I have to go back to Savrow immediately.¡± Justin was half-convinced by Be. But since she asked him to go back, he would do so regardless. ¡°Huh?! Now?¡± ¡°Be is already rushing over, so Carrie will be fine with her. But I have to go back and help her deal with the aftermath.¡± Justin lowered his eyes and remained silent before asking, ¡°I remember there¡¯s a helicopter on the top floor of the Salvador Mall in Lisenne.¡± ¡°Yes, but at this hour, it¡¯ll take time to find someone who can fly it.¡±n was stumped again. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Justin narrowed his eyes and snapped his fingers. ¡°I can fly.¡± It was almost midnight in Savrow. Chapter 406 The screeching sound of tires against the parking lot¡¯s floor was loud as Steven witnessed his boss drifting the Bugatti into the parking spot. Steven¡¯s lips rose into a proud and admiring smile. Be stepped out of the sports car, still in wet hair. Her beautiful eyes were burning with rage. ¡°Which room is that bastard Ryan in?!¡± ¡°The presidential suite on the top floor.¡± Steven looked worried and lowered his voice, ¡°They¡¯ve just checked in. There is only one suite on the top floor, so you can go upstairs and handle the situation without disturbing other guests.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± A few minutester, the fuming Be stepped on her sharp stilettos and came to the door of the presidential suite with murderous intent. Steven followed her step by step, feeling like Be was there to catch her husband cheating instead of rescuing Carrie. ¡°Swipe your card.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Steven used the master key card to open the door. Be kicked the door open with such force that it almost made a big hole in the thick door panel. ¡°Ryan Hoffman! Get your ass out here now!¡± Be was at the peak of her anger as she roared amand. At this moment, Ryan heard her voice and came out. His bangs were still dripping with water. His muscr upper body was naked, and his toned lower body was loosely wrapped in a bath towel. Steven took a breath. He was afraid that the towel would fall if Ryan took another step, staining Be¡¯s pure eyes. However, Steven also thought that it was a pity that Ryan was not a gigolo. ¡°Be? It¡¯s really you!¡± When Ryan heard the shouting, he thought it was Be¡¯s voice, but he was not sure. When he came out and saw that it was her, his eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were coming? I would¡¯ve put on some clothes.¡± Then he winked and said with a devilish smile, ¡°Although I do look better without clothes.¡± Beughed angrily and slowly approached him. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. p-! p-! p-! Ryan only felt three shes before his eyes. Three crisp ps shook the entire presidential suite. Be struck him so quickly that he did not even realize what was happening. She pped his arrogant and handsome face three times in a row. Ryan stared at her in astonishment, angry and aggrieved. His lips. were trembling. ¡°Be¡­ You hit me¡­ You actually hit me¡­¡± Ryan¡¯s cheeks were swollen, burning, and numb. Steven, who was behind Be, was also shocked. However, he was more worried about whether Be¡¯s hand hurt from such a strong p. ¡°Of course!¡± Be¡¯s blood boiled in her chest. She clenched her painful and numb palms. ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you before that Carrie is like my sister even though she¡¯s not rted to me?! Are there not enough women around to entertain you? Why are you harassing Carrie? Do you think it¡¯s exciting to sleep with your friend¡¯s sister?!¡± ¡°No, no¡­ Be, listen to me!¡± Ryan was so anxious that his mouth. went dry. However, Be did not give him a chance to catch his breath. ¡°Ryan, I really misjudged you. You¡¯re a filthy beast!¡± Be¡¯s words pierced Ryan¡¯s heart. An overwhelming grievance rushed over him, and his eyes turned red. ¡°Ryan Hoffman, what did you do to Carrie?¡± A cold voice interrupted Ryan¡¯s exnation. Be suddenly turned around, only to see Justin striding over. In the blink of an eye, Justin rushed to her side and nced at her gently. Be frowned and sized him up. Why did he look so unkempt? Did he go coal mining? ¡°Justin! Be pped me three times in the face and called me a filthy beast!¡± Ryan felt even more aggrieved when his best friend appeared. He cried like a bullied schoolgirl in front of the principal. ¡°She used me of something I didn¡¯t do! Control her!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were deep as he turned to nce at the fuming Be. ¡°I can never control what she does.¡± Chapter 407 Ryan¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the stunning pair in front of him. This sentence did not sound like much at first, but coupled with Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Justin¡¯s longing gaze and hoarse voice, Ryan could feel the love in the air. Tsk, no. Love was not in the air. It was just Justin¡¯s unrequited love. Ryan hated that he was naked and did not have his phone with him. Otherwise, he would have taken a photo of Justin¡¯s expression at this moment and shown it to Justin to see how infatuated he looked. ¡°Besides, you have a bad memory.¡± Justin¡¯s handsome face was taut, and his starry eyes were full c anger. ¡°I told you not to have any ideas about Carrie, but you in crossing our bottom line. You feel aggrieved after Be pped three times, but I think she should¡¯ve hit you more!¡± ¡®Our bottom line?¡¯ Be had a strange feeling in her heart. She felt extremely ufortable being an entity with Justin. In the past, Justin was a cold-blooded man who avoided her like the gue, fearing that his life would be tied to her. ¡°Mr. Salvador, please pay attention to your wording. You¡¯re your own person. Don¡¯t lump me with you.¡± Be spoke coldly, turned around, and walked to the bedroom. ¡± Otherwise, I will only feel that my ears have been vited.¡± Justin pursed his lips in embarrassment. ¡°Pft! You tried to act lovey-dovey but failed! Haha!¡± Ryan gloated and felt relieved to see how defeated Justin looked. The next second, Ryan groaned in pain when Justin punched his perfectly sculpted eight-pack abs. It was so painful that Ryan felt like. his soul was about to leave his body. Be hurried to the bedroom. She, who had always been calm andposed, had alreadye up with countless scenarios in her head. She was afraid of seeing something that would break her heart the moment she pushed the door open. If any of the scenarios she cooked up in her mind happened, she would kill Ryan, and even Justin could not protect him from her! ¡°Carrie!¡± The moment Be pushed open the door and rushed in, she froze. The room was quiet. The messy scene that she imagined did note to fruition. A warm and sweet fragrance floated in the air, and a soft bedside.mp illuminated Carrie¡¯s sleeping face. It was such a peaceful and beautiful sight. Be walked to the bedside with gentle steps, kneeled down, and caressed Carrie¡¯s warm cheek. Seeing the teddy in Carrie¡¯s arms, Be felt like her heart was being squeezed. Her breathing was difficult, her nose was sore, and her eyes were swollen. Her red eyes were filled with tears. The fearless Be, whoughed freely and did everything that she pleased, could not bear to see this scene. At this time, Justin walked in and happened to see this. His broad shoulders trembled, and his throat felt stuffed. When Be heard his footsteps, she panicked and quickly raised her hands to rub her eyes. There was a moment of silence in the room. Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. He lowered his eyelids and raised his hand to touch her damp hair. ¡°You should dry your hair. It¡¯s very cold outside, so you might catch a cold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Be stood up in a hurry, intending to avoid any inappropriate contact with him. Justin felt dejected, and he clenched his fists tightly. He did not know what he was doing. He was increasingly unable to understand his own behavior, and he was gradually losing sight of himself. ¡°Ryan didn¡¯t do anything to Carrie, so you can rest assured. Although he likes to fool around, he knows he can¡¯t touch Carrie.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t guarantee that he won¡¯t do anything to her in the future. A man¡¯s words and lower body are not to be trusted.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were cold and indifferent. Justin knew that she was angry, so it pointless to continue Was talking. He simply turned and walked to the bathroom. After a few seconds, he came back and covered her head with a towel. ¡°Dry it yourself before leaving.¡± ¡°Isaid, no need¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, the man pressed his big palms on the towel and wiped her hair nonchntly. Be was stunned for a moment. Her heart was confused. Was this man really Justin? Chapter 408 Be wondered if Justin was still the same man who refused to even pour her a ss of water back then. How could he dry her hair now? Was he possessed? ¡°Get your hands off me!¡± Be gritted her teeth and protested in a lowered voice. However, Carrie still stirred in her sleep. Carrie¡¯s delicate body curled up under the quilt, but she did not wake ¡°If you want to wake Carrie, you might as well make more noise.¡± Justin slowly curled his lips and rubbed Be¡¯s hair. He had sessfully found her weakness. ¡°Then be gentle! I¡¯ve been losing so much hairtely. You¡¯re going to make me bald!¡± Be frowned, her cheeks turning red with anger. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Sorry, this is my first time doing this kind of thing. I have no experience¡­¡± Justin felt an inexplicable warmth well up in his heart. His fingers rxed, and he gently rubbed her hair with the towel. ¡°I¡¯ll do better next time.¡± Be got goosebumps. She replied coldly, ¡°Justin, I¡¯m only condoning your behavior for Carrie¡¯s sake this time. Next time, I¡¯ll amputate your arms!¡± Justin wanted tough, but he still gently massaged her scalp. Be instantly felt the tense nerves in her body rx. Her beautiful eyes were half-closed. She thought, ¡®Damn it! How could this man be so good at this? It¡¯s sofortable¡­¡± When Justin and Be came out of the bedroom, Be looked like she had just cried because her eyes were a little red. Justin tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving her. Ryan blinked and looked at them, feeling a little dazed for a moment. He felt like they were still a perfectly matched couple who were no divorced. Justin was astonishingly handsome. Apart from Be, Ryan did not know any other woman who could be worthy of Justin.. ¡°Ryan, you should go back home. Carrie will sleep here tonight.¡± Justin¡¯s expression was pale. ¡°It would be troublesome to wake her, so I¡¯ll send her home when she wakes up tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go back tonight. I¡¯ll stay here with Carrie!¡± Ryan remembered that he had kissed Carrie tonight while he was drunk. Although kissing could not lead to pregnancy, he felt guilty for taking advantage of her. Thus, he wanted to stay and take care of her. ¡°No way!¡± The ex-couple spoke in unison. ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Steven answered a call and hurried into the room. ¡°The security manager just reported to me that a helicopter was parked on the rooftop of our hotel. They don¡¯t know who it belongs to.¡± ¡°A helicopter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡± Justin admitted frankly. Be and Steven were stunned. ¡°Mr. Salvador went on a business trip to Lisenne yesterday. Ms. Thompson, Mr. Salvador flew back in a helicopter as soon as you called him!¡± If only Justin had half of Ryan¡¯s clinginess and shamelessness, that would be great. Justin¡¯s heart shrank in embarrassment. He stoppedn from speaking. n, don¡¯t talk too much.¡± ¡°Mr. Harris, why are you telling me this? Do you want me to praise. your boss?¡± Be¡¯s red lips curled coldly. ¡°When a good person does a bad thing, people say that their true colors are exposed. But when a bad person does a good thing, people say that they are a changed person.¡± Ryan covered his mouth andughed. Justin was speechless. ¡°Carrie is his sister. It¡¯s only natural that he rushes back. That¡¯s a normal person¡¯s reaction, so what¡¯s there to praise?¡± Be was not bothered to entertainn and Justin and walked straight out the door. Steven nced at Justin coldly and left with his boss. ¡°Hmph! How dare he look down on us?!¡±n cursed in a low voice, thinking that Steven was a bully. ¡°At least he knows what to say and what not to say.¡± Justin took a breath and shook his head angrily. n, you are everything, but you talk too much.¡± ¡°I just wanted the young madam to know how hard you¡¯ve worked¡­n muttered aggrievedly. ¡°She always knew how hard I worked.¡± The moment those words came out of his mouth, Justin felt a deep pain in his heart. The little bits and pieces of Be¡¯s kindness to him came flooding back like a wave. Be had always known how hard Justin worked. But when Be had been deeply in love with him, Justin was so stupid and ignorant about her feelings and efforts. There was so much love and hate between them. It was also difficult for Justin to make it up to Be. Chapter 409 Be returned to the vi with Steven after making sure that Carrie was alright. Along the way, she repeatedly reyed the scene of Justin wiping her hair in her head. Her heart shrank, and her mouth felt dry.. ¨C¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my first time doing this. I don¡¯t have much experience¡­¡± Be thought, ¡®Bullshit! He¡¯s been with Rosalind for many years. Even if they had not slept together, they¡¯d probably done everything couple has done. Why is he pretending to be innocent with me? He¡¯s best friends with Ryan, so they must be the same kind of people.¡¯ When she got home, Be kicked off her high heels and did not ish back upstairs. Instead, she sat on the sofa with a gloomy e Steven warmed up a ss of milk and brought it over to her wit concern in his eyes. ¡°Ms. Be, it¡¯s already midnight. You should to bed after drinking this.¡± ¡°How did Carrie and Ryan meet tonight? Carrie has always stayed at home, closely watched by the Salvador family. What¡¯s going on?¡± Be was not at all sleepy. She was just worried about Carrie. ¡°I asked Ryan, but he said that he didn¡¯t know why Ms. Carrie showed up at his club. But he said that she was nervously looking for something. If he had not met her, she would¡¯ve been in trouble.¡± Be frowned in confusion. ¡°Looking for something? What is it?¡± ¡°A teddy bear that you gave her.¡± Be¡¯s breath hitched. She clenched her fingers. ¡°How did the teddy 1 gave to Carrie end up in ACE?¡± ¡°I asked him if there was anything unusual about ACE tonight, and he said no. But he identally mentioned his sister, Ms. Zoe.¡± Steven was awyer and was very good at subtly digging out information. ¡°Oh, I understand.¡± Be raised her eyebrows. Although she was there at the time, she could already imagine the full story. ¡°Bethany¡¯s old habits must be acting up again! How dare she bully Carrie?! I think she needs to be taught a lesson!¡± Steven was stunned. ¡°I will definitely avenge Carrie!¡± Justin kicked Ryan home. It was already past midnight by the time Ryan got home. Hey on the bed, closed his eyes, and thought about kissing Carrie. ¡°I¡¯m such a monster!¡± Ryan cursed himself and closed his eyes tightly. Finally, he got up and went to the bathroom to take a 20-minute cold shower before his body felt normal again. He only fell asleep when it was dawn. Ryan slept until the afternoon of the next day. After he got dressed and walked out of his room, Zoe¡¯s pretty and resentful face appeared in front of him. ¡°Ryan, you have gone too far!¡± ¡°Too far? Just because I told you not to go to ACE and hang out with Bethany?¡± Ryan raised his hand to touch the top of Zoe¡¯s head and clicked her tongue. ¡°Zoe, why are you bing less sensible as you get older? You can¡¯t even tell good from bad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me with the hand you touched Carrie with. I think it¡¯s dirty!¡± Zoe knocked his hand off and blurted out Carrie¡¯s resentment in front of her eldest brother. ¡°Zoe, what did you say? Ryan¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at his sister in disbelief. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Zoe felt embarrassed being dragged away from ACEst night, so she was resentful and vented her dissatisfaction. I just hate Carrie! Ryan, you¡¯re my big brother. How can you share your love with her?!¡± ¡°Zoe, what are you talking about?¡± Ryan frowned. ¡°You turned the whole club upside down just to find a rag toy for her!¡± The more Zoe yelled, the more hysterical she became. She was. stamping her feet in anger, making the servants passing by look at her weirdly, but no one dared to take another look. ¡°I¡¯m your biological sister! When have you ever cared so much about ever me? You always appease me with money. But now you¡¯re so considerate of that fool. Ryan, what are you doing with your conscience ?! How many years have I been studying abroad? Once Ie back, you¡¯re with that dummy!¡± ¡°Zoe, Carrie is not a dummy. I won¡¯t allow you to badmouth her like that.¡± Ryan red at Zoe and scolded her. Chapter 410 When Ryan heard Zoe calling Carrie a dummy, he felt that she was being too harsh. In his eyes, Zoe had always been an angel. Even if she was willful at times, he thought that she was kind-hearted. At this moment, Zoe¡¯s scarlet eyes widened. She was extremely angry, as if he had a deep hatred for Carrie. Ryan thought, ¡®Was it just because I was with Carriest night?¡± Over the years, Ryan had been with countless women, but Zoe had never been so resistant. Why was she so hostile when he was nice to Carrie? ¡°Ryan, you yelled at me because of that dummy!¡± Zoe was so frightened that her face turned pale when Ryan red at her with piercing eyes. She felt the chill and broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Carrie is not a dummy. I don¡¯t want to hear this word from your mouth again. I¡¯ll get really mad if you do it again, Zoe.¡± Ryan took a deep breath, his eyes filled with sadness. ¡°You might not remember this because you were still young when Dad passed away. Mom was busy dealing with our family¡¯s affairs and had no energy to take care of us. So I was always there to take care of you, feed you, and y with you. I even changed your diapers. How could you say that I mistreated you or didn¡¯t care about you? I¡¯ve never felt so heartbroken hearing you say that.¡± ¡°Ryan¡­¡± Zoe was dumbfounded, and her voice was trembling. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care about you. We¡¯re adults now, so the way I care about you has changed, and you just don¡¯t feel it.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t me you for not understanding that. But I just don¡¯t understand why you are so hostile to Carrie. How did she offend you?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t like her. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be with my eldest brother!¡± Zoe was so flustered by his question that she simply found an an excuse. Ryan clenched his jaw. His eyes were stern and dark. ¡°Zoe, you have no right to look down on Carrie. She¡¯s Justin¡¯s sister, so her social status is no less than that of you and me. Even if she had nothing and was born poor, no one can stop me from being with the woman I want.¡± After saying what sounded like a confession, Ryan turned around and left. Zoe stood there and gritted her teeth in anger. A whole week passed since Ada Wang and KS World Hotel terminated their contract. This week, Steven sent people to closely monitor the members of the nning team but found nothing. ¡°Ms. Be, it¡¯s been a week, but there¡¯s been no progress. Do you. think that we¡¯re searching down the wrong path?¡± Steven scratched his head in frustration. ¡°Maybe there is no mole in the team.¡± ¡°No one has contacted Xena Gordon?¡± Be asked while ying games. ¡°No, everything is normal.¡± ¡°Haha, there should be something going on under all that normalcy. It seems that without a show, the fish won¡¯t take the bait.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Be hummed a little tune and killed thest zombie in the game. The bloody scene made Steven close his eyes tightly. ¡°Gather the members of the project team for an emergency meeting now. Half an hourter, eight hotel staff who were previously responsible for nning Ada Wang¡¯s wedding came to the conferenc time. After everyone waited for about ten minutes, Be opened and walked in with a happy face. Although the contract was terminated, her mood did not seem to be affected in any way. ¡°Sorry for beingte. I had to take care of some important business.¡± Be sat down at the head of the conference table with a smile. She scanned the eight people and curled her red lips confidently. ¡°I have reworked a new wedding n, so I¡¯ll ask Ada Wang to ask her to reconsider cooperating with us!¡± Everyone was amazed and excited. ¡°Really?! That¡¯s great, Ms. Thompson!¡± Be nodded with a smile as she continued to scan the faces of these eight people. At this moment, she noticed that one of the staff members, Henry, had a slightly stiff expression, which intrigued her. At this moment, Henry raised his hand and asked a question. ¡°Ms. Thompson, hasn¡¯t Ada Wang already chosen Salvador Corporation? Now that it hase to this point, can we still pry her over?¡± Be sped her fingers on the table, narrowed her beautiful eyes and asked with a faint smile, ¡°Oh? Has Ada already decided to work with Salvador Corporation? Where did you hear of it? Why didn¡¯t I hear such big news?¡± Chapter 411 With the curt question hanging heavy in the air, all eyes were on Henry. Though intimidated by Be¡¯s stern gaze, Henry pulled himself together and replied, ¡°It¡¯s an open secret. Ada couldn¡¯t decide between us and the Salvador Hotel before, but you managed to impress Ada enough to host her wedding. Now that we lost the contract and Ada¡¯s wedding is around the corner, it makes sense that she switches service to the Salvador Hotel.¡± That was an airtight response. Sinking her back into her seat, Be smiled and uttered, ¡°You got a point, but you¡¯re neglecting one thing. The Salvador Hotel has yet to sign a formal agreement with Ada.¡± Everybody was surprised. ¡°What? It¡¯s been a week. I can¡¯t believe they have not signed a deal yet.¡± Henry might look unfazed, but his expression froze. ¡°If they did, the Salvadors would be announcing it to the whole world. I doubt there¡¯s any progress since they have been quiet. I believe we still stand a chance.¡± Putting her feet to the ground, Be twirled in her leather chair. ¡°I¡¯m a stubborn woman. I¡¯ll fight tooth and nail until the veryst second. I havee up with a new proposal, and I¡¯ll be showing it to Ada within the next two days. Hopefully, I can catch Salvador Corporation off guard.¡± Everybody cheered. ¡°Yay! We know we can count on you, Ms. Henry smiled pretentiously while echoing the group¡¯s sentiment. ¡°But we were the ones who vited the contract in the first ce, Ms. Thompson. We are probably the last people Ada wants to see. I don¡¯t think she would agree to meet you.¡± ¡°Yeah. Some things can¡¯t be forced.¡± Be smiled cockily, her eyes glistening. ¡°Things never really go as nned. Even if we can¡¯t force things, I still strive to make a difference.¡± The projectmittee left after the meeting. Be and Steven were the only ones in the huge conference room. Holding the coffee from Steven, Be stood before the floor-to-ceiling window to enjoy the bird¡¯s-eye view of Savrow while sipping on coffee. ¡°Ms. Be, were you baiting when you mentioned the new proposal?¡± Steven stood next to her and asked probingly. ¡°That¡¯s right, and someone took the bait.¡± Steven widened his eyes excitedly. ¡°Really? Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a suspicion of mine. I can¡¯t be sure without evidence.¡± Be hid the emotions behind her eyes. ¡°Steve, monitor Henry once you get off work tonight, and report back to me right away on any meetings or suspicious activity.¡± Carrie woke up the next day. Justin had dropped her off at home. With Justin having Carrie¡¯s back, Shannon dared not express her grievance to Gregory. Bethany kept her thoughts to herself since she picked on Carrie to begin with. Shannon would not tell her off anyway, but Gregory would lecture her about it. That evening, Carriey in bed sulkily and held her long-lost teddy. As her mind flew back tost night, her heart raced and her cheeks flushed. In fact, she cked outst night. She could not remember what happened after and how she got back. The only memory that lingered was the weight on her lips when the lights went out, not to mention Ryan¡¯s smothering gaze that could look into her soul. Carrie drew a deep breath and got out of bed. She went to sit down by the table. Pulling out a sketchbook and pencil, she closed her eyes for a moment before sketching on the nk sheet. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Minutester, the portrait of a deviously handsome face wasid out on the paper. Carrie managed to capture the essence of his cheekiness. She stared at her drawing, tracing his beautiful eyes with her fingers. ¡°Ryan is so good-looking.¡± Unbeknownst to Carrie, Ryan drove his fiery red Ferrari to Tideview Manor. ¡°Who did you say was here?¡± Shannon was enjoying the fall foliage in the backyard with Gregory when the butler came bearing unexpected news. ¡°Mr. Ryan Hoffman has arrived.¡± Chapter 412 ¡°At this hour?¡± Gregory looked at the time and frowned. ¡°He should know that Justin isn¡¯t home, and it¡¯s almost dinner. Why did hee at-¡± ¡°Oh, Greg. Ryan doesn¡¯t pay us a visit every day. Don¡¯t read too much. into it. Ryan could be here for Bethany, for all we know.¡± Shannon clung to Gregory¡¯s arm. ¡°Shannon, are you saying that Bethany and Ryan are¡­¡± Gregory was surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve been too busy with work to pay attention to your daughter. doubt you know what¡¯s going on with Bethany.¡± Shannon poked her husband on the arm and said with a pout, Bethany has always had a crush on Ryan.¡± Gregory was shocked. ¡°So Bethany likes Ryan? I couldn¡¯t tell at all.¡± ¡°Girls can be shy. It¡¯s not something she¡¯ll talk about openly.¡± Shannon looked abashed for her daughter. ¡°It¡¯s not something to tread lightly on. Bethany¡¯s marriage is essential to our family¡¯s future.¡± Gregory turned solemn. ¡°Bethany is my first daughter and the apple of my eye. It¡¯s imperative that she marry into the right family. She must pick one of the finest men in all of Savrow.¡± Shannon said, ¡°The Hoffmans belong to a handful of the rich and powerful in Savrow. Plus, Ryan is Logan¡¯s only grandson. Even thought Ryan has an uncle, the man is too old to have children. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the family business is passed down to Ryan.¡± She had everything figured out. ¡°Besides, Ryan is close with Justin. Our families will be brought closer with Bethany marrying into the Hoffmans.¡± Gregory eased his frown as Shannon convinced him. Although Ryan had a reputation for being a yboy, he was just ying the field, just like most guys do, especially when they were used to getting whatever they wanted. Gregory had been there and done that. Ryan would focus on family life when he had enough of following the teenage ybook. Bethany and Ryan were in the same social ss. When they married each other, the Salvador family could keep Ryan in line, away from his wandering eyes. Ryan sat in the living room. He had ydates with Justin at Tideview Manor when he was a kid, so he felt very much at home. Ryan went ahead and poured himself a drink instead of waiting for the maids. ¡°What brings you here today, Ryan?¡± Gregory and Shannon came to wee him, even though Gregory did not usually show his face. However, after a conversation with his wife, Gregory felt he should be there. ¡°Sorry for the spontaneous visit, Uncle Greg.¡± Ryan appeared close to Gregory, seeing that they were on a first-name basis. ¡°We were just getting ready for dinner. Why don¡¯t you join us?¡± Shannon extended the invitation. ¡°I won¡¯t be staying for dinner.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Ryan declined and added, ¡°Is Bethany home? I need a word with her.¡± Gregory and Shannon exchanged intriguing looks. Upon learning of Ryan¡¯s presence, Bethany could not wait to see him. Nevertheless, her mother once reminded her to y hard to get, so she resisted meeting Ryan recently. It never urred to her that the approach worked, and Ryan came to her house to see her. Bethany walked into the room with her heart pounding out of her chest. ¡°You wanted to see me, Ryan?¡± Ryan clutched his ss and took a sip nonchntly. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bethany sat across from him coyly, looking rather shy. ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourself about the incident at ACEst night?¡± Ryan fixated on her coldly and cut straight to the chase. Bethany¡¯s heart dropped. ¡°What happenedst night?¡± ¡°Carrie doesn¡¯t leave her home. How did her teddy end up dumped at ACE?¡± Ryan mmed his ss, his eyes piercing. ¡°You went too far with your little fun and games. You were out of line yesterday, Bethany.¡± Bethany turned as white as a sheet, apprehension washing over her. ¡°I think you got the wrong idea, Ryan.¡± Her eyes welled up in fear. Using tears as a weapon, she yed the victim. ¡°Carrie didn¡¯t even shed a tear, even when you yed her. What are you crying about?¡± Ryan could not even look at Bethany because those were simply crocodile tears. ¡°I came here to tell you two things. One, stop picking on Carrie. I¡¯ll have her back from now on. Think twice before you try to pull another stunt on her, Two, stay away from my sister. She¡¯s an innocent girl. I don¡¯t want you to be a bad influence on her.¡± The man stood up and walked away without looking back. Bethany stared vacantly as the door mmed shut, her body sliding to the ground from the sofa.. Chapter 413 Ryan was not in a hurry to leave after walking out of the lounge. Instead, he wandered around the ce. He looked like he was taking a walk, but something was cooking. Ryan hoped to spot the tiny figure with her always-downcast head. He was no angel. However, he always had a soft spot for that delicate girl. ¡°Young Master Ryan? What are you doing here?¡± Running to Ryan, Wilma drew close and asked in shock. ¡°Uh¡­ Erm¡­ Um¡­¡± Ryan looked awkward as he stumbled for words. Finally, he plucked the courage to ask, ¡°Where is Carrie¡¯s room, Wilma?¡± Wilma looked at him in shock. She could never, in her wildest dreams, associate the man with ¡°What do you want to do, Young Master Ryan? Ms. Carrie doesn¡¯tfortable with strangers. Don¡¯t scare her.¡± Ryan furrowed her brows. ¡°Wilma, you know me. I grew up with Justin.¡± ¡°If you ask me, this is what I think about you and Young Master Justin.¡± Wilma gave a thumbs up. ¡°But you with women¡­¡± Wilma gave him a thumbs down. Ryan had a face-palm moment. It took a lot of persuasion on Ryan¡¯s part to whitewash his image as a yboy before Wilma finally took him to see Carrie. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch at the door. Make it quick before others catch your here.¡± Wilma stood in front of the door and urged him sternly. Ryan did not know what to say. ¡°We are not doing anything illegal, Wilma. Don¡¯t be so uptight about it.¡± He took strides into the room and closed the door behind him. Once Wilma snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes bulged in rage.¡± You little brat! What did you say to me?¡± Ryan was surprised upon walking into Carrie¡¯s room. Bethany¡¯s room overflowed with princessy opulence, while Carrie¡¯s room embraced stark minimalism. Carrie did not have any personal furnishings beyond the manor¡¯s bare necessities. Ryan heard some noiseing from the bedroom, so he tiptoed his way there. With the door left ajar, he slipped inside. He could see Carrie¡¯s slender back against a wide desk. She was scribbling something. As his eyes darkened, Ryan crept behind her and craned his neck to see what she was doing. His heart skipped a beat. With pursed lips, Carrie sketched a portrait, and the model was him. ¡°All done.¡± Carrie put down the pencil and admired the portrait with a smile. ¡°When are you nning on giving it to me?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Carrie let out a scream and jumped out of the chair. She tried to cover the drawing, but it was toote. Acting quickly, Ryan curled his lips and snatched the drawing from her grasp. ¡°G-Give it back!¡± Rosy-cheeked, Carrie got on her tiptoes and tried to retrieve it. Since the man towered over her, Carrie gripped his cor in rage and sneaked around him to snatch it back. ¡°Cough! Let go! Let go! You¡¯re going to strangle me to death.¡± Ryan gasped for air. Left with no choice, he bent over and scoope Carrie up to put her on the table. At least then he could breathe. ¡°Give it back! That¡¯s my drawing!¡± A tearful Carrie refused to give up. ¡°You drew me. Technically, you vited my rights.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were intense when their gazes met. ¡°Aspensation, why don¡¯t you give the drawing to me, Carrie?¡± Blushing in the face, Carrie yanked on the man¡¯s cor. Ryan fell forward with widened eyes and squashed Carrie under him. Their lips were nearly touching. ¡°Uh¡­ It tickles.¡± Carrie looked away as the man¡¯s tobo-filled breath smothered her. Her heart was beating fast. Ryan was in a daze. It took everything in him to stop the fire in his loins. He straightened his back and got up. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. His eyes welled up, and his breathing grew heavy. Although Carrie was of age, she looked petite and delicate, all curled up on the table. She hid half her face between her knees and extended her arm to the man. ¡°Give it back.¡± Chapter 414 ¡°I saved you¡­ I mean, your teddyst night. Can¡¯t you let me have the portrait in return?¡± Propping his firm hand onto the desk, Ryan leaned forward and continued, ¡°I like the sketch. Can I have it, please?¡± ¡°I-I have something else for you.¡± Carrie sounded timid. Her toes. curled up. ¡°What is it?¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes lit up. Minutester, Ryan returned to his Ferrari. A wide grin stered across his face as he held a cake box and a scrolled portrait. He had never been happier. In fact, he had seen the portrait Carrie gave to Nigel during his birthday celebration. Since then, Ryan has been yearning to get one himself. He wanted a drawing that was only made for him. To his surprise, he had gotten it. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The joy and happiness he felt were indescribable. Ryan put away the sketch with glee and eagerly opened the cake box. It was a simple and slightly ugly blueberry mousse cake inside. He slid his finger on the cream and put it in his mouth for a taste. Ryan smacked his lips with furrowed brows. Why does it taste a little sour? Late at night, Be sat behind herputer in the study to game with a facial mask on. She did not even take a break. Truth be told, she was sleepy. However, Be was worried as Steven had not returned after she sent him out tonight to follow Henry. She waited for his update while gaming to stay awake. The officials of the game server sent her yet another email, inviting her topete in the professional league as the top female gamer, but she declined every time. She only yed games to kill time, and she did not want to mix. pleasure with business. It was not as if she needed the money. Beep. She received a notification that Christopher was online. His gaming name was ¡°Rose¡±, while Be¡¯s was ¡°Lucifer¡±. [Rose: How about a game?] [Lucifer: Alright. Invite me to one.] As Christopher and Bemunicated via the voice channel, the man¡¯s voice echoed in the room. ¡°Good evening, Ms. Lucifer.¡± ¡°Good evening to you too, Mr. Rose. Be teased him, ¡°Are you blooming tonight?¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re handling things well. The incident with Ada hasn¡¯t gotten to you,¡± Christopher said with a tender smile. ¡°Duh. I am trained in the dark arts.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He can channel his inner Darth Vader, plotting my demise, but trust me, the Force is strong with this one.¡± Christopher chuckled. He paused and asked, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. It¡¯s between me and Salvador Corporation. It¡¯s not a huge deal, but I don¡¯t want to get the Iverson Group involved. Thank you for the offer, though.¡± Be turned down his help. ¡°I don¡¯t represent the Iverson Group. I want to help because I want to help you.¡± His concern was reflected in Christopher¡¯s soft voice. Be raised a brow. ¡°So you don¡¯t trust me to handle it on my ¡°No.¡± Christopherughed helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be tired. I w you to spend some time gaming with me. It¡¯s been days since y were online.¡± Ben blinked in a trance. Had he been waiting for her online? This man had nothing to do and had no friends since he had juste back from Sentania. It was no wonder he could not leave her alone. It was sad, really. There was a knock on a door, and Steven¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°I¡¯m back, Ms. Be!¡± Now that the man that she was waiting for was back, Be said. goodbye to Christopher in a hurry. ¡°Right, I need to attend to something now. Goodnight, Mr. Iverson.¡± She left the voice channel before he could respond. Meanwhile, Christopher stared at the channel and murmured to himself affectionately. ¡°Goodnight, Be.¡± His expression turned into a grimace as he clicked on his mouse. The gaming page was reced by information on Steven and his two brothers. Chapter 415 Steven, well dressed for the fall weather, rushed to Be¡¯s side. He panted and broke out in a sweat. Be was not in a hurry to ask about the oue. Instead, she approached the coffee table and poured him a drink. ¡°Take a breather. Drink up. It must be cold outside.¡± Steven took the ss. His cold fingers brushed against Be¡¯s, and he felt a warm spark from her. ¡°Take a seat and rest.¡± Be turned to sit on the sofa, crossing her legs under her dressing gown. Her pink, fluffy slipper dangled on the tip of her foot. With flushed cheeks, Steven cupped the ss between his hands. restlessly. ¡°You¡¯re right, Ms. Be. Henry knows Xena, and they are more than friends.¡± Be curled her lips. ¡°Even if I¡¯m right, I need a capable man like you to make things happen.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Steven smiled abashedly and handed over his phone. She took the phone and nced down at the pictures without showing much emotion. The photos revealed Henry¡¯s and Xena¡¯s date at a caf¨¦. Henry caressed Xena¡¯s face while thetter held his hand as they looked sweetly into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°We have concrete proof, Ms. Be. We can question Henry.¡± Steven was excited to acquire evidence. ¡°These are far from enough.¡± Be put the phone down with a nk face. ¡°Are they not good enough?¡± Steven¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°I reached out to a connection to get Henry¡¯s and Xena¡¯s hotel stay records. They met up at hotels at least twice at week, but they did not know each other before these two months. ¡°Can¡¯t the photos and hotel stays prove that Henry has been tipping her off?¡± ¡°We know it¡¯s Henry for sure, but we have insufficient evidence to prove it. You have taken a course in law. You should know the circumstantial evidence can¡¯t be pinned on Henry.¡± Be closed her eyes listlessly andy on the sofa. ¡°If they insist that they were just dating, we can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± It dawned on Steven that Be was not just trying to find out who backstabbed her. Be was trying to root them all out from top to bottom and make them pay a painful price. ¡°We need to get proof of him leaking trade secrets,¡± Steven said dejectedly. ¡°Henry couldn¡¯t wait to tell Xena after I mentioned that I had a new proposal. I can guess what he¡¯s about to do next. Stop tracking Henry in the next few days so we don¡¯t spook him. Get eyes on Xena and Bethany. See if they willmunicate with each other. ¡°And one more thing. Look into Xena. We might find a surprise. ¡°Got it, Ms. Be.¡± Suddenly, he could hear steady breathing. Steven looked over and noticed Be had dozed off. Her lips parted, breathing in air as shadows cast under hershes. She must be drained from all the thinking. Steven¡¯s eyes reflected his affection and heartache. Getting down on one knee by the sofa, he reached out to carry her. However, he had to restrain himself from touching her. In the end, he grabbed a nket to tuck her in. He was only a secretary. He should not take advantage of her while she was asleep. Besides, Steven believed that the man who was worthy to carry Be was her lover, apart from her father and brothers. Steven was happy enough to stay by her side and straighten out her train on the day of her wedding. Chapter 416 It waste into the night. Justin sat near the window of his study and poured himself a ss of red wine. The wine ss was one he rummaged out of the pile of gifts from Be. It was a Baroque-style crystal ss. The crisp clink was a testament to its fine craftsmanship. Justin wondered if she wished their rtionship wouldst forever when she gifted him the ss. Furrowing his brows, Justin suddenly tasted bitterness in the wine. Following a knock on the door,n hurried in with a file. ¡°I have found everything we need to know about Xena Gordon, Mr. Salvador. Don¡¯t you worry! I even know where her grandparents¡¯ graves are. I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t miss anything.¡±n spoke confidently Be¡¯s opinion of Justin changed for the worse aftern¡¯s bbi son put a lot of work into the investigation to make things up Justin. ¡°Scan the file and send it to Ms. Thompson.¡± Justin swirled the ss and watched the wine with interest under the light. Justin gaven a chilling look, to whichn smiled and replied, ¡°Right. Of course, I¡¯ll send it to the young madam.¡± ¡°Just email it to her.¡± Justin paused and added, ¡°Make it anonymous.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡±n spoke faster than he could think. The man pursed his lips. ¡°I worry that she might delete the email without reading it if she sees that it¡¯s from the Salvador Corporation.¡± The phone on the coffee table vibrated. Justin picked it up to take a look. Ryan was requesting a video call. Confused, Justin took the call. ¡°What do you want?¡± On the screen, Ryany on a white bed with a discolored face. Judging by the blue and white walls in the background, Justin inferred that Ryan must be at the hospital. ¡°Justin¡­ I¡¯m about to die¡­¡± ¡°My condolences.¡± Justin looked unfazed. ¡°Justin¡­ Your sister, Carrie¡­ Does she have a knack for poison?¡± Ryan waved his arm, which was hooked to an IV drip. His body curled up in pain. ¡°She gave me a blueberry mousse cake, and I ate it all. But I couldn¡¯t stop throwing up and having diarrhea the minute I got home. I had to call an ambnce to get to the hospital. The doctor said I had severe food poisoning. I knew something was wrong when I ate it because it tasted sour. But man, it hurt so bad.¡± Ryan had food poisoning, but he sounded like he was giving birth. The stiffness in Justin¡¯s lips was evidence that he was holding back ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°She made me the cake. How could refuse? Ouch! Argh¡­¡± Ryan grimaced. Even the toughest man had a breaking point. Chapter 417 The project team members regained hope after thest meeting. They were filled with motivation once again. Be was a great influencer, captivating her employees with her charms to be her fans. Today, Be had a cheerful briefing with the team. She said, ¡°Ada has agreed to meet with me tonight. I¡¯m not going to get ahead of myself on the oue, but this is the first step in the right direction.¡±- The team members cheered. Only Henry sat at the farthest end of the table. Despite his smiling face, he was not the least bit happy. ¡°We breached the contract, but I believe Ada is the type to Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! understand. I¡¯m confident that my proposal is more impressive than the Salvadors¡¯. Once she takes a look at it, she will be more satisfied than she was with the first proposal,¡± Be said with a confident smile. ¡°Show us, Ms. Thompson!¡± ¡°I want to show you, but after thest incident, I have to be careful. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. It¡¯s just troubled times. There are too many eyes on the outside watching us. ¡°As the general manager of KS World Hotel, I can¡¯t allow us to fall for the same trick twice. I hope you can understand.¡± Understanding where Be wasing from, the group expressed. their hope for Be¡¯s triumphant return. They rubbed their palms, waiting to get their hands on the job, That evening, Be dined at a restaurant while Steven sorted out paperwork in her office. Once that was done, Steven dialed a number and left the office. The moment he walked out of the office, Henry slipped right in. Security was not tight tonight, so he managed to get into Be¡¯s -private space. He knew that his every move would be captured by the cameras all around, but he had to do it anyway because he was running out of time. If he could not get the new proposal tonight, Be might just close the deal with Ada again, and his girlfriend would not get her revenge. Henry was blinded by love and caught up in his feelings for Xena. He wanted to give her everything she wanted. Heck, he was willing to be a criminal for her. Henry used the torch function on his phone as he carefully and swiftly searched around Be¡¯s office. He was confident that the proposal was in the office. Be had not left the hotel, and Steven did not take his bag with him, so the proposal must not be with either of them. He quickly rummaged through the drawers and cabs, breaking out. in a cold sweat from anxiety. Finally, he pulled out the proposal at the bottom of the pile of documents. ¡°This is it. Yes!¡± Henry gripped the file, hot with emotions. He mumbled to himself, ¡°I can help you get vengeance, Xena. I can finally help you!¡± Click! The office¡¯s light suddenly came on. Steven barged in with a few bodyguards and encircled Henry. Henry was dumbfounded to be surrounded by a human barricade. He froze in awkwardness but refused to put down the proposal. He knew that he would be discovered sooner orter. It just never crossed his mind that it would be so soon. The security team formed two rows to give way. Dressed in a sleek ck suit, Be rocked her ck stilettos with red bottoms. Her gaze was intense when she strutted into the office. Hermanding presence rivaled that of a chiefmander. Henry shuddered at the sight of Be. He would be lying if he said he was not afraid. ¡°Do you know thatmercial theft is ssified as stealing? You can rot in jail and lose everything you own just by holding those few pieces of paper.¡± Steven scowled, his eyes flickering coldly. ¡°It¡¯s less than three years. imprisonment and possibly a fine for causing massive loss for selling trade secrets. For more severe cases, you can get 3 to 10 years of jail time.¡± Chapter 418 Henry staggered backward and nearly stumbled over. ¡°We have witnesses and proof. Do you have anything to say for yourself?¡± Steven¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot at the thought that the mole had caused Be a lot of pain. He had envisioned several scenarios in hist mind about killing Henry. ¡°I have nothing to say.¡± Although Henry was scared, his love for Xena Gordon helped him. ovee his ear. He stood tall and faced Be and Steven. ¡°I stole the proposal and sold it to the media. I did everything, and I will ept the consequences.¡± By epting the consequences, he meant he would never rat Xena out. Henry refused to budge, so Steven was livid and tempted to punch Henry in the face. ¡°Steven and Henry, please stay back. Everyone else, please wait in the corridor.¡± Be, who had remained silent thus far, spoke with authority. The security team swiftly moved out of the office. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can be honest with you, Henry.¡± Be strolled to a sofa to sit down. She grabbed a piece of chocte from the te and unwrapped it before putting the piece in her mouth. ¡°There¡¯s no new proposal right from the start. I never asked Ada to meet with me¡± ¡°W-What did you say?¡± Henry was shocked. Be chuckled. ¡°Take a look if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Henry opened the proposal with shaking hands. He sweated profusely. The first page had words on it, but the next few were nk pages. Henry just admitted a crime to a group of people. Steven even recorded his testimony. Be tricked him, and he fell for it! ¡°How did you know it was me?!¡± After everything that happened, Henry did not have to y nice with Be anymore, so he got straight to the point. He needed to know why before he was taken away. ¡°KS World Hotel is imprable unless we have a mole among us. Be chewed on the chocte. ¡°I knew we had a rat in the project team once the first proposal was leaked out, so I had eyes on each one of you. You were able to keep it together and stay out of suspicion by keeping your distance from Xena. I believe you would have seeded if I hadn¡¯t lured you out.¡± ¡°You know about Xena? How do you know?¡± Henry was more concerned about his girlfriend than his current predicament. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who Ms. Thompson is.¡± Steven smirked, finding hist question silly. Henry drooped his shoulders in despair, The heiress of the KS Group was blessed with wealth and resources. There was nowhere Xena could run. The enemy was far too powerful. ¡°You¡¯ve worked for KS World for ten years, Henry. You were dedicated to thepany, nning many high-value events. You¡¯re a talented man. I was going to promote you to the chief of the nning department at the end of the year.¡± Be sighed in regret. Henry was taken aback. ¡°You threw your future away because of so-called love, and you¡¯re facing charges. Do you think it¡¯s worth it?¡± ¡°Yes! I love her. I¡¯m willing to do anything for her.¡± Henry¡¯s eyes turned menacing as he jolted forward. Be remainedposed. Startled, Steven jumped out to shield Be. ¡°Be Thompson! Don¡¯t pretend to be the good guy here!¡± Henry looked Be dead in the eye, seeking justice for his lover. ¡°I don¡¯t need your promotion. Everything I did was to help Xena get her revenge! Xena¡¯s dad is in jail because of you! You destroyed Xena¡¯s life! You God-forsaken capitalist! You got off easy by losing one deal. The way I see it, you deserve to die!¡± Chapter 419 Henryshed out at Be as if she had killed his mother. Steven turned red, but Be did not take the remarks to heart. She curled her lips and said with a smile, ¡°Tsk. Interesting.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Henry became flustered. ¡°I meant to say, Xena is interesting.¡± Be took another piece of chocte. Steven smiled dotingly to himself when he noticed they were running low on sweets. ¡°You have only known Xe?a for two months, but she has you wrapped around her little finger. You are willing to risk your future and fight against the rich and powerful for her. ¡°Tsk. Tsk. I should learn from Ms. Gordon.¡± ¡°You have no right to speak ill of Xena! You¡¯re the vile wo thinks you own everybody because you have money. Xena w have her family to lean on if it were not for you. You ruined he Henry shouted in an outburst. ¡°You people with money are the b of society!¡± Steven did not get it. Be could just turn Henry in to the police instead of wasting her breath with the hopeless romantic.. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you ripping into me. It¡¯s not like I can stop you. My father survived the criticism and more than one assassination because he has power and money.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°But you gave my family bad business, so don¡¯t me me for going after you. I¡¯ve always been the type to reward those who are loyal to me. Nothing good ever happens to those who go against me.¡± Fear washed over Henry as he shuddered. Be¡¯s presence made his hair stand ¡°I know you want to make sense of the whole thing, so I¡¯ll tell you. Xena was never in love with you. She only used you because you work for KS Group.¡± ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Don¡¯t try to tear us apart!¡± With Be¡¯s words getting to him, Henry screamed like an animal. ¡°I did everything to help with Xena¡¯s revenge n! Don¡¯t try to throw mud on her! Don¡¯t try to frame her!¡± Be looked at him indifferently and ordered Steven to turn on the TV. Lewd photos appeared on the screen. Those were lewd photos of the director of ¡°Headlines¡± and Xena, who was Henry¡¯s alleged girlfriend. Steven was shocked. Although he had looked into Xena, that was not the information he provided to Be. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. It isn¡¯t! Those photos must be edited. They are not real!¡± Henry hugged his head in agony as he stared at the woman smiling coyly in a middle-aged bespectacled man¡¯s arms. The fact that she was not forced into it broke Henry¡¯s heart. Be remainedposed. The photos left little to the imagination.pared to Rosalind¡¯s. Gagging at the photos, Steven looked away. ¡°Their hotel stays date back to a year ago. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can show you videos of their dates. Care to watch?¡± ¡°No!¡± Henry cried in pain and fell to the ground with a thud. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°W-Where did you get these, Ms. Be?¡± Steven whispered in her ear. Be kept a nk face. ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± ¡°Why¡­ Why did she do this to me¡­¡± As tears streamed down his face Henry simply could not get over it. ¡°The information you provided her helped with her revenge, and she could get a little something out of it too.¡± Steven looked askance at Henry. ¡°A little something?¡± ¡°You were used by Xena. Someone else bribed her to do it too.¡± Chapter 420 Tilting her head, Be propped her arm against her cheek and said with a smile, ¡°How else did you think she was able to befriend you so quickly? She somehow knew the loophole in the contract. Do you think she will be able to n that without anybody¡¯s help?¡± Henry burst into tears, feeling sorry for himself. He did not regret ruining his career. He hated himself for thinking Xena was the one when she had yed him all the while. ¡°Ms. Thompson¡­ I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡± Faced with Be¡¯s relentless questioning, Henry spilled the beans on Xena¡¯s instructions to steal the trade secrets. Steven took notes on the side. Henry was taken into custody, but his arrest was not mad As the secretary and legal consultant of KS World Hotel, Steve charges against Henry for stealing trade secrets. With the pawn apprehended, it was time to handle therger behind the operation. Be looked at her neat desk and sighed. ¡°He¡¯s a thief with manners. should thank him for tidying up my desk after looking around.¡± Steven replied, ¡°Ms. Be, you have not told me- ¡°I got the photos from Justin.¡± Steven stared at her calm face in surprise. ¡°Justin gave them to you? He is KS Group¡¯spetitor. Why would he do that?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s mad that Shannon and Bethany have taken away his project. He just wants to get back at Bethany through me.¡± Be¡¯s mind wandered back to the night Justin dried her hair, and her heart fluttered. She sneered. ¡°I¡¯d rather believe that ghosts exist than believe this man wants the best for me. He sent me an anonymous email so as not to expose himself. Pft! Did he think I wouldn¡¯t know it was him by going anonymous?¡± She was not called the ¡°Hacking Princess¡± for nothing. ¡°Now that we have taken care of the mole on the team, how are you nning to deal with Xena Gordon?¡± Steven looked worried. ¡°Even with Henry¡¯s testimony, we can¡¯t file a charge against Xena without concrete proof.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not filing a charge against her since thew is used agai criminals, not bitches.¡± Be narrowed her eyes dangerously at the naked couple on the screen. ¡°Send these photos to the director¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°As far as I know, his wife is a ck belt in taekwondo, Ms. Be. Steven appeared intrigued. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to work those muscles. She¡¯s got a free partner to spar with now.¡± Be reached into Steven¡¯s pocket to fish for more chocte. ¡°I sorted her father out, so I¡¯ll leave someone else to deal with her. Otherwise, I would be the evil capitalist in soap operas.¡± Steven put his hand over his pocket, pinning her naughty hand down. against the fabric. ¡°Don¡¯t eat too many sweets, Ms. Be. You might get a toothache That night, Justin was not in a hurry to head back to Tideview Manor after work. He sat behind his desk in the office, waiting for an update fromn. Finally,n returned in joy. ¡°Mr. Salvaor, the young madam has caught the mole in herpany. He has been taken into custody.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Justin responded, feeling at ease atst. ¡°I wonder if the young madam was able to use the stuff you sent her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if the information wasn¡¯t of use to her.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He hid his emotions behind his eyes at the thought of the cheeky girl. ¡°I only provided her with something that was nice to have. ¡°I believe she can handle things on her own even without my intel.¡± He had always underestimated his ex-wife. Justin once thought that Be was a boring and ignorant housewife who could do nothing but cook. He now realizes how blind and foolish he was before. Chapter 421 It was a past Justin could not bear to look back on. With his internal phone ringing. Justin took the call via loudspeaker What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, Ms. Thompson¡¯s secretary wants to see you. He doesn¡¯t have an appointment. Should I tell him to go?¡± ¡°Tell him toe in,¡± Justin said aloofly.. It was a challenge to score a meeting with the president of Salvador Corporation. However, Steven was one of Be¡¯s employees, so Justin was happy. to give him the green light. Minutester, Steven stepped foot in the office with a stern look. ¡°Ms. Be asked me to hand you this, Mr. Salvador.¡± While talking, Steven put a white box down on Justin¡¯s desk. ¡°What is it?¡± The man stared at the box without looking up. ¡°A bomb,¡± Steven replied coldly. Justin pursed his lips. ¡°Hey, do you think you¡¯re funny?¡± Steven¡¯s words dripped with sarcasm. ¡°Why bother asking then, Mr. Salvador? It¡¯s nothing dangerous. Just ept the gift from Ms. Be.¡± With pursed lips, Justin opened the box curiously. It was nothing dangerous, of course. There was a cream cake in the shape of a dog, and it was oddly adorable. He curled his lips. ¡°Did Be make this?¡± Glee hid behind hisposed eyes. ¡°Ha! Dream on. Ms. Be instructed me to buy the cake for you.¡± Steven said tauntingly with a smile, ¡°Do you think you deserve to enjoy Ms. Be¡¯s cooking?¡± Justin was speechless. His jawline was tense. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean anyway? Ms. Thompson has cooked. for Mr. Salvador before. If Mr. Salvador didn¡¯t deserve it, why would she endure it for three years?¡±n snapped back. Steven looked at Justin in disdain. ¡°Anna Brown would even feed dogs, but Ms. Be won¡¯t.¡± Livid,n was ready to pull a punch. ¡°Take that back!¡± ¡°Enough,n.¡± Justin stopped him and asked solemnly, ¡°Why did Be give this to me?¡± ¡°Ms. Be sent me to tell you that she has received the stuff that you delivered anonymously. This is her returning the favor.¡± Justin was dumbfounded. ¡®So she knew? That was quick.¡± ¡°She¡¯s sending you a reminder not to treat her like a fool. She is intelligent and needs no dogged advice.¡± Without saying goodbye, Steven turned and walked out of the office. ¡°Dogged advice? I hope she¡¯s not talking about you.¡± There was no need forn to say it out loud. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! As Justin grew grimacing,n turned pale and backed up to the corner helplessly. Chapter 422 As night fell in a hotel room, Xena had sacrificed her body for the sake of her career time and again, hoping to secure the position as chief of the news department. The door to the room burst open. ¡°Ah!¡± Xena shrieked and rolled off the old man to hide under the sheets. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Timothy, the director of ¡°Headlines¡±, got out of bed in a fluster to put some clothes on. He was stunned with fear the moment he looked up. ¡°H-Honey?¡± ¡°So she¡¯s the whore, Timothy?¡± Timothy¡¯s wife, Stacey, stared scornfully at Xena. Standing tall at 1.75 meters, Stacey was more burly than ordinary women. She took her jacket off and showed Xena her muscr arms. ¡°Hmph! I thought you would pick a pretty girl. What do you find attractive. about her?¡± Stacey then bolted over and pulled Xena out of the covers by her hair. She pped Xena multiple times until she bled. It felt great for Stacey to take her anger out on Xena. ¡°Ah! Timothy! Help me! Save me!¡± Xena cried in pain. Timothy did not want to get involved in the fight. Instead, he shivered in a corner: Stacey¡¯s assistant entered the room with two buff men. ¡°Come one,e all. Look at the woman who was shameless enough to seduce my boss¡¯ husband! My boss caught them in the act. Don¡¯t miss it.¡± The assistant raised her phone to take photos of the couple and live- streamed the whole thing. Timothy and Xena were dumbfounded. ¡°Kneel now, Timothy!¡± Stacey yelled angrily, and Timothy obeyed her order right away. ¡°Your investment went wrong because of your bad decision back. then. My family provided you with the funds to rebuild your career that you now enjoy.¡± Stacey grimaced resentfully and kicked her husband in the face. Thements were rolling on the livestream as the public cheered her on. ¡°Now that you¡¯re sessful, you cheat on me with another woman. You¡¯re nothing without me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nothing. I am nothing¡­¡± Timothy criticized himself, dropping the ego he had as a superior. Xena covered her face and kneeled before Stacey in tears. She had no idea how her rtionship with her boss got out. They had been secretly dating for nearly two years. Why were they suddenly caught now? The two bodyguards took turns beating Timothy up while Stacey had a go at Xena. Xena lost one of her front teeth. Of course, the assistant was sensible enough to turn off the live stream when that happened. In the end, Timothy, beaten ck and blue, was escorted out of the room without time to get dressed. Xena curled up in a corner, her face filled with bleeding scratches and her hair a draping mess. She was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. ¡°Are you confused about how I found out about you and Tim, whore?¡± Stacey looked down on her in contempt. ¡°Hmph! You had iting. Think about what you did and who you crossed.¡± She spat at Xena before storming off. Silence befell the room. Xena trembled as she tried to remember what she had been up to and who she had crossedtely. A name suddenly came to mind. ¡°Be Thompson¡­ Was it Be?!¡± Her phone on the bedside table vibrated a couple of times and stopped. Xena crawled to grab her phone. She tapped on the new email. It was a voice recording. After a brief hesitation, she tapped on the file to listen. It was Henry¡¯s confession about how she seduced and egged him to steal the KS World Hotel¡¯s wedding nning proposal. ng! Chapter 423 Xena dropped her phone. Feeling weak in the knees, she sank to the ground. Her world had just crumbled. Late at night, Bethany took a lovely bath and went through her skincare routine in front of her dressing table. Ever since Ryan gave her an ultimatum, Bethany could not shake off the apprehension. Heck, she could not even sleep well at night. She thought, ¡®What was good about the idiot anyway? Why did Be stand up for Carrie? Why did Ryan have her back?¡¯ ¡°That fake bitch,¡± Bethany muttered. Bethany grabbed a lipstick and scribbled Carrie¡¯s name on the mirror before crossing it out furiously. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for you now. Just you wait. Once I be the general manager of the Salvador Hotel-¡± Her phone rang. Seeing that it was Zoe, Bethany scowled in disdain and put on a fake smile. ¡°Oh, Zoe. What¡¯s up? Why are you calling at this hour?¡± ¡°Shit has hit the fan!¡± Zoe sounded serious as she spoke in hushed tones. ¡°I just received word that Be caught the mole on the nning team. The police. have taken him into custody.¡± ¡°What? How did that happen?¡± Bethany cried, feeling uneasy. ¡°Uh¡­ What about Xena?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know Xena and her boss were caught in bed on a livestream tonight? The guy¡¯s wife caught him in the act and made. them viral online. They didn¡¯t even have time to get dressed. Talk about embarrassment.¡± Bethany¡¯s mind went nk. Her world shattered in the span of a bath. ¡°Delete all yourmunications with Xena before the police track you down,¡± Zoe said glumly. ¡°G-Got it.¡± Another call came in, and it was from Bethany¡¯s secretary. ¡°Hang on, Zoe. I need to take this call.¡± She put Zoe on hold to take the call from her secretary. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Xena?¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad, Ms. Bethany.¡± The secretary responded anxiously, ¡°Ms. Gordon was in a car crash. near Cielrio Road. She¡¯s unresponsive and fighting for her life as we speak.¡± ¡°Fuck. That¡¯s good news.¡± Bethany rejoiced over the news. ¡°Huh?¡± The secretary was confused, ¡°Be caught the mole, so it¡¯s only a matter of time before she traces it back to Xena and us. Xena¡¯s ident couldn¡¯t havee at a better time. That was a close call.¡± Bethany¡¯s eyes flickered dangerously. ¡°Hmph! The woman has done her part by ruining Be¡¯s partnership with Ada, so it¡¯s time for her curtain call. She should rest at the hospital and stay out of trouble.¡± Be found out about Xena¡¯s car ident right away. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She was picking out wine from the wine cer Asher had built for her. She nned to enjoy a nice wine before bed. ¡°I heard that Xena got into an ident because she spaced out. I guess the livestream of her sleeping with the boss did a number on her.¡± Steven held thedder steady for Be. ¡°Well, she did it to herself. She¡¯s a beautiful woman. Why did she sell herself out?¡± Be was aloof about the matter. ¡°Stacey didn¡¯t hold back, for sure.¡± Steven clicked his tongue. ¡°I guess it sends a message out to all the other women out there n to get involved with a married man.¡± Be¡¯s marriagey in ruins when Rosalind took her husband. Although Justin felt nothing for Be in the three years of marriage, there was no reason for Rosalind to trample on Be¡¯s dignity ande in between the husband and wife. ¡°Now that the minor yers are down, should we focus on the headliner, Ms. Be?¡± Steven looked deep into her eyes. Chapter 424 ¡°Decant the bottle of Lafite, Steve.¡± Furrowing her brows, Be turned away with her phone. Steven felt sad because he knew Be wanted him to give her space. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Steve. I hate Justin due to our failed marriage, but we¡¯re not enemies.¡± With a smile, Be patted his shoulder understandingly. ¡°I¡¯m bound to run into him if I want to set up base in Savrow and expand KS Group. I¡¯m just trying to be adaptable.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°But Ms. Be-¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Are you scared that he¡¯s going to take advantage of me? Drew will take him out before Ash has a chance to if he tries anything.¡± Be scoffed offhandedly. Steven thought, ¡®No, that¡¯s not it. I love and honor you with all my heart. I¡¯m not scared to put my life on the line for you. The only thing I fear is that you¡¯ll fall in love with Justin again. I can¡¯t bear to see you go down that road again.¡± He sighed in dejection and left with the red wine in hand. The phone in Be¡¯s palm vibrated persistently, which was very much like Justin¡¯s stubbornness. ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Salvador?¡± Be took the call, her voice aloof as always. ¡°Thank you for your cake. It was delicious.¡± Be¡¯s breath became shallow, and hershes cast a shadow below her eyes. The night was silent. Justin¡¯s husky voice was alluring. In the past, she had enjoyed calling him on the phone to hear his voice. Despite his indifference, she would roll around in bed excitedly. Yet now, she felt nothing. She prided herself on having great discipline and being able to kick any addiction, including love. ¡°You¡¯re wee. I hope the cake serves as a good reminder to you to keep your advice to yourself and mind your own business.¡± Be took a deep breath, her eyes chilling. ¡°I don¡¯t think I was interfering.¡± Justin sounded solemn. ¡°Your business is my business too.¡± Be jeered. ¡°I guess you can say that. You need me to take Bethany down a notch. If Bethany seeds and bes the general manager of the Salvador Hotel, your stepmother might be at it again, and you could find yourself in a predicament.¡± Justin scowled. Before, when Be was still ¡°Anna Brown¡±, she had put him before anything else, tending to him with great care. Now, Be hurt him with cutting remarks and only talked about plots and strategies.. However, he could not forget and move on from the woman who made his heart bleed. It did not cost him anything to put his ego aside. ¡°Be, do you think I care about Shannon and Bethany? They can¡¯t start anything on my watch. Else, I wouldn¡¯t have been president for many years.¡± Justin paused for a moment, clearly with more on his mind, but he hesitated. Be clenched her fists, her knuckles popping. ¡°I¡¯d suggest you stay. out of my business, Justin. From an ex to an ex, this is myst advice to you. I can be ruthless when I get angry. Things might get messy, and innocents could get involved. You have been warned about getting caught in the crossfire, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let anything stop you from doing what you want to. Justin¡¯s voice danced around her ear. ¡°I can¡¯t help you much, but one will stand against you with me at the helm of Salvador Corporation.¡± Chapter 425 Be furrowed her brows. It felt like she chewed on a sugar-coated lie, and the sweetly cloaked monstrosity was just awful to swallow. The air had gone quiet. The pair said nothing. Momentster, Justin cleared his throat and ended the conversation abruptly. ¡°I guess that is all. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Hey, you-¡± The call ended before Be could finish talking. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Be stared at the dimmed screen in a daze and shook her head. Meanwhile, Justin realized after the call that his palms were mming, his throat was dry, and his heart was thumping out of his chest. Closing his eyes, he drew a deep breath and murmured, ¡°The ones who walk away aren¡¯t here to stay, but the ones who mess with my head? Heck, that¡¯s a whole ¡®nother set of worries.¡± Xena fell into aa after the horrible car crash. Bethany learned from the doctor that the chances of Xena ever regaining consciousness were slim to none. God was on her side. Otherwise, Bethany would have trouble covering her tracks for bribing Xena to get details on the KS World Hotel¡¯s contract. Even with that taken care of, Bethany did not make any progress with Ada. Ada made it clear that she would not sign with the Salvador Hotel unless Justin was involved. Besides, Ada¡¯s team had been looking at other hotels, so she was not limiting her choice to the Salvador Hotel and KS World. That afternoon, Bethany went to the Hoffmans¡¯ residence. In contrast to Bethany¡¯s anxiety, Zoe remainedposed. With a steaming cup in hand, she settled in for a rxing afternoon tea. ¡°What¡¯s your n for sealing the deal with Ada?¡± ¡°The woman demanded Salvador Corporation and KS Group sear for the finest gem before. Justin has been trying to seek help fro Alexa, but he didn¡¯t manage to secure one of her pieces despite hi trip abroad.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°For that reason, Be managed to win Ada over with a brooch during the weing party.¡± Bethany stamped her foot. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m fuming just thinking about it. If only I owned one of Alexa¡¯s jewelry pieces. That would save me all the trouble. ¡°You do. What makes you think you don¡¯t own one?¡± Zoe made an Intriguingment. Bethany was stunned. ¡°What do you mean, Zoe? Did you manage to get your hands on Alexa¡¯s jewelry pieces?¡± ¡°As far as I know, Alexa stays out of the limelight. She never showed her face in public before, so no one knew whether she was alive. No. one had actually seen her masterpiece before. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get a copy and give one to Ada?¡± Zoe spoke nonchntly. ¡°What? You expect me to give Ada a knockoff?¡± Bethany¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°I would be disgraced when found out.¡± ¡°Tsk. How would you be discovered? It¡¯s hard to determine the authenticity of a painting at an auction, much less a gemstone. No one could tell it was a fake except Alexa.¡± Zoe leaned forward and whispered, ¡°Besides, I knew a jewelry designer when I was studying in Inalia. You might not believe it, but he was an apprentice to Alexa. I can get him to copy one of Alexa¡¯s pieces for you so that you have something for Ada. I¡¯m sure the woman would be d to coborate with you after that.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Bethany was skeptical. Nevertheless, she did not have much time left. At this point, she had to throw the dice and fake it until she made it. Chapter 426 With Celeste¡¯s birthday around the corner, Be dove into her white- cor job during the day and locked herself in the room at night to make a birthday gift for Celeste. She crafted a ring made of 18K gold, aquamarine, and diamonds. The craftsmanship was not tooplex for a top-notch jewelry designer like her, but the aquamarine was huge and high in purity. It was exceptional in quality, and the value rivaled the most precious stones. Be never scrimped on gifts for family. She dedicated a lot of time and effort to gifting. In the past, Justin had been a recipient of her gifts. However, the man had never given a shit about her kind gestures. Her phone on the table showed a video call request. Sliva, the chief of her jewelry studio, was calling. ¡°You must have an emergency if you¡¯re calling at this hour,¡± Be said while grinding the gemstone. ¡°Do you remember Tyler, Alexa?¡± Sliva asked. ¡°I do. He was my apprentice for three years and started afresh elsewhere. He¡¯s a talented young man with an eye for craftsmanship. What¡¯s up?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Someone contacted him two days ago, requesting that he imitate your jewelry piece. Ha! Isn¡¯t that infuriating? You can expect knockoffs of your work everywhere if you get yourself out in the market.¡± Be did not mind it at all. Without stopping the task at hand, Be said cheerfully, ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be angry about. I¡¯m amazing. When people can¡¯t acquire my pieces, they have to buy fakes for vanity¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°Tyler couldn¡¯t get in touch with you, so he came to me. He doesn¡¯t want to ept the job. It¡¯s not like he dares to, either. Counterfeits are an insult to the designer. He will be insulting you by copying your work.¡± Sliva burned with injustice for Be. Be was curious. ¡°Just a question. Who asked him to forge my work? It must take a lot of resources and connections to find out that he was my apprentice.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how Tyler met the person. He said that the girl was an heiress from Savrow. I believe she¡¯s a Hoffman.¡± Be was speechless. ¡°That reminds me. She¡¯s also a student of Christian, the famous pianist.¡± Be blinked wittily. Oh, so that was what happened. Since Bethany and Zoe were asking for it, Be did not mind giving it to them. ¡°Sliva, tell Tyler that I want him to ept the order from Ms. Hoffman.¡± Be¡¯s eyes glistened with cheekiness. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Sliva was confused. ¡°He better take the job and make it look like my work. Don¡¯t embarrass me.¡± Five dayster, Justin received news the moment he got off of a corporate meeting. Ada, who had not budged so far, just said yes. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hiding his emotions behind his eyes, Justin stood behind a window. His presence was intimidating. Justin nced indifferently at him. ¡°Ha. It must be a fake.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know about that, but Ada is a jewelry collector. She should be able to determine the authenticity.¡± ¡°Be should know about this by now,¡± Justin murmured under his breath, his eyes downcast. Now that Bethany had the deal in the bag, Justin would find himself in a storm of power struggles and trouble more than Be. Still, Be¡¯s situation consumed Justin, while his own troubles were the least of his worries. ¡°Given up? That¡¯s impossible.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were half closed as restlessness washed over him. Others might have given up by now, but Be is not a quitter. She¡¯s probably lying low. I¡¯m sure she has a n up her sleeve.¡± Bethany had nothing on his witty wife. Correction. It should be his ex-wife now. Somehow, Justin felt his chest ache. Chapter 427 That night, the Salvadors gathered for once and headed to Crescent Bay to have their monthly dinner with Nigel. They seemed like one big family. Even Bethany poured Carrie a drink. and urged her to eat for a change. It was as if they were close sisters. Carrie sat next to Justin, burying her head in her food without joining in the conversation. Although Carrie was not social, she had her pride. She did not ept the drink from Bethany or respond to her. ¡°Dad, Shannon and I have been talking, and we havee to a decision, so we wanted to share with you and get your take on the matter.¡± Gregory sat upright, disying excellent table manners as expected of a gentleman. ¡°If you have already made up your mind, why bother telling me? Nigel kept his attention on his food ¡°Can¡¯t your wife sort it out? She has always been your advisor, and that¡¯s how you have gotten by over the years.¡± Shannon forced a smile as malice alighted in her eyes. Every month, Shannon dreaded the day she was to have dinner with the old man, who was filled with cynicalments. She would always lose sleep the night before. She counted the days until the old man would meet his fate. Gregory cleared his throat with a frown and clutched Shannon¡¯s hand under the table. ¡°Bethany is at the right age to marry. I think we should think about her marriage.¡± Bethany pursed her lips, her cheeks rosy. ¡°Marriage?¡± Nigel put down his cutlery and furrowed his brows. ¡°Bethany is only 25. She¡¯s too young to consider marriage. I want my granddaughters. to spend more time with me for another two years before they get married. What¡¯s the rush anyway?¡± Gregory was speechless. ¡°Besides, our princesses aren¡¯t short of suitors. I¡¯m sure men will be all over them even when they are still single at 52.¡± Suddenly, Nigel looked at Gregory skeptically. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that thepany is in financial trouble, and you need to procure help for the business through a marriage alliance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, Dad. Thepany is fine.¡± Shannon stood up for her husband with a fake smile. ¡°Let me make this clear, Gregory. I forbid you from selling your daughter to satisfy your vanity. I don¡¯t care if Salvador Corporation loses its funds tomorrow or is about to go bankrupt, but the girls can¡¯t marry for business. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Oh, Grandpa. You have a wild imagination.¡± Bethany held Nigel¡¯s arm and swung it coyly. ¡°Mom and Dad have my best interests at heart. It has nothing to do with business. I feel that I¡¯m ready for marriage.¡± ¡°Are you ready for marriage, Bethany?¡± Nigel was taken aback. Bethany nodded shyly. The girls were growing up so fast. ¡°You got the wrong idea, Dad. We didn¡¯t force Bethany. Bethany wants to settle down because she has her eye on a man.¡± Shannon looked at her daughter gleefully. Nigel replied, ¡°Oh? And who is the guy?¡± ¡°You know who he is.¡± Gregory added with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s Ryan, Dad.¡± Justin chewed slowly. Except for a storm behind his eyes, he showed. no emotion. ¡°Ryan? As in Ryan Hoffman?¡± With his eyes bulging, Nigel had to be sure. Shannon responded, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Ryan Hoffman.¡± ng. A noise caught everybody¡¯s attention. Distracted, Carrie dropped her cutlery. The behavior was seen as rude in such a privileged and etiquette- following family as the Salvadors. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± White in the face, Carrie tried to pick up the cutlery in a fluster, but Justin bent over and grabbed it for her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just get a new set.¡± Justin smiled tenderly at Carrie to ease her embarrassment. ¡°T-Thank you, Justin,¡± Carrie whispered, hanging her head low. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Bethany narrowed her eyes dangerously at Carrie with a smirk. Chapter 428 ¡°Carrie, how can you drop your cutlery at dinner with Grandpa? Where are your manners?¡± Shannon lectured Carrie with a long face. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s just cutlery. Must you yell at the child?¡± Nigel had a problem with Shannon because Carrie was his precious granddaughter. Shannon gripped her fingers under the table. She could be med for breathing in the presence of the old man. ¡°Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I¡¯m finished with dinner.¡± With her cheeks burning in shame, Carrie kept her head down and bit her lips as she left the dinner table in a hurry. Justin stared in contemtion at his sister¡¯s receding figure while falling into thought. Bethany was delighted to get even with Carrie. ¡®You should stay an invisible dummy, Carrie. You didn¡¯t have to endure the humiliation. But that¡¯s what you get for trying to get with my man. Open your eyes and see who is Mom¡¯s and Dad¡¯s favorite and who deserves to stand next to Ryan!¡¯ ¡°Why Ryan?¡± Nigel blinked and asked in bewilderment, ¡°I thought Ryan was into Anna.¡± Gregory, Shannon, and Bethany made a face. They were speechless. Justin was taking a sip of his drink when his grandfather¡¯s remark made him choke. The man clutched the ss, his face grimacing. ¡°Why would Ryan be interested in Be, Grandpa ?¡± Bethany turned flushed with rage. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he like Anna? I might be 80, but I can read the room. Ryan. was all over Anna at my birthday celebration. He couldn¡¯t stay away from Anna. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s the type to be loyal to his wife.¡± While talking, Nigel side-eyed Justin, who scowled. ¡°Since Ryan was interested, I thought about setting Anna and him up since the Hoffmans are in the same social ss as Anna¡¯s family. Most importantly, Ryan is good to Anna. He cares about her wholeheartedly. I¡¯m sure he can give Anna a better life if they end up together.¡± ¡®A better life? As if Ryan and Be would have a better life together.¡± Justin thought, his fingers clenched so hard that he could crush the ss he was holding. Nigel never mentioned Justin¡¯s name, but Justin could tell that thements were directed at him. Ryan yed the field and experienced his first intimacy at the age of 16. He could not even keep his pants on, yet Nigel had the nerve to set Ryan and Be up together. Talk about reading the room. Justin had nothing to say. ¡°Am I your granddaughter, or is Be your granddaughter, Grandpa?¡± Bethany was so angry she could cry. ¡°Ryan loves me, not her. You should be paying attention to me. Why would you pair Ryan with her?¡± ¡°You like Ryan, but are the feelings mutual on his part?¡± Nigel looked at her seriously and asked. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Bethany was at a loss for words. ¡°I saw how Ryan acted around you at the birthday celebration. You didn¡¯t even say a word to each other. Ryan didn¡¯t even look at you.¡± Consumed by rage and embarrassment, Bethany gritted her teeth. However, Nigel was right. She could not refute the truth. ¡°We don¡¯t need our girls to marry for business, but they can¡¯t be throwing themselves at men. You can¡¯t force things to happen, or they might turn out badly.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Nigel was not optimistic about the marriage. He shook his head. ¡± Besides, you and Ryan are two very different people. Ryan is hot- tempered. I can imagine the heated arguments when you marry him.¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± Bethany teared up. ¡°What do you expect Bethany to answer, Dad? She¡¯s a girl. Have some consideration for her feelings.¡± Coming to his daughter¡¯s rescue, Gregory said with a smile, ¡°Ryan feels something for Bethany. I know that because he came to the house the other day to have a word with Bethany. Shannon and I were home, so we saw him.¡± As Bethany¡¯s mind wandered back to what Ryan said, her heart sank. She knew that Ryan could not stand her, but so what? Bethany believed she could marry Ryan once she got her whole family in on it. With time, Ryan was bound to fall in love with her and be captivated by her charm. Chapter 429 ¡°Oh? Really?¡± Nigel stroked his chin. ¡°Yes.¡± Shannon took to Bethany¡¯s defense. ¡°A gentleman like Ryan wouldn¡¯t visit ady at her house without reason. He must have felt something for Bethany since he went to her. Things might have been different then, but they have changed now. Besides, you might be meaning to set Ms. Thompson and Ryan up, but thest I checked, Ms. Thompson has moved on with another man.¡± Justin shot a chilling look at Shannon. With his lips pressed together, he swallowed hard as if to stop his brewing emotions. Surprised, Nigel asked, ¡°Anna has a boyfriend? Who?¡± ¡°The youngest son of Iverson Group¡¯s chairman. His name is Christopher Iverson,¡± Shannon replied. She got her intel from Rosalind. Bethanyter mentioned that Be kept in touch with Christopher. Shannon did not care whether it was true, but her priority was to stop. the old man from ying matchmaker. ¡°Be and Christopher aren¡¯t together.¡± Unable to take it anymore, Justin mmed the ss on the table with a thud. He looked menacing. ¡°I heard that they had been on a date more than once. They would take a stroll at the rose garden and visit the music theater-¡± ¡°I said, they are not together.¡± His rage-fueled gaze fixated on Shannon. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t spread rumors before verifying the information. ¡°Be is ady, the heiress of KS Group, and the general manager of the KS World Hotel. Your unfounded theory can damage her reputation.¡± Left without aeback, Shannon contorted her face with fury, ¡°Justin! Is that how you talk to your elders? What do you-¡± Before Gregroy could finish, Justin rose to his feet aggressively. ¡°I¡¯m finished with dinner. Enjoy your food.¡±. Nigel narrowed his eyes as Justin stormed off. Annoyed, Justin loosened his tie and wandered off to the garden get some fresh air. He had been on pins and needles ever since Nigel talked about setting Ryan and Be up. Justin could barely breathe when Shannon said Be was with Christopher. At that rate, the suffocation would have taken Justin first. Furrowing his brows, Justin fished out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and gripped one between his lips. Anxiety and anger washed over Justin as reality began to set in. He pulled out his phone and gave Ryan a call. ¡°To what do I owe this call, Justin?¡± Ryan sounded listless and pouty. ¡°You haven¡¯t visited me since I had food poisoning. Gasp! Don¡¯t tell me you have another man.¡± ¡°I got news for you.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Justin drew a deep breath. ¡°Gregory and Shannon intend to marry Bethany to you.¡± On the other end of the line, Ryan jolted up and ran his mouth. ¡°What the hell?! You can keep the drama in your family. Why did you have to get me involved? As if the drama isn¡¯t big enough.¡± Justin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you care who you marry? Didn¡¯t you say that it doesn¡¯t matter who you marry? She¡¯s just going to be eye candy.¡± ¡°Yes, I said that, but-¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with marrying Bethany? She likes you, and you won¡¯t go wrong by strengthening your business alliance with the Salvador Corporation through marriage.¡± ¡°I mean, you know the type of person Bethany is, bro. Don¡¯t try to y Cupid and throw me to my misery.¡± ¡°Well, misery lovespany. She can¡¯t outsmart you anyway.¡± Justin took a puff of the cigarette. Ryan did not deserve Be.. Christopher was out of the question too. Justin gnashed his teeth in resentment. He longed to constantly be with Be, shielding her from all potential rivals. Chapter 430 The fake Alexa jewelry ne Bethany acquired from Zoe worked wonders. Bethany braced herself, apprehensive about being discovered when presenting the ne to Ada as a gift. Nevertheless, Bethany had figured out a backup n if she were discovered. She could save her ass by saying that she was scammed by a friend because of her limited knowledge of jewelry. Alexa¡¯s apprentice must have fine-tuned his craftsmanship because Ada did not suspect that the ne was a copy. Ada happily wore the ne right away, reluctant to take it off. In the end, Ada signed the contract with Bethany. That was not the only thing. With Shannon putting in the good word about Bethany, Gregory finally pulled her to the core of the business and promoted her to higher management. She could join the meeting with the senior executives atst. That night, Shannon and Bethany enjoyed a celebratory drink on the balcony. ¡°Your dad will hand over the management of the hotel to you after Ada¡¯s wedding. Make an impactful first impression, my dear. In time, you will be on the board of directors, and that¡¯s when you and I will get rid of Justin.¡± Shannon held her daughter, her eyes sparkling as if bearing glimmering hope. ¡°I can¡¯t count on your sister, but my future is in your Granter 19 hands.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Once I make it to the top, I will seize control from Justin. The Salvador Group will be ours.¡± Beaming with pride, Bethany clinked sses with Shannon. The butler¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°Madam Shannon, Ms. Bethany, we have received an invitation.¡± The mother and daughter exchanged nces before walking out of the balcony. Bethany asked, ¡°Who is the invitation from?¡± ¡°A Mr. Lovett, the secretary of KS World Hotel¡¯s general manager.¡± KS World Hotel? Was the invitation from Be? ¡°Got it. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Shannon took the invitation card and closed the door. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . She opened the envelope and pulled out two invites to a charity. jewelry auction. Shannon pursed her lips, her expression obscure. ¡°Mom, we haven¡¯t heard anything from Be in a while. Why did she drop these invites out of the blue? Can it be a trap?¡± Bethany asked worriedly. ¡°Ha. We have nothing to be afraid of. Ada has signed the contract. with you, and there¡¯s nothing she can do about it.¡± Coincidentally, the TV broadcasted the evening news, and one of the headlines was about the charity jewelry auction. ¡°The organizer of the event is Mint, Mom!¡± Bethany eximed, with her finger pointing at the TV. ¡°That¡¯s the iconic fashion magazine. It¡¯s the dream of many celebrities to grace. the cover of the magazine. I can¡¯t believe Be is co-organizing the charity with Mint. That¡¯s unexpected. It¡¯s said on the news that Ada is among the celebrities to attend.¡± Bethany assumed that KS World would hit rock bottom after losing Ada, but Be managed to secure a partnership with Mint. She got her hands on everything. Jealousy drove Bethany to clench her fist, digging her nails into her palms. ¡°Hmph. She might be hosting a huge event, but she lost. It¡¯s just. damage control now.¡± Shannon gritted her teeth. ¡°We will appear udylike if we decline the invitation. Nothing is stopping me from going. She doesn¡¯t scare me. ¡°We can also keep an eye on her, in case she tries something with Ada and ruins things for us.¡± Be enjoyed a nice chat with the editor-in-chief of Mint magazine. She carried on the conversation in a foreignnguage with ease. She changed into tight athletic wear to go kayaking at the back of the vi when Asher dropped by for a visit. ¡°Ash!¡± Be rushed downstairs excitedly and jumped into Asher¡¯s arms. The sturdy man wrapped his arms around her. Be¡¯s fitted outfit hugged her curves, her voluptuous form pressing close to his. There was something sensual about her. Chapter 431 Asher frowned. ¡°It¡¯ste. Are you going to exercise?¡± ¡°Yeah, Ash. I¡¯m in a good mood, so I thought I should go kayaking around the back.¡± Be looked up at him cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s dark out. What if you fall into the river? You¡¯re not a strong. swimmer.¡± Asher pinched her waist. ¡°Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s nearly sub-zero outside? You¡¯ll freeze in that outfit of yours.¡± He turned to Steven. ¡°Be doesn¡¯t have anyone else but you. Why can¡¯t you do a better job watching over her?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Asher. It was my negligence.¡± Steven apologized. ¡°Enough, Ash. Don¡¯t me Steve. He reminded me, but I wouldn¡¯t listen to him.¡± The siblings sat on the sofa, hand-in-hand. Be rested her head on her brother¡¯s wide shoulder. ¡°The editor-in-chief of Mint called me and worked out the details of the events. Thank you, Ash, for bringing in such a high-value resource. I love Mint. I¡¯ve read the magazine. growing up. That¡¯s my inspiration to get into fashion design.¡± The editor-in-chief of Mint, Alice, was a living, breathing prominent figure, like in the Devil Wears Prada movie. It was clear that the woman was highly influential in the industry when a frown at a fashion show could be detrimental to a brand name. Yet, the figure personally gave Be a call. Only God knew how nervous Be was, despite speaking eloquently on the phone. ¡°All that matters is that you¡¯re happy, Be.¡± With a tender smile, Asher grazed the tip of her nose with his finger. ¡± was afraid you might be frustrated because the Salvador Corporation stole Ada from you. I know you like to keep busy, so I gave you something to do. ¡°You won¡¯t have a lot on your mind when you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°Tsk. I¡¯m not that fragile. I¡¯ve been eating and sleeping well. That incident didn¡¯t leave a scratch on me.¡± Be pouted, her voice soft and sweet. Steven bit his lip to slow down his racing heart. He fixated on Be¡¯s sweet smile. Be would only show her adorably spoiled side when she was with Asher. Steven did not want to look away now that an opportunity had presented itself. ¡°Eating and sleeping well? Your eye bags look heavy to me.¡± Asher sighed and ran his coarse fingers along the delicate skin under her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all that Oh, that reminds me, Ash. How did you know Alice? You must be close because she has the confidence to leave the event in my hands.¡± Be¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity. ¡°Mint has never held a charity event in Savrow,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not close with Alice.¡± Asher looked indifferent. ¡°Huh? Why-¡± ¡°She has had a crush on me for a decade, I believe.¡± Be and Steven eximed, ¡°What?¡± Asher uttered indifferently, ¡°I have turned her down several times, but she has been persistent. I just ignored her and let her be.¡± Alice, the fashion mogul, was pushing fifty. Asher was 30 years old, so there was a huge age gap. Talk about. progression. ¡°That¡¯s tragic. Utterly tragic¡­¡± Be sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. It must be stressful to have a 50-year-old suitor.¡± Steven nodded in agreement. ¡°What did you say? I¡¯m talking about Alice. Be red at Steven. She was a fan of Alice, so of course, she was going to have her back. ¡°Age is not an issue. She just picked the wrong man. She¡¯s like the icy editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly, in ¡®Devil Wears Prada¡¯. Where is she going to find romance with an indifferent man like Ash? I can¡¯t imagine sparks between two icy personalities.¡± Asher was speechless. Steven was also at a loss for words. Chapter 432 Time flew by, and it was soon the day of the charity jewelry auction held by the KS World Hotel. As the event was associated with charity, the local media drummed up public attention without KS and Mint putting much effort into advertising. Mint was an internationally renowned fashion magazine that A-listers would kill to grace the front cover. It was an iconic magazine. It was bustling outside on the day of the star-studded event. Celebrities, working together with the security team, greeted fans and swiftly entered the venue to prevent potential stampedes. A stretched limo pulled up near the crowd, which caused quite amotion. A bodyguard opened the door, and Shannon and Bethany got out of the car in morous evening gowns Other attending heiresses and socialites would take the back door or VIPne, but old habits died hard for Shannon and Bethany. They lived for their 15 seconds of fame. ¡°Hey, look! Isn¡¯t that Rosalind¡¯s aunt?¡± Despite the distance, Shannon heard someone shouting in the crowd, and her expression turned ashen. She spent years rebuilding herself to shed the shadow of her past as an overhyped celebrity and mistress -turned-wife so that she would only be seen as the distinguished wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman. In the end, because of Rosalind, Shannon was known as the notorious whore¡¯s aunt. Although Shannon was indeed Rosalind¡¯s aunt, it felt more like an insult than an honor. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really her!¡± Another person echoed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she investigated because she was involved in bribery or something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She waster released. Tsk, tsk. The capitalists run the city.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t erase her criminal past on the inte. She has the nerve. to show herself. Gregory could do a better job keeping his wife in check.¡± ¡°I¡¯m brought back to Rosalind¡¯s birthday party when I see her. She bragged about her niece, but Rosalind broke character right there and then. That must have been a shocker.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She went nk at the time. Iugh every time I see that face. Hahaha.¡± Shannon grimaced, her feet rooted to the ground. If Bethany had not. held onto her, she would not be able to walk. She thought the past was behind her. It dawned on Shannon that Rosalind had trampled on her fragile ego. Amid the jeering, Shannon and Bethany hurried into the hotel with their tails tucked between their legs. ¡°You might want to try and be discreet, Mom. Best not to make public appearances.¡± Bethany pursed her lips frustratedly. ¡°I wasughed at because of you. That was embarrassing.¡± ¡°Bethany! You are an ingrate. How can you say that your mother embarrassed you?¡± Shannon pinched Bethany¡¯s arm exasperatedly, which hurt her badly. ¡± I was pregnant with you when I made myself known to the Salvadors. was insulted and humiliated, but I didn¡¯t let it bother me. How can you disrespect me? If I hadn¡¯t put away my dignity and pestered your dad, you wouldn¡¯t be living the lavish life of the heiress of Salvador Corporation. You ungrateful brat!¡± Chapter 433 Putting her hand over her bruised arm, Bethany could not wait to get away from Shannon¡¯s lecture. Growing up, Bethany benefited from her mother¡¯s influence over her father, which opened doors for her future. However, despite her mother¡¯s role in her easy life, Bethany secretly looked down on her for her lack of sophistication and culture. Shannon was vulgar inparison to socialites like Zoe¡¯s mother and M Larson. It was not as if Bethany could choose her parents anyway. The event was split into two segments-the banquet and the auction. The venue was packed with A-list celebrities and renowned artists, as if every star in the industry had graced the event with their presence. As the general manager of the hotel and organizer of the charity event, Be was stopped by the press for live interviews. She carried herself with poise in front of the cameras. A journalist asked, ¡°Ms. Thompson, Ada Wang has chosen the Salvador Hotel for her wedding venue. Now that you are hosting at charity auction for Mint magazine, are you trying to level the ying. field with Salvador Corporation?¡± ¡°I understand why you would think so since we have beenpeting with Salvador Corporation.¡± Be added with a faint smile, ¡°But Mint magazine contacted us. about the event, so the timing is just by some strange chance. There¡¯s nothing sinister behind the event.¡± ¡°It has been reported that Ada selected the KS World Hotel to have her wedding. Why did she change her mind and pick the Salvador Hotel instead? Did something happen in between?¡± Be responded, ¡°As the information is confidential and proprietary to the hotel, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not at liberty to share that.¡± The same journalist inquired, ¡°She dropped out of the deal with you and opted for Salvador Corporation after the leak of her wedding ns. Is that the reason that contributed to the change of heart?¡± Be remained unfazed, but her eyes turned chilly. The journalist was likely here to stir trouble. In a corner, Zoe sipped on champagne and smiled wickedly as Be faced a barrage of questions from the relentless press. She nted the nosy journalist who could not take a hint. Despite the minimal impact on Be¡¯s career, Zoe hoped to bait Be into controversial responses and draw criticism toward her. Shannon and Bethany drew close. Reigning victorious, Bethany was no longer intimidated by Be. In fact, she became cocky.. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re right. That was the case.¡± Be¡¯s smile faded, and her expression turned solemn. The crowd went wild. Zoe furrowed her brows. It never urred to her that Be would answer the question honestly without dodging and shutting the journalist up with a random excuse. That was one thing Zoe had not prepared for. ¡°Stop putting Ms. Thompson on the spot. She¡¯s been swamped with work after the breach of contract.¡± Lifting her chin, Bethany said with an arrogant smile, ¡°But don¡¯t feel discouraged, Ms. Thompson. You can do better next time. The incident with your hotel serves as a cautionary tale for the Salvador Corporation. We won¡¯t make the same mistake as you. We aremitted to maintaining the strictest confidentiality of all customer information.¡± Chapter 434 Bethany¡¯sment drew the attention of many. That was quite the bombshell she dropped. First, Bethany revealed that KS World was at fault for viting the contract with Ada. Second, Be was quick to host an event for Mint, likely a damage- control move after the breach of contract with Ada to prove that the hotel was a popr destination for events. Third, under Be¡¯s leadership, KS World Hotel had failed to meet the customers¡¯ needs and protect their privacy. It was serious negligence on her part as the general manager. Ada¡¯s change in decision was proof that the Salvador Hotel was better than the KS World Hotel in every way. The press descended on Be like a pack of wolves, snapping out questions with relentless intensity. Be knew that this wasing. Bethany stirred the pot to use the media against her and the hotel. Be turned to Bethany and Shannon. Even the exquisite makeup could not hide the smug looks on their faces. They were such clowns.. Ada and Alice, the entertainment and fashion moguls, entered the venue together. They saw Be being ridiculed by Bethany and swarmed by the press. Alice, looking chic and unapproachable in her sunsses, looked at the unfazed Be and nudged Ada. ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t have given up the coboration with Ms. Thompson.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ada asked with a raised brow. ¡°Her brother is an outstanding man, and I¡¯m not exaggerating. Asher is the most handsome man I have ever seen in my entire life.¡± Alice¡¯s eyes sparkled behind the ck lens at the mention of Asher.¡± He¡¯s the man of my dreams.¡± ¡°What does her dreamboat brother have anything to do with my contract with Be?¡± Ada looked confused. Alice replied earnestly, and her tone softened. ¡°Can¡¯t you see it in your heart to give Ms. Thompson another chance for my sake? She might be my sister-inw some day.¡± Ada was speechless. Was that supposed to be an emotional plea? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. No one took notice of the second floor. Justin stood still by the banister. His dark eyes were fixed on the scene happening downstairs. With his burning gaze falling on Be¡¯sposed face, he curled his lips with intrigue. He knew that she would not go down so easily. Be never shied away from a fight. ¡°Mr. Salvador, the young madam is mobbed by the press. These reporters will give her a bad name without knowing the truth.¡± ¡°Nah.¡± Justin turned aloof. ¡°Even though Be is being framed, I can¡¯te forward and stand up for her. I belong to Salvador Corporation, and my interference will make things messier than they already are.¡± ¡°I believe she¡¯s ready for it. I can¡¯t go out there and disrupt her ns.¡± Most importantly, Be did not trust Justin. He would only get on her nerves by getting involved. ¡°I need you to do me two favors,n.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was husky. ¡°Do tell.¡± Chapter 435 ¡°I want that journalist, who had nothing nice to say, to disappear from the news scene.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Sure thing.¡± ¡°Call the group¡¯s PR team and get them to monitor thements online. Any bad press about Be and KS World Hotel should be cleared from the inte right away.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Standing there, Justin stared at Be¡¯s stubborn face as his gaze softened. He thought, ¡®Be, just do all you want. You don¡¯t have to thank me, and I¡¯ll sort everything out for you behind the scenes.¡± Themotion downstairs went on. ¡°Ms. Thompson, we at Salvador Corporation find it a pity that you didn¡¯t manage to secure the partnership with Ada.¡± Shannon tore into Be, not wanting to turn her back on a chance to berate her. ¡°You¡¯re young and inexperienced in management. I¡¯m sure you can be negligent in managing tasks, but things will get better with time. ¡°We have all been there and done that. The most important thing is that you own up to your mistakes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was my oversight to let others with ulterior motives get away with it.¡± Be narrowed her eyes. It was hard to read any emotions from her smile. ¡°I will take adequate precautions from now on. It¡¯s a lesson. learned.¡± Shannon sneered in disdain. ¡°Are you saying that you were framed, Ms. Thompson?¡± One journalist asked in surprise. ¡°The charity auction is about to begin. We should move to the venue.¡± Instead of answering the question, Be led everybody to the next venue. She did not spare Shannon and Bethany another nce. The mother and daughter did not get the kick out of crushing their opponent. ¡°The bitch thinks she can turn the tide by being vague. Well, she has another thinging.¡± Shannon stared menacingly at Be¡¯s back. and spoke in a vicious tone. ¡°Hmph! Did you see that? She didn¡¯t even bother to exin herself. She¡¯s epting defeat.¡± Bethany clung to her mother¡¯s arm excitedly. ¡°Once the event is over, I should get the media to hype Be up so that everybody can see what. an incapable leader she is.¡± ¡°Mrs. Salvador! Bethany!¡± Timing it perfectly, Zoe came out of hiding and approached the mother and daughter with grace while holding the hem of her skirt. Good evening.¡± ¡°Hello, Zoe.¡± Shannon held her hands warmly. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you. I thought you may not have made it.¡± ¡°I have got news for you, Mom.¡± Bethany smiled at Zoe gratefully. ¡°We were able to get Ada to sign with us, thanks to Zoe.¡± ¡±Oh, Bethany. It was the least I could do. It was no trouble at all.¡± Zoe grinned shyly. ¡°I won¡¯t forget what you have done for us, child.¡± Shannon smiled and caressed the back of Zoe¡¯s hand. ¡°Just ask if you need anything. I will do my best to help you.¡± Chapter 436 The guests filed into another hall in preparation to take part in the auction. Be withdrew from the media, getting away from the spotlight to take a breather in the hallway. ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Steven rushed to her side worriedly. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a few bothersome reporters. What could have happened? How much could they have done?¡± Be was calm, but she frowned slightly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be by my side right now. You should be in the hall, taking care of things.¡± ¡°But¡­ I was worried about you.¡± Steven¡¯s voice was anxious and hoarse. ¡°Those reporters clearly came prepared. They were deliberately sent to make things difficult for you! They kept harping on our mistakes to make you look bad!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that pretty normal? Do reporters have toe over to sing your praises and exalt you just because you¡¯re hosting a charity event?¡± Be crossed her arms, still looking calm. ¡°And anyway, what they asked wasn¡¯t wrong, was it? It¡¯s true that there was an oversight in my management, which was taken advantage of by certain mboyant fowls. I can¡¯t me others for that.¡± mboyant fowls. An image of Shannon and Bethany rose to the front of Steven¡¯s mind. ¡°But you said something I don¡¯t agree with. Those reporters were sent by someone not to ruin me, but to help me.¡± Be leaned against the wall as she tapped her shoulder. ¡°Just let Bethany Salvador enjoy herself and make a scene. I¡¯m best at making my opponent fall from their pedestal and defeating thempletely just when they think they have the world in the palm of their hands. Haha! How interesting.¡± Steven watched Ms. Be¡¯s gaze slowly darken. When she got vicious, she was just like Asher, and Steven could not help but shiver in fear. This rose was indeed beautiful, but it had thorns and was poisonous! Steven, as the general manager¡¯s secretary, was needed inside the hall to ensure things ran smoothly, so he quickly ran back inside. Be had been working hard the whole day for this auction and had only had a simple breakfast. She had not eaten lunch or dinner and had not even had a sip of water. Her stomach growled as she copsed weakly onto the sofa and kicked off her heels, revealing her pale feet. She curled up pitifully. She was so hungry that her stomach was twinging. ¡°I¡¯m starving¡­¡± Be murmured weakly as she slowly closed her eyes. Suddenly, she could faintly smell the mellow aroma of chocte. She thought she was having hallucinations because she was so hungry. Her nose twitched as she sniffed the air like a cute little puppy. ¡°Are you just going to smell it and not eat it?¡± A pleasant, baritone voice spoke, though the tone was cold. Be¡¯s heart trembled, and she suddenly opened her eyes. Her stunned, widened eyes met Justin¡¯s beautiful, dark eyes that hid multitudes. It was hard to deny that this beautiful and shocking pair of eyes were indescribably lethal to her, no matter when or where. At that moment, Be was lying on her side on the sofa, watching Justin, who was kneeling on one knee in front of her, holding at chocte cupcake in his hand. The hands that were holding her empty stomach could not help but clench. They had been married for three years, but Justin had never bent himself or lowered his head once. Even during that period of time when she loved only him and ran toward his light like a moth to a me, she was the one who would humble herself and cry in grievance. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! As her thoughts drifted through her mind, her eyes reddened quietly, and her breathing started to be erratic. Justin maintained his posture of kneeling on one knee, but he frowned slightly when she did not respond. ¡°Weren¡¯t youining you were hungry? Why aren¡¯t you eating? This is your favorite- chocte-vored. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not poisoned.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating it.¡± Be¡¯s throat choked with unexinable emotions. She felt bitter and sad. ¡°I heard from Wilma that you have stomach issues. It¡¯s not good for you to stay hungry too long.¡± ¡°I said, I¡¯m not eating it!¡± Smack-! Be suddenly waved her hand with red eyes, and the cupcake in Justin¡¯s hand was instantly sent flying. ¡°Be! You-!¡± That cupcake dropped to the ground, some distance away, and crumbled thoroughly. Justin¡¯s dark eyes stared at her fixedly. The fire burning in his heart rushed to his head even as disappointment spread from the top of his head to the tips of his toes like a bowl of cold water had been poured over his head. A bone-chilling coldness spread through him. It was not just the cupcake that had crumbled-his heart had too. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Be Thompson? Don¡¯t you know.what¡¯s good for you?!¡± Be slowly sat up, no longer feeling hungry, as she was filled with a mess of emotions and resentment. ¡°I hate you, and I hate you event more for being attentive to me out of the blue! Justin, do you know. that the way you¡¯re treating me now is no different from insulting me?¡± Chapter 437 ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± Justin raised an eyebrow, only feeling that she was unreasonable. ¡°I want you to stay away from me. I don¡¯t need you to be nice to me. Not even a single bit.¡± Be endured the pain in her stomach as she stood up, her face pale.¡± Is it because Rosalind Gold has left you and your excessive passion has nowhere to go now? I¡¯m not a garbage bin, so don¡¯t settle for second best here. You might be willing to humble yourself, but I¡¯m not willing to lower my standards!¡± Justin clenched his fist tightly, the great humiliation and indignance making his eyes redden. He only wanted to give her a cupcake because he saw that she was hungry and in pain. He wanted to ease her hunger. How could she demonize him and verbally attack him with such hateful words? Be put on her high heels, straightened her back, and stormed off. Justin picked up the cupcake, watching her heartless back go, almost unable to catch his breath. The Be of today would no longer smile at him like a blooming flower. Their failed marriage was a deeply painful memory for her. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! It made her seem like a soldier who had a near-death experience on the battlefield, which left her with post-traumatic stress disorder. If he were even a little bit nice to her, she would resist it wholeheartedly with suspicion. Justin¡¯s thin lips trembled as he endured the intense pain in his heart, crushing the cupcake further in his palm. A perfectly fine person and a perfectly fine rtionship. It seemed he had ruined it all. In the hall, there was still some time before the auction started. Alice and Ada Wang were the two giants from the fashion and entertainment industries, respectively, present tonight. Thus, they were the stars of the event. The media constantly followed them around to interview them. Shannon had gone to chat with and establish connections with the other rich wives, while Bethany and Zoe both had their own ns. Bethany wanted to take a photo with Ada Wang and receive another wave of questions from the reporters. After all, she was the one who managed to seal the deal, so she hoped she could publicize this to show off her capability. Zoe, on the other hand, wanted to get a photo with Alice to increase. her own trendiness, which would be beneficial to her future career in the fashion industry. ¡°Ms. Ada! I didn¡¯t expect you to wear this ne to the auction today. It looks like you really like it!¡± Bethany saw that Ada Wang was wearing the ne she gave her tonight, so she used this as an excuse to start a conversation. The reporters surrounded the two, the lights of their cameras shing nonstop. ¡°Of course, I like it very much. This is Alexa¡¯s work, after all.¡± Although Ada Wang did not like Bethany¡¯s superficial personality, Bethany had given her the ne. Plus, Salvador Corporation was her wedding organizer, so she could not be too cold to Bethany. Thus, Ada put an arm around Bethany¡¯s waist and generously took a photo with her. When Bethany saw that the international superstar¡¯s attitude had softened toward her and even pulled her closer, she was ted! ¡°Ms. Ada! Do you n to bid on an item as your contribution to the charity, or do you n on donating an item to be auctioned off at tonight¡¯s charity auction?¡± The reporter asked. ¡°Tonight, I n to donate a piece of jewelry as my contribution to the charity,¡± Ada Wang replied with a polite smile. ¡°Oh? Is it a precious piece of jewelry? Could you tell us more about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret. You¡¯ll know when the timees.¡± Elsewhere, Zoe was looking for an opportunity to approach Alice. She waited until Alice finally finished her interview and mustered her courage, quickly stepping forward to greet her. ¡°Ms. Alice! Please wait!¡± Alice stopped in her tracks d in her tracks when she heard someone call her name. She looked at a smiling Zoe coldly from behind her sunsses. That Naturally, Alice did not recognize Zoe, who was wearing an evening. dress that was in a style and color that did not suit her at all, despite it being from this year¡¯s fall/winter couture collection. Alice felt that Zoe was a person with mediocre taste who only looked at the price tag and did not consider if the outfit was right for her. Thus, Alice felt even less like interacting with her. ¡°Ms. Alice, I grew up reading Mint magazines. I¡¯m a loyal fan!¡± Zoe¡¯s round little face blushed as she poured her heart out to Alice. ¡°Grew up? Ha. Am I that old?¡± Alice smiled perfunctorily. ¡°N-no! You¡¯re not old at all!¡± Zoe was so embarrassed that she was sweating. She hurriedly exined, ¡°What I meant is that I really admire you! I really like you! I- Can I-¡± But before she could finish speaking, she saw Alice brush past her hurriedly without even giving her a single nce! ¡°M-Ms. Alice!¡± Zoe picked up her dress and hurriedly turned around. In the next moment, her eyes widened, and she paled. ¡°Ms. Thompson! I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡± Alice smiled and walked towards Be excitedly. It looked as if they were close friends who had known each other for years. Chapter 438 The surrounding celebrities and reporters cast shocked gazes at Be. ¡°Ms. Alice, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you were waiting for me.¡± Be was somewhat surprised by the attention, and her usually calm. face was blushing a little. Alice¡¯s eyes held an affable smile behind her sunsses. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve been working hard tonight.¡± She put an arm around Be¡¯s shoulders, acting like they were as close as sisters, as she smiled at the reporters. ¡°Everybody, please. take some photos for us.¡± Be looked slightly stunned. The crowd collectively thought in shock that they had finally lived to see the day the arrogant fashion diva, Alice, was actually enthusiastically taking the initiative to get a photo with someone else. Be was no ordinary person to achieve this feat. She was emanating charm and attracting countless admirers. Bethany¡¯s and Zoe¡¯s expressions crumbled. Zoe, who had been left hanging in ce, felt a sense of humiliation surge from her feet to her head. ¡®Why? Why?! Had Be¡¯s body been smeared with honey? Was that why all these famous and influential people swarmed her like bees. and butterflies, all rushing to her?¡¯ Zoe did not understand what made. Be so charming. Be and Alice took a picture with their arms around each other.. Though Be did her best to restrain her expression, the excitement in her heart was like a boiling kettle that had been on the stove for a hundred years. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . The reputation that Be had previously lost was more or less recovered by this moment. After they finished taking the photo together, Be and Alice went to a quiet ce to talk. ¡°Ms. Alice, thank you very much for earlier.¡± Be said honestly, ¡°As you can see, I did run into some trouble tonight. You taking a picture with me is a show of acknowledgement to me and has helped me regain some reputation.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson¡­¡± ¡°I know that we¡¯re kind of in the same boat because I¡¯m the organizer, so you helped me for the sake of making sure the event goes well.¡± Be smiled in embarrassed self-awareness. ¡°But I¡¯m very thankful to you regardless.¡± ¡°No, Ms. Thompson. The reason why I helped you has nothing to do with whether or not we have a working rtionship.¡± Alice looked at her with the kindness of an elder. ¡°It¡¯s because of your brother, Asher. He asked me to help you and watch over you as much. as possible during this event.¡± Be¡¯s eyes flickered in shock, secretly surprised. Her brother was such a worrier. Asher always worried that Be would be bullied, so even if he did not appear himself, he would help. her prepare for every eventuality and arrange for every scenario. But Alice¡¯s feelings for her brother were not tonic. Be thought, ¡®Ash, you know she has a crush on you, but you still use. this opportunity to use her¡­ You¡¯re not a gentleman!¡¯ ¡°Ms. Thompson, I know Ada has canceled her contract with you, which has left quite a big impact on you.¡± Alice pushed up her sunsses, her expression turning serious. ¡°I¡¯ve known Ada for many years and have a good rtionship with her. I¡¯ll talk to her about getting you to organize her wedding. I hope I can help you more.¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Be hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°There¡¯s no need. You¡¯ve already helped me enough. It¡¯s too much if you help me more!¡± ¡°Are you afraid of owing me a favor?¡± Alice patted her shoulder with a gentle expression. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m doing all this for you willingly. I¡¯ve never wanted anything in return. Asher must have told you before about how much I like him, right?¡± Be pursed her lips, nodding vigorously. ¡°You¡¯re Asher¡¯s favorite sister and a very important family member to him. Anyone who is precious to him is naturally precious to me too. I¡¯ve liked him for ten years and never wanted anything in return. I¡¯m satisfied as long as he allows me to continue liking him.¡± Chapter 439 At the mention of Asher, Alice¡¯s eyes burned with passionate love. Be was speechless for a moment. She really wanted to know what Ash had done to this woman to make her so devoted. He was truly the master of maniption! Outside. Justin smoked three cigarettes in a row in the smoking area, but he still could not ease his depressed feelings. But seeing that the auction was about to start, all he could do was bring his heavy heart with him into the hall. Justin¡¯s tall and somewhat forlorn figure walked in from the left side of the hallway. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Meanwhile, from the other end of the hallway, an elegant man walked toward him. The two stopped in front of the doors to the hall. Sparks flew as their gazes shed, an invisible current running between them. Justin red at Christopher Iverson coldly. Justin-red Christopher pushed up his gold-framed sses with a polite smile on his lips. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Salvador. Are you also here to contribute to charity?¡± Justin was calm as his lips slowly curled into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not as charitable as you are. I just want to do my part for her.¡± There was no one else he could be referring to apart from Be. Christopher¡¯s smile froze on his face as he secretly clenched his fist. Tonight¡¯s highlight, the charity auction, finally began. There were two ways to take part in tonight¡¯s auction. One was by donating something to be auctioned off, and the other was to take part in bidding. All profits generated would be donated in full to the charity fund set up by the state for charitable purposes. The whole process was to be open and transparent. There was absolutely no room for any backroom dealing. The charity event organized by Mint was already in its fifteenth year this year, and everyone was specting whether KS World Hotel¡¯s take would be the one that generated the most donations and whether it would break records. Justin and Christopher entered together, causing amotion. But tonight was Be¡¯s night. Out of consideration for her, they both did not want to overshadow her, so keeping a low profile, they sat in thest row as a high-quality backdrop. Meanwhile, Be still did not know Christopher hade too. She and Alice sat in front, whispering to each other on asion and chatting incessantly. When Zoe Hoffman, who sat quite a few meters away from them, saw this, she was so angry she almost burst a vein. The actual auction portion of the night began. The emcee removed the red cloth covering the ss disy, and the first item to be auctioned was revealed. ¡°This itemes from the private collection of the chairman of Iverson Group¡¯s wife. It¡¯s a ne set with a total of five square-cut emerald diamonds! Very rare, truly rare!¡± Amazed gasps came from the crowd. This was only the first lot, but it was already so valuable. It gave Be¡¯s charity auction a lot of weight. Be could not help but be secretly shocked and hurriedly turned around to look for Christopher¡¯s figure. Soon, she spotted his refined and handsome face in the corner. Christopher spotted her shocked gaze right away and smiled slightly, giving her a small wave. Be curled her red lips and waved at him too. Little did they know, Justin saw their entire interaction. Justin stared fixedly at Be¡¯s beautiful, smiling face, his throat burning as the bidding paddle in his hand crumpled out of shape. Chapter 440 The appearance of the emerald diamond ne made the crowd erupt into excited chatter. Any clear-eyed person could tell that the ne was of top quality, from the purity of the jewel to the cut of it. It was probably worth millions! Iverson Group was indeed generous to offer up such a precious piece of jewelry to contribute to the charity auction. Right then, an eye-catching spotlight shone on Christopher¡¯s elegant. and dignified figure. The crowd¡¯s curious gazes followed it. When they saw the refined man, they all made sounds of awe at how good-looking he was. However, Christopher¡¯s beautiful eyes looked openly in Be¡¯s direction, as if he could only see her. He had only wanted to see her alone. ¡°That man is gorgeous! His face is perfect, just like it was carved from marble. Who is he?!¡± ¡°He must be Lance Iverson¡¯s son. How would he be able to produce such an expensive piece of jewelry otherwise?¡± ¡°Lance Iverson¡¯s son? Why have I never seen him before?¡±. ¡°He gave so much support to Ms. Thompson. Are they in that sort of rtionship?¡± ¡°So what if they are? Ms. Thompson is a first-rate beauty herself. They would be a match made in heaven!¡± Their chattering buzzed in Justin¡¯s ears like mosquitoes and flies. He thought, ¡®What did they mean, a match made in heaven?!¡± Christopher¡¯s pale and clean-shaven face, coupled with that sinister gaze of his, reminded Justin of treacherous courtiers. ¡°The starting bid for this emerald diamond ne starts at $2 million. Please make your bids!¡± As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, the attendees started raising their paddles, one after another. ¡°$3 million!¡± ¡°$4 million!¡± ¡°$4.5 million!¡± ¡°$5 million!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The atmosphere burned with passion, and thepetition was just as fierce. Actually, before the auction started, Be¡¯s stomach had been feeling uneasy. But the moment she saw the bids for the first lot rise to $5 million in the blink of an eye, the results were gratifying, and she immediately stopped feeling tired and sore. Money cured all ailments. Meanwhile, Shannon and her daughter were feeling theplete opposite. Their resentment was so deep that it could open a door straight to hell. They originally came to watch Be make a fool of herself, but they did not expect the auction to go so well from the start. The n they originally made to attack her via public opinion now seemed ineffective and meaningless. ¡°Mom! Christopher Iverson came as a representative of the Iverson Group to support that bitch and even donated such a precious piece of jewelry. He¡¯s definitely put a lot of thought and money into that bitch!¡± Bethany seethed as she red at Be, who was chatting andughing with Alice. Shannon sneered, ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡± ¡°How could I not be jealous?!¡± Bethany clenched her hands in her skirt as she looked dejected. ¡°No man has ever doted on me like that ever since I was young, apart from Dad. Not only do Be¡¯s older brothers all dote on her, but even Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Iverson have be her protectors. Recently, even Justin hasn¡¯t seemed as cold to her as he used to be. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so good about her. Why are those men always revolving around her? With her always overshadowing me, I feel like even the sky is gray when I wake up every morning.¡± up around She dreamed of living a life like Be¡¯s, with suitors lining up the block and with brothers to go the extra mile for her and spoil her to the high heavens! But what did she have instead? All she had was a silly younger sister, who was as stupid as a rock and put her in a bad mood at the very sight of her! ¡°Wipe away that damned self-righteous and self-deprecating look. You¡¯re my daughter. Why do you always dream so big but undermine yourself? You¡¯re such a helpless loser!¡± Shannon was so angry that she pinched her daughter¡¯s thigh. It was so painful Bethany cried out in shock, which attracted frowns. and sideways nces from the people surrounding them. ¡°Ryan Hoffman is already soon to be my son-inw. Your marriage alliance with him is set in stone. No one should even dream of ruining it unless they¡¯ve gotten tired of living!¡± Shannon red at Be as she sneered in a low voice. ¡°And as for this Mr. Iverson, you can worry even less about him. It¡¯d be best if Be Thompson got together with that useless thing. Not only will that stop Justin from thinking of her, but it also won¡¯t spoil our ns. That¡¯s killing two birds with one stone!¡± ¡°B-But Mom, he¡¯s the legitimate son of Lance Iverson. His mother is Chairman Iverson¡¯s legal wife. If Be Thompson really got together. with him, wouldn¡¯t that just end up helping her?¡± Bethany asked with at confused expression. ¡°Helping her? More like ruining herself.¡± Shannon crossed her arms leisurely. ¡°That Christopher Iverson is Chairman, Iverson¡¯s least favorite son. His mother isn¡¯t liked either. They¡¯re often left overseas, and he doesn¡¯t concern himself about them. All he has is the status of being an Iverson. He actually has nothing else. He doesn¡¯t own any Iverson Group shares or any property. He has no position in the Iverson Group. A useless thing like him suits Be Thompson the best.¡± She sneered, her mind full of treacherous thoughts. ¡°I really want to make sure the deed is done¡­ That way, Be will never be able to get rid of that troublesome man for the rest of her life.¡± By that time, the bids for the emerald diamond ne had risen to $ 6 million. Chapter 441 The crowd stopped bidding. Be was overjoyed and satisfied with such a good start to the auction. ¡°$7 million. A calm baritone voice spoke suddenly from behind. Be¡¯s breath hitched, and the smile on her face suddenly faded. The crowd was shocked. Justin raised the paddle in his hand high into the air from thest Tow. His expression was cool and confident. ¡°That¡¯s Justin Salvador, the president of Salvador Corporation!¡± ¡°OMG! When did he arrive? He appeared out of nowhere!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a lowkey person, but he sure is generous!¡± Justin did not lower the paddle. His burning gaze was fixed on Be, unable to look away. In the end, Be did not even look back. Seven million dors could not even get him a look from Be Thompson, the heiress of KS Group. It looked like he had to keep spending, then. ¡°It¡¯s overpriced to pay $7 million for that ne. One shouldn¡¯t. spend money like that, even if he¡¯s rich.¡± Alice shook her head in disgust at his action. ¡°The more idiots like those there are, the more hope kids out in the impoverished areas have.¡± Be curled her red lips, already cursing. Jerkface Justin in her heart. ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Salvador! Thank you for your support to charity!¡± The auctioneer banged his gavel, and the crowd apuded fiercely. When the camera was trained on Justin, he smiled perfunctorily. Meanwhile, Christopher, who was sitting not far from him, pushed his sses up with a finger, his gaze chilly. The auction proceeded smoothly. All the jewelry donated for the auction was bought at high prices. Shannon even bought one as a symbolic gesture. But what made Be incredibly unhappy was that whenever they encountered a piece of jewelry nobody bid on, Justin would deliberately bid higher than the asking price and buy it. In just a short hour, he had already bought three pieces of jewelry and spent more than $30 million! Be wore a frosty expression as she wished she could chase this bastard out of the hall. Right then, another not-so-valuable piece of jewelry was bought by Justin, and the crowd started discussing, as expected. ¡°Is that piece worth $4 million? Mr. Salvador doesn¡¯t have a discerning eye, does he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome and rich, so it¡¯s fine if he¡¯s a little foolish. No one¡¯s perfect!¡± ¡°Foolish, my foot! Haven¡¯t you guys noticed? Everything Mr. Salvador has bought isn¡¯t valuable. Even if you¡¯re picking at random, there¡¯s no way you¡¯d be able to avoid all the valuable pieces, is there? You can tell at a nce that he¡¯s doing this on purpose!¡± Someone keenly noticed the pattern. The crowd was shocked. ¡°That¡¯s true! Then, do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador is buying the cheaper stuff to support Ms. Thompson and help create value for her auction. He¡¯s trying to woo the beauty!¡± Zoe Hoffman watched as Justin, whom she longed for desperately, did everything he could to please Be Thompson. She was so angry that her eyes reddened. She was furious. She wished for Justin so dearly, yet he served himself up to Be on a silver tter. Yet still, Be ignored him. This extreme contrast made Zoe feel like she had suffered an unprecedented humiliation. The crowd seemed to nod vigorously, thinking it was reasonable. Justin could faintly make out what they were saying, and his lips. curled slightly. It looked like there were people who understood. It was just a shame that Be never nced back his way from beginning to end. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! His curled lips drooped back down slightly. ¡°Ha. How boring.¡± Christopher scoffed, looking down on Justin¡¯s actions. What was the use of throwing his money around? Did he think Be was like other shallow women who only had eyes for money? ¡°Allow me to introduce the next lot!¡± The auctioneer¡¯s voice was loud and clear as he pulled off the red cloth covering the ss disy in a sudden motion. An expertly cut teardrop-shaped white diamond ne was revealed to the crowd¡¯s eyes. There were hundreds of tiny blue diamonds clustered around the white diamond. It was exquisitely chic and breathtaking! ¡°This piece of jewelry was donated by Ms. Ada Wang and was designed by the top international jewelry designer, Ms. Alexa herself! Thank you, Ms. Ada Wang, for your generosity!¡± The moment that ne appeared on stage, Bethany¡¯s face twisted in shock as she jolted upright in her seat. At that moment, Zoe¡¯s expression also gradually stiffened as she inteced her fingers and clenched them so hard over each other that they turned red. Chapter 442 They had nned for every possibility except for this one-Ada Wang donating that ne openly in front of everyone! How could this be?! Bethany hurriedly looked back to meet Zoe¡¯s gaze from a few meters away, wanting to speak but unable to. The reveal of Alexa¡¯s work truly pushed the atmosphere of the auction toward its climax. Those present who were part of the jewelry industry and enthusiasts all leaned forward and craned their necks just to catch a glimpse of the legendary designer¡¯s brilliant work. Justin and Christopher had both heard of Alexa, and their eyes, which had been dull the whole night, sparked to life at that moment. The two men gripped their paddles tightly, already eager to ce their bids. ¡°Bethany, why did you stand up? Hurry up and sit down. Can¡¯t you see the people surrounding us are looking at you?¡± Shannon saw that Bethany was doing something undignified again and tugged at her arm hard. ¡°Mom, something¡¯s happened!¡± Bethany copsed into her seat. Her voice was even trembling. ¡°Something? What thing?¡± ¡°The ne Ada Wang donated¡­ gave it to her.¡± ¡°You gave it to her?! Where did you get an Alexa piece?!¡± Shannon was shocked, but she quickly became furious. ¡°You gave her such an expensive ne? She¡¯s basically wasting it and dismissing your goodwill! Is she trying to offend you?! Also, why didn¡¯t you bring it home to me if you had a piece of Alexa designer jewelry and gave it to that actress instead? I raised you for nothing!¡± ¡°Mom¡­ That ne¡­ It¡¯s fake.¡± Bethany had broken out into a cold sweat as she spoke weakly. Shannon was shocked. ¡°What did you say? It¡¯s fake?!¡± ¡°Zoe helped me get Alexa¡¯s apprentice to make that counterfeit ne¡­¡± Bethany stuttered. ¡°Ada Wang was taking a long time to sign the contract, so out of desperation, I came up with the n to do what Be Thompson did and use Alexa¡¯s jewelry to get her favor¡­ The fake is very well done, and it¡¯s one of Alexa¡¯s less popr works, so Ada Wang didn¡¯t notice. I know the truth gets out eventually, but I thought that even if it got revealed in the future, the contract would have been signed, and Ada Wang wouldn¡¯t be able to go back on it even if she wanted to. But I never expected her to donate the ne to charity! If this gets out, Salvador Corporation¡¯s reputation will be ruined!¡± ¡°You really are dumb as a rock!¡± Shannon said in a furious whisper, jabbing her sharp nails at Bethany. ¡°It¡¯s better to not give anything than to give fake goods! Our family name will be ruined by you if this gets out. Don¡¯t you know that?!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea¡­ It was Zoe¡¯s! You can¡¯t put the whole me on me!¡± Bethany pursed her lips in indignance, actually feeling aggrieved. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You can¡¯t even tell that Zoe is just using you as a tool?!¡± Shannon was so angry that she stomped her foot, her eyes reddening. ¡°If the fake isn¡¯t discovered, you¡¯ll have managed to get the rights to organize her wedding. That aligns with her goal of moving against Be Thompson. If it¡¯s discovered, the ne was given by you under Salvador Corporation¡¯s name, so what does it have to do with her? She¡¯d be able to make a full retreat from the situation, leaving you to clean up the mess. You won¡¯t even be able to cry about it!¡± Realization finally dawned on Bethany, and she cursed herself for allowing herself to get used by Zoe just because she wanted the contract signed. ¡°Mom! Then what should I do now?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have to adapt to the situation as it develops.¡± Shannon forced herself to take a deep breath to calm down. ¡°There are so many of Alexa¡¯s works spread all around the world, so who knows if they can tell this one¡¯s a fake? Even Ada Wang didn¡¯t realize, so there¡¯s no way anyone else will be able to!¡± Bethany finally rxed a little, but she was still worried the fake would be discovered. ¡°I want to say a few words about this piece of jewelry.¡± Ada Wang took the microphone and stood up to face the audience with a smile. Her gaze finally fell on Bethany¡¯s pale face. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank Ms. Bethany Salvador from Salvador Corporation for giving me this ne.¡± Be leisurely dug out her phone to text Steven, who was backstage. In the next second, a bright and piercing spotlight shone on Bethany¡¯s face, which was as stiff as a statue. Meanwhile, therge screen overlooking the stage also began to disy her face, which urately captured her every expression. Bethany had no choice but to force a smile, cursing internally. ¡°Although I like Alexa¡¯s works very much, I think donating a piece to give back to society and helping many more people in need is better than simply keeping it in my possession.¡± Chapter 443 ¡°This is the same philosophy that Ms. Alexa has been adhering to when designing jewelry all these years. As a fan of hers, I hope to follow in her footsteps in this way. I hope Ms. Bethany Salvador doesn¡¯t mind me doing this. I like the gift very much, and it¡¯s precisely because I like it so much that I want it to be of greater value.¡± After Ada said this, Bethany naturally did not dare to say no. Right now, she only wanted that damned spotlight on her to be turned off and for her embarrassed face to disappear from the big screen. Ideally, she wished that she could vanish into thin air too. ¡°Alexa¡¯s works are difficult to obtain and have extraordinary significance. Therefore, Ms. Ada has decided to put this lot up without an asking price!¡± The bidding started, but the audience hesitated. ¡°$30 million.¡± A clear voice rang out, and Christopher Iverson smiled as he slowly raised his paddle. Thirty million dors?! That was the highest bid any of the lots that night had gotten! If the lowest price was already $30 million, was the price going to rise into the hundreds of millions of dors? Although it was true that an Alexa piece was worth that price, this discouraged many people who were eager to try their luck. ¡°$50 million.¡± Justin raised his paddle with a cold and distant expression. But a spark shed through his eyes, revealing his unquenchable. fighting spirit and ambition. The crowd was stunned, wondering if Justin Salvador had a money- printing machine at home that ran 24/7. He had raised the price by $20 million in one go. There were a few people who wanted to try bidding too at first, but they caved at this moment. ¡°$70 million.¡± Christopher raised his paddle again, not even frowning. He added $20 million too, obviously challenging Justin. Justin continued, ¡°$90 million.¡± Christopher chased. ¡°$100 million.¡± Everyone eximed in disbelief as the hall erupted into an uproar. Okay, it was confirmed that Christopher Iverson also had a money printing machine at home. Be crossed her arms as her thick eyshes fluttered and her red lips pursed into a thin line. She watched as the bid got higher, like a stock increasing in value, but there was no trace of a smile on her face. ¡°Ms. Thompson, those two don¡¯t look like they¡¯re bidding at an auction. They look more like they¡¯re arguing.¡± Even Alice could tell what was going on. ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s like they think this is a highway intersection and are road. raging here!¡± Be wore a deep scowl. She really wanted to send someone to confiscate the paddles of these two crazy show-offs! Elsewhere, Shannon watched the whole exchange, stunned. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you say that Mr. Iverson was poor? But he¡¯s made a $ 100 million bid! How on earth is he poor?¡± Bethany asked in shock. Shannon was unable to reply. Had she judged incorrectly this time? Was Christopher a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing? ¡°$120 million.¡± Justin expressionlessly raised his bid once again. Alexa had been one of his hang-ups for a very long time, and he had a lot of repressed feelings about her, so he had to win this bid tonight. ¡°$150 million!¡± A clear and pleasant voice rang out. Be¡¯s beautiful eyes were clear and cold. Finally, unable to hold back, she raised her paddle.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Chapter 444 Justin and Christopher¡¯s hearts trembled as they looked at Be in unison. They were both very attuned to Be, so they realized right away that she was angry. Thus, they both caved and backed out of the bid. It was not a big deal. Why get angry? They would just give in to her. ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Thompson! The ne is yours!¡± The auctioneer was also very good at judging the situation. Before anyone could even react, he banged his gavel, which meant the ne went to Be. The hall was silent for two beats before it erupted into roaring apuse. Be, however, remained calm, with not a trace of happiness on her features as her eyes remained dull. ¡°Mom! Be Thompson bought the fake ne! Do you think she¡¯s realized it¡¯s a fake?¡± Bethany was panicking so much that her voice. was trembling. Her heart was beating as fast as a rabbit¡¯s. ¡°Shut your mouth! Are you trying to yell that for the whole world to hear?!¡± Shannon viciously pinched Bethany¡¯s arm, spitting venomous. fury from her eyes. ¡°She definitely hasn¡¯t. She won¡¯t expect a fake item to appear at her auction. Let¡¯s just consider her $150 million as umting good karma for you!¡± Bethany was still worried. ¡°What if she notices after taking it back-¡± ¡°It¡¯ll have nothing to do with you once the auctioned item leaves this ce! Who would know if someone swapped it out after she took it home or if she was deliberately ndering you?¡± Shannon sneered sinisterly. Bethany admired her mother¡¯s ability to twist the truth without batting an eye. She secretly cursed herself and wondered why she could not have shared a brain with her mother. Ada Wang could not help but smile in satisfaction when she saw that the piece of jewelry she donated was bought by Be at the auction¡¯s highest bid so far. She even thought that Be must still be dreaming of working together with her, or else she had no other reason to go that far. Ah, youth! Right then, the youthful Be¡¯s cold eyes darkened as she took out her phone to text Steven. Then she adjusted her position, as if waiting for a good show to start. ¡°The next piece of jewelry is from-¡± The moment the red cloth was taken off, the auctioneer¡¯s excited words suddenly cut off. He looked at the teardrop-shaped diamond in the disy case and then looked at the flow sheet in his hand. There was a mistake. These were not the right goods! When the dazzling spotlight shone on the ss disy, the crowd made sounds of astonishment. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing things wrongly, am I? Isn¡¯t that ne the one that Ada Wang just donated?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it is! It¡¯s exactly the same!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way! Each one of Alexa¡¯s designs ispletely unique! How could there be two of one design, and how could they appear at the same auction?!¡± ¡°So¡­ Is it possible that one of them is a fake?!¡± The crowd hotly debated as they pointed and gestured at the ne in the disy case. Ada Wang leaned forward inplete shock, thunderstruck, as she looked at the ne on stage. Shannon and Bethany were both frozen in terror as they held each other¡¯s hands tightly. Bethany could even feel the cold sweat slide. down her spine. The ne she gave Ada Wang was fake. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. So there was only one possibility. The ne on stage right now. that she did not know who had donated had to be the real one! ¡°Ms. Thompson, didn¡¯t you check the lots before the auction? How could such a mess have happened?¡± Alice did not mean to reproac Be but was purely concerned for her. ¡°Was I the one who didn¡¯t follow the rules? Was it not Ms. Ada?¡± Bell smiled and asked in a thought- provoking manner. Alice was taken aback. ¡°That ne¡­ Could it be-?!¡± Amidst the crowd¡¯s suspicion, Be gracefully stood up and walked onto the stage. Justin narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Be smile charmingly and dazzlingly. His heart, which had been lying dormant under his suit, thumped strangely, and every inch of his skin started burning like he had been scorched by fire. ¡°Everyone, I would first like to apologize as the organizer of Mint¡¯s charity auction, and I bear responsibility as the person in charge of the hotel for the error that has happened, which has given everyone a bad experience.¡± Chapter 445 Be bowed deeply and courteously towards the audience after she finished saying that. The hall slowly quietened. ¡°Secondly, I¡¯d like to exin. I donated this piece of Alexa¡¯s work called ¡®God¡¯s Tear¡¯.¡± Be pursed her lips slightly. Everyone was taken aback by this, and they all turned in unison to look at Ada Wang. Ada Wang waspletely bewildered. Everyone surrounding her was looking at her, but she could only turn her stunned gaze to Bethany Salvador. In turn, Bethany turned to look in Zoe Hoffman¡¯s direction, only to find her seat was empty! Zoe had a bad feeling earlier, so she took advantage of the chaos and left the scene. Be watched this ridiculous cycle coldly from her position on stage. and her red lips could not help but curl up. ¡°Ms. Ada, I did not know you were donating this ne tonight, so this is all truly a coincidence. Please do not misunderstand.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson, why do you also have the ¡®God¡¯s Tear¡±?¡± Ada Wang¡¯ confidence had been instantly extinguished as she asked with a sti expression. Be restrained her smile, and she frowned slightly. ¡°Ms. Ada, the re issue right now isn¡¯t why I have this ne, but rather the fact that your ne is fake.¡± Everyone was deeply shocked by this statement. Shannon managed to keep her calm, but Bethany was pale from the fear that had risen due to Be¡¯s words. ¡°But that ne was given to me by Bethany Salvador, the daughter of Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman¡­ How could it be fake?!¡± Ada Wang was still having trouble epting this fact. If that ne was fake, the way she had just made a big show of donating it like it was a genuine article made her look dumb, did it not?! ¡°Ms. Thompson! On what basis do you say that the ne my daughter gave Ms. Ada is a fake? You should say that only after getting someone to appraise it! Otherwise, aren¡¯t you just ndering us?!¡± Shannon felt that there would be huge trouble if things went on like this, so she hurriedly stepped up to say so sternly as a means of preempting whatever the others might say or do next. That way, she could contain the suspicion against them temporarily before saying anything more. ¡°The fact that I dared to say your ne is a fake means that I have a way of proving it. I am by no means being defensive.¡± Be was calm, and her tone was unhurried. A mischievous gleam subconsciously shed through her beautiful eyes. Justin sat straight, his gaze glued to Be¡¯s face as he smiled. Whenever she smiled in that cunning and fox-like manner in the past, it meant she was up to something. That expression used to infuriate him, but at the moment, he found it more adorable and pleasing the more he looked at it. ¡°Ms. Thompson! You im that Ms. Salvador¡¯s ne is fake, but do you have evidence?¡± ¡°Ms. Ada is an expert collector of jewelry. How could she not be able to tell if it was fake?¡± Exactly, Ms. Thompson! You have to take responsibility for making unfounded ims! The two nes look exactly the same. You should get an expert to appraise it before drawing conclusions!¡± Be faced the audience¡¯s criticisms with an impassive expression. Suddenly, the halls¡¯rge, heavy doors were pushed open. Everyone reflexively turned to look. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty on tall stilettos entered everyone¡¯s astonished field of vision. Justin also could not help but look back. Instantly, his eyes widened. Surprisingly, it was Sliva, Alexa¡¯s assistant. Why had Sliva appeared right at this moment? ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Sliva! She¡¯s the manager of Alexa¡¯s studio!¡± Someone in the audience recognized her and could not help but exim. ¡°Sliva actually came here?! She¡¯s Alexa¡¯s right-hand woman! Could there be anyone more suitable to appraise Alexa¡¯s jewelry than she is?!¡± In full view of everyone, Sliva walked straight toward Be without looking elsewhere. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Be smiled softly at her and walked off the stage, relieved. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The familiar and natural way she greeted Sliva surprised the onlookers. Sliva stopped in front of Be and took her hand, kissing the back of it lightly. This was a gesture of admiration and utmost respect in Inalia. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte, Ms. Alexa.¡± Chapter 446 The entire venue fell silent for a moment, followed by explosive gasps. ¡®Alexa¡­ Be is Alexa?¡± Justin experienced a brief buzz in his head before goingpletely nk for several seconds. It was as if even his soul had left his body, leaving him feeling weak from head to toe. ¡®Be is Alexa!¡¯ Justin thought to himself. ¡®She is the illustrious jewelry designer who is highly regarded. So she had spent the entire time watching me embarrass myself. She must have been overjoyed, secretlyughing at my efforts to meet Alexa, only to be rejected.¡¯ Justin waspletely taken aback. His lips trembled, and his breath was heavy. His eyes turned an unimaginably intense shade of red. He could not decide whether he was more angry or shocked. ¡°Be, you deceived me again. You actually deceived me again!¡± She clearly had an unparalleled talent, but she had kept it hidden from him for the entire three years of their marriage. She yed the role of a housewife who toiled at home without disying any of her talent or brilliance. ¡°Why would she degrade herself in this manner? Was she making fun of my ignorance in some twisted way?¡¯ Justin clenched his teeth, and the pressure caused his mrs to ache. His heart throbbed faintly, prompting him to raise a hand instinctively to cover the area around his heart. Is it amusing to toy with me like this, Be? How did you expect me to fall in love with you when you have never been honest with me?¡± ¡°Alexa?! The heiress of KS Group is Alexa?! This is truly sensational news!¡± ¡°Could it be a lie?¡± ¡°Diamond nes can be faked, but can her identity be faked? Besides, Sliva is here to confirm her identity!¡± Even those who normally maintain dignified facades could care less about appearing sophisticated at this time. Everyone took out their phones and took pictures of Be like paparazzi! Given that Alexa was looking this hot and stunning, it would be a shame not to take a few pictures to show offter. Otherwise, tonight would be aplete waste! Christopher calmly observed the crowd that had gathered around. Be. She was like the moon, surrounded by many stars. He casually adjusted his sses, and his smiling eyes revealed a hint of indulgence and yfulness. No other woman could excite him as much as Be. She was the only one who made him realize that the existence of love was not as dull and silly as he had previously assumed. The scene became somewhat chaotic. In their eagerness to get closer to the spectacle, everyone crammed closer and closer to Be. Seeing the situation, Christopher was worried for Be¡¯s safety if it continued. He stood up, intending to walk over and help her break free. A cold gust of wind swept past him out of nowhere. Christopher¡¯s eyes widened as he noticed Justin rushing over with quick strides, pushing his way through the crowd. He clenched his fists in frustration. His gaze was piercing, and he yearned to rip Justin apart. Be was taken aback when Justin suddenly assumed the role of her protector, standing in front of her like a human shield. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°There are too many people. I¡¯m afraid you might be in danger,¡± Justin replied without turning to face her. Be scoffed with disdain. ¡°Steve is close behind. Not to mention that my hotel¡¯s security is excellent. We can easily handle this minor situation. There is no need for you to be the hero here.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Be, you deceived me again,¡± Justin said slowly. Justin shifted his gaze, his dark eyes intense. ¡°Do you not have anything to say to me about your deception?¡± he asked in a trembling voice that only they could hear. Beughed with a mocking look in her eyes. ¡°Does it hurt to be deceived by me? Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll slowly get used to it.¡± Justin took a deep breath and let out a soft cough. She infuriated him. The uproar sparked by Alexa did not die down until Steven dispatched a squad of bodyguards to restore order. ¡°OMG, you are Alexa¡­ How is this even possible?¡± Ada Wang walked toward Be, her mouth covered and her words incoherent. Tears streamed down her excited face. ¡°I did not conceal my identity on purpose. It is just that these titles do not mean much to me. I simply enjoy making jewelry and do not want to be in the spotlight or draw too much attention.¡± Be maintained her usual gentle demeanor with Ada Wang. ¡°I know you are a big fan, and I am honored to have your and everyone else¡¯s affection.¡± Such grace, such charm! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Thompson. No, Ms. Alexa. Please forgive my rudeness. earlier.¡± Ada Wang was regretful. She wished she could go back in time and change her cold words and dismissive attitude toward Be! It is like missing the forest for the trees! ¡°I am both Alexa and the general manager of KS World Hotel. My dual identity cannot make up for the breach of hotel confidentiality. So, I have never held it against you, and there is no need for you to me yourself.¡± At that moment, Be was about to reveal Shannon and Bethany¡¯s true colors. ¡°God¡¯s Tears¡¯ is one of Alexa¡¯s rtively obscure private works and has rarely been publicly exhibited. Besides Alexa, no one in the world. possesses it.¡± Sliva¡¯s sharp gaze was fixed on Bethany. ¡°So, without a doubt, the one Ms. Salvador gave to Ms. Ada is a counterfeit.¡± Sliva added, ¡°Daring to replicate works by Alexa is a serious infringement on Alexa¡¯s reputation and creative rights. Alexa ensures that each of her pieces is insured for a high value. You are not legally inept, Ms. Salvador. You should be well aware of the potential consequences and penalties, right?¡± Chapter 447 Upon hearing those words, the crowd erupted into a mor as they cast skeptical nces at Bethany. When he heard the statement, Justin¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. His expression was calm, as if he expected it. After all, even he found the task of seeking an audience with Alexa to be like reaching for the stars. He never believed Bethany had the ability to acquire Alexa¡¯s jewelry. There was definitely something fishy about it. Justin felt a surge of resentment and anger as he reflected on this. He turned around to give Be a hard stare. Be shrugged her shoulders and scowled at Justin. ¡®What kind of expression is that? He looks like he wants to devour someone.¡¯ She examined Justin as if he were a psychopath. The crowd¡¯s suspicious gaze made Bethany paler than ever. She quickly hid behind Shannon to avoid their gaze. ¡°Ms. Salvador, have you been lying to me since the beginning?¡± Ada Wang was enraged, her eyes aze. ¡°Were you resorting to such despicable tactics just to win me over? Did you deceive me in order to secure my cooperation with your Salvador Hotel?¡± she demanded angrily of Bethany. Bethany stammered, unable to speak a single word. She was terrified and drenched in sweat. ¡°I chose to trust you unconditionally because you are associated with the Salvador Corporation, and I held you in high regard as a well- mannered youngdy. With this incident, I am now skeptical of the Salvador family¡¯s entire reputation! It contradicts the century-old reputation your family has built in Savrow!¡± Ada Wang was furious after being humiliated in front of her idol. She was determined to direct her rage at Bethany and the entire Salvador family. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. The onlookers shook their heads in disapproval. Unbelievable! A billion-dor family sent counterfeit goods to a celebrity and was caught in the act in front of the real Alexa! This, along with Rosalind¡¯s cheating on Justin, could go down in the Salvador family¡¯s history as a permanent stain. ¡°As president of the Salvador Corporation, I am unaware of the gifts Ms. Salvador gave you privately or of the terms she discussed with you, Ms. Ada. After all, she was solely in charge of your wedding arrangements.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was cold, as if he werepletely unconcerned. ¡°Her actions are completely personal and have nothing to do with the Salvador Corporation. Shannon was enraged. Her jaw clenched so tightly that her teeth felt like they were going to break. Be, who was hidden in the shadow of Justin¡¯s tall figure, raised an astonished eyebrow when she heard these words. ¡°However,¡± Justin paused, his gaze on Be deepening. ¡°Regarding the forgery and losses suffered by Ms. Thompson, also known as Alexa, I, on behalf of the Salvador Corporation, am willing to ept responsibility.¡± ¡°Are you taking responsibility for her?¡± Everyone exchanged puzzled nces. Even though they felt there was nothing wrong with this statement, they detected a subtle nuance. As she turned away from Justin, Be¡¯s eyes became clouded with disapproval. She had assumed that he had matured. She thought he could overlook Bethany¡¯s predicament. However, it became clear that he still needed to sort out the mess for Shannon and Bethany, putting his overall situation first. Justin had expressed a desire for Be to win, but it appeared to be nothing more than empty words. ¡°Hold on! Why are we being portrayed as if we havemitted some heinous crime? We are also victims!¡± Shannon stepped forward quickly to defend her daughter. Her face was flushed with anxiety. ¡°My daughter had good intentions. Knowing how much Ms. Ada admires Alexa¡¯s jewelry, she went out of her way to find a valuable piece for you, hoping that it would foster cooperation between our two parties! Our family is wealthy. We can easily afford ten pieces of Alexa¡¯s jewelry, let alone just one. Why would we bother with a forgery that would tarnish the Salvador family¡¯s reputation just to please you? We would not have bought it if we had known it was fake. We even wanted to seek justice from the person who sold us the jewelry.¡± A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. ¡°This woman purchased a forgery and dared to im she wanted to buy ten pieces of Alexa¡¯s work. Truly shameless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Mrs. Salvador for you.¡± Finally, unable to bear her nonsense, Sliva stepped forward and retorted coldly. ¡°It is well known that each piece of jewelry Alexa creates is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that is rarely avable on the market.¡± Chapter 448 ¡°Anyone who owns a piece of Alexa¡¯s designs would cherish it forever due to its rarity. No one will give it up voluntarily unless they are in dire financial straits. You should keep in mind that you could be duped when making a purchase. Furthermore, Alexa would not sell it to you even if you had the means to buy it.¡± A trace of mockery appeared in Sliva¡¯s eyes. ¡°No matter how I look at it, you are far from qualified.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°You¡­ You!¡± Shannon choked with anger, fuming. When the spectators heard this, they quietly cheered. Shannon had caused trouble in Savrow on several asions, and her reputation was about toe crashing down. She would never have been able to make it in Savrow without her title as Mrs. Salvador. An advocate for justice ought to step up and correct this self- obsessed person! ¡°Moreover, Ms. Salvador,¡± Sliva interrupted, abruptly shifting the conversation to Bethany. ¡°Were you really kept in the dark about the purchase of fake goods from someone else? Are you genuinely unaware?¡± Bethany found it difficult to remain calm. She braced herself and replied, ¡°Of course! Why on earth would I ever buy a fake? I can afford it without any issue!¡± ¡°Hmmm, I am not sure about that.¡± The crowd buzzed in confusion. Could there be some hidden mystery in these words?, With bewilderment, Justin¡¯s brows knitted, and he looked at Be. She had stayed quiet by his side the entire time. Be looked up at him then, her lips forming a seductive smile. Her every facial expression seemed to pierce his heart like a sharp arrow. It turned out that she was inplete control of everything. The mastermind behind the whole incident was Be, who had always watched from the sidelines. ¡°What do you mean when you say that? Are you trying to use my daughter as well?!¡± Shannon hugged Bethany close, assuming the vulnerable stance of a victim. Sliva dismissed Shannon¡¯s antics, turning her attention solely to Bethany. ¡°Ms. Salvador, do you remember who youmissioned to replicate this ne for you? You should have some recollection, right?¡± How could Bethany respond? It seemed like she would only be digging her own grave, no matter what she said. ¡°You can¡¯t remember? Then let me refresh your memory.¡± After saying those words, a man appeared out of nowhere on the stage¡¯s big screen! ¡°Hello, Tyler.¡± Sliva greeted the person on the screen with a smile in French. ¡°Hello, Sliva. Hello, Master.¡± Tyler looked towards Be, scratching his head shyly. ¡°You still have outstanding craftsmanship.¡± Be had no bitterness toward him. ¡°I knew this ne was your handiwork from the moment it appeared before my eyes,¡± she said with a subtle smile. For an instant, Bethany¡¯s vision became blurry. Had Shannon not been there to support her, she could have copsed. With a guilty sigh, Tyler held up a transaction receipt for the camera to see. ¡°I was paid to forge a piece designed by my master, Alexa. Please take a close look. The person who asked me to duplicate the ne will be identifiable by the signature on it.¡± The journalists trained their cameras on therge screen as the crowd surged forward. They zoomed in again and again. At the bottom, there was a neat signature that formed two distinct words: Bethany Salvador! ¡°What is going on?!?¡± Shannon whispered to Bethany as her eyes narrowed. ¡°You said Zoe had it made, didn¡¯t you? Why is your name on the receipt?!¡± ¡°Mom, I was tricked by that cunning girl, Zoe!¡± Bethany sobbed, tears welling up in her eyes. Chapter 449 Shannon¡¯s vision blurred with rage as she heard these words, nearly causing her to ck out. Her primary resentment was not directed at Be this time, but rather at that cunning girl, Zoe, who yed her daughter for a fool! The crowd erupted in a frenzy of discussion. With concrete evidence presented, Bethany was no longer a victim but rather the mastermind behind the forgery. The journalists present swiftly began disseminating the news. [Shocking news! Be Thompson, heiress to KS Group, is the legendary designer Alexa!] [Though physical attractiveness can get you far in life, genuine skill is what really counts. How many hidden identities does the young heiress of KS Group possess?] [Ms. Bethany Salvador, the third daughter of Chairman Gregory Salvador, has the gall to gift celebrity Ada Wang counterfeit goods! The audacity of her!] [In-depth scrunity: When will Shannon and her daughter stop making trouble?] Bethany had no idea that she would be back in the spotlight in less. than a year. Whenpared to the previous press conference where she had to apologize, the impact this time was even more intense and overwhelming. Shannon attempted to put pressure on Justin, casting the messy situation onto bim as she saw the situation spiral out of control. Justin! How can you, as president of the Salvador Corporation and Bethany¡¯s brother, stand by and watch them attack your sister? Even though I am not your biological mother, Bethany is your half-sister. How can you turn a blind eye to your own family for the sake of an outsider?¡± ¡°Turn a blind eye to my family? Who exactly is the outsider?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, and he retorted coldly. ¡°Who else could it be? Of course, it¡¯s the woman next to you!¡± Shannon gritted her teeth. Justin cast a quick nce at Be. ¡°She¡¯s not an outsider.¡± Be frowned as she looked at Justin¡¯s stern profile, thinking to herself, ¡®Is he sick in the head?¡± Shannon was so enraged that she felt like vomiting. ¡°You¡­! You¡¯re abandoning your principles for the sake of a woman!¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Giving up my principles for the sake of a woman is better than giving them up for personal gain.¡± Justin¡¯s cold eyes shed with venom as he took his phone from his pocket and dialedn¡¯s number. ¡°Bring them in.¡± Be was perplexed, unsure what the man was up to. The venue¡¯s doors were pushed open once more at this point. With everyone watching,n pushed the wheelchair into the room. A person wearing a cap and mask sat in a wheelchair. Her features were not clearly visible, other than the fact that she was a woman. ¡°What on earth are you doing, Justin?¡± Be lowered her voice, instinctively grabbing the hem of Justin¡¯s clothes. The man turned his head, as if his heartstrings had been pulled. Helping you reim what is rightfully yours.¡± ¡®What is rightfully mine?¡± Be looked at the person in the wheelchair, blinking. The woman in the wheelchair lifted her trembling hand and slowly removed the cap and mask. Surprisingly, it was Xena Gordon. As they looked at her haggard face, the crowd exchanged puzzled nces. Only Bethany fled in terror, acting as though lightning had struck her. Her expression was frozen, and her entire body appeared to be drained of blood! Be stared at Xena in disbelief before turning to Justin, who was as calm as water. Her mind whirled in an instant, and she grasped the entire chain of events! Xena had been in a car ident and hospitalized before, but she had not died of brain damage and turned into a vegetable. Justin purposefully orchestrated the spread of such information. His goal was to lull Bethany into a false sense of safety and escape. Then, just as she was gettingfortable, he dropped this bombshell, catching her off guard and leaving her unable to recover. Chapter 450 Be squinted her eyes and looked at Justin with curiosity. ¡°This face¡­ Why does she look so familiar?¡± Someone inquired. ¡°Oh! I recall now, isn¡¯t she the mistress of Headlines¡¯ director, the man who was exposed as a cheater during a live broadcast?¡± ¡°It¡¯s surprising that she is still alive. If I were her, I would have dug myself a hole a long time ago. How can she still face the world?¡± ¡°Well, I would rather die than live like this. But why is she here?¡± Xena¡¯s hands trembled as she took a deep breath. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯vee this time to act as a witness to a crime, to repent, and to apologize for my actions. I would like to apologize to Ms. Thompson, the general manager of the KS World Hotel. My name is Xena Gordon, and I work as a journalist for Headlines. My stupidity and greed for money drove me to disregard professional ethics and morals. I bribed. Ms. Thompson¡¯s employees to steal Ada Wang¡¯s wedding setup designs and sell them to other media outlets for publicity. As a result, Ms. Thompson breached her contract, causing the termination of the coboration with Ada Wang.¡± Everyone was stunned. They had not anticipated theplexity of the story surrounding Be and Ada Wang¡¯s contract termination. The twists and turns were astonishing! People looked sympathetically and understandingly at Be. Being known as Alexa had bestowed unprecedented grace on Be. Everyone thought that Be was as beautiful and pure as an angel. It seemed as though she would be better off residing in an ancient temple, shielded from the burdens and perils of the world.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Gordon! Are you saying you were manipted by someone ?!¡± ¡°Who bribed you?¡± ¡°What caused you to have a car ident? Could it be that the person. directing you was afraid you would reveal their identity and thus wanted to keep you quiet?¡± Reporters swarmed in, quickly encircling Xena. Conspiracies began to emerge one after the other. Xena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, she raised her hand and pointed straight at Bethany. ¡°It was Ms. Salvador who ordered me to do it!¡± Bethany¡¯s ears filled with a deafening buzz, feeling like everything had turned nk. She felt her vision blurring. Five nights ago, in a quiet hospital room, Xena leaned against the bed, tightly clutching the sheets. She lowered her gaze, looking subtly at the strikingly handsome man sitting in front of her with an overwhelming sense of oppression. Her hospital gown was soaked inyers of cold sweat. As he sat in the chair, Justin¡¯s sharp features maintained an expressionless demeanor. Ian stood off to the side, giving Xena a cold stare. ¡°Thank you for saving my life, Mr. Salvador,¡± Xena said cautiously, her voice trembling. ¡°Do you know why I saved you?¡± Justin asked in a chilly tone as he toyed with a silver lighter in his palm. Xena was afraid to say anything. ¡°Because you still have some value to me.¡± Justin snapped the lighter shut with a crisp sound, his long lashes downcast. ¡°With a single word, I can either restore you to normalcy or render you a cripple for the rest of your life. I can even make you vanish into thin air.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador! Please tell me your orders.¡± Xena was terrified, her whole body turning weak. ¡°As long as I can help you achieve it, I will do my best! I will give you my all!¡± Justin¡¯s dark eyes narrowed as he held an unlit cigarette between his fingers. ¡°Identify Bethany Salvador as the culprit and restore my wife¡¯s innocence.¡± Chapter 451 The charity auction ended amid a dramatic turn of events. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Not only was this evening a historic high in terms of funds raised for any charity event hosted by Mint magazine, it also yed out as a spectacle for the reporters in attendance due to the series of shocking revtions. Gregory immediately dispatched his secretary andwyer to the scene after learning of the news. They led Shannon and the stunned Bethany past the onlookers and into the waiting car. They looked like rats scurrying around. ¡°Ms. Gordon, I am the legal representative for the Salvador Corporation. Your public usation of bribery for the theft of business information from the KS World Hotel will result in a defamationwsuit if you have no concrete evidence. We will get to the bottom of this!¡± With those firm words, thewyer walked away, leaving an unwavering stance behind. Xena found herself on the verge of a legal battle with the formidable Salvador Corporation. The looming threat of awsuit was enough to send shivers down her spine, but what truly terrified her was Justin¡¯s overwhelming influence over her fate. He seemed to be capable of deciding her fate with a single thought. Justin looked at her, his gaze unwavering and unaffected. Terrified, Xena eximed, ¡°I¡­ I am speaking up because I have proof! Don¡¯t expect me to be intimidated by wealth and power. I have turned over a new leaf, and I will not be manipted into doing things. against my conscience!¡± In a difficult situation, thewyer hesitantly looked towards Justin, seeking his opinion on the matter. Justin remained cold and apathetic, as if he had no ties to the Salvador Corporation. ¡°Go back and tell Chairman Salvador that Ms. Gordon and the entire KS World Hotel will go against him.¡± ¡®I will also be against him,¡¯ Justin thought darkly. Even thewyer could not shake an uneasy feeling after hearing this. Be was the heiress of KS Group. If the situation became more serious, it would not only be an offense against her, but the entire Thompson family would be involved. Be¡¯s father and brothers, as well as the powerful Larson family behind M, were not to be underestimated. It seemed like ying with fire would be an invitation to disaster. ¡°Wherever necessary, we should apologize and face the consequences. Blindly distorting the truth and supporting tyranny will only make the Salvador family aughing stock,¡± Justin said coldly. He turned around with a cold grin on his face, looking for Be. Only then did he realize that she had vanished without a trace. His heart was filled with a cold sense of abandonment. As Alice needed to get to other important appointments, Be walked her to the underground parking lot. ¡°Ms. Thompson, you really impressed me tonight,¡± Alice said as she hugged Be softly. ¡°I knew that Asher¡¯s sister wouldn¡¯t let me down.¡± Be said with a modest smile, ¡°That is because you¡¯re seeing me through a filter, as I am Asher¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°No. Your personality, eloquence, thoughts, and character have. impressed me since the first time we met. I feel we could be great friends,¡± Alice said sincerely. ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t it be great if we could be rted?¡± Be raised an eyebrow, teasing her. Alice sensed the underlying meaning, and her normally serious face. blushed slightly. Her voice was soft as she said, ¡°Darling, I will be 50 next year. I enjoy Asher¡¯spany, but I shouldn¡¯t hold him back.¡± ¡°So what if you¡¯re 50? There¡¯s a 25-year age difference between my dad and his third wife, and they seem to be having a good time. together,¡± Be told Alice with pride. ¡°Life is short, Alice. Don¡¯t make decisions you willter regret. Don¡¯t be afraid to go after Asher if you really like him. You shouldn¡¯t leave any regrets in life, even if things don¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°Alexa.¡± Alice called Be by her pseudonym all of a sudden. ¡°Have you made any decisions in your life that you wish you hadn¡¯t? Any moments of regret?¡± There was a faint hint of pain in Be¡¯s heart, as if a sealed corner deep inside her had been quietly torn open, revealing a cruel crack. Even so, she curled her lips slightly and smiled to show that she understood. ¡°Honestly, I have made decisions I wish I hadn¡¯t. But now, I have no regrets whatsoever.¡± Be thought to herself, ¡®I regretted having married him, but I have no regrets because I tried my best.¡± It sounded contradictory, but it encapsted her genuine feelings. Alice got into the car, and Be watched her leave. ¡°Alexa!¡± Chapter 452 ¡°Ms. Thompson! Please wait a moment!¡± A swarm of reporters closed in around Be, as if they had hit the jackpot. Steven was still dealing with the situation inside the hall at this point, leaving Be alone with no bodyguards. Even though these reporters had no malicious intent, they put her in a difficult situation. ¡°Ms. Alexa! How do you intend to hold Ms. Salvador ountable for imitating your work? Are you nning to sue her?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Bethany incited the female journalist, Xena Gordon, to reveal KS World Hotel¡¯smercial secrets, resulting in the failure of your coboration with Ada Wang. Will KS Group and Salvador Corporation settle this in court?¡± ¡°Ada Wang recently stated unequivocally that she would end her coboration with Salvador Corporation. Will you and Ada reconcile. and continue to coborate?¡± Be had been extremely busy all day. All of these questions wore her down, causing her stomach cramps to re up once more. She clenched her hands tightly as a slight sheen of sweat formed on her forehead, and herplexion turned pale. Yet, her eyes remained clear and sharp as she stood there as gracefully as ever, not showing the slightest sign of illness. Before Be could say anything, a slender figure emerged from the crowd and reached for her. He opened his arms, shielding her from the escting chaos. Her vision became blurry for a brief moment. The next second, a clear and melodious voice spoke in her ear. ¡°KS Group will issue a statementter and respond to each of these questions. Ms. Thompson is feeling unwell at the moment, so please excuse her. I¡¯m taking her to the hospital.¡± Be¡¯s pupils constricted as she stared in astonishment at Christopher¡¯s solemn and concerned expression. He had not appeared in her presence all evening. How did he notice she was not feeling well? Lost in thought, the past three years of grievances, bitterness, and injustices vividly reyed in her mind. Justin had shown no regard for her during those trying times. Even when she struggled to leave her bed for days after the miscarriage and asked him to pour her a ss of warm water, he tly refused. Even if Justin was not aware of her physical state at the time, his indifference to such an insignificant request showed how much he disregarded her. One¡¯s love for another lies in the details. Her love for Justin had been tested in thest three years, leaving her scarred and defeated. Be definitely regretted it, but she was willing to ept her losses because she only had herself to me. Christopher noticed a glistening drop of sweat trickling down Be¡¯s brow, and a sharp pain shot through his chest. He supported her. His left arm naturally wrapped around her waist as he frowned. ¡°Do you feel uneasy?¡± Christopher asked, his voice husky and close to her ear. ¡°Yeah,¡± Be said, exhaling gently. Another word would only aggravate the pain. ¡°Can you hold it until we get to the hospital? Should I call an ambnce?¡± Christopher¡¯s hand was around her waist, and every word whispered into her ear was filled with genuine affection. She tugged at the corner of her lips, forcing a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t die.¡± Christopher was naturally reserved and apathetic, having never shownpassion for anyone except Be. Seeing her in this frail state gradually softened his heart, and he felt an overwhelming desire to protect her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got you. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Christopher shielded her with his own body and guided her forward slowly. ¡°Excuse me, sir. May I ask who you are?¡± The reporters could not help but gossip after witnessing Christopher¡¯s intimate interaction with Be. Christopher responded calmly, ¡°Christopher Iverson.¡± Iverson, as in the Iverson Group? That was a billion-dor behemoth,parable to the Salvador Corporation! It made sense. Not just any ordinary man could approach Be. How could someone be considered worthy of Be Thompson if they did note from a family like the Salvadors or Iversons? After all, she was the daughter of Hatchbay¡¯s wealthiest man and a top-tier jewelry designer. ¡°Mr. Iverson, may I ask what your rtionship with Ms. Thompson is?¡± ¡°Are you two dating?¡± Chapter 453 Be was in excruciating pain at the moment. Despite this, she rolled her eyes when she heard those words. These media reporters were. trulycking in creativity. Could a man and a woman only be a couple? Why could they not simply be friends? ¡°I am Ms. Thompson¡¯s protector.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher lowered his gaze and stared lovingly at the person in his arms, as if the entire world had been cut off from him and only she mattered in this world. ¡°I am also Ms. Thompson¡¯s admirer.¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she heard those words. A collective gasp swept through the crowd as camera shes illuminated the scene, revealing them to the media frenzy. These reporters were not just going about their business tonight. They were completely absorbed in their work, meticulously capturing every moment as it unfolded. Suddenly, another tall figure approached Be¡¯s side like a gust of wind. Without saying anything, Justin yanked Be away from Christopher¡¯s embrace, holding her waist with a vice-like grip. He led her out of the crowd silently and efficiently. ¡°Justin! Let me go! Who the hell do you think you are?!¡± Be winced in pain, but her attempts at resistance were futile. Justin, on the other hand, paid no attention to her rage. His throat. tightened, and the veins bulged on his forehead as he firmly resolved to escort her away. He looked crazed. The onlookers were perplexed. So, Be Thompson had two protectors? But there could only be one man by her side! Be finally had enough when she arrived in a secluded corridor. She shook off his hand, shivering all over. But the moment she slipped from his grasp, he grabbed her slender wrist again, pulling her back into his embrace. He firmly gripped her lower back with another hand, pressing her against his chest, fearful that she would flee. He had not yearned for anything so desperately in a long time. And now, he could clearly feel that, no matter how clear-headed he was, his body craved her uncontrobly. ¡°Justin! What the hell is wrong with you?!¡± Be feltpletely powerless. Her breathing was erratic, and the agonizing pain in her stomach caused her to cry. ¡°What on earth do I have to do, Be? What else do I need to do to get you to stop being so harsh on me?¡± Justin¡¯s breathing wasbored. His voice trembled as his eyes started welling up with tears. At this moment, Justin appeared enraged, embarrassed, and desperate. ¡°Am I being harsh? Pft!¡± Be shut her eyes. She was too frustrated to argue with or engage with this man, who appeared to be suffering from paranoid delusions and mental illness. She was sick of him. ¡°Let go, or don¡¯t me me for hurting you. Three, two¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m incapable of protecting you? Or are you trying to humiliate me in this way?!¡± Justin clenched his hands as if he wanted to crush Be¡¯s wrists, his eyes turning red. He had just seen Christopher confess to her in public. His ex-wife, his wife, his¡­ woman. However, another man was caring for her, even making attempts to win her heart by iming her as his own. At that moment, his heart was experiencing pain equal to that of a thousand horses trampling over it. His body sank heavily, as if stepping into an abyss. ¡°One.¡± Be¡¯s expression became cold as she said the final word. ¡°Be¡­¡± Whoosh-! The next second, Be¡¯s lips curled in disdain. A sharp butterfly knife was pressed against Justin¡¯s chest. Chapter 454 Justin felt a strong shiver run through his body. Once husband and wife, he never envisioned reaching a point where they were at odds with each other. Though the sharp butterfly knife had not yet made contact with his skin, it felt as if it had pierced his heart. ¡°Thest person to greet me in this manner was Mr. Hoffman. But he wisely kept his distance from me.¡± Be tilted her head, her beautiful eyes cold and emotionless. ¡°Mr. Salvador, given your self- righteousness, I don¡¯t think I need to stab this knife into your body to make you understand the situation, do I?¡± Justin ignored her threat and asked in a hoarse voice. ¡°What¡¯s so appealing about him?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Be blinked, surprised. ¡°Christopher Iverson¡­ What is it about him that is so appealing?¡± Justin approached her slowly, his eyes red. He could not care less about what was pressed against his chest or that Be was ruthless. and capable of anything. ¡°Take a step back, Justin!¡± Be widened her almond-shaped eyes, stepping back with each stride while maintaining a firm grip. The butterfly knife pressed against his chest did not budge. ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t stab you?¡± ¡°Why do you insist on being with him? Is it just to take revenge on me?¡± Justin locked his gaze on her, his voice trembling and husky. Unaware, the knife¡¯s tip had pierced his suit, prating his flesh.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Isn¡¯t being with him the same as being with you? What¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± Be thought that Justin was absurd. ¡°Besides, I have been with you for three years. Didn¡¯t you drive me away yourself?¡± Every word she said was like a dagger to his heart. Justin took a deep breath, and the pain in his chest felt as if it had taken root and spread to every nerve in his body. Everything she said was undeniably true. It was cruel, and it made him feel helpless. ¡°Be!¡± Be¡¯s heart quickened as she turned her gaze to see Christopher, who was standing a few steps away. His eyes were filled with anxious anticipation. ¡°Be, you¡¯re still not feeling well. Please let me take you to the hospital.¡± As he reached out to her, Christopher¡¯s gentle eyes were filled with concern. Rather than engaging in the mundanepetition of wooing Be away from Justin, he took a different approach. He chose to care for her, protect her, and show her both warmth and concern. That way, he could show her who loved her the most. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming.¡± Be quickly retracted the butterfly knife with her nimble fingers and walked toward Christopher without looking. back. She seemed to have already decided between the two. It was self-evident who she chose to abandon. Justin remained motionless, a cloud of sorrow and absurdity obscuring his entire being.. Be approached Christopher but did not take his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Be said gently. Christopher¡¯s fingertips trembled slightly as he drew his hand back.¡± Okay.¡± The two walked shoulder to shoulder, like a perfect couple, leaving in a dignified manner under Justin¡¯s mncholy and embarrassed gaze. It was not until the corridor was empty that Justin slowly raised his hand to cover the wound. His eyes were filled with a painful and poignant expression. ¡°Be, all I want is for you to notice me.¡± Christopher took Be to the hospital right away. When she arrived at the hospital, the pain overwhelmed her, making it difficult for her to exit the car. She clutched her abdomen with all her might, her mind nk and her face devoid of color. A chronic stomach problem had gued her as a result of the tumultuous times when she worked with Doctors without Borders, < going through periods of famine amid chaos. ¡°Mr. Iverson! I will get a wheelchair right away!¡± The secretary was visibly nervous, sweating profusely. ¡°No need. I will handle it.¡± Christopher got out of the car and gently carried Be out. He strode into the hospital with firm steps and with Be in his arms. ¡°It hurts¡­ It really hurts¡­¡± Be panted, weakly leaning against him. ¡°Be, I know you have warned me not to touch you casually.¡± Christopher wrapped his arms around her soft and delicate body, as if he wanted to embed her in his chest. ¡°But you must bear with it for now, Be¡­ Don¡¯t hold this against me, okay?¡± His tone was extremely gentle, with a hint of coaxing. The secretary, who was watching from the side, was surprised to see this side of Christopher. Christopher was known for his coldness and indifference, but he was so tender and warm with Be. Even his heart of stone had softened for Be. It would be her loss if she did not marry Christopher. After a long strugglete at night, Be was finally given an intravenous drip. She fell asleep on the hospital bed. Perhaps because of their childhood bond or her weakened state, Be, who had always been wary of unfamiliar men, surprisingly let her guard down and allowed Christopher to stay by her side. Chapter 455 The sweet breath of the delicate woman filled the quiet hospital room. Christopher sat by Be¡¯s bedside in the same position, keeping a close eye on her. Be rolled over, a soft whimper escaping from the depths of her throat. Christopher felt a numbing sensation wash over him. For years, whether in Savrow or Sentania, countless charming and beautiful women had offered themselves to him one after the other. Surprisingly, the more of this urred, the less interested he became. He thought women were more troublesome than stubborn barnacles stuck to the hull of a boat. But Be was different. Only Be could be so daring with him and do whatever she wanted. Even if it meant engaging in shady activities, he was not afraid of the consequences, as long as he could continue to spoil her. Christopher¡¯s intense gaze deepened. He reached out instinctively, eager to delicately caress the face that lingered in his dreams. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. It was a message from the secretary. [Mr. Iverson, Ms. Thompson¡¯s family is here to pick her up. They are right at the entrance.] Christopher adjusted his gold-rimmed sses and opened the door to the ward. The tall figures of Asher, Axel, and Steven stood before him in the corridor like three formidable icebergs. ¡°Please ept my sincere apologies, Mr. Thompson.¡± Christopher seized the initiative right away. ¡°Be had a severe stomachache and could not even walk, so I had to take her to the hospital first. I was unable to notify you in time.¡± Steven¡¯s lips tightened into a pale line, unable to ept this man taking Be away without permission. ¡°Mr. Iverson, you-¡± Steven was about to say something when Asher motioned for him to calm down. Instead, he turned to face Christopher with a cold smile. Thank you for bringing Be to the hospital, Mr. Iverson. But you were aware that we were looking for our little sister, and yet you repeatedly ignored my calls and eventually turned off your phone. What did you mean by that?¡± Axel¡¯s brow furrowed deeply, displeasure visible in his eyes. This man had the audacity to take away their precious little sister! Did he think they would not do anything to him? Christopher, with a tender smile, adopted a humble stance. ¡°I apologize. I was solely concerned with Be at the time and wanted. her to sleep soundly. I did not think much further than that.¡± ¡°Hmm, what exactly do you mean? Are we not solely concerned about Be?¡± The words irritated Axel, and his rage erupted instantly. ¡°It is only natural for both of you to shower her with affection and love as her elder brothers,¡± Christopher stated calmly. ¡°Given your unwavering devotion to Be, you should not mind having one more man in the world who adores her, right?¡± Axel and Steven werepletely taken aback. This man was incredibly direct, openly dering his admiration for Be without hesitation in front of them. There was no one with such unrestrained emotions in the Thompson family. Even Be, who was adored by everyone, was decisive and confident. She had never expressed her emotions so passionately and openly. If she had been this brave back then, daring to express herself, she would not have suffered so much and endured so many grievances at Justin¡¯s hands. Meanwhile, Asher¡¯s gaze deepened as he heard these words. At this point, he had to admit that his father had a sharp eye. He was not entirely unreasonable in his opposition to Be¡¯s association with Christopher. This man, despite appearing gentle and devoted to Be, made Asher uneasy. A subtle sense of intrusion pressed against his chest. ¡°Wait for me, Axel. I¡¯ll go get Be.¡± Asher, with a stern expression on his face, was about to open the door of the ward when he came to a halt next to Christopher. ¡°Mr. Iverson, we have plenty of people here. who care for her. It would be inconvenient to bother you any further. Please leave.¡± Christopher walked toward the parking lot with a rxed expression, seemingly unaffected by anything. ¡°Mr. Iverson, do those two Thompson brothers have an issue with you? They¡¯re practically showing their disdain earlier.¡± His secretary asked, frustrated. ¡°Inws have never liked each other. After all, Be is their cherished little princess. How could they let another man take her away?¡± Christopher raised an eyebrow. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, I want to marry Be, not them. I don¡¯t care how they perceive me.¡± The secretary was still resentful. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel sorry for you. You used to have a lot of power in Sentania. You were essentially the uncrowned king. Why subject yourself to Savrow¡¯s scrutiny and endure this kind of treatment?¡± ¡°Sentania¡­ I had everything there, but so what?¡± Christopher adjusted his sses, his eyes sparkling with a cold, sharp light. ¡°I was born. with a silver spoon, but I had to live by myself in Sentania. While others see the mor, only I understand the agony of each day in Sentania. If not for those filthy Iverson family members and Lance¡¯s heartlessness, the entire Iverson Group would have been under my control.¡± Suddenly, his eyes turned red. ¡°And Be¡­ Why did she have to marry Justin, that beast? She should have been my wife a long time ago!¡± The secretary shivered and bowed respectfully as he looked at the somewhat agitated Christopher. ¡°I want Iverson Group, and I want Be as well. I must reim everything I have lost!¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Chapter 456 The next morning, Be awoke to find herself back in Hatchbay. ¡°Was I teleported here?!¡± she eximed. ¡°Ouch!¡± She pinched her cheek to make sure she was not dreaming. ¡®So, I really am at home,¡¯ Be thought. M and Sasha entered the room at that point to visit Be. Sasha teased Be, ¡°Teleport? You wish!¡± ¡°Be, how are you? Is your stomach still hurting?¡± M walked over to the bedside and sat down. She gently caressed Be¡¯s sunken cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight again. Have you been working too hard. recently?¡± ¡°Be, I think you shouldn¡¯t return to Savrow, that god-forsaken ce. Why don¡¯t you just stay at home?¡± Sasha said, her eyes reddened with concern. ¡°You¡¯re the darling of our family. You should be pampered and cherished like a princess here. Why bother withpeting with those boorish men? Whatever you want, just let us know. Even if you want to eat Bobo, I¡¯ll have it prepared for you as sashimi!¡± Be could not help butugh. ¡°I¡¯ll pass on that offer, Aunt Sasha. Alligator sashimi is a little too exotic for me.¡± ¡°Sasha doesn¡¯t know how to express her concern. She cares for you a lot.¡± M felt her heart ache. She was filled with self-me. ¡°You¡¯ve been through so much. I won¡¯t be able to exin it to your mother. Before she left us, she entrusted us to let you grow up worry-free and not to let you suffer.¡±¡± ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, it was just a stomachache. A minor ailment.¡± Be waved her hand, feeling that the whole situation was exaggerated. Sasha¡¯s eyes widened like copper bells. ¡°A minor ailment? Don¡¯t you know when you were a child, we would worry for days on end when you had the slightest cough?¡± ¡°Be, your father stayed up all night because of your illness. He was waiting for you to wake up and didn¡¯t even have breakfast.¡± M sighed. Both the father and daughter pair were stubborn and difficult to deal with.. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°How can that be?¡± Be, who had beenzily lying down, sat up abruptly upon hearing that Wyatt hadn¡¯t eaten due to her. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go over and pry open his mouth to feed him!¡± Suddenly, she asked, ¡°By the way, how did Ie backst night?¡± Sasha replied, ¡°Asher carried you back.¡± ¡®Of course, it would be Ash. Big brother is always so reliable.¡± Be thought to herself. Sasha said with a frown, ¡°But when Asher brought you back, his expression wasn¡¯t great. I rarely see him in such a mood. Girl, what did you do to him?¡± Be was stunned and said, ¡°How could I even dare do anything to Ash? I only make trouble for outsiders, but never for my family. Your all know that.¡± M and Sasha said simultaneously, ¡°So, he did something to someone else.¡± Be rubbed her sore forehead. She turned over and got out of bed. Well, let¡¯s not worry about that now. I¡¯ll go see Wyatt first.¡± In the study, Wyatt sat on the sofa, sighing. His brows were furrowed Recalling the previous night when Asher brought Be back from Savrow. Her face was pale, and she squirmed in pain even in her sleep. His heart felt ufortable, as if it were being stabbed with a knife. ¡°Chairman, have you looked at the trending searches today? The inte is full of praise for Ms. Be. They are making her out to be a goddess descended into the mortal realm.¡± Quentin said, trying to lighten up the mood. ¡°A goddess? I think she¡¯s more like a mischievous monkey. She won¡¯t be happy until she creates trouble!¡± Wyatt snapped and pped the armrest in frustration. ¡°Is it so hard for her to just be a pampered, wealthy heiress? Does she have to create chaos to feel content?¡± Celeste blinked in surprise, her bright eyes showing bewilderment. Wyatt, do you¡­ Did you already know that Alexa is Be¡¯s pseudonym?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. Apart from the fact that I didn¡¯t know she married that Salvador boy, what else is there that I don¡¯t know about her?¡± Wyatt eximed as he pped his thighs in frustration. The little girl he used to change diapers for is now gradually going wild in her pursuits. Her actions were bing increasingly unpredictable, and he found it harder and harder to manage. ¡°Well, you should be proud of Be, then,¡± Celeste suggested. The thought of Be being Alexa excited Celeste, and her delicate cheeks flushed. ¡°A top-tier jewelry designer! The Queen of Inalia wears her jewelry at state banquets. M and Sasha say this. aplishment is worth boasting about for a lifetime. It¡¯s a glory our family!¡± ¡°Celeste, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t appreciate Be¡¯s talent. It¡¯s just that I feel she¡¯s too mboyant and unrestrained in her actions. She has been doing things with such a domineering attitude in Savrow, so she¡¯ll make enemies and get into trouble!¡± Wyatt massaged his temples in frustration. Wyatt added, ¡°Nowadays, people are not to be trusted. They are all harboring ill intentions. I¡¯m afraid she might be plotted against! Even if I have connections and can help her out, it might be toote by the time we act.¡± At that moment, the door opened, and Be swaggered in with at radiant face. ¡°Hmph! Let me take a look. Which little brat here isn¡¯t obedient? If you don¡¯t eat properly, I¡¯ll pry open your treasure trove and donate all those vases and pots to the old folks¡¯ home to use as chamber pots!¡± ¡°Be, are you feeling alright?¡± Celeste quickly asked with concern. Chapter 457 ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Celeste. I¡¯m okay.¡± Be reassured Celeste while. hugging her gorgeous stepmother. ¡°Both of you can talk. I¡¯ll go prepare some snacks for you.¡± Celestel indicated that Wyatt was still upset by raising her hands above her head in the shape of horns. Be gave an ¡°OK¡± sign and winked at her as Celeste turned to leave. Quentin tactfully left as well. ¡°Wyatt, I overheard everything you said to Aunt Celeste just now from outside.¡± Be sat down next to her elderly father and embraced him like a friend. She rested her head against his and said, ¡°Dad, you really underestimate me. My arrogance shows I have the confidence and ability to be arrogant. None of those domestic canaries canpete with a true phoenix like me.¡± ¡°Yeah, you are my golden phoenix, but the wild chickens are always pecking at you. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± Wyatt shook his head helplessly. ¡°Why are you provoking them? I constantly have to worry about you because of the chaos it is creating.¡± ¡°Wild chickens? Are you talking about the Salvadors?¡± Be couldn¡¯t help butugh, her voice as melodious as a nightingale. ¡°Wyatt, your tongue is even sharper than mine. I admit I was a bit rude to you just now.¡± ¡°You know your old man is just afraid you might suffer because of your stubbornness. I want nothing but the best for you!¡± Wyatt indulgently hugged his daughter. Suddenly, he remembered. something and frowned, asking, ¡°You made a fuss at the Salvadors event. As the president of Salvador Corporation, didn¡¯t Justin give you a hard time?¡± Be¡¯s heart fluttered slightly, and she shook her head. ¡°No, and he even yed a part in this incident. initially thought that the female. reporter who came forward to use Bethany was unconscious. It turns out Justin had secretly helped her and brought her to the charity event.¡± Wyatt raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°He used the event to solve his own problems. That guy has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. No wonder he¡¯s held onto the president position so securely over the years.¡± Wyatt sneered, unable to resist teasing her, ¡°You¡¯ve been married to him for three years and haven¡¯t been schemed against. That¡¯s quite fortunate.¡± ¡°Wyatt, the one who dares to mess with me hasn¡¯t been born yet.¡± Be shed her white teeth, resembling a young lioness. At that moment, Wyatt¡¯s phone rang. Be picked it up from the coffee table for her father and nced at the screen, her eyes darkening. ¡°Who is it?¡± Wyatt asked. Be replied with a cold expression, ¡°It¡¯s Gregory Salvador.¡± Wyattmented, ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t your ex-father-inw.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Be blushed with anger, a rare sight for someone who was not easily provoked. Wyatt cleared his throat and calmly pressed the speaker button.¡± What¡¯s the matter, Chairman Salvador?¡± ¡°Chairman Thompson, I¡¯d like to talk to you aboutst night¡¯s incident.¡± Despite his usual proud and arrogant attitude, Gregory disyed a more subdued attitude this time. His tone was amiable. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to Hatchbay shortly. Can I invite you for a casual meal and some tea?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you and I have much business to discusstely.¡± Wyatt hinted with a smirk, patting his daughter¡¯s head. ¡°Besides, my daughter is back, and I have to spend time with her. If you have anything to say, say it here.¡± Gregory paused, chuckling nervously. ¡°Chairman Thompson, there must have been some misunderstanding regarding the charity. auctionst night. The receipt wasn¡¯t signed by my daughter, Bethany. It was forged, so it¡¯s not valid.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Chairman Salvador, I think it¡¯s pointless for us to discuss anything here concerning the matter of your daughter imitating my daughter¡¯s work. Let your legal team talk to my legal team.¡± Wyatt maintained a completely indifferent attitude. ¡°Chairman Thompson! Are you really nning to sue us over this trivial matter?¡± Gregory seemed visibly anxious. ¡°Trivial?¡± Wyatt¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. ¡°Anything rted to my daughter is a big deal to me.¡± Be was seated at Wyatt¡¯s side like a docile kitten as she listened in on their conversation. Hearing his words, her eyes sparkled with admiration. She seemed to better understand why her mother chose this flirtatious yboy. ¡°Chairman Thompson, it seems there¡¯s nothing left for us to discuss, is that right?¡± Gregory asked, suppressing his anger. Wyatt¡¯s gaze turned icy. He rubbed his cheekbone and said, ¡°As I grow older, I be more petty. In business, I can weigh the pros and cons, but I won¡¯tpromise when ites to my family. In short, whoever messes with my daughter, I¡¯ll mess with them.¡± Chapter 458 Overnight, Bethany was once again the focus of the inte¡¯s trending searches. Her every move sent shockwaves. Not only that, she caused Salvador Corporation¡¯s stocks to plummet by hundreds of millions in a single day. It was truly a remarkable feat.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Following the incident, Ada Wang publicly announced the termination of her cooperation with the Salvador Hotel. The subsequent day witnessed a further esction in trending searches, apanied by a drastic plunge in Salvador Corporation¡¯s stocks. The online criticism of Bethany has never ceased. [Some wealthy youngdies are phoenixes, while others are not even as good as ordinary hens. Ms. Thompson is beautiful, kind-hearted, and talented. She can manage hotels and design jewelry. But some only know how to use deceitful and underhanded methods. It¡¯s embarrassing to think that this is the treatment Ada Wang received for her first visit to Savrow!] [Don¡¯tpare Bethany Salvador with our lovely Ms. Thompson/Alexa. She¡¯s not worthy!] [I¡¯m not surprised that Bethany would do this. Like father, like daughter. If you know, you know.] [Seriously, is there anyone decent in the Salvador family?! What kind of evil family is this? Can the relevant authorities investigate them?] In response to the crisis, Justin utilized his authority as president to convene an emergency high-level meeting without even informing Gregory. Bethany¡¯s designated seat at the meeting table remained empty. She had been iming illness and avoiding people for the past few days, probably too ashamed to face anyone. ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase.¡± Justin leaned forward, his tall, elegant figure exuding authority. His fingers were inteced, and his dark eyes were intimidating. ¡°I assume everyone here knows what happened during the charity event at KS World Hotelst time.¡± The room fell silent, with everyone nodding in agreement. ¡°On behalf of the Salvador Corporation, I will announce the oue of the resolution.¡± Justin¡¯s gaze darkened as he motioned with a finger. Ian promptly produced an official document and read aloud: ¡°Regarding the detrimental impact caused by Ms. Bethany Salvador, a director of the Salvador Corporation, we hereby announce the punitive measures. As of today, Ms. Salvador is dismissed from her position as a director, her hotel project nning authority is revoked, and she is directed to actively cooperate with the police investigation. As for the serious consequences arising from Ms. Salvador¡¯s mishandling of the Ada Wang wedding nning incident, it is deemed her personal conduct, and the Salvador Corporation will not assume responsibility. Any losses incurred due to the infringement of KS World Hotel¡¯s rights will be borne solely by Ms. Salvador, and the Salvador Corporation will not provide any assistance.¡± The crowd was shocked. A murmur swept through. Bethany was the chairman¡¯s daughter and Justin¡¯s sister. Even if they were not particrly close due to having different mothers, the severity of this decision was surprising. Though one should reap what one sows, Justin¡¯s ruthlessness toward his own family was astounding! ¡°No! I do not ept this punishment!¡± A sharp and piercing voice cut through the room. Shannon, adorned in jewels, assumed the posture of the chairman¡¯s wife and entered forcefully. Justin raised a cold eyebrow, his voice carrying a chilling tone as he said, ¡°Secretary Harris, people unrted to this meeting should not be present in the conference room.¡± Ian moved swiftly and intercepted Shannon. ¡°Mrs. Salvador, the president is currently in a meeting. I kindly ask you to leave immediately.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you drive me away?!¡± Unable to contain her anger upon hearing the resolution, Shannon took out her frustration on Ian. She grabbed his cor and tore at it viciously. ¡°I am the chairman¡¯s wife! The entirepany belongs to the Salvador family. Why should I leave?!¡± The executives in the room cast sidelong nces at this furious woman. If she didn¡¯t announce herself as the chairman¡¯s wife, she mighte across as amon shrew. Justin slowly curled his thin lips, his eyes revealing a cold mockery. ¡°Mrs. Salvador, there is no position at the Salvador Group called ¡®the chairman¡¯s wife¡¯.¡± ¡°Justin¡­ you!¡± Shannon¡¯s eyes turned red with anger. The executives emitted low, mockingughter. ¡°As for the resolution on Bethany, I have already issued the official end will be and do the art of every employee in the Bitch The warli change a thing the thuang We Chair Shannon fara sanud dating gate the staggered sha kur kamen diejek on the back of her hand with a club. instead of addeening far as an ¡°Mc Guarry¡± Chapter 459 Clearly, Justin was humiliating her. Sure enough, the way everyone. looked at her gradually changed, revealing a trace of contempt and disdain. ¡°Even if you¡¯re the president, you can¡¯t handle the decisions of the.pany¡¯s board arbitrarily! The chairman should make a decision in this situation! How can you act unterally?!¡± Shannon found herself helpless and could only bring up Gregory to suppress him. Justin¡¯s thin lips curled slightly as he asked with a light tone, ¡°Ms. Quarry, are you implying that the chairman will definitely tolerate Bethany¡¯s actions, even if she is suspected ofmercial theft and fraud? Even if she caused thepany¡¯s stock to plummet by billions, of dors overnight, the chairman would still want to preserve her position on the board just because she¡¯s the chairman¡¯s daughter?¡± Justin asked several questions in a row. Each question was like a knife, striking at the heart of the matter! The senior executives looked at Shannon with sharp scrutiny. Shannon was angered to the point where her whole body felt cold and numb. Her scalp tingled with humiliation, as if she were stripped. naked in public. ¡°I understand that there¡¯s no absolute fairness in the workce. The fairness we see is like a gorgeous robe, and when you flip it open, it¡¯s infested with lice.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes shined brightly as he spoke with conviction, ¡°However, as long as I am the president of thispany, I will not let these lice wreak havoc. As long as I am here, they will not see the light of day.¡± He didn¡¯t utter a single word of insult toward Shannon. But Shannon felt like she had been verbally sttered with blood and mud. As his words fell, the scene suddenly became quiet. A few secondster, the eyes of the senior executives sparkled, evidently moved by Justin¡¯s resolute speech, and apuse thundered through the room. The news of Shannon causing a scene in the high-level meeting quickly circted throughout the company. Employees gathered around the pantry,ughing about the chairman¡¯s wife and her absurd clown-like behavior. ¡°Can you believe she barged into a board meeting like that? What kind. of manners is that? It¡¯s not even appropriate for a dog!¡± The news of Bethany¡¯s dismissal was also sent out to everyone via email. ¡°Well, she¡¯s finally removed. Thank goodness for small mercies!¡± ¡°What small mercies? It¡¯s thanks to Mr. Salvador! When I get back, I¡¯m putting up Mr. Salvador¡¯s handsome photo for daily worship. He¡¯s the true deity!¡± ¡°Does this count as cutting ties with one¡¯s own kin?¡± ¡°Nah! This is righteous retribution! Besides, they are just half siblings.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I don¡¯t care! Bethany had iting!¡± Although there was no sry increase or bonus, it was immensely satisfying to see the mother-and- daughter pair suffer a setback. Back in the office,n was so excited that he almost jumped in joy. ¡°Mr. Salvador! It¡¯s so satisfying to see that old hag take such a big hit and be theughingstock of the entirepany! Even a foot massage doesn¡¯t feel as good!¡± Justin gaven a casual nce and remarked, ¡°Do you often go for foot massages? Are you under a lot of stress working for me?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Uh, well¡­ Not exactly!¡±n waved his hands awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s a metaphor! A metaphor, Mr. Salvador!¡± ¡°Has the investigation begun?¡± Justin walked to the sofa and seated himself elegantly. ¡°I heard that Young Madam¡¯s secretary has submitted evidence to the prosecutor, and a media ban has been issued. Bethany can¡¯t escape. now.¡±n was so delighted that he called Bethany by name without reservation. ¡°Hmm.¡± Justin¡¯s gaze remained profound, and his expression. remained calm. After all, it wasn¡¯t him but Be who would be dealing with Shannon and Bethany. He simply wanted to help her in any way. he could. ¡°By the way, Mr. Salvador, I inquired at the hospital after that incident. Young Madam had a stomach cramp and remained at the hospital until midnight.¡±n frowned. Justin pressed his thin lips tightly, his heart entangled in an indescribable worry that tightened with each passing moment. ¡°So¡­ Do you want to find an excuse to go see Young Madam? How about I buy some medicine and deliver it to her on your behalf?¡± ¡°Do I need an excuse to go see her?¡± Justin¡¯s brows furrowed with frustration. ¡°No, of course not,¡±n stammered. Justin added, ¡°Besides, why would I go and deliver anything to her?¡± Chapter 460 The corners of Justin¡¯s stiff lips tugged, and his ink-ck eyes fille with bitterness. ¡°Isn¡¯t Christopher by her side? At the very least, she has a band of brothers. Why should go and make her feel better? Am I that foolish?¡± Anxious for Justin¡¯s situation,n blurted out, ¡°Mr. Salvador! Your current position in Young Madam¡¯s heart is not favorable! Being foolish is your only way out now! If you don¡¯t act foolishly, Young Madam won¡¯te back!¡± Beforen finished speaking, Justin shot him a cold nce.n was so startled that he choked on his saliva and coughed several times. ¡°We are divorced. Once broken, a mirror can¡¯t be mended. I have not intention of winning her back.¡± Justin felt suffocated in his chest. His voice was deep and hoarse, as if he swallowed all the bitterness in the world. ¡°What is mine will not leave me. It¡¯s pointless to chase after what is not mine. I have never regretted letting her go¡­ Ever.¡± Shannon returned to Tideview Manor with a heart full of grievances. From the moment she entered, she burst into tears. She entered the study and clung to Gregory. Tears and snot flowed freely from her face. ¡°Greg! How can Justin be so heartless? Bethany is his sister! It¡¯s already too much that he¡¯s not helping her. How can he dismiss Bethany from her position? How will she hold her head up in thepany from now on?! He wants to establish a dictatorship in thepany. He wants to control everything. After bing president, he looks down on you more!¡± ¡°I gave the order to dismiss her.¡± Gregory felt irritated and pushed her away slowly. ¡°I made Justin dismiss Bethany.¡± Strangely, in the past, Shannon¡¯s tears had always been effective on him. But now, seeing her cry made him ufortable. He just wanted to find a quiet ce to be alone. During such moments, he couldn¡¯t help but unconsciously think about. Justin¡¯s mother. She was inherently a cold and stubborn woman. She had never shed a tear for him, nor had she looked at him with affection and indulgence like Shannon did. For most of his life, Gregory¡¯s greatest regret was never truly conquering Justin¡¯s mother. Shannon appeared during that most sensitive period and fulfilled his vanity as a man and his desire to conquer a woman. If only she had yielded to him back then, would their rtionship have reached such a point? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Gregory knew he loved Justin¡¯s mother. Perhaps even more than she loved him. ¡°Greg¡­ What are you saying?¡± Shannon lifted her tear-swollen face, and her eyes were filled with astonishment. ¡°With this matter at hand, how can I support her in holding onto the position? If I forcefully support her, what about my dignity as the chairman? What about the prestige? How will the outside world view the Salvador Corporation?¡± Gregory¡¯s tone was icy, and he clearly felt unhappy. Shannon asked tearfully, ¡°Is our child important, or is the chairman¡¯s reputation more important?¡± ¡°I am Bethany¡¯s father.¡± Gregory turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°But I am also at the helm of the Salvador Corporation! You can pamper the child limitlessly, but I cannot disregard the entire company!¡± ¡°Greg! How can you say such things? Have you grown tired of me?! Don¡¯t you love me anymore?!¡± In a moment of anger, Shannon asked a foolish question, one that many men find most repulsive. ¡°Now Wyatt has made it clear that he will stand by Be to the end, and we will likely face a legal battle. I am swamped with work right now, and I am in no mood to argue with you about these matters! Instead of crying and making a scene here, why don¡¯t you focus on disciplining your own daughter!¡± Filled with resentment, Gregory abruptly stood up, causing Shannon to tumble onto the sofa. ¡°Do you know how much trouble Bethany has caused over the years? I wiped her bottom when she was little. Now, she¡¯s 25. Do I still need to clean up her mess?¡± Shannon shivered in fear. ¡°Greg¡­¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand. Both are my flesh and blood. But why is Mary¡¯s child so reassuring? Over the years, Justin has managed thepany in such an orderly fashion that it has surpassed the Iverson. Group, which has always been on par with us. His achievements are remarkable! But what about you? What can your children do besides causing trouble for the family? Stop running around recklessly and stay home to reflect on yourself.¡± After saying this, Gregory decisively left the room. With a bang, the door was mmed shut. Shannon¡¯s eyes were now crimson and filled with angry and sorrowful tears, which rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Mary?! So, you still can¡¯t forget that damn bitch! Haha¡­ But even if you can¡¯t forget, so what? In the end, she still died in my hands, dead without peace.¡± Shannon was crying andughing at the same time, like a mentally unsound person. She remembered the words Justin said to her in the meeting earlier today, and it fueled her anger even more. ¡°Mary, it¡¯s not enough that you¡¯re dead¡­ I want your most beloved son to be ruined as well!¡± Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Things were chaotic over at the Salvadors¡¯. Meanwhile, Be enjoyed basking in the sunlight while swinging at Yara Park. No one but her would upy the swing. Her father, Wyatt, made the swing especially for her mother. It was said that her mother would enjoy a nice swing, her feet bare against the wind. On asion, she would lie down for a nap under the gentle afternoon sun. Wyatt would always be there to push Yara on the swing. Their lovely shadows intertwined under the sunlight, yo-yoing back and forth. He would sometimes nestle with her in silence and enjoy the blooming flowers and rolling clouds. Later, Yara passed away. Still, Wyatt did not stop telling the household staff to clean the swing every day. It was as if Yara was away on a holiday and would be back once she had had enough fun. ¡°Ms. Be, Ada has expressed tremendous interest in adopting our service again. She wants to invite you to dinner and properly apologize to you.¡± Steven pushed Be on the swing. ¡°She couldn¡¯t get in touch with you, so she contacted me. She¡¯s been bombarding my phone with calls in thest two days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good opportunity for you to practice your foreignnguage.¡± Be chomped on another bite of the apple. ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me again.¡± Steven let out a wry face, his eyes falling on her moving lips. Her lips were full, luscious, and more tempting than the apple in her hand. He swallowed hard. ¡°If it were in the past, you would have epted her invitation for the interest of the hotel even if you didn¡¯t want to.¡± Be munched on her apple and tapped her toes on the ground. ¡°But I¡¯m her idol now because I¡¯m Alexa. I can¡¯t just ept her invitation right away. My single appearance as Alexa has served its purpose.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Ada has been rude to you, and if there¡¯s one thing she should take away from, it¡¯s that crossing youes with consequences.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not entirely so. I¡¯m just feeling a little tiredtely, so I¡¯m not in the mood to socialize.¡± Be yawned. ¡°Besides, the Mint event was a sess, so we can afford to lose the coboration with Ada.¡± Either way, Ada shot herself in the foot for shutting Be out previously: Be¡¯s phone rang. Although Be was hesitant to ept a call from an unknown number, she still answered it in the end. ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Anna Brown?¡± Be was brought back to the past. It had been a while since she heard the name. Those words unearthed a dormant memory buried deep inside her. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Hello there, I¡¯m Anna.¡± ¡°Ms. Brown, I¡¯m calling from Mount Jaglee National Forest Park. I¡¯m the new captain of the park rangers and a student of Frank. You can call me Xavier.¡± Unbeknownst to the man on the other end of the line, he was talking, to the well-known heiress of the Thompsons. Mount Jaglee was the national forest park where Be first met Justin. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Be and Justin had met at Mount Jaglee National Forest Park for the first time thirteen years ago. It was the ce where Justin saved Be¡¯s life. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re a student of Frank? Is Frank no longer the captain?¡± Be¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of an old friend. ¡°Yeah, Frank will be retiring next month. He¡¯ll be performing hisst rounds this month. Once he does the final handover, he will be returning to his hometown.¡± Xavier sighed. ¡°I saw your name in Frank¡¯s list of contacts, so you must be important to him. He expressed his wish to have a quiet retirement, but I hope you could make time to visit him and give him good farewell. Frank has pancreatic cancer, so we don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll ever get to see him again.¡± ¡°What? Frank has¡­¡± Be sat up straight, her heart aching. ¡°When he received his diagnosis, the pancreatic cancer was already in its advanced stage. You understand. The pancreatic cancer spreads fast.¡± Xavier choked with sobs. ¡°I see.¡± Be murmured with a heavy heart, ¡°I¡¯ll make time to visit Frank.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t let him know what I told you. He¡¯s a proud man who doesn¡¯t want to show vulnerability. He doesn¡¯t want to a pity party, so ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve known Frank for thirteen years. I know him well. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± After the phone call, Be sat vacantly on the swing. Momentster, her eyes welled up. ¡°Ms. Be, who is Frank? Uh¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± Steven got down on one knee and pulled out a clean handkerchief to wipe her tears. ¡°An old friend.¡± It took a lot for Be to move her lips as her heart bled. ¡°Help me to get in touch with any sessful gastroenterologist in Savrow and Hatchbay, Steve. I want to do everything in my power to help my friend.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get straight to it,¡± Steven said in a serious tone. He respected Be¡¯s privacy and dropped the questions when she was not ready to talk. Another call quickly came in. This time, it was Be¡¯s adorable apprentice, Roza Walker. ¡°Roza¡­¡± Be had just pulled herself together when Roza¡¯s loud voice threatened to burst her eardrums. ¡°Ah! You liar! You¡¯re Be Thompson, heiress of KS Group, and Alexa, the legendary jewelry designer¡­ I can¡¯t believe you kept it from me. Sob, sob¡­ I want to call the cops on you. You tricked me!¡± ¡°Did you just find out? That¡¯s slow.¡± Be sneered and grabbed the handkerchief from Steven to blow her nose. ¡°I should y more tricks on you since I¡¯m a trickster, ording to you.¡± After the utter humiliation from Justin, things did not get any better for Shannon when she approached Gregory. In fact, she broke the character of being a devoted, gentle, and loving wife. Unable to let it go, Shannon took Bethany, who cried her eyes out, to the Hoffmans¡¯ residence in the middle of the night. ¡°You can¡¯t get anything right.¡± Annoyed by Bethany¡¯s crying, Shannon poked her head with her red- painted fingernail and drew blood. ¡°Before, you took Rosalind¡¯s side because the scheming bitch was going to be your sister-inw. You thought you could handle her.¡± Chapter 463 Chapter 463 ¡°But you were careless, and Rosalind yed you like a fiddle. If I hadn¡¯t acted quickly ande to your rescue, your grandfather and father would have turned you away after what you did at your grandfather¡¯s birthday celebration.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dad¡¯s favorite. How could he abandon me?¡± Not having it, Bethany talked back. Smack! Livid, Shannon pped Bethany. ¡°I didn¡¯t raise you to be disrespectful. How dare you talk back to me!¡± Dumbfounded by the blow, Bethany put her hand over her cheek and curled up into a ball. She hid the resentment in her eyes. ¡°You hang around Zoe, but the girl has you fooled. What are you good for? Thank goodness you¡¯re not in charge. Otherwise, you would have bankrupted the family business a long time ago.¡± Feeling battered by Justin and Gregory, Shannon turned her anger on Bethany. ¡°You shouldy low like your sister since you¡¯re not as intelligent as Zoe and Rosalind. Stop trying to get one up on Be. If your sister weren¡¯t mentally challenged, she would be far morepetent than you. If I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t put all my eggs in one basket. You¡¯re such a loser!¡± In other words, Shannon was saying that Bethany was worse than Carrie. Bethany gnashed her teeth resentfully without saying a word. Tears of humiliation pooled in her bloodshot eyes. Shannon dragged a crying Bethany to the Hoffmans¡¯ residence. The household staff was speechless and gave Bethany, who had gone viral online, strange looks. ¡°Oh, my. What happened to Ms. Bethany? Don¡¯t tell me Young Master Ryan got her pregnant.¡± ¡°Ms. Bethany is not pregnant, is she?¡± ¡°Impossible. Young Master Ryan might be a yboy, but he wouldn¡¯t bring his personal affairs here.¡± ¡°Besides, Young Master Ryan has high standards. I doubt Ms. Bethany makes the cut. She¡¯s got a bad reputation.¡± The chatter drove Bethany to see red. These people worked for the Hoffmans, so she was not in a position to yell at them. Anger overwhelmed her every being. ¡°Where¡¯s Mrs. Hoffman? I want to see her now.¡± Shannon shouted at the butler. It was clear that she was looking for trouble. ¡°Mrs. Hoffman isn¡¯t well to see visitors. Please leave, Mrs. Salvador.¡± The butler made up an excuse with a dryugh. ¡°Cut the bullshit. Her daughter took advantage of mine, and now my daughter is ruined. Do they think they can solve the issue by holing up at home?¡± With rage consuming her, Shannon left her inhibitions out the window. She was not at the Salvadors¡¯ residence, so she did not have to keep up with appearances anyway. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until Mrs. Hoffman responds to the issue now.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Mrs. Salvador, you¡¯re at the Hoffmans¡¯ residence, not the market. There¡¯s no need to yell at me.¡± Mrs. Hoffman held Zoe¡¯s arm as they strutted down the swiveling staircase. She presented herself with grace, outshining Shannon by miles. Bethany had been weighing her fighting chance while on the way, but she lost the will when the mother-inw of her dreams faced off with her embarrassing aggressor of a mother. ¡°No need to yell? Haha. Mrs. Hoffman, you drove me to it.¡± Shannon looked daggers at Zoe, who clung to her mother in fright. Your daughter gave my daughter fake Alexa jewelry and signed my daughter¡¯s name on the receipt so that my daughter could take the fall. She wasn¡¯t even apologetic, and she acted like she wasn¡¯t involved. That¡¯s underhanded for your family.¡± Chapter 464 Chapter 464 The Hoffmans¡¯ household staff gasped and covered their mouths in shock. Knowing that Gregory would act in her favor, Shannon tried to push the me on the Hoffmans. Everybody, including a wide-eyed Mrs. Hoffman, looked at Zoe in unison. ¡°Is that true, Zoe?¡± Zoe yed it innocent and refuted Shannon¡¯s usations with furrowed brows. ¡°I would never do such a thing, Mommy. Bethany was the one who came up with the idea to give Ada Wang counterfeit jewelry.¡± Bethany was furious with Zoe for twisting the facts. She red at Zoe and shouted angrily, ¡°You¡¯re lying, Zoe! You suggested the idea to help me win Ada over and defeat Be in the process.¡± ¡°Be? Are you talking about Be Thompson? What does she have to do with anything?¡± Mrs. Hoffman asked in surprise. ¡°I-¡± Speechless, Zoe broke out in a cold sweat. Bethany, the pea brain, threw Be¡¯s name out. She must be determined to end their friendship. ¡°Where do you think you are, Mrs. Salvador? This is not a ce for you to raise your voice.¡± A chilling voice echoed through the room, startling Bethany. Ryan approached from the main entrance with a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with you embarrassing yourselves, but don¡¯t drag my family down with you.¡± ¡°Young Master Ryan!¡± The butler and other household staff greeted him. ¡°Ryan!¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes welled up as her hero came to save the day. Ryan could not stand Bethany to begin with. Since Ryan adored his sister unconditionally, he would definitely take Zoe¡¯s side, no questions asked. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re great friends with Justin, Ryan. Our families have a long- standing rtionship. How can you be disrespectful to me?¡± Shannon was furious. ¡°Justin and I are buddies, and that¡¯s between us. What does our friendship have to do with you? You didn¡¯t give birth to or raise Justin.¡± Tilting his head, Ryan smiled and added, ¡°You have never been nurturing to Justin, so don¡¯t use that on me now.¡± It never urred to Shannon that Ryan was so two-faced. He was courteous when he was at the Salvadors¡¯ residence, but on his turf, he did not hide his contempt and disgust for her. That was only because Gregory backed her up. Should one day Gregory lose interest in her, Shannon would probably be a nobody in her social circle. Shannon felt chills down her spine. She had been Mrs. Salvador for over two decades. She seemed like she had it all, but she could not even get the basic respect. ¡°Bethany went too far. She tried to drag me into her own mess and frame me, Ryan!¡± Zoe threw herself into Ryan¡¯s embrace and wrapped her arms around him. ¡°I was wrong, Ryan. You told me to stop hanging out with her, but I didn¡¯t listen. I realize now that I was dumb enough not to take your advice. I will never act on my own again. I¡¯ll stop being stubborn and listen to you for once.¡± ¡°Is it true what Bethany said, Zoe?¡± Ryan stared at Zoe as if to see through her, his voice strained with emotion. ¡°Did you have the jewelry forged with the intention of harming Ms. Thompson?¡± ¡°No! It wasn¡¯t me! It was Bethany¡¯s idea.¡± With a pale face, Zoe shook her head in a panic. ¡°Stop talking your way out of it, Zoe!¡± Bethany pointed at Zoe¡¯s face with rage. ¡°The man who forged the jewelry is Alexa¡¯s apprentice, and he¡¯s from Inalia. Even if I wanted to seek an imitation, I would¡¯ve found someone locally on short notice. Why would I get someone from Inalia?¡± Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Bethany said to Zoe, ¡°You studied abroad in Inalia. Only you would have the resources and connections to pull it off. If you¡¯re going to deny it, why don¡¯t we call Tyler right now and ask him?¡± ¡°Ask him?¡± Zoe snapped back menacingly, ¡°For you to suggest that, I can assume that you nned this. For all I know, you might have bribed the man. You¡¯re only trying to frame me.¡± The women were at each other¡¯s throats. ¡°Way to kill two birds with one stone, Ms. Hoffman.¡± As arguing was not getting them anywhere, Shannon put the focus on Be. ¡°You used my daughter against Be. You saw our rivalry with the KS World Hotel as a chance to screw Be over. If the n was a sess, you would¡¯ve gotten what you wanted. If it failed, you could just push the me to Bethany and get off unscathed. Haha¡­ Be turns out to be Alexa. Otherwise, you would have pulled the whole thing off.¡± With her heart in her throat, Zoe¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Mrs. Salvador, that¡¯s a huge usation to make.¡± ¡°Were you the one who plotted against Ms. Thompson, Zoe?¡± Mrs. Hoffman was taken aback. Mrs. Hoffman was poor in health, and the bombshell dropped left her shaken. She held onto the banister to keep herself from falling. ¡°Mommy, Ryan, I have nothing against Be. Why would I have a problem with her?¡± Zoe stamped her foot exasperatedly, like she would when she was little. In the past, Ryan would fold to Zoe¡¯s will every time she threw a tantrum. No matter what she did, Ryan would console her and leave the issue in the past whenever she made a fuss. However, her heart was racing, and her knees were going weak because of the way Ryan was staring at her now. ¡°Nothing against Be? More like you have a huge problem with her.¡± Bethany blurted out Zoe¡¯s dark thoughts. ¡°You like Justin, so you¡¯re jealous of Be, who is his ex-wife. You can¡¯t get over how Justin doesn¡¯t give you any attention but gives the world to Be. That¡¯s the reason you want to ruin her.¡± ¡°But you forgot one thing, Ms. Hoffman.¡± Shannon sneered, ¡°Be is important to Justin and Ryan. ¡°If I remember correctly, Ryan once pursued Be. Although he didn¡¯t end up dating her, I doubt he would allow anybody to pick on his crush.¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± Zoe trembled, her hands clenching. ¡°Don¡¯t believe them, Ryan. It¡¯s true that I have feelings for Justin, but they are divorced. Why would I go after Be? It¡¯s not like I have nothing better to do.¡± Ryan gasped to himself, his expression grimacing. For some reason, he could not hear a wording from his sister, despite her screaming. As tension rose to an all-time high, Ryan¡¯s secretary, Yasmin, rushed into the room. ¡°The cops are here, Young Master Ryan.¡± While talking, Yasmin nced at Bethany. ¡°They must have been to the Salvadors¡¯ home, but upon learning that Ms. Bethany was here, they came over.¡± ¡°T-The police?¡± Bethany went weak in the knees. Color drained from Shannon¡¯splexion as she clung to her daughter¡¯s shaking arms. ¡°Ms. Bethany Salvador.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. The police officers in civilian clothes barged into the house. ¡°We received a tip-off that you are linked to KS World Hotel¡¯s ssified information being leaked out. We need your cooperation with the investigation. Pleasee with us.¡± Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Bethany froze. ¡°Mom! Save me, Mom! Mom!¡± As the police took her daughter away, thest thing on Shannon¡¯s mind was keeping up with appearances. She went up to stop thew enforcement. ¡°My daughter was framed. Don¡¯t you know how to do your job? Why are you arresting an innocent civilian?¡± Ryan watched coldly as Shannon and Bethany stirred up drama. He hoped the police officers would make the arrest swift before he had to listen to more of their nonsense. ¡°We can charge you for obstruction of justice if you don¡¯t let go, Mrs. Salvador.¡± The police officers were indifferent to Shannon. ¡°Sir, my daughter was framed. Zoe Hoffman set her up!¡± Shocked and furious, Shannon red at Zoe. ¡°W-What does it have to do with me? Even if I forged a ne, I could just pay a fine for the vition of copyrights. I didn¡¯t leak any trade secrets. It was your daughter who thought she could take on Be. She got what she deserved.¡± It then struck Zoe what she just said, so she covered her mouth. Oh, shit. She spilled the beans on herself in a desperate attempt to disassociate herself from Bethany. She felt a piercing gaze on her back. Turning around, Zoe met Ryan¡¯s eyes. His gaze was filled with anger, shock, dejection, and disappointment. ¡°Your sister isn¡¯t as innocent as you think she is, Ryan. She¡¯s maniptive. She tricked me and you.¡± Bethany¡¯s heart-wrenching cries echoed in the Hoffmans¡¯ residence.¡± Zoe, I can¡¯t believe you made me a pawn and a scapegoat! I will make you pay! Just you wait!¡± ¡°Come here, Zoe.¡± Scared by Shannon and Bethany, Mrs. Hoffman nervously beckoned Zoe over. ¡°Mommy!¡± Still reeling in shock, Zoe moved toward her mother when Ryan grabbed her by the wrist. ¡°R-Ryan.¡± She shivered. ¡°Why did you do it, Zoe? Was it to take revenge on Be?¡± Ryan asked with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Bethany made it all up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y stubborn with me.¡± Ryan yelled while gripping his fingers tightly. Zoe whimpered in pain. ¡± Ow¡­ Let go, Ryan. You¡¯re hurting me. Help me, Mommy!¡± ¡°Let her go now, Ryan! Are you trying to break your sister¡¯s hand?¡± Mrs. Hoffman rushed over in dismay and pried open Ryan¡¯s grasp over her daughter. She pulled Zoe into her arms to shield her. ¡°Just talk it out.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Talk it out? I gave her a chance to talk, but what did she do?¡± Consumed by rage, Ryan red at Zoe¡¯s tearful eyes. She looked like an innocent angel. The heartache coursed through his veins. ¡°She lied many times to cover up the things she did. She colluded with Bethany to set Be up. ¡°What did Be ever do to you? Why must you ruin her? Is it because she is Justin¡¯s ex-wife? Is that a reason to harm her?¡± ¡°Enough, Ryan! You grew up with Zoe. You should know better than anyone else that she doesn¡¯t have the heart to harm another soul. Mrs. Hoffman patted her daughter¡¯s spasming back infort. ¡°Even if Zoe went astray, the girl, Bethany, was a bad influence on her. Why are you dragging your sister into this? If word gets out, she might be taken in for questioning.¡± ¡°She took the private jet abroad before Bethany and Ada signed a contract. I asked her where she was going, and she said that she wanted to see a fashion show in Feranco. I told Yasmin to look into it, but you never went to Feranco. You went to Inalia. If you had nothing to hide, why did you lie about where you were going?¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was hoarse. His veins showed on his forehead. ¡°When Bethany was taken away, you admitted to forging the jewelry. What do you have to say for yourself? Dad is probably rolling in his grave, realizing that his precious daughter has be conniving.¡± ¡°Ryan! How could you insult your sister?¡± Mrs. Hoffman was filled with mixed feelings, thinking about herte husband. Her eyes welled up. ¡°You¡¯re a bastard, Ryan!¡± Zoe was insulted and furious. All the pent-up emotions came to a head as she burst into tears. ¡°Be kept making me look bad in front of Justin. She embarrassed me in public. What¡¯s wrong with teaching her a lesson? You are hypocritical to reprimand me when all you¡¯re doing is standing up for Be. You only have eyes for the slut. I¡¯m dead to you.¡± Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Zoe said to Ryan, ¡°Even if you suck up to Be, she will never have eyes for you. You¡¯ll never have her.¡± ¡°Zoe Hoffman!¡± Ryan hissed Zoe¡¯s full name, scaring thetter to hide in her mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Even if Be doesn¡¯t be your sister-inw, you shouldn¡¯t harm and insult her. I believe in Be¡¯s character. While she may not be an angel, she wouldn¡¯t harm anyone unless provoked. That means you most likely started it with her.¡± Zoe was livid. ¡°One more thing. I would advise you to get over Justin. Anyone except Justin can tell that Be is the only woman for him.¡± Ryan scoffed. Being best buddies, Ryan had a subtle way of mocking Justin. Zoe¡¯s face turned flushed. ¡°You areing with me to see Be tomorrow. I expect you to admit your mistake and apologize to her.¡± Ryan then walked away. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Are you mad, Ryan? Why should I apologize to Be? I won¡¯t!¡± Zoe was hysterical. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to Inalia tonight if you won¡¯t. You won¡¯t be allowed back in Savrow without my permission.¡± The intensity of Ryan¡¯s resolve unnerved Mrs. Hoffman. Mrs. Hoffman had heard things about her son¡¯s behavior, but the boy had never been so tough on his only sister. Was Ryan hard on Zoe because of Be, Justin¡¯s ex-wife? ¡°Ryan¡­ Come back, Ryan!¡± Zoe cried at the top of her lungs in tears. Ryan, who always doted on her, never once looked back. :.. That night, Ryan drowned his sorrows in ACE at his private lounge. His heart broke as his mind wandered back to Bethany¡¯s usation of Zoe. The strong liquor burned down his throat. The door to the private lounge opened. ¡°Damn it. I don¡¯t need thepany of women. Get out now!¡± Irritated, Ryan raised the ss and smashed it to smithereens. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Salvador is here for you.¡± Yasmin let out an awkward smile, as if embarrassed for her bc made her way into the room. ¡°Apologies, Mr. Salvador. Mr. Ho isn¡¯t himself tonight. Please try to understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to it.¡± Justin carried a nk face. ¡°This way, please.¡± Justin nodded and stepped into the private lounge. Yasmin nodded and closed the door before leaving to give them space. ¡°What has gotten into you now?¡± Furrowing his brows, Justin went to Ryan and sat beside him. ¡°So Be turned you down. Must you act like your whole world has crumbled?¡± ¡°Fuck me. Are you going to make fun of Be dumping me forever?¡± Ryan heaved. Since he did not have a ss anymore, he grabbed the alcohol and gulped straight from the bottle. ¡°Dump? Ha,¡± Justin sneered. He fished out a pack of cigarettes and lodged one between his lips. Be has never epted you. How could she dump you? You¡¯re the rebound guy, always there but never the first choice.¡± ¡°Tsk. At least I¡¯m still in the running while you¡¯re out of the race.¡± It suddenly urred to Ryan that Zoe called Be a slut. As his chest tightened, he smashed the alcohol bottle with bloodshot eyes. If Zoe was not his sister, Ryan would have pped her for the insult to Be. Chapter 468 Chapter 468 However, the insult came from Ryan¡¯s beloved sister. Despite his anger, Ryan did not have the heart to punish Zoe heavily. The conflict gnawed at Ryan, leaving him lost and fragmented. ¡°Are you on your period? Why are you worked up?¡± Justin flicked away the ashes, his eyes dark. ¡°You¡¯re not yourself. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ryan sighed heavily. ¡°The forged ne Bethany gave to Ada was supplied by Zoe.¡± Hiding his emotions behind his eyes, Justin fell silent. Ryan asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you seem surprised?¡± Justin replied, ¡°I guessed as much.¡± Ryan felt upset. ¡°Justin, my sister-¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re talking about this, I should tell you one more thing.¡± With downcast eyes, Justin took a puff. ¡°Your sister was th vho got the press all over Be at thest charity event.¡± Dumbstruck, Ryan turned ashen, and his heart sank. It took a while before he murmured through his trembling lips sorry, Justin.¡± ¡°The apology shouldn¡¯te from you, but from your sister. She should apologize to my ex-wife.¡± It hurt Justin to call Be his ex-wife. ¡°Zoe is 22 now. I know I shouldn¡¯t excuse her behavior as being too young to know better-¡± Ryan swallowed hard. ¡°But we grew up with Zoe. She can be stubborn and willful. Sometimes, she doesn¡¯t think before she acts. But she means no harm. Bethany was a bad influence on her, and I spoiled her. I should have disciplined her.¡± Justin kept to himself for a while before cutting to the chase. ¡°So what are you going to do about what your sister has done? How are you going to make it up to Be?¡± Ryan¡¯s breath hitched. The man was always relentless and unforgiving, leaving no room for others. Even though Zoe was Ryan¡¯s sister, Justin would not stand for Zoe hurting his people. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to apologize to Be tomorrow.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Zoe is my sister, Justin. It¡¯s her first offense. Can you let her off the hook for my sake?¡± Ryan asked earnestly with a sad face. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow,¡± the man said indifferently. ¡°You¡­ Why? I hope you don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll take my sister¡¯s side and give Be problems. I will never do that.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m worried that you might get stabbed.¡± Justin got up. Ryan was at a loss for words. It was a bruise to Ryan¡¯s ego that Justin had learned about Be putting a knife to his neck. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her in a while. I want to see her.¡± As his eyes flickered in tenderness, Justin made a beeline to the door. ¡°You have not answered my question, Justin.¡± Ryan stopped him in a hurry. ¡°We have been friends for a long time. Can we just move on from this? I will get Zoe to apologize to Be. On behalf of the Hoffman Group, I will offer Bepensation for the loss she suffered due to the vition of her copyright.¡± The man stopped for a moment. ¡°Ryan, can you ept the vicious attack on your sister if she was in Be¡¯s shoes? Will you let the whole thing go?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Ryan had no words. ¡°We have been friends for over twenty years, so I will not go after Zoe for what she did.¡± Justin clenched his fists, his presence chilling. ¡°But that¡¯s all the chance she gets.¡± Chapter 469 Chapter 469 For three days, Be embraced the cozy confines of home, indulging in food and rest. Her three stepmothers pulled all the stops to make Befortable at home. Celeste cooked up a storm, feeding Be with her best recipes. Be gained three pounds in just three days. ¡°I won¡¯t lose any weight at this rate.¡± Be let out her frustration. ¡°Alright. You can start a new resolution after this meal.¡± Celeste and Sasha persuaded Be to join them for lunch. As Wyatt and Asher were away at an out-of-town business event, Wyatt¡¯s three wives and Be were the only ones at the dinner table. ¡°Good news, Ms. Be.¡± Steven burst through the doors in delight. ¡°Bethany has been apprehended in connection with an alleged business impropriety Shannon is freaking out, and Gregory is trying to get his daughte of jail.¡± ¡°Sigh. It took the police three days to take Bethany into custody. police force in Savrow isn¡¯t as effective as thew enforcement Hatchbay.¡± Be was not surprised. She wiped her lips with a napkin gracefully. ¡°The police probably didn¡¯t want to act rashly, seeing that an heiress was involved.¡± M gave Be another helping of food. ¡°Have some more, Be. You don¡¯t get to enjoy Celeste¡¯s cooking every day.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I can¡¯t eat anymore. Burp!¡± Be shook her head and burped with her hand over her mouth as the threediesughed in amusement. Steven curled his lips at the adorable sight of Be. Struck by a thought, he leaned forward and patted her back in case she choked on some food. ¡°Easy there, Ms. Be. Don¡¯t choke.¡± M¡¯s keen eyes picked up on Steven¡¯s pining thoughts for Be. She frowned without a word. ¡°Although Bethany should face the consequences for showing aggression to Be multiple times, I think Shannon should be arrested for giving her ideas. I bet Shannon instructed the girl to mess with Be. The wicked woman is simply vile.¡± Sasha left her table manners out the window since her husband was not around. She mmed the table, her tongue loose. ¡°Karma is supposed to p back by now. When is it Shannon¡¯s turn? Celeste wouldn¡¯t have-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just get caught up in talking, Sasha. You haven¡¯t touched your food.¡± With her heart skipping a beat, Celeste stuffed bread in Sasha¡¯s mouth and forced a smile. Be narrowed her eyes. It seemed to Be that Celeste and Shannon had crossed paths. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Be did not confront Celeste right after lunch. Instead, she went to Sasha¡¯s room to sound her out. ¡°Why did I b today? Tsk. I promised Celeste I¡¯d never talk about it to the kids.¡± Sasha pped herself, regretting spilling the beans in the heat of the moment. ¡°Celeste worked with Shannon at the TS Gem Channel for some time before marrying Wyatt. They were signed on to the samepany. At the time, Celeste was the best of the rising stars, while Shannon always yed the viin in the shows Celeste starred in.¡± Be fell into contemtion before uttering indifferently, ¡°Shannon is maniptive, dishonest, and jealous. I bet she was jealous of Celeste¡¯s poprity and fan base, so she pulled something.¡± ¡°I know, right? She-¡± Sasha nearly said too much again. She bit her lip and closed her ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t say more. I promised Celeste that I wouldn¡¯t talk.¡± Be panicked. ¡°Aunt Sasha, Shannon hurt Aunt Celeste. You put up with injustice. Surely, you want to avenge Aunt Celeste.¡± Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Sasha covered her ears. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Be was speechless. ¡°Celeste has a feud with Shannon. If it wasn¡¯t for the woman, Celeste wouldn¡¯t have retired from showbiz at the height of her career.¡± The sound of M¡¯s aloof voice startled Sasha and Be to scream. ¡°Jesus Christ, M! You don¡¯t make a sound when you walk.¡± Sasha held her chest. Sasha never acted cute and coy with Wyatt, but she pouted adorably with M. ¡°Aunt M, what are you doing here at this hour? I wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡± Be eased her breathing, feeling relieved that it was not Celeste. ¡°I¡¯ve been here since you started talking. You were so loud.¡± M nced outside before shutting the door and approaching them. ¡°No point keeping it a secret now, $asha. Be is all grown up. You should just let her know.¡± Be eagerly held M¡¯s cold hand, waiting for her to open up. ¡°Jealous of Celeste¡¯s talent and fame, Shannon kept sabotaging her. Despite Celeste¡¯s poprity, she was bullied and marginalized on the channelwork. In the end, she was drugged and humiliated at a huge event.¡± M drew a deep breath to keep herself together before revealing the dark past in a t tone. Sasha sighed. Despite her talkative nature, she held her tongue. ¡°D-Drugged?¡± Be felt her throat dry as she asked in a raspy voice, ¡°Was Aunt Celeste-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that type of drug.¡± M choked with sobs and murmured, ¡°She was drugged with something that disrupts the nervous system. It can no longer be found in Orealm now, but it was all the rage in showbiz back then. The recreational drug is detrimental to health.¡± Be and Sasha were shocked, their eyes watering. M was an heiress to the Larson pharmaceutical empire, so she knew the medical industry like the back of her hand. ¡°What happened then?¡± Be clutched M¡¯s hands. ¡°Later, she was performing on stage for a channel special when she had an incontinence issue in public.¡± M teared up. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Fuck. How did that happen?¡± Driven by fury, Sasha punched and smashed the vanity mirror. Be trembled as she held her breath. Even though the incident happened twenty years ago, Be could feel the heartbreaking humiliation and public humiliation for Celeste. Celeste once had everything. However, Celeste was left with a haunting trauma on her favorite stage. She might never have the courage to be the charismatic and confident Celeste again. ¡°How can you be sure that Shannon was behind it, Aunt M?¡± Pulling herself together, Be asked. ¡°Wyatt and I found a lot of evidence, but we had nothing concrete to pin on Shannon.¡± M shook her head in regret. ¡°Shannon kept going after Celeste, and she seemed to be more than friends with thework director. Celeste had it tough working at TS, but she couldn¡¯t get out of the long -term contract. The only thing she could do was put up with it. Iter found out that Shannon told her agent to purchase the illegal drug from the ck market before thework¡¯s special. Even so, I didn¡¯t have solid evidence to put her away. The drug wasmon among celebrities in Savrow at the time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough for me.¡± Be closed her eyes. By the time she opened them, her eyes were bloodshot. ¡°So long as I believe she¡¯s the culprit, that¡¯s evidence enough for me.¡± Chapter 471 Just two days ago, Be¡¯s trip from Hatchbay to Savrow was filled with delight. Now, a dark scowl had settled on her face, and her lips were pressed tightly together. Back at the hotel, Be locked herself in the office without any disruption from Steven. She looked up anything rted to Celeste¡¯s incident. M¡¯s words echoed in her mind. ¡°Thework¡¯s special was Celeste¡¯s darkest hours, but it was also when she grew closer to Wyatt. Back then, the inte wasn¡¯t the behemoth it is today. To keep tabs on the entertainment world, people relied on magazines and newspapers. When news of the incident broke, Wyatt went to extreme lengths to contain it. He reportedly bought and destroyed every magazine subscription in the country that mentioned it. Any journalist who dared report on the matter faced harsh consequences. But apparently, the foreign press was present during the incident. Someone captured the entire ordeal on camera and uploaded it to a foreign website. Even though Wyatt managed to get the video taken down, traces of the video still linger online.¡± Be drew a deep breath. With her eyes fixated on theputer screen, she typed furiously on the keyboard. She quickly located a grainy video of thework¡¯s special that had been sealed away for twenty years. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The video captured Celeste at her most vulnerable, hunched over, and convulsed with silent tremors. Her face was drained of color. She was at a breaking point. The harsh beam above her head put her despair under the spotlight. The jeers andughter from the audience washed over her, threatening to shatter her fragile resolve. A tall and strong figure rushed onto the stage, approaching Celeste without hesitation. From the man¡¯s back, Be could tell that it was Wyatt. Without a word, Wyatt took off his jacket and got down on one knee before Celeste to cover her modesty. A hush fell over the stage. The video came to an end. Be stared nkly at the screen, her shoulders drooping as she sank her back against the chair. Did the incident lead Wyatt to win Celeste¡¯s heart? ¡°My father probably wrote the ybook for getting the girls.¡± Her phone rang. Snapping out of her thoughts, Be picked up the phone. ¡°What¡¯s up, Steve?¡± ¡°Ms. Be, Ryan Hoffman has brought his sister to see you.¡¯ ¡± The weight of Celeste¡¯s past pressed down on Be, and thest thing she wanted was to meet the Hoffman siblings. Despite her reservations, Be agreed to meet the Hoffmans, swayed by Steven¡¯s mention of Ryan¡¯s sistering to apologize. Maybe Be would feel better if she witnessed Zoe with an egg on her face. It would be like watching a pstickedy. When Be arrived outside the reception room, Steven came over with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Be. I didn¡¯t know that Justin was with them. He¡¯s inside too.¡± Be looked up and met Steven¡¯s gaze with indifference. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you throw him out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Be.¡± Steven expressed his apologies, knowing that it was his negligence. For the main part, Justin was elusive. He was not around when Steven led Ryan and Zoe into the reception room. When he returned, Justin had the nerve to rx on the sofa with a cup of coffee. ¡°Never mind. You can¡¯t beat him anyway.¡± Be poked her chin out, gesturing for Steven to open the door. As the door opened, Be sashayed into the room, her stilettos clicking sharply against the floor. Her straight ck suit jacket draped effortlessly over her shoulders and entuated her confident stride andmanding presence. ¡°Be.¡± Ryan got up from the sofa, his throat dry. Be was a sight to behold, as always. Her look today was a bold statement, conveying both competence and unwavering determination. Once again, Be took Ryan¡¯s breath away. Justin looked up at Be, his nerves tensing. His heart pounded out of his chest. Hiding behind Ryan, Zoe fixated on Be¡¯s haughty face and clenched her shaking fists. ¡°Oh, you are all here.¡± Be pulled her shoulders back, letting the ck jacket slide down, and Steven caught it for her. She then turned to Justin with a smirk. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you an exemry boyfriend to Ms. Hoffman, Justin? Are you here as a show of support for her?¡± ¡®Boyfriend?¡¯ Justin locked eyes on Be¡¯s sneaky smile and cleared his throat. He was fuming. The woman was harsh to him as usual, hitting his sore point. That was Be to him, though. Be was no longer Anna Brown. He was d to ept her as she was, critical side and all. Zoe was so filled with glee that Be mistook the reason Justin was there. ying along, she took quick steps toward Justin with a sad face. ¡°Be, I admit I was blind before, but you should get your eyes fixed too.¡± Justin remained aloof, but his eyes betrayed his obscure feelings for Be. ¡°No boyfriend here, only your ex-husband. It¡¯s exhausting enough to be a certain somebody¡¯s husband. I don¡¯t have the time or energy to be someone else¡¯s boyfriend.¡± Zoe froze. Justin had made things clear with her before, but Zoe refused to move on and remained delusional about Justin. Yet now, Justin threw her under the bus by ditching her in front of Be. ¡°I am here to back someone up, but I¡¯m not talking about Ms. Hoffman. ¡± Feeling the burn in his cheeks, Justin grabbed his coffee mug and pretended to sipposedly. Despite burning his tongue, he forced himself to swallow the hot liquid. Sure, Justin often had these thoughts. However, he was embarrassed to say them out loud. Be furrowed her brows, surprised by his implication. Who was he supporting, if not Zoe? Was it Ryan? Well, it was just a roundabout way to support Zoe. Chapter 472 Be smirked. Her emotionless face started to reflect annoyance. She felt a rush of blood in her head. Justin¡¯s obvious bias toward his ex-wife was a death sentence for Zoe. Zoe thought, ¡®Why? Justin could have a talented and beautiful woman like me, but he still went back to the slut he dumped.¡¯ Besides, Be was surrounded by men. She was involved with Ryan, a nobody like Christopher, and other men. Justin should at least be irked by that fact. ¡°I only made time out of my busy schedule to see you because I heard that Mr. Hoffman had brought Ms. Hoffman to apologize. You should know that I¡¯m not just the heiress of KS Group but also the renowned jewelry designer, Alexa. My secretary is bombarded with phone calls for a chance to meet with me. I don¡¯t have time to waste on unnecessary things and people.¡± Be flicked her hair back and crossed her arms while sitting with poise on the sofa. ¡°If I had known that Mr. Salvador would be here, I wouldn¡¯t even show up.¡¯ ¡°Why?¡± With his heart sinking, Justin asked gloomily, ¡°Why do you rather meet Ryan than see me?¡± Raising his brow, Ryan thought to himself, ¡®Fuck me. Even though Be favored Ryan, Justin targeted him for ridicule. ¡°I¡¯m only willing to meet under two conditions: it must be for personal or business purposes.¡± Be put two fingers up and wiggled them in front of Justin. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you and I have no personal or business rtionship. I have no reason to meet someone who isn¡¯t even a stranger to me.¡± Justin was not even considered a stranger. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The glum on Justin¡¯s face was the tip of the iceberg of what he was really feeling inside. Ryan pursed his lips while thinking to himself, ¡®At least I¡¯m more than a stranger, I suppose.¡¯ ¡°Now, out with it, Mr. Hoffman. I have a meetingter. I don¡¯t have time to waste here.¡± Narrowing her eyes, Be appeared haughty with her legs crossed. The red bottoms of her stilettos added to her ir. She looked like an elegant and beautiful viiness out of aic book. Justin¡¯s eyes fell on Be¡¯s slender ankles under her pants. His jaw clenched as his throat went dry. He was tempted to swallow. He was too blind to dump this woman. Now, everything about her drove him wild. Zoe yed the victim, her face pale, and her lips trembling as if Be were the bully. ¡°Ahem. Be¡­ I mean, Ms. Thompson.¡± Picking up on Be¡¯s facial cues, Ryan addressed her differently and said, ¡°My sister and I are here to offer our apologies. ¡°The ne Bethany, had given to Ada at the auction was supplied by my sister. She asked an individual in Inalia to forge the ne¡­¡± Ryan¡¯s words trailed off as he continued to observe Be¡¯s expression. ¡°Oh, I already knew that.¡± Be remained indifferent. Ryan and Zoe were shocked. Justin merely pulled a frown. He was not too surprised Zoe¡¯s cunning n would not stand a chance against B resources. ¡°W-When did you find out?¡± Freaked out, Zoe asked. Be grinned cheekily. ¡°I knew the day you reached out to Tyler paid him handsomely to forge my ne. ¡± ¡°What?¡± Zoe burst out, breaking her character. ¡°I get why you sought Tyler to make the ne, Ms. Hoffman. I did teach him everything I knew. You probably assume Tyler started his own business because we had a fallout. You¡¯re narrow-minded to think that. Divorced couples can¡¯t be friends, but that doesn¡¯t mean mentors and apprentices going their separate ways can¡¯t.¡± Be lifted her chin. Chapter 473 Justin gasped to himself. Be¡¯s words cut through him like a knife. ¡°Despite being from another country, Tyler takes pride in respecting his mentor and the trade. He won¡¯t compromise his principles for personal gain.¡± Be added with a smirk, ¡°So you barked up the wrong tree, Ms. Hoffman. Your first mistake was to think that everybody is as petty as you. It was clear who was the petty one in the room. Justin curled his lips subtly. His eyes were calm. Feeling humiliated, Ryan scowled. Although Ryan had braced himself for the worst before meeting Be, she was merciless when she bit. He did not expect her words to hurt so much. ¡°You¡¯re evil, Be!¡± Fuming, Zoe pointed at Be¡¯s smiling face. ¡°You feigned ignorance when I went to Tyler. You knew Bethany would give the ne to Ada, and yet you waited until the charity auction to spill the beans. It was all for Bethany¡¯s fall from grace. How can you be so wicked, Be? Must you ruin everybody who gets in your way?¡± Zoe wailed out loud as if she were the victim. ¡°What else am I supposed to do-keep you and Bethany around?¡± Annoyed by her crying, Be rolled her eyes. ¡°You!¡± Zoe was lost for words. The woman was cocky, Despite Ryan¡¯s and Justin¡¯s presence in the room, Be carried on talking smack. Did she not care about any man in the world? ¡°You¡¯re here to apologize, Ms. Hoffman, not point fingers. Is it so hard to own up to your mistake?¡± Justin kept his head down for a moment before fixating on Be. Even if Ms. Thompson doesn¡¯t deal with Bethany, I will sort her out. I¡¯ll make youe here even if your brother doesn¡¯t. The oue remains the same. What else do you have to say for yourself?¡± Be met the man¡¯s gaze with mixed emotions. Justin did not seem to hold back on Zoe. Tsk. Be decided that his actions did not concern her. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Zoe let tears fall down her cheeks as a wave of heartache and anger washed over her. The man who once held Zoe¡¯s hand with a sunlit smile in the park was now a stranger, his warmth reced by a chilling distance. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bewitched by Be, Justin faded into a ghost of his former self. ¡°Hello? Are you apologizing or not?¡± With her patience running thin, Be was ready to leave. ¡°Apologize to Ms. Thompson now, Zoe,¡± Ryan urged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zoe hissed through clenched teeth, her voice barely audible. ¡°Speak up. I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Be furrowed her browsmandingly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Ryan took strides toward Zoe, pressing her back down so that she would take a humble stance before Be. Unable to fight against her brother¡¯s strength, Zoe bowed down before Be. The humiliation was tearing her up inside. Zoe thought, ¡®Be, I will make you pay! This is not over!¡¯ ¡°Steve.¡± Be rose to her feet. ¡°Yes, Ms. Be,¡± Steven responded right away. ¡°As mentioned by Mr. Hoffman, the Hoffman Group will address the consequences of Ms. Hoffman¡¯s actions. Compile aprehensive report of all damages, including emotional trauma, for Mr. Hoffman¡¯s immediate attention.¡± Chapter 474 Be walked out without hesitation. ¡°Donate the money received to Savrow¡¯s Hope Foundation. I don¡¯t want a cent of it.¡¯ Stunned, Ryan let out a wry smile. Her beauty, icy and perfect, mirrored her ruthlessness. Be was an ice queen in every sense. Be returned to her office to work while Steven took Ryan to discuss the settlement ofpensation. As Be¡¯s attorney and secretary, Steven had the list of damages ready. The total was an eye-watering amount. However, that was the price to pay for forging Alexa¡¯s design. Ryan looked at thepensation agreement and sighed, his throat dry. He could afford the money, but it was a hefty bruise to his ego. Ryan had feelings for Be before. Even though they were not meant to be together, he would love for them to be friends. He never wanted to hurt her. s, they drifted further and further away from the possibility of ever bing friends. Zoe cried all the way to the parking lot, as if the world had done her wrong. ¡°The victim didn¡¯t even shed a tear. Why are you the one crying when you caused all this?¡± Ryan walked ahead with a sour face, and Zoe could not keep up with him. ¡°Is Be¡¯s heart made of stone, Ryan? I can¡¯t believe she expects you to pay $100 million. She¡¯s better off robbing a bank.¡± Zoe could not stand the thought of losing $100 million to Be. ¡°You have never been in this frustrating position before, Ryan. Had I known this would be the case, I would never apologize to her.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson was easy on you. ¡± Ryan stopped in his tracks, having had enough of Zoe. ¡°If I didn¡¯t set things right for you, do you think you would be saying sorry in that room? You would be issuing a formal apology in front of the press.¡± Zoe shuddered at that thought. ¡°When you get back home, you are not allowed out without my permission. Just stay at home and reflect on your behavior.¡± Ryan spoke coldly with a heavy heave before getting into the car. ¡°You can¡¯t ground me, Ryan!¡± Unbothered by Zoe¡¯s window-rattling tantrum, Ryan sat stoically in the car. He could not go soft on Zoe anymore. His indulgence would do nothing good for his only sister. As the fancy car drove away, Zoe stomped her foot and burst into tears, hunched over. ¡°Please get in, Ms. Zoe.¡± Two female bodyguards lugged Zoe into the car and closed the door. Zoe watched miserably, as the car took her to the Hoffmans¡¯ residence. Her phone suddenly rang. She dried her tears and took out her phone for a look. A concealed private number was calling. ¡°Who is it?¡± Zoe asked angrily. ¡°Ms. Hoffman.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. A man¡¯s digitally altered voice was heard on the other end of the line, ¡°Who are you?¡± Zoe asked, choking out sobs. ¡°You must feel hurt and upset after what happened today. Your crush wouldn¡¯t even look at you.¡± Her eyes widened, and her heart raced. Who was spying on her? The man seemed to have detailed knowledge about her circumstances. ¡°What if I tell you that I can help you get what you want? Are you willing to hear me out and coborate with me?¡± Chapter 475 Steven returned to Be¡¯s side after finishing his duties. ¡°Are you nning to let Ms. Hoffman off the hook, Ms. Be? That¡¯s too nice of you.¡± Steven watched with a doting and helpless smile as Be knocked things over with her stilettos. He went and tucked her heels under the table. Be was gaming to take her mind off things, ughtering many in the virtual world. Her character, Lucifer, had reached god-level in the eyes of yers. Thousands tuned in to watch every time she streamed her gaming live. ¡°What are you thinking? Let her off the hook? I¡¯m a charitable entrepreneur, not Mother Theresa. I¡¯m not going after Zoe now because I don¡¯t have solid evidence to put her away. She made Bethany a scapegoat, so all suspicions about Zoe are circumstantial. My hands are tied for now. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s thest we¡¯ll hear of Ms. Hoffman.¡± Steven added angrily, ¡°Instead of showing remorse, she red at you before storming out. ¡°She bettere at me with everything she has or just back off. I won¡¯t want to be her if the whole thing blows up in her face. Her phone vibrated, channeling a call from Asher. ¡°Hey, Ash!¡± Be answered the call with a sweet voice. ¡°Are you at the hotel, Be?¡± Asher asked. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m in the office.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re with Steve?¡± Asher spoke in hushed tones. Be was witty enough to read between the lines. She got up and walked out as if she were heading to the bathroom. If she were to dismiss Steven, he would pick up that she was shying away from him. She stepped into her personal bathroom and shut the door behind her ¡°What happened, Ash? Does it have something to do with Steve?¡± ¡°You can say that, but not directly. I can¡¯t be straight with you if he¡¯s around.¡± Asher paused before carrying on in a steady tone. ¡°Gregory sought help from Steven¡¯s brother, Hunter, to get his daughter out. Hunter is heading to the police station to release Bethany on bail as we speak.¡± Be narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°Hunter is Bethany¡¯s get-out-of- jail-free pass.¡± ¡°Hunter is cutthroat, contributing to his sess as a defense attorney for over a decade. He won¡¯t allow himself to fail. He will give Bethany a clean state by any means necessary.¡± Asher gave Be the heads-up. ¡°If I were Hunter, I would start with the journalist, Be. She is the top witness to testify against Bethany. ¡°I get what you¡¯re trying to say, Ash, but Xena Gordon is not with me. Justin is holding her captive.¡± Be took a deep breath to pull herself together. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. You, and especially Axel, should stay out of it. He works for the government. He can¡¯t be caught engaging in misconduct while helping me. That will just y into the hands of those wishing us harm.¡± The mood was heavy at the end of the phone call. Be never took a small fry like Bethany seriously because Shannon was the big fish she was after. She was worried that the news would upset Steven. The silly boy w highly sensitive and heavily bound by a sense of duty. He might jue to her in tears again. Lost in her thoughts, Be made her way to her office. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Be.¡± The husky voice caused her to halt her footsteps. Feeling a pit in her stomach, she looked back. There was no one behind her. Be shook her head and kneaded her temples, attributing the sound to her sleep deprivation. Chapter 476 ¡°Ah!¡± A powerful grip seized Be¡¯s arm and yanked her into the darkness. Be stumbled into a tough chest. The man¡¯s ragged breaths stirred the strands on top of her head, his touch drawing warmth across her skin. The long, lingering embrace was strange yet familiar to her. It was Justin. The man ensured a firm grip around her waist in case she might twist her ankle from wearing those high stilettos. His grip was awfully firm, bearing conflicting emotions. He wanted to protect her, but he feared she might slip away from him. ¡°Justin! How did you get in here?¡± Be put up a fight, her cheeks flushed with rage. ¡°Ryan said I might have trouble getting past the tight security here.¡± Justin narrowed his eyes. His voice was raspy and t. Justin graduated at the top of his ss from the military. It was a piece of cake to elude the hotel¡¯s security. When heter became the president of Salvador Corporation, all his basic needs-and more were met. His military training proved less relevant in the business world. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Yet he faced a multitude of hurdles when trying to see Be, forcing him to be creative and persistent. ¡°It¡¯s vile of you to sneak around like this. Be gritted her teeth and tried to stomp on his foot, but Justin twirled and pinned her against the wall. Their eyes met, and sparks flew. Now that he had snagged on an encounter, Justin¡¯s gaze lingered on her face, absorbing every detail of her. ¡°What are you looking at, bastard?¡± Be cursed, and her ears turned red. ¡°You¡¯ve put on some weight.¡± Justin fixated on her. His lips curled at the roundness of her once-highly-contoured cheekbones. She put some meat on her bones. Be could not believe Justin just said that. ¡± ¡°Are you mad at me? There¡¯s nothing wrong with putting on some weight. You were skin and bones before. You should eat more. Justin spoke like a gentleman. Red in the face, Be pped him. Feeling the burn on his cheek, Justin grabbed her hand. The handprint on his face was a mark of humiliation. ¡°Is this how you repay someone who has helped you, Be? I don¡¯t count on getting a thank- you, but you should stop getting physical with me every time I see you.¡± ¡°Thank you? Why should I? Should I thank you for restraining Xena Gordon and getting her to testify against Bethany?¡± With her chest heaving, Be mocked Justin. ¡°Have you no shame, Justin? You should thank me, not the other way around. You¡¯re just trying to gain leverage through me by holding Xena against Bethany. If I hadn¡¯t yed along, you would have been out of the game a long time ago.¡± ¡°Be!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as rage consumed him. ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re thest person on earth I want to see!¡± Be could not break free from Justin. It was not as if she could beat someone from the special force. She reached into her pocket to fish out her phone to call Steven. Justin saw through her and nimbly seized her other hand. Chapter 477 Restrained, Be yelled, ¡°Somebody help-Mgh!¡± Justin lost his cool for once. Feeling a rush to his head, he sealed her cries with a kiss. Their lips met, and her voice faded into murmurs. Be¡¯s mind went nk. Justin¡¯s scorching breath brushed against Be¡¯s trembling lips. His palms were mming from holding her wrists, and his forehead broke out in a sweat. Thest time he kissed her, the alcohol got to his head. Justin had no excuse to kiss her now. ¡®You¡¯re divorced, Justin. This isn¡¯t right,¡¯ Justin thought to himself. Nevertheless, he could not help himself. He knew that it was not right, but his heart overruled his head. With that in mind, Justin¡¯s heart thumped out of his chest. The self- restraint he always took pride in was about to crumble. He lost himself in his emotions. At first, Justin was only trying to stop Be from screaming, but his kiss was purely out of affection. Be tried to resist him, but her body was weak against his advances. Her lips and tongue were caught in his spell, and her breath was stolen away. She was angry with herself. A tear slipped across her cheek. She was just a poor woman who had been obsessed with the man for 13 years, but her love was never responded to. She wondered what she had done to deserve such humiliation. ¡°You¡¯re an asshole, Justin!¡± An angry bellow echoed across the corridor. Seeing red, Steven rushed over and pried Justin away from Be with all his might. He then punched Justin in the face. However, Steven moved too slowly in Justin¡¯s eyes. The man shot back, evading the punch at the speed of light. ¡°Steve!¡± Be cried out for Steven in a hoarse voice, but Steven was in a different head space now. His mind was filled with the image of the bastard ravishing Be¡¯s lips. All he could see was the smudged lipstick on Justin¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, Justin!¡± Justin scowled. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Steven was a sixth-degree ck belt in Taekwondo, and the strength of his kicks once rocked the community of Savrow. He spun high with his leg lifted, aiming a kick straight at Justin¡¯s chest. Despite Steven throwing everything he had at Justin, thetter effortlessly neutralized his attack. The man dodged the moment Steven lifted his leg. Before Steven knew it, Justin re-emerged behind him and gripped his shoulder de. Steven felt a crippling sensation under his skin as he went limp. What sort of sorcery was that? That maneuver was like a page out of aic book. Be recognized that move as a closebat tactic taught in the military. Drew could execute that technique too. It would take at least five years of intense training to pull off a move that demanded both speed and precision. ¡°Enough, Justin!¡± Chapter 478 Be held Steven, who went limp, tightly. Without her support, the 188- cm-tall man would have sunken to his knees before Justin. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ms. Be.¡± Steven consoled Be while catching his breath. He was too weak to hold himself up. ¡°You can¡¯t even stand. How can you say that you¡¯re fine?¡± Her eyes welled up. It was a sign that Be was worried for Steven¡¯s safety. She red at Justin, whose hair was not ruffled in the slightest. ¡°How can you attack my secretary so viciously before me? Are you a man or a heartless brute, Justin?¡± Her words stung. Feeling defeated, Justin choked up. ¡°He started it. Didn¡¯t you see that? Besides, I didn¡¯t hurt him in any way. The paralysis should go away by nightfall. He¡¯ll be able to regain his mobility.¡± ¡°Spare me your excuses. You¡¯re just confirming to me the creep that you are.¡± The tears in Be¡¯s eyes hurt Justin. He watched as she lifted her arm and wiped her lips with the back of her hand, as if he were diseased. ¡°Admit it, Justin. Are you having second thoughts about the divorce?¡± Justin¡¯s heart bled. As they locked eyes, the weight of her gaze pinned him down. Her silent usation sent chills down his spine. Time passed, but he gave no response. He could not even deny the question. Justin clung to hisst shred of decency. ¡°I take your silence for your admission.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Despite her shaking voice, Be grinned broadly. ¡°But I should let you know that even if you change your mind, you can keep your thoughts to yourself and shove them up where the sun doesn¡¯t shine. Your feelings for me are the biggest insult to my being.¡¯ Justin was brought back to the day he served her divorce papers. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this, Anna. Every second I spend in this loveless marriage is torture to me. -¡°Since Rose ising back, it¡¯s time for you to step down from your position as Mrs. Salvador.¡± Every hurtful word he ever said to her hade back to haunt him. Justin walked across the basement parking lot in a daze. He had no idea how he got there. Pain throbbed in his head, and his limbs felt wooden, as if he had wrestled with shadows. All his strength left him the moment he sawn. ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± Noticing Justin¡¯s glum face,n went up to hold him and asked nervously, ¡°Is your headache back? Get in the car. I¡¯ll grab your medicine. Medicine could take his headache away. However, nothing could treat a heartache. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,n.¡± With his hands over his head, Justin breathed heavily and asked, ¡°I never paid her any attention when we got married. I was mean to her, but she stayed by my side anyway. Why? Why is she brutal to me now that I want to give her the world?¡± A whileter, he sighed and murmured, ¡°Mr. Salvador, it¡¯s because th young madam once loved you very, very much.¡¯ However, she did not love him anymore. Chapter 479 Once Justin was gone, Be helped Steven, who went numb all over, to the office. Afterying Steven t on the sofa, Be pursed her lips and examined his limbs without bothering to wipe the sweat off her forehead. She could pass as a physician. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ms. Be.¡± Even though Steven went limp, he still had some limited mobility. He felt a lump in his throat, seeing how Be was so concerned about him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You were only trying to help me. Don¡¯t act so recklessly next time.¡± Be leaned over to give his legs a massage. ¡°I wasn¡¯t acting recklessly.¡± Steven tried his best to sit up on the sofa. His intense gaze was proof of his stubbornness. ¡°Even if the same thing happens a thousand times over, I will dive in to rescue you every chance I get. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be overconfident because you can fight and put yourself in danger, Steven. You¡¯re no match for Justin. His four years in military service should mean something to you. Be panicked. ¡°He went easy on you today. If you weren¡¯t-my secretary, he might have broken your arm. ¡°He can break my arm for all I care! It doesn¡¯t matter if I die!¡± Gritting his teeth, Steven wobbled to his feet. His tall build towered over Be. ¡°Even if I die, I won¡¯t allow that animal to abuse you!¡± ¡°Steve¡­¡± Be¡¯s bulging eyes stared straight into his tearful gaze. Tears rolled down Steven¡¯s cheeks. As his nervous system was numb, he did not realize that he was covered in tears and snot. ¡°Why are you crying, Steve? You¡¯re supposed to be older than me, and yet you¡¯re a crybaby.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Feeling a catch in her throat, Be teased him and reached out his tears. Steven somehow found the courage to hook his arm around her wa and pull her closer to him. His other hand pressed down on her spine as he tried to hug his beloved employer. Be could take a hint. She could sense aplex blend of emotions swirling within Steven¡¯s embrace. ¡°Let go, Steve. Let¡¯s notplicate things.¡± She pushed him away. ¡°Ms. Be, I¡¯ll ept any punishment for my behavior.¡± The tear stains on Steven¡¯s face softened his facial features. He exposed his vulnerability, fishing for Be¡¯s sympathy. It was shameless, but the misery and fury were on the verge of driving him to insanity.. Be was not the easiest person to get through to. Bearing somber in her eyes, she jabbed Steven¡¯s chest with two fingers. Steven, still regaining strength, fell back onto the sofa. ¡°I know you mean no harm, Steve. I won¡¯t punish you for this.¡± Be nced at him with a mix of emotions, but her voice was chilling. ¡°You are on a week-long leave starting tomorrow. You should get some rest. ¡°Ms. Be¡­¡± Steven was shocked as his heart sank to the pit of stomach. ¡°You have been on edge and emotionaltely. Take the week¡¯s brea to rx and sort yourself out. Then, you can reflect on how you intend to carry on working with me. Chapter 480 A day had passed since Bethany was brought in for questioning in the middle of the night. The past 24 hours have been torture for a privileged heiress like Bethany. Although she was well-fed, her eye bags were heavy, and her face was haggard from the barrage of questions. She had not been out of her seat for hours. The intense re of the spotlight could roast her carefully maintained hair. It was just pure anguish. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t send Xena to be a corporate espionage. I have nothing to do with it. Be set me up! I¡¯m innocent!¡± Bethany was worn out. Despite feeling tired and sleepy, she continued to deny ever getting involved. The door to the interrogation room opened. A man in a sleek suit, carrying a ck briefcase, entered the room with confidence. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Officers, I am Ms. Bethany Salvador¡¯s defense attorney. My name is Hunter Lovett:¡± Hunter Lovett? Bethany¡¯s dead eyes lit up. Hunter looked at her with a smile. His gaze was rather consoling. ¡°I need a word with my client.¡± Bethany followed Hunter to another room. She was only allowed visitation with herwyer. ¡°Did my dad send you, Mr. Lovett?¡± Bethany grabbed Hunter¡¯s hand as tears rained down her face. ¡°Save me. I can¡¯t go on like this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Salvador. I took your case because I am confident about clearing you of the charges.¡¯ Hunter¡¯s voice was soothing, but his eyes were sharp. ¡°But before that can happen, I need your full cooperation. I need to know the full story, and I expect no lies. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Bethany nodded incessantly. Since Hunter was able to get her mother out of trouble before, he must be able to help her. Hence, Bethany gave the full ount. Hunter listened to the whole thing with a nk face. ¡°Mr. Lovett, can you figure out a way to deal with Be? She¡¯s evil.¡± Bethany pounded the desk in rage. ¡°If it were not for that bitch, I wouldn¡¯t even be in this situation.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson is the intiff, Ms. Salvador. She¡¯s the victim. I don¡¯t have to remind you that she¡¯s the daughter of Wyatt Thompson. Hunter¡¯s eyes were dark. ¡°We are facing a huge challenge. Ms. Thompson is relentless. You would be lucky to get away with it, so you shouldn¡¯t ask for more. Bethany was annoyed to be told off. However, she needed to curb her temper as she needed Hunter¡¯s help. ¡°The witness is the journalist, Xena Gordon. The fact that she had an affair with the director of Headlines coulde in handy. We can use this information to question the reliability of her ount. Hiding his emotions behind his eyes, Hunter twirled his pen. ¡°We have a suspect called Henry Yates. He went out with Xena Gordon before the whole thing went down. That¡¯s our best chance to get the charges dropped.¡± ¡°A-Are you saying that we can put the me on Henry?¡± Bethany whispered in surprise. Hunter let out a thought-provoking smile. Bethany asked, ¡°But would he take the fall? As far as I know, he broke up with Xena.¡± Chapter 481 ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry about.¡± As the top defense attorney in the city, Hunter¡¯s sess couldn¡¯t solely be attributed to his family¡¯s connections in the legal world. He was equally indebted to his meticulous and ruthless approach to his cases. Sometimes, he had to resort to the necessary means to win a case and get the charges dropped. Despite Steven¡¯s pleas, Be refused to withdraw his mandatory leave. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Be made it clear that the purpose of the week-long break was not to give him rest. He should use the time to reflect on his attitude and how he would see her. Following Ada¡¯s multiple requests, Be, also known as Alexa, caved in and graced Ada with her presence. Ada no longer carried the pride of an international star in front of Be. She served Be drinks and catered to her needs like a fangirl. Be had no intention of making things any more difficult for Ada. Sure, Be was Alexa, but her role as a businesswoman was first and foremost. The hotel¡¯s reputation and profit took precedence over her personal feelings. So, she agreed to host Ada¡¯s wedding at her hotel. Ada could not be happier. That was not the only thing. Ada was open to a generous budget and to be an ambassador for the KS Group¡¯s future products. She would do it without a fee to make up for her previous disrespect. ¡°Ms. Thompson, what is this?¡± Staring at the document in front of her, Ada asked in surprise. Be sipped on her coffee with poise. ¡°It¡¯s a new nning proposal for your wedding.¡± Ada and her agent exchanged nces in shock. ¡°That was quick.¡± Shepleted the proposal at record speed. ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare the proposal in haste. I had this ready a long time ago.¡± Be put down her coffee mug. ¡°I kept a backup ready, just in case, when I nned the first proposal for you. I thought the backup proposal wouldn¡¯t be needed, but it came in handy after all.¡± Ada pressed her lips together as an uneasy feeling washed over her. ¡°The wedding is around the corner, Ms. Thompson. It will take a lot of work to set up the venue. Do we have enough time?¡± The agent asked worriedly. ¡°I know Ms. Ada is a fan of the gothic aesthetic. Are you keen on ck roses?¡± Be asked with a smile. ¡°ck roses?¡± Ada squealed excitedly. ¡°The venue is still decked out with tons of red roses from the previous nning. We are tight on time to remove all the flowers and start over. It would be easier to switch out the red roses for ck Ecuadorian roses. Ada¡¯s face was flushed with thrill. She was pleased with Be¡¯s first proposal, but Be just gave her the wedding of her dreams with her second proposal. The meaning of ck roses was mystery, desire, and possession. It was a romance unlike any other, with a blend of quirk and charm. ¡°ck roses? Aren¡¯t those more suited for funerals?¡± The agent asked meekly. She believed the wedding visuals would rock the onlinemunity. Seeing that it was also the wedding of a celebrity, the wedding would be the talk of the town for days to come. Be was a business marvel. She might be in it for profit, but her main objective was to propel the hotel to the international scene. However, the agent suspected it woulde at the cost of exploiting Ada. Chapter 482 ¡°Am I getting married, or are you getting married? I¡¯m talking business with Ms. Thompson. It is rude of you to butt in.¡± Ada red at her agent. ¡°I chose to work with Ms. Thompson because I have the utmost trust in her. I¡¯m d to ept her suggestions, so keep your thoughts to yourself.¡± Once Be and Ada signed a new agreement, Be entrusted her team to see Ada¡¯s party off while she passed the assignment details to her employees before leaving for the day. She saw Asher¡¯s Rolls Royce waiting outside the office entrance. The chauffeur opened the door for her with respect. ¡°Ash! What brings you here to pick me up?¡± Be got into the car and sought Asher¡¯s attention by clinging to his neck. ¡°I heard that you gave Steve a week-long vacation.¡± Asher stroked her head. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been tiredtely. It¡¯s a much-needed rest for him.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Asher narrowed his eyes, seeing through her. ¡°Trouble seems to follow youtely, and you need help. Why did you dismiss Steve in a time of need? Did you have a lover¡¯s squabble?¡± Be furrowed her brows. ¡°What are you trying to say, Ash? We¡¯re not dating. What do you mean by a lover¡¯s squabble?¡± ¡°Ah, I guess the guy doesn¡¯t get to bring home the girl, then.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Ash?¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Steve¡¯s feelings for you are clear to us,¡± Asher said with a faint smile. ¡°Us?¡± ¡°Aunt M too. She mentioned it to me a few days ago because she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell you.¡± Be was speechless. Everybody was aware of Steven¡¯s little crush on her. As if things were not awkward enough as they were. ¡°Aunt M was worried that Steve¡¯s feelings for you might be an inconvenience to your life since you spend every waking minute together. She doesn¡¯t feelfortable that you are living with him in the Savrow vi,¡± Asher said while holding his sister¡¯s hand. M¡¯s observation of Be¡¯s love life was out of concern because Be was like a daughter to M. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. For all M knew, Steven could give in to his primal urges and get handsy with Be. ¡°I have faith in Steve¡¯s character. He will never overstep his boundaries, but I have to ask why you gave him a long vacation out of the blue.¡± ¡°Honestly speaking, I¡¯m giving Steve a chance to reflect on his actions.¡± Be did not need anything from her brother. Her expression turned solemn. ¡°I have noticed his feelings for me, so I told him to take the week off to get into the right mindset. It¡¯s a wake-up call for him. ¡°If he can¡¯t move on, I can¡¯t keep him by my side anymore.¡± Asher scowled. ¡°That¡¯s harsh. Are you really going to drop him if that happens?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this for his own good.¡± Be sighed miserably. ¡°A man is not in the cards for me anymore. Things will never happen between us. It will hurt and pain him to work alongside me, knowing his feelings will never be reciprocated. I know the heartbreak of having the one that got away. I don¡¯t want the people I care about to ever go through that. Steve is a nice guy. He shouldn¡¯t be wasting his time with me. He deserves better.¡± Feeling for Be, Asher gave her a big hug. His phone rang. Without pushing his sister away, Asher answered the phone with a stern voice, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson, Bethany was just released without charge. H Lovett got her out.¡± Chapter 483 Bethany finally tasted freedom after being held for three days in custody. Hunter Lovett instructed Gregory to contain the news by all means necessary, but Justin caught wind of it right away. ¡°How did Bethany get off without charges? Don¡¯t you have eyes on Xena? Did Hunter approach her?¡± Justin pounded the car window with a menacing look. ¡°Mr. Salvador, the issue isn¡¯t Xena. It¡¯s Henry.¡± ¡°What else could he say? Hunter likely exploited something personal about him and threatened his family¡¯s safety.¡± The top attorney had no qualms about resorting to underhanded tactics. Justin grimaced, his clenching fits shaking. ¡°Neil¡¯s reputation as a fair judge is ruined by his eldest son.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Now that Henry has be the scapegoat, Xena might be in-¡± A phone call interruptedn. ¡°What is it?¡± With furrowed brows,n reported back to Justin after ending the call. ¡°I have bad news, Mr. Salvador. The police have arrested Xena for defamation and falsifying evidence. That was to be expected. Xena had iting. Still, Justin saw red. Meanwhile, Bethany cried on the way back to Tideview Manor for her new lease on life. Shannon and Bethany embraced each other in tears, ying out the loving mother and daughter in front of Gregory and Nigel. Years ago, Shannon could not act to save her life. Now, her acting was the essence of her being. ¡°Mom! Dad! You must avenge me. Be and Zoe screwed me over real bad.¡± Bethany would not miss a chance to put Be down in front of Nigel. She ran and fell on her knees before Nigel¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°Grandpa, Be is trying to ruin me. She¡¯s maniptive and wicked. I¡¯m lucky Mr. Lovett got me out, or you won¡¯t be seeing your lovely granddaughter again.¡± Nigel did not know what to feel about Bethany¡¯s usation. He did not believe that Be, affectionately known to him as Anna, was what Bethany described her to be. But on the other hand, the police mentioned that Anna had filed charges against Bethany. Nigel was once again caught between a rock and a hard ce. Thest time he was in that position was during Salvador Corporation¡¯s rapid development over twenty years ago. In a rapid bid to dominate the market and expand Salvador Corporation, Nigel¡¯s two sons, Gregory and Gary, became embroiled in a bribery scandal involvingnd acquisition. Ultimately, Gary shouldered the me entirely due to Nigel¡¯s bias towards the eldest, Gregory, and Gregory¡¯s ill health. Gary was sentenced to four years in prison. To Nigel¡¯s dismay, Gary died of a heart attack in prison six months into his sentencing. Nigel mourned the loss of his youngest son, but the death drove Nigel¡¯s wife to despair, and her health sumbed to the weight of her sorrows. ¡°Grandpa, I told you Be doesn¡¯t mean well. She must have ulterior motives to marry into our family.¡± Bethany leaned against Nigel, bawling her eyes out. ¡°Be shows kindness to get something out of you. She probably wants to sc you out of thepany shares.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Nigel.¡± Chapter 484 Shannon stirred the pot, making a viin out of Be. ¡°Be withheld the fact that she was Wyatt¡¯s daughter right from the start. She hung around you to gain your trust so she could marry Justin. Just think about it. That was what she had been nning all along. We were lucky that Justin did not fall for her and divorced her before any damage was done. If Be had Justin¡¯s love and your trust, she would have prated Salvador Corporation and taken control of thepany.¡± ¡°Enough. Anna isn¡¯t that type of girl.¡± Nigel waved his arm frustratedly. ¡°Besides, I know Wyatt. He may be a flirt, but he¡¯s a gentleman with principles. I refuse to believe that he would raise a daughter of poor character.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± ¡°And another thing. The Thompsons possess resources and wealth, if not more,parable to ours. Ms. Thompson would not be throwing away her marriage to marry Justin for somepany shares. Hmph! I would expect that tasteless behavior from Rosalind, but Ms. Thompson has it all. She couldn¡¯t possibly and wouldn¡¯t stoop so low to engage in such activities.¡± Nigel was biased toward Be to begin with. Faced with Shannon¡¯s exaggeration, Nigel felt obliged to stand up for Be. Grimacing in fury, Shannon was tempted to knock over the old bastard¡¯s wheelchair with a kick. ¡°Either way, Ms. Thompson is hostile toward Salvador Corporation.¡± Gregory knew that his daughter was the aggressor, but he would not admit his failed parenting to Nigel. Instead, he stated in defiance,¡± Even if we have an internal dispute, Be is in no ce to tell us what to do. She has leveraged her family¡¯s influence to restrict us on several asions. She got Shannon in trouble thest time, and most recently, she tried to put Bethany behind bars over something trivial. She¡¯s clearly waging war against us. Ms. Thompson has changed since returning to her family. She will undoubtedly choose her family¡¯s gain over her rtionship with you.¡± Nigel heaved heavily while clutching the arms of his wheelchair. ¡°Matt, get Anna to see me. I need to hear it from her.¡± Meanwhile, Justin pulled up on the driveway of Tideview Manor. Ian opened the door for him. As the man stepped out of the vehicle indifferently, a ck Maserati parked next to him. Hunter, looking sharp in his suit, emerged out of the car. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Salvador.¡± ¡°Ha. Chairman Salvador must have gotten himself into some shady mess for you toe at this hour, Mr. Lovett. Are you cleaning up after him?¡± Justin scoffed and sneered. Hunter responded calmly with a smile, ¡°Chairman Salvador hired me to be Ms. Bethany¡¯s defense attorney. I have a responsibility to see my job through to the end. I pride myself on integrity as a professionalwyer. I guess you¡¯re not well-versed in the legal field, Mr. Salvador. It¡¯s okay. We are in different professions after all.¡± Narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips, Justin approached Hunter aggressively. Hunter stepped back with a frown. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. He lost the moment he backed away. In the face of the man¡¯s intimidation, Hunter surrendered in the battle of wills. ¡°The legal field is shrouded in shades of gray. Sure, we have manywyers dedicating themselves to fighting for the poor and underprivileged, but we also have others like you who serve the interests of corporations. You¡¯ll just stop at nothing to get what you want.¡± Hunter¡¯s smile froze. ¡°I have no right to interfere with your personal goal, but here¡¯s a warning to you.¡± Justin¡¯s piercing gaze filled Hunter with dread. ¡°You are free to be ruthless and dishonest, but Be Thompson is off-limits. She¡¯s important to me, so if you do anything to her, I might just return the favor in kind.¡± Chapter 485 Justin said his piece before taking strides away. Hunter stood there, rooted to the ground. The humiliation coursed through his veins. Born into a family ofwyers and judges, Hunter faced high expectations from his parents and admiration from his brothers. Life came easily to him, and he rose to be an elite among his peers. Even the industry giants had to humble themselves to get his help. Hunter had never been so insulted. Hang on. Furrowing his brows, Hunter stared at the man¡¯s cocky back. Hunter wondered about Be¡¯s rtionship with Justin. It was hard to believe Justin, who kept his distance from women, lost his temper because of her. Be was Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter, and Hunter knew as much. A fine woman like Be would not settle for anything less than perfection for a man. There was only one possibility: Justin had a crush on Be, who was way out of his league. So what if Justin was good-looking? Justin¡¯s mother never married his father before her death. His position as president of Salvador Corporation was a mere handout from his father. ¡°Ha, Despite your privileged upbringing and prestigious title, you¡¯re not the rightful heir, Justin. You are delusional to think you are worthy of Ms. Thompson.¡± Hunter entered the vi with a menacing look. The group was surprised to see Huntering in right behind Justin. ¡°This is Hunter Lovett, Dad. Mr. Lovett is a valuable attorney. He yed a crucial role in getting Bethany out.¡± Gregory introduced Hunter to Nigel enthusiastically. ¡°I n to hire Mr. Lovett as the director of our corporate legal team. What do you think?¡± ¡°Hello, Old Master Nigel. I have heard many good things about you. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± Hunter nodded at Nigel courteously with a smile. ¡°Hunter Lovett¡­ Are you Neil Lovett¡¯s eldest son?¡± Nigel observed him and asked in a serious tone. ¡°Yes. Neil Lovett is my father.¡± Hunter looked proud and happy. ¡°Are you an old friend of my father, Mr. Salvador?¡± Justin scowled at Hunter¡¯s interaction with Nigel. He detested a phony gentleman like Hunter. However, Nigel seemed to know Hunter¡¯s father. ¡°I know him.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Nigel looked at Hunter with a pretentious smile. ¡°Your father presided over my youngest son¡¯s, Gary¡¯s, case. He¡¯s a fair judge and sentenced my son to four years in jail.¡± Everybody was shocked. Color washed off Hunter¡¯splexion, and he could not keep a smile on his face. With the memories of his dark past sweeping over Gregory, he grimaced. Justin picked up on Gregory¡¯s subtle change of expression. ¡°My father ispetent at his job, but he¡¯s not a flexible man, Old Master Nigel. I would like to apologize for his behavior on his behalf.¡± Following the turn of events, Hunter assumed Nigel carried a grudge from the past and apologized right away. ¡°Heh. That¡¯s interesting.¡± Nigel raised a brow. ¡°Did your father make a wrong judgment? Why are you apologizing for him?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Hunter froze. ¡°It¡¯s only right for a judge to be fair and impartial. Seeing that you apologized on his behalf, are you undermining his authority?¡± ¡°I¡­ You got the wrong idea, Old Master Nigel. That¡¯s not my intention.¡± Hunter chuckled dryly. ¡°I have heard about you. You are well known for representing the rich and famous.¡± Nigel scoffed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have associated you with your father if you hadn¡¯t mentioned you¡¯re his son. You are theplete opposite of your father.¡± Chapter 486 Everyone could tell those words were full of sarcasm! Was this not a question about Hunter¡¯s character? Justin could not help but smile slightly, while Gregory and Shannon¡¯s expressions turned ugly. ¡°Old Master Nigel!¡± Right then, Nigel¡¯s secretary, Matt Upton, hurried in and said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Thompson has arrived.¡± Justin¡¯s heart thumped, and his eyes widened. Everyone looked toward the door in unison withplicated gazes, Click, click, click. The sharp and crisp sound of high heels cking on the floor seemed to strike straight into Justin¡¯s heart. Be entered this ce where she had once resided for three yea but the dignified and cold aura that she exuded at the moment w as if this was her first time here. In that instant, Justin went into a daze. It felt as if they had not divorced. ¡°Grandpa Nigel, I¡¯m here!¡± Be smiled brightly and walked over to Nigel without looking elsewhere. When she passed Justin, she did not linger even a little, as if they wereplete strangers to each other. Justin took a deep breath, his fingers slowly clenching into fists out of sight. His heart was pounding hard even as it sank. Every time he met his ex-wife after the divorce, it felt like he was undergoing excruciating torture and great upheaval. ¡°Be Thompson¡­!¡± Bethany red at Be¡¯s beautiful face. If Shannon had not been holding her back, Bethany would have pounced on Be and torn her to pieces by now. ¡°Oh, Hunt! What a coincidence!¡± When Be passed Hunter, she suddenly stopped and looked at him/ with a smile. Hunter was taken aback. The rest were very stunned too. Hunt? It was such a close address that everyone wondered if Be and Hunter had an intimate rtionship. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Ms. Thompson, it¡¯s been a while since we met.¡± Hunter forced a smile, responding with a more distant form of address. ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s been five or six years since youst visited my dad, hasn¡¯t it? He even mentioned you some time ago. Our families have known each other for a very long time. I remember when I was young, Uncle Neil often brought you and Steve over to our house to visit. It¡¯s a shame the two of us haven¡¯t really kept in contact in recent years and have lost touch now.¡± Be looked at Gregory Salvador¡¯s shocked face with a smile. ¡± Chairman Salvador, you didn¡¯t know, did you? Uncle Neil and his three sons have always been my family friends. Uncle Neil was even the head of KS Group¡¯s legal department for a while after he retired. It¡¯s just that Uncle Neil keeps a low profile, so not many people know about this.¡± Hunter forced himself to keep smiling, but his face was burning. Be¡¯s words seemed nonchnt, but every word made a rope that wrapped around his throat!¡¯ Thest thing he was willing to mention to the public was the fact that his family had once enjoyed the Thompsons¡¯ favor. He did not even want to admit to himself that he would not have been able to achieve what he had today without the Thompsons¡¯ support. Hunter wanted to be stronger, expand his influence, and increase his family¡¯s status. To do that, he had to get out of the Thompsons¡¯ shadow. ¡°Mr. Lovett, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so close to the Thompsons,¡± Gregory said meaningfully. ¡°My father was indeed KS Group¡¯s legal advisor for a time, but he stepped down a long time ago. I haven¡¯t had any contact with the Thompsons for many years,¡± Hunter hurriedly said, his words explicitly and implicitly distancing himself from the Thompsons. ¡°Hunt-no, Mr. Lovett.¡± Be narrowed her eyes slightly, her smile gradually growing cold and mocking. ¡°I think you still remember how much hardship your family went through when Uncle Neil retired as a judge. If it weren¡¯t for my father¡¯s help, it would probably have been very difficult for you to ovee it. My father was kind to your father back then, and your family benefited a lot from mine. We have never wanted repayment for it. But you still shouldn¡¯t work with outsiders to try and trip me up.¡± Ms. Be¡¯s red lips curled in a cold but beautiful sneer. ¡°Is it part of yourwyer¡¯s code of ethics to be ungrateful and to burn the bridge once you¡¯ve crossed it?¡± Chapter 487 Be¡¯s forceful questioning seemed to have ripped off Hunter¡¯s veil andbeled him ungrateful. Be thought to herself; ¡®Did you not want to distance yourself from the Thompsons? Alright, then. I¡¯ll bring up exactly what you didn¡¯t want to be mentioned and expose the thoughts you didn¡¯t want to see the light of day for everyone to see!¡¯ Hunter¡¯s lips were pressed tightly together, and though they still held the semnce of a smile, his gaze toward Be was not at all friendly. In fact, his gaze had turned cold. Hunter thought, ¡®This was the woman my brother Steven was so smitten with? A sarcastic, willful, sharp-tongued shrew?! If Steven married a troublesome woman like that, would our family have any more peaceful days in the future? Would it not be chaos?!¡¯ The atmosphere became tense and awkward. Gregory Salvador felt that Be Thompson was pretty much the bane of his existence. Every time he saw her, she just had to make trouble. Hunter¡¯s capability as awyer was unquestionable. Gregory always wanted to take Hunter under his wing, but he had not known Hunter had such a connection to the Thompsons, which made him very ufortable. ¡°So it turns out that Mr. Lovett had such a past with the Thompsons that no one knew about.¡± Justin¡¯s words were directed toward Hunter, but his deep gaze never left Be. ¡°And it looks like Ms. Thompson is the daughter of your benefactor. Is this how you repay kindness, Mr. Lovett? By butting heads with Ms. Thompson over and over.¡± Be could not help but frown as she digested what Justin said. Was he standing up for her? Was he taking the side of an outsider, hers, in front of his family? He had never taken her side, even when they had been husband and wife. Was he doing an about- face and trying to make it up to her? Be thought, ¡®That¡¯s not necessary! He must be mad!¡¯ Upon hearing this, Nigel frowned even more deeply. ¡°Ha! Ms. Thompson, so ording to you, I can¡¯t be awyer just because I, as a Lovett, received the kindness of your family? Is that it?¡± Hunter would not just stand there and let himself be mocked. A fake smile appeared on his face. ¡°I am a professional. In my eyes, there are only two kinds of people-clients and non-clients. Ms. Bethany This is from N?velDrama.Org. Salvador is my client, so of course, I have to do my best for her. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, is there? If you hired me, Ms. Thompson, I¡¯d fulfill my duties in the same way. This has nothing to do with any repayment of kindness, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Justin¡¯s fist clenched and his eyes darkened at the sight of Hunter¡¯s secretly smug expression. ¡°Oh, my! I wouldn¡¯t dare to hire you, O great Mr. Lovett!¡± Be hurriedly waved her hands with a shocked look. ¡°Such an amazingwyer as you would be a double-edged sword. One day you¡¯d be helping me fight my case, but the next, you¡¯d be helping others sue me, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± As Be spoke, she poked her face. ¡°You won¡¯t even give my family the slightest bit of consideration even though my father is your father¡¯s benefactor, after all. How could a mere girl such as I amount to anything in your esteemed eyes? Once you¡¯ve changed your allegiance and others want you to attack me, wouldn¡¯t you have to do the best you can then? I simply can¡¯t afford to hire such a great personage as you!¡± Be felt goosebumps rise all over her own body even as she finished speaking. Ew! Even Rosalind Gold at her best had to admit defeat when Be started being bitchy. Justin could not stop the corners of his lips from curling up when he saw the innocent look on Be¡¯s face that actually hid malicious intentions. Hunter stifled a cough, so angry his chest started hurting. At first, Bethany Salvador wanted to rely on the fact that she was on her home ground and in Hunter Lovett¡¯s presence to taunt Be. Even if she could not actually do anything to her, she would have been able to vent her anger. Chapter 488 But in the end, even Hunter had to admit defeat to Be¡¯s flurry of barbs. Bethany did not dare cause any trouble and hid behind Shannon like a turtle that had retreated into its shell. ¡°Grandpa Nigel!¡± Be walked to Nigel¡¯s side and took his dry and wrinkled hand. She had a worried look on her face. They looked closer than Bethany was to Nigel. ¡°Did you call me over sote at night because you¡¯re feeling unwell?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, child. I¡¯m fine.¡± Nigel looked gently into her clear gaze and patted the back of her hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m still healthy.¡± Be sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± ¡°Anna, I actually called you over this time for nothing serious. The main reason is that I missed you and wanted to see you, but I also wanted to ask¡­ What on earth happened between you and Bethany? How did things get to this point?¡± Nigel said earnestly, ¡°Both you and Bethany are my granddaughters, and I hope you guys can get along. I feel very worried every time things are blown out of proportion like this.¡± But Be understood that this was Grandpa Nigel¡¯s way of speaking up for his biological granddaughter, Bethany. Inexplicably, her nose soured, and she choked up a little.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. No matter how well she treated Grandpa Nigel, blood was thicker than water, even if the ¡°obedient granddaughter ¡± he spoke of was a malicious repeat backstabber. ¡°The two days Bethany was in custody were unbearable!¡± Shannon took this opportunity to cry out, all choked up, as she hugged a sobbing Bethany. ¡°They took turns to interrogate your granddaughter for twenty-four hours non-stop, threatening and scolding her and not letting her sleep! Look¡ªshe¡¯s been tortured beyond recognition!¡± Bethany did look a lot more haggard and looked even more pitiful as she sobbed. Nigel had doted on his eldest granddaughter since Bethany was young. Although it was true that Bethany was not as talented as Be was or as good at pleasing him, and she rarely visited him after bing an adult and living her own life, Bethany was still his biological granddaughter. At his age, elderly people like him only wished for peace within the family and to enjoy life. When Justin saw Be¡¯s eyes redden slightly and her expression had lost the vitality it had earlier, he felt an indescribable difort. It was obvious she had been hurt. He suddenly remembered that in the three years she had been married to him, she had always lived like an outsider in this house. At the time, he had not known how to be considerate of her and even hoped this would make her give up and ask for a divorce of her own ord. At this current moment, it was like a scene from the past was happening again. But this time, Justin, who had already missed past opportunities, would not allow himself to miss it a second time. Thus, he strode up to his grandfather with a cold expression and a hint of anger in his dark eyes. Everyone was stunned by his next move. They watched as Justin lifted his arm and casually wrapped it around Be¡¯s shoulders, pulling her closer in a domineering manner, as if she had always been his wife and they had never divorced. Be stared at him with wide eyes as she froze. ¡°Justin, you-!¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± Justin did not give her the chance to break free. Hisrge palm gripped her rounded shoulders firmly. ¡°Instead of asking Ms. Thompson what happened, you should ask your good little granddaughter Bethany Salvador what on earth she¡¯s done.¡± Chapter 489 Be could feel the burning warmth of Justin¡¯s palm pulse through her flesh. Crazy bastard! What on earth had gotten into him again? She wanted his dirty hands off her. As if he could tell that she wanted to break free, Justin tightened his grip to the point that he was almost crushing her shoulder. He was forcefully keeping them close. Everyone was shocked to see the formerly married pair so close to each other. Only Nigel smiled widely in a surprised but relieved manner. His slightly gloomy mood vanished instantly. Nigel thought, ¡®Ah! Was Anna back together with Justin?! Though her expression did not seem too happy, did it not? Oh, whatever! It did matter if Justin was being persistent or overbearing. My wooden block of a grandson has finally been enlightened! This is great ne that there has been progress in their rtionship! I might just set fireworks in celebration!¡¯ Be could no longer bear it and slowly lifted her foot while the others were distracted before stomping on Justin heavily. ¡°Ugh!¡± Justin frowned slightly, and he grunted in pain, but only Be could hear it. She smiled evilly as she ground the stiletto she was wearing viciously into Justin¡¯s high-end, handmade leather loafer. Phew! Be felt much better now to see Justin in pain. However, Justin was in so much pain that his thin lips were trembling. The intense pain almost made his soul leave his body. He gritted his teeth as he slowly turned his gaze to the woman in his arms, whose face had satisfaction written all over it. Unconsciously, his frown slowly smoothed out. ¡®Ha! Did bullying me make her so happy? If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t mind letting her step on me again.¡¯ ¡°Grandpa! I¡¯ve been falsely used!¡± Bethany felt that, at this rate, the formerly married pair were going to sentence her to death in front of her grandfather. Thus, she pulled Hunter along to make herself look innocent. ¡°If I really was guilty, I would not have been acquitted, even if Mr. Lovett was an all-powerfulwyer! The police aren¡¯t idiots. Wouldn¡¯t real criminals leave behind some evidence? It was all this wicked woman¡¯s fault. She made things up to frame me!¡± ¡°Old Master Nigel, the police have a strict process for handling cases.¡± Hunter spoke up for Bethany then. ¡°I am Ms. Bethany¡¯swyer. All I can do is make sure that things are in my client¡¯s favor as much as legally possible. I can¡¯t make what¡¯s false be true either.¡± He turned to look at Be with a sinister gaze. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I don¡¯t know what personal grudges you hold against my client, but I still don¡¯t think you should use dishonorable means to solve the issue. And besides, considering Chairman Thompson¡¯s magnanimity, his daughter should have the grace to be tolerant of others, shouldn¡¯t she?¡± Be narrowed her eyes slightly and let out a cold huff. ¡®Ha! This man must be living in the shadows, since he¡¯s so good at throwing shade. It looked like he really had forgotten how his father had lowered his head when he led him to our door to thank and show respect to Wyatt. Hunter had essentiallybeled Be merciless and turned the tides against her. ¡°Ha.¡± Suddenly, Justin let out a chillingugh. Hisugh was maic but intimidating, and even Be, still in his arms, could not help but feel a slight fear. ¡°I must have been too nice because you seem to think you¡¯re really something, Mr. Lovett.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The corners of Justin¡¯s eyes turned slightly bloodshot as he turned his sharp gaze toward Hunter. ¡°Did you forget so quickly what I said to you before we came inside earlier? Is your brain malfunctioning?¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Justin had interacted with Hunter before this? What had they said to each other? Shannon and Bethany were both intimidated and took a small step back. They felt that Justin right now was scarier than a monster. Hunter¡¯s false smile was about to fall apart as his expression gradually distorted in fear and anger ¡°Justin! Is that how you speak to Mr. Lovett? He¡¯s our guest!¡± Gregory could not help but rebuke. After all, he still wanted to put Hunter Lovett to good use in the future and make him his protege. Was Justin not messing things up by acting like that now? ¡°He¡¯s your guest, not mine.¡± Justin¡¯s cold gaze swept toward Gregory¡¯s distended and red face and slowly moved back to Be¡¯s clear and beautiful eyes. As their eyes met, his gaze turned tender as if the whole world had vanished, leaving just her in his eyes ¡°I said before that I would not give whoever dared to cause trouble for Ms. Thompson a good ending.¡± Be took in a shocked breath, her heart faintly trembling. She could not look away from Justin, as if her gaze had been drawn to him like a ma. Hunter swallowed heavily, his hands clenching out of sight. ¡°Do you recall what I said now, Mr. Lovett?¡± Chapter 490 The moment Be Thompson appeared, the Salvadors were bound to be thrown into chaos and dispersed unhappily. Be was not in the mood, nor did she feel the need to exin anything to Nigel because she felt the truth woulde out eventually. Besides, she had learned long ago from Wyatt and M about Hunter Lovett¡¯s way of dealing with people and things. Since he could get Bethany Salvador out of the police station, it meant he had already dealt with the hidden dangers. Even if she knew he had threatened Henry into taking the fall, the police had already closed the case and would not be able to reopen it for the time being. Hunter was as dangerous as his smile was polite. Nevertheless, Nigel had no intention of making things difficult for Be, since he trusted her character. He had seen for himself how sincere she was. If he could not trust even Anna, who on this earth could he trust, then? Be personally wheeled Nigel back to his room. Justin followed behind her from start to finish, sticking to her closely. Be was very annoyed and unhappy about this. But tonight, Nigel was overjoyed as he watched the young couple hover around him with a pleased smile on his face. His smile was so wide that both rows of teeth were showing. He was in such great The moment Be Thompson appeared, the Salvadors were bound to be thrown into chaos and dispersed unhappily. Be was not in the mood, nor did she feel the need to exin anything to Nigel because she felt the truth woulde out eventually. Besides, she had learned long ago from Wyatt and M about Hunter Lovett¡¯s way of dealing with people and things. Since he could get Bethany Salvador out of the police station, it meant he had already dealt with the hidden dangers. Even if she knew he had threatened Henry into taking the fall, the police had already closed the case and would not be able to reopen it for the time being. Hunter was as dangerous as his smile was polite. Nevertheless, Nigel had no intention of making things difficult for Be, since he trusted her character. He had seen for himself how sincere she was. If he could not trust even Anna, who on this earth could he trust, then? Be personally wheeled Nigel back to his room. Justin followed behind her from start to finish, sticking to her closely. Be was very annoyed and unhappy about this. But tonight, Nigel was overjoyed as he watched the young couple hover around him with a pleased smile on his face. His smile was so wide that both rows of teeth were showing. He was in such great spirits, as if he had returned to his youth. It was not just love that could nourish the spirit. Watching a couple he shipped interact with each other was pretty nourishing too! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa Nigel. I¡¯ve been really busytely and couldn¡¯t make time toe visit you. You must be mad at me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Be looked guilty. ¡°What are you saying, you silly child? I¡¯ll be very happy as long as you just keep me in mind.¡± Nigel sped her warm hand tightly as he gave Justin a meaningful nce. ¡°You¡¯re so young. You should go out, have fun, and meet good men. I heard Ryan Hoffman and Christopher Iverson are pretty. close to you. What do you think of them? Are there any other gentlemen that you¡¯re interested in? If you have one, you ought to bring him to meet me! I¡¯ll help you evaluate him!¡± Justin¡¯s eye twitched. He felt suffocated and pained, as if his grandfather had swung a huge hammer straight at his chest. Justin thought, ¡®This old man wanted to y matchmaker even though he¡¯s confined to a wheelchair and tried to match haphazardly! Was he not afraid that his darling Anna would show up with a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing?!¡¯ Justin¡¯s eyes reddened as his breathing obviously quickened with agitation. Be could not help but be surprised. ¡°Grandpa Nigel, how did you know about Christopher?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m all-knowing, you see. I know everything without even stepping out of my home.¡± Nigel boasted while he was at it. ¡°Ah. I¡¯ve known Christopher since I was young.¡± ¡°Are you childhood sweethearts, then?¡± Nigel felt a little nervous. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Be hummed with a smile. ¡°I think I was more like a big sister, and he was like a little brother to me. He was so weak when we were young, so he needed me to take care of him!¡± Be raised her delicate chin slightly. She had one hand on her waist as she smiled brightly. The 24-year-old youngdy in front of him was still as bright, lively, Justin stared fixedly at her bright expression. Suddenly, his vision blurred, and a sharp pain stabbed through his brain. He was afraid that Be and his grandfather would see this, so he hurriedly turned around and pressed a hand to his throbbing temples as the pain caused a cold sweat to soak his back. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his memory, her smile slowly ovepped with that of a little girl¡¯s blurry face. He always had a feeling that he met Be a very, very long time ago. But why was it that he just could not remember? ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ve never heard you mention you were so close to the Iverson boy before, though.¡± Nigel was not that into gossip, but he paid more attention when it concerned the future of his grandson¡¯s love life. ¡°We lost touch when he moved overseas to Sentania with his mother. Not long ago, we happened to bump into each other, and we reconnected.¡± Be was very open about her rtionship with Christopher and was honest with Grandpa Nigel. ¡°Ah¡­I heard that he donated an extravagant collector¡¯s ne to help build steam for the charity auction you organized previously. I can see he¡¯s very thoughtful toward you.¡± Nigel continued testing her. Be smiled faintly. ¡°He probably only helped me out of gratitude for helping him when we were kids and for old times¡¯ sake.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ In that case, Chairman Iverson¡¯s youngest son is a kind-hearted person who knows how to repay kindness.¡± As he said so, Nigel looked disdainfully at Justin, feeling angrier the more he looked at him. ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s much better than this wooden block over here!¡± Old Master Nigel was not taking an outsider¡¯s side. He was just frustrated with Justin for not living up to his expectations and took the opportunity to try to provoke him into stepping up to the te the moment it arose. ¡°Grandpa Nigel, please don¡¯t me Mr. Salvador for our divorce. I made it very clear from the beginning that it was mutually decide upon. I don¡¯t have any hard feelings for him.¡± Be looked back. Her calm gaze made Justin¡¯s heart twinge. ¡°Mr. Salvador isn¡¯t as cold as you say he is either. He¡¯s always known how to repay kindness, how to show affection, and how to dote on someone.¡± In that instant, Justin felt a stabbing pain in his heart as his throat choked up with remorse, his broad shoulders trembling slightly. He did know how to repay kindness and how to show affection. But all of his passion had been directed in the wrong direction. It was only when he had run into a wall and started bleeding from it that he realized he had been so stupid. But he really did not want to bepared to Christopher Iverson. In Be¡¯s eyes, he was not as good as Christopher.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Chapter 491 Be gave Nigel a few more reminders about his health before excusing herself and leaving the room. She had just left the room when Justin hurriedly came after her. ¡°I¡¯ll send you home,¡± Justin said simply. Be had to suppress her anger in front of Nigel earlier. At this moment, it finally erupted as she quickly took a few steps back and pointed at his face. She yelled loudly, ¡°Halt!¡± Justin frowned in confusion. Be pursed her lips in slight embarrassment. She originally wanted to say ¡°no¡± but ended up saying ¡°halt¡± due to some crossed wires. Whatever, it meant the same thing! ¡°I don¡¯t need you to send me home. I¡¯m an adult, and it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know the way home!¡± ¡°It¡¯ste. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Justin unrelentingly took a step forward. Be remembered that she had been hugged by this man earlier that night and gritted her teeth. She patted her shoulder to dust off some invisible dirt. ¡°Justin Salvador, I didn¡¯t flip my shit earlier only because Grandpa Nigel was around, not because I want any form of rtionship with you, so don¡¯t cross the line. Right now, I¡¯m super pissed because of Hunter Lovett and Bethany Salvador. I get the urge. to smack even a passing dog. So if youe any closer, trust me. when I say I¡¯ll beat your ass.¡± Be thought she was very threatening and intimidating when she said this. But Justin felt a bit likeughing when he heard this, so he smiled. slightly. ¡°If Hunter causes trouble for you again, tell me, and I¡¯ll help you deal with him,¡± Justin said softly. ¡°Ha! There¡¯s no need for an outsider like you to interfere in the affairs between the Lovetts and us Thompsons. Just mind yourself!¡± Be recalled that Justin had offended Hunter Lovett in front of the entire Salvador family just to protect her earlier, and aplex feeling arose in her heart. But on second thought, that bastard was probably more concerned about his own interests. After all, she could tell Gregory Salvador wanted Hunter Lovett to join. Salvador Corporation. If Hunter really became Salvador Corporation¡¯s legal counsel, that was equivalent to Gregory gaining a fierce general, which would make the situation unfavorable for that bastard. When she thought of this, Be sneered. Right when Justin took a step to try to get closer to her once more, at stern voice spoke from behind him. ¡°Justin!¡± Justin frowned and turned around to see Gregory walking toward him quickly. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Come to my study. I have something to say to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle see youter. Right now, I need to send Ms. Thompson home.¡± Justin replied calmly, not budging. ¡°Send? Ha! Does she even need you? Ms. Thompson is long gone!¡± Justin was stunned. When he turned back around, that woman, who was as agile as a rabbit, had long disappeared without a trace. Be walked out of the Salvador home expressionlessly. ¡°Ms. Thompson.¡± She paused. Her gaze grew colder when she saw Hunter walk up to her with a fake smile on his face. ¡°Regardless of whether you¡¯re happy about it, I¡¯ve still gotten Ms. Bethany Salvador through this crisis. It¡¯s not shameful for you to lose. to me.¡± ¡°Truthfully, no matter how I think about it, I¡¯vee out on top this time.¡± Be was not angered by him and instead taunted him by going along with his words. ¡°Through this incident, I finally see youpletely for who you are. I¡¯ve seen many peoplein about the cook after finishing their food, but you are the first who¡¯s smashed the te after you¡¯re done eating. I just wonder if Uncle Neil knew the dream of the son he was most proud of was to wipe the asses of the rich and even worked against your former benefactors. Would he be ashamed of you?¡± Hunter¡¯s insincere smile stiffenedpletely, and his expression suddenly darkened. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I went easier on you precisely because you¡¯re Chairman Thompson¡¯s daughter! You¡¯re crossing the line by provoking me repeatedly! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you¡¯re rich?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve just reminded me that I am the daughter of the richest ma Hatchbay. It¡¯s a talent of mine to do whatever I want. Why shou leave such a noble status unused if I have it?¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed dangerously, and the curl of her rea lips was like a saber that drew no blood when it killed. ¡°So from now¡± on, before you go against me again, you¡¯d better remember whose daughter I am and whose support I have. My temper is much worse. than my father¡¯s.¡± Turning on her chic and cool stilettos, Be left in style. Hunter gritted his teeth as he watched her beautiful figure go. ¡°Be Thompson, don¡¯t take me for that useless younger brother of mine. Just because Steven is willing to be the Thompsons¡¯ dog, it doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m so cowardly to bend to your every wish! There are many days ahead of us. Our confrontation is yet toe!¡± Chapter 492 In the study, both Shannon and Bethany were present. Of course, Gregory did not ask Nigel to attend as well, since the old man waspletely on Justin¡¯s side in his eyes. At this point, the father and son were on opposing sides. It seemed that ever since Mary, Justin¡¯s birth mother, hadmit suicide, Justin and Gregory were only father and son in name. And now, the gap between them has widened once more due to Thompson. But this was exactly what Shannon wanted to see most. It was only when they were on either side of the fence and in their own camp that she could take advantage of the chaos to reap. benefits from the Salvadors! If she took a step back and looked at the bigger picture, it did not matter if Justin was very influential and capable. Gregory was still his father. Justin would still have to bow before him, right? ¡°I called you over to inform you of something.¡± Gregory sat on the sofa with a cold expression before casually throwing a freshly printed letter of appointment at Justin. ¡°I¡¯ve already decided to officially appoint Hunter Lovett as Salvador Corporation¡¯s legal counsel and the head of the group¡¯s legal department. It¡¯ll be announced first thing tomorrow morning. I¡¯ve already signed it, so there¡¯s no need for your signature as president.¡± Shannon and her daughter secretly smiled in glee. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with this,¡± Justin said coldly without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t need your agreement. All that¡¯s needed is my decision. Hunter Lovett is a rare talent. Don¡¯t you know how important it is for a group to recruit an excellentwyer?¡± ¡°You heard the conversation between Be and Hunter earlier, didn¡¯t you?¡± Justin sneered darkly. ¡°Are you hiring an ungrateful, profit-driven, and unscrupulouswyer like him?¡± ¡°You arrogant, rebellious ass!¡± Gregory suddenly stood up. He cked out briefly because he moved, too suddenly. Luckily, Shannon caught him in time. ¡°Don¡¯t stress yourself out so much, Greg! It¡¯s bad for your health!¡± She gently stroked her husband¡¯s back as she internallyughed in tion. ¡°The Thompsons helped the Lovetts in their time of crisis, and they were taken care of by Chairman Thompson. Even Hunter¡¯s younger brother, Steven, is working at KS Group. And still, Hunter harbors resentment and betrays the Thompsons¡¯ trust for his own selfish desires. Do you think you can control someone like that? If someone offers him better terms in the future, do you think he¡¯ll stay obediently at Salvador Corporation and let you use him?¡± Justin hit the bull¡¯s eye, not giving him any mercy. ¡°Justin Salvador! You¡¯re just making excuses for protecting that witch, Be Thompson!¡± Now that there were no outsiders around, Gregory could no longer hold back. He was so angry his eyes were red as he roared, ¡°You¡¯re so protective of her¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for that bitch?!¡± ¡°So what if I have?¡± Justin spoke casually. But God knew his heart was beating as fast as a rabbit¡¯s at that moment!All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. When Gregory heard this, he froze, thunderstruck. Shannon and Bethany also froze, not expecting Justin to give such an answer. But they could not tell if Justin had really fallen for Be and was just admitting it, or if he was purely trying to disobey Gregory. After all, that bastard had only messed up once in his life, which was abandoning the girl who had it all, Be Thompson, in favor of getting together with Rosalind Gold. ¡°Justin Salvador! Do you think you cane here and put the spilled milk back in the bottle? No way!¡± Gregory was so furious that his eye was twitching and his voice was cracking. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯d better give up and forget it, even if you¡¯ve fallen for Be Thompson! As long as I live, I¡¯ll never agree to you being together with that Thompson witch! Had I known earlier. that she was Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter, I would never have let you marry her back then. She made a fool out of us and wasted your time. for three years!¡± His words were like arrows that pierced Justin¡¯s heart. Fury colored Justin¡¯s eyes in an instant, and his pupils shrank as his eyes burned with hatred. The next second, Justin grabbed the crystal ashtray on the coffee table and raised it high over his head, only to smash it hard against the ground. Crash-! ¡°Ah!¡± Gregory trembled, while Shannon and Bethany cried out in fear. The crystal ashtray fell to the ground and was smashed into pieces, its sharp shards scattering everywhere. A few shards bounced so high they cut Shannon¡¯s skirt and arm. Fresh blood welled up, and she was both shocked and angry, almost bursting into tears. ¡°Be hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. What right do you have to talk about her like that?¡± Justin red through reddened eyes, his hands clenched into fists as he pressed on. ¡°What did she do wrong by marrying me? In what way did she wrong me in the three years we were married? Did she wrong you or our family? It was me who let her down. Our whole family let her down! Don¡¯t me me for not showing mercy if anyone says anything else negative about her, even if it¡¯s you!¡± That gaze¡­ Chapter 493 It was that gaze that did not distinguish between devil and man again, as if Justin had juste off the battlefield. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Gregory breathed heavily, his lips trembling. Back when Mary jumped off the building and the young Justin was holding his mother¡¯s bloody corpse tightly, he had looked at his father, who arrivedte, with the same gaze. Gregory loathed it, but even more than that, he was afraid! Now, just for a mere Be Thompson, Justin was actually go oppose his biological father?! Shannon and Bethany wanted to see Justin make a fool of himself a first, but this did not happen. Instead, they got a shock. They did not even dare to breathe heavily. Justin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Feeling no need to say anything more, he turned to leave. ¡°Justin Salvador!¡± Gregory called his name hoarsely, his voice trembling. ¡°You¡¯re protecting Be Thompson like this¡­ Are you taking the Thompsons¡¯ side and opposing me, your birth father?! Don¡¯t forget what yourst name is. Don¡¯t forget whose blood runs in your veins! And don¡¯t forget, without me supporting you, how can you take such a high position and run Salvador Corporation?!¡± It was all old cliches, nothing new. Justin felt nothing when he heard this, even feeling bored. ¡°You¡¯re only where you are because of me! If you dare go against me, trust me when I say I¡¯ll kick you out of your position as president! You¡¯ll be nothing!¡± Gregory was hysterical at this point. Even Shannon, as his wife, had never seen him so angry before. ¡°If you want to do that, go ahead. That is, if you can.¡± Justin slowly looked back. He looked like he had already cut himself off from the world, a heart- wrenching determination in his eyes. ¡°For her, I don¡¯t mind being enemies with the entire Salvador family.¡± Justin¡¯s shoulders slumped after leaving the study. He felt as if his spirit had been dug out clean. ¡°Justin.¡± A gentle voice spoke up, and his eyes reddened when he saw Nigel appear before him. Just now, he had beenpletely immersed in his ownplex emotions and had not realized there was someone else in the hallway. The old man had not changed into pajamas and was still wearing the shirt he wore when he arrived. From the looks of it, he had no ns of staying the night at Tideview Manor. Ever since Deborah passed and Gregory married Shannon, Nigel felt like this was no longer his home and that Crescent Bay was his home. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Justin said softly and realized his voice was very hoarse-choked up, even. ¡°I heard everything you and your father talked about in the study.¡± Nigel was in a wheelchair and could not easily stand up, so Justin obediently leaned down to make it easier for his grandfather to touch him. ¡°Although it is rude of you to talk back to your father¡­¡± Nigel chuckled. ¡°This time, we¡¯re thinking the same thing!¡± As he said so, he patted Justin¡¯s shoulder in relief. ¡°I don¡¯t want tha Hunter Lovett fellow joining Salvador Corporation either. You¡¯re right. Profit-driven people aren¡¯t in line with our corporate culture! Don¡¯t worry, I might be retired, but I¡¯m not completely retired. I still have at say in thispany. If your father insists, I¡¯ll step up to stop him.¡± ¡°Grandpa, as the president, this should be left to me to handle. You should enjoy your retirement and stop worrying about these. troublesome matters.¡± Justin did not want to use his grandfather for a small matter like this. That would really be bothersome. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine! I need something to do anyway! Sigh¡­¡± Nigel blinked as he asked with anticipation, ¡°Just now, you said you wanted to protect Anna and even said you¡¯d fallen for her¡­ Were you serious?¡± Justin looked up, his heart beating like a drum. After a pause, he swallowed and answered in a serious voice, ¡°I got angry and said it without thinking in the heat of the moment. I didn¡¯t. think that much.¡± ¡°Tsk. Fine, fine. Just do whatever you want since you don¡¯t want to admit it.¡± Nigel was a bit disappointed. Justin frowned. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Send me home. It¡¯s boring for me on the way back alone, so chat with me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Justin pushed the wheelchair, and the grandfather-and-son pair walked toward the other end of the hallway. With his back to him, the old man smiled mischievously. Hmph, silly boy. The words that came out without thinking were what one truly felt. Chapter 494 One weekter, the wedding of Ada Wang and the CEO of a certain international luxury car brand went ahead as scheduled at the KS World Hotel. That day, the trending topics on all social media, both domestic and international, were dominated by Ada¡¯s wedding. While all of the media outlets in Savrow also came out in fu ce, scrambling to report on this with full fervor, the headlines on t inte were very eye-catching and fanned the mes even [Congrattions on winning the organizing rights and crushing opposition, KS World Hotel!] [KS World Hotel¡¯s first venture in Savrow is a sess! The old heavyweight, Salvador Corporation, is defeated and put in an awkward situation!] [Members of the Salvador family were exposed to scandals one after another. How could there be such a big gap between the levels of two families when they¡¯re both in the elite upper ss?] The attention at the KS World Hotel also reached its peak on that day. Theizens praised Be Thompson, whose identity as Alexa had been revealed, andpared her to Bethany Salvador. Bethany was like a wilting flower next to Be, who was like a bright red flower in bloom. [Ms. Thompson was ultimately going to win this game. She¡¯s Alexa! Justin Salvador still wanted to go up against her? He¡¯s too much!] [Let¡¯s be reasonable. How is this Mr. Salvador¡¯s fault in any way? It¡¯s obviously Bethany Salvador who didn¡¯t know her limits and ran headfirst into a steel wall. Now she¡¯s socially humiliated!] [Bethany Salvador thought she had given Ms. Thompson a fatal blow, but she didn¡¯t expect herself to be the shameful one. Hahahaha!] [It really is shameful! Bethany Salvador bought fake jewelry to give to an international superstar!] [Don¡¯t you get it? This is called saving where you should and spending where you should. Get by where you can!] [Even if Bethany Salvador walks out of the police station unscathed right now, her reputation is completely ruined!] The ruined Bethany Salvador watched as she was cursed so much for the past few days that she started trending online and was talked about everywhere. In a fit of anger, she fell seriously ill and was bedridden. No matter how much Shannon was raring for a fight, she could only temporarily sound a retreat as she took care of her sick daughter and tried to think of ways to please Gregory at the same time. To that end, despite already being in her forties, she got beauty treatments done, secretly bought a few ckce gowns, and event bought an aphrodisiac fragrance as she prepared to find an opportunity to disy her skills of seduction and make Gregory Salvador infatuated with and mesmerized by her, just like twenty years ago. After all, that man had not touched her in about half a year. But in the end, it was like Gregory was deliberately hiding from her because he did note home for a week. They spoke very little when they did meet, and he did not even look at her when they did! How could Shannon not feel angry and hateful? Shannon thought, ¡®Be Thompson¡­ It was all that witch¡¯s fault! I would definitely make Be suffer all the humiliation I suffered today a thousandfold in the future!¡¯ But no matter how much Shannon hated Be, she could not stop Be from shining from her victory in battle. Ada¡¯s wedding showcased how influential Hatchbay¡¯s toppany, KS Group, was in Savrow. Not only that, the value of KS Group¡¯s stocks soared on that day, and everyone predicted that the value was bound to keep rising after the stock market opened the next morning. But this had not ended yet. After photos of the wedding were posted online, it sparked a phenomenal discussion amongizens nationwide. [A sea of ck roses! Ada¡¯s wedding is so cool!] [I don¡¯t care! I¡¯m going to do the same thing when I get married!] [I¡¯m tired of those traditional weddings, so KS World Hotel¡¯s organization gets full marks!] Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Justin sat in his office, watching the livestream of Ada Wang¡¯s wedding with a fixed gaze. His thin lips curled slightly as his cold eyes also grew tender. At first, he waspletely uninterested in an event like this. But he knew Be¡¯s blood, sweat, and tears had gone into this wedding and only paid more attention because of that. There was a knock on the door, andn walked in with arge, arm green nylon bag. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ve prepared the hiking equipment you asked me to ge ready.¡± Chapter 495 ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Why did you suddenly get the urge to go hiking?¡±n asked curiously. ¡°I go every year,¡± Justin replied calmly. During one summer vacation when he was young, Justin volunteered as a forest ranger in Mount Jaglee National Forest Park for two months as a means of relieving stress. Life back then was very simple. Apart from eating and sleeping, all he did was go hiking with his captain, rescue tourists, and investigate safety hazards.. It had been an easy time in his life, which was a rare urrence. Later on, after he became president of Salvador Corporation, he would donate arge sum of money to the forest park every year. No one knew this apart from himself and his captain. ¡°Mr. Salvador! You saw Ada Wang¡¯s wedding, right? The young madam is really amazing!¡± How did shee up with the idea to use ck roses to decorate the venue? And what¡¯s surprising is that Ada Wang agreed!¡± ¡°Because she isn¡¯t a normal woman. She¡¯s Be Thompson.¡± Justin¡¯s deep-set eyes curved slightly as he said softly, ¡°She always finds a way.¡± Because of Justin¡¯s and Nigel¡¯s interference, Hunter¡¯s appointment as the head of Salvador Corporation¡¯s legal department fell through. For the first time, Hunter Lovett, who always had smooth sailing tasted defeat and went to Europe for a week for a vacation returning home. He had just entered the door when he was caught by Steven, wh been waiting for him for a whole week. ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this Ms. Thompson¡¯s loyal dog of a secretary?¡± Hunter gave Steven a mocking look. ¡°What are you doing back home instead of following her around like a puppy?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to exin to me?¡± Steven ignored Hunter¡¯s mocking and asked coldly. ¡°Exin to you? Steven, is that how you should speak to your older brother?¡± Hunter had been suppressing his anger all this while, and it was finally about to erupt. ¡°Thest time, it was Shannon Quarry. This time, it¡¯s Bethany Salvador. You really are an industry model ofbor, since you¡¯re taking all the shitty jobs.¡± Steven clenched his fists tightly as he sneered. ¡°Steven!¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re determined to make the Lovett family name famous. and reach heights people can look up to, but all that shouldn¡¯t be obtained by being ungrateful!¡± Steven roared in anger with reddened eyes. ¡°Without the Thompsons, we wouldn¡¯t be where we are today! Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re eroding your conscience by helping the Salvadors move against Ms. Be?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m eroding my conscience?! Am I not doing it all for the sake of this family?!¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Hunter felt angry and indignant, not feeling like he was in the w whatsoever. ¡°Just because the Thompsons helped us once, we h to be at their beck and call for the rest of our lives?! There¡¯s no suc rule in this world! It¡¯s your problem if you want to be Be. Thompson¡¯spdog, but rence and I have ambitions of our own. Don¡¯t assume we¡¯re like you, who just want to have it easy and dream of marrying into their family!¡± Steven finally could not bear it anymore, and gritting his teeth, he swung his fist and punched Hunter in the face. This was the first time in his 28 years of life that he had raised a hand against his older brother. Once, his brother used to make him proud. Now, Steven only felt ashamed. Infuriated, Hunter punched back too. The two brothers started fighting in the living room, scaring the helpers silly. But Hunter was no match for Steven, who held a ck belt in taekwondo. Thus, Hunter was quickly overwhelmed by his 188-cm-tall younger brother, who pressed him to the floor and pounded him against it. ¡°Steve! Stop it!¡± Right then, their parents and second brother, rence, camer downstairs. They were stunned to see this scene. Chapter 496 rence reacted quickly and rushed forward to pull Steven, whose eyes were red from anger, off Hunter. Then he hugged Steven tightly from the back. ¡°Steve! Have you gone mad?! How could you punch your brother?!¡± ¡°Mad¡­ He¡¯s fucking crazy!¡± Hunter got up from the ground, clutching his face. ¡°He¡¯s bing a monster who doesn¡¯t even recognize his own family because of that Thompson girl!¡± ¡°The one who¡¯s bing a monster isn¡¯t me¡­ It¡¯s you, Hunter!¡± Steven roared. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Both of you, shut up!¡± Neil held his wife and roared at his two sons. Mrs. Lovett had never seen her children like this before, so she was very anxious. ¡°Steve, I already heard about Hunter helping the Salvadors. Don¡¯t me him. He¡¯s just doing his job as theirwyer.¡± rence was stuck ying the mediator. He was afraid they would start fighting if he took anyone¡¯s side, even just a little. ¡°I¡¯m staying out tonight.¡± Steven walked out without saying another word, bruises blooming on his face. ¡°Steve! Where are you going?!¡± Mrs. Lovett yelled worriedly. ¡°Ha¡­ Where else could he be going? Isn¡¯t he just hurrying back to serve his Ms. Be?!¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Hunter had never suffered such humiliation before. Since there were no outsiders around, he felt free to say the most hurtful things to Steven. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Thompsons¡¯ darling can sleep well at night without our Steve.¡± ¡°You-bastard! I won¡¯t let you insult Ms. Be like that!¡± Steven was so angry that his eyes turned bloodshot. They could also hear the crack of his knuckles as he clenched his fists. If not for rence, who was holding Steven back, Steven would definitely have punched Hunter again. ¡°Hunt! You¡¯re not allowed to disrespect Ms. Be like that!¡± Neil could not bear to listen anymore either and quickly walked up to stand between them, imposing an invisible pressure on them. Neither of you are allowed to leave this house tonight. Go and stand in my study! rence, bring the whip overter. I¡¯ll be disciplining your two ording to the family rules!¡± Hunter and Steven were shocked. Helplessly, Steven could onlyply. ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± Mrs. Lovett wanted to talk them down, but her husband was the head of the family, and she had never seeded before, so she could only stand aside and sigh. ¡°Steven, did you throw the first punch?¡± Neil asked sternly with furrowed brows. ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± ¡°Hurry up and apologize to your brother.¡± Steven¡¯s fists were still clenched tightly, and his blood was still boiling. His anger had not dissipated at all. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m willing to e the punishment for what I did earlier. But there is no way I¡¯ll apologi to him, even if you ask me to. From now on, if he dares say anythin disrespectful about Ms. Be, I¡¯ll give him one punch every time he does it. And I¡¯ll keep doing it until he remembers his lesson!¡± ¡°Steven!¡± Hunter was about to blow his fuse at his befuddled little brother. Neil had never expected his youngest son, who had always been the most well-behaved, to get so angry over Be Thompson to the point he raised his hand against his own family. Neil felt a little glum. Right then, their housekeeper hurriedly came to report. ¡°Mr. Lovett, Chairman Thompson¡¯s secretary is here!¡± The moment they heard Wyatt Thompson had sent someone over, they were shocked. They hurriedly set aside their family issues for the moment. Quentin walked in with a smile and could tell at a nce that. something was off. When he spotted the bruises on the two young men¡¯s faces, realization dawned on him, but he only spoke of business. ¡°Mr. Lovett, Chairman Thompson would like to invite you and your family to Yara Park to have dinner together. We hope you can grace us with your presence. Chairman Thompson has not seen Young Master Hunter and Young Master rence in a very long time either. It¡¯s rare for your whole family to be back here in Hatchbay, so he wants to invite you over to catch up.¡± ¡°Got it. Thanks for making the trip, Quentin. We¡¯ll definitely be there on time!¡± Neil smiled politely. After seeing Quentin off, the atmosphere once again became ten ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Hunter refused decisively and clenched his jaw as he turned around. I just got back from a trip overseas, and I¡¯m very tired, so I¡¯m heading up to rest first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed!¡± Neil said angrily, ¡°Who do you think you are to dare to snub Chairman Thompson? Even if your leg is broken, you¡¯d better hop on over to the Thompsons¡¯ home!¡± Chapter 497 The curtains drew on Ada Wang¡¯s wedding amidst a barrage of positive reviews. Be had truly won this time, having gained both fame and fortune and managing to revive the dying hotel that was KS World within year, even making it flourish. In just half a year, she had managed to pass Wyatt¡¯s test with flyin colors. Her first order of business now was, of course, to return to Hatchbay and im her reward from Wyatt! Hehe! That night, Be went to Amelia¡¯s school to pick her up. They headed back to Hatchbay in a top-of-the- line emerald Rolls Royce. The two sisters chatted andughed in the car, obviously close to each other and delighted to be together. ¡°Be, I really didn¡¯t expect that you were actually the top jewelry designer, Alexa!¡± Amelia patted her red cheeks in surprise. ¡°Stop, stop! I know what you¡¯re going to say. You¡¯re definitely going to say your admiration for me is like an unceasing torrential river!¡± Be flicked her dark hair back and spoke with her nose in the air. I¡¯ve heard too much of such ttery, so you don¡¯t have to add on to it. If there¡¯s any jewelry you want to wear, just ask me for it.¡± ¡°H-How could I?¡± Amelia blushed slightly as she shook her head repeatedly. ¡°You¡¯re Alexa! Only internationally known celebrities can wear your jewelry. You could give Cami one. I heard her husband¡¯s going to be the president of Sentania soon. It wouldn¡¯t make your brand less reputable if the First Lady of Sentania wore your jewelry, would it?¡± ¡°Ah, others might think Alexa is famous, but in front of family, just a name.¡± Be put an arm around her sister¡¯s thin waist and said, ¡°You can boast about it once you go back to school. Your sister¡¯s Alexa, yo know. If they knew, they¡¯d definitely line up to suck up to you. It¡¯d be an honor to their family and their ancestors if they established a connection with you.¡± Amelia recalled the rumors that had been spread about her at school and Ethan Zaffino¡¯s various provocations against her, both open and secret. Unconsciously, her eyes reddened, and all she could do was force a closed-lip smile. ¡°Sigh, speaking of which, I really miss Cami¡­¡± Be and Amelia leaned against each other as their eyes glistened. ¡°I wonder if her husband is treating her well. If he dares to mistreat her, I¡¯ll make mince meat out of him!¡± ¡°You probably don¡¯t even need to lift a finger. Asher, Axel, Den, Drew, Ralph, and Dad too-none of them would forgive him.¡± Amelia rattled off their names with augh. Yeah, that was true. Cami¡¯s husband would not be so stupid as to have a death wish to try the ten capital punishments of the Thompson family, would he? ¡°Hmm? Be, why isn¡¯t Steven with you?¡± Amelia had actually been wondering where Steven was ever since she got into the car and waited until now to ask carefully. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s been working too hardtely, so I gave him some time Be said casually, her expression impassive. The luxury car steadily drove through the gates of Yara Park. The Thompson sisters had just gotten out of the car when they encountered the Lovetts, who had just parked their car and were walking toward them. Be had not known beforehand that Wyatt had also invited the Lovetts over tonight. Thus, she was slightly surprised before she regained her calmposure once more. Hunter gave Be a look as baleful as a fighting cock the moment he spotted her. He even looked like he was going to start clucking whe he opened his mouth. ¡°Ms. Be¡­¡± Steven called out to Be softly, with difficulty. He took a small step forward, but when he suddenly recalled what she said to him that day, he took a step back. His heart, which had longed to be closer to her, deted. Be threw a nonchnt nce his way. He was such a tall guy, but he stood there in a daze with drooping shoulders as he bit his pale lips, looking like a homeless little puppy. This is from N?velDrama.Org. It was truly heartbreaking to see. But Be knew that she could not give him hope. If she did, she would really be doing him a disservice. Chapter 498 ¡°Ms. Be! Long time no see!¡± Neil stepped forward to greet her politely with his wife. ¡°Uncle Neil, you¡¯re being so polite. You can just call me Be like you. did when I was young.¡± There was a gentle look on Be¡¯s face, and she did not put on any airs. ¡°That was when you were a child. Now, you¡¯re a part of thepany¡¯s management and also Steve¡¯s boss. Things are different now.¡± Neil knew that the youngdy before him now had a great reputation and was most likely to be Wyatt¡¯s heir, so he had to be extra careful, when speaking to her. Hunter scoffed, feeling very embarrassed by the way his father was lowering his head toward Be. Did the Lovetts really have to bow before the Thompsons for their whole lives? Were kings, dukes, and generals truly better simply because they were born so? Be let Neil do what he wanted when she saw that he insisted on being polite. Meanwhile, Mrs. Lovett silently observed the Thompson sisters from the side. Be had truly blossomed into a beauty. When she was young, she looked like a porcin doll, and now that she had grown up, she was a-gorgeous stunner who mesmerized one at a nce. No wonder her son, Steve, pined for Be. Her heart ached for him.. Besides, there was too much of a gap between their family¡¯s status. and the Thompsons¡¯. Although the Lovetts were a famed schrly family, the difference between their family and the richest family in Hatchbay, the Thompsons, was like heaven and earth. Her son was reaching too high for the stars. Mrs. Lovett turned her gaze to Amelia, who was standing there qui and in a refined manner. ¡°H-Hello, Mrs. Lovett!¡± Amelia hurriedly bowed politely to Mrs. Lovett. Her heart beat faster when she saw her crush¡¯s mother, and she blushed. ¡°Hello, Ms. Amelia.¡± If her son really wanted to have a star, the youngest Thompson daughter would be the next best thing. She was well-behaved and gentle, so she made a very good match for her youngest son. Her only w was that her mother was not Wyatt¡¯s legal wife. Although Amelia was also Wyatt¡¯s daughter, Celeste and Wyatt had never legally married and only shared this weak daughter between them, so they must not be favored in the Thompson family. If Mrs. Lovett allowed Steven to marry Amelia Thompson, she felt that her son would lose out. Amelia¡¯s eyshes fluttered as she snuck a nce at her crush. But with just a nce, it was like someone had pressed pause on her excitedly thumping heart, and it started throbbing in pain. Steven always only had eyes for Be. No one else understood that burning, passionate gaze better than she did. Because for the past seven years, had she not watched him from with the same gaze? It was quite lively in Yara Park tonight. Only Asher could not make it as he was too busy with work, having gone on a business trip overseas and unable to make it back in time. However, the two public servants, Axel and Ralph, came back home for dinner on time, as if they had agreed beforehand. In the beginning, the atmosphere was cordial. Wyatt and Neil were of simr ages and had known each other for a long time, so they had much to talk about. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Mrs. Lovett and Wyatt¡¯s three wives also chatted happily. However, there was a strange tension between the young men at the table. There was a police officer, a prosecutor, a judge, and awyer sitting at the table, including the intiff, Be herself. It was like a little courtroom had gathered there. ¡°So, Hunter. I heard yourw firm in Savrow is doing well.¡± Axel sneered as he lightly swirled his wine ss. ¡°In the past two years, for the few big cases the Savrow District Attorney¡¯s received, you¡¯ve always been thewyer hired by the defendants.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty as awyer.¡± Chapter 499 Hunter replied with a fake smile, ¡°Since the client managed to find me and trusts me, I naturally have to do my best to win the case.¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting that you say that.¡± Axel crossed his legs and appraised Hunter like he was a criminal. ¡± Those who can hire Mr. Lovett here to defend them are eith powerful. It looks like the threshold for bing your clie high.¡±- ¡°Not necessarily. Although I might be managing the firm, the fir mine alone. Not only do I have to make sure the two other shareholders get their dividends, but I also have dozens ofwye under me to feed. I¡¯m also just a working man. I can¡¯t help it.¡± Hunter sighed dramatically. Ugh! When Axel, Ralph, and Be heard these hypocritical remarks, they nearly vomited their food back up! How was it that Hunter and Steven were so different despite both. being Mr. Lovett¡¯s sons? ¡°You¡¯re a top-tierwyer in Savrow now, Hunter. You¡¯re well-known even nationally.¡± Steven, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke with a cold.ugh. ¡°Of all the cases you took this year, the lowest professional fee you charged was $2 million, and the highest was $15 million, and that¡¯s just your personal earnings. It doesn¡¯t include themission thosewyers under you get.¡± The dining hall suddenly fell silent. Wyatt and Neil also stopped chatting and looked towards the younger generation¡¯s side of the table. ¡°Steven, mine and thew firm¡¯s ie is a private topic. We shouldn¡¯t be talking about this here, now should we?¡± Hunter spoke stiffly as his smile faded. The movement tugged at the wound had been covered with foundation. ¡°I¡¯m only saying all this to illustrate one thing-which is that youck money. In fact, you¡¯ve even saved up to the point most norm people won¡¯t be able to finish spending in their lifetime.¡± Steven let out a softugh. ¡°So, I don¡¯t understand. Now that money as a reason has been eliminated, why is it that you took the Salvadors, case despite knowing they were on the opposing side of Ms. Be and are working against her?¡± The rest were shocked. What a fellow! Tonight, Steven¡¯s nickname had to be ¡°Mr. Righteous¡±. He was ju here to screw his brother over! Now that Steven had exposed Hunter¡¯s hypocritical nature in front of everybody, were the two brothers really going to turn on each other? Be had not even given Steven a single nce throughout the whole night. At the moment, she wore an icy expression as she looked up impassively. Her clear and cutting gaze fell on his face. She knew Steven was speaking up for her. But she did not want him to do this, and she did not need him to do this either. ¡°Steve! You can¡¯t air your grudges right now, even if you have them you have anything to say, we can talk about it at home.¡± rence tugged at Steven under the table, sweating nervously. But it was like Steven wore an iron mask over his handsome face, clearly having no intention of letting up on Hunter. Hunter had already lost the ability to control his expression, and it was so ugly that he looked like he was seriously ill. ¡°Steve! Don¡¯t talk about that here.¡± Neil reprimanded Steven sternly and turned to give Wyatt a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Chairman Thompson. It seems my son¡¯s manners arecking. I¡¯m sorry you have to see this.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re fine.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Wyatt remained calm andposed, a slow smile spreading acros his face. ¡°I watched Steven grow up from a young age, and he¡¯s always been by Asher¡¯s side, working. Later on, he went on to assis Be. He¡¯s a capable young man with a good character. I like Steven very much, and I¡¯ve always thought of him as a godson. I know very well what he¡¯s like, so I didn¡¯t take it to heart at all.¡± Godson?! Wyatt¡¯s casual remark had given Steven¡¯s status a huge raise and a huge buff, while giving Hunter a heavy blow Chapter 500 Hunter had always looked down on this ¡°useless¡± brother of his. Hunter thought that Steven was worth nothing because all he wanted. to do was serve Be tea and pick up after her like an ambitionlessckey. But Hunter did not expect the famed Wyatt Thompson -the riches man in Hatchbay-to say that he saw Steven as his godson. Wyatt was obviously taking Steven¡¯s side and implicitly supporting him! The worst part was that Wyatt had even praised Steven in front of everybody. Was Wyatt not using this as an excuse to subtly insult Hunter? Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Right then, each of the Thompson children wore different expressions. Be¡¯s red lips curled up as she nearlyughed out loud. Oh, Wyatt. How shady. Hunter probably never expected when he came here that tonight would be a trap set for him, did he? ¡°Chairman Thompson, that¡¯s very generous of you to say about our son!¡± Neil and Chelsea Lovett were startled. Neil felt surprised and happy, but he still waved his hands repeatedly. ¡°How could my youngest son be your godson? That¡¯s not appropriate! It¡¯s enough that he works for KS Group. We wouldn¡¯t dare hope for anything else!¡± ¡°Neil, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years. I won¡¯t lie to you. I¡¯m speaking from the bottom of my heart. If Steven wasn¡¯t a good child, I would never consider him my godson. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The more Wyatt praised Steven, the more he was insulting Hunter. Hunter clenched his fist in fury under the table as his eyes reddene He was just about to find an excuse to leave the table when Wya said casually, ¡°Be, when you see Asher in a few days, help me to convey a message to him on my behalf.¡± ¡°What is it, Daddy?¡± Be propped her chin on her hand and asked coyly. ¡°I¡¯ve approved the proposal he passed to me a few days ago to acquire Evergreen. He can start implementing it any time.¡± Hunter was stunned. He felt like he had been struck by lightning. Evergreen was the biggest shareholder in hisw firm. If Wyatt Thompson acquired Evergreen, would that not mean Wyat would be takingplete control of Hunter¡¯sw firm?! So that was what it was! Hunter gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot with hatred, as his back. broke out into a cold sweat that drenched his suit. He did not dare to look up at Wyatt and Be, but he knew their gazes at the moment had to be as sharp as knives and would y him from head to toe! Wyatt invited their family over for dinner and said it was to catch up, but that had not been his true intention. In truth, Wyatt was using this opportunity to knock Hunter down a peg, get back at Hunter for Be, and show Hunter who was the best. Wyatt wanted to make Hunter understand the consequences of goi against his most precious daughter! After dinner, the Lovetts did not rush to leave. They sat in the living. room, chatting in groups. It was a rare asion for Be to see her two brothers, so they naturally had a lot to talk about. Meanwhile, Axel and rence were part of the same industry, so they were quite familiar with one another. Thus, the four of them sat together, chatting andughing as they even started ying Halli Galli. Just as Be was enjoying herself, she identally knocked over the ss of red wine on the table. The red wine spilled all over her, dripping down her fair, slender calves. Even her feet had been stained red. ¡°I¡¯ll wipe it for you!¡± Axel hurriedly looked for a tissue. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Ralph also hurriedly searched for something he could wipe with. ¡°Then¡­me too?¡± After all, the atmosphere had reached this point. It would not be appropriate if rence did not make some sort of gesture, right? Just as the three adult men were scrambling to wait on Be, a tall, handsome figure arrived and knelt at her feet on one knee. Be looked down in surprise, her long eyshes trembling. Only to see Steven had rushed to her side immediately. He took out a handkerchief that he always carried on him and picked up her fo with his left hand before patiently and gently wiping the wine off wi the handkerchief in his right hand. Be panicked all of a sudden and pulled her foot back. But Steven did not care about this and focused on wiping her foot. He did it so seriously and innocently, as if there was nothing strangel about his action and it was only a part of his job as her secretary. Everyone watched dumbfoundedly. When Amelia, who was just chatting with her mother, saw this scene, it felt like her heart sank from the heavens into the abyss. She trembled. Her clear eyes reddened, and she bit her lip in sadness, feeling as if something in her chest had cracked and cut her deeply. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m not feeling so well¡­ I¡¯m going upstairs to rest first.¡± Amelia hung her head low, using her long hair to hide her reddened eyes as she gathered thest of her strength to escape. ¡°Amelia? Amelia!¡± Celeste called after her daughter in concern, but the more she called for her, the quicker she ran. Be saw that Steven had quickly finished wiping her foot and was about to help her wipe her calf when she panicked, pulled her legs back, and suddenly stood up. Steven looked up at her deeply, his gaze bright. Be nced sideways at the man who was looking at her like a devout worshiper would his goddess and sighed before saying quietly, ¡°You¡¯re not here as my secretary tonight. You are the youngest son of the Lovetts. And even if you were my secretary, yo didn¡¯t have to go this far. I¡¯ll just go rinse it off.¡± After saying that, she turned to leave, leaving Steven frozen in a kneeling posture in front of everyone. Chapter 501 Be cleaned herself up in the bathroom and changed into another dress. She left the room for a stroll around and to sober up. For some reason, she did not feelfortable with Steven getting down on one knee and wiping the alcohol off her feet in public. He had always been considerate and sweet to her. Since the lingering embrace, she could no longer look him in the eye and ept his kindness without qualms. Her friendship with Steven went way back, and they grew up together. Steven was a close next-door neighbor and subordinate to her. However, Be could not differentiate whether Steven saw her as a childhood friend or the one that got away. Be could not ept the new dynamics of their friendship. She sighed frustratedly and looked up, spotting Steven frozen in a spot not too far away. He looked pale. ¡°Ms. Be,¡± Steven called out to her. ¡°Steve? Why are you here?¡± Be was stunned. Steven swallowed hard and drew close to her. ¡°I was worried about you, so I came to check on you.¡± ¡°Steve¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a week. Why won¡¯t you let me return to your side?¡± Steven took a good look at her, his voice raspy. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to get a clear head and figure things out.¡± Resting on the tip of her foot, Be twirled and leaned against the wall before facing his warm yet broken gaze. ¡°It¡¯s been a week, Steve. Have you made your decision?¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Be, I like you. Steven confessed his feelings in a trembling voice, ¡°You can hate me and resent me, but you can¡¯t stop me from loving you. I never expected you to ept me. I won¡¯t even dream about it. But, Ms. Be, I don¡¯t think I have done anything wrong. Am I wrong to love somebody?¡± Emotions hid behind Be¡¯s eyes. ¡°All I have are my feelings for you. I know I will be in over my head to think anything can go beyond that. It¡¯s just rude.¡± Steven grinned brightly. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, Steve, but I simply can¡¯t ept your feelings.¡± Be let out a wry smile. If unrequited love was a mistake, then Be would stand condemned for giving everything to Justin, only to be dumped. ¡°I don¡¯t have the confidence to love anyone anymore. The chapter is closed for me. I have lost interest in anything to do with romance. So, Steve, unrequited love will fade away soon enough. You should find the person who can respond to your embrace.¡± Be was a strong, independent woman, never hesitating to tear men down. However, she was considerate toward Steven, whose devotion was to her. ¡°Ms. Be, you will find a man who loves you wholeheartedly.¡± Steven felt a lump in his throat, and his eyes welled up. ¡°The wise stay out of love. I¡¯m not falling for the same trick twice.¡± Be waved her arm nonchntly. ¡°I have been there and done that. I¡¯m focused on making money now. To the single life!¡± ¡°So can Ie back and work alongside you?¡± Steven blinked with a sad face. ¡°I was bored out of my mind during the week-long break. ¡± ¡°Oh, of course. Pledge your allegiance to your queen, my knight.¡¯ Feeling cheeky, Be fancied herself a queen like in the movies and. extended her right arm to him with poise. Steven curled his lips gleefully, his eyes sparkling. This time, he did not get down on one knee. Instead, he leaned forward and took Be¡¯s hand to nt a respectful kiss. ¡°I¡¯m happy to devote myself to you, my queen.¡± Chapter 502 As Steven¡¯s and Be¡¯s eyes met, they smiled. Nothing more needed to be said at that point. In a dark corner, Amelia stumbled upon the interaction between Be and Steven with bulged eyes. The scene before her eyes cut her like a knife. Amelia thought she could ept that Steven¡¯s heart belonged to someone else. However, the reality tonight broke her, and she could not stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. Amelia put her hands over her shaking lips. Not wanting to disturb them, she retreated back into the darkness. As much as Amelia loved Steven, it broke her heart to see him in love with someone else. The hardest thing to do in life was to let go and wish others happiness. ¡°That reminds me. What¡¯s going on with you tonight?¡± Furrowing her brows, Be smacked Steven in the head. ¡°Why were you ying good cop, bad cop? Hunter is your brother, and your parents are here. You shouldn¡¯t have taken my side recklessly. You should stand your ground. You put yourself in an awkward position in your family.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes reflected his resolution. ¡°Ms. Be, I represent what you Chapter 80, This is from N?velDrama.Org. represent.¡± ¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. Now, that¡¯s my bro.¡± Crossing her arms, Be narrowed her eyes and teased him. ¡°Ms. Be, I won¡¯t be presumptuous to think that I¡¯m your godbrother.¡± Steven waved his arms in the air nervously as he reeled back to Wyatt acknowledged him as a son in the presence of the Thomp and Lovetts. ¡°Chairman Thompson was just trying to turn the heat my brother. It¡¯s all an act. I won¡¯t be imprudent enough to take it seriously.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know Wyatt well enough, then. Wyatt takes everything he says seriously. You¡¯re a son to him now. Despite the old man¡¯s reputation as a yboy, he won¡¯t stoop that low to exploit the young for his amusement. Besides, Wyatt has plenty of ways to deal with your greed-driven brother. He just doesn¡¯t want to let thingse between our families.¡¯ Be patted his shoulder with a smile. ¡°Alright now. Don¡¯t put everything on yourself. I think it¡¯s great that my father has a godson. It¡¯s better than him having another illegitimate child.¡± ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Steven nearly choked on his saliva. ¡­ Amelia stumbled her way toward the other end of the corridor. She had a lot to drink tonight, and she felt down in the dumps. Her eyes, blurred by intoxication and tears, struggled to give her focus on the way ahead. Her legs were weak, and her head felt heavy. She nearly fell to her feet 1. She got lost in her ownerowa home. Chapter 503 ¡°Uh¡­ You¡¯re not Steven. Let go of me. Amelia¡¯s cheek flushed bashfully as she put up a struggle. She had never been held by another man. Losing strength in her legs, Amelia pressed her hands against the man¡¯s chest to push him away. ¡°What? Is my brother the only one who can hold you? Are you saying that you like him?¡± Hunter¡¯s gaze lingered on Amelia¡¯s beautiful face. The beads of sweat on her forehead and the rosy glow on her supple cheeks gave off an air of innocence. It was a look that tempted Hunter to ravish her. Wyatt was a man of great genes, and his wives were gorgeous in own way. Out of all his women, Celeste, once an actress, was the most stunning. Amelia inherited her mother¡¯s beauty. Like other men, Hunter was blown away by the sight of beautiful women. ¡°N-No¡­¡± Amelia¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°In that case, I should take you to get some rest.¡± Hunter did not remove his tight. hold on her thin waist. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, Mr. Lovett. I can handle myself.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even stand up. Don¡¯t make things hard for yourself.¡± Hunter leaned forward and moved his face closer to hers, a touch away from a brush between lips. They would have been closer than they were if Amelia had not put her arms against his chest. ¡°Steven isn¡¯t the only one who was your friend when we were kids. I was there, too. Don¡¯t be a stranger to me. ¡°Ms. Amelia.¡± An anxious voice sobered Amelia up If Steven had not made it there on time, Hunter might have just stolen a kiss from Amelia. Hunter was not happy with his brother, who constantly got in his way. Putting on a gentleman¡¯s fa?ade, Hunter helped Amelia to her feet and stared sinisterly at Steven. ¡°Ms. Amelia, how did you end up with my brother?¡± Steven aske shaky voice, his eyes flighty. He saw Amelia in Hunter¡¯s arms. From his viewpoint, Hunter clung close to Amelia, seeking a kiss from her, and she did not refuse his advances. As his chest tightened, Steven swallowed with difficulty. Confused by everything, Amelia lifted her arm to rub her eyes. ¡°Please answer me, Ms. Amelia.¡± Anxious, Steven stepped forward. Hunter stood in defense of Amelia, who turned pale. ¡°Ms. Amelia has had too much to drink. I caught her before she fell. Is there a problem with that?¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Were you really just stopping her from falling?¡± Steven clenched his teeth. His heart dropped when he remembered Hunter¡¯s lewd gaze on Amelia. ¡°What are you trying to say, Steven? Are you implying that I¡¯m a animal?¡± Hunterughed with furrowed brows, as if he were hurt. ¡°I¡¯m an attorney. I¡¯m aware of thew. We are in Ms. Amelia¡¯s home with her family present. What do you think I¡¯m going to do? ¡°You¡¯re a different story. You¡¯re now Mr. Thompson¡¯s godson, and Ms. Be thinks the world of you. You are free to do whatever you want. I can take care of Ms. Amelia Thank you for your concern, but you should get back to sucking up to Ms. Be.¡± Still, Hunter turned around and nced lovingly at Amelia. Steven¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as he clenched his fists. ¡°H-Hunter.¡± With the brothers about to start a fight, Amelia meekly called out to Hunter. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I have sobered up. Let¡¯s head to the hall.¡¯ ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± As the pair was about to leave, Steven could not hold back his emotions anymore and grabbed Amelia¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah!¡± Amelia scowled in pain, feeling as if her wrist could break. ¡°Come with me, Ms. Amelia.¡± Steven pulled her toward him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to make her go with him. Amelia felt upset. She was an heiress too, but she could never stan tall and proud in his presence. Her eyes glistened with tears. Her mind told her not to go with him, but her heart told her otherwise. What should she do? She was still in love with Steven. As Amelia and Steven took off, Hunter did not catch up to them. Chapter 504 Hunter would never let a woman hurt his image. From the back, Steven and Amelia looked good together. Hunter recalled how Steven was desperate to get Amelia back. Struck by a thought, Hunter curled his lips maliciously. ¡°If you ca be Mr. Thompson¡¯s godson, why can¡¯t I be Mr. Thompson¡¯s s inw?¡± Steven took Amelia back to her room and shut the door with a bang. ¡°Ugh¡­ I feel awful.¡± Amelia fell face-first on the sofa, her breathing heavy. She finally sobered up a little, but the intoxication came back with a vengeance after all themotion. Steven was pretty worked up, but with Amelia in difort, the resentment melted away. ¡°You can never hold your alcohol. Why did you drink so much?¡± Steven sighed and shook his head as he poured a ss of water for her. ¡°Get up and have some water, Ms. Amelia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t want water.¡± Amelia rolled over in frustration and said sulkily, ¡°You should leave. I want to rest now. ¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t sleep there. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your concern. Save it for my sister!¡± Amelia curled up into a ball and shouted at him with a pout. Steven¡¯s heart was torn to pieces. With a frown, Steven scooped Amelia from the sofa and took into her bedroom. ¡°Uh¡­ Steven, put me down!¡± Amelia¡¯s heart thumped out of her chest. As she dangled her legs in the air, her fluffy slippers fell to the ground, and her bare feet were exposed. Steven¡¯s gaze traveled down. He felt like he wasmitting a crime when he saw Amelia¡¯s feet. He looked away, feeling parched in his throat. His heart rate must be high. Steven put Amelia down on the bed and tucked her in. ¡°Have a nice rest, Ms. Amelia. Goodnight.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes were hazy, and her judgment was cloudy when she grabbed Steven¡¯s hand. God knew where she got her strength from because she managed to yank Steven to fall over her. His lips happened to fall on her luscious lips. ¡°Mgh¡­¡± Amelia narrowed her intoxicated eyes. Steven¡¯s weight pinned her down. As their lips met, Steven widened his eyes in disbelief. He shuddered as blood surged through his veins. She tasted so sweet, like cotton candy. Amelia gradually lost consciousness while hooking her arms around the nape of Steven¡¯s neck. She sucked his lips, deepening the kiss. The moonlight, filtering through the soft curtains, was gentle, ai crescent moon stole a nce at them with a smile. The event that night did not end very pleasantly because of Hunter¡¯s presence. The Lovetts piled into three cars to get to the event. When it was time to leave, Neil said, ¡°Join me in the car ride. I need a word with you, Hunter. Steve, you go with your mother.¡± Hunter pursed his lips in a grimace before following his father into the car. Steven sat in the back with his mother, while rence sat in the front passenger seat. Chelsea noticed the unusual flush on Steven¡¯s cheeks under the light in the car. His eyes looked vacant, and his breathing was heavy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Steven? Are you sick? Do you have a fever?¡± Since Steven was Chelsea¡¯s favorite son, she got worked up over every little thing. ¡°Huh? What did you say, Mom?¡± Steven was lost in his thoughts. His eyes were still dull. He still had not pulled himself out of the kiss earlier. ¡°Why do you look so red, Steve?¡± rence looked at Steven through the rear-view mirror and teased him, ¡°I looked as red as you are now when I had my first kiss.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, rence?¡± Steven cleared his throat, but he blushed harder in the face. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. Don¡¯t worry. That reminds me. I need to pick Ms. Be up tomorrow morning and leave with her for Savrow. My long break is over. I should get back to work.¡¯ Chapter 505 Chelsea furrowed her brows at the thought that her precious son ha humbly cleaned Be¡¯s feet in public. She was notfortable w it. She said, ¡°You were working with Mr. Asher before, Steve. He¡¯s ti CEO of KS Group. You have a brighter future as his secretary. Why did you switch over to be Ms. Be¡¯s secretary instead? What future could you possibly have with her? The Thompsons¡¯ business would be passed down to the firstborn son ¡°Haven¡¯t you watched the news, Mom? Ms. Be is an influential figure in the city. The public coined her the heiress of disguises. I believe she¡¯s just aspetent as Mr. Asher,¡± Steven interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s because her father is Wyatt Thompson. She can do whatever she wants without obstructions.¡± Chelsea was not pleased. ¡°Mom, Ms. Be is good to me. I¡¯m happy to work for her.¡± Steven held his mother¡¯s hands, his gaze intense. ¡°Most importantly, Ms. Be needs me. No matter the cost, I will stay by her side for as long as she needs me, unless she doesn¡¯t need me anymore.¡± Chelsea was shocked. Her heart sank. She felt as though her son had neglected her with a woman in his life. rence stared at Steven in disbelief, as thetter¡¯s statement sounded like a love confession. ¡°Son, I know you feel that way for Be, but are the feelings mutual?¡± Chelsea panicked because she believed Be had her son wrapped around her finger. She tried to talk some sense into him. ¡°Your dad and I are proud of you. You¡¯re the apple of my eye. Look what you¡¯re doing for Be. Even if our family is in debt to the Thompsons, Be should be treating you with more respect.¡± With his mother tearing up, Steven helplessly held her. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, Mom. Ms. Be is a great person. She has never asked me for anything. Everything I did, I have done on my o free will.¡± The tension was thick in the other car. ¡°From now on, you are not to cause the Thompsons any more problems.¡± Neil sternly reprimanded Hunter, ¡°What have I taught you? You should never forget your roots or be ungrateful! Besides, there is always money to make. Your worth is more than $100 million. Isn¡¯t t enough? Why must you get involved with the Salvadors and tear the Thompsons down?¡± ¡°What did I do? The Thompsons were the ones getting in my face and throwing their weight around.¡± Reflecting on the humiliation tonight, Hunter hissed through clenched teeth, ¡°Be must have whined to her father, leading him to acquire Evergreen and control myw firm. I won¡¯t let that girl get away with it. I can¡¯t just sit back and watch without doing anything. I need to teach Be a lesson.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard a thing I just said?¡± Neil pped Hunter in fury. ¡°I¡¯m your father. I¡¯m only saying this for your own good. Do you think the Thompsons would allow the Salvadors to be passive-aggressive or allow you to stir the pot? No one knows better than me what a close-knit family the Thompsons are. You¡¯re only looking for trouble by starting with them.¡± Hunter was not having it. He believed his father was bein matic. ¡°If you want to screw with yourself, go ahead, but don¡¯t drag mother, brothers, and me down with you.¡± Now that they had cleared the air, Steven was back to working alongside Be. Although his first love was never meant to be, it was finally a closed chapter. Nevertheless, there was one thing on his mind that he could not shake off. That night, Amelia held him close and kissed him in a state of drunkenness. ¡°Steve? Steve? The pan is burning!¡± Be shouted, snapping Steven out of his thoughts. He realized the smoke wasing out of the pan. ¡°Cough! Cough! Oh, no!¡± Steven turned off the fire in a panic and threw the burned pan into a sink of water. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You seemed distracted recently.¡± Be hurried over and checked on Steven to see if he was injured. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Be. I guess I didn¡¯t rest well. I will make you anot breakfast. ¡± With his heart pounding out of his chest, Steven wanted to scrub th pan, but Be stopped him. ¡°No This is from N?velDrama.Org. time for that. We¡¯re going to bete. Let¡¯s eat at the hotel. Oh, drop me off at Mount Jaglee in the National Forest Park this afternoon. I want to visit Frank.¡± Chapter 506 That afternoon, Be switched to a low-key sedan and arrived at the National Forest Park in the Thirteen years ago, Be nearly risked her life recovering her mother lost belongings in the mountains. By right, the near-death incident should have left Be traumatized However, Be was not the type to give up, especially when it came to herself. Since the incident, Be has not carried fear toward nature. She would make time every year to patrol the National Forest Park with Frank and rescue some hikers in danger. In the beginning, the other park rangers looked down on Be, a young and beautiful woman. They even made bets that the girl would notst a day at the park. To their surprise, Be gritted her teeth and hung in there, despite the hard work and horrible working conditions. She had a strong will that many men would give her credit for. From the rear-view mirror, Steven observed Be, barefaced and in professional hiking attire. Without the mor of her clothes, Be exuded an air of resilience and strength. ¡°It must be dangerous to hike, Ms. Be. I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Steven suggested with concern. £„ ¡°You?¡± Be, who was resting during the car ride, opened one eye. ¡°Do you have any hiking gear with you? Are you equipped with the know-how to conquer the mountains? Do you know how to hike?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ No, but I have surfed and dived underwater before.¡± St eyes lit up. He was eager to showcase his talents to Be. Be clicked her tongue. ¡°Are we even talking about the same thing Steven pursed her lips embarrassedly and mumbled, ¡°I will never go against you, though.¡± ¡°What if we got into a dangerous situation? Are you going to plunge into the sea? I mean, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll look good doing it. Steven scratched his head with a silly smile. He would take that as apliment from Be. The sedan drove into the National Forest Park, but car ess was limited once inside. The rolling hills hiding behind the fog were in the distance. Steven looked up at the towering peaks and gasped in amazement. That¡¯s high and steep.¡± ¡°Is that all the adjectives you know for a mountain?¡± Be folded her arms and shook her head helplessly. ¡°Mount Jaglee is tall and majestic. There¡¯s nothing like it.¡± Steven nodded his head incessantly. He was herpdog. ¡± £„ I Chapte: 500 ¡°Anna!¡± While they were engaged in conversation, an enthusiastic voice interrupted them. Be turned around and saw Frank heading her way with Xavier. ¡°Frank. Be felt bad and teared up to see the illness¡¯ hold on Frank. He lost a lot of weight, and his cheeks were sunken. She went up to hug Frank. Frank responded to her as he would to his daughter. ¡°Have you been well?¡± Be whispered. ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯ve been doing well.¡± Frank was all smiles. Upset, Xavier lowered his head. Be took a deep breath to pull herself together. Being a doctor, she understood the relentless torment of the disease. It ravaged appetites, triggered nausea, and stole strands of hair. Even the strongest person was Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. humbled by the grip of the illness. £„ Be cocked her head back and took a long look at Steven. Getting the message, Steven nodded. He had found an outstanding doctor, as she had requested. £„ Chapter 507 ¡°Anna, and this is¡­?¡± Frank turned to Steven. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s my cousin,¡± Be lied. These park rangers spent most of their time in the woods, not pay much attention to the bustle outside. They had no idea that they we with Be Thompson, thetest buzz in Savrowtely. ¡°Your family is blessed with good looks, Ms. Brown. Your cousin is handsome,¡± Xavierplimented sincerely. Steven blushed with glee. Even if he could not date Be, he was pleased to just be her cousin. ¡°Anna, the weather has been unpredictabletely. We could be expecting a storm. ¡°1 Frank looked at her worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you today, but you don¡¯t have to hike.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m an honorable member of the park rangers. They call me the Goddess of the Mountains.¡± Be patted her chest with pride. ¡°Hahaha¡­ We are graced by the presence of two major figures today. How lucky,¡± Frank said with a chuckle. Be raised a brow. ¡°Huh? Who can top me?¡± ¡°Justin Salvador, president of the Salvador Corporation,¡± Xavier interrupted. £„ Be and Steven blurted, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Justin Salvador, president of the Salvador Corporation. Isn¡¯t that a pleasant surprise?¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Xavier¡¯s eyes beamed as he appreciated Justin¡¯s aplishme learned who he was two years ago, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to t was a privileged president by his climbing technique and skilled hiking. He hiked with Frank the year before and saved two hikers trapped in the rainstorm. He even rescued them with his own chopper. Many dubbed him the God of the Mountains.¡± ¡°There is no room for two gods. Be pressed her lips tightly together as the past brought back a lot of emotions. She murmured, ¡°I am the Goddess of the Mountain, while he¡¯s the ghost of the past.¡± ¡°What did you say, Anna?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Huh? I said Mr. Salvador is such a helpful, nice guy.¡± Be smiled pretentiously and gave a thumbs up. ¡°Yeah, Mr. Salvador is a good guy. He makes time every year to hike along the mountain and donates to the National Forest Park.¡¯ Frank said with a relieved smile, ¡°I have been wanting to introduce you two. You have contributed a lot to Mount Jaglee, and you both are hiking enthusiasts. You will have a lot inmon to talk about. Be was not having it. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. I.have social anxiety.¡± ¡°7 £„ In the end, Be`sent Steven away and joined Frank and Xavier to walk to the base of Mount Jaglee. Be¡¯s mind was elsewhere throughout the journey. She was brought back to thirteen years ago, when Justin saved from the abyss. Like her, he had been returning to the ce over the years. Curiously, they would hike the mountain, handle rescues, and donate every year. Yet, they never ran into each other. Be clutched her backpack and moved ahead with heavy footsteps and her head down. She curled her lips wryly. Sure enough, she and Justin were never meant to be. Apart from the fateful encounter thirteen years ago, Be was the one who forced things to happen between them. The group arrived at the foot of the mountain. A few park rangers rushed over. ¡°Frank! We received an S.O.S. that the hikers went missing in the mountains. Two of them have made their way back to the camp base, but one is still trapped up there. We areunching a rescue now. £„ Chapter 508 ? "Alright. I''ll go with you," Frank said right away. "Frank, the weather is unpredictable today, and your health-"Xavier sounded worried. "I''m fine. I can do it." "Just leave everything to me and Xavier, Frank." Concerned about Frank''s health, Be volunteered herself. "I was a field medic. If the hiker needs medical attention, I can perform first aid on him." Xavier was surprised and impressed to learn that Be was once a field medic.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Erm... Alright then." Knowing that he could be a burden, Frank held Be''s hands tight. "I''m counting on you, Anna." Justin drove to the National Forest Park all by himself. As Justin switched to a discreet vehicle, Steven did not notice him when driving past the entrance. The ck SUV pulled up outside the campsite at the foot of the mountain. "Frank? Frank?" Justin got out of the car, looking rather manly in his green hiking attire. He looked like a member of the special force, returning home from the battlefield. "Mr. Salvador." Frank went up to greet him with a friendly smile. "The weather is horrible today. You''re a busy man. What brings you here?" "My schedule is always full. If I don''t make time, I will never find myself here again." Justin sighed helplessly. ¡°I told you many times, Frank. Just call me Justin, like old times." "I could call you that when you were a teenager, but you''re the president of Salvador Corporation now. I don''t want to show you disrespect, which would stop you from donating to the park," Frank joked. "That will never happen." Justin disputed with a serious face, "I have saved a lump sum inn, my secretary''s bank ount. If anything were to happen to me, my secretary would donate to the National Forest Park in my stead." Frank was taken aback by Justin''s one-track mind. He smacked Justin. "Don''t say that. I was only kidding. Don''t take things so seriously, boy. Sigh. Today is a good day. My two favorite people in the world are here. I''m so content." Maybe Frank knew his days were numbered, so he choked with sobs emotionally. "Did someone elsee to see you today?" Justin asked. "Yeah. I wanted to introduce her to you. Both of you woulde every year to carry out environmental protection programs and perform rescues. She also donates quite a sum every year." Justin was not interested in knowing the girl at first, but Frank has his attention now. "I guess I can meet her since you approve of her. We share the same interests too." "It''s a pity Anna isn''t avable now. She''s carrying out a search team with the rest in the mountains." Anna... Anna? Justin''s heart skipped a beat. A blurred memory ambushed his mind, plunging his senses into numbness. Momentster, Justin gripped Frank''s arm and looked him in the eye before asking, ¡°Is herst name Brown?" "Huh? Do you know her?" Frank looked surprised. "Yeah. She''s Anna Brown. We''ve known each other for many years." Chapter 509 Rumble! A rumble of thunder echoed through the dark sky. Justin felt as though he had been struck by lightning as h went numb. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. All he could feel was his beating heart and his emotions washing him. ¡°Frank, how long has Ms. Brown assisted you with mountain patrol?¡± Justin¡¯s hoarse and strained voice suggested he was fighting back his emotions. ¡°It¡¯s been three years. She often came here to help out whenever she could.¡± So, it started when they first got married. Justin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He found it hard to breathe with the catch in his throat. ¡®Anna Brown¡­ Be Thompson ¡­ You have been going behind my back, doing the same things I did over the years. But I have my reasons. What¡¯s your excuse?¡¯ Justin¡¯s head hurt as the bouts of mystery were driving him nuts. ¡°It¡¯s about to pour.¡± Frank looked at the cloudy sky and pulled out his walkie-talkie tomunicate with Xavier. ¡°We¡¯re expecting a rainstorm soon, Xavier. £„ Be sure to stay safe with the team and don¡¯t act recklessly. Take good care of Anna.¡± ¡°I got it, Frank,¡± Xavier responded. With bloodshot eyes, Justin clenched his jawline and ran toward the trailhead of Mount Jaglee. ¡°Mr. Salvador, where are you going?¡± Frank shouted in a panic. Justin kept on going, murmuring in his head to go to her. He needed to find her. The sky loomed gray and heavy. Even though it was still daytime, the overcast sky brought about a dreary mood. The lightning ripped across the sky. The raging storm seemed to be sending a strong message to the park rangers to get out of the woods. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± As the park rangers moved forward with difficulty, some whined, ¡°We have issued a warning about potential stormy weather. Why don¡¯t people take our advice? Why do they put themselves at risk to hike up the mountain?¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time toin about it. As park rangers, our duty is to ensure the safety of the hikers.¡± Drenched in the rain, Xavier yelled at his rangers. £„ ¡°Look here, Xavier!¡± Be spotted the missing hiker¡¯s phone between the cracks in the rocks. ¡°That¡¯s the hiker¡¯s phone. We must be heading in the right direction since her phone is here. With the weather getting worse, Xavier knew the situati dire at this rate. Hemanded, ¡°Split into two groups. and Team A will head north with me while Team B will move ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± Although Be wore a raincoat and a windbreaker, her attire was vulnerable against the forces of Mother Nature. She felt chills and breathed out water vapor. She struggled to move ahead in the stormy weather. Even though they were split into two groups, Mount Jaglee was a huge base to cover. ¡°Help! Save me! Help!¡± ¡°The hiker is nearby. I can hear her screaming for help.¡± Be stopped and keenly looked at her surroundings. Everybody was shocked, as the beautiful woman was not just for show. They started to suspect that her eyes could see beyond light and her ears could hear beyond sound. ¡°Slow down, Ms. Brown. Safety first!¡± As Be sprinted to the source £„ Chato of the voice, Xavier followed her promptly with concern. Be held the shlight up, her heart pounding fast as she remembered the weak voice calling for help. She nearly lost her life in the mountains, so she prayed the person could hold on until they saved her. Be mbered over rocks and parted bushes until s lost hiker on a steep slope. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. We are here to save you.¡± Be shouted emotionally, ¡°How are you doing? Can you move?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± A/S Covered in mud, the hiker broke into tears. ¡°My foot is stuck under the rock. It hurts!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ming down to save you now. Be was about to bite the bullet andy against the edge of the slope to save her when Xavier made it there and pulled her back. ¡°Ms. Brown, this part of the mountain is the steepest and most dangerous part of Mount Jaglee! With the heavy downpour, we have to anticipate a potentialndslide! Don¡¯t go. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Ah! Help!¡± £„ The hiker¡¯s terror-stricken voice came from under. Be watched in horror as the woman slipped and fell another 2 meters. 7 It was a precarious situation at that point. £„ Chapter 510 ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Be volunteered without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m lighter in weight. believe the rock surface should be able to handle my weight.¡± Everybody was worried, but at that point, there was no better way. ¡°No, Ms. Brown.¡± When it came down to it, Xavier was scared. He furrowed his brows. I promised Frank to keep you safe. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°No, Captain. You can tell that the area can¡¯t hold a man¡¯s weight.¡± The park rangers freaked out. ¡°I¡¯m not Ms. Brown here, Captain. I am a professional and honorable member of the park rangers. Cut the bullshit. A life is at stake here.¡¯ Be secured a rope around her waist and carried another rope while climbing down the slope. Nimbly and with technique, Be cautiously climbed to the woman. Due to the heavy rain, the slippery and muddy slope made the rescue harder. ¡°I¡¯ming. Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Finally, Be crawled to the woman covered in mud and held her. ¡°It hurts¡­ I can¡¯t move¡­ My leg¡­¡± The woman sobbed. Feeling hungry and cold, she could barely finish her sentence. Be was an outstanding physician, so she could tell that the woman had broken her leg badly. She carried the woman and secured the rope around her waist. Just then, Be felt a horrible quake under her feet. ¡°Oh, shit! It¡¯s andslide. Everybody, pull!¡± Xavier broke out in a sweat as terror overwhelmed h He gripped tightly to the rope. Despite pulling with all his might, his feet kept slipping forwa ¡°We can¡¯t go on, Captain. At this rate, we will fall too.¡± ¡°Cap, we can¡¯t hold onto the rope any longer!¡± ¡°We can only save one, Captain. It will be toote if we don¡¯t run now.¡± While they were talking, a torrent of rocks and mud carried forward a destructive force that was both unstoppable and terrifying. Xavier let out an angry bellow while pulling with everything he had. Seconds before thendslide, they finally pulled a woman up amid the heavy fog. ¡°We got the hiker. She¡¯s alive, Captain!¡± ¡°Captain, M-Ms. Brown is missing!¡± News about Anna¡¯s absence crippled Xavier. Due to thendslide, the park rangers had to take the injured hiker back to the campsite immediately. ¡°One team should transport the injured hiker back to the campsite, while the rest of you shoulde with me to look for Ms. Brown.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. With his eyes turning bloodshot, Xavier clenched his fists. ¡°Contact the search and rescue team. Things have taken a turn for the worse, and we need backup.¡¯ ¡°Captain, Ms. Brown could be buried under. ¡°She might have fallen over the cliff. ¡± The park rangers kept their heads down in sorrow. They doubted they would find Anna alive. ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Ms. Brown will be fine.¡± Even so, Xavier teared up. Three years ago, a park ranger lost his life in andslide. Xavier knew the horrifying side of Mother Nature, but he refused to admit that the. brave and resilient woman might have perished. ¡°Look, Captain. Someone is there!¡± Xavier turned back and saw a tall, lofty figure in green hiking gear emerging from the storm. He approached them with amanding presence. ¡°Mr. Salvador?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Salvador!¡± Justin¡¯s face was covered in rain, his facial features sharp in the dark of the night. His presence offered great assurance. ¡°Where¡¯s Anna?¡± Justin went to Xavier and asked with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Ms. Brown fell into thendslide while rescuing the hiker. We don¡¯t know if she¡¯s dead or alive,¡± Xavier confessed. There was no point in hiding the truth. Color washed over Justin¡¯s face as he trembled. His heart dropped. ¡°No¡­ Anna won¡¯t die. She will be fine.¡±. He thought to himself, ¡®She owes me a lot of exnation. She hasn¡¯t gotten her revenge on me yet. I have not made up for all the hurt l caused her. How can she possibly die on me? I won¡¯t let you die, Be! I need you by my side, alive and well!¡¯ Tearful, Justin rushed into the rainstorm without looking back. Chapter 511 It was a picture of a rainstorm, falling stones, mud, and a thick fog. That was thest thing Be saw before she lost consciousness. Despair had gotten a grip on her. Still, she hung on to herst breath and pushed the hiker up before thendslide towered over them. Even though the chances were slim, Be still hoped the hiker could survive. She did not deserve to wear the uniform with pride and be there if she did not prepare herself to face the worst. Death did not scare her. If her sacrifice had brought value, her life in the bustling world would not have been in vain. Be was not brave in the past. Afraid of getting a jab when she was sick, she would cry and make a fuss to prevent her father and three stepmothers from taking her to see a doctor. She met Justin here when she was 11 years old. Justin¡¯s courage, resilience, and steady gaze left asting impression on her. Despite being strangers, he was willing to put his life on the line for her, and the realization shook the depths of her soul. It dawned on her for the first time that there was another way of living. life to the fullest. Even though sheter married him and he had hurt her so much, she could not wipe off one fact. £„ Justin had changed her. Her life was different because of him.. Time passed, and the constetion shifted. Everything seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. Be fell unconscious for a moment, but she was lost in a long and strange dream. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She dreamed about being in her parents¡¯ loving embrace and celebrating her birthday with her brothers. Asher held her and ced her on top of a pile of presents. Axel sang the birthday song off-key. Den carried a cake and blew out the candles with her, while Drew stuffed the toy gun she wanted in her hand. Justin was there, too. She remembered fighting alongside him on the battlefield, their lives. hanging by the thread. The next time Be saw Justin again, he was by Nigel¡¯s side. She could not take her eyes away from him. She recalled Justin sliding the divorce papers across the table to her.. He was determined and callous enough to make her leave. The heartbreak coursed through her veins. Be woke up abruptly and gasped for air. Her sweat and the rain gave her shivers. £„ ¡°I-I¡¯m alive! I¡¯m alive!¡± Overjoyed, she closed her eyes and let the tears flow. If she had not dreamed about the bastard and the hurt he caused her, she might have died before she knew it. Now that Be was awake, she was terrified by what she saw. Thendslide swept her somewhere, and she found herself lying on a slope. Her backpack was hooked to a not-so-sturdy branch while her body was halfway under the dirt. She was nearly buried alive. ¡°Damn it! Tsk.¡± Be took a deep breath to calm herself down. She gritted her teeth.¡± I can¡¯t die. I can¡¯t die. What would happen to my father and my brothers if I died? God has given me a chance to live. Today must not be the day I leave the world.¡± Crack! The branch on top of her head snapped a little. £„ Be was shocked. She stopped talking and steadied her breathing. The branch might just sumb under her weight if she breathed any heavier. Exerting all her strength, Be wed her way out of the clinging mud and braced herself against a sturdy ledge. The moment she jumped onto the ledge, the branch on top of her snapped in half. The branch disappeared into the plunge off the cliff. Be¡¯s heart was in her throat.. With no time to dwell in fear, she tried everything to climb up. The wind and rain carried on through the night. The piercing rain blurred her vision and froze her hands. She was nearly losing her senses in her limbs. The only thing keeping her going was her strong willpower and desire. £„ Chapter 512 Having lost her mother at a young age, Be was raised by her three stepmothers. Sasha often took Be under her wing, introducing her to the thrills of boxing, horseback riding, and archery. Rock climbing, however, held a special ce in their bond. Their shared hobby hade in handy today. Be was about to reach the top when she felt a powerful quake and rumbling. A steady stream of rocks rolled off the cliff. Anotherndslide was ¡°Seriously, God? I have done a lot of charity, and this is how you repay me?!¡± As the rock with Be¡¯s foot on it fell, gravity pulled her down. She had nothing to hold on to. ¡°No¡­ Help!¡± She widened her eyes in horror as despair consumed her. The fall into the abyss would only crush her. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. As a tear slipped out, Be closed her eyes in resignation. £„ ¡°Be!¡± A pair of coarse hands grabbed ahold of her wrists and pulled her out of the gates of hell. Feeling an abrupt stop to the free fall, Be opened her eyes. When she met Justin¡¯s starry eyes, her heartbeat and breathing were. on pause for a moment. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Was it a dream? Was this all in her head? Her heart thumped right out of her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m here.¡± Justin¡¯s intense gaze fell on her discolored face. Fear, dismay, joy, and heartache had a grip on him. Sweating profusely, Justin dug his left fingers into the soil while hel clutched her arm shakily. He could feel his body slipping down, so they were not out of the woods yet. There was a possibility they might plunge into their deaths together. ¡°Justin¡­¡± £„ Be called out his name softly as tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± She had been strong, pushing herself to the limit to climb all the way to the top. However, her feelings got the better of her the moment she saw Justin. It hurt Justin to see Be, who was normally fearless, cry. ¡°Save the crying forter. Now climb up with everything you have.¡± Be sniffled and gritted her teeth to scale her way up as Justin pulled her. ¡°Quick! The cliff is about to copse!¡± Distraught, Justin shouted at her. ¡°I know! I¡¯m going as quickly as I can!¡± Teary-eyed, Be shouted back. Justin furrowed his brows. She was cuter when she was bawling her eyes out. A sh of lightning bathed Be¡¯s face in light. Justin felt a sharp pain in his head. £„ Through his blurred vision, he saw an eleven-year-old Be. A somewhat familiar voice rang in his ear. ¡°What¡¯s your name, little girl?¡± ¨C¡°Well, if you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll just call you little girl since you¡¯re so small anyway¡­¡± Justin widened his eyes in shock. All he could hear was buzzing in his ear. The dam broke, and forgotten moments flooded back. That little girl, Anna¡­ £„ Chapter 513 Justin had no time to take in the shock. He could feel the surface beneath him crumbling. ¡°Hurry up, Anna!¡± + In the heat of the moment, Justin blurted out the name that she used when they were married. Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat. That name stirred her up with energy, and she managed totch onto the edge of the cliff and throw herself into Justin¡¯s arms. The man locked his arms around her and held her tight. Rumble! As the edge of the cliff copsed, Justin shielded Be and tumb with her in the opposite direction of the disaster. ¡°Ugh!¡± With his back hitting a rock, Justin let out an agonized grunt. He hurt himself badly as he broke out in a cold sweat, which blended quickly with the rainwater. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Be looked up from his embrace and nervously looked at his discolored face. £„ ¡°No.¡± Justin kept his tone t so as not to reveal the pain.in his voice. Struck by lingering fear, Be dropped her weight on his heaving chest. and sighed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± His gaze under his drenchedshes locked on her, and his voice was raspy. ¡°What?¡± As her heart raced, Be looked away. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that we met thirteen years ago? Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were the girl I saved here?¡± Justin spoke with a heavy breath as a mix of emotions ate at him. She felt a catch in her throat, and her soiled face turned pale. Did he call her Anna because he remembered the past? Why did he have to remember at this moment? Why did the realizatione thirteen years toote? It was toote. She would rather that he forget about her forever. ¡°Tell me, Be. Say something!¡± Hot with emotions, Justin gripped Be¡¯s chin and made her meet his 1998 bloodshot gaze. £„ ¡°Do you remember why I called myself Anna when I married you?¡± Be gave him a gloomy look, her chest clutched. Justin grimaced in pain at her cutthroat words. His memories came back to him. Justin asked for her name when-he saved her, but was met with silence. Hence, he randomly named her ¡°Anna¡±, as it was the most However, it was the random name that brought him together with the woman thirteen yearster. The girl he once saved re-emerged as his wife. He had no idea. ¡°Ha! It looks like you remember.¡± Be chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to remember anything, though. I never expected you to remember me. I am only passing through your life, whether it¡¯s thirteen years ago, three years ago, or now.¡± Justin¡¯s breath hitched. He was not at fault for saving her life and forgetting her. Yet the guilt consumed him. The woman had longed for him for thirteen years, but he turned around and forgot about her. £„ She chased after him and tried to blend into his world. However, he pushed her out and shut the door to his heart right in her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Justin¡¯s lips shivered as he choked with sobs. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were that girl. If I knew-¡± ¡°If you knew, you would¡¯ve divorced me anyway.¡± Be smiled with understanding. She had her regrets about him, but there were no lingering feelings. ¡°I This is from N?velDrama.Org. might be Be and Anna. The difference is just a name. It doesn¡¯t change anything between us. You don¡¯t need to apologize. I should thank you. You left after saving my life. I didn¡¯t know your name or who you were. I couldn¡¯t express my gratitude.¡± ¡°Even so, why did you marry me, Be?¡± That was the question that had been bugging Justin. ¡°Do you feel indebted to me because I saved you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, Justin. It¡¯s all in the past. There¡¯s no point. mulling over a marriage that didn¡¯t end well.¡± Be closed her eyes as if closing off ess to her heart. Her shoulders trembled, betraying her feelings. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to talk. about this. I¡¯m cold. Let¡¯s go.¡± In the rainstorm, the former couple reached a truce for a moment. As they were injured, they leaned on each other as they traveled ahead. with difficulty. £„ Unfortunately, Be¡¯s phone had died on her, while Justin could no receive any signal on his. ¡°One thing¡¯s for sure-we are at the back of Mount Jaglee. Otherwise, we would¡¯ve gotten a phone signal.¡± Be staggered out of breath. The hunger and cold drained her of energy. Her determination not to be a burden to Justin was the thing that kept her going. She could not even feel her legs anymore. ¡°I instructedn to send a helicopter before I came to you.¡± Sensing that she was on herst legs, Justin held her waist to stop her from falling. ¡°A search and rescue is difficult in this weather. Maybe-¡± Atst, Be copsed. Justin caught her and held her close to his chest. All he could breathe in was the smell of wet soil on her. He tensed his jawline as his heart went out to her. The woman must have been through hell because he arrived to save her. £„ ¡°We should find a ce to shelter from the rain.¡± Justin crouched down to carry Be on his back before moving along. ¡°Hey, Justin¡­¡± Leaning over his back, Be wrapped her arms around his neck and asked in a weak voice, ¡°Do you think we will ever get out of here?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Justin responded without thinking twice. ¡°I nearly died once. What if-¡± ¡°They said that you were the Goddess of the Mountain.¡± While hiking ahead with a struggle, Justin said with a faint smile, Coincidentally, they called me a God of the Mountain too.¡± ¦³¦§ ¡°Pft!¡± She closed her eyes in disdain. ¡°We won¡¯t die, Be.¡± Drawing a deep breath, Justin gave her dirty hands a tight squeeze. ¡°If God can¡¯t protect you, I will.¡± £„ Chapter 514 Amid the biting cold, Be felt her hands were warm. Justin held her numb little fingers, enveloping them in warmth like never before. It was as if her nervous system was kicked back to drive. Be closed her eyes with ease and leaned against his wide back. Her cold hands regained temperature in his grasp, her fingers curling for more. Feeling a tingle, Justin clutched tighter in case she withdrew her hands in repulse. ¡°Be a good girl and don¡¯t move,¡± the man said sternly, feeling the pain on his back harder to ignore. Still, he managed to keep his injuries from her. For once, he hoped he could gain her trust and be the shoulder she could lean on. ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s cold. Walk faster,¡± Be murmured in a daze. ¡°Hang on. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find a ce to shelter from the rain soon.¡± Between heavy breathing and foggy rain obstructing his vision, Justin took each step with much difficulty. ¡°What if we can¡¯t find one?¡± Be had lost her strength. Her voice was soft and sweet. ¡°Just take cover in my arms, then,¡± Justin blurted. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to! Don¡¯t try to cop a feel!¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and her eyes turned flighty. Justin curled his lips. The restless woman on his back seemed to supply him with boundless energy and affection he did not think his heart could hold. He should quit messing with her and focus on the road. She was not going anywhere, anyway. They were stuck together, their breaths and heartbeats mingling as one. It was like they were back at that dramatic moment thirteen years ago. The girl he carried on his back was all grown up. She was even married to him once and had been his wife for three years. Meanwhile, Steven could not shake off the worry for Be and ran to the campsite with an umbre in hand. Upon arrival at the camp base, his ck umbre was ravaged by the rain. His suit was soaked, and his leather shoes were covered in mud. ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Steven ran into Frank, dressed in a raincoat, andn. ¡®Huh? Isn¡¯t that Young Madam¡¯spdog?¡¯n nearly blurted out the pet name he gave Steven. ¡°Why are you¡­ Don¡¯t tell me Justin is here. Where¡¯s Ms. Be?¡± Steven had been working with Be long enough to know that something was amiss. His throat was in his throat. ¡°Can you stop yelling, Mr. Lovett?¡± storm. He had faith in Justin to find her and protect her. ¡°Mr. Salvador and the park rangers are looking for the young madam in the mountains as we speak. I have gotten three choppers on the search and rescue team, just as Mr. Salvador instructed. Mr. Salvador vowed not to return until he finds the young madam.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Steven¡¯s jaw dropped. Justin made a point not to return unless he had found Be. Steven found it hard to believe that Justin, despite his indifference would make such a promation for Be. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have let Anna hike up the mountain.¡± Frank pounded his chest and med himself. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You must trust Mr. Salvador. He is the GOAT.¡± Steven and Frank were speechless. awkwardness. Chapter 515 ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t trust Justin. I need to inform Mr. Asher right away.¡± Steven could barely hold his phone steady while dialing Asher¡¯s number. The call was answered immediately. Before Steven had a chance to speak, Asher¡¯s husky came on the other end. ¡°Did something happen. to Be, Steve?¡± There must be some sort of special bond between the siblings because Asher had a bad feeling all night. Since Steven contacted him, Asher was sure Be had gotten herself into a situation. ¡°Mr. Asher!¡± Steven teared up. ¡°Ms. Be¡­ Ms. Be is in trouble. Please send help to Mount Jaglee at the National Forest Park.¡± Asher was at the military headquarters in Dawnford, more than 350 km away from Savrow, when he received Steven¡¯s call for help. Now that Asher was in Dawnford, he could not possibly pass up a chance to meet with his third brother, Den Brown, who had also taken their mother¡¯sst name, like Drew. His mother gave birth to quadruplets and Be, and Asher cared about all his siblings equally. Den was a young talent. He was a colonel at the age of 28 with outstanding achievements. Since he held a high position, leading the army in Dawnford, he rarely got to meet with his family. Hence, Asher would visit Den whenever he got the chance. ¡°Den, Be is in trouble. I need to get back to Savrow right now.¡± Furrowing his brows, Asher could not hide the worry on his face. ¡°What? Be is in trouble?¡± Den, dressed in military uniform, jolted to his feet from the sofa, his nerves tensed. This is from N?velDrama.Org. He had always kept his cool and charisma as a colonel in the presence of others. However, he was hysterical at the mention that his beloved sister was in trouble. As his chest tightened, Asher¡¯s voice turned hoarse. ¡°Our little sister went to the National Forest Park to volunteer at a search and rescue party.¡± Den clenched his fists and sighed. He paced around in circles nervously. If the men working under Den could see him now, their jaws would drop. ¡°I told her many times to just donate the money. She¡¯s not a professional first responder. She could put herself in danger, but she¡¯s stubborn. She has a mind of her own. She won¡¯t listen to reason.¡± Asher was worried sick about Be. ¡°I mean¡­ Why does Be go there anyway? Does Mount Jaglee hold some sort of secret or mystery there?¡± Den did not want to be the strict superior in front of Asher. In fact, he shared Wyatt¡¯s humor. Asher looked at him with intrigue and said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t you. remember what happened to Be when she was eleven?¡± ¡°I do. Of course, I do.¡± Den sighed dejectedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say about her and the Salvador guy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to get to my head that Mom had us first to protect Be.¡± Asher let out a long sigh and walked out. ¡°I got to go attend to the emergency, Den.¡± ¡°Hang on, Ash.¡± Den stopped him and grabbed his beret on the arm of the sofa to put on. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡± It took quite a bit of walking before Justin discovered a small, dark cave. He carried Be over. Be rested her back against the wall of the cave and folded her arms. Her pale lips quivered, and her soiled face looked flushed. Even though she looked weak and disheveled, the light in her eyes and her flutteringshes gave Justin butterflies in his stomach. Feeling warm and cozy inside, the man swallowed hard and cupped her cheeks. He frowned when he found that her face was hot to the touch. ¡°Are you burning up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It won¡¯t kill me.¡± Be did not shy away from his touch because the cold sensation felt great on her skin. Chapter 516 Justin nervously put his hand on her hot forehead, and the burning temperature left him distraught. He quickly took off his jacket and shirt, which were still warm from his body, and wrapped them around Be to shield her from the cold. Be weakly opened her eyes. The man had given her almost all his clothes. At this moment, he was only wearing his ck vest. His muscr body was a work of art. His rugged and untamed charm stood out in the wilderness. ¡°Do you still feel cold?¡± Justin asked in a raspy voice while fixating on her flushed face. ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s cold. I feel so cold¡­¡± Be hugged herself and shivered. Justin drew a deep breath. With downcast eyes, he spread his arms apart. He carefully pulled her into his arms and rubbed some heat into her. ¡°Do you still feel cold?¡± The man lowered his face, his heart beating out of his chest. Be rested her chin against his shoulder de, nestling up to him. Justin heaved a deep breath and dug his fingers into her wet hair to massage her head. He tried to help her rx and assure her. Be felt her tensed muscles easing in his embrace. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. She was sleepy, barely able to keep her eyes open. Justin sat alongside her, providing her with warmth and taking her hand to check her injuries. Be¡¯s fingers were bruised and battered. Mud and blood were stuck under her fingernails. These fingers did not look like they belonged to an heiress. The man pursed his lips as his mind wandered back to her grasping at survival while clinging to the cliff. His heart went out to her. ¡°Be, I hope this won¡¯t ever happen again. You¡¯re not a cat. You don¡¯t have nine lives.¡± Justin¡¯s lips shook in rage as he shouted at her. ¡°Uh¡­ You don¡¯t mean anything to me. Who are you to tell me what to do¡­¡± Be rested her head on his shoulder. Her judgment was clouded by the fever. Despite the circumstances they were in, she did not hesitate to snap back at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡± Justin¡¯s ears flushed. ¡°I can¡¯t. Tell me then.¡± Sure enough, he chickened out when push came to shove. ¡°Ha¡­ Whatever. Your answer doesn¡¯t mean anything to me.¡± Be closed her eyes, not wanting to give him any more attention. The only thing she wanted to do right now was take a nice, hot bath and lie down on her bed for a good sleep. She felt so tired. ¡°Why did you marry me, Be? Was it because I saved your life? Was it just to repay me?¡± Justin clutched her hand and held it to his chest. The fever blurred her ability to think clearly. She answered all his questions because she had no energy to argue anymore. ¡°I married you because I loved you.¡± Dumbfounded, Justin breathed heavily. ¡°I have always hoped to marry you. I didn¡¯t expect my dream toe true.¡± Be¡¯s eyes welled up. ¡°I yed catch-up to you for 13 years, Justin. Throughout my teenage years, I kept searching and chasing after you.¡± ¡°What about now? Do you still love me, Be?¡± Justin teared up and asked eagerly. He held Be¡¯s left hand, including her crippled little finger, tight. She pulled her hand away from his grasp as if to save her broken heart from him. Be was still hurting, afraid she would be back to square one in her healing process. ¡°I don¡¯t resent or hate you. I¡¯m not angry anymore. That also means I don¡¯t love you anymore.¡± Chapter 517 Be did not love Justin anymore. She no longer loved him. Be could not lie to herself. Despite iming no feelings for Justin, she could feel her heart breaking. She was used to the pain, though. In the three years she was married to Justin, the heartbreaking pain was more of apanion to her than the man was. The pain was a long-time friend. ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking these questions now, Justin? Are you delusional to think that I will be right there waiting for you?¡± Be narrowed her eyes, her gaze vulnerable. She rarelyid herself bare, and it tugged at Justin¡¯s heartstrings. ¡°I loved you for thirteen years. I don¡¯t have another thirteen years for you. I have no more love to give. I¡¯m sick of you. I¡¯m sick of you and the supposed love.¡± Her strong emotions cut Justin like a knife. His pale lips shivered, and he could not shake off the lump in his throat. He realized that he was the monster. Justin trapped her in a loveless marriage and nearly destroyed her. ¡°Do you really mean it, Be?¡± Refusing to give up, Justin had to ask, even at the cost of humiliating himself. ¡°Yes. I have never lied to you.¡± Be chuckled, her nonchnce sending chills down his spine. ¡°I meant it when I said I loved you. It was true that I didn¡¯t want a divorce. The tears I shed for you were real, too. So I was honest when I said I didn¡¯t love you anymore.¡± ¡°Be¡­¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he gripped her hands. Even thought Be was burning up, her hands were like a block of ice. His feelings could never get to her anymore. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you saved my life again, Justin. I owe you another one. I¡¯m happy to repay the favor if the demand isn¡¯t too much.¡± Be spoke callously, as if he were a stranger. It was clear that she hoped to never be involved with him after this. Justin wanted to say something, but Be fell asleep on his shoulder. She looked like an adorable bunny with her rosy cheeks, flutteringshes, and sweat-soaked head. The man swallowed hard as his heart raced. He could not help but hold her closer. He once had many opportunities to do so. Now, he had only this rare moment with her alone to cherish. He did this to himself. This is from N?velDrama.Org. The walkie-talkie was out of range tomunicate with anyone, and he could not get a signal on his phone. Although Justin hoped to spend more time with Be, she had a high temperature. If the fever went on, she might experience other symptoms too.. Flustered, Justin checked her temperature constantly. He was in distress because of her. Justin was trying to figure out ways to get Be¡¯s fever down and to send a signal to the helicopters and park rangers to find them. In the end, Justin searched in the rain for a long time before locating dry branches. Drawing on his survival skills honed in the army, he built a crackling fire. He started a fire outside the cave to signal for help and another one in the cave to provide Be with warmth. The amber glow illuminated the woman¡¯s face. She looked quiet and. peaceful. Her skin also looked wless. Justin¡¯s gaze deepened as he stared intensely at her face. ¡°Justin¡­¡± Be parted her dry lips in a daze and murmured a man¡¯s name. ¡°I¡¯m here, Be.¡± Justin got down on one knee. ¡°Do you feel warmer?¡± ¡°Justin¡­ You¡¯re a bastard!¡± With her eyes closed, Be talked in her sleep. Her dirty arms waved in the air and somehow struck Justin in the face. It did not hurt, though. Be was too sick to cause any harm. Chapter 518 Justin did not know whether tough or cry. Be would still give him a dressing-down in her sleep. It would probably take a lifetime to undo the hurt he brought her. A lifetime¡­ He had started to dream about making it up to her and protecting her for the rest of his life. Maybe he had fallen in love with her. With that in mind, Justin¡¯s heart pounded out of his chest. He leaned forward and pulled her body closer to his. His lips met hers. ¡°Mgh¡­¡± Be whimpered. He could not take his eyes away from her.. His eyes turned glossy as he deepened the kiss. Be closed her eyes, and Justin shut his. Justin let go and allowed his mind and body to take over. All he ever wanted to do was hold her and kiss her for as long as he could. A furious wind stirred up outside the cave. The rumbling came from the spinning des of a helicopter. ¡°Be, don¡¯t be scared. Someone¡¯s here to save us. We¡¯re saved!¡± Justin was confident enough to bring her to safety himself. He embraced Be with joy, as the worst was over. The helicopter touched down, whipping a whirlwind of dust and debris into a frenzy. Justin narrowed his eyes and tried to get a look at the chopper with a shlight. The helicopter did not belong to Salvador Corporation. Who found them? It did not matter, so long as Be could get the treatment she needed. Justin carried Be, who was asleep and bundled up in his clothes, and took strides to the helicopter. ¡°Be!¡± ¡°Be!¡± A cry of panic pierced through the night sky. Asher and Den got out of the chopper. Justin did not show much emotion at the sight of Asher. However, the handsome man in green military wear and ck boots, bearing the military rank of a colonel, gave Justin something to think about. He felt like he was looking in the mirror, staring at a past version of himself. Even though Justin was the president of a multibillion-dor corporation, he still missed those glory days in the army. Nevertheless, now was not the time to reminisce. He was more concerned about the man¡¯s rtionship with Be. ¡°Give Be back to me, Justin!¡± Den¡¯s fury was evident in his face. Even when his military uniform was soaked in the rain and his beret dripped with water, the stormy wind could not make him bend his spine. In truth, Den had not met Justin before. Asher, on the other hand, could keep his cool before the man who had a long history with Be, despite his displeasure. The weather dropped to subzero, and Justin was nearly naked because he dressed Be in his clothing. Asher furrowed his brows, feeling a little sorry for Justin for a change. ¡°Be¡­ What¡¯s wrong, Be?¡± Den sprinted toward Justin, and thetter stepped back warily and checked Den out. ¡°Who are you to her?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Be¡¯s and my brother,¡± Asher exined. Justin¡¯s eyes bulged in shock. Den and Asher did not look alike, but he resembled Drew. Justin did not catch the resemnce earlier. Justin never knew that Be had a brother who held high ranks and was on active duty in the military. Pursing his lips, Justin held the woman in his arm tighter as a wave of emotions washed over him. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Goddamnit. All the men around her were nothing short of outstanding. For the first time in his life, a woman stirred up jealousy in Justin. He was jealous of a man. Chapter 519 ¡°Be¡­¡± Heartbroken, Den teared up and tried to take Be from Justin. Asher seemed like the kindest soul out of the four boys in the family, but that was not true. Den always carried a stoic face due to his career in the military, but out of all of Wyatt¡¯s children, he was the gentlest and most sensible child. He could not make it back for Be¡¯s birthday this year because he was on military duty. In the middle of the night, he hid under the covers and secretly wiped away tears. He was a sensitive and vulnerable man. ¡°I¡¯ll hold her.¡± Justin shifted his gaze to Be and refused to turn her over. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to!¡± Recalling the divorce, Den saw red and took out his anger on Justin. ¡°You know full well that you dumped her and hurt her. Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re the good guy here. Even if you saved Be, I would never thank you.¡± ¡°I never expect you to.¡± Justin paused before uttering in-a hoarse voice, ¡°Be is important to I admit that I have caused her a lot of hurt. Everything I do now is to make up for-¡± ¡°You can¡¯t make up for anything!¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Den cut him off sternly. ¡°It¡¯s toote for regrets now. You have ruined my once cheerful and worry- free sister. There is no way you can make amends.¡± Justin froze. ¡°Uh¡­ Home¡­ I want to go home¡­¡± Be shuddered in the man¡¯s embrace and cried out in her sleep.. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home, Be.¡± Not wanting to waste another breath on Justin, Den tried to snatch Be from him. Just when Den was about to hold his sister, Be clutched Justin¡¯s ck vest and refused to let go. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ Don¡¯t go¡­¡± she mumbled ¡°I won¡¯t go. You¡¯re still burning. How can I possibly ditch you?¡± Justin had always been a cold-hearted man, but his heart opened up to Be. He turned to Den and said pleadingly, ¡°Let me take her to the hospital. I¡¯ll leave once we arrive at the hospital.¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Den yelled angrily. ¡°Dec.¡± Asher stopped Den and stepped forward with a sour look. ¡°Let¡¯s just go with Mr. Salvador¡¯s suggestion. He cane with us to the hospital.¡± ¡°Ash!¡± ¡°Either way, I need to thank you for saving Be, Mr. Salvador. Join us in the helicopter.¡± Asher looked at Justin calmly. Justin responded dejectedly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Be was back in his arms. He tended to her with extra care, as if he had found something he had lost. The choppers sent byn arrived, but Justin waved to send them. back. He followed Den and Asher into their helicopter. The helicopter took flight into the night sky. Justin held Be close to him, not once letting up. Den caressed his sister¡¯s forehead as his breathing becamebored. Tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°Be, open your eyes and look at me. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Be is having a fever, Den. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± Asher consoled Den, but he was feeling anxious too. ¡°It was rough for Be today. She nearly fell off the cliff.¡± Justin stared long and hard at Be. The fear still had a grip on him. Shocked, Asher and Den shuddered. ¡°I lent her a helping hand, but she saved herself.¡± Chapter 520 ¡°Justin, you deserve to die.¡± Den hissed through clenched teeth, ¡°All of Be¡¯s sufferingse from you.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± After all he had been through, Justin could see himself for who he was in the past. He was ruthless and cold-hearted. Justin was willing to ept all the me. ¡°Why did you marry her when you didn¡¯t love her? Why did you give her hope when you didn¡¯t love her?¡± Den looked daggers at him as tears rolled down his cheeks. ¡°She is attached to the mountain because of you. All her life, she has lived. for you. What about you? What have you ever done for her?¡± The question hit Justin like a ton of bricks. His heart was ripped apart. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. What did Justin ever do for Be? Nothing. He had never proposed to her or given her anything remotely deserving of a spouse. He dumped her in their bridal suite on the night of the wedding and slept in another room. He never spent any holidays with her or gave her any presents. When she and Nigel were caught in an ident, he did not rush to her side. None of these incidents, added together, caused her as much pain as that one thing. When Be was in her prime and loved him the most, his heart. belonged to another. Justin¡¯s beautiful eyes turned bloodshot as he gripped Be¡¯s soft hands. He heaved heavily. He was filled with regret. Regret was reserved for losers. ¡°My sister has put up with a lot and sacrificed too much, Justin.¡± Like Asher, Den knew what Be had been through in thest thirteen years. It hurt him just thinking about it. ¡°Do you know that Be nearly lost her life because of you? To pursue you-¡± ¡°Enough, Den,¡± With a scowl, Asher interrupted him. Den swallowed his words and clenched his fists angrily. He was tempted to punch Justin in the face.. Nevertheless, Den could not act before thinking like Drew. He was a high-ranking military officer, and the years had ebbed away his youthful rashness and added maturity to him. Only Be could stir his emotions and awaken the bloodthirst inside. him. ¡°What did you say?¡± Justin¡¯s heart sank. Be was hiding something bigger from him, and his suspicion grew. ¡°Did you say that Be nearly lost her life because of me? When did that happen? Tell me when it happened!¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador.¡± Asher said grimacingly, ¡°The history between you and my sister is a thing of the past now. Since Be doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, we won¡¯t dwell on it anymore. It¡¯s over between you two. But if your continue to pester Be, don¡¯t me me for going after you.¡± Den jumped in spitefully. ¡°Justin, if you want what¡¯s best for Be, you should stay away from her. You have hurt her enough. Do you want to ruin the rest of her life too? You don¡¯t deserve her after what you did.¡± Den and Asher rushed Be to the hospital. Asher kept quiet about Be¡¯s ident. He even used the helicopter from Dawnford, so Wyatt had no idea about the situation. Otherwise, Wyatt would turn Savrow upside down upon learning about his precious daughter¡¯s brush with death in the mountains. Justin stuck to Be like a ma. He did not leave after the helicopter ride and followed Asher and Den. Be was brought straight to the emergency room and soon transferred to the ward. Justin could finally rx. ¡°Did you forget what you said, Justin? You said you¡¯d leave upon arrival at the hospital. Why are you still here?¡± Blocking the entrance to the ward, Den questioned. ¡°I¡¯ll leave once she wakes up.¡± Justin stood tall before him w face. Even though Justin was pushing his luck and acting shameless would live with it. ¡°The nerve of you, Justin!¡± Den was not the type to throw a tantrum in public, but he was on hisst straw with Justin. Chapter 521 Justin stood still and dly epted Den¡¯s words. He had heard the same thing so many times before he had gotten used to it. ¡°Mr. Salvador, Be and my brother Den have not seen each other in a very long time.¡± Asher Thompson walked over to Justin and said calmly, ¡°I think she wants to see him more than she wants to see you. Your presence here is not only disruptive to Be¡¯s recovery, but it¡¯s also intruding on our family time. Now that Be is with us, there is no reason for you to still be worried and to stay here any longer. So please, go back.¡± Asher¡¯s gaze was cid, and his tone was serene. There was no fluctuation in his emotions. But Justin felt like every single one of Asher¡¯s words was a sharp knife that stabbed his heart, draining his body dry of blood. Outside, the storm had ceased, and the sky slowly brightened to a mncholy blue. Justin held his soaked coat as he walked outside heavily. It felt as if the coat still held some of Be¡¯s residual warmth, and he could not help but clutch it tighter even though he felt ice-cold. ¡°Justin Salvador, my sister has given up and sacrificed much too much for you.¡± ¨C¡°Don¡¯t you know that Be once nearly died for you?! She went after you-¡± He thought, ¡®Went after me? What happened when she went after me? Sacrificed? What had she sacrificed? What else had happened in the past?!¡¯ Den Brown¡¯s words echoed in Justin¡¯s head. The vein in his temple suddenly pulsed, and pain exploded throughout his body. ¡°Justin!¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡± Justin struggled to look up asrge beads of sweat slid down his handsome face. He could barely make out Ryan Hoffman andn Harris, who had made their way there upon hearing the news, running toward him through his blurry vision. ¡°Justin, why do you look so pale? Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Justin looked down, gazing fixedly at the coat in his hand. ¡°Then what about the young madam? Did you manage to find her? How is she now?!¡±n asked anxiously. Before Justin could reply, a tall figure shouldered past him hard, walking straight toward the hospital doors. ¡°Hey! Are you blind, Lovett?!¡±n roared towards Steven¡¯s back. The collision made Justin¡¯s head spin. Despite his tall and sturdy figure, he was trembling and looked like he was about to fall apart at any moment now. Steven looked back to sneer at him. ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°F-Mr. Salvador is the person who saved your Ms. Thompson, you know! What sort of attitude is that?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s what he owes Ms. Be. With this, I¡¯ll consider it even. And you think I¡¯d thank him? In your dreams. Upon saying that, Steven clenched his jaw and walked away without looking back. Justin felt tightness and pain in his chest, and sweat beaded up on his forehead. His hands clenched so tightly that they turned red, and his fingers were about to break the skin of his palm, but he still felt no pain. Because a bone-deep pain was spreading up his spine and testing his willpower. ¡°Justin, something¡¯s wrong with you. We need to get you checked out at the hospital-Justin!¡± Before Ryan could finish speaking, Justin, finally no longer able to hold back, coughed up a mouthful of blood that surged up through his throat. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Salvador!¡±n was about to burst into tears. Steven was stunned too. He had not expected the man who was still talking to him earlier,pletely fine, to suddenly spit up blood. In the next second, Justin swayed and copsed to the ground. Chapter 522 Justin coughing up blood and fainting in front of them shocked the three men to the core. Luckily, they were right in front of the hospital. Ryan andn hurriedly helped the doctors and nurses transport Justin to the emergency room. Steven stood on the other end of the hallway in a daze as he watched Justin, pale as a sheet with blood staining the corner of his mouth, get wheeled through to the emergency room. How did this suddenly happen? Was this another one of his tricks to gain pity? But Justin had been fine when he brought Be back from Mount Jaglee to the hospital. It was only when he got here that he copsed Justin looked like such a tall and tough man, so how had he just copsed like that? ¡°M-Mr. Hoffman¡­ Mr. Salvador won¡¯t-¡±n spoke tearily as he £„ clenched his fists. ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± Ryan watched as the light for the emergency treatment room lit up, his heart filled with panic, and his eyes bloodshot. ¡°Justin will be fine. He¡¯s the toughest, most stubborn, and bravest man I¡¯ve ever known. He¡¯s definitely going to be okay.¡± Right then, one of Asher¡¯s bodyguards walked up to Steven and bowed. ¡°Mr. Lovett, Mr. Thompson sent me to lead you upstairs.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Steven held a heavy heart as he turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and said to the bodyguard in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Justin Salvador, president of Salvador Corporation, is undergoing emergency. treatment right now. Pass my words on and tell the dean of the hospital to get two of the most senior doctors to treat Mr. Salvador.¡± Be slept until the next evening. She slowly opened her hazy eyes, £„ feeling as if she had been fully recharged. ¡°Mm¡­ Where am I¡­?¡± She could not muster any strength, and she felt as if she was about to fall apart. ¡°Be! You¡¯re awake! It¡¯s me, Den!¡± Den shouted excitedly and threw himself onto the bed to hug her. He had stayed up all night holding his little sister¡¯s hand tightly, his eyes red and swollen from the countless times he had cried through the night. ¡°Den¡­? Are you really back?¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened and slowly filled with tears, the tip of her nose turning red. Den nodded vigorously as he kissed his little sister¡¯s forehead. It was not as hot as it was before, and her fever had pretty much subsided. Last night, the doctor said that it was lucky she had been sent to the hospital in time, or else it was very possible she would have gotten a £„ lung, brain, or heart infection, which would have beenplicated. ¡°What about your army posting? Wasn¡¯t it important? How did you manage to get leave toe back?¡± Be worried about Den instead of worrying about herself. ¡°It is important, but no matter how important it is, my little sister alwayses first.¡± ¡°Den¡­¡± Be hugged her brother around the neck and pressed he cheek against his. Den had not seen his little sister in a very long time. She had lost a lot of weight since thest time he had seen her, and her gaze was not as bright as it used to be. His heart ached like countless needles were stabbing into his heart, and his throat burned. ¡°Oh, right. How did I get here?¡± Be asked as Den helped her sit up. She leaned weakly against the head of the bed. Den pursed his lips silently. ¡°Where¡¯s Justin?¡± Be¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly as she spoke, her voice a little hoarse. £„ ¡°He came back with our helicopter. He¡¯s alive and well, Be. You don¡¯t need to care about him.¡± Den spoke coldly and dismissively. But for some reason, Be felt a terrible, inexplicable fear, and she asked anxiously, ¡°Where is he?¡± Right then, the door to her hospital room opened. Asher and Steven walked in, one after another, and they were overjoyed to see Be awake. ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Steven was so delighted that he could not help but smile and tear up. He was about to run over to Be, but when he saw that Den wasThis is from N?velDrama.Org. present, he bowed slightly before walking over to kneel beside the bed on one knee. ¡°You must have been scared terriblyst night, weren¡¯t you, Steve¡­?¡± Be was still very pale, but there was light in the beautiful eyes that curved up at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being willful. But there was a life at £„ stake, and I had no other choice then.¡± Steven gazed deeply at her, so choked up that he could not speak and only shook his head. He had heard that Be had nearly fallen off a cliff and shattered all the bones in her body. It was Justin who had risked his own life to save her at the critical moment. ¡°Ms. Be¡­ There¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡± Steven hesitated but still told her. ¡°Justin Salvador has suffered very serious internal injuries and even coughed up blood.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Be suddenly sat up straight, her eyes widening as she unconsciously held her breath. ¡°How did it happen?!¡± This piece of news obviously also came as a shock to Asher and Den, and the two of them looked stunned. ¡°I heard from the attending doctor that he suffered a heavy blow to his back, which injured his internal organs and caused him to vomit £„ blood,¡± Steven answered honestly. He might detest Justin Salvador, but he was not so small-minded as to be jealous and conceal the truth. Be¡¯s eyes widened as a memory came to mind. She suddenly remembered that when Justin dragged her back from the edge of the cliff, he had hugged her tightly, rolled to the side to avoid the cliff¡¯s copse, and hit his back on arge rock. But at the time, he had clearly said he was okay! Liar! Be was both anxious and angry as her eyes reddened and she made to get out of bed. Her action drove the three men who loved her dearly into a panic as they all hurried to stop this little troublemaker. ¡°Be, what are you doing?! Are you going to look for Justin Salvador?!¡± Den pressed her shoulder. ¡°This happened to him because of me! I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing!¡± Be¡¯s heart was in her throat, and she was very determined £„ to go look for Justin. ¡°What are you going to see him for? He deserves whatever has happened to him. Who cares what happens to him now?!¡± ¡°Den, I-¡± Den¡¯s eyes seemed like they were about to burst into mes as he gripped her thin shoulders hard. ¡°You¡¯ve wasted thirteen years of your life on him. Can¡¯t you stop caring about that bastard from now on?! I¡¯m begging you¡­ Please! Can¡¯t you be selfish for once?!¡± ¡°Dec¡­¡± Be took a deep breath before saying softly, ¡°I can be ruthless, but can¡¯t be inhumane. There¡¯s one thing even you guys can¡¯t deny-if it hadn¡¯t been for him, I might not even be alive right now.¡± In the end, Den was unable to stop Be. She still inquired about the ward Justin was staying in and pushed on the door with Steven¡¯s support. But they were both stunned by what they found. The hospital room was empty. Even the nkets had been folded neatly. But Be could still smell Justin¡¯s unique scent in the air, and it wrapped tightly around her like an impermeable. £„ ¡°Excuse me, may I ask where the patient who was staying in this room is?¡± Be called out to a nurse to ask. ¡°He was discharged in the afternoon.¡± Chapter 523 At Justin¡¯s insistent request, Ryan andn transferred him to another hospital. Justiny on the white hospital bed with an IV drip hooked up to him in the hospital room. He had withered overnight. But his face was still so stunningly handsome that it made Ryan grit his teeth. ¡°You bastard. When you¡¯re alive, you¡¯re a menace to women. You¡¯ll probably be a menace to female ghosts in the afterlife, too. Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ What a sinful man.¡± Ryan sat on the chair in the opposite direction, crossing his arms over the back of the chair as he gave Justin a yful look. ¡°How much salt have you eaten¡­? You¡¯re being so salty.¡± Justin slowly opened his eyes, giving Ryan a sideways nce in annoyance. He was in so much pain that his breathing was uneven. ¡°I coughed up two pounds of blood, but you¡¯re makingments about my looks? I¡¯ll always be more handsome than you are¡­ Is there anything else you¡¯re unhappy about?¡± ¡°Oh, my. Look at you. I¡¯m just teasing you to entertain you because £„ you must be bored just lying there.¡± It was not that Ryan was not concerned about Justin¡¯s health. It was just that he did not want to bring up any serious topics and felt that it was embarrassing for two adult men to be so emotional. ¡°Rest assured, you won¡¯t die. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to find the country¡¯s best internal medicine experts to treat you. I even authorized them to use the machine, which costs $100,000 per use, to treat your lungs. If they¡¯re still unable to treat you, I¡¯ll go overseas to find someone to treat you. Anyway, I can pay for it. Money talks, so don¡¯t be afraid that I won¡¯t be able to buy you back from the Grim Reaper¡¯s hands!¡± Justin frowned, thinking that Ryan was noisy. ¡°Even if you bepletely paralyzed and can only move your eyeballs, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll bring you with me wherever I go and let you be my attach¨¦! Anyway, you still have your bro even though you don¡¯t have a wife anymore. As your bro, I definitely won¡¯t abandon you!¡± Ryan patted his chest with pride. Didn¡¯t have a wife anymore? Attach¨¦? £„ Paralyzed? Justin¡¯s mouth twitched. No matter how he thought about it, he felt like that donkey was secretly shading, scolding, and cursing him. ¡°Zip your mouth shut now, and we can still be friends.¡± Ryan smiled sheepishly. He could not help but still feel a bit glum. Still, he mustered the energy to give Justin some encouragement. Justin, you¡¯d better hang in there. If anything really happens to you, who will your granddad rely on? Not to mention, you won¡¯t have any sessors. Those devils that call themselves your family will probably devour everything you worked so hard for and your granddad while they¡¯re at it!¡± ¡± Justin felt his heart clench slightly. H¨¦ remembered that when he coughed up blood, it instantly seemed like all hope was gone. Before his eyes, only two people¡¯s faces appeared his grandfather and Be Thompson. £„ Justin took a deep breath to calm himself and said quietly, ¡°If I do have an untimely death, the position of president will eventually fall into my older brother¡¯s hands. I took what was his in the first ce. If it weren¡¯t for his poor health, I wouldn¡¯t have be the sessor to Salvador Corporation.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Cut that bullshit! What era are we living in where they still pass the throne¡± to the eldest son? We prioritize capability over seniority in this era. Even if your brother was healthy, your grandfather would have appointed you as the sessor considering your talent and ability!¡± Ryan often watched historical dramas with his mother and binge- watched season after season. Justin smiled faintly, feeling lucky to have such a happy-go-lucky friend in his dull life. ¡°But Justin, why did you insist on transferring hospitals? You only got hurt because of Be!¡± Ryan¡¯s butt did not leave the chair as he scooted forward two spaces up to Justin¡¯s bed with his long legs. ¡°It was such a good opportunity to interact with her! If I were you, not only would I not transfer hospitals, but I¡¯d also run to her hospital room and put on a pitiful show. It would be best if I happened to cough up blood in her doorway too! How else would she know how much you did for her? ¡± Girls like bad boys, and they love it when boys have tragic circumstances, you know!¡± Chapter 524 ¡°Protecting her is something I should do. I¡¯ve never thought of taking credit or asking for anything in return.¡± Justin slowly closed his eyes as a dull pain pulsed in his chest. ¡°It was what I owed her in the first ce. Now, I¡¯m just making up for the mistakes I made over the past three years.¡± ¡°With your life?!¡± ¡°With what, then? Money? Don¡¯t you know the Thompsons¡¯ circumstances?¡± Justin raised an eyebrow. Ryan scratched his head. It was true. They were rich enough t his life. Justin thought about Be and how she looked extremely pale in his arms, and an uncontroble pain rose from the bottom of his heart. Had she woken up? Had her fever subsided? Were any of her bones fractured from hanging off the cliff for so long? She was all he could think of. Justin took a deep breath, and his hands clenched tightly in the bedsheets, suppressing an impulse that felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. Had he fallen for her? He must have. Justin swallowed as his heart began to beat faster and he took deeper breaths. A blush colored his pale but handsome face. ¡°Huh? Justin, why is your face so red? Are you having a fever?¡± Ryan hurriedly reached over to feel Justin¡¯s forehead, but Justin smacked his hand away in annoyance. ¡°Ouch! That hurt!¡± Ryan shook his hand off and chuckled. ¡°That was a pretty strong p. It looks like you¡¯re doing fine. Your self-defense skills haven¡¯t deteriorated.¡± Right then, there was an urgent knock on the door. Before the two could respond, the hospital room¡¯s door suddenly opened. But before he could speak, a clear and pleasant voice that held a sharp edge cut in from behind. ¡°Justin Salvador, you¡¯re seriously injured. Why did you secretly transfer to a different hospital without telling me instead of staying put? What are you up to this time?!¡± With Steven¡¯s help, Be stormed into their view with great momentum, like aet shattering the horizon. She had taken a shower and changed into an aqua-blue dress, over which she was wearing a chic white cashmere sweater that made her skin glow. It felt like a refreshing spring had flowed into his heart with her appearance. Be raised her chin slightly, not looking unwell at all. The sound of her sharp stilettos signified her.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She glittered from head to toe as she gazed coldly at Justin. It was as if the heart-wrenching kiss they shared while they were alonest night had not happened. Justin pursed his dry lips tightly as he frowned, feeling unhappy. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Are you mute now?¡± Although Be was expressionless, she had been secretly observing his haggard face and felt even more angry because of this. He grew unhappier. ¡°What are you trying to do by hiding your injurie from me? Are you trying to get my attention?¡± Ryan was a bit intimidated by Be¡¯s powerful stance. She was jus like a domineering queen. This made Justin, who was leaning weakly against the bed and looking at Be somewhat resentfully, look more like a poor husband who had been neglected by his busy wife. Once this image set in, the originally tense situation suddenly becameedic. Ryan snorted, unable to hold back, and then burst intoughter. Chapter 525 Be¡¯s sharp gaze swept his way, and the ¡°Prince of Savrow¡± immediately lowered his gaze and took a step back obediently, like a puppy. ¡°Who¡¯s your young madam?¡± Be frowned. as ¡°M-Ms. Thompson! Mr. Salvador transferred to a different hospital because he was afraid you would be worried after finding out injured and it would affect your recovery,¡±n muttered timidly The young madam was no longer as gentle and docile as sh back when she lived with the Salvadors and had instead be domineering and covered in thorns. Every time he came face-to-fa with her, his heart thumped anxiously. ¡°Ha! Mr. Salvador is overthinking it. Who said I would be worried £„ about him?¡± Be sneered with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Then if you weren¡¯t worried about Mr. Salvador, you wouldn¡¯t have the courage to retort. ¡°You-!¡± Be red at him. Justin¡¯s eyshes fluttered as he leaned against the bed, his lips silently curling. well, but right now, he had said exactly what he was thinking. Justin could given a bonus. Bemanded coldly, ¡°All of you, out.¡± ¡°Ms. Be¡­¡± There was a worried expression on Steven¡¯s face as he opened his mouth, but he was interrupted before he could talk. ¡°Steve, you go out as well.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. £„ The queen had spoken, and no one dared to disobey. The three men filed out of the room in a single file. When the door closed, Be walked up to Justin, still frowning dee in part anger and part worry. ¡°I¡¯ve looked at your case history, and it was a very serious impact injury. If you¡¯d been treated anyter, you would have hemorrhaged and died.¡± ¡°But I wasn¡¯t treated anyter, and I didn¡¯t die.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was calm, and his voice was husky. He met her eyes with a tender and deep gaze. ¡°Be, don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve been on the battlefield. I¡¯ve suffered all sorts of things and been injured in all sorts of ways. This is nothing.¡± Be felt as if she had been scalded by his burning gaze. The memory of when they fought side by side and had each other¡¯s back on the battlefields of Kridor came to mind. No matter how unruffled she seemed, the moment she recalled those dangerous years she had spent advancing and retreating amidst gunfire, her heart would still surge uncontrobly and her palms would begin to sweat. Even her breathing would quicken. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful to you for saving me, but you don¡¯t have to go that far. You could have told me that you were injured, and I would have found a way to treat you. What were you thinking, hiding from me like this?¡± Be gazed deeply at him, her voice trembling slightly. n already mentioned the reason earlier,¡± Justin said lightly, not feeling like it was a big deal. £„ ¡°It was your back, wasn¡¯t it? Take off your gown and turn over.¡± Be ignored Justin, her attitude remaining cold. ¡°Hurry up. What are you being so shy for, big man? Do you think I¡¯m going to take advantage of you?¡± Justin smiled bitterly. ¡°No. If you wanted to, you would have done so three years ago.¡± ¡°Hmph! I wanted to back then, but did you give me any opportunity to? You were so defensive against me, like I was a thief.¡± Be instantly felt like she should not have said that, like she had just dug a hole for herself to fall into, and could not help but blush slightly. Justin was stunned by this, and a rush of bitter regret immediately swelled in his heart. The atmosphere became awkward. One by one, he unfastened the ties of his hospital gown and slid it off his upper body to reveal his manly, muscr body. The scars on his skin, however, were more eye-catching. It was not that Be had never seen Justin¡¯s naked body before. She was just amazed at how well Justin maintained his figure. She unconsciously swallowed before coldly ordering, ¡°Lie down.¡± Chapter 526 The normally arrogant and rebellious Justin Salvador was currently very obedient, and he turned over like a well-trained puppy. Be was slightly surprised to see him sopliant. She pursed her lips. His sturdy and broad back was bared to her without reservation. Be¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the shockinglyrge bruise. Although she tried to suppress her feelings, her heart could no but twinge in pain. Justin thought she had been frightened when she remained silent wanted to turn around, but she held him in ce with a strong gi ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let me take a good look at it.¡± ¡°The doctor said it would fade as long as I tended to it well.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was low and husky. He was the one who got injured, but it seemed more like he wasforting her. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me that. Do you think I¡¯m blind?¡± Be snapped grouchily. Justin choked at this and sighed, not knowing whether tough or Follow on Nov?lEnglish.n?t cry. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you were so brave and had such a fiery temper and sharp tongue when we were married before.¡± ¡°I was pretending to be someone else to please you back then.¡± Be looked down as she lightly brushed her fingers across the scar on his back, checking the wound. She said coldly, ¡°I thought that things would change with time and that if I was attentive, gentle, and considerate, you would grow to love me one day. Later on, once I realized you were heartless, I decided to leave and did not have to pretend anymore. Now that I think about it, I was really foolish back then. It was so not worth it to put myself through all that for the sake of someone who would never love me back.¡± Justin¡¯s breath hitched, and he tasted bitterness in his mouth. At the time, he had been blinded by anger and refused to open his eyes. The grievances and injustices he suffered in his childhood ma insecure and cling tightly to what he did have. He could ept losses, but he could not ept being abandoned. Rather than saying he was attracted to Rosalind Gold, it was mor urate to say he could not get over his inner demons. ¡°Be¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m done with this side. Turn around.¡± Be patted his shoulder. ¡°The doctor¡¯s already given me a check-up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust anybody but myself. Turn around.¡± Be had put on her metaphorical doctor¡¯s coat. Her eyes were indifferent, as if she were desensitized to life and death. Justin was a little bewildered, but he did as she said and turned around. Their gazes met. Be¡¯s heart thumped uncontrobly when she saw his rugged and sexy eight-pack abs. He might be a bastard, but he did have a good body. Sigh. She was probably defenseless against handsome faces in her past life. Be calmed herself and gently pressed along his legs, arms, and abdomen as she focused on examining him. Justin gazed deeply at her. Something flickered in his eyes as his emotions began roiling intensely in his chest.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. At this moment, he desperately wanted to confirm something ¡°Luckily, youe from a military background and have a stu body than normal people do. You didn¡¯t break any bones, but you shouldn¡¯t neglect the bruise on your back. Aunt M¡¯s pharmaceuticapany recently developed a new ointment that works very well. I¡¯ll ask her for some and get someone to deliver it to you.¡± Be spoke expressionlessly as her fingers brushed over his ribs. Suddenly, he grabbed her hand and gently pressed her warm palm to his chest. Be was stunned as her heart was thrown into chaos. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± He had to be drugged out of his mind! She could not tell in the heat of the moment whether she was being taken advantage of or whether she was taking advantage of Justin. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to check this part too?¡± Justin looked straight at her, breathing a little heavier. ¡°No! Let go!¡± Panicked, Be tugged hard. Chapter 527 Unexpectedly, Justin was still astonishingly strong despite being seriously injured. His eyes darkened, and with a sudden tug, he pulled Be onto him. The warmth of their bodies melded. ¡°Jus-!¡± Be¡¯s eyes misted up from panic and she had just opened her mouth to speak when a sudden kiss swallowed her words. Justin¡¯s moist lips slowly moved against her soft lips as he instar lost control, like a beast that had gotten a taste of the forbidden. Be was dizzy from the passionate kiss and could not help but moan softly. Embarrassment, shame, and grievance were the intricate emotions that welled up in her. All of a sudden, her eyes reddened, and she bit viciously into Justin¡¯s lip. He did not even grimace in response, and he allowed her to bite him. Instead, he hugged her tighter. The smell of blood wafted through the air.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. 1 Justin silently endured the pain she was inflicting on him with no intention of letting her go. It was only when Be was about to run out of breath that he reluctantly let her go. They panted heavily, sweating. Justin¡¯s lower lip was a mess of blood from being bitten by Be. ¡°Justin Salvador, don¡¯t assume that you can do whatever you want just because you saved me!¡± Be panted heavily, her cheeks flushed red, almost yelling at him. ¡°You said it yourself.¡± Justin looked at her deeply, rubbing a thumb over his bloody lip. ¡°You said you¡¯d return the favor as long as I didn¡¯t ask for anything too excessive.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this excessive? Don¡¯t you think this is too excessive?!¡± Be¡¯s tears started flowing. Shepletely did not realize that she was crying as she lost her temper at Justin. ¡°When will you let me go? Aren¡¯t we divorced now? Weren¡¯t you the one who forced me to leave?! When will you stop tormenting me, you bastard?! I don¡¯t love you anymore! You have no right to touch me!¡± ¡°I regret it,¡± Justin said hoarsely as he suddenly teared up too. But unlike Be, he could not cry when he wanted to orugh when he wanted to. He had no right to live freely or express his emotions at will. For the past twenty years and more, he had suppressed and restrained himself so much that he no longer knew how to properly express what he was thinking and feeling. ¡°What did you say?¡± Be was stunned, her eyes wide. ¡°Be, I regret it.¡± Justin repeated himself softly but firmly. ¡°I regret divorcing you and letting you go. Can you give me another chance to start over?¡± Give him another chance¡­ To start over? Where would they start over from? Justin did not even remember everything that had happened between them in the past thirteen years. He did not even know that she had once been pregnant with his child but lost it, yet he wante over with her? How dare he say that? Be¡¯s bright eyes slowly darkened. There was not a trace of joy seen, like pearls losing their luster. Justin felt his heart clench in anxiety when he saw her expression cool, and his blood gradually turned to ice. ¡°Justin, it¡¯s over between us. Do you understand what that means? It means there¡¯s no future for us.¡± Be was teary, but this did not stop her from speaking mercilessly.¡± We weren¡¯t even a real couple in the first ce. From the moment we got married to the moment of divorce, we had so many hurdles every step of the way. It was a mistake in every aspect. My father once told me that true love is smooth sailing.¡± Chapter 528 ¡°The only reason we even managed to get married for three short years was because I kept trampling on my own dignity to cling to you. I¡¯ve put in a lot of one-sided effort to keep things going. What is there to cherish in this fragmented rtionship? Why would I give you a chance to start over? Why would I do something so stupid?¡± Be¡¯s words were like sharp knives. Each met its mark and drew blood. Justin did not want to lose her and tried to take her hand again. But this time, she did not give him the chance to. She nimbly dodged him, and he missed embarrassingly. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t anymore.¡± Justin panted heavily. His voice was very hoarse. ¡°I won¡¯t be stupid anymore, Be. Just this once. You don¡¯t even have to do anything. You just have to stay where you are. It¡¯s my turn to chase after you.¡± Be¡¯s heart was beating as fast as a rabbit¡¯s, as if she had just ridden a roller coaster. Her palms were sweating, and she was breathing erratically. ¡°Chase after me? Didn¡¯t you previously say that I was a shameless and cunning woman? I¡¯m not a delicate, little, pure, and innocent girl like Rosalind Gold. How could you ever be interested in me?¡± Be sniffed and sneered proudly. ¡°And besides, I¡¯m not the same Anna Brown you used to control so easily anymore. Many people want a chance with me. Do you think you canpare to any ofAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org. them? You¡¯re a scumbag who¡¯s been cklisted in my book!¡± ¡°Be, I really am-¡± ¡°Stop. I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± Be covered her ears with her hands and turned around to walk quickly towards the door, like she was escaping. ¡°I¡¯ll ignore everything you said today as nonsense because you were concussed. I¡¯ll treat you because I don¡¯t want to owe you anything. Once you¡¯ve recovered, we¡¯ll have nothing to do with each other anymore!¡± With a loud bang, the door mmed shut. Justin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and the hand he had reached out to take hers earlier was frozen in mid-air. It trembled slightly, then slowly lowered. ¡°I really am in love with you, Be.¡± After leaving Justin¡¯s ward, Be did not go straight home. Instead, she met withn to learn about Justin¡¯s condition and took his examination report and medical records with her. She intended to study them carefully at home. When she gave Justin aprehensive examination earlier, she realized he was not in good condition. His injury was serious and could have long-term effects if not treated correctly. The Rolls-Royce sped toward Hatchbay. In the car, Steven was driving, while Den sat in the passenger seat. Asher sat in the back seat with an arm around Be. Be clutched Justin¡¯s hospital records and sighed repeatedly as she leaned against her brother¡¯s shoulder. It was obvious she was not in a good mood. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Be? You don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood.¡± Asher turned and touched her soft cheek. ¡°Is Justin Salvador going to die?¡± Be remained silent. Den looked back and cut in with a frown. ¡°Be, that¡¯s a go thing. What are you feeling so depressed about?¡± Be still remained silent. ¡°Dec, have you forgotten what she¡¯s like? She¡¯s a kind-hearted person who knows how to repay favors. Justin got injured this time because he saved her. If something really happened to him, how would she ever get over it?¡± Asher sighed softly. Den was still furious, but he could not say anything to refute that. ¡°Justin was seriously injured, but he was treated in time. His life isn¡¯t in danger.¡± Be finally spoke. ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± Asher asked in confusion, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you feeling so blue?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Be paused, then said softly, ¡°Justin said he was going to chase after me¡­¡± Chapter 529 The car instantly fell silent. The three men¡¯s eyes widened in unison. Even Steven, who was driving, looked dumbfounded and almost let go of the steering wheel. ¡°What did you say, Be?¡± Even Asher, who was usually calm and steady in the face of everything, was stunned by this. ¡°Justin said that he regretted divorcing me and asked me to give him another chance. This time, it¡¯s his turn to chase after me.¡± Be looked up at Asher. ¡°Ash, what does he mean by that confessing his feelings to me?¡± ¡°No shit!¡± Den and Steven instantly replied in unison, as if the were sharing the same brain cell. ¡°Bah! How shameless!¡± Asher blinked and frowned slightly. ¡°Ash, do you believe it? The man who once tore our future to shreds with his own hands is now saying that he wants to pursue me. He said it so confidently and sincerely.¡± Be smiled bitterly. In the past, she would have cried tears of joy. But now, more than anything else, she felt sad. It was like she wanted a doll very badly when she was young but never got to have it. Even when she was given a better and more expensive one after she grew up, she did not like it anymore. Besides, why would Justin want to pursue her? She used to be so good to him, but he never thought anything of it. N¨®w, she shed with him and humiliated him at every turn, so why did he fall for her? ¡°Too little, toote! Justin Salvador¡¯s confession is like dog shit!¡± Den spoke furiously through gritted teeth. ¡°Exactly. What was he thinking?¡± Steven muttered in agreement as he clenched the steering wheel tightly. ¡°Be, back when you were married to him, remember how he treated you when you devoted yourself to him and gave him your and soul? You haven¡¯t forgotten how much it hurt just becau past now, have you? Now that you¡¯re a wealthy heiress lov and he¡¯s seen how amazing you are at your peak and how tons of people fall at your feet, he feels unconvinced. That¡¯s unwilling to give up. He thinks that he must have been blind, wants to get you back and continue hiding you from the world to satisfy his filthy male ego. I¡¯m a man too, so I know exactly what he thinking!¡± Den¡¯s handsome face was red with anger as he indignantlyined about Jerkface Justin. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ego.¡± BeBe scowled. ¡°But I think you¡¯re right that he probably thinks that Bogomething about me now is more charming and more interesting hthan before. After all, he only became impressed with me after I eregained my identity as Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter.¡± HalMen are all vulgar creatures who seek ty and excitement.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. Steveven could not bear it anymore and said angrily, ¡°He got sick of the innocent daddy¡¯s little girl type like Rosalind Gold, and now he prefers someone like you, Ms. Be. It just means he wants to try a new vor. It¡¯s like changing his preference from liking shit to liking durian. Today, he says he wants to pursue you, but tomorrow, he could turn around and pursue some other woman.¡± Den agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Once a cheater, always a cheater!¡± Be raised an eyebrow. ¡°I know who you mean by shit-that¡¯s Rosalind Gold. But exin to me who the durian is supposed to be.¡± Steven coughed awkwardly. ¡°Ms. Be, it was just a metaphor¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with a durian. It¡¯s quite cute, and it¡¯s the king of fruits. It suits our dear Be.¡± Asher cut in with a calm smile. ¡°But a durian is covered in thorns, and it stinks!¡± Spin to im Your Surprise Reward! Chapter 530 ¡°But it¡¯s soft on the inside and tastes sweet.¡± Asher smiled as he tapped Be¡¯s nose with a finger. ¡°It¡¯s quite simr to our baby sister.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Be turned away in feigned anger, looking yfully cute. ¡°Be, you can¡¯t fall for Jerkface Justin¡¯s tricks again, no matter what! All men are trash!¡± Den was deeply afraid his baby sister would fall for that bastard again, so he advised her earnestly. ¡°Except me, Mr. Den.¡± Steven stood up for himself weakly. ¡°And me.¡± Asher immediately dered. ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah¡­ Us Thompsons definitely aren¡¯t that bad.¡± Den hurriedly backtracked. ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think that applies to all of us. There¡¯s always that one old fellow who drags us down.¡± Be crossed her long and fair legs as she joked. The three men looked at each other as a name floated to the forefront of their minds in unison-Wyatt Thompson! ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± When M heard that Be wanted her to help Justin out, she was so angry that she saw red. M, who was usually very agreeable to Be¡¯s wishes, firmly rejected her request to treat Justin. ¡°Aunt M, hear me out¡­¡± Be said helplessly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be said.¡± M waved a hand and said coldly, ¡°I remember every detail of how Justin Salvador treated you in the past. And it¡¯s not just me, either. Celeste and Sasha definitely remember it too. Isn¡¯t that bastard the oh -so-powerful president of Salvador Corporation? Let them think of something on their own!¡±. ¡°Aunt M¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right. Doesn¡¯t he have lots of girls fluttering around him? Shouldn¡¯t they be here, crying and sobbing, to beg us to help their beloved Justin? What are they waiting for?¡± Aunt M scoffed, wishing she could rip Justin to shreds. ¡°Aunt M, Justin is a vile man, but this time, he saved me.¡± Be took M¡¯s hand and sat on the sofa. Her chiding words made Be seem more like an elder than M was. M frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Be told M the whole story of how she ran into danger on Mount Jaglee to save someone and how she was saved by Justin, who got hurt in the course of saving her. M was so scared upon hearing the tale that her hands turned cold in Be¡¯s grip. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Be! Oh, you! If I¡¯d given birth to you, I¡¯d be grounding you and giving you a good spanking! You¡¯re much too bold!¡± ¡°Only Asher, Den, and Steve know about this. Wyatt doesn¡¯t know.¡± Be put a finger to her lips and lowered her voice. ¡°You have to keep this a secret for me. I¡¯m scared his blood pressure will go up if he. finds out.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t feel like keeping any more secrets for you. In the past thirteen years of your involvement with Justin Salvador, we¡¯ve helped you keep so many things a secret we could fill out a whole folder!¡± M lightly poked Be¡¯s forehead in frustration. ¡°I should tell your dad about this so that he can keep you in check!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use, even if you tell him. If Wyatt could keep me in check, he would have done so long ago!¡± Be giggled with a smug little grin. After another round of earnest persuasion, M was so fed up with Be¡¯s pestering that she finally agreed. Chapter 531 Chapter 531 ¡°Be, tell me the truth. Have you fallen for that bastard again because of this incident?¡± M asked Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. worriedly. ¡°No.¡± Be answered firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not so stupid to jump into a pile of shit. I just don¡¯t like owing him anything.¡± Inexplicably, she felt a trace of paniq, but it quickly vanished. ¡°That¡¯s good, then. If you want to get back together with him, you probably won¡¯t have any home to M cast a chilly nce at her. ¡°Do you want your family or do you want a scumbag? You choose.¡± Be rubbed at the goosebumps that had risen all over her arms in fear. ¡°Be! M!¡± Right then, Sasha knocked on the door and strode in. ¡°They¡¯ve just delivered the gowns for Celeste¡¯s birthday party. Hurry up ande take a look! I¡¯m not too good at fashion. After all, I even wore pants to my wedding.¡± ¡°Sure, sure! We¡¯ll head over right away!¡± Be hurriedly dragged M off to look for Celeste, afraid she would ask further questions. The three women arrived at Celeste¡¯s room, only to find a wheeled rack crammed full of gorgeous evening gowns. Every single one was limited edition and fresh off Paris Fashion Week¡¯s runway. They were so dazzling! There were also rows upon rows of custom-made high heels on the floor. A few of them were topped with sparkling diamonds, making them look extravagant. If she had been any other woman, she would be shrieking in delight by now. One could buy a house just by scraping off a few of the diamonds and selling them. But Celeste, d in a in and ordinary light purple sweater, sat on the sofa at a loss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aunt Celeste? Your birthday ising soon. Wh aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Be sat beside Celeste and put an arm arou in a bossy manner. ¡°Be, can you ask your dad nicely to call off the party?¡± Celeste sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve been going back and forth on this with him for half a month now. I said it was fine to just have everyone gather at home. I¡¯m not used to eating outside food anyway, and it¡¯ll be so tiring and expensive to entertain so many guests. But Wyatt won¡¯t listen, so what should I do?¡± ¡°Wow! Celeste, you¡¯re showing off, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sasha teased. ¡°If we didn¡¯t know you, we¡¯d probably assume you were trying to subtly show off and make us jealous.¡± M put an arm around Sasha¡¯s slim waist and joined in on the teasing. Be¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly, feeling ufortable. When she was young, out of consideration for her feelings, Celeste made herself invisible at home after getting together with her father. She only saw her bustling around in the dining hall during mealtimes. At the time, Be could not remember much but knew Celeste was her mother¡¯s love rival, so even at a young age, she was very protective of her mother and shed with Celeste often. She often caused huge uproars at home and even said a lot of terrible things about Celeste to her face. Be always thought that Celeste had too little self-respect. How could she shamelessly cling to Wyatt, despite knowing he had a family and more than one woman by his side? It was not untilter that she learned the whole story from Asher and Axel after she grew up. Back then, Be¡¯s mother had contracted lupus, and Celeste had donated bone marrow to her without hesitation. That was two decades ago, when medical technology was not as developed as it is now. Donating one¡¯s bone marrow was notpletely risk-free, and Celeste had gotten long-term after-effects from it. From time to time, she would feel unbearable pain. Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Though Be¡¯s mother still passed away in the end, it was undeniable that her life had been extended by a year with Celeste¡¯s help. It was one more year of a happy childhood that Be had with her mother by her side. Muchter, when Be lost the baby she had with Justin, it was Celeste who stayed by her side the whole time and took care of her like a mother would. Gradually, Be stopped resenting her. She was not heartless, so how could she not be moved? Who would hate someone who had been genuinely good to her twenty years? Even her mother had never hated Celeste, so there w no need for her to hold onto that resentment. ¡°Aunt Celeste, just go along with Wyatt¡¯s wishes.¡± Be hugged Celeste¡¯s arm like she was Celeste¡¯s biological daughter and smiled softly. ¡°It¡¯s not just what Wyatt wants. It¡¯s what I want, too. You¡¯ve never had a proper birthday celebration for the past twenty years and actually¡­ I¡¯ve always felt bad about it.¡± ¡°What are you saying, you silly girl?¡± Celeste looked at her with shocked, wide eyes. ¡°I¡¯m the one who doesn¡¯t like big celebrations. It¡¯s got nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°Then just think of it as if you¡¯re fulfilling a small wish of mine and let us hold a birthday party for you, okay?¡± Justin interrupted Steven. ¡°At the very least, I want her toe here and devote herself to taking care of me this time.¡± What?! Steven was so angry that his eyes had turned red. His knuckles had turned white from being clenched This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. so tightly. Anyone else might have the right to make a request of Be, but not Justin! He was too shameless! ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± He¡¯s been in so much pain every day that he can¡¯t eat or sleep well. He even coughed up some blood early this morning! Every day, I fear that he won¡¯t wake up! It¡¯s practically inhumane of Ms. Thompson to treat her savior like this!¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrow twitched as he thought to himself thatn had been too dramatic. Steven gritted his teeth. Saying nothing further, he left the hospital ward. When the door closed, Justin, who was sitting tall as if he were looking down on others from the moral high ground, slumped, and his eyes dulled. Suddenly, he bent forward and spat up a mouthful of blood. Chapter 533 Chapter 533 In the end, M did give Be the medicines for treating internal and external injuries that her family had recently developed. The next day, Be sent Steven to deliver them to Justin. Justin did not want to seem vulnerable to Steven, who was the love rival closest to Be, out of an inexplicable pride. But when he saw Steven arrive alone without Be, his heart, which was filled with anticipation, This is from N?velDrama.Org. suddenly sank, and the spirit he had forcefully mustered instantly crumbled. ¡°Where is Be?¡± Justin leaned against the bed, looking lonely and a little pitiful. Unfortunately, no matter how well he acted, Be was not here to see It was a waste of effort. ¡°Ms. Be is very busy and asked me to deliver the medicine to you.¡± Steven ced the expensive and hard-to-get medicine on Justin¡¯s bedside table, casting a cold nce at Justin¡¯s pale face. ¡°Ms. Be says to apply the ointment three times a day and to take the pills for internal injuries once a day. She¡¯ll send me over with more in half a month. They work simrly to targeted medicine and are more effective in treating your condition. But you may have side effects like vomiting and dizziness. Everyone suffers from different side effects. If you have a strong negative reaction to it, you have to tell Ms. Be immediately..Got it?¡± Justin frowned slightly but remained silent. ¡°This medicine is so dangerous¡­ Will it cause any problems if you take it?¡±n muttered in a low voice, worried that his boss would suffer from taking it. But because it was given by the young madam, he did not say too much. ¡°Ha! It¡¯s his life. If your boss is afraid Ms. Be is trying to harm him, he can choose not to eat it. It¡¯s all up to him, and that¡¯s that.¡± After Steven was done speaking, he turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat this medicine,¡± Justin said calmly. Steven turned back around suddenly, asking in shock, ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat it? What do you mean?¡± When Steven left for the hospital, Be had specially instructed him to make sure this bastard ate the medicine on time, or else his health would be in danger. But now, this bastard said he was not going to eat it. How was Steven going to report this to Beter? ¡°I¡¯ll only take it if Bees to see me. I won¡¯t ept it otherwise.¡± Justin looked down and even coughed weakly twice. ¡°Thirteen years ago, I saved her life. This time, I saved her again. Even if we¡¯re divorced and she hates me, she has to admit that I am her savior. So, she can¡¯t just casually dismiss me and treat me like this.¡± ¡°Justin Salvador, how-¡± Justin interrupt¨¨d Steven. ¡°At the very least, I want her toe here and devote herself to taking care of me this time.¡± What?! Steven was so angry that his eyes had turned red. His knuckles had turned white from being clenched so tightly. Anyone else might have the right to make a request of Be, but not Justin! He was too shameless! ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± He¡¯s been in so much pain every day that he can¡¯t eat or sleep well. He even coughed up some blood early this morning! Every day, I fear th won¡¯t wake up! It¡¯s practically inhumane of Ms. Thompson to her savior like this!¡± Justin¡¯s eyebrow twitched as he thought to himself thatn had b too dramatic. Steven gritted his teeth. Saying nothing further, he left the hospital ward. When the door closed, Justin, who was sitting tall as if he were looking down on others from the moral high ground, slumped, and his eyes dulled. Suddenly, he bent forward and spat up a mouthful of blood. Chapter 534 Chapter 534 ¡°Mr. Salvador¡­ Mr. Salvador?!¡± wipe away the traces of blood on Justin¡¯s lips. ¡°Mr. Salvador! You can¡¯t go on like this! Stop being stubborn with the young madam! Since she¡¯s sent the medicine over, why don¡¯t you take it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Justin endured the sharp pain in his chest. He was stubborn and gloomy. ¡°This is the only way I have left to make here to me and for me to interact with her. Even if have to put my life on the line, I want to see Be. I¡¯m going to fight for it this time!¡± ¡°What? That bastard scumbag is refusing to eat the medicine. Why?!¡± Be had been eating with her family in the dining hall when Steven called her out to tell her what happened. She was so angry that she felt a stuffiness in her chest and lost her appetitepletely. ¡°He said he would only take the medicine if he saw you.¡± Steven said angrily, ¡°He¡¯s too much! Not only is he not epting your help, but he¡¯s also treating his life too lightly and using it to ckmail you. He¡¯s thinking too highly of himself! You¡¯ve done your best on this matter. If you ask me, you should just leave him to his fate and stop caring about him!¡± ¡°Prepare the car. We¡¯re going to Savrow.¡± Be instructed with reddened eyes, leaving Steven behind like a gust of wind, to head back and change her clothes. ¡°M-Ms. Be!¡± Steven¡¯s heart clenched with an indescribable sadness as he watched her leave in a hurry. Justin did not tell his family about getting injured and hospitalized. After all, in his position, even the state of his health had to be kept secret. There were too many people coveting his position, both within and outside of Salvador Corporation. If anything happened to him, it was very possible that it could be the reason someone would use it to overthrow him. All these years, he had lived like he was walking on thin ice because he was surrounded by enemies. All of this was because he was not Gregory Salvador¡¯s favorite son. The only person who came to visit him today was Ryan Hoffman, as usual. Justin did not tell Ryan that he had coughed up blood earlier, not wanting Ryan to worry. But he was also worried that Ryan would spend too much time running around helping him look for a cure. ¡°How pitiful and miserable you are.¡± Ryan sprawled on the sofa with an expression that made him seem like he was reveling in the situation, unbothered by the gravity of it. Seeing Justin look pale and haggard, like a flower on the verge of wilting, he could not help but mock him. ¡°Tell me, how miserable do you feel now? Just a few months ago, you were enjoying such a splendid life.¡± Justin looked up slightly. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°At the time, you had a gentle wife at home and a passionate lover outside. You must¡¯ve been ted!¡± ¡°¡­Ryan Hoffman.¡± Justin coughed, and his pale face turned a mottled color. He was so angry that he nearly spat up blood again. ¡°still remember that whenever you met up with me back then, you¡¯din about how annoyed you were and how ufortable you felt when you went home and saw that overly attentive woman. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Damn, you don¡¯t know how much I envied you back then! Eve waited upon like a king by a thousand servants isn¡¯t as aspared to the care of a considerate, attentive woman wh me with her whole heart and soul.¡± Ryan could not help but sigh tersely, some anger in his tone. He felt angry on Be¡¯s behalf, but also felt it was such a shame that his friend had lost such a good woman. ¡°I wasn¡¯t truly annoyed with Be back then.¡± The memories of how good Be was to him felt like a dull knifearving into his heart. ¡°I¡¯m not made out of stone. I wasn¡¯t blind to hhow deeply she loved and cared for me in those three years. I wascld to her only to make her open her eyes to reality as soon as ppossible and make her divorce me. I had no way of giving her a future at the time. If she stayed by my side, she¡¯d only be wasting her time and life.¡± ¡°What about now? You keep pestering Be. What sort of shortcut are you taking this time?¡± Ryan tilted his head as he leisurely fished out a cigarette and put it between his lips. Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Suddenly remembering this was a hospital, Ryan did not light his cigarette and just used it to keep his mouth upied. Justin was silent for a moment before he took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ryan, I think I¡¯ve fallen for her.¡± Whoa! The cigarette in Ryan¡¯s mouth shook, and he nearly leaped to his feet. Although it was obvious to anyone who had eyes that Justin had long been mesmerized by Be, hearing this fool admit it made Ryan feel indescribably satisfied. ¡°I¡¯ve fallen for Be, so I want her toe back to me. I want to try chasing after her.¡± Justin suddenly looked up, his slightly trembling voice betraying his feelings. His naturally charming eyes were serious. ¡°You? Chase after her? Can you? Are you sure?!¡± Ryan was extremely shocked as he fired off question after question. ¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything. Even if I can¡¯t, I have to try.¡± Justin nced at him. ¡°And besides, if I can¡¯t, don¡¯t I still have you, my bad-idea generator?¡± ¡°Wow! Why are you being so insulting? Not all of my ideas are bad, okay?!¡± Ryan red at Justin. ¡°I know you¡¯re no good either, or else you¡¯d have sessfully pursued her by now. Am I not right?¡± Justin stooped as low as he could go and gave him a few blows below the belt too, while he was at it. ¡°But I have no one else to rely on, so I can only reluctantly entrust you with this heavy responsibility.¡± Although he had failed rtionships before, it was true he had never actually pursued a woman before. He had not chased after Rosalind Gold. They had gotten to know each other in their childhood, and he had been introverted and gloomy then. In his memory, it was always Rosalind who took the initiative to get closer to him and clung to him. This time, for Be¡¯s sake, he was willing to put down the pride he had maintained for so many years This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. and go all out. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m bad at picking girls up, but Be Thomps looks, the riches, the pedigree, and the talent. She has it you want me to attract her with? How am I supposed to ma open up to me?¡± Ryan pouted glumly. ¡°I thought she had to be a pure romanti way she loved you so deeply back then, but unexpectedly, she actually a career-minded queen who preferred the throne over n She¡¯s better than you in every aspect, and I¡¯m the lowest on the fo chain among us three, so how do you expect me to subdue her? I¡¯ just thankful that she¡¯s so kind as to not destroy me yet!¡± Justin¡¯s thin lips curled in a rare smile. ¡°And besides, bro, I don¡¯t want to rain on your parade, but you¡¯re no longer the apple of her eye. You¡¯re just a weed growing on a pile of shit to her. It¡¯ll be extremely difficult for you to get Be back, so you¡¯d better be prepared to fail countless times.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll focus on my pursuit. It¡¯s her choice whether or not to ept me.¡± Justin was determined. His gaze burned. There was no hesitation to be seen. ¡°I should still have quite a bit of life left in me and probably won¡¯t fall for anyone else anymore. She¡¯s the only one for me, so I¡¯ll take my time.¡± Just as he finished speaking, with a bang- The door of his hospital ward was mmed open. Be walked in with a cold air about her, her hair swaying as her beautiful eyes glittered with an intimidating light. ¡°Justin Salvador! You refused to eat the medicine I sent to you and insisted on meeting me before you would eat it. Are you treatin own life as a joke? What do you mean by this?!¡± The first thing Be saw when she entered was Ryan sprawled a the sofa. Seeing that there was a cigarette in his mouth, she burned with rage and rushed forward to grab the cigarette. She threw the cigarette on the ground before grinding it under her heel. ¡°How dare you smoke here?! Don¡¯t you know that his lungs are injured too? He can¡¯t inhale smoke. Are you his friend or the Grim Reaper here to collect his soul?!¡± The smile on Justin¡¯s face grew as he watched Be worry. ¡°No, I-Be, I didn¡¯t light it at all!¡± Ryan was indignant. ¡°Get out of here with your cigarettes right now!¡± Be¡¯s eyes were red from anger as she pointed toward the door. Ryan pouted and cast a pleading gaze toward his best friend. Justin did not even look at him as he said calmly, ¡°If she wants you to get out, you should get out.¡± Ryan thought to himself that no one would dare fight for first ce when Justin Salvador was in second ce when it came to cing chicks before dicks! Chapter 536 Chapter 536 After Ryan left, only Justin and Be remained in the hospital room. Be recalledn¡¯s words as she was entering the room. Justin had vomited blood again, and it was not a small amount. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of panic. If Justin couldn¡¯t survive this ordeal or if he developed someplications in the future, then she would never be able to repay this debt. She would live every day burdened with self-me. Be approached the bedside with aposed face and grabbed Justin¡¯s wrist angrily. She turned it over to check his pulse. Justin opened his eyes to see Be checking on him in a serious manner, resembling an experienced doctor. ¡°Your current physical condition is not optimistic. You must take your medicine immediately. It might be toote to take it tomorrow.¡± Be felt extremely annoyed and was about to drop Justin¡¯s hand. Unexpectedly, Justin caught her cool hand in his broad, warm palm and held it tightly. Be became flustered, and her breathing quickened. ¡°Your hands are so cold. It must be freezing outside.¡± Justin gently rubbed the back of her hand with his rough fingertips. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seeing the scars still present, he felt both heartache and guilt. His voice was hoarse as he apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to inconvenience you at such ate hour.¡±. ¡°If you¡¯re ¡®sorry, then you should obediently take your medicine! What¡¯s with the theatrics?¡± Be suppressed her turbulent emotions by gritting her teeth. She pulled her hand away from his warm palm and asked. ¡°Are you still a baby? Can¡¯t you take medicine on your own? Do I have to feed it to you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Justin felt a lump in his throat. He swallowed and said softly, ¡°I just didn¡¯t know any other way to get you toe see me. I wanted to see you, Be.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve seen me. Can you take your medicine now?¡± Be didn¡¯t feel particrly ttered by the meek attitude of this usually strong- willed man. Thinking back to her conversation with Den and Steven, a hint of conflict and irritation arose from the depths of Be¡¯s heart. She raised her wrist to check the time on her watch and said impatiently, ¡°Hurry up and take your medicine. After I¡¯m done here, I need to return to Hatchbay. My third brother rarelyes home to gather with us, and I don¡¯t have time to waste here with you!¡± Justin felt a sharp pain in his chest from her assertive attitude. His open hand slowly clenched into a tight fist. Once, she was head over heels for him, but now, even the most basic patience towards him is gone. Yet, in the end, who could he me but himself? Regret filled his heart. The path to winning her back was long and arduous, with vast mountains, wide seas, and boundless skies, Nevertheless, he still hoped to try his best, until the day he no longer had the ability to love her. ¡°Be, you cannot deny that I became like this because of you.¡± Having realized the self-pity strategy was not working, Justin shamelessly acted like a rogue to spend more time with her. ¡°I almost lost my life for you. Shouldn¡¯t you at least show me some care instead of leaving me here without a word?¡± ¡°And what do you want, then?¡± Be¡¯s eyes were slightly red, revealing a hint of anger. ¡°Take care of me until I¡¯m discharged.¡± Justin fixed his gaze deeply on her charming face. ¡°Haha!¡± Be burst intoughter and coldly joked, ¡°I have never seen such shamelessness!¡± Indeed, even Justin was finding it hard to tolerate himself. Besides, he had seen how Ryan used to pursue women, and he had seen plenty. No matter what kind of woman, none could escape the passionate entanglement of a man. As for passion, Justin was not sure how to go about it. However, he could certainly pester Be. ¡°Justin, listen to me. I¡¯m no longer your wife, and I¡¯m certainly not a servant of the Salvador family. I have no reason to continue taking care of you.¡± Be¡¯s gaze was chilling as her body exuded an iciness. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve done so much for you before, and you didn¡¯t appreciate it. You found it annoying, didn¡¯t you? Now you are begging me to stay. What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± ¡°I like you, Be!¡± Justin did not know how else to win her over, so he could only confess his feelings to her. He stared into her beautiful eyes with a warmth that was both intense and sincere. ¡°I don¡¯t care how you feel about me now, whether it¡¯s disdain or hatred. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Chapter 537 Chapter 537 ¡°I like you, Be. I¡¯ve fallen for you,¡± Justin dered. Be¡¯s breath was stuck in her throat, and she subconsciously took a step back. She felt a mix of emotions that were difficult to put into words upon hearing this man confess to her. The room fell silent. Amidst the silence, both could hear the pounding of their own hearts. ¡°Justin, if you had confessed to me in the past three years, I would have epted without hesitation. Unfortunately, we¡¯re not in the past. As I¡¯ve told you before, the feelings between us have long expired.¡± Be¡¯s gaze was distant and indifferent. ¡°I stopped loving you a time ago.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I know all this is a bit toote, but I am determined, and won¡¯t give up!¡± Justin¡¯s forehead was covered with sweat. He wanted to get closer to her but was worried that she might run away without looking back. His heart was in turmoil as he said, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t love me, okay. This time, let me be the one to sacrifice. Let me¡­ Love you.¡± Justin had never used the word ¡°love¡± with Rosalind before, but this time, he couldn¡¯t control the urge to say it to Be. ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t need to be loved by someone that I don¡¯t love! How many times do I have to say it for This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. you to remember?¡± Be countered, determined to shut him up. ¡°If you dare to spout such nonsense again, I¡¯ll turn around and leave right now!¡± Justin choked on his words and obediently kept silent. After a while, seeing that Be¡¯s expression had softened slightly, he cautiously asked, ¡°If I don¡¯t bring it up again, will you stay with me tonight?¡± Be scoffed, ¡°Haha, dream on.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that since I saved you, you would agree to one request? As long as it¡¯s not too much.¡± Justin¡¯s gaze sparkled, still not giving up. ¡°Yesterday, didn¡¯t you¡­?¡± Be recalled yesterday¡¯s event in this ward. Justin had taken her lips, held her waist, pressed her into his arms, and gave her a passionate and lingering kiss. Her cheeks turned crimson, and her whole body felt as if it h caught fire, burning with heat. ¡°Are you talking about that kiss? That doesn¡¯t count.¡± Justin hooked his thin lips, his voice soft and low. Seeing Be¡¯s rare, shy expression, he smiled with delight. ¡°Doesn¡¯t count?!¡± Be eximed. She felt that this divorced man his thirties was truly a sly and cunning fox! ¡°I forcefully kissed you, but you fought back.¡± Justin pointed to hi already scabbed lips. ¡°This is the evidence.¡± ¡°Serves you right! To deal with a rogue like you, biting your mouth to shreds wouldn¡¯t be excessive.¡± Be grew angrier the more she thought about it. Her little face turned flushed. ¡°Alright,e on.¡± Justin leaned back, extending a sincere invitation to her. Be bit her teeth. Looking at the man¡¯s smug appearance, she really wanted to flip his bed! Be was not bothered to argue with Justin, who was morally ckmailing her to stay the night. She could only resign herself to staying the night with him. As Be came over in a hurry, she did not bring anything with her. She had Steven return to her vi in Savrow to bring some necessities. Steven returned with a small suitcase in the hospital corridor, loo serious. Be said, ¡°Thank you, Steve. You can go back and rest tonight. Con pick me up early tomorrow morning.¡± Be tried to take the suitcase, but Steven, with red eyes, refused to let go. ¡°Ms. Be,e back home with me.¡± ¡°Steve, since Justin has made this request and it¡¯s not too unreasonable, I will repay the favor,¡± Be said calmly. ¡°But, Ms. Be, what if he has ulterior motives and does something to you if you stay with him in the same room?¡± ¡°We were married for three years. If he really wanted to do something, would he wait until now?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Be waved dismissively, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even scoundrels understand thew.¡± Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Just as Be stepped into the hospital room, Steven received a call from Den. Steven answered, ¡°Mr. Den.¡± ¡°Steven! As Be¡¯s secretary, why didn¡¯t you report Be¡¯s whereabouts to us immediately?¡± Den bombarded him with questions. ¡°Why are you and Be now at the Deux Hospital? Is she looking for Justin?¡± On the other end, Asher¡¯s steady voice followed, ¡°Dec, calm down.¡± In reality, Den had a gentle personality. However, when it came to Be¡¯s matters, he instantly became aggressive. Steven was greatly surprised and blinked. ¡°Mr. Den, how know?¡± After all, Be kept her visit to see Justin confidential! ¡°Satellite tracking.¡± Asher sighed helplessly. ¡°Den is about to employ tactics for capturing wanted criminals. How hard is it for hir to find Be?¡± Steven was rendered speechless. ¡°Den, don¡¯t worry. Knowing Be¡¯s personality, she won¡¯te back even if you scold her and hit her.¡± Asher said in aid-back manner, ¡°We¡¯re all adults. Let her go.¡± ¡°I will dispatch a team of security guards to surround the hospital and keep an eye on the situation outside the room. Steven, I need you to watch closely tonight. If Justin does anything to Be, you must inform me immediately,¡± Den instructed. ¡°Yes, Mr. Den!¡± Steven felt the pressure emanating from the young colonel. He was almost ready to stand at attention. Den dered a chilling warning, intense anger evident in his voice.¡± If Justin dares to harm my little sister, even a little bit, I¡¯ll make sure he never walks out of that hospital alive!¡± Justin happily applied the ointment and took his medicine since Be was willing to apany him. Although the hospital dinner was nd andcked variety, Justin felt like he was enjoying a feast because Be was by his side. He thought this simple meal was the most delicious thing he had eaten in years. Seeing him devour the food like he hadn¡¯t eaten in days, Be found it somewhat amusing. She decided to order a portion as ate-night snack for herself. The result was a rather unappetizing meal. But she stuck to her principle of not wasting food and finished it. ¡°You should eat more nutritious foods to rejuvenate your body. Perhaps something soupy andforting,¡± Be casually suggested. ¡°Great, can you make them for me?¡± Justin looked at her with anticipation. ¡°I used to make them for you all the time, but you never appreciated them,¡± Be sneered, pushing the meal box aside. She picked up her pajamas and toiletries and headed toward the bathroom. ¡°Wilma is good at cooking. Have her make something for you.¡± With a m, the bathroom door closed. Justin felt a lump in his throat upon hearing those words. Bitterness lingered in his heart. It seemed that starting from scratch again and trying to reim what was lost was indeed an arduous journey. Be emerged from the bathroom wearing a peach-colored silk pajama set. Even without makeup, her skin was still as translucent and tender as a peeled lychee. She had a youthful innocence that made her look more like 18 than her actual age of 24. Justin¡¯s thin lips pursed slightly. His usually steady heartbeat surged in response to her presence. ¡°What are you looking at? Never seen me without makeup?¡± Be sprayed her face with a mist, feeling the dryness in the room. ¡°I have, frequently in the past,¡± Justin replied calmly, trying to suppress the turmoil in his heart. ¡°It¡¯s just that I got emotional just now.¡± ¡°You got emotional just by looking at me? Well, I only saw the lust in your eyes.¡± Be spoke sarcastically as she walked over to the sofa and took a seat, All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Justin was momentarily speechless This woman had already reached the pinnacle of cursing without using any vulgarnguage. If she were to scold him, it would be the epitome of eloquence. ¡°Those who trespass my territory shall be killed without mercy.¡± Bey horizontally on the sofa. She wore a silk eye mask and covered herself with a nket. She quickly adjusted herself into a ¡°Come and sleep in the bed,¡± Justin gently suggested. ¡°Justin, we¡¯re divorced. Do you still fantasize about sharing a bed with your ex-wife? Are you asking for death?¡± Be asked coldly. ¡°No, you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Justin couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. ¡± I¡¯ll give you the bed.¡± ¡°Say one more word, and I¡¯ll leave immediately. Since you¡¯ve taken your medicine, there¡¯s nothing that can hold me here.¡± Be dismissed him,pletely in control. This time, Justin didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. Finally convincing her to stay the night, he couldn¡¯t afford to ruin this tranquil moment. The lights were switched off, and the room fell into peaceful silence. Justin was not sleepy at all. Hey on his side and stole nces at Be without blinking. Under the soft moonlight, Be looked like a perfectly proportioned sculpture lying on her side. Even with her back turned towards him, she looked beautiful. ¡°Still looking? If you keep looking, I¡¯ll leave,¡± Be suddenly said, as if she had eyes on her back. ¡°Sorry for disturbing your rest.¡± Justin¡¯s heart trembled. Now, he was truly cautious, humble, and timid. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that when you¡¯re asleep, your breathing isn¡¯t like this. I can instantly tell whether you¡¯re asleep or not,¡± Be said. As soon as the words were spoken, both of them were stunned. Be suddenly felt a faint, indescribable pain in her heart. She curled up her slender body, clutching the edge of her clothes tightly. She was a little angry with herself. ¡®How deeply in love was I that even the slightest details of that man became familiar to my heart?¡¯ Justin¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, a profound sense of guilt rising within him. The pitch-ck room seemed to make the air thin, making it hard for him to breathe. For the past three years, every night, he slept soundly. But what about Be? How did she endure those lonely and deste nights? ¡°Be, I was too much of a jerk in the past.¡± After a while, he expressed remorse again, his voice deep and hoarse. ¡°Let it go. It¡¯s all in the past. I just hope that none of us repeats the same mistakes.¡± ¡°Be, I¡¯m serious.¡± Be closed her eyes, gently interrupting him with a smile. ¡°If you liked me, you would have liked me a long time ago. Why wait until now? Even if you like me now, it¡¯s just a change in your taste. I¡¯m not a fool. How could I take your momentary whims as solemn vows?¡± Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Justin felt as if his heart was filled with sharp shards. He clenched his own shirt, thinking to himself, ¡®No, of course not, Be. I¡¯m not someone who acts on a whim. My feelings for you are not a passing fancy. Is dyed affection not considered love? Thirteen years ago, we faced life and death together. Thirteen yearster, we continue to face hardships side by side. We are destined to be inextricably bound in this lifetime.¡¯ For the first time in his life, Justin experienced the difficulty of holding back words of love. Justin felt the frustration of having so much to say but being unable to speak. But in the end, he chose silence. He knew that now was not the time to speak. What he needed was act. Although Be had recovered from her fever, her body was not fu recovered. Be was exhausted after thest three days of turmoil. She could no longer be bothered guarding against the ¡®wolf¡¯ any longer. She fell asleep shortly after her head touched the pillow. But Justin kept his eyes open, staring straight at her as if he were guarding her without any signs of drowsiness. Only when he was sure that Be had genuinely fallen asleep did he endure the pain and climb out of bed. He tiptoed over to the sofa. Originally, he had nned to admire Be¡¯s tranquil and lovely sleeping face. But he felt sorry for letting her sleep on the sofa. Thus, he gently lifted her delicate and soft body. He lowered his long eyshes as he cradled her in his arms. His palms were slightly sweaty. He also could not resist brushing his sharp jawline against her soft hair. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Be let out a soft whimper in his embrace. She resembled a sleeping baby having a dream. Justin¡¯s eyes deepened, and his throat felt both dry and itchy. He had a strong desire to kiss her, and his lips hovered just above hers. In the end, he couldn¡¯t bear to do it. He used to think that he had married a demure little flower. Now, realized that she was a charming enchantress who captured his hea and soul. Be woke up from her sleep the next morning andzily stretched her waist under the quilt. She slept unexpectedlyfortablyst night. Wait a minute. Be sprang up and looked around. Only then did she discover that she was actually sleeping on the bed! ¡®What¡¯s going on? Did I sleepwalk?¡¯ Be quickly uncovered the nket, finding herself still dressed. Considering that the bed was a narrow single bed and Justin¡¯s robust figure, it should be impossible for her to squeeze in¡­ There was no way she would not have felt it if he did. At this moment, Justin was nowhere to be seen in the ward. Be pounded the bed with her fists, cursing under her breath. With such severe injuries, he still dared to wander around. It was like he was looking to shorten his own life! Just then, a knock came from outside, along with Steven¡¯s voice. ¡°Ms. Be? Have you woken up?¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Be, afraid that Steven might misunderstand, jumped off the bed and walked to the sofa. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Steven pushed the door open with his back and walked in. He held tworge, high-end food boxes in his hands. ¡°Mr. Asher and Mr. Den are on their way from Hatchbay to Savrow. They¡¯reing to pick you up together. After picking you up, they n to have lunch, and then Mr. Den will return to Dawnford.¡± Be rubbed her slightly sore temples and sighed. She had indeed alerted her brothers after all. She diverted her attention to the food boxes and asked, ¡°What do you have there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Justin. He had his secretary prepare breakfast for you.¡± Steven ced the tworge food boxes on the coffee table, looking dissatisfied. Outside the door,n sneezed loudly, thinking to himself, ¡®Who the hell is cursing at me?¡¯ Be frowned. ¡°Where is Justin?¡± ¡°He went for a medical checkup.¡± pin to im Your Surprise Reward dissatisfied. Outside the door,n sneezed loudly, thinking to himself, ¡®Who the hell is cursing at me?¡¯ Be frowned. ¡°Where is Justin?¡± ¡°He went for a medical checkup.¡± Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Be opened the food boxes and widened her eyes in surprise. Inside were exquisite dishes featuring the specialties of Hatchbay. They were meticulously arranged with delightful colors, aromas, vors. and Unexpectedly, every dish was something she often ate at home and loved! Gurgle¡­ Her stomach couldn¡¯t help but growl. ¡°I heard that Justin sent someone to drive to Hatchbay around five in the morning to bring these back. The lunchbox has a thermal instionyer, and the dishes are still warm.¡± Steven took out each dish from the box, speaking in a monotone manner like a robot. Steven knew that this was just the beginning, and Justin was starting tounch a pursuit of Be. Although Steven had loved Be before and didn¡¯t oppose her dating, he was afraid that the person pursuing her would be Justin. ¡°Does he have a problem with his brain? Who asked him to do all this for me?¡± Despite her tough words, she couldn¡¯t resist picking up a warm dumpling and taking a big bite. Steven watched her with a wry smile! ¡°Ms. Thompson, is it delicious?¡± A maic voice sounded in her ear. Startled, Be almost choked on the dumpling. ¡°Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Be covered her chest and coughed in pain, her face turning red. ¡°Ms. Be, are you okay?¡± Steven was taken aback, and he reached out to pat her back. When Justin saw Steven¡¯s hands touching Be¡¯s back, a fire seemed to ignite in his heart. It was as if someone were fanning the mes in his chest. Even though Justin knew there was nothing between Be and Steven, he still felt a tinge of jealousy in his chest. Justin¡¯s brows furrowed deeply, and he was about to walk over to Be. Unexpectedly, it was Be who strode towards him first, furious. ¡°What happenedst night? Why was I on the bed?¡± Be angrily questioned. ¡°I carried you over. Sleeping on the sofa is ufortable,¡± Justin answered with a gentle tone. His warm breath sprayed onto her forehead, carrying an indescribable hint of ambiguity. ¡°Who allowed you to do such unnecessary things?¡± Be met his gaze, which was filled with affection, Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. and tightened her fists. ¡°Anything I do for you is never unnecessary,¡± Justin said sincerely. His expression was genuine and devoid of any frivolity. Paired with those sultry eyes, few women could resist his damned charm. ¡°Justin, your touching gestures may move the heavens and the earth, but they won¡¯t move me. Save it,¡± Be scoffed. She assessed the man before her and noticed his navy pinstriped designer suit and the tie she had once given him. On the crisp cor, she spotted a brooch that she had gifted him. Her pupils slightly contract. ¡°Are you nning to leave the hospital?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answered frankly. ¡°You can¡¯t. You don¡¯t meet the discharge criteria.¡± ¡°Then will you stay with me until the day I meet the discharge criteria and can leave?¡± Justin raised his lips, licking his lips as he ask ¡°What nonsense are you thinking?¡± Be narrowed her beauti Was she being too nice to this man? ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to be imprisoned here. Even more, I don¡¯t wan go a day without seeing you.¡± Justin stared at her with rebellious, childlike eyes that still carried deep affection for her. Be had never seen this childish side of Justin before. For a moment, she was taken aback, forgetting to continue arguing with Chapter 541 There was nothing Be could do. She found herself in a room full of outstanding men, and now even her brother, who was a colonel, had appeared. There was no room for escape! ¡°Be, you weren¡¯t mistreated, right?¡± Den held onto Be¡¯s shoulders, checking her body repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Let¡¯s go, Dec.¡± Be hesitated to let Den stay any longer in front of Justin. She feared things might take an unexpected turn. As she was just about to pull him away, Den spoke coldly, ¡°Asher, Steve, you two go ahead and take Be away. I¡¯ll join you in a while.¡± ¡°Den!¡± Be frowned. Her tense call was filled withplex emotions. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Be.¡± Asher put his arm around Be¡¯s shoulder, casting a meaningful nce at Justin. He whispered in her ear, ¡°You know that Den is the most. emotionally stable and gentle one. Don¡¯t worry, he handles things. with discretion.¡± Be let out a sigh, thinking that there probably wouldn¡¯t be any trouble in the hospital. So she and Asher decided to head out first. Justin¡¯s intense gaze stayed on Be until the door closed, and he lost sight of her. He suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet. He quickly walked over to the coffee table and was about to pick up the food box when an equally firm This is from N?velDrama.Org. and strong hand held the box down. Justin raised his eyes coldly, meeting Den¡¯s icy gaze. The tension in the air was strong. It felt as if the room could explode at any moment. ¡°She hasn¡¯t eaten breakfast yet, so I¡¯ll bring these to her,¡± Justin said, his expression turning cold. ¡°No need. I¡¯m worried my sister might fall ill if she eats something given by a jerk.¡± Den¡¯s brows furrowed with anger, and he smirked coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve caused Be so much suffering. Now you are trying to win her back with cheap tricks and a few sweet gestures. Do you think that she will change her mind and willingly step back into the demonic abyss of your Salvador family? Do you think my sister is some stray animal that you can entice with a little sweetness? You¡¯re overestimating yourself.¡± ¡°In the past, it was all my fault. From now on, I will do my best to treat Be well.¡± Justin¡¯s gaze was intense as he tried to take the food box. Justin remembered that Be had a sensitive stomach. That time, outside the charity auction, she was lying on the sofa with stomach cramps, looking pitiful. Now, thinking about it, he still felt a bit sorry for her ¡°Hmph, I¡¯d rather believe in ghosts than trust the words of a scumbag like you, Justin!¡± With these words, Den widened his eyes. He raised his hand suddenly, knocking over the food box. Without waiting for Justin to react, he quickly reached out and swung the other food box to the ground. The exquisite breakfast shattered across the floor. Justin felt his pupils tremble, and his heart ached as if it were being torn apart. ¡°Stay away from my sister. I¡¯m warning you for thest time!¡± Den¡¯s gaze was icy and threatening. He pointed at Justin¡¯s pale face. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll end up like this mess on the floor!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let her go.¡± Justin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. His eyes, now red and sharp as des, dered, ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind about Be. I like her, and I want to be with her. I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m condemned and spat upon by thousands. Even if every person in the Thompson family tries to stop me, it won¡¯t deter my determination to have her.¡± This enraged Den. His teeth clenched audibly. However, he then burst intoughter, full of disdain. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s the Thompson family members who are trying to stop you? Back then, we also tried to prevent Be from being with you, but didn¡¯t she still marry you without any hesitation? Let me tell you, even if we do nothing, Be won¡¯t turn back. You¡¯ve long exhausted the love she had for you. You no longer have a ce in her heart! Don¡¯t think that she has lingering feelings for you just because she came to take care of youst night. Be has always been like her father. She¡¯s heroic and values love and righteousness if it were anyone else who saved. her life, she wouldn¡¯t ignore it. Stop showing off here like a peacock and deluding yourself.¡± Justin¡¯s heart spasmed uncontrobly as he tightly clenched his fists. His feelings for Be were unwavering, regardless of what anyone said. The obstacles he has undergone these days have finally made him realize that he deeply likes Be. He regretted not awakening to this realization sooner. He was truly afraid that what Den said might be true and that Be¡¯s heart truly no longer had a ce for him. Den ignored him and walked briskly toward the door. Suddenly, he halted, and with an icy tone, he threw out a parting remark through gritted teeth. ¡°I heard from Be that you alsoe from a military background. Hmph! People like you truly disgrace the reputation of us soldiers!¡± Chapter 542 In the corridor,n stood by the ward¡¯s entrance. He observed the well-organized rows of security guards. The disciplined posture, expressions, and formidable aura they exuded sent shivers down his spine. The door swung open, and the distinct sound of military boots echoed across the floor. Den adjusted his military cap and walked out expressionlessly. After years of military service, he was able to maintain a stoic demeanor even in the presence of strangers. ¡°Attention!¡± The security guards immediately stood at attention and saluted. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Den walked pastn with a casualmand, and the security guards followed suit. The corridor returned to its quiet state. Ian stared nkly at Den¡¯s. remarkable and handsome figure. Even a man like him was captivated by Den¡¯s robust, masculine, and alluring charm, which was devoid of any trace of nobility or arrogance. He could clearly feel the difference between the individuals. In his dazed state, Justin emerged with heavy strides, his eyes dark. and contemtive. ¡°Mr. Salvador, Mr. Salvador! You shouldn¡¯t push yourself. Given your current physical condition, it¡¯s absolutely not advisable to hospital early.¡±n hurriedly ran over to assist Justin. However, Justin firmly pushed him away. ¡°No, I have to leave!¡± Justin insisted. ¡°If I don¡¯t go back to the headquarters soon, Gregory and Shannon will grow suspicious. They wille up with an excuse to challenge my authority. It¡¯s important. to keep my hospitalization and injury a secret.¡± Justin¡¯s suppressed rage erupted following the heated argument with This is from N?velDrama.Org. Den, causing him to cough violently. Tears welled up in his eyes out of distress.. ¡°Mr. Salvador, regardless of what organization or position you hold, what matters most is your health!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to die. Over the years, I¡¯ve been throught many trials and tribtions, as well as countless injuries. Haven¡¯t I survived them all?¡± Justin straightened his back and took a deep breath. His eyes turned crimson as he remembered the harsh words Den said about him disgracing the military. Life is truly unfair. That evening, Be hosted a luxurious gathering at the KS World Hotel. It was loaded with fine wine and food to celebrate the reunion with her third brother, Den. Axel, Ralph, and Amelia, who were working and studying in Savrow, eagerly joined the gathering. The siblings cherished their time together, creating a lively and joyful atmosphere. Unfortunately, they had to bid Den farewell just as they were toasting him. Everyone looked at Den with a frown on their faces. Be¡¯s eyes turned red as she struggled to contain her emotions, and she resorted to drinking to cope. Despite the genuine joy of being with her brothers, Be couldn¡¯t shake off the heaviness in her heart. When she thought about the troubles with Justin, she felt aplete mix of happiness and an indescribable sense of mncholy. Questions lingered in her mind. ¡®Why does Justin have feelings for me? Was it because of the bond we formed on the dangerous Mount Jaglee? Was it due to a strange sense of guilt after discovering I was the little girl he saved thirteen years ago?¡¯ Perhaps Justin was naturally a fickle romantic. Once in love with Rosalind Gold, he was now smitten with the stunning Be. Thompson. Be casually tugged at the corner of her lips, letting out a soft, scornful chuckle. It turned out that the emotional scars left by Rosalind were not too deep after all. Be, the stunning woman who gave an old tale a new spin, had swiftly helped Justin move on. She thought, ¡®What a shameless man!¡¯ ¡°Be!¡± Axel eximed. ¡°I heard you went back to work as a forest ranger on that mountain and almost fell off the cliff while saving someone!¡± Axel learned about Be¡¯stest heroic act from Asher and embraced her with lingering fear, refusing to let go. ¡°You reckless girl! Do you want to scare your brothers to death? If anything happens to you, I¡¯ll just follow you!¡± Chapter 543 ¡°Ax! Loosen your grip a bit! You¡¯re going to choke Be to death!¡± Den noticed Be¡¯s extended tongue and widened eyes. He immediately stepped forward to pry Axel¡¯s arm away from Be. ¡°It¡¯s quite the spectacle. I¡¯ve heard of people dying because of love, but I have never heard of people dying because of their brother. This is an eye-opener,¡± Ralph teased Axel while stuffing a mouthful of roasted duck into his mouth. ¡°Pfft!¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t help butugh, covering her cherry-like mouth. Amelia was always quiet and reserved in front of her brothers. However, she almost spat out the drink in her mouth when she heard Ralph¡¯s remark. Afraid that Amelia might choke, Asher patted her back while he lightly added, ¡°Axel, Be survived a great cmity. Can you stop talking about death and unfortunate events? You¡¯re scaring people, and it¡¯s a bit ominous.¡± Axel apologized, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just speaking my mind without thinking.¡± Although Den had freed Be from Axel¡¯s arm, he still held on to her hand, unwilling to give up. This was supposed to be a harmonious gathering of siblings, but it slowly turned into a fight for Be¡¯s attention. ¡°Speaking of which, Be, you courageously saved someone at the risk of your life. Did that person give you a letter ofmendation afterward?¡± Ralph inquired with genuine curiosity. ¡°I passed out immediately after saving her, so I have no idea what happened afterward.¡± Be shrugged casually, enjoying the peeled shrimp that Den handed her one by one. ¡°They delivered a letter ofmendation.¡± Having finished his meal, Asher calmly wiped his lips with a napkin. Everyone was stunned. ¡°What?¡± Be asked with a half-eaten shrimp in her mouth. Asher exined, ¡°After the incident, I left my contact information with Xavier of the Forest Park Rangers. He contacted me recently and said the female hiker you saved went to the park two days ago. She was in a wheelchair, and she came with her family. They brought a letter ofmendation for you and wanted to thank you in person. Because they didn¡¯t know your name, they could only refer to you as the ¡®kind-hearteddy¡¯.¡± Be asked, bbergasted, ¡°Did you contact Xavier personally? Does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, both Xavier and the person you¡¯ve always respected, Frank, know your true identity.¡± Asher looked at Be with a touch of resentment. ¡°Both of them weren¡¯t too surprised to learn that you¡¯re the heiress of the Thompson family. They advised me, as your older brother, to take good care of you. They mentioned that the money you have donated to Mount Jaglee National Forest Park over the years is more than enough. Frank has already put it into the maintenance fund, and they can¡¯t spend it all. There¡¯s no need to donate more. They understand your goodwill. In the end, they hope that you¡¯ll take care of yourself in the future and not volunteer anymore.¡± ¡°Ash, you¡¯re really¡­¡± Be put down the shrimp in her hand and pouted. Asher sighed, his warm eyes showing a hint of helplessness. ¡°Be, you being the heiress of the KS Group is not a secret, and we don¡¯t want it to be. After all, you¡¯re our precious little sister and the apple of Dad¡¯s eye. Some people already know your identity. But if you n to handle the Thompson family business and take over my position in the future, standing in front of more people is inevitable. You should start changing your mindset about this.¡± ¡°Huh? Ash, that doesn¡¯t sound right.¡± Be¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement as she looked at Asher with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°Ash, judging from your tone, does it mean I¡¯ve passed Wyatt¡¯s test? Does that mean I can leave the grassroots and join the inner ranks of the group?¡± The thought of a promotion reignited her enthusiasm. Happy feelings took the ce of the mental strain brought on by a certain bothersome man.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After all, she had already experienced wealth and marriage. It was time to focus on her career. Asher teased her with a gentle smile. ¡°I know you¡¯re eager, but don¡¯t be in a hurry. Dad¡¯s been quite busytely. Once he¡¯s done with this phase, he¡¯ll inform you of the results of your assessment.¡± While stuffing his face with roasted duck, Ralph could not help but make ament. ¡°Hm, Dad is being a bit too serious about this. It¡¯s our family business, after all. Letting Be join KS Group is as easy as letting out a fart for him!¡± Asher, Be, and Amelia were rendered speechless. Axel cleared his throat. ¡°Ralph, you mean all it takes is a word from Wyatt, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah!¡± Ralph squinted his bright eyes, smiling without reservation. Chapter 544 ¡°In that case, let me raise a toast to my sister first!¡± Amelia said, lifting the wine ss with both hands. Her cheeks blushed as she stood up shyly. With sincere and genuine eyes, she said, ¡°I wish my sister a quick promotion. May all her desires be fulfilled, and may she have smooth sailing in everything. she does!¡± ¡°Oh, such sweet words! I love it! Let me give you a kiss!¡± Be cheerfully emptied her ss and blew a flying kiss to Amelia. Amelia shyly lowered her eyes, her cheeks blushing even deeper. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s all raise a toast to Be! Cheers to Be¡¯s dreamsing true! Cheers!¡± The Thompson brothers raised their sses. Everyone was joyously tipsy, their hearts full of warmth. Listening to the crisp sound of sses clinking and seeing the sincere gazes around her, Be¡¯s heart was moved, and tears welled up in her eyes. The dinner concluded in a warm and heartfelt atmosphere. Be and Den embraced each other. Although they were cheerful during the meal, their parting was filled with reluctance. The sibling¡¯s eyes were full of tears. In reality, the military unit where Den served was stationed in Dawnford, not too far away. However, due to Den¡¯s high-ranking position, he often went on business trips. Sometimes, his trips ¡°Den, Aunt Celeste¡¯s birthday ising up. Will you be able to make it back?¡± Be reached out to touch Den¡¯s shoulder, then adjusted the military cap on his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Be.¡± Den sighed with guilt, pinching her cheek before. turning to Amelia. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amelia. Please apologize to Aunt. Celeste on my behalf.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Den! We understand you¡¯re very busy with official matters.¡± Amelia hurriedly waved her This is from N?velDrama.Org. hands, hesitant to ept the apology. ¡°But I¡¯ve already prepared a birthday gift for Aunt Celeste. Be, please give it to her on my behalf when the timees.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± In the underground parking lot of the hotel, the specially arranged bulletproof vehicle had been waiting for Colonel Den. The adjutant respectfully opened the car door. After bidding farewell to his family, Den got into the car, He lowered the car window and looked at Be with concern, reminding her, ¡°Don¡¯t mingle with that Salvador guy anymore. Let him. deal with his own problems. Got it?¡± ¡°Got it! Bye, Dec!¡± Be said as she waved at him with a sweet smile. There was a yful sparkle in her bright eyes, and her red lips wer moist and alluring. The act of innocence in front of Den made Be seem even gentler than Amelia. After bidding farewell to Den, Axel and Ralph were also about to return to work. Be had consumed quite a bit of alcohol and needed more rest due. to her condition, so she asked Asher to take her home. ¡°Ms. Be, allow me to escort you.¡± Steven offered almost without. hesitation. Taking care of Be had be ingrained in his muscle memory. ¡°If you¡¯re leaving, who will take care of Amelia? She has had quite a bit to drink too!¡± Be approached and embraced Amelia¡¯s soft waist, With the added strength from the alcohol, she casually pushed the tipsy Amelia into Steven¡¯s arms. Amelia was already feeling a little dizzy. When Be pushed her, she almost lost her bnce. Luckily, Steven¡¯s sharp eyes caught it, and he was quick to react. He caught Amelia and held her close to his chest. Amelia, in a daze, looked up, and at the same time, Steven lowered his gaze. Their eyes met. At that moment, both their hearts inexplicably skipped a beat, and their breaths became rapid and irregr. Chapter 545 Amelia was already a little tipsy, but Steven¡¯s unexpected embrace made her sober in an instant. Her peach-like face, ears, and slender neck were all adorned with a rosy blush. ¡°Ms. Amelia, please be careful.¡± Steven assumed she was heavily intoxicated because she could not stand up straight. Genuine concern filled his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her soft and supple waist, holding her even closer. His throat suddenly felt dry, and his heart skipped a beat. Amelia¡¯s slender waist felt weightless in his grasp. The softness captivated him for a brief moment, and a sigh escaped his heart. However, he was a gentleman with integrity-far from someone with impure intentions. Steven quickly regained hisposure, leaving no trace of his inner thoughts on his handsome face. ¡°Steve, you¡¯ll be responsible for taking my sister home tonight!¡± Be was usually attentive, but she really let her guard down in the presence of those close to her. So, she seemed to be unaware of the subtle connection between the two. Be waved casually before leaving, linking arms with Asher. With only the two of them left, the atmosphere became some hot awkward, leaving Amelia and Steven uneasy. ¡°Uh¡­ Be! Be!¡± Amelia weakly called out twice, her face turning red and her heart pounding. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Amelia,¡± Steven reassured her, his eyes gentle and his tone solemn. ¡°I promised Ms. Be that I would make sure you got back to school safely.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, Mr. Lovett, it¡¯s not necessary. I only had a little wine, and I¡¯m not drunk.¡± Amelia pressed her rosy lips together, lowered her eyes, and pushed him away gently. She was determined to show that she was not drunk. On the other hand, Steven was deeply concerned about her. Hel embraced her once more and said, ¡°You insist that you¡¯re not drunk. Butst time you said the same thing, and yet¡­¡± As the words trailed off, both of them were startled. What suddenly. unfolded before their minds was the passionate kiss shared that night, tinged with love. Steven was staring at Amelia absentmindedly, resembling a porcin. doll with rosy cheeks. His heart was in disarray, and a vague, subtle sensation quietly surged within his chest. ¡°Mr. Lovett¡­ Last time, I had too much to drink. I¡¯m sorry!¡± Amelia appeared helpless. Her eyes were filled with remorse and turned red. If she were a bolder girl, she might have taken this opportunity to confess to Steven. However, Ameliacked confidence and was shy, just like her mot Celeste. She could only keep this love hidden deep within her he Despite the fact that Steven was a kind and gentle man and that they had actually shared a kiss, Steven belonged to Be. Amelia did not want to get involved with her sister¡¯s man. ¡°Ms. Amelia¡­¡± Steven¡¯s voice was hoarse, and his Adam¡¯s apple rolled as he asked, ¡°Was that¡­ Your first kiss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mr. Lovett. I drank too much. You don¡¯t have to overthink it.¡± Amelia responded with a forced smile. ¡°Was it really your first time?¡± The immense guilt tugged at the core of his heart like a sharp pair of tweezers. He took a step back, bowing deeply to Amelia. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Amelia! It¡¯s my fault! Please tell me, how can I make it up to you?¡± Amelia¡¯s throbbing heart suddenly seemed to freeze. As she watched the person she liked express only guilt and respect for her, bitterness flooded her entire body. ¡°Mr. Lovett, it¡¯s okay. It really is.¡± Amelia forced back the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes and took a deep breath. She reached out to help him up. ¡°If you truly want to me Chapter 546 On the way back, Be rested her head on Asher¡¯s shoulder, feeling sleepy. In reality, she was curious about what Den had said to Justin. She decided against it after some consideration. Whatever was said. was most likely not pleasant. Den may seem gentle, but his words could be even sharper and more brutal than hers. She didn¡¯t want to hear what he said about Justin. It was not out of pity for that jerk. Rather, it would be extremely disheartening to witness the person she once loved with all her heart. getting belittled by the person closest to her. ¡°Are you asleep, Be?¡± Asher suddenly asked in a gentle voice. ¡°No, Ash. Do you want to talk about something?¡± Be blinked in surprise. ¡°Be, have you noticed that Steven and Amelia are a little strangetely?¡± Asher asked with a faint smile. ¡°I might be mistaken, but I always get the impression that there is a subtle tension between them.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®a subtle tension¡±?¡± Be¡¯s jaw almost dropped as she stared at her brother, her eyes wide. and watery. ¡°Have you had too much to drink, Ash? Are you joking?¡± ¡°I never make jokes about romantic rtionships. Didn¡¯t you notice that their faces turned red and their expressions turned strange wher Steve supported Amelia? Especially Amelia, the way she looked Steve¡­ How should I put it? It is exactly like how you used to look at Justin.¡± Be¡¯s fair eyelids drooped as she was rendered speechless. ¡°Ash, why are you dragging me into this with Amelia?¡± Although Be wasining, in her heart, she was secretly thinking about Steven and Amelia¡¯s rtionship. When did this happen? How did she not notice anything? ¡°Steven is not young anymore. He¡¯s already thirty years old. Since graduating from university, he has been working diligently as my secretary.¡± Asher continued, ¡°Since I assigned him to assist you, he hasn¡¯t uttered a singleint. Year after year, he has worked tirelessly, rarely taking proper breaks.¡± Asher put his arms around Be¡¯s shoulders, his tone sincere and earnest. ¡°Be, if he wishes to pursue a romantic rtionship and experience a different life, I hope you can support Steve.¡± ¡°Wow! Steve is actually ying games behind my back! They say he looks like a cute puppy, but how delicate fist, gritting her teeth. ¡°Men are all the same! He falls in love with Amelia right after confessing his deep feelings to me. I only have. one younger sister! If he has any inappropriate thoughts about Amelia, I swear, I will exile him to an African safari as a snack for the lions ¡°Did Steve confess to you?¡± Asher raised an intrigued eyebrow, slightly surprised. ¡°Yeah, but I rejected him.¡± Be had always been unapologetic in front of her eldest brother and openly expressed her emotions. ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s not good enough. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings for him. Besides, I¡¯ve been through a divorce and have no intentions to date again. I¡¯d rather not waste his time.¡± Be added, ¡°But how could he suddenly develop an interest in Amelia? The seamless transition worries me a lot.¡± ¡°Steve is not that kind of person, Be. As for your concerns about the seamless transition, maybe Steve has been around you for too long. You were both his first and unrequited love.¡± ¡°He has grown ustomed to treating you with care and kindness, so it¡¯s possible that he unconsciously developed feelings for Amelia. He might not even be aware of it himself,¡± Asher earnestly shared his thoughts. ¡°What? How is it possible not to know if you¡¯ve fallen for someone?¡± Be frowned, her expression carrying a hint of skepticism. ¡°Emotions are the most intricate, tangled, andplex thing in this world,¡± Asher said, his deep eyes This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. narrowing thoughtfully. ¡°For example, thirteen yearster, Justin once again saved your life. When. you face him now, can you truly distinguish between love and hatred? Can you guarantee that your feelings toward him are purely resentment and hatred, without a trace of love?¡± Be felt a stab in her chest, her breath bing heavier. She recalled the eventful and dangerous night. Justin carried her over a long distance in the pouring rain despite his heavy injuries. To keep her warm in the dark and damp cave, he took off almost all his clothes to keep her warm. The memories made her feel warm insade Chapter 547 It felt as if someone poured scalding water onto her chest. Her cold, numb fingers clenched ufortably into a tiny ball. Be thought, ¡®Why? Why was Justin so kind to Be but so incredibly cruel to the former Anna Brown?¡± ¡°You know me well, Ash. I have always been someone who despises evil and values good, with clear lines between love and hatred. Perhaps what you said is correct. Emotions can beplex and difficult to define. But that is not how I am. I know exactly what I want. What about you?¡± Be gazed out the window quietly, her voice slightly choked and her eyes reddening. ¡°No matter how wasted my entire youth loving someone, and endured the pain of not receiving any reciprocation. Doing it once in this lifetime is enought for me.¡± Steven drove Amelia back to school. They were both lost in their own thoughts, remaining silent throughout the journey. As the night grew darker, the back gate of the school became eerily quiet, and the Porsche came to a slow stop. There was a surprising, unspoken understanding. They sat side by side in the car, with no one making the move to get out. The moon hung in the sky, casting a soft and gentle glow inside the car. The calm, subdued atmosphere created a romantic mood. ¡°Thank you for sending me back, Mr. Lovett.¡± Amelia shyly broke the silence. ¡°Ms. Amelia, please don¡¯t be so polite. Just call me Steven or Steve.¡± Steven felt deeply guilty toward Amelia. Due to their different statuses, he added a bit more distance to his words. ¡°Even though I have watched you and Ms. Be grow up, I am. ultimately Ms. Be¡¯s secretary, a subordinate working for the Thompson family. Mr. Asher and the others are your brothers. I am really not worthy of you.¡± Amelia was usually perceptive and sensitive. She sensed Steven¡¯s desire to keep some distance from her. For a brief moment, her heart ached, and she looked ahead with eyes. that seemed to hold the dew of early morning, moist and watery. ¡°Steven, I¡­ I will not cause you any more trouble in the future. Please don¡¯t hate me, okay?¡± Amelia stammered. ¡°You are exaggerating, Ms. Amelia. You have never caused me any trouble. It is me who does not want to have any impact on your life,¡± Steven sighed softly. He leaned in slowly and assisted her in unbuckling the seatbelt. Their warm breaths filled the car, and the temperature inside gradually increased. Steven avoided looking into her eyes. He kept his eyelids lowered and quickly straightened up. ¡°It¡¯s quitete. Let me walk you in.¡± With that, he opened the door and stepped out of the car. Amelia recalled his words and felt like a dark hole had been hollowed out in her chest. She was filled with a chilly sense of loss. She knew they could not be together and that the kiss was an ident. How could an ordinary girl like her pique the interest of such. a remarkable man as Steven? She must have been delusional. The passenger door opened. Steven resumed his usual respectful demeanor, inviting Amelia out of the car. Amelia tightly pressed her pale lips together and stepped out of the car. ¡°I can go in by myself. You don¡¯t have to apany me.¡± Before she could finish her sentence, a roaring engine erupted from behind Amelia, frightening her. This is from N?velDrama.Org. She instinctively covered her ears and closed her eyes. She had developed a severe aversion to the sound of fast-moving cars as a result of a near-ident when she was a child. Steven¡¯s face darkened when he saw her reaction. He opened his. arms and embraced Amelia with lightning speed, quickly turning to shield her. A silver top-of-the-line Ferrari Laferrari zoomed past them. The car generated a gust of wind that lifted Steven¡¯s suit, showing how fast it was going. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± Steven gently consoled her. He gave a gentle pat to the shivering Amelia. His eyes showed a mixture of deep dissatisfaction toward the owner of the speeding car and concern for Amelia. The Ferrari came to a halt outside the school¡¯s back gate. The passenger door opened, revealing a pair of seductive, tantalizingly long legs. A woman with wavy ash-brown hair emerged from the car in a sexy short skirt, with exquisite and vibrant makeup. Chapter 548 As soon as Amelia saw this woman, her pupils narrowed, and she began to tremble even more obviously in Steven¡¯s arms. Her back was covered in a cold sweat. The woman was called Mandy. She and Amelia were in the same department and school, but they had never gotten along. In fact, Amelia has been the target of her bullying. Amelia had been bullied, humiliated, and mistreated by Mandy on several asions. Steven recalled hearing Ms. Be mention that Ms. Amelia was scared of fast-moving cars and had trouble crossing the street. Back then, when Wyatt married Celeste, he had arge family, and most of his children were young. Envious of the Thompson family¡¯s power but unable to touch Wyatt, some rivals turned their malice on his children. At the time, they believed that Celeste was the least favored wife. Thus, her child, Amelia, must be the least favored too. They intended to make the man who stole their business suffer to the brink of despair. Thus, they sent someone to murder Amelia, who was just seven years old at the time. In the end, Amelia escaped with minor injuries, and Wyatt exacted revenge, destroying the rival family. Despite the fortunate oue, the incident left a lingering shadow on Amelia¡¯s young heart. Steven felt his breath bing suffocated at this point in his thoughts. A surge of anger rose within him. ¡°Ms. Amelia! Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, absolutely fine.¡± Amelia forced a smile, pretending to be calm. Her pale face and cold sweat on her forehead, however, revealed her fear. At that moment, the seductive woman named Mandy cast a nce in their direction. She rolled her eyes at them and could not help but feel irritated and jealous when she saw Amelia being embraced by such a handsome man. But when she saw that Steven only had a Porsche worth around $1 million, her expression became tinged with disdain and contempt. ¡°Pft, what a poor bitch!¡± Although her voice was not loud, Steven and Amelia both heard her. Steven was so enraged that his eyes turned bright red for a brief moment. ¡°Ms. Amelia, please wait for me. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Steven¡­ Steven!¡± Amelia panicked, but it was toote. Steven had already approached the woman with a stern expression. ¡°Who were you talking about earlier?¡± ¡°Did I say something? Perhaps you misheard me ¡°Mandy¡¯s tone softened but remained arogant as she looked at the handsome man in front of her Steven clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. He knew she was insulting Amelia, but she refused to acknowledge it, and he could no hit a woman. It was extremely frustrating. ¡°Thank you for driving me home, Mr. Iverson. I will be waiting for your the next time you invite me out.¡± With a fake sweetness in her voice, Mandy blew a kiss toward the closed car window. Mr. Iverson? Steven furrowed his brows. There was no movement visible through the dark window, and the engine was roaring at that moment, almost like it was shouting. Fueled by his anger for Amelia, Steven knocked on the car window. ¡°Your car almost hit my sister just now. Do you n to just leave like this?¡± Amelia¡¯s heart tightened, and she bit her lower lip in concern. She did not want Steven to stand up for This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. her, and she certainly did not want to get into a fight with Mandy. However, there was no response seen from the car window. ¡°Hey! What is wrong with you? The road¡¯s very wide. We were driving normally. When did Mr. Iverson¡¯s car hit yours?¡± Mandy mocked him with a cold smile as she crossed her arms. She continued, ¡°Hmph, are you trying to pull a scam? You seem like a decent young man. How can you do something so heinous?¡± Steven¡¯s brow furrowed, and he was about to speak when the car window rolled down halfway. Chapter 549 St! A stack of cash was thrown out of the car, hitting Steven like a pile of waste paper. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Steven felt a wave of humiliation wash over him. ¡°You!¡± Steven red at the person inside the Ferrari, but in the next was don instant, the car racing into the night. Amelia¡¯s brow furrowed, and her body trembled with rage as she witnessed his humiliation. ¡°That¡¯s a reward from Mr. Iverson. Just ept it,¡± Mandy said. Mandy dropped her act after seeing Mr. Iverson leave. Despite Amelia being around, she leaned in toward Steven, reaching out to touch the hem of his clothes. ¡°Young man, you look dashing and sophisticated. Why would you associate yourself with such a woman with a bad reputation and low status? You¡¯re just lowering your standards. How about¡­¡± Unexpectedly, at this moment, Steven¡¯s expression darkened, and he abruptly stepped back. Mandy, who had been leaning toward him, missed and embarrassingly fell. Wearing sky high heels, she lost her bnce and fell onto her knees with a thud. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth, almost bursting intoughter. Mandy grated out, ¡°It hurts so much. Damn it!¡± She wens wearing a short skirt that revealed her thighs in the weather. She thought her kneecaps were going to break when in this manner. She could barely stand because of the excruciath pain sie wes sin. Thus, she tearaufivly sought help from Steven and said, ¡°Can you help. me up? I can¡¯t stand up. It hurts so much.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t stand up Releh, thought you were about to apologize to my sister when you kneels d down,¡± Steven smirked, showing a proud and mocking smile. it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll consider it your way of apologizing to my sisist.¡± Mandy was enraged and duursed in her heart. How dare he speak to her in this manner? Evereanalelio dared to mock her! She¡¯s dead meat! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Steven returned to arme siside. He wrapped his arm around hers shoulders and walked toward the school gate. As they walked away,vie could not help but blurt out,¡± The world is a treacherous ce, andioerpole¡¯s hearts are unpredictable. Even at school, youurajncopletely safe. Keep your Gistance from cheap, haughty, and didywomen. It¡¯s for your own oood¡± ¡°Okay, got it ¡°Amelia gazed admiringly at Brevevender eyes twinkling brightly Tais time, Steven also stood up for hep onight, she would be so happy that she couldn¡¯t slepp Steven was worried about Amelia. So, he walked her to the dormitory. building before heading back. Amelia pressed her hands against the ss door, watching Steven¡¯s upright figure leave. They looked like a couple parting ways after a date. Her delicate cheeks were flushed, and she looked at him with reluctance in her eyes. ¡®Steven, when am I going to see you again?¡± Amelia only sighed wistfully when he waspletely out of sight, her heart heavy with reluctance. She turned around and strolled back toward the dorm. ¡°Amelia! You shameless, wretched bitch!¡± Amelia¡¯s heart pounded when she heard Mandy hurling vile curses at her from behind. At first, she was a little afraid. Chapter 550 ? During her four years studying at the Savrow Film Academy, Amelia has been harassed by Mandy and her posse. A naturally soft-hearted person, Amelia thought it was better to graduate peacefully. Thus, she silently endured it all and let bygones be bygones. But when she recalled how Mr. Iverson humiliated Steven, or Mandy''s improper intentions toward the man she liked, all her fears disappeared in an instant.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Instead, there was only anger on the verge of bursting out of her chest! Amelia''s eyes turned cold as she paid no attention to Mandy, who was walking straight ahead. "You bitch! Amelia, you better stop right there!" Mandy saw that she kept walking forward and could only call her name directly. Amelia halted her steps and turned around slowly. Seeing Mandy panting and hobbling toward her with bloodied and swollen knees, Amelia couldn''t help but curl her lips, a hint of a smile still lingering. "Who are you calling a bitch?" "You''ve got some nerve to ask that! Of course, it''s you!" Mandy couldn''t care less about the pain. Her priority was to settle the score with Amelia and vent her grievances! "Oh, I thought you were introducing yourself." Amelia sarcastically remarked, maintaining her expression. Mandy was ustomed to a docile, meek Amelia acting docile. She was taken aback when Amelia unexpectedly talked back. "Also, before youbel others as a bitch, take a good look at yourself," Amelia continued resolutely, her words piercing through. "The person you apanied was Mr. Iverson from the Iverson Group, right? Everyone in Savrow knows that Mr. Iverson is married! His wife is a beautiful youngdy from a wealthy family. From your background to your appearance and even your character, how can youpare to Mrs. Iverson? I really don''t understand what he sees in you. A sophisticated man like Mr. Iverson shouldn''t have such poor taste." Feeling embarrassed, Mandy shouted back, "You know nothing! I am beautiful, young, and charming. It''s only natural for Mr. Iverson to fall in love with me!" Amelia sneered. "Consider this. If you''re used to savoring delicacies, asionally indulging in junk food can be satisfying. You''re just providing temporary, cheap gratification." "Junk food... Who are you calling junk?!" Mandy''s face turned red with anger. "You still have the nerve to ask? Of course, it''s you." Amelia countered directly, echoing Mandy''s own words. Mandy didn''t expect Amelia to be so sharp-tongued. Seeing that she couldn''t win against Amelia, she raised her hand and pped Amelia across the face! A burning sensation spread through Amelia''s entire body, leaving the left cheek immediately swollen. This wasn''t the first time Mandy had pped Amelia. Mandy would take advantage of rehearsals for semester productions or drama performances to p her. Mandy even went as far as bribing her instructors and ss monitor to assign Amelia the role of being harassed by men. It was all to satisfy Mandy''s dirty and ugly dark psyche! "Bitch, don''t think I won''t dare do anything just because you''re hanging out with a rich trust fund baby driving a lousy Porsche!" Mandy revealed a triumphant and malicious smile. "Do you really believe that handsome guy can support you? He''s just talking nonsense! In the entertainment industry, what matters is your capital, background, and backers! As you saw for yourself tonight, my boyfriend is Mr. Iverson. When I enter the entertainment industry, I''ll have plenty of resources. If you dare to mess with me, I''ll have Mr. Iverson cklist you, making it impossible for you to survive in Savrow!" Amelia listened expressionlessly, finding Mandy''s threats ridiculous. After all, her family and the Iversons were old acquaintances. Uncle Lance had taken care of her ever since she was young. "Oh, really? Then I hope you get what you want as soon as possible. Go ahead and try to have me cklisted. That is, if Mr. Iverson still acknowledges you." "You!" Mandy seethed with anger. Amelia''s eyes remained calm. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly stopped and said, "Oh, by the way, here''s something for you." Before Mandy could react, there was a crisp sound of a resounding p across her face. Amelia''s p was even more forceful and ruthless than the one she received a moment ago. "You! How dare youy your hands on me?" Mandy covered her face in disbelief. She hadn''t expected the seemingly timid girl to fight back. "I''ll beat you if I want to. Do I need to choose a specific day?" Amelia raised her chin coldly and arrogantly. The cold light that shed in Amelia''s beautiful eyes was so noble and sharp that it sent a shiver down Mandy''s spine. "This p is to tell you that I am not one to be messed with. I didn''t retaliate before, not because I couldn''t, but because I did not care to!" Amelia continued, "Also, the handsome guy with the Porsche is the man I love. If you dare to have any ideas about him again, I won''t let you go, even if I have to risk my life!" Chapter 551 After Justin was barely given the green light to be discharged, he was busy for the next three days All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. tackling the work that had snowballed during his hospitalization. In the past few days, his health condition has been like a roller coaster ride. He was surviving on supplements and medicine from Be. Justin clung ton¡¯s help with the external treatments as he prayed for a quick rebound. Justin could not protect his loved ones without his health. ¡°It¡¯s time for your medicine, Mr. Salvador.¡±n ced the medicine and a bottle of water on the tray before carrying it to Justin. Justin was reviewing some documents at his desk. He responded, ¡± I¡¯m busy. Later.¡± ¡°Um, if you don¡¯t take your meds on time, I will report your misbehavior to the young madam.¡± your meds. I am supposed to report back to her if there¡¯s a problem. If the young madam finds out that you won¡¯t take your meds like a good boy, she¡¯s not going to be happy with you.¡± Justin put down his pen, grabbed the pills, and swallowed them with a gulp of water right away. If Justin had listened three years ago, he could probably have had enough children with the young madam to start a little league by now. Instead, Justin remained single and chose the thorny path of humiliation in his desperate bid to reim his ex-wife¡¯s affections. Justin was in for a long ride. ¡°I told you to keep an eye on Be. Did you do that?¡± The bitterness sank in as Justin swallowed the pill with a frown. He pulled out a drawer and fished a piece of chocte out. He unwrapped the wrapper and stuffed the chocte piece into his mouth. The piece of chocte was part of the snacks Be left in the house. Justin dug out the junk food and kept it in his office drawer for safekeeping. When Justin was feeling down and strained, he would seek sce in the sweet delight. That was just sad. ¡°I did. I heard that Chairman Thompson¡¯s third wife, Celeste, is having a birthday celebration soon. I think the young madam is organizing the party for her at the hotel.¡± ¡°Celeste used to be a celebrity, right?¡± Justin asked indifferently. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Celeste is my mom¡¯s idol. When I was young, her shows were always on TV at home. My mom is a huge fan. She even bought the same outfits that Celeste wore in her TV shows. Sigh¡­ It¡¯s a shame she left showbiz so soon. My mom was upset for a long time because Celeste no longer acted. Celeste was the goddess of many fans at the time,¡± Ianmented. The mention of Celeste made him an eager beaver. ¡°Why did she retire from showbiz out of the blue?¡± Justin asked. ¡°Erm, my mom said that Celeste was suspected of taking illegal drugs and was canceled. It was a pretty huge deal back then, and Celeste was nearly ruined. Chairman Thompsonter cleared her name, but the damage was already done. Since she lost her fame, she simply retired from the limelight. I¡¯ve got to give it to Chairman Thompson. He¡¯s been lucky in the dating scene. He came to the rescue when Celeste needed help the most. I guess no woman can resist a knight in shining armor.¡± As expected, Justin tensed his jawline and was hurt by the remark. That was not the end. ¡°If I can be blunt, your former father-inw has a lot of wives, and yet they are all one big family. His wives aremitted to him. You can¡¯t even deal with the young madam. Maybe you should meet with Chairman Thompson and get some word of advice from him.¡± Justin grimaced and hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°Advice from him? So you want me to ask Chairman Thompson about how to nail his daughter? Have you lost it?¡± Chapter 552 Back then, Be would prepare a feast and stand outside the vi for Justin¡¯s return from business trips.This is from N?velDrama.Org. Her heart used to be his. Now, evenn felt smothered by the chilly looks Be gave Justin. Some things, once lost, can never be found again. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Momentster, Justin sighed dejectedly and rubbed his clenched fists against hisp. ¡°I will not give up on her, regardless of her attitude toward me.¡± Following a knock on the door, the secretary¡¯s voice came through.¡± Mr. Ryan Hoffman is here to see you, Mr. Salvador.¡± ¡°Let him in.¡± Humming to a tune, Ryan entered the office with a smile. He wore a crisp white suit. The absence of a shirt left his tan and toned chest bare to the chilly weather. He adorned a white gold chain. along his corbone, adding a touch of sultry defiance to his entire look. Only Ryan would pull off a showy and elegant outfit in the whole of Savrow. ¡°You look good, bro. I guess Be¡¯s miracle drug did the trick.¡± Ryan fell back onto the sofa. He felt at ease to see Justin doing well. Since Justin admitted to Ryan about his feelings for Be, Ryan has stopped seeing Be as anything more than his best friend¡¯s girl. Justin appreciated the thought. Still, he looked at Ryan¡¯s indecency in disdain. ¡°You can forget gaining ess to Salvador Corporation if youe looking like that again.¡± Ryan asked, ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°This is a ce of work, not an escort establishment.¡± Justin put the focus back on his work. ¡°I don¡¯t want people to get the wrong idea that I have some sort of fetish.¡± Ryan blinked as it took him a while to get it. He eximed, ¡°I¡¯m ast straight as a straight guy can ever be.¡± Justin had no words. ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense. What do you need?¡± Justin asked. ¡°Check this out. Ryan pulled out an invitation card and waved it around in delight. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I received an invitation from Ms. Thompson, inviting me to celebrate Mrs. Celeste Thompson¡¯s birthday celebration this weekend. Woohoo!¡± Enjoy Agr Enjoy Ad Free Readings Chapter 553 The smug look on Ryan¡¯s face was infuriating. i Justin¡¯s eyes brewed with rage as bitterness consumed him. ¡°So what? It¡¯s not strange that you¡¯re invited to the party because of your family standing.¡± ¡°Did you get invited because of your family standing then?¡± ¡°Get to the point or get out.¡± Justin, known to be level-headed, was touchy and not one to kid around in matters rted to Be. ¡°Tsk. Tsk. Look at you. I was only joking.¡± Ryan knew Justin was pissed that he was not on the guest list. Dropping the subject, he whipped out a crumpled invitation from his back pocket. ¡°Here you go. Your evil stepmother had this delivered to
¡°Talk about a coincidence. She¡¯s having a birthday celebration on the same day as Chairman Thompson¡¯s wife. I guess it¡¯s a showdown.¡± ¡°What did you say? Shannon and Celeste are having birthday celebrations on the same day?¡± Justin furrowed his brows in surprise. ¡°Mr. Salvador, if my memory serves me right, Shannon¡¯s birthday is this Thursday and not the weekend. weekend? Is she really trying to one-up Celeste?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the feud between Shannon and Celeste?¡± Justin picked up on the core issue, thanks to his keen intuition.. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not too sure myself, but I remember that they were signed to the samework years ago. Celeste was a great actress and overshined Shannon. Shannon was only good enough to y the viin or supporting roles.¡± Justin fell deep into contemtion. ¡°Got it. Keep an eye on Shannon. Report back to me if she starts anything.¡± Meanwhile, Shannon was picking out an outfit for her birthday with Bethany in her room in Tideview Manor. Fancy gowns were found on the portable clothes rack, sofa, and bed. Despite their hefty price tags, the clothes were piled on top of each other like rags. ¡°They are tacky! Are these dresses in the limited collection this year? The designers have no talent. No one in their right mind would wear these.¡± Displeased with the dresses, Bethany dumped and stomped on them like they were trash. ¡°Mom, you are the wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman. You were once a famous star in entertainment. Yet, they presented you with these horrible clothes. That¡¯s absurd.¡± Shannon gulped down a mouthful of red wine as rage overtook her. Due to Be¡¯s meddling, Shannon became a disgrace to higher society. Even though she was Gregory Salvador¡¯s wife, international luxury brands would not sponsor her jewelry or clothes anymore. Shannon wanted to select two evening gowns for her birthday celebration, but no designerbels would want to put their dresses on her. Even though Shannon offered to pay for the gowns, these brands refused to be associated with her. ¡°You moved your birthday party to the weekend to show Celeste, Mom. It¡¯s time to put her in her ce. If you can¡¯t borrow the perfect dress, the n will backfire, and you¡¯ll be the joke in themunity.¡± Bethany was anxious. ¡°Me? A joke? Why would I be a joke?¡± Shannon mmed the wine ss on the table, spilling the wine. ¡°I¡¯m thedy of the house. I¡¯m your father¡¯s one and only wife. Who does Celeste think she is? She couldn¡¯t beat me then, so she sure as well wouldn¡¯t beat me now. Sure, she¡¯s Wyatt Thompson¡¯s third wife, but that¡¯s not even legal. She¡¯s a mistress at best. She¡¯s the joke.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Mom!¡± Bethany pandered to Shannon.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can either go big or go home!¡± Shannon got up, determination reflecting in her eyes. ¡°Find a way to get in touch with Sharon. Whatever it takes, I need to borrow a dress. designed by Sharon.¡± Chapter 554 At the KS World Hotel, Be reviewed the proposal in her office, taking the nning of Celeste¡¯s birthday party more seriously than Ada¡¯s wedding. Her dedication before was because Ada was an important business partner, but hermitment now is to Celeste, who is her family. ¡°You have pulled all-nighters for three nights straight, Ms. Be. Take a break.¡± Steven served Be a ss of orange juice, hoping to stop. her from taking another cup of coffee. ¡°I can¡¯t stop. I have everything sorted for the venue, but I still have a lot to do for Aunt Celeste¡¯s dress.¡± Be put down the document and kneaded between her brows. The women around Be¡¯s age would go on a shopping trip with their best friends, travel the world, or be swept head over heels in romance. However, Be spent her days dwelling on paperwork, boring numbers, and leading her hotel¡¯s staff to improve sales. Be was tough, but she was only human. She would feel tired too. ¡°Organize my ride to Roza¡¯s studioter,¡± Be said. ¡°Are you still going to make a dress for Celeste?¡± ¡°Yeah. If I work around the clock, I won¡¯t have enough time.¡± Steven sighed as his heart went out to her. His phone buzzed. Asher sent Steven a text message with a guest list for Celeste¡¯s birthday celebration. He told Steven to forward the list to Be. Steven tapped on the attachment and flinched at James Iverson¡¯s name. He saw red as his mind brought him to when James threw money at him, and his woman with excessive makeup insulted Amelia. ¡°Is there a problem with the list, Steve? What¡¯s with the expression on your face?¡± Be caught the strange look on his face. ¡°There¡¯s something I should inform you about, Ms. Be.¡± Steven then let Be know about the incident when he dropped Amelia back at school. He left out the part about James¡¯ insulting act. Steven wanted to fix the problem for Amelia, but on second thought, the woman was James¡¯ lover, so the issue was not as straightforward. He was only a secretary and was way out of his depth to protect Amelia. Besides, the woman was a student at the same school as Amelia, so that was not her first rodeo. Steven had spread himself too thin as it was, and he could not be by Amelia¡¯s side all the time. He needed Be¡¯s help to stick up for Amelia. Be frowned, her eyes narrowing dangerously. ¡°She¡¯s just James¡¯ lover, yet she dares to mess with my sister.¡± Livid, Be pounded the table. ¡°The bitch needs a beating for messing with my sister.¡± Steven chuckled. ¡°The bitch thinks she¡¯s all that because she¡¯s with James. That doesn¡¯t give her the right to do whatever she pleases.¡± Be¡¯s eyes flickered with a chilling glint. ¡°Hmph! I bet she will plead with my sister in tears for forgiveness when she finds out that the Thompson family and the KS Group have Amelia¡¯s back. Well, let¡¯sExclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. see if James wille to her defense then.¡± ¡°Are you nning to deal with the woman?¡± Steven asked probingly. ¡°Ha. She¡¯s not worth my time.¡± Be picked up the ss and drank the juice with grace. ¡°The responsibility falls on James because that¡¯s his woman.¡± ¡°But Ms. Be, Mr. James doesn¡¯t know his lover is involved in an altercation with Ms. Amelia. If he knew-¡± Be scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I am protective of my people, and there¡¯s no talking me out of it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me that he didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡ª That evening, Be drove a Bugatti La Voiture Noire to Roza¡¯s work studio without Steven. Chapter 555 ¡°Oh, my, I¡¯m graced by the presence of the great Alexa,¡± Roza teased as she weed her mentor to her studio. Roza thought it was badass enough that her mentor was Sharon and Be Thompson-the daughter of the richest man in Hatchbay. Her jaw dropped when she learned about another of her mentor¡¯s personas. Alexa and Sharon were titans of the fashion and jewelry worlds. ¡°Oh, right. Oh, right. I know it¡¯s my fault for keeping it from you. Tell me. How can I make it up to you?¡± Showing her domineering side, Be wrapped her arm around Roza¡¯s waist. ¡°All I want is for you to visit more often.¡± Roza pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t juste here when you need help.¡± ¡°You make me sound like a boyfriend who¡¯s never around.¡± Be tapped on Roza¡¯s nose and sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy. Once the season¡¯s over, we can take a trip together. How about that? All expenses paid.¡± ¡°Yay! You¡¯re the best!¡± Without time to sit down for a cup of tea, Be made haste into the studio with Roza. A mannequin stood in the middle of the studio, dressed in a nearly sophisticated and stunning-a definition of elegance and refinement. The sheer dress looked dreamy under the radiant light. Roza drooled over the gown. ¡°Oh, my god. That¡¯s a dress for a queen, for sure.¡± ¡°The gown has been sitting here for two weeks. Haven¡¯t you seen enough of it?¡± Be moved closer and ran her fingers along the soft. fabric. Her eyes sparkled. ¡°I can never have enough of it.¡± The admiration and adoration for Be¡¯s design were written all over Roza¡¯s eyes. ¡°This is the finest quality silk. Just securing a yard of this treasure is no easy feat. Dyeing the fabric isbor-intensive. A single yard of it takes up to a year to die. I¡¯m talking about three washes, nine boils, and eighteen dryings! I can¡¯t believe you managed to acquire such fine material. Nowadays, you can¡¯t find any silk of the same quality as yours. I won¡¯t be surprised to find the fabric selling for a high price in an auction.¡± ¡°This silk is my personal collection. I only want to give my family the best.¡± Be rolled up her sleeves and continued to finish Celeste¡¯s birthday dress. A ck Maybach drove into thepound of Roza¡¯s studio.. He eximed at the sight of La Voiture Noire parked at the gate. ¡°M-Mr. Salvador, the young madam is here.¡± Justin¡¯s dim eyes lit up, and he stepped out of the car. Sure enough, it was Be¡¯s car. The Fujiwara Tofu Shop sticker was still on the bumper. As his eyes softened, Justin smiled. Struck by a thought, he turned around and checked his reflection on the tinted car window. He tightened his Windsor knot. on his first date. Justin was usually confident with his looks. To think he would be flustered over a woman like a teenager. ¡°How do I look today?¡± Justin turned around and asked indifferently. Chapter 556 good.¡± The man grimaced. ¡°Why do I look good?¡± If Justin was in good spirits, it meant that he was on the mend, and Be would feel less guilty and pay less attention to him. On the contrary, if Justin looked pale and sickly, Be would feel bad, despite not admitting it. Tsk. So that was Justin¡¯s n. Justin andn were stopped at the door when trying to get into the establishment. ¡°Ms. Walker is with a guest now. She won¡¯t have time for other guests. today.¡± Justin turned stern. ¡°Is Ms. Walker with her mentor now?¡± The assistant was surprised. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for her.¡± Justin narrowed his eyes withposure. ¡°I¡¯m Ms. Thompson¡¯s husband. Surely, I shouldn¡¯t be stopped from seeing my wife.¡± The first rule of pursuing an ex-wife was to ditch one¡¯s pride and ego. The assistant frowned and sized Justin up before uttering coldly, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t recognize you, Mr. Salvador? If I remember correctly, your fianc¨¦, Ms. Rosalind Gold, reserved a dress from us to announce your wedding on her birthday several months ago. It was huge news.¡± The mention of Rosalind rubbed Justin the wrong way, and he frowned. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long, and now you¡¯re telling me that Ms. Walker¡¯s mentor is your wife. Do you think we¡¯re dumb?¡± Justin opened his mouth to exin, but a curt voice cut through the air. ¡°What did you say, Justin? What¡¯s that? Who is your wife?¡± Roza shouted while rushing toward Justin with widened eyes. ¡°Your mentor is Be, the heiress of KS Group. She¡¯s also my wife.¡± Justin paused for a moment before he added ¡°once¡± to prevent an unnecessary misunderstanding. ¡°Jesus Christ¡­¡± Roza was not taking the news too well. Still, she was in disbelief. Don¡¯t spread lies to ruin my mentor¡¯s fame and reputation. We can sue you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t believe me. You can ask your mentor. She¡¯ll tell you.¡± Justin carried himself withposure. ¡°No way. I don¡¯t get it. My mentor isn¡¯t blind and dumb. What could she ever possibly see in you?¡± Roza sprung back to stay away from Justin. ¡°Only a shallow woman like Rosalind would be interested in a shameless old man like you.¡± Justin pursed his lips embarrassedly That was true. Why did Be like him? Sure, he had saved her life before, but that was thirteen years ago. Be was only 11 years old at the time. How could she think about marrying him at that young age? It did not make sense. ¡°That¡¯s right. Justin is my ex-husband.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The trio looked up in the direction of the voice from the second floor. Dressed in a satin blouse paired with ck pants, Be rested her arms on the railing and smiled pretentiously. Despite Justin standing in her line of vision, his presence held no weight in the scale of her attention. ¡°Pardon me, but everybody makes mistakes.¡± Enjoy Ad Free Readings. Chapter 557 Justin¡¯s heart raced as he stared at Be with tenderness like never before. Her biting words cut through Justin like a knife, and his loving gaze shattered into fleeting bewilderment.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°M-Master!¡± A wave of emotions overwhelmed Roza. She had a lot to ask Be but had no idea where to begin.. ¡°Why are you here, Justin?¡± Be asked curtly. It upset Justin that Be could not care less about him, despite their narrow escape from death together. Still, he replied affectionately, ¡°I wanted to see you.¡± ¡°Oh, please. Do you even believe the wordsing out of your mouth?¡± Be sneered, not taking his word for it. Justin had no words. ¡°Alright. So you¡¯ve seen her. You should leave now.¡± Roza showed him the door. The jerk was involved with Rosalind before. Now that Rosalind was a nobody, Justin came crawling back to Be. Roza could not stand to be around the jerk. ¡°I won¡¯t leave.¡± Justin put his foot down. Do I have to chase you out with a golf club?¡± Roza was an ice princess in public, but her temper would re when one of her own. was kicked around. That was one quality she took from her mentor. ¡°Be.¡± Ignoring Roza, Justin looked fervently at his ex-wife. ¡°I need a moment with you.¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she met the man¡¯s burning gaze in disbelief. Be? Did Justin just murmur her name softly? In their three years of marriage, Justin would often bark her name and sometimes cut to the chase without so much as a greeting. He thought to himself, ¡®All hope isn¡¯t lost with you, Boss. You¡¯re getting the hang of it.¡± ¡°Who the hell do you think you are talking to? Show some respect. You¡¯re divorced, and my mentor doesn¡¯t have time for you. You should respect-¡± ¡°Come up, and we¡¯ll talk,¡± Be said indifferently before walking away. Justin felt blessed. Despite his efforts to get his act together, he could not hide the joy on his face. He followed her without hesitation. Unable to stop Justin, Roza took her anger out onn instead. She looked daggers at him. ¡°Wait outside. Justin and hisp dogs aren¡¯t allowed inside.¡± ¡­ Justin caught up to Be quickly. Be never once looked back at him. She no longer had eyes for him. However, Justin did not let it get to him. Today, Be responded positively to his efforts. Even though the change in her attitude was minute, he would cling to it like there was no tomorrow. They had been married for three years, and he was the one who let her go. Now, he would court her back. When they nearly reached the studio entrance, Be stopped but did not look back. ¡°Be, I-¡± Chapter 558 ¡°Why are you saying my name like that?¡± Be looked at the embarrassed man with a chilling gaze and said. peevishly, ¡°Don¡¯t you find it nauseating? I do.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to feel like a stranger to you.¡± Justin¡¯s heart dropped. He had no idea why she was mad again. Words of endearment were not his forte. He was a decisive and eloquent president on the business front but tongue-tied in the presence of his beloved woman. ¡°Please don¡¯t use the tone you used with Rosalind on me. It¡¯s an insult that you put me on the same level as her.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were biting. Justin pressed his dry lips together and felt his throat itch. The hurt he imparted her with had never disappeared. In fact, the cut was as deep as the day they divorced. Be would get hung up on anything that reminded her of the past. It never crossed her mind to forgive him. Maybe shemanded herself not to forget the humiliating past. That very reason kept them rooted in ce, unable to take the first step toward a new chapter. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lump you in the same group as her, Be. I just Justin exined desperately. ¡°Enough.¡± Be opened the door and interrupted him from finishing. ¡°Don¡¯t readThis material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. into it. I told you toe over because I know you well. You will never leave Roza¡¯s workce until I let you do what you want to. I just don¡¯t want to give Roza any problems.¡± Justin stared at Be¡¯s back dejectedly. She only brought Justin to the studio because she was pressed for time. Celeste¡¯s birthday was around the corner, and the operation of the hotel business took up most of her days. Be only had time in the evenings to make the dress at Roza¡¯s studio. Be grabbed a hair tie on the table and secured her hair into a bun. Justin looked at her tenderly, his fingers twitching. He was tempted to run his fingers along her thick, ck hair. Justin remembered sharing a bed with her when they first got married. Be was not the type to stay still in her sleep, and her hair would spread to his side of the bed. Not wanting her hair to get caught under him, Justin had once carefully tamed the loose strands together. The man felt a lump in his throat as his eyes welled up. At the time, Be slept by his side and was within his reach. Now, he had no right to even be close to her. ¡°Hey.¡± Be had a pin between her lips while sewing embellishments onto the gown. ¡°Have you been keeping well?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been well,¡± Justin responded with a hoarse voice. ¡°I see.¡± Without stopping the task at hand, she looked up at the dazed man. Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted a moment with me? What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Justin was lost for words. ¡°Ha? Cat got your tongue? You better not lie to me about having something to say.¡± The man¡¯s breath hitched. He knew that he would be kicked out if he did not start talking. ¡°I wanted to ask Ms. Walker about a person.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Sharon.¡± Be¡¯s face was emotionless, but her fingers trembled. ¡°Sharon? The internationally renowned fashion designer? Why do you want to ask about her?¡± ¡°I need her help to design an outfit,¡± Justin said earnestly. ¡°She¡¯s busy. Just forget it.¡± With downcast eyes, Be scoffed to herself. The bastard wanted Alexa to design a jewelry piece for him, and now he wanted Sharon to design him an outfit. Did he seriously think the world revolves around him? Chapter 559 Justin frowned. ¡°How can you be so sure? Do you know her?¡± ¡°Why do you want her to make you clothes?¡± Instead of responding to his questions, Be asked about something else. ¡°The birthday of someone I respect ising up. I want Sharon to design an outfit for her,¡± Justin put it vaguely. He did not want to let Be know that the outfit was for Celeste because it was a surprise. Still, Be interpreted his words differently. She scoffed and mocked, ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot that the great Mrs. Salvador¡¯s birthday is this weekend. You must want to impress your father with a gift for your stepmother. How thoughtful.¡± ¡°Be.¡± Justin furrowed his brows in frustration. Her taunting did not get to him. He simply did not like to be misunderstood. ¡°When you contact Sharon, don¡¯t tell her that you want the dress for Shannon. Otherwise, she might justsh out at you,¡± Infuriated, Be turned with her back facing him. ¡°Are you done? Leave now. I¡¯m busy, and you¡¯re a hindrance here. ¡°Ah!¡± The needle pierced her finger in a moment of distraction, and she cried out loud. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you hurt yourself?¡± Justin approached her and held her hand anxiously. A drop of blood seeped out of her fingertip. Justin grimaced as if he were the one stabbed. ¡°It must hurt.¡± ¡°Let go.¡± Be struggled to pull her hand away from his grasp, but the effort was futile. He teared up at the sight of the sttered blood. Justin somehow found the nerve to put Be¡¯s finger in his mouth. ¡°You¡­¡± Be¡¯s heart raced.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Her cheeks burned as her breathing turned ragged. Sensing her tremors, Justin narrowed his eyes. As their gaze met, Be went weak on the knees, and her head was spinning. The affection in his eyes brought her back to their passionate night together, where she lost herself. They did nothing. Yet, it felt like they had done it all. Justin¡¯s breathing grew heavy as tension rose in the room. ¡°Enough!¡± Flustered, Be withdrew her hand. She pulled back. To her surprise, Justin reached out to hook her by the waist and pulled her into his arms. ¡°What are you doing, Justin?¡± Dismay fleeted across her eyes. With his heart thumping out of his chest, the man looked into her bright eyes. Their bodies were so close that they could feel each other¡¯s heartbeat and body temperature. ¡°I want to kiss you, Be.¡± He was honest about his yearning. As her heart skipped a beat, Be gritted her teeth. ¡°Dream-¡± He sealed her lips, taking her breath away from finishing the sentence. Chapter 560 The sunset hues spilled through the window, embracing their entwined shadows in a faint and elusive glow. The shimmer was as gentle as the kiss. Be was lost in the man¡¯s kiss. At first, she had the strength to pound his chest and wide shoulders, but soon, the man¡¯s overpowering testosterone sapped her energy. With her breath ragged, she backed away. ng, bang, crash. Justin pinned Be to the table, scattering the things on the desk all over the floor. Flushed in the ears, Justin felt a rush coursing through his veins like never before. Justin swore that Be was the only woman he ever kissed with such intensity. He vowed that he would never do the same to other women again. ¡°Master!¡± As the door to the studio mmed open, Roza, not one to read the room, rushed in. She put her hand over her mouth as Be and Justin locked lips. Roza quickly let out a loud cry. ¡°Justin! What the hell are you doing? Let go of her!¡± Be¡¯s eyes popped open as if she had awakened from a trance, and she pushed Justin away. She even pped him in the face. Smack! Justin¡¯s left cheek swelled, and Roza was dumbfounded. Despite the burning pain on his cheek, the man curled his lips. He was happy to take the punishment. Uh¡­ Justin had his good looks to thank Otherwise, he would look like a pervert, pulling that expression. ¡°Get out of here now, Justin! Leave! don¡¯t want to see you!¡± The joy in his eyes deepened as Be blushed, and her eyes were dewy from the kiss. Though the evidence of their intimacy was reflected on her face, she told him to get out. ¡°Leave!¡± Be shouted, her chest heaving. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see you again once your busy season is over.¡± Be was stunned. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. She could not believe the wordsing out of the man¡¯s mouth. She did not want to see him at all. Justin took onest lingering look at her before walking out the door reluctantly. The man brushed past Roza, leaving behind a minty scent. Roza was utterly dumbstruck. Before she knew it, Justin was long gone. ¡°A-Are you alright?¡± Roza went to hold Be to stop her from falling. Her eyes welled up with rage. ¡°Your ex-husband harassed you. We should call the cops.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Be held her beating heart and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend that I was bitten by a dog. Let¡¯s just forget that it ever happened.¡± Roza stared at Be¡¯s flighty gaze in a daze. Struck by a thought, she wrapped her arms around Be. ¡°Tell me the truth. Have you gotten over him?¡± ¡°I have,¡± Be responded without hesitation. She hugged Roza back, her voice wry. ¡°We are divorced. I know better than to hang onto him.¡± Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Be said, ¡°Thirteen years ago, I was never good to myself because of Justin. Now that we are separated, I won¡¯t fall in love with anyone. anymore. I won¡¯t make the same mistake again. I need to move. forward with my life.¡± Roza sighed tearfully. She could sense how deep of a cut Justin had left on Be. Her wound would not heal so easily. ¡°That¡¯s right. We should move forward! Romance is not for the wise.¡± Roza patted Be¡¯s back and said cheekily, ¡°We should go out for drinks tonight. I want to learn about your heartbreaking love story over alcohol.¡± ¡°My love story is the worst rom ever. It¡¯s cringey to talk about it.¡± Casting the sadness away, Be grinned wickedly and lifted Roza¡¯s chin with a finger. ¡°You, on the other hand, have the hots for all hotties. Any new romance to share?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dating anyone. I¡¯m either making or designing clothes. I guess clothes will be mypanion.¡± Roza scoffed. ¡°Hot guys are eye candies, but that¡¯s all they are. They¡¯re airheads. Those models and celebrities I fancied before weren¡¯t worth my time. They showed their true colors, asking for branded watches and fancy cars after buttering me up for a few days. I¡¯m a sucker for good looks, but man, I¡¯m no fool.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Be burst outughing. ¡°I guess we are jerk mas. Don¡¯t worry, Roza. I won¡¯t let you go through what I did. If you¡¯re interested in dating, I¡¯ll introduce you to a few men.¡± ¡°A few? God, you¡¯re a busy woman. Where do you find good men?¡± ¡°I was born into a family of good men.¡± Be patted her chest proudly. ¡°My brothers are single. Once I show you their profiles, you can pick and choose whoever you like. I¡¯ll introduce you to him.¡± Roza did not know what to feel. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to y matchmaker, but it feels like I¡¯m choosing a male escort.¡± ¡°My brothers have more to offer than male escorts.¡± Be winked cheekily. ¡°I could introduce you to Axel. He¡¯s handsome and well-spoken. I¡¯m sure he can please you better than a male escort.¡± ¡°Really? What does he do for a living if he¡¯s articte?¡± Roza¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of a hottie. ¡°He¡¯s a public prosecutor.¡± Roza replied, ¡°Thanks, I guess¡­¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were dopey when he wandered out of the vi. His mind. was preupied with the kiss he shared with Be earlier. ¡°Mr. Salvador.¡± Upon a closer look,n noticed Justin¡¯s sparkling eyes, blushed cheeks, and glossy lips under the soft glow of the sunset. Judging by the smutty look on Justin¡¯s face, he must have done. something with Be. ¡°Mr. Salvador, your face- ¡°Oh, Be hit me.¡± Justin reached to touch his face with a smile. ¡°Huh? Why did the young madam hit you?¡±n was shocked. Justin¡¯s mind wandered back to Be, who melted in his arms. because of the kiss. His heart beat out of his chest, and his lips curled into a smile as he could not get enough of her. ¡°Because she cares about me.¡± The birthday celebration was three days away. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Despite all her efforts, Shannon received some devastating news. Sharon would never design a dress for her. Ever. ¡°The staff of Sharon¡¯s studio said that Sharon will not design a dress for you no matter how much you offer.¡± Bethany ryed the news to Shannon with apprehension. Chapter 562 Shannon¡¯s eyes bulged as she asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s in your best interest not to ask about the details, Mom.¡± Bethany found it hard to approach the subject. ¡°Quit stammering. Just tell me.¡± Bethany shuddered, bit the bullet, and said, ¡°Word from Sharon is that she will never dress a questionable and scandalous individual in her clothes. She doesn¡¯t want to damage her own reputation.¡± She tried her best to word her sentence diplomatically because Sharon said the worst things. Shannon¡¯s pride as the wife of a corporation chairman held no weight.. ¡°Damn it. That¡¯s outrageous.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Flying into a rage, Shannon shoved the expensive cosmetic products. off the vanity dresser. ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid dress. Who does she think she is? I can still beat Celeste any time of the day, even without a dress from Sharon.¡± Silence befell the room. ¡°D-Dad?¡± Bethany was thrown off by Gregory¡¯s presence at the door. Shannon turned back and saw her partner looking glum. She cried out coyly in a fluster. ¡°Greg, are you back from your business trip? When did you get back? Why-¡± 214 ¡°What¡¯s all this about now? Why did you trash the room?¡± Gregory nced at the mess and asked with a frown. ¡°I asked Sharon, a top designer, to design a birthday gown for me, but she wouldn¡¯t do it, and that would be the end of it. However, she insulted me. How was I supposed to let it go?¡± Shannon ran and hugged Gregory in tears. Even Bethany was impressed by the depth and versatility of her mother¡¯s advances. ¡°Greg, I¡¯m your wife. I represent you and Salvador Corporation. Sharon is basically putting you and thepany down through me. You must stand up for me and get her canceled. Show her the consequences of upsetting your woman.¡± ¡°Get her canceled? She¡¯s a designer with international fame. I doubt I have any influence outside the city.¡± Gregory¡¯s tone was stiff. In the past, Gregory often found Shannon¡¯s little tantrums adorable, and he would do anything for her. Lately, Shannon has caused many irreversible troubles. It had not been long since thest incident, and she was at it again. Gregory felt that Shannon had not been sensible or lived up to his expectations as the wife of a corporation president. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Shannon had nothing to say about herself. She was angry and hurt. ¡°Give us some room, Bethany. I need a word with your mother.¡± ¡°Sure, Dad.¡± Bethany slipped out. She found her mother unpredictable and hard to approach now. Bethany wondered if Shannon was experiencing a mid-life crisis. Once the door was closed, Shannon pulled herself together and murmured, ¡°Did you have time to review the guest list I sent you, Greg?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s a question for you, Shannon. Why did you move the birthday. party to the weekend instead of keeping it to the date of your actual birthday?¡± Gregory was not too pleased to learn the news while abroad. ¡°You should know that Wyatt¡¯s third wife is having a birthday celebration on the same day. You insist on having yours on that day to one-up her, right?¡± Shannon bit her lip. ¡°Since you¡¯re not saying anything, I assume that I¡¯m right.¡± Gregory gently pushed her away, feeling baffled by the whole thing. The bad blood between you two happened more than two decades ago. You have retired from the public eye, and the past is long. forgotten. Why are you trying to best her? Are you trying to start something by reminding the public about the miserable past? ¡°What does the miserable past have to do with me?¡± With a menacing look, Shannon burst outughing. ¡°Celeste was the one humiliated and shamed. I¡¯m just trying to remind everybody of the star I once was.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable.¡± ¡°Unreasonable? Am I being unreasonable, or are you feeling guilty, Greg?¡± Shannon¡¯s resentment was reflected in her bloodshot eyes. Chapter 563. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Gregory scowled. ¡°I bet you still favor Celeste. Rumors that you two were dating were all over the papers twenty years ago.¡± Chapter 563 Gregory asked sternly, ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Why would I have anything to do with Wyatt¡¯s woman?¡± ¡°It happened before you knew me. You were the shareholder of TS Gem Channel when Celeste found fame. Rumors that Celeste wasAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org. your lover spread like wildfire, and paparazzi caught you with Celeste. Are you denying you were ever involved with her?¡± Livid, Shannon had to bring the incident up. The thought of Celeste sent a rush of blood to her head. Shannon picked Gregory not just because he was the sessor to Salvador Corporation. Back then, word went around that Celeste¡¯s man was Gregory. She vowed to take anything and everything that was Celeste¡¯s Whatever Shannon could not take from Celeste, she would de Gregory furrowed his brows as rage slowly burned in him. ¡°Nothi going on between me and Celeste.¡± Stung by his grimacing gaze, Shannon became timid. ¡°If I were really involved with Celeste, do you think I would have. married you instead of her? I¡¯m not the type to keep a mistress or let someone else marry my woman.¡± Shannon felt suffocated. It did not seem like there was a problem with what Gregory said. However, Shannon was upset. It sounded as if she was Gregory¡¯s second choice. ¡°So you did have feelings for her, and you have not moved on, am I right?¡± Shannon shook Gregory¡¯s arm and asked tearfully, ¡°Greg, that woman is a bitch. She was seeing many other men in showbiz. She was caught with drugs too, which caused her career downfall. No man would be caught dead with her in fear of being seen in a bad light. All she can ever be is a mistress to Wyatt.¡± Thement somehow did not sit well with Gregory. Gregory knew Celeste before Shannon. At the time, Celeste was better known for her fame, looks, and acting prowess than Shannon. In Gregory¡¯s mind, Celeste was not as intolerable as Shannon put her to be. Even though Celeste¡¯s drug test came out positive and she had to quit showbiz due to her damaged reputation, Gregory believed Celeste was framed. He never once looked down on her. I know the type of person Celeste is. Besides, if she was really that shady, do you think Wyatt would marry her in the first ce?¡± Gregory¡¯s facial muscles tensed. ¡°I felt sorry for Celeste because she was ostracized and bullied. Yet she kept things to herself. As one of the shareholders and owners, I had a responsibility to take care of TS Gem¡¯s promising artists. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re bringing out a rumor that happened twenty years ago, I only married you because you were understanding and tolerant of me. If you carry on talking nonsense, I will only think that you aren¡¯t the person I thought you were. It makes me question my decision to marry you.¡± Shannon¡¯s eyes widened as she grimaced. Gregory¡¯s words devastated her. ¡°After all we went through, Greg. Despite the public scorn, I bore your child and stood by your side without asking for marriage. How could you think that of me?¡± Gregory felt bad when Shannon started crying inconsbly. He sighed and patted her trembling back. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I was harsh. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± It would usually take some time to soothe Shannon, but she knew when to call it quits. Hiding the anger behind her eyes, she held Gregory and softened in his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me, Greg. I just care and love you too much. I¡¯m scared of you leaving me Shannon puckered up her tear-soaked lips.. Gregory was drained, and long-awaited desire soon swept over him. Shannon grabbed the man¡¯s tie and removed her pajamas as they kissed and backed into the bed. Something else was going on in one of Savrow¡¯s vis. Chapter 564 Due to the chilly weather, Be stopped taking her kayak out to the back of the vi. However, she remained disciplined in keeping up with her workout regime. Be, dressed in skin-tight pink athletic wear, sprinted on the treadmill. Her face was flushed as she sweated profusely. Steven held a towel and bottle of water ready for Be. He reported softly, ¡°Ipared the guest lists released by Chairman Thompson. and Gregory and found that at least 50% of the names are on both.¡± Be remained indifferent. ¡°That¡¯s to be expected.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still a little worried.¡± Steven voiced his concern. ¡°Madam Celeste is having the birthday celebration at the KS World Hotel, while Shannon is having hers at the Salvador Hotel. Once again, bothpanies are at odds.¡± ¡°Get your facts right. Who would want to be associated with Salvador Corporation¡¯s wicked witch? She¡¯s shameless to have her birthday on the same day as Aunt Celeste.¡± Be had the breath to ridicule Shannon, even though she was running. Shannon is the one looking for trouble, but we¡¯re having the party in Savrow, not Hatchbay. I¡¯m afraid=¡± ¡°Are you afraid that the guests would extend the courtesy to Gregory and not Wyatt, since Gregory was born and bred in Savrow?¡± ¡°Nothing goes past you, Ms. Be.¡± Steven ttered Be. ¡°You always worry over nothing.¡± Be got off the treadmill. Seeing that she was drenched in sweat, Steven held the towel up to dry her sweat. She snatched the towel from him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Steven pursed his lips. He had a feeling that Be had be distant. Even though he had admitted his feelings to her, they had talked things through. He expected nothing from her, but he could feel their rtionship regressing. ¡°The Iversons are on the guest list. Not only that, I dropped an invitation to Ryan, and he was over the moon. He agreed to decline. the invitation to the Salvadors¡¯ party and attend Aunt Celeste¡¯s instead.¡± Be shifted her gaze away from Steven¡¯s dejected face and wiped her sweat. ¡°The Iversons and Hoffmans are attending our event, and they are important people. Those who can¡¯t decide will soon know who to pick. The era of Salvador Corporation and the Iverson Group dominating the business world is over because KS Group will stand in their way once I be the CEO. The Thompsons and the Iversons. have a long-standing rtionship, and Ryan supports me. I wonder if the undecisive will still amodate Gregory¡¯s invitation.¡± Steven nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Be took the bottle of water and sipped on the straw. She did not even look at Steven the whole time. ¡°Ms. Be.¡± Steven called out to her in a sad voice and asked cautiously, ¡°Have I done something wrong?¡± Be shied away from his gaze. ¡°Huh? No.¡± ¡°I did. I know I did.¡± Steven¡¯s face was flushed with panic. ¡°What did I do wrong, Ms. Be? Tell me, and I¡¯ll change.¡± ¡°You have done nothing wrong, Steve. I just think that you¡¯re nearly 30. Your world doesn¡¯t revolve around me. You should have your own life and find time to date someone.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Ms. Be¡­¡± ¡°My sister, Amelia, has always been close to you, and you guys still get along fine. I can tell that you like her too.¡± Be was sincere in setting them up. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two try dating? Don¡¯t stress out about it, though. Youe from a good family, and Wyatt considers you a godson. No one will stop you from being together with Amelia. In fact, we can¡¯t be happier.¡± ¡°I appreciate the thought, Ms. Be.¡± Steven¡¯s heart raced, but his tone was firm. ¡°I¡¯m nice to Ms. Amelia because she¡¯s your sister and Chairman Thompson¡¯s daughter. It¡¯s my duty to serve her too. Plus, we grew up together. She¡¯s like a sister to me.¡± ¡ª That night, Justin finished his work and returned to Tideview Manor. The temperature dropped rapidly in thest two days. It would not be long before they weed snow. Chapter 565 Chapter 565 Justin fought back the urge to cough the whole way home. The moment he set foot in the entrance, a hacking cough escaped his throat. ¡°Young Master!¡± Wilma rushed over and was horrified to find Justin coughing his lungs out. ¡°Young Master Justin, what happened to you? Why are you coughing so badly? Did you catch a cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Wilma. Get me a ss of water,¡± Justin said indifferently, clearly not telling Wilma that he was injured. ¡°But¡­ But you don¡¯t look fine.¡± Wilma looked worried. ¡°Maybe we should get the family doctor to check on you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I¡¯ll be good after taking some meds.¡± Justin smiled with assurance. ¡°Young Master Justin, the chairman wants you in his study. He wants a word with you,¡± the butler conveyed the message. Justin stepped into the study and frowned. Gregory and Shannon sat on the sofa in matching pajamas. Shannon, with her face flushed and her hair unkempt,y in Gregory¡¯s embrace. She would kiss her husband¡¯s cheeks every now and then. Justin turned around to leave because they made him sick. ¡°Alright now. Justin is still here.¡± Gregory told Shannon off, not wanting to be lovey-dovey in front of his son. ¡°We can continueter.¡± Shannon made circles on the man¡¯s chest with her finger flirtatiously. The romance was not dead in the bedroom, for sure. ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± Unable to stand it anymore, Justin asked with a grimace. ¡°Your mother¡¯s birthday celebration is this weekend. How are the preparations?¡± Gregory asked. ¡°My mother¡¯s birthday celebration?¡± Justin smirked. ¡°I have always spent my mother¡¯s birthday with her at the cemetery. You have never once celebrated or visited her. Why are you so nice to ask this time?¡± Gregory was stumped for words. His expression was stunned. ¡°If you¡¯re asking about Aunt Shannon¡¯s birthday, then pardon me. That¡¯s not my business. I have done nothing.¡± The joy in Justin¡¯s eyes disappeared. ¡°Aunt Shannon is your wife and Bethany¡¯s mother. She has two people in her corner to organize the event. I don¡¯t think an outsider should get involved.¡± The word ¡°outsider¡± got on Gregory¡¯s nerves. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Salvador? Thanks to the family, you were raised in privilege and became the president of Salvador Corporation. What more do you want?¡± Shannon rested her body weight on her husband, hiding the malice in her eyes. ¡°Is there anything else? If there¡¯s none, I should go back to my room.¡± Before, Justin would probably try to argue. Now, he lost the will to talk some sense into his dumb father who was yed by Shannon and Bethany. ¡°I¡¯m not done, Justin. Get back here!¡± Gregory jolted to his feet and yelled, nearly knocking Shannon off the sofa. ¡°That reminds me. I forgot to let you know.¡± Justin stopped without looking back, his tall build standing erect. ¡°I won¡¯t be attending Aunt Shannon¡¯s birthday party.¡± Shannon scowled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gregory was shocked. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to attend the family event, are you attending the All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Thompsons¡±?¡± ¡°Sure. Why not?¡± Chapter 566 Sure.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Why not? The casual sequence of words enraged Gregory and Shannon so badly that they nearly started foaming at the mouth. Shannon red hatefully at Justin¡¯s indifferent face, hiding behind Gregory like a ghost, her eyes full of viciousness. ¡°Justin Salvador! Have you forgotten who you are?!¡± Gregory roared, trembling with anger. ¡°Thank you for taking the trouble to remind me time and time again. Myst name is Salvador, and I¡¯m your son.¡± Justin smiled flippantly and sarcastically. ¡°I would¡¯ve forgotten it hadn¡¯t reminded me.¡± ¡°You rebellious scoundrel!¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and he was dizzy with anger as he shook a finger in Justin¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time. You¡¯re set on epting the Thompsons¡¯ invitation this weekend, are you?!¡± ¡°Oh, Justin, how could you be so foolish?¡± Shannon felt like the time was about right to cut in and put on the face of a benevolent mother trying to keep the peace. ¡°My birthday celebration isn¡¯t important, but you know your father doesn¡¯t getalong with Wyatt Thompson. Be Thompson has also been creatingtrouble for us time and time again. How could you turn your back on us at this critical juncture? If you, the president of Salvador Corporation, don¡¯t show up, won¡¯t you be openly snubbing your dad?!¡± ¡°Madam Shannon Quarry.¡± Justin spoke coldly as he looked at her darkly. ¡°If your birthday celebration isn¡¯t important, then don¡¯t hold one. You, your daughter,and your rtives don¡¯t work for the benefit of thepany. You abuse your power and have caused countless scandals for thepany, which has put thepany under scrutiny and affected thepany¡¯s profits. You¡¯re infamous in Savrow. But instead of keeping a low profile right now, you¡¯re celebrating your birthday in a shy manner. Ha! Do you think the people are idiots or that the inte doesn¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°Y-you-!¡± Shannon¡¯s eyes turned red, and her hands clenched into fists. Gregory was originally biased toward Shannon, but he wavered whenhe heard this. Justin continued to say, ¡°Just because the chairman is willing to act. like a loving couple and y house with you doesn¡¯t mean you should expect everyone to cater to your vanity. Just be grateful for whatever little you have.¡± ¡®Ah!!!¡¯ Shannon was so furious that her ears were ringing, and she nearly fainted from anger. ¡°What did you say?! Are you insulting your father?!¡± Gregory did not even pay attention to Shannon, only thinking that he had been mocked by his own son. He felt a stuffy feeling in his chest. ¡°Butler! Where are you?!¡± Gregory usually appeared elegant and profound before others and rarely got so angry. This time, not only did Justin openly take the side of Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter, but Justin was also obviously challenging his authority and secretly using him of being a clueless person who abetted a wrongdoer. Justin was crossing the line. ¡°I¡¯m here, Chairman Salvador.¡± The butler hurriedly walked in, trembling. Justin¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and there was even a hintof disdain in his cold eyes. This added fuel to the angry fire burning in Gregory¡¯s heart. ¡°Bring me the cane. Quickly!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?!¡± The butler was shocked. Thest time Justin had gotten a beating was almost twenty yeaago. Back then, Justin had a heated argument with Gregory because of his mother¡¯s death. At the time, Justin was filled with anger and hatred. He wanted to rush up to his father and beat him up. In the end, Gregory whipped Justin to the point that no part of hisbody was left unmarked. Although Nigel had rushed over as soon as he could, Justin had stillbeen beaten until he went into shock and had to be rushed to thehospital. Was that brutal incident going to repeat itself?! ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get the cane!¡± Gregory roaredas he red at the expressionless Justin. Gregory felt that this rebellious son of his was still silently challenging his authority as the head of the family. ¡°Yes, Chairman!¡± Shannon was furious, but when she saw that Gregory would punishthis bastard, she instantly felt much better. Chapter 567 Shannon thought, ¡®Go ahead and beat Justin to death! At least then, I can vent my anger!¡¯ Almost all of Tideview Manor¡¯s employees were gathered in the vi¡¯s first-floor hall and stood in neat rows. When Bethany heard Justin was going to get a beating, she was so happy that she nearly broke out into a dance and even went to look for the little sister she nearly forgot existed, Carrie Salvador. ¡°Hey, idiot!¡± Bethany kicked the door of Carrie¡¯s room open. Carrie had been drawing and dropped her pencil in shock. ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter, B-Bethany?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go downstairs to watch the show? Justin¡¯s abto get a beating! Hahahahahaha!¡± Bethany threw her head back in wildughter. ¡°Justin?! Why?!¡± Carrie panicked. ¡°Why? Because he was too bold and dared to talk back to ouresteemed father!¡± Bethany smiled gloatingly. ¡°Hmph! He really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯sgood for him. Does he think he¡¯s all that just because he¡¯s the president of Salvador Corporation? He should have considered it carefully. If it weren¡¯t for our eldest brother¡¯s poor health, would Justin even be sitting in that position today? And if it weren¡¯t for Daddy taking pity on Justin for his mother dying young, he would¡¯ve been sent to the overseas branch long ago! He wouldn¡¯t be enjoying his position today. What an unappreciative fool!¡± No matter how often Carrie was called an idiot, she was not really one. She could tell that Bethany was looking down on and mocking Justin. She felt indignant. Gathering her courage, she retorted timidly, ¡°Justin isn¡¯t like that¡­ You and Mom must have teamed up to bully Justin.¡± ¡°You stupid idiot! What did you say?!¡± When Carrie saw Bethany lunge at her with wild eyes like a mad dog, she shut her eyes tightly in fear and reflexively covered her head withher arms. ¡°Ms. Bethany.¡± Right then, the female helper who usually cared for Carrie walked in and anxiously said, ¡°Chairman Salvador wants you and Ms. Carrie to go downstairs right now.¡± Upon hearing this, Bethany put down the arm she had raised high above her head and said with resentment, ¡°Got it.¡± She turned to leave in a huff. ¡°Ms. Carrie, are you alright?!¡± The female helper rushed over to Carrie, sweating. She felt so bad for Carrie when she saw how pale she was. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you, Linny. If you hadn¡¯t made it in time¡­¡± Carrie¡¯s clear, doe-like eyes teared up halfway through her sentence, and she trailed off, not daring to continue. ¡°Ms. Carrie¡­ Oh, look at you!¡± Linny took Carrie¡¯s ice-cold hand, her gaze full of heartache. She pushed up Carrie¡¯s sleeve, only to see bruises covering Carrie¡¯s arms. Her tears were about to fall from her face as she said, ¡°Ms. Bethany has bullied you so badly that there isn¡¯t an unmarked spot on your body! Things can¡¯t go on like this. Please tell Chairman Salvador about this. Even if Madam Shannon doesn¡¯t take it seriously, Chairman Salvador is your father. He won¡¯t just ignore it!¡± Carrie hurriedly retracted her hand and hung her head in thought for a few seconds before saying softly, ¡°You should head down first. Dad has called for me, so I¡¯ll head down in a bit.¡± Linny sighed helplessly and had no choice but to leave. Once the door closed, Carrie immediately dug out her phone andpulled up Be¡¯s phone number in a practiced manner. After a few seconds of hesitation, she finally mustered up thecourage to call Be. The call quickly connected, and a gentle voice came through. ¡°Carrie,what made you think of calling me? Do you need help withsomething?¡± When Carrie heard Be¡¯s familiar voice, she choked up. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, her crystalline tears welledover her reddened eyes.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Carrie? Carrie? What happened? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Be¡¯s voice was filled with worry. ¡°Annie¡­ Justin¡¯s being bullied.¡± Be was puzzled by this. Thinking that Carrie was exaggerating, she joked, ¡°Justin Salvador is being bullied? Who in this world can bully him? He could rip off someone¡¯s head and kick it around as a ball!¡± ¡°My mother and father are teaming up to bully him. My father is going to discipline him. They¡¯re going to give Justin a beating!¡± Carrie was panicking as she paced her room in circles. ¡°Discipline?¡± Be was stunned. ¡°Annie! Please Please save Justin! My father is about to startbeating him soon. What if he kills Justin?!¡± Chapter 568 Gregory had called pretty much everyone who could be called away from their posts to gather around the hall. They surrounded Justin, who stood at the center, cing him in full view of everyone. Justin had already taken off his coat and was only wearing a thinwhite shirt. The sight of his strong arms and his muscled body underneath it made onlookers envious, and their hearts skipped a beat with the sheer masculinity he exuded. Gregory was doing this to hurt Justin¡¯s pride and make him feelembarrassed. But he did not expect Justin to stand there proudly without sayinword. It was Justin¡¯splete victory, even though he had not doanything. The female employees covered their mouths as they blushed in excitement, almost unable to resist squealing. Honestly, Justin was still stunningly handsome even when he was being punished. His image was not affected at all. When Gregory saw that his son had no intention of admitting defeat.or that he was wrong, he cracked his whip viciously and hit the ground with a loud crack, which struck fear into everyone¡¯s hearts. ¡°Kneel!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes shed with a fierce, rebellious light as heughedcoldly. ¡°Kneel? Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°You-!¡± ¡°I¡¯m standing right here. If you want to whip me, just do it. Stop spouting nonsense.¡± Justin¡¯s gaze was dark and cold, but calm. This was how it had always been. The Salvador family¡¯s rules of discipline had been passed down from their ancestors. Even Nigel had suffered his father¡¯s beating while surrounded by the family¡¯s helpers in his youth. This rule did not change for the next generation of Salvador men either. Now, Justin was experiencing the rotten part of this rich family too.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He turned around with a cold expression. Smack-! Smack-! Smack-! Gregory red at Nigel, cracking the whip with gritted teeth as he whipped Justin three times in a row with all his might. ¡°Ah! Young Master Justin is bleeding!¡± Someone in the crowdeximed in shock. Lines of striking red had appeared on Justin¡¯s broad back. He was bleeding through his white shirt. This was nothing less than medieval torture. Shannon and Bethany were incredibly delighted. It was so satisfyingthat they almost wanted to grab some popcorn to enjoy the show with. However, Justin¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and his back did. not bend. Even though he could feel his flesh had split open, even though each strike tugged at his old wounds and put him in so much pain that every nerve was trembling and he was on the verge of copse, Justin still held on with sheer willpower. ¡°Do you admit that you were wrong? Do you?!¡± Gregorywhipping him. Was t ¡°No, I do not.¡± Justin gritted his teeth and held his head high. ¡°You rebellious scoundrel!¡± Right as Gregory¡¯s eyes reddened and he was about to whip Justin even harder, a clear and pleasant voice cut through the air, apanied by the appearance of two familiar silhouettes. ¡°Stop!¡± Everyone turned to look at the door. Justin was sweating profusely from the pain and was very pale. Even his vision was starting to blur. But through his blurring vision, the sight of Be¡¯s gorgeous face. seemed to give him a shot of adrenaline. Even if he was on hisst. breath, he coulde back to life at this moment. ¡°Be¡­¡± He saw Be stride toward him quickly, getting closer. Justin hesitated for a moment before his lips suddenly curled in an imperceptible smile. His eyes were half-closed as he fell toward Be. ¡°Justin!¡± Chapter 569 When Be saw Justin fall toward her weakly, she reflexively spread her arms to catch him and held him tightly. Suddenly, she felt a warm liquid on her palm, and her heart skipped a beat.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She slowly raised her hand and turned her palm over. A shocking swath of blood entered her line of sight. Be realized that Justin¡¯s broad back was covered with narrow vicious whip marks. His white shirt was already soaked and dyed red with blood. Instantly, her eyes widened, and an uncontroble rage overtook her as her eyes began to gleam with a cold, intimidating light. ¡°Are you okay, Justin?¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Justin leaned firmly into her embrace,still sweating. ¡°Of course!¡± Be blurted, unable to control her emotions. Justin¡¯s heart thumped loudly as he forcibly suppressed his joy, and he smiled softly. ¡°Thank you, Be.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Be was at the peak of her anger. There was fear in her eyes as she scolded him in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re badly injured right now. Stoptalking. I don¡¯t want to hear your bleating!¡± Justinughed bitterly as he said softly into her ear, ¡°Okay.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded to see Be Thompson appear out of nowhere. Carrie, who was watching everything from a hidden corner, teared up when she saw Annie descend onto the scene like a goddess. Shannon and Bethany, on the other hand, looked like they had just eaten a lemon. Their expressions were as sour as can be. ¡°Chairman Salvador, there¡¯s a lot of excitement going on in your home today. If I¡¯d been just one momentter, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to see this terribly dramatic scene of you disciplining your son, would I?¡± Be said with a mocking smile. But the gaze she aimed at Gregory was sharp and intimidating. Even Hercules himself would have felt a chill. Some of the helpers heard the sarcasm and snickered. Be steadily supported Justin as she slowly chuckled. ¡°I usually hearpeople say that family affairs should be kept private. This is the firsttime in my life that I¡¯ve seen someone beat their son before such acrowd without regard for their family¡¯s reputation. You might as wellstrip him naked and string him up over Tideview Manor¡¯s metal gatesfor three days and three nights. When the timees, I¡¯ll definitelyinvite all of Savrow¡¯s reporters toe look and spread your namefar and wide.¡± Her sarcastic remarks were viciously biting. The snickering grew louder. Justin did not know whether tough or cry when he heard this. This woman had to be constantly thinking up methods to torture him day and night. Gregory really hated this girl. It was a mystery how Wyatt Thompson had brought up his daughter to be so disrespectful! ¡°Ms. Thompson!¡± Shannon was bolstered by the fact that her husband was right there to back her up and stepped forward to rebuke Be. ¡°This has been the Salvador family¡¯s rule for decades. Kids who have done wrong have to unconditionally ept their punishment. My husband and Old Master Nigel also experienced it. So this is the way it shou Justin¡¯s generation as well. Besides, this is our family matter already divorced Justin, so you¡¯re no longer part of the family are you thinking, turning up at this time? In what capacity are you doing this? What right do you have to interfere?!¡± Be did not even have to think to know that the wicked womanwould say exactly all that, so she was unruffled in the face of herquestioning. Justin could not bear to allow Shannon to bully his woman. His eyes. shed with a vicious gleam as he opened his mouth. When he was about to speak, Nigel said, ¡°Anna might not have a say in this, but I do!¡± Chapter 570 Chapter 570 A resounding voice interrupted the beating. It was only then that the crowd noticed Nigel was at the door with his secretary, Matt Upton. Be had been so attention-grabbing that Gregory and Shannon had not realized Nigel hade as well. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Grandpa Nigel!¡± Justin and Be spoke in unison, though Be¡¯s voice was much more affectionate.. Shannon¡¯s arrogance was instantly halved, and she broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°Dad, why are you here?¡± Gregory was taken aback. The hand he held the whip with trembled slightly. ¡°Hmph! If I hadn¡¯t rushed over, you probably would have kept beating. my grandson to death!¡± Nigel was sitting majestically in his wheelchair. When he saw how. injured Justin was, he began trembling from anger. ¡°Justin! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Grandpa.¡± Justin smiledfortingly. ¡°Matt! Call my personal doctor toe over immediately to treat Justin¡¯s wounds!¡± ¡°Yes, Old Master,¡± Matt hurriedly stepped aside to make the call. ¡°It must have been a huge trouble for Ms. Thompson to call Dad all the way here for Justin.¡± Shannon tugged on Gregory¡¯s sleeve as she spoke sarcastically, turning her focus to Be once more. ¡°Greg, Dad¡¯s health and legs have always been in bad condition. It¡¯s sote, and he had to rush over here in such cold weather. I feel-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, that¡¯s enough! Stop acting!¡± Nigel irritably interrupted Shannon¡¯s performance with a wave of his hand. ¡°I¡¯m in perfectly good health. Anna often visits to help me manage my condition. Are you trying to curse me by saying that?¡± Realizing she had messed up, Shannon panicked and tried to exin.¡± No, Dad-¡± ¡°Also, it wasn¡¯t Anna who called me over.¡± Nigel did not allow Shannon any opportunity to retaliate and continued to reprimand her. ¡°This was all a coincidence. Anna happened to be visiting me tonight, and when I heard Justin was getting beaten by Gregory, I was so angry that I insisted on rushing here. Anna only followed me because she was afraid something. would happen to me. If you guys have anything else you¡¯d like to ask, ask me, not Anna!¡± Everyone turned and looked at the pale Shannon with aplicated gaze. Shannon¡¯s eyes were red and wide. She no longer dared to say anything else. This time, she had really shot herself in the foot. She had been too rash! ¡°Be, you were visiting Grandpa?¡± Justin looked up at Be in surprise. ¡°Yeah.¡± She replied coldly, refusing to meet his burning gaze. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me toe with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll visit Grandpa on my own. Who are you to me? Why do I have to bring you along?¡± Be snorted lightly. Justin pursed his lips, once again feeling hurt. Bethany felt suspicious when she heard her grandfather¡¯s words. If Be only came with Grandpa due to a coincidence, who was it that had called Grandpa over? Suddenly, she thought of something and looked angrily at Carrie, who was standing not far away. As expected, that stupid girl¡¯s silly smile betrayed her. ¡°Dad, Shannon¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t havee here. It¡¯s too tiring for you. We¡¯re just worried about your health.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Gregory was about to walk over to Nigel, but Nigel made a gesture to stop him in his tracks with a cold expression. ¡°If you were really worried about my health, you shouldn¡¯t have whipped my grandson like this and angered me! I¡¯m very upset with you!¡± Chapter 571 Therge hall fell silent. Be blinked as she could not help butugh. When Justin saw her mischievous expression, he forgot about his pain and just looked at her wholeheartedly as he smiled slightly in satisfaction. When everyone saw how Old Master Nigel did not show Gregory any mercy and scolded the master of Tideview Manor in front of them, they were all shocked. Considering Gregory¡¯s status as the chairman of Salvador Corporation, it was very embarrassing for him to be scolded by his own father in front of the helpers. How humiliating! Gregory instantly felt the injury to his pride, and his face rapidly turned red in humiliation. He ordered through gritted teeth, ¡°Butler, disperse the crowd.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do! This matter must be settled right now in front of everyone. No one is allowed to take a single step out of this hall!¡± Old Master Nigel was truly intimidating. Be was quite simr to Old Master Nigel when she was angry. It was as if she were his biological grandchild. ¡°Dad, what do you mean?¡± Gregory frowned and asked with cancel unconcealed.anger. ¡°What do I mean? Hmph! I mean exactly what you mean!¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes as he sneered, ¡°You weren¡¯t afraid of damaging Justin¡¯s pride when you beat him in front of everyone. Now that I want to settle this issue in front of the same crowd, what is there for you not to ept?¡± ¡°Dad! You can¡¯t keep taking his side! Aren¡¯t you just spoiling him?¡± Gregory pointed angrily at Justin and shouted, his face red. ¡°You¡¯ve spoiled him to the point that he¡¯s be so rebellious and doesn¡¯t even know his limits! If things go on like this, he won¡¯t even respect me as his father!¡± ¡°Ha.¡± A cold sneer appeared on Justin¡¯s face. The moment his mother jumped from the roof of this manor, to him, his father was no more. He had died with his mother. Be heard Justin loud and clear. Silently, she looked at his pale face and saw the heartbreaking hatred etched into his eyes. She could not help but feel her heart twinge. ¡°You say that Justin is rebellious and doesn¡¯t know his limits. So cancel Nigel was so dismissive of this that he even used his little finger to pick at his teeth. Everyone was silent. Tsk, tsk. The old man grew more fearless and went against the grain as he grew older. Perhaps it was because his nature had been suppressed for too long in his youth, growing up in a rich family. Now that Nigel was old and had everything at his fingertips, he let himself gopletely. ¡°He talked back to me and disobeyed me!¡± Gregory was so angry that he said everything that came to mind. ¡°I¡¯m justified in my use of the family rules to discipline him. I had no other choice! And besides, I¡¯m his father. What¡¯s the problem with me teaching him a lesson?¡± ¡°Hmph! If backtalk and disobedience are the problem, you¡¯ve set a great example for your son!¡± cancel Nigel looked at Shannon with disgust. ¡°Then, ording to you, I should have beat you until your limbs were broken back when you married Shannon Quarry!¡± Gregory and Shannon¡¯s expressions were twisted in ugly ways. ¡°The Salvador family rules are meant to punish people who have tru made mistakes and truly deserve to be punished. Let me ask you what has Justin done wrong? Tell me every single thing!¡± Nigel smacked the armrest of his wheelchair, making Shannon jump and tremble. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Gregory was no longer able to restrain himself, so he shouted, ¡°He refused to take part in our family event and is supporting the Thompsons instead!¡± cancel Chapter 572 Be¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and she turned to look at Justin. ¡°KS Group has been at odds with ourpany for a very long time, and your precious adopted granddaughter has been causing trouble for us constantly, making thepany¡¯s stock prices fluctuate. We¡¯ve lost billions of dors recently! After much effort, I finally managed to organize a weekend event so that we couldwork among Savrow¡¯s upper ss. But at such an important moment, Justin, as the president of thepany, is disregarding thepany¡¯s interests and turning to support our rival instead! Tell me, how am I supposed to not get angry?!¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened further, and she looked at Justin in disbelief. Her heartbeat was racing. ¡°Oh, and the event you speak of¡ªis it the birthday party you¡¯re holdi for that woman this weekend?¡± Nigel asked. Gregory eximed, ¡°That¡¯s the one! This is a rare opportunity!¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ah. Since Justin isn¡¯t taking part, I¡¯m not showing up either.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Gregory was pale with shock. ¡°Not only am I not showing up, I¡¯m also going with Anna to take part in the birthday party Wyatt Thompson is throwing for his third wife. So, are you going to beat me with the whip too?¡± Nigel raised his white eyebrows and smiled mischievously. ¡°Grandpa Nigel¡­¡± Be was dumbfounded. E/L Chap 572 The tant favoritism he was showing her moved her. ¡°Dad! Are you doing this on purpose?! Why do you have to go that far?!¡± Gregory threw the whip he was holding to the floor. ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t you know why I¡¯m going this far?¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes were filled with anger because of his useless son. ¡°That woman is widely notorious, and you still want to throw a party for her at this juncture? You might not be afraid of embarrassing yourself, but I am!¡± Everyone looked at Shannon with disdain and secret enjoyment at her public dressing down. After all, Shannon, who was originally an actress, did not have a great reputation at home either. She often abused the helpers and treated them like animals. Everyone cursed her in secret and had been Shannon was red with utter humiliation. She wished she could dig hole and bury her head in it. ¡®That old man has to die!¡¯ Shannon thought to herself, ¡®Let¡¯s wait and see! I¡¯ll kill you sooner orter! I¡¯ll see how you can protect that bastard Justin and that bitch Be then!¡¯ ¡°Either way, I¡¯m not going, and neither is Justin! You can¡¯t do anything about it, even if you¡¯re unhappy. I support my grandson!¡± Upon saying that, Nigel turned his determined gaze to the young couple, and his tone became much more gentle. ¡°Anna, Justin, let¡¯s 1. You can stay with me tonight.¡± Be and Justin looked at each other. They unexpectedly nodded at the same time. Right then, Matt rushed in with a man who was carrying a medicine box. ¡°Old Master, the doctor is here.¡± ¡°Good. He¡¯lle with us too. Let¡¯s head back! I don¡¯t want to stay a moment longer in this godforsaken ce!¡± Nigel led his precious grandchildren and the rest of his group toward the door, leaving Gregory standing there. ¡°Oh, right. From today onward, the Salvador family¡¯s archaic rules are abolished!¡± Nigel raised his voice in a parting shot at his own son as he was being wheeled out by Matt. ¡°Oh, by the way, how many years has it been since the Victorian era ended? Your thinking is even more backward than an old sack of bones like mine. I¡¯m seriously d you even managed to remember such a rotten and dusty set of Everyone else covered their mouths. They were going to burst ouughing at this rate! Gregory felt his blood rush to his face, looking like a ripe tomato. Chapter 573 The group followed Nigel back to Crescent Bay. Nigel¡¯s affection was hard to say no to. On the way there, he held Justin¡¯s hand with his left hand, while he held onto Be with his right, his grip not loosening one bit. Not only that, Nigel spent the journey cursing Gregory. After he was done with Gregory, he continued to curse Shannon. He did not even repeat a single curse word. Be worried he would tire himself out. Once he was done cussing out that couple, he started fussing over Justin and even pretended to casually put Justin¡¯s hand over Be¡¯s. Justin¡¯s heart fluttered as he gazed at Be gently with a small smile over his grandfather¡¯s head. Be was aware of his burning gaze, but she pursed her lips slight and chose to ignore it. Justin felt anxious when he saw her remain unmoved and could not £„ stop himself from curling his fingers to try to hold her hand. Suddenly, the warmth under his palm vanished. Be had retracted her hand. He looked up and happened to meet Be¡¯s warning gaze squarely. She red at him, frowning slightly. Her fierce expression made her look like she was about to eat him alive. Alright, alright. He still could not hold her hand. But the very fact that she appeared before him tonight already satisfied him. He dared not wish for more. ¡°Justin, you have to thank Anna for tonight. If it weren¡¯t for her concern about you and telling me in time that you were getting a beating from your old man, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it there so quickly!¡± Nigel spoke meaningfully, giving his grandson a look. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Anna cares about you. Hurry up and thank her for saving your life, you rascal!¡± ¡°Thank you, Be.¡± Justin¡¯s gaze was tender, and his tone was soft and gentle. It was as if Be was burned by his gaze. She shivered undetectably £„ and said indifferently, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t thank me, Mr. Salvador. You should thank Carrie instead.¡± Both the old man and his grandson were surprised. ¡°Carrie?¡± ¡°Yes. It was Carrie who called me and told me everything. Then I told Grandpa Nigel.¡± Be¡¯s gaze turned cold once more. ¡°I was just conveying the message, so please don¡¯t overthink it, Mr. Salvador.¡± ¡°The fact that you told Grandpa about it means you still have a little bit of concern for me.¡± Justin was shameless. It was fine if she did not want to admit it. He would just have to cling to her instead. Be sneered, ¡°Think whatever you like.¡± ¡°Oh, so that was the case¡­¡± Nigel could not help but sigh. ¡°That youngest granddaughter of mine is a kindhearted child. Although she didn¡¯t grow up with me, fortunately, she hasn¡¯t been corrupted by that wicked Shannon. Bethany, on the other hand, has been thoroughly spoiled by that foolish son of mine. She hasn¡¯t learned anything from her mother, who seems respectable on the surface but is rotten on the inside. She even all white from worry at £„ this rate!¡± ¡°Carrie¡¯s a good kid. I was closest to her when I was living in Tideview Manor, and she was always very good to me.¡± Be recalled her memories of Carrie and the three years she spent married to Justin. She originally thought her heart would not hurt anymore, but it twinged in pain again, though her expression remained nonchnt. ¡°I¡¯d go so far as to say that if I hadn¡¯t had Carrie¡¯spany back then, I don¡¯t think I would havested that long.¡± Nigel understood her unsaid meaning and felt his heart ache for Be. He turned to re at Justin. Justin¡¯s eyes instantly dulled as his stomach twisted into knots, and This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. his heart was filled with remorse and pain. ¡°Grandpa Nigel, there¡¯s something I want to discuss with you, but I don¡¯t know if I should say it. If it¡¯s inappropriate and offensive, please pretend that I never said it.¡± Be spoke with some hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Whatever you say won¡¯t be offensive.¡± Justin hurriedly £„ Chapter 574 ? Be internally rolled her eyes at Justin as she thought, ''Did I ask you? How annoying!'' "Speak up, Anna. I believe that you must have thought long and hard about it before bringing it up." Nigel looked at her kindly. "Grandpa Nigel, I hope you can intervene and take Carrie in to live with you." Be had always thought of Nigel as her biological grandfather, so she did not shy away from the topic any longer. Justin said, "I agree."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Be retorted, "I didn''t ask you!" Justin narrowed his eyes slightly with a smile. "That doesn''t matter. I support your idea, whether you want my opinion or not." Be nced at him with frustration as she gritted her teeth. She really wanted to jump out of the car right now just to get away from this insufferable man. "Anna, did something happen to Carrie?" Nigel asked worriedly. "Carrie is autistic. Gregory and his wife are so busy with work and managing such arge home andpany that they won''t be able to provide the best for Carrie, which isn''t conducive to her condition. That''s why I hope you can take her to live with you. That way, you won''t be too lonely, and Carrie will have yourpany too, which would be good for her condition. I can rest easy knowing that you have your granddaughter''spany too." Be did not rush to reveal Bethany''s bullying of Carrie and instead provided food for thought from different perspectives. The most important thing was for Carrie to escape Bethany''s clutches. As long as this could be resolved, the rest coulde slowly. This was a family matter, and it was not good for an outsider like Be to interfere too much. "How considerate of you, Anna!" Nigel sighed. "I''m partly to me for this as well. I''ve been too inattentive to Carrie as her grandfather. It''s my fault." He frowned deeply in remorse as he lightly patted the back of Be''s hand. "I understand, Be. First thing tomorrow morning, I''ll get Matt to pick Carrie up from Tideview Manor and bring her to live with me." In Tideview Manor, the air in the room was at freezing point. As a result of the farce of a lesson he tried to give his son, not only had Gregory failed to establish his authority as the head of the family, but he had also suffered a scolding from his own father in front of the helpers. His authority had basically been reduced to nothing. After the incident, Gregory changed his clothes and left straightaway to vent his frustrations somewhere, which meant he would not be back that night. Shannon sat in her room alone, filled with venomous resentment, like a wife who had been abandoned. She remembered how the little bit of care she had screamed and begged for and had finally managed to get had vanished just like that before it had even hit the 24-hour mark. Her eyes reddened with hatred toward Nigel. Still, she hated Be Thompson even more. "That damned old man... Damn you! Be Thompson, you won''t have a peaceful death!" Shannon cursed and grew angrier the more she thought about it, to the point that she was trembling like a crazy person who had not taken their tranquilizing medication. Right then, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?! Didn''t I say that no one is allowed to disturb me?!" Shannon yelled. "M-Madam Shannon... Do you want to go downstairs to take a look?" The female helper asked timidly from outside the room. "Now what?!" "Ms. Bethany is beating up Ms. Carrie. None of us dare to step in. Do you want to go downstairs to take a look?" Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Onemotion had just ended, and now, another one was beginning. CLCurrently, neither Gregory nor Justin were at home, which just proved th the saying that ¡°when the cat¡¯s away, the micee out to y¡± was tritrue. BeBethany was certain that Carrie had snitched to Grandpa. Thus, she aran to Carrie¡¯s room and dragged her by the hair to the living room. BeBethany had mimicked how her father humiliated Justin in public. ¡°B¡±B-Bethany¡­ Let go! It hurts!¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, and shshe felt like her scalp was about to be torn off. YoYou traitorous, spying bitch! So you still feel pain? That¡¯s exactly how tshshould be!Today, I have to teach you a lesson as your older sister!¡± BeBethany cursed at Carrie. She suddenly raised her arm high and teeded Carrie. ¡®Ahh!¡± The crispsgosodd of the p startled all the employees. They watchobdessas the gentle, weak Carrie fell heavily to the ground from the force of the stap. Everyone was very ry worried for Carrie, but as the Salvador family¡¯s employees, they gooddiot intervene in their masters¡¯ matters and could only keep sileiteratengrily. ¡°Bethany¡­yl was wrongngl.wawas wrong! I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Carrie sobbed, covering her face. She knew that no one was going to help her. Carrie wanted to fight back, but her body was as soft as a ball of dough, and she had no strength to support herself. Bethany was Grandpa¡¯s favorite granddaughter and their parents¡¯ favorite daughter. How could Carrie stand up to Bethany? Be could leave whenever she wanted, but Carrie had no way of leaving this house. So all she could do was put up with Bethany¡¯s abuse. This was how she survived. ¡°Ms. Carrie! Ms. Carrie!¡± Linny ran over to kneel beside Carrie and gathered her into her arms, crying. ¡°Ms. Bethany! Ms. Carrie is also Chairman Salvador¡¯s daughter! What right do you have to bully Ms. Carrie?!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Bethany huffed an angryugh upon hearing this and propped a hand on her hip as she looked at them menacingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have made such a good friend in this house, little idiot!¡± ¡°L-Linny¡­ Don¡¯t mind me and get away!¡± Carrie was well aware of what her bull of an older sister was capable of and was afraid she would not be able to protect Linny. She anxiously tried to cover Linny¡¯s mouth. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Linny hugged Carrie tightly, ring at Bethany with red, teary eyes. ¡± Even if I die here or get kicked out of Savrow, I won¡¯t leave you! Ms. Bethany, don¡¯t you know you¡¯re breaking thew? Even if Ms. Carrie is your little sister, you shouldn¡¯t raise your hand against her to hurt her. This is assault, and it¡¯s illegal!¡± ¡°That¡¯s hrious! Who do you think you are to raise your voice at me?!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Bethany burst out into wildughter before kicking Linny¡¯s shoulder and knocking her down. ¡°So what if I¡¯mmitting assault? What can you do to me? Sue me if you dare!¡± Linny fell to the floor, her shoulder hurting so much. It felt like her bones had shattered. The other helpers were enraged by this. Some of them wanted to step in but were stopped by others. Although the Salvadors did not hold total control over Savrow, it was pretty close to it. If they stepped up now in a moment of anger, it was highly possibl that they would no longer be able to stay in Savrow. No matter how angry they were, they were still ordinary employees They had to take their futures and their rtives¡¯ futures into consideration. ¡°Bethany Salvador!¡± Carrie could tolerate being beaten, but when she saw Linny get kicked, an uncontroble fury gushed out from somewhere deep within her weak and timid self. Her eyes turned red. ¡°What?! What did you just call me? How dare you shout my full name?!¡± Bethany was shocked by Carrie¡¯s never-before-seen anger. This idiot had dared to talk back to her for the sake of a mere servant. Has she gone mad?! Chapter 576 Chapter 576 ¡°You¡¯ve hurt Linny. Apologize to her right now!¡± Carrie slowly stood up, her thin shoulders trembling with anger. Her gaze was as sharp as a knife as she red at Bethany with a frightening, cold gleam. This had never happened before. ¡°Apologize? Hahaha! In your dreams!¡± Little could Bethany foresee that before she even finished speaking, Carrie roared loudly and charged at her headfirst with all her strength, like an enraged calf. It happened too quickly, and no one reacted in time. Bethany was knocked off her feet. Bethany fell butt first and ended up sprawled on the floor like a turtle that had been flipped over. ¡°Pfft-!¡± The helpers watching could not hold it in any longer and snickered. ¡°Carrie Salvador!¡± Bethany was so angry that she was about to pop a vein. She quickly scrambled up from the ground. She felt so utterly humiliated that she wanted to rip Carrie into pieces. ¡°You! Hurry up and hold her up! Quickly!¡± At Bethany¡¯smand, the burly bootlicker female helpers, who usually waited upon her and Shannon, hurriedly ran over to hold Carrie up, one on each side.N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°Let go of me! Let go!¡± Carrie struggled against them with all her might, her eyes red. But she was so thin that it was impossible for her to win against them. Both of her feet had even left the ground. ¡°Bitch! Even God can¡¯t help you this time!¡± Bethany red at Carrie with bloodshot eyes as she rolled up her sleeves and rushed over to her. She raised her arm high and pped the left side of Carrie¡¯s face viciously, like she was facing an enemy. ¡°Ah-!¡± Carrie instantly cked out from the pain, and she moaned. The thin nightgown she was wearing was drenched with sweat. Bethany suddenly felt particrly satisfied when she saw Carrie i pain. She had finally managed to vent the frustration she had suppressed for too long on Carrie¡¯s weak little body. ¡°How could blush look good on only one side? I¡¯ll help you with the other side!¡± Bethany raised her hand to p the other side of Carrie¡¯s face. ¡°I dare you to touch her again!¡± A thunderous voice, as cold as ice, rang out. Everyone turned their heads to the door and gasped. Bethany was so shocked when she heard the familiar voice that her heart almost leaped out of her throat. She wanted to quickly drop her ¡°weapon¡±, but no matter how quickly she did it, it was already toote. She could only watch as that tall, handsome figure walked in through the manor¡¯s doors, a cold and murderous air about him. ¡°R-Ryan-¡± Bethany hurriedly retracted her hand, and the face that was still twisted with viciousness a moment ago immediately turned docile and meek. Carrie opened her eyes, which had been blurred with tears, and watched Ryan walk toward her, his gaze unwaveringly on her. Instantly, it was like all her strength had left her and like she was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as she panted lightly. ¡°Ryan¡­¡± A hysterical madness filled Ryan at Carrie¡¯s weak call of his name. At that instant, his breath hitched, and he felt like his heart was being torn apart. It was extremely painful. Chapter 577 Chapter 577 ¡°Let her go.¡± Ryan looked at the two helpers holding Carrie up with a chilling, murderous gaze. His voice was low. The two helpers were nervous, and they cast a pleading gaze at Bethany. When Bethany saw Ryan ordering her people around, she realized he was obviously concerned for that bitch, Carrie! Initially, Bethany had already sounded the retreat in her mind. This was Ryan Hoffman-the love of her life! How could she not be afraid? But she suddenly remembered that because of Zoe Hoffman, she and her mother¡¯s ties with the Hoffmans hadpletely soured. There was no way Ryan would fall for her anymore. Besides, this was the Salvador residence-her home! Even if Ryan wanted to back Carrie up, could his reach extend that far? With what right? Thus, all of Bethany¡¯s hate and resentment reared back to life, and she said through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to let her go! This is the Salvador residence, and you are my servants, so you have to listen to me-¡± Unexpectedly, before she even finished speaking, she heard a scream. One of the helpers who had been restraining Carrie was sent flying with a kick from Ryan in the blink of an eye. Shended quite a few meters away. Bethany froze with fear when she saw the helper fly through the air and fall to the ground like a ball. The other helper hurriedly let go of Carrie when she saw this and repeatedly bowed to Ryan, apologizing. Her body bent like a de of grass. ¡°M-Mr. Hoffman¡­ I¡¯m sorry! But we were just listening to orders-Ah!¡± There was another scream. Ryan had also kicked her far away, breaking two of her ribs. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Bethany screamed in fright. She thought the ¡°Prince of Savrow¡±, who was also nicknamed the Grim Reaper¡± in the rumors, was just for jokes. Now, she realized that she was just an ignorant youth. Everyone was stunned, and the hall was as silent as a grave. ¡°Ryan¡­¡± Carrie¡¯sshes fluttered, and her knees gave out. She fell toward Ryan. Ryan¡¯s eyes widened, and he deftly caught her in his arms, hooking an arm around her slim waist. He hugged her tightly, stroking her shuddering spine with his big, warm palm. ¡°I¡¯m here. You¡¯re okay now.¡± Bethany¡¯s face twisted with jealousy as she clenched her hands tightly into fists. Her sharp nails had already broken the skin of her palm. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Carrie moaned weakly. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± Ryan¡¯s heart wrenched. ¡°Hurts¡­¡± She could only moan that it hurt, as if she had not heard him at all. It was only then that Shannon arrivedte on the scene, having gotten dressed and done her hair. She had just walked halfway down the stairs when she saw Ryan confronting Bethany, while the person he held in his arms and tenderly cared for was actually Carrie! Shannon frowned. Suddenly realizing something, Shannon tiptoed back up the stairs and hid herself in a corner to spy on everything happening downstairs. ¡°Bethany Salvador.¡± Ryan looked up sharply at Bethany, his gaze dark and menacing. ¡°You just got out of jail. Do you want to go in to enjoy their coldforts again?¡± Chapter 578 Chapter 578 ¡°I¡­¡± Bethany was so scared by Ryan¡¯s terrifying expression that she did not even dare to breathe too loudly. She took two steps back. ¡°Since you¡¯re so forgetful, I¡¯ll warn you onest time before all these people.¡± Ryan¡¯s gaze held a wolf-like viciousness as a dark expression overtook his handsome face. ¡°I care very much about Carrie. Whoever dares to bully her will be crossing me and my family!¡± His words resonated through the hall. Bethany sweated profusely and turned pale. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Unfortunately, Gregory was not here, and neither was Shannon. There was no one who would protect her. ¡°You¡¯ve been lucky thus far, not because you¡¯re a Salvador, but because you didn¡¯t cross my bottom line. But I¡¯m telling you, Bethany Salvador, that the next time you dare toy a finger on a single hair on Carrie¡¯s head, I¡¯ll make sure you spend the rest of your life in jail. Even Chairman Salvador won¡¯t be able to help you!¡± Ryan held Carrie¡¯s soft body with his left arm as his right hand clenched so hard that his bones were cracking. ¡°When the timees, don¡¯t fucking me me for disregarding the twenty-over years of friendship between our families!¡± As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly and nced upstairs. Shannon could sense his cold, bloodthirsty gaze. She panicked, scrambling a few steps back. She thought, ¡®Wait, why was I panicking ?! I¡¯m thedy of this house and Ryan¡¯s elder. Why should I be afraid of him?!¡¯ Bethany was unable to speak, having been condemned to silence by Ryan. Although the surrounding employees were expressionless, she knew everyone wasughing at her on the inside! ¡°Carrie,e with me. I¡¯ll take you to Justin, or if not, Be. Okay?¡± Ryan spoke softly into Carrie¡¯s ear. Carrie was dizzy and just nodded at whatever he said. She was very well-behaved. Ryan¡¯s eyes darkened, and he picked Carrie up bridal style, disregarding the others¡¯ gazes, and strode outside. ¡°Ryan Hoffman! You can¡¯t take her away!¡± Bethany screamed in fury. ¡°She¡¯s a Salvador. You can¡¯t just take her away like this! Have you asked my dad or my mom?!¡± Naturally, Bethany did not want Carrie to go with Ryan. She would be so jealous that she would not be able to sleep for three days and three nights. ¡°I want to take Carrie with me, and Carrie wants toe with me too. So why can¡¯t I?¡± Ryan sneered coldly, ring at Bethany with the utmost contempt.¡± Also, do I need to ask your mother? If she didn¡¯t agree, she would havee down long ago to stop me, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± It was as if Bethany had been struck by thunder when she heard this. In her daze, Ryan left with Carrie without looking back. Outside, the cold wind was biting. Ryan had always been careless in his actions and the way he spoke. He was only extremely careful with Carrie. He rubbed her arm repeatedly, back and forth, afraid that she would feel cold and wishing he could transfer all his body heat to her. Carrie peacefully leaned her head against his broad chest and nuzzled lightly against it in a reliant manner. Ryan swallowed. He liked this feeling of being trusted and depended upon. When Yasmin saw her boss carrying Carrie over, she smiled knowingly and immediately opened the door respectfully. Just as Ryan was about to get into the car with Carrie in his arm Linny ran outside. ¡°Mr. Hoffman! Wait, Mr. Hoffman!¡± Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Yasmin was not only Ryan¡¯s secretary, but also his professional bodyguard. When she saw someone rush toward him, she frowned and immediately stepped in front of Ryan. However, Linny kneeled in front of them. Ryan and Yasmin were surprised. ¡°Mr. Hoffman! Please help Ms. Carrie!¡± Linny cried as she kneeled on the cold, hard ground. ¡°Help her up, Yasmin.¡± Ryan frowned slightly. ¡°You can say what you want to say standing up.¡± Yasmin was about to lean down to help Linny up, but Linny shook her head vigorously, refusing to get up. ¡°If you don¡¯t promise help Ms. Carrie, I won¡¯t get up! I know that I¡¯m just a mere you¡¯ll and an ant in your eyes, but even if I have to risk my insignificant hope I can help Ms. Carrie just once!¡± ¡°What on earth happened?¡± Ryan¡¯s heart clenched as he asked seriously. Linny wiped her tears away with force and shuffled forward on her knees before raising a hand to Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! carefully roll up Carrie¡¯s sleeve. Instantly, Ryan and Yasmin¡¯s eyes widened! They saw how Carrie¡¯s pale, slender arm was covered in bruises and scars. It was a heart-wrenching sight. Ryan was instantly filled with rage. His arm muscles were so tense that they looked like they were about to burst out of his shirt. ¡°Who did this?¡± He squeezed out just three words in his fury. Yasmin¡¯s heart trembled. No one understood Ryan better than Yasmin did. Often, when he said something calmly and lightly, that was when he was truly furious. ¡°It was Bethany Salvador!¡± Linny could not care less and called Bethany by her full name. She teared up as she added, ¡°Bethany Salvador has been oppressing and bullying Ms. Carrie at home, just because she has the chairman and his wife¡¯s favor! Bethany verbally and physically abused Ms. Carrie¡­ She¡¯s the devil! She doesn¡¯t dare touch Ms. Carrie when Young Master Justin is at home because he¡¯s more powerful than she is. But Youn Master Justin is the president of Salvador Corporation and stays only two nights every month at Tideview Manor. He can protect Ms. Carrie during his stays, but he can¡¯t protect her the whole time!¡± Ryan frowned deeper the more he heard. Even Yasmin¡¯s hand had clenched into a fist. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, you¡¯re Young Master Justin¡¯s best friend. I can tell that you¡¯re sincerely good to Ms. Carrie, so please help her! Please protect her!¡± Linny sobbed uncontrobly. ¡°Alright, I promise I¡¯ll take care of her.¡± Ryan took a deep breath and looked at the pitiful girl in his arms, heart pounding hard. The burden on his shoulders was heavy. ¡°As long as I live, I¡¯ll protect her.¡± Thus, Carrie was taken away by Ryan in such a grand manner. He had even humiliated Bethany in front of so many people. Although this happened at home, Bethany felt that Ryan had trampled her queenly dignity at home into the dust. Bethany thought, ¡®Why¡­ Why did even that idiot have a knight in shining armor? Only I didn¡¯t! From looks to pedigree and talent, in what way am I inferior to Carrie Salvador?! Ryan would rather go for a fool like Carrie than me. Was he concussed?¡¯ She was about to burst with anger, so she could only take it out on Carrie¡¯s helper, Linny. Not only did she punish Linny to clean alle toilets in Tideview Manor tonight, but she also took away Linny¡¯s of-year bonus. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Look at how evil and fierce you look. You look eve more like a bitch than that shrew, Be Thompson! No wonder Ryan was never interested in you. Even I feel irritated to look at you right now!¡± Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Shannon sat leisurely on the sofa, filing her bright red nails. Bethany was panting with anger, but she could vaguely sense that her mother¡¯s attitude was somewhat strange. In the past, when Bethany had suffered such utter humiliation, Shannon would have stepped up to help her maintain her dignity. After all, Bethany was Shannon¡¯s favorite daughter, and this was the Salvador residence. How could she allow others to do as they please on her own territory? But this time, Shannon was too calm. There had been such a bigmotion downstairs that Shannon had to have heard it. So why had she note down to help Bethany? ¡°Bethany, I don¡¯t want to see a repeat of something like this in this house ever again. Carrie is my child too. You two are blood-r sisters. How could you hit her in front of everybody? If your father a grandfather heard about this, they would definitely me me for n raising you right. You¡¯re already 25 years old, so how could you act a recklessly as a maniac? You keep saying that your sister is retarded, but I think you¡¯re not that far off either!¡± Shannon criticized her. ¡°Mom!¡± Bethany stormed up to Shannon and asked her with a fixed re.¡± When Mr. Hoffman and I were arguing downstairs, did you see everything?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Shannon raised a thin eyebrow. ¡°Yes. Why?¡± ¡°So you just watched? You saw everything, but you didn¡¯t help me?!¡± Bethany was furious. ¡°You didn¡¯t help me-fine. Whatever. But you even allowed Ryan to take Carrie away? How could you do this?!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Shannon retorted with a sneer, shocking Bethany. ¡°Mom¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°Even I¡¯ve given up on Ryan. You still haven¡¯t? Tsk, tsk. I¡¯m amazed at how I managed to give birth to a stupid, lovesick failure like you, despite being so sensible and intelligent myself.¡± Shannon shook her head as she looked at Bethany in disdain. ¡°With the current situation, I can¡¯t ce all my hopes on you anymore. You¡¯re a useless fool. Since Ryan is interested in your sister, I¡¯ll just have to go with the flow and support them. Either way, Carrie¡¯s my child too. It¡¯s surprising that Ryan doesn¡¯t mind that she has congenital deficiencies and is so attached to her. But since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. After all, if your sister really bes a couple with Ryan, wouldn¡¯t you, as her older sister, benefit too?¡± Boom-! Bethany cked out for a second, and all she could hear was buzzing. What did that mean? Support them?! Bethany thought, ¡®Mom wanted to support Carrie? Then what about me? What would that make me?! Am I just a pawn to be thrown away after Mom is done using me? Am I a joke?!¡¯ ¡°Carrie cannot be with Ryan! Absolutely not! I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Bethany roared at Shannon like a rabid dog, trembling all over. This was the first time that she had gotten so angry at the mother she respected so much. Shannon¡¯s eyes darkened as she picked up the ss of red wine on the coffee table beside her and stood up to ssh it at Bethany¡¯s face. It sshed all over Bethany, making her look like a mess. Bethany was dumbfounded as she stared vacantly at Shannon, red wine dripping down her cheek. ¡°Who said you could yell at your mother? Where¡¯s your manners?!¡± Shannon raised her eyebrows, crushing the expensive wine ss in her hand without hesitation. ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied about this, then make sure you make Ryan Hoffman fall for you! But I can tell you, based on my experience, you should stop dreaming! Ryan will never fall for you, even if you were the With that, Shannon left with a huff. Her mother¡¯sst sentence shattered thest bit of Bethany¡¯s self- esteem as well as thest remaining bit of her conscience. Bethany¡¯s eyes were red and unblinking as she slowly squatted down to pick up a shard of ss and clenched her hand around it viciously, uncaring even when blood began to flow. It was as if she had her hands wrapped around Carrie¡¯s throat. ¡°Thest woman left on earth? Haha¡­ Then I should make that a reality. They should all just die! And when they¡¯re all dead, Ryan will be mine!¡± Chapter 581 Ryan held Carrie and got into the backseat of his car while Yasmin got into the driver¡¯s seat. The luxury car pulled out of Tideview Manor. Ryan continued to hold Carrie in the car, gently stroking her cool, silky hair. His heart ached for her. He originally came to find Justin for a drink, but he unexpectedly walked into such amotion as soon as he entered the door. Ryan recalled Linny¡¯s words with a heavy heart as he looked at the scars on Carrie¡¯s arm. His eyes were filled with anger. The blood in his veins appeared to solidify into icy, sharp des that pierced his lungs, causing vivid and intense pain throughout his body. The pain he felt was truly unprecedented. His past emotional trauma with Be left him deeply hurt. However, that pain was nothingpared to the heartache he felt at that moment. Ryan took a deep breath to calm himself and rested his chin on Carrie¡¯s head. He slowly closed his eyes, which were reddened with anger. He thought to himself, ¡®Carrie, I said I would protect you, and I have always kept my promises.¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman, where are we heading next?¡± Yasmin asked softly, looking at Ryan through the rearview mirror with her beautiful eyes. The question appeared to have caught Ryan off guard and left him. lost in thought. Even though he had just told Bethany that he was going to take Carrie away, it was not possible for him to take this respectable young woman home. Justin would skin him alive if he found out. ¡°Carrie, should I take you to Justin? Or should I take you to see your sister-inw? You can stay with her tonight.¡± Ryan asked softly, lowering his longshes. Carrie furrowed her brow and reached to cover her left ear, not giving any response. ¡°Carrie? Carrie?¡± Ryan called her several times, but she was unresponsive, as if she had not heard him at all. She kept crying out, ¡°It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± Carrie raised her eyes slowly, Bethany¡¯s palm print still visible on her cheek. When their eyes met, her doe-like eyes, soaked with tears, shimmered with a captivating radiance that stirred something in him. ¡°Ryan, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I realize you are speaking to me, but I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t hear you¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t hear? What do you mean you can¡¯t hear me?!¡± Ryan asked urgently. Carrie slowly opened the hand that had been covering her left ear in front of him. There was a trace of blood in the center of her palm. Ryan inhaled sharply. He felt a spasm of pain seize his chest, and his Change S thoughts werepletely scrambled. ¡°Yasmin, go to the hospital right away!¡± Back in Crescent Bay, Justin was led to the room where he used to reside. Nigel, Matt, Be, and the personal doctor were all there, including Justin was injured. The scene became increasingly humorous asn stood in front of these well-dressed people. He looked so at home in Crescent Bay.. The five people stood around Justin and stared at him speechlessly. Chapter 582 Be could no longer contain her frustration anymore. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. She confronted Justin in front of Nigel. ¡°What are you staring at? Don¡¯t you realize the extent of your injuries? Hurry up and take off your clothes!¡± ¡°In front of so many people?¡± Justin asked with a hesitant expression on his face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re a grown man. What are you afraid of? Is there something on your body that other men don¡¯t have? Or perhaps there¡¯s something other men have that you don¡¯t.¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes were filled with impatience when she saw how shy he was. unrelenting!¡¯ In the past, Be was always gentle with Justin. Now, it was Justin raised his pale but handsome face. His charming eyes were filled with deep affection as he stared unwaveringly at Be. He said with a bitter smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ I just think applying some medicine is a simple matter. There¡¯s no need to make such a fuss with so many people. It¡¯s enough to have you by my my side.¡±. Be¡¯s beautiful eyes widened slightly, and she clenched her fingers in embarrassment and annoyance. Justin was truly shameless! Nigel let out a cough. ¡°Perhaps Justin has a point. We¡¯ve all gathered here in a hurry, and frankly, there¡¯s nothing we can do to help. So let¡¯s have Dr. Hunt and Be stay here. Be also has some medical knowledge and can assist Dr. Hunt if necessary. The rest of us should step aside.¡± The old man indeed had the foresight to set things up for his grandson. ¡°You¡¯re right. Be¡¯s got some medical knowledge too. She¡¯s been by my side looking after metely,¡± Justin acknowledged. Justin gave Be a deep look, his smile growing more pronounced.¡± So, Dr. Hunt, you can leave the medicine here and take the night off. I only need Be around.¡± Everyone turned their gaze toward Be, each with an intriguing smile on their faces. Be was so mad that she almost pped Ju Eventually, Nigel and the others left, leaving Be alone wit The room fell into an eerie silence. ¡°Take off your shirt.¡± Be sighed heavily as she instructed with a cold tone. ¡°Okay.¡± Justinplied and took off his shirt without saying a word. When he tried to remove the shirt that was torn to pieces by the whip, he inadvertently moved too vigorously, causing a pull on the wounds. at his back. The pain caused him to wince and groan in pain. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Justin had done this intentionally. In reality, this slight pain did not bother him at all, being a seasoned soldier who had faced countless bloody battles. Since he knew he could not regain Be¡¯s love at the moment, it would be good to gain a little sympathy from her.. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Feeling anxious, Be firmly pressed down. on his hand. Justin¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he ced his hand on top of Be¡¯s. The warmth of his palm gradually seeped into her skin and into the depths of her heart, like soft ripples. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Be was slightly stunned. She pursed her red lips and withdrew her hand from hisrge palm. ¡°I have nothing to do with you. Why do you listen to me? Lie down.¡± Justin calmly turned over andid face down on the bed. Be noticed that his shirt was stained red with blood. Some he gruesome wounds had already scabbed over and adhered to the fabric. Seeing this made her heart clench, and her eyes turned more crimson than the blood he shed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did my injuries frighten you?¡± Justin asked with concern after noticing her hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Stop moving around.¡± Be took a deep breath, picked up the scissors from the bedside, and carefully cut away the fabric clinging to the wounds on Justin¡¯s back. Chapter 583 ?N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Suddenly, Justin''s eyes darkened with a hint of red. At this moment, Be once again gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, causing his heart to skip a beat. She took the disinfectant and ointment from the medical kit left by Dr. Hunt and skillfully cleaned his wounds. "Be," Justin called out to her softly. Be maintained her elegantposure but applied the ointment with a bit more force as a warning. Justin felt the increased pain and furrowed his brow, but he persisted. "Be, you remind me of someone, an old acquaintance." Be was earnestly tending to his wounds and casually asked, "Who?" "I don''t know." "Don''t know? How is that possible?" "Yeah, how is it possible? But I really don''t know." Justinid on his side. His misty, starry eyes were dazed as he stared at the moon outside, lost in his memories. Before him was a determined and stubborn woman. "Back then, when I was a soldier in the peacekeeping force, I met her on the battlefield." Be''s hand, which was gripping the sterilized cotton, trembled violently at Justin''s words. Her heartbeat intensified dramatically at that moment, and her face was pale with fear. The room was so tranquil that she could hear her heart beating loudly. If this continued, she was afraid that she would reveal her identity with her abnormal reactions. Fortunately, Justin had his back turned to her, so he could not see her currently exposed expression. "That time, our brigade received the impossible mission of rescuing hostages trapped in a terrorist hub in Kridor. We had to transfer them to a safe house and escort them to the embassy in East Kridor." He continued. "We had less than a hundred soldiers, but we attempted to take down a well- armed terrorist organization equipped with heavy firearms. Honestly, it was a suicide mission. At that time, I had no desires or attachments, so I never thought abouting back alive." Justinughed self-deprecatingly. He had a bitter smile as he continued, "If it weren''t for encountering that little dove, I think I wouldn''t have lived until now. She did her best to pull me back to the camp, and if it weren''t for her encouragement, I would have given up." "Little... Dove?" Be''s voice trembled. "Yeah. I don''t know the name of the girl who saved me. She was wearing a white coat at the time and wore a mask that covered most of her face, only revealing a pair of beautiful and bright eyes. She was also a medical staff member, so I simply gave her a nickname." ''Little dove... I like that nickname,'' Be thought. "Later, when I woke up from mya, she had already left the camp, and I didn''t even have the chance to ask for her name... It''s such a pity." Justin sighed helplessly and said, "Since I returned to Savrow, I have never stopped searching for the little dove''s whereabouts. But despite using all my connections and means, it''s like she evaporated from this world, leaving no trace at all." Be hurriedly pressed down on her fluttering heart. Her beautiful eyes widened, and her palms were sweaty. ''So, he had never forgotten me. He still remembered me.'' "So, when you were treating my wounds just now, I vaguely felt that you resembled the little dove. You reminded me of her." "Hmph! Justin, you''ve had quite a few women in your heart over all these years." Be suppressed her panicking heart and teased him. "If I remember correctly, you hadn''t broken up with Rosalind when you were in the military, right?" Justin pursed his thin lips in frustration. ''Why did this woman manage to connect everything to Rosalind every time I said something?" Be teased. "That''s right. When you were in the military, you couldn''t be with your loved one, and there was no way to alleviate your loneliness. Did you find a woman to take care of your physical needs?" "Be." Justin''s tone carried a hint of displeasure. "This is because you couldn''t find that ''little dove''. If you had found her, who knows? You might have had a fling in the army back then," Be chuckled coldly. "Be, please don''t mock my lifesaver like this." Justin raised his eyebrows slightly and suddenly became serious. "Although I only had a brief encounter with the little dove, she holds an irreceable ce in my heart. I swear, my feelings for her are only gratitude and respect. There aren''t any romantic feelings between us. You can beat me, scold me, or trample my self-esteem into pieces, but I hope you can respect her." Chapter 584 Be was stunned. Her erimson lips parted slightly, and her heart swelled in her chest for a moment. She had thought that she was the only one. She thought that the shared hardships and life-and-death experiences on the battlefield were etched into her heart alone. Little did she know that Justin had never forgotten her and had been searching for her. He had never given up on his pursuit. If it were any other woman, considering his capabilities, it would be impossible for her to remain untraceable for so many years. Unfortunately, the little dove he desperately searched for was none other than ¡°Anna Brown¡±, the young heiress of KS Group who once married him. After parting ways with Justin at Kridor, Be erased all traces of he whereabouts. Moreover, she had used a false identity when working with Doctors without Borders at the time. At that time, she wanted to avoid her father discovering her whereabouts and forcibly bringing her back to Hatchbay. Her mischievous and cunning nature, coupled with her many tricks, made it impossible for Justin to locate her, despite his extraordinary abilities. ¡°Be, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Was I too harsh just now?¡± When Justin noticed that Be had kept silent, he panicked. He softened his tone and spoke gently. ¡°I apologize if I misunderstood you. I was just eager to express my stance. The little dove is my lifesaver, and I truly have no inappropriate intentions toward her.¡± Upon hearing these words, Be¡¯s almond eyes darkened, and her lips. curled coldly. ¡°Indeed, at that time, you were passionately in love with Rosalind. To be with her, you had repeatedly argued with your grandfather. You even neglected everything for her, bing depressed.¡± ¡°How could you spare a thought for another woman in your eyes at N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. that time? Even if it was the little dove who saved your life, you wouldn¡¯t have regarded her as a woman, would you?¡± Each word carried a sting as it touched on the sensitive topic, piercing Justin¡¯s heart. Unable to bear it any longer, Justin abruptly sat up from the bed, startling Be with a soft exmation. Immediately, their eyes met, his gaze burning with intensity and entwining with hers. Be took a breath, and the cotton in her hand fell off. Justin seized the opportunity to sp her hand tightly. The f his grip caused her delicate fingers to gradually redden under the pressure. ¡°Justin! What are you doing? It hurts!¡± ¡°Be, I¡¯ve indeed made too many mistakes in the past, and I regret it vvery much. I¡¯ve been repenting and constantly trying to find a way to make amends with you. I know you won¡¯t forgive me easily or ept rme. So, I¡¯m prepared to pursue you forever, until the day my heart stoops beating.¡± Chapte Justin¡¯s voice was dry, and a tinge of painful determination surfaced in his eyes. ¡°You chased after me for thirteen years, and I¡¯m ready to chase after you for the rest of my life.¡± Justin continued, ¡°Be, whether you ept it or not, you won¡¯t be able to shake me off in this lifetime. I am yours!¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened in amazement, her chest heaved, and her heart pounded wildly. How could she not have noticed that this man was so shameless, clingy, and persistent? Now he imed to be hers and even wanted to offer himself to her. However, she found him undesirable. He was old, blind, and second-hand goods! ¡°Forever? Mr. Salvador, this can¡¯t be the first time you¡¯ve made such amitment to a woman, right? You said it with such ease that it sounds so smooth and natural.¡± Be suppressed her thumping heart. Her eyes were red as open his fingers one by one. ¡°Back then, when you were sweet-talking Rosalind, did you ma such promises?¡± ed She continued, ¡°Do you remember how many times you said in fron of me that your wife could only be Rosalind? You said it yourself and swore an oath. How can you discard the woman you swore to love with all your heart? Who would believe your so-called promises anymore?¡± Beughed mockingly, with tears welling up from her red eyes. Justin felt that he had hurt her too deeply. Even if he regretted his actions and tried his best to make amends, the memories of Rosalind would always be on Be¡¯s mind. He felt incredibly tormented, like a nightmare he could not wake up from. Justin looked into Be¡¯s emotionless eyes and felt a heart-stabbing pain. When she pried open his hand, he felt as if each finger was being broken one by one, causing him to feel immense pain. ¡°Once, we were legally married. You were my man, but you never tr belonged to me. Now you¡¯re babbling about all these irrelevant things. Do you think I¡¯ll be moved? Do you think I would cherish such nonsense? If you want to be shameless, go ahead. If you want to pursue me for a lifetime, that¡¯s your business. Just stop telling me that.¡± Be felt bitterness on her tongue. Her voice inexplicably choked up. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say it anymore. I won¡¯t say it again.¡± Chapter 585 Chanter 585 Jussim could not bear to see. Be like this. He quickly keelt on one keem Tront of her. The muscles in his throat were trempling as he raiseedhiss face. His cod and stem eyes were filled with deep affection for heen Them he cx her hand, nting a deep kiss on the back of fit Boe¡¯s pupils shank, and her ear tips turned embarrassingly rec. Foraa momem sie forgot to pull her hand away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. talked too much and said something stupid. Be, please corgive me this time, okay?¡± Justin furrowed hiss handsome brows siinty He gazed deepiyimonerwatery eyes his eyes filled with sincere apologies. ¡®Goodness! Is this the same Jussin Salvador wito strides wit confidence in Savrow? Is this the same man wito was decisiv business andmanded the respect of the Salvador Corpo He¡¯s now humbling himself somuron Be thought. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Be¡¯s ears were numing red, and she cleared h throat lightly. She did not say whether she forgave him arot She only lowered her eyshes and gazed at the strong and handsome man kneeling before her. In her heart, she was secretly delighted! ¡°What happened to you tonight? How could you be so cowardly and just stand there being beaten by your father?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Be raised her eyebrows, anger raging within her. She couldn¡¯t help but poke at his forehead. She said in a harsh tone, ¡°You¡¯re already 30 years old. Can¡¯t you fight back or resist? Is this a father and son rtionship, or more like a master and ve?¡± ¡°Do you feel sorry for me?¡± Justin squinted his sultry eyes. ac ¡°You saved my life, and you¡¯re my patient. As apassionate doctor, it¡¯s only reasonable for me to care about your well-being.¡± Be retorted stubbornly. ¡°So, you do feel sorry for me.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were tender, and a smile yed on his thin lips. ¡°A beating in exchange for a word of concern from you. I think I¡¯ve made a profit.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Beughed in frustration. ¡®This man! If he has time, he should go to the hospital and check if there is brain damage or cereber atrophy!¡¯ Be thought. On the other hand, Ryan rushed Carrie to the nearest hospital as fast as he could. He held Carrie tightly until they saw a doctor. His charming eyes were crimson as a storm brewed within him. Ryan always treaded between the gray areas of society, so he would normally stay calm in the face of cmity. It was rare for him to be so anxious and worried about a woman. Yasmin followed closely behind her boss. She looked at Ryan¡¯s tense and handsome back with a faint smile of satisfaction on her lips. Carrie was truly an angel. She turned the ruthless and bloodthirsty Ryan into someone with a heart and emotions. ¡°TL ¡°Mr. Hoffman, all the doctors have gone home for the night. If you go to the emergency department, we can find a doctor for you.¡± The nurse recognized Ryan. Despite his imposing figure, she trembled and panicked. ¡°If I don¡¯t see the best doctor in your hospital within ten minutes, I¡¯ll fucking tear this ce down and build a nightclub!¡± Ryan red at her with bloodshot eyes, his roar echoing through the entire hospital lobby. ¡°Why the fuck aren¡¯t you looking for him now) The nurse was so scared that her face turned pale, and she hurriedly went to call a doctor. All medical staff kept their distance from Ryan. Even the patients moved farther away, afraid that they might not be able to survive his tyranny. ¡°Carrie, is it still hurting?¡± Ryan¡¯s heart was burning with anxiety. Carrie¡¯s nightgown was soaked through due to Ryan¡¯s sweaty palms. Carrie just frowned, silently shedding tears. Each drop of tear hit the man¡¯s chest, and it hurt him so much that mes of anger surged in his eyes. He gritted his teeth, almost crushing his mrs. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, you¡¯ve forgotten. Ms. Carrie was pped by Bethany, and her hearing is now severely affected. She probably didn¡¯t mean to ignore you.¡± Yasmin anxiously reminded Ryan from the side. This reminder struck a chord. Ryan felt like returning to Tideview Manor to kill Bethany. Chapter 586 ¡°If anything happens to Carrie, I swear I will gouge out that bitch¡¯s eyeballs and stuff them back into her ears!¡± Watching Carrie¡¯s small face turn pale due to pain, Ryan¡¯s heart felt like it was pierced by an icicle. He couldn¡¯t help but lower his eyes and kiss her sweaty forehead. After Ryan created a scene, Carrie was admitted to the ENT department within 10 minutes. The doctor nervously conducted a series of examinations for Carrie as Ryan and Yasmin watched from the side anxiously. ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s the situation?¡± Ryan asked because he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°The external trauma caused her eardrum to be perforated The doctor answered truthfully. ¡°I encountered several cases every week. Most of them were caused by ps. Some severe can even lead to lifelongplications like tinnitus.¡± Ryan¡¯s and Yasmin¡¯s faces changed dramatically. When Ryan heard the words ¡°lifelongplications¡±, his heart shrank in fear. ¡°Doctor, can it be treated? Can she fully recover?¡± Yasmin asked anxiously, showing concern for Carrie as if she were her sister. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, both of you. I can see that the extent of this youngdy¡¯s eardrum perforation is not too serious. With prompt medical treatment, a full recovery should be possible.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and his voice deepened. ¡°Should be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain that it can be cured. As long as the surgery is performed and proper medication is administered, it will definitely heal. We just need to make sure there is no excessive exertion or exposure to water during the recovery period.¡± The doctor was frightened by Ryan¡¯s stern gaze and dared not be ambiguous. ¡°That had better be the case.¡± Ryan stood in front of Carrie, encircling her trembling body in his arms. His gaze was cold as he nced at the doctor and said, ¡°Otherwise, this will be yourst patient in your career.¡± The doctor nodded obediently. Ryan bent down and patiently patted Carrie¡¯s back. His lips. approached her uninjured right ear, gently consoling, ¡°Don¡¯t be afra I¡¯m here, and I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. I will ensure you return safely to Justin.¡± Yasmin watched this heartwarming scene from the side. She was usually cold and indifferent, yet watching this made her tear up. ¡°Ryan¡­ I just heard that I have to undergo surgery.¡± Carrie.had adapted to her condition and could vaguely hear the words spoken. She was terrified, and her slender arms immediately embraced Ryan¡¯s sturdy waist.. Ryan¡¯s heart immediately softened. He spoke gently. ¡°Yes, you need a small surgery. It won¡¯t hurt at all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ I don¡¯t want surgery¡­ I don¡¯t want to be hospitalized! I don¡¯t want it!¡± Ryan¡¯s heart throbbed violently as a surge of hidden passion came over him. His fingertips caressed Carrie¡¯s back, and a burning desire flickered in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a minor surgery. I¡¯ll be with you the entire time until you¡¯repletely healed.¡± Ryan reassured her with unwavering confidence. Carrie resisted with a tearful voice, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to! I¡¯d rather be deaf than stay in this ce!¡± Yasmin keenly observed Carrie, who seemed to be particrly afrai of the hospital. It seemed that she had some hidden trauma. ¡°Carrie, are you sure? Do you really want to be deaf? If that happens, you won¡¯t be able to hear anything I say to you in the future.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Carrie bit her cherry lips, hesitating. Ryan got down on one knee in front of Carrie. He took her slightly cool hand and clenched it. With unprecedented patience, he coaxed her, ¡°Consider it for me, okay? Be good and have the surgery. Otherwise, Justin and Be will surely skin me alive. Carrie, please have mercy on me, okay?¡± Ryan¡¯s pitiful act worked like a charm. Chapter Sin Carrie wiped her tearful eyes and nodded slowly. Chapter 587 Be had just applied medicine for Justin when Matt entered. ¡°Young Master Justin, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Very well. Thanks to Be.¡± Justin said this as he looked affectionately at Be. Be subtly shifted her body to the side. This man was once as cool as a monk in deep meditation. Yet now he seemed to be emitting desperate vibes, seizing every opportunity to flirt with her. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I¡¯m really grateful to you.¡± Matt was about to bow and express his gratitude to Be. However, Be swiftly moved to his side, using both hands to help him up. ¡°Uncle Matt, please don¡¯t be so polite. It¡¯s what I should do.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson, you are still so kind to our young master.¡± Matt was not someone who liked to meddle in others¡¯ affairs, but he couldn¡¯t help but try to set them up at this moment. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I am dedicated to taking care of Justin because he is a very important person to Grandpa Nigel.¡± Be smiled faintly and said, ¡°Everything I do is for Grandpa Nigel.¡± Matt smiled awkwardly. On the other hand, Justin disyed a pampered expression. He was seemingly ustomed to Be¡¯s sharp -tongued remarks. In fact, he found amusement in it. No matter how cruel her words were, her actions were always caring for him. ¡°Young Master Justin, if you are feeling well, please visit the study. Old Master has something he wants to discuss with you,¡± Matt suggested. Justin raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Then he turned to Be and said softly, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Hmph, who¡¯s waiting for you? I¡¯m leaving right now. Goodbye!¡± Be raised her chin arrogantly and brushed past Justin. Though he felt the urge to grab her hand and keep her here, he restrained himself. He watched her leave the room with a mncholy expression, lips pursed. Meanwhile, Matt felt a mix of joy and regret when he noticed J attention fixed on Be. ¡°Uncle Matt, do you find me quite ridiculous now?¡± Justin sneered bitterly. Justin had always regarded Matt as a family member since he was young, so he did not feel the need to be embarrassed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Young Master Justin.¡± Matt¡¯s gaze carried the warmth of an elder as he spoke softly, ¡°I also want to congratte you for finally realizing your true feelings. Now that you are single and Ms. Thompson is single, you have a chance. I hope this time, you can love her as much as she once loved you. Ms. Thompson is an amazing woman. Please don¡¯t disappoint her again.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. After finishing his words, Matt bowed deeply to Justin. Justin felt a lump in his throat, and his lips trembled signay. Some tears welled up at the corner of his eye, but he managed to hold them back. ¡°Uncle Matt, do you think there is still hope for me to win Be beck?¡± Justin asked, and his voice choked with emotion. Upon hearing these words, a sudden image shed in Marr¡¯s mind He recalled when Be¡¯s legs were dripping with blood. When she was sent to the emergency room, she held his arm and pleaded for him to keep it a secret from Justin. His pupils trembled, as if he were struck by lightning. ¡°Young Master Justin, the road ahead may be difficult. But please, no matter what, don¡¯t give up on Ms. Thompson,¡± Matt advised, Justin entered Nigel¡¯s study alone. As soon as the door closed Be¡¯s delicate figure emerged at the corner of the stairs, and slowly crept into the corridor. She transformed into a mischievous kitten. Her footsteps were light and agile as she approached the study¡¯s door. Be looked left and right, then slowly pressed her elf-like ears tightly against the door. Her dark eyes nced around yfully. Chapter 588 ? In the study, Nigel sat on the sofa. Nigel poured a cup of water for his grandson and personally brought it to him. "Thank you, Grandpa." Justin hurriedly took it with both hands. His demeanor was rather upright and solemn, showing no sign of weakness or illness. He held the cup in his right hand, supporting the base of the cup with his left hand. He elegantly sipped the tea, disying the refined manners of a noble young man. "Justin, does your injury still hurt?" Nigel asked with concern. "It''s nothing serious, just superficial wounds." In reality, Justin was somewhat affected by his old injuries. He often felt congested in his chest, but he concealed it exceptionally well. Justin smiled brightly and said, "Grandpa, don''t worry. Your grandson is not that weak. I''ve been a soldier, after all." "If you''re not that weak, why didn''t you resist? Your father clearly attacked you under the instigation of that vixen, Shannon. It was unreasonable. Why didn''t you snatch the whip from him and p it across Shannon''s face?" Nigel asked indignantly. This was the question he wanted to ask Justin when he called him over this time. Justin lowered his eyes, gazing at his reflection in the cup. Unexpectedly, he remained silent. After a while, Nigel frowned and asked with a heart-wrenching voice, "Child, you are my grandson, the bloodline of the Salvador family. Do you still feel that you owe something to the family?" Justin''s sharp eyebrows twitched. He pressed his thin lips tightly together, a bitter expression settling on his face. When he was 5 years old, he and his mother, who was on the brink of death due to illness, struggled to survive. They suffered countless hardships in the filthy and foul-smelling slums. One night, amidst a raging storm, a luxurious car forcefully intruded into his dark world. The dpidated roof was leaking from all sides. The wooden door was effortlessly pushed open from the outside without a key. At that time, the young Justin sat by the bedside, feeding water to his nearly lifeless mother. Back then, Gregory was young, handsome, and full of vitality. He wore a meticulously tailored suit. When he stepped into the room with his handmade leather shoes, not a single drop of water stained them. The young Justin looked at the man, who seemed like a god descending from the heavens. He only had one thought amid his astonishment. "Sir! I beg you, please save my mother!" Gregory strode to the bedside. Upon seeing Justin''s unconscious mother, his eyes turned crimson, and he embraced her with tears in his eyes. "Mary... Mary... I''m sorry, I came toote. I''vee to pick you up... Our son too." Justin could never forget the deep affection that Gregory had when he brought his mother back to the Salvador family. His love was as deep as the ocean, and he was determined to marry no one else but her. Gregory disregarded family pressure and public opinion. He even let his illegitimate child be included in the family tree. Justin couldn''t understand. Did Gregory truly love his mother? If Gregory had loved her so much, he wouldn''t have fallen for someone else. His mother would not have endured the torment of depression, leading to her tragic leap from the rooftop. Justin often questioned himself. If his mother were to die, was it better to die on that rainy night gued by illness or die heartbroken? Which was even more unfortunate? "Child, you don''t owe anything to the family. It''s the Salvador family that owes you," Nigel said as he patted Justin''s shoulder. His heart ached as tears welled up in his eyes. "It was all my fault for the tragedy back then. I knew your father was very fond of your mother, but at that time, Salvador Corporation faced a global economic crisis. Our assets were drastically reduced, and there were several major projects underway domestically that were forced to halt. There was a constant risk of the financial chain breaking. Therefore, I had to let your father enter into a business alliance with the Fowler family in Milford, allowing him to marry I Fowler, who is also your elder brother''s mother." Nigel continued, "Child, it''s all Grandpa''s fault. I made you suffer so much when you were young, Grandpa feels guilty." "Grandpa, you''re not wrong. What you did back then was for the greater good. I understand that you had your reasons," Justin said.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Justin was ming Gregory. Nigel saw through Justin''s thoughts and sighed in frustration. "I didn''t resist because of my elder brother. Before he left Savrow to recuperate in Meridan, he specifically instructed me not to strain my rtionship with Gregory for his sake." Chapter 589 Justin slowly lifted his deep eyes, a glint of darkness shing. ¡°I have tolerated him up to my limits. But this is thest time. I won¡¯t tolerate it again.¡± Nigel¡¯s heart was filled with bimerness Memories that he could not bear to remember yed vividly before his eyes. His weathered face was covered in the mncholy haze of sadness. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry. I spoke without thinking. I shouldn¡¯t have brought up your heartbreaking past.¡± Justin felt a sense of quilt in his heam and grasped his grandfather¡¯s rough and dry hands tightly with his warm palms. ¡°I know that if it weren¡¯t for that incident, your preferred her would surely have been my elder brother. He grew up under your affectionate care, the grandson you ced great expectations on.¡± ¡°Justin¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa, I owe you and Grant.¡± Justin felt a tingling sensation in his nose and smiled gently. a grandfather who genuinely cares for me is something wouldn¡¯t have dared to dream of when I was a child. I have no right to exped anything else.¡± ¡°Justin, listen to Grandpa!¡± Nigel let out a low growl, his trembling hands pressing firmly on Justin¡¯s broad shoulders. They locked eyes, and his gaze was intense. ¡°In my eyes, you are all equal. I love all my grandchildren Chap 580 equally. As for the things you said, I couldn¡¯t care less! Let me make it clear, you little rascal! Even if your elder brotheres back healthy, nothing will change. Even if everything that happened before never urred, I would still choose you as the heir to thepany.¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­ you¡­¡± Justin was startled. ¡°Even if none of the Salvador family members support you, it doesn¡¯t matter. I support you. I¡¯ve got your back!¡± Outside the door, Be eavesdropped with her ear pressed against the door. She was fully engrossed in listening to the conversation between Nigel and Justin.¡± Although she had good hearing, the soundproofing of the luxurious mansion¡¯s door made it challenging. She struggled to catch the conversation clearly. Justin¡¯s voice was like a mosquito buzzing, but Nigel¡¯s voice resonated with vigor. Be managed to pick up bits and pieces of what he said. ¡°Justin¡¯s elder brother? Back then? What happened back then? It sounds like something happened.¡± During Be¡¯s three years at the Salvador¡¯s residence, she had never seen Grant, Justin¡¯s eldest brother. However, she had heard from Wilma that Grant was in poor health and spent the years recuperating in Meridan. Even the position as the family heir that originaaliy belonged to Grant was conceded to his half-brother. Ms Be listened, she could not shake the feeding that Grant¡¯s illness might be somehow rted to Justin. Buttenly, the door to the study opened! This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. B was still pondering and maintaining her eavestong posture. Inaware militer surroundings, she found herself crashing me Justin¡¯s irmemurace Only then did shee to her senses. She let out a startled soream this moment. Nittel¡¯s voice came from inside the room. Jussin s Be quisite: No. Grantina, yupciany misheard. You should rest early,¡± Justim eplied. As he spoke, Jusimswiftly ced his left hand behind his bl closing the doon quirky. He looked at her with assiant center expression in his eyes, shimmering like starligh Were you eavesdropping? Goodbye!¡± Be was shrouded in the shadow usim¡¯s intrusive presence. Anxious and disoriented, she turnediamintescape. Before she knew it, Justin¡¯s right hand satttteniy reached out, deftly catching her slender waist.. He pulled her forcefully into his arms. Chapter 590 ?Chapter 590 Justin and Be''s bodies gradually warmed up as they were tightly pressed against each other. They could both hear each other''s heartbeat clearly. Be, realizing that she had been caught red-handed, felt a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. Her ears turned red, and she struggled angrily, attempting to break free from his embrace. Justin''s gaze deepened, and his hand, tense with veins, slowly explored upward. Closing his fingers, he gripped the thinnest and softest part of her waist. "Answer me, hmm?" "I just wanted to say goodbye to Grandpa Nigel! Who wants to hear your little secrets? Let go of me. I want to go back!" Be blushed as she twisted her waist in resistance.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Justin stared at Be without blinking. He felt a tingling sensation in his heart, as if light feathers were brushing over it. Be, with her flushed face and desperate attempts to justify herself, looked incredibly adorable. The more he looked, the more captivated he became, and the more he fell in love. "No secrets." Justin chuckled softly. "Huh?" Be''s beautiful eyes widened slightly. "I have no secrets from you." Justin suddenly leaned down. His lips and warm breath approached her moist lips. He almost couldn''t control the impulsive urge to kiss her. "Whatever you want to know, I can answer you. As long as you want to listen, I''ll tell you everything." "Alright then, tell me, what happened between you and your eldest brother in the past?" Be asked, unable to contain her curiosity as she blinked her beautiful eyes. Justin''s dark eyes tightened slightly, and his thin lips pursed together. "Hmph! Men are such liars." Be mocked him with a chuckle. "I guess you didn''t mean what you just said about being honest and telling me everything, right?" "After this busy period, I''ll find a suitable time to tell you about what happened. You must be tired today, so you should go back and rest," Justin said. Justin suddenly took advantage of her distraction and nted a gentle and restrained kiss on her smooth forehead. It made her breathe erratically, and a ripple stirred in her heart. "Good night, Be." Outside the vi at Crescent Bay, the temperature dropped suddenly. Be left in a hurry again. Steven was afraid that she might get cold, so he brought a thick down jacket with him when he came to pick her up. His feet were numb from waiting in the cold. After a long time, Be walked out of the vi''s main gate. "Ms. Be!" Steven called out to her with a smile. However, she did not respond. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were misty as she walked forward. "Ms. Be!" Steven tugged her sleeve, full of concern. "Are you okay?" Be suddenly snapped out of her daze. "Oh, I''m fine... Thanks for picking me up. Let''s get in the car." The two of them got into the car, where the warm air was at full st. There was a thermos of tea that Steven brewed himself. Be crossed her beautiful legs, sipping on the tea. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she raised her hand and gently stroked her forehead where Justin had kissed her. It was as if there was still a lingering warmth from his lips. "Steve, please help me investigate something tomorrow." "What is it?" "Go investigate the rtionship between Justin and Grant Salvador. Look into what happened in the Salvador family before Grant left Savrow for Meridan." Be did not believe that Justin would be honest with her. She would get her answers, even if she had to dig deep. Chapter 591 Normally, an eardrum repair surgery required an appointment. However, Carrie¡¯s surgery was brought forward to the next morning. The directors of the hospital were worried that Ryan would acquire the hospital and transform it into a nightclub. Ryan did not say much the previous night. He even skipped breakfast and stood in the hallway, waiting patiently. Seeing how restless Ryan was, Yasmin had no choice but to apany her boss without eating or drinking. For the past decade, this beautiful and alluring woman has lived as Ryan¡¯s shadow and secret guard. Ryan lived a promiscuous lifestyle, and he changed girlfriends as quickly as he changed clothes. The sole exception was his female secretary. Whenever Ryan attended significant events that required a femalepanion, he never brought anyone else but Yasmin. Some ignorant individuals would even mistake her for Ryan¡¯s girlfriend. Ryan often couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin and would simplyugh heartily while saying, ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve got a good eye!¡± However, Yasmin understood their situation all too well. It was impossible between her and Ryan Their rtionship was purely employer-employee. She knew Ryan very well. Despite his flirtatious nature, he made it clear from the beginning with every woman he was with. He only engaged in flings and refused to marry them. Even if he were to marry, he would imitate Wyatt Thompson from Hatchbay with his four wives. In fact, he would double it! But this time, Ryan¡¯s attitude toward Carrie exceeded her understanding of him! ¡°Mr. Hoffman, the surgery will take a while. Please sit down and rest.¡± Yasmin warmly advised him from the side. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Ryan stared at the door of the operating room, hist heart filled with anxiety. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor surgery with almost no failure rate. You really don¡¯t need to worry too much¡­¡± ¡°How can I not worry? What if her hearing declines? What if there are otherplications? What if her hearing gets worse than the other olddies when she¡¯s older?¡± Ryan roared out his concerns. Yasmin couldn¡¯t help but feel that she might be the one who needed hearing aids instead of Carrie. ¡°Damn it, Bethany!¡± Ryan red with bloodthirsty, crimson eyes. He punched the wall and swore, ¡°I won¡¯t let this slide, I¡¯ll break Bethany¡¯s ribs, regardless of whether Carrie¡¯s ears get better.¡± Yasmin shivered. She hesitated for a moment before summoning her courage to ask, ¡°Mr. Hoffman, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Have you fallen for Ms. Carrie?¡± Ryan was stunned. His heartbeat was pounding hard against his ribs. ¡®Do I love her?¡¯ he thought. Indeed, he had fallen in love with Carrie, and it seemed that he could no longer hide behind the excuse that she was just Justin¡¯s sister. Her every frown and smile tickled his heart, and her silly appearance amused him. She aroused his frozen heart with affection and gave him a strong desire to protect her. However, Carrie was Shannon¡¯s daughter. This fact alone was enough to leave an insurmountable gap between them. ¡°Yasmin, I do like Carrie, but that¡¯s as far as it can go.¡± Ryan pressed his hands against the wall and hung his head. His knuckles, which had struck the wall, were still slightly swollen and bruised. They were just as red as his eyes at this moment. Chapter 592 ¡°Is it because she is Shannon¡¯s daughter?¡± Yasmin asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°But if you genuinely like Ms. Carrie, you should try being with her.¡± Yasmin felt a sense of urgency for Ryan. He rarely opened up his heart, and Carrie was such an adorable girl. Thus, Yasmin did not want Ryan to miss out on this opportunity. ¡°Being together with Ms. Carrie is a way to rescue her from misery. If you were her boyfriend, Bethany wouldn¡¯t dare act recklessly.¡± ¡°Does she dare to be reckless now?¡± Ryan¡¯s charming eyes darkened. ¡°But it¡¯s always better to have Ms. Carrie by your side at all times. Think about it. If Ms. Carrie bes your wife, that alone would stump Bethany. At that time, even if you¡¯re not by the young madam¡¯s side, Bethany won¡¯t dare do anything to her. If Bethany dares touch a single hair on the young madam¡¯s head, she will be going against the entire Hoffman family. Even if you don¡¯t speak up, I¡¯ll deal with Bethany myself.¡± Yasmin changed her tune quite swiftly, calling Carrie the young madam. She genuinely wanted to match them up. ¡°But have you considered the consequences if I¡¯m with Carrie? It¡¯s equivalent to an alliance between the Hoffman Group and Salvador Corporation. What kind of changes will ur in the power dynamics between our families?¡± Ryan turned slowly, his eyes bloodshot but exceptionally bright. ¡°Right now, Carrie is contending with Uncle Liam for control of the Hoffman Group. Justin isn¡¯t in a much better position within the Salvador Corporation either. Have you considered how Justin would feel if he married Shannon¡¯s daughter at this juncture? My overly ambitious second uncle is bound to seize the opportunity to work with Brameron and challenge my authority. My chances of winning would be even slimmer! Who knows... It might even drag Justin into the process!¡± Yasmin¡¯s heart clenched. ¡°Mr. Hoffman...¡± ¡°Yasmin, I will never forget how my father died.¡± Ryan slowly sank to a bench, like a listless old man, cradling his head in agony. ¡°I will never forget the night my mother screamed about my father¡¯s ne crash. It was raining heavily that night. She stood alone in the pouring rain, crying the whole night. I also can¡¯t forget the sight of my second uncle hiding in the shadows at the funeral, unable to contain his joy. I will never let Liam take control of the Hoffman Group. I won¡¯t allow anyone to hinder my n to dominate the Hoffman Group!¡± Yasmin kneeled before him. She lifted her trembling hand and gently soothed his back, which heaved violently with anger. ¡°Yasmin, what my father lost, I will reim in his stead, one by one¡­ Before that, I won¡¯t make a wrong move. I can¡¯t afford to lose!¡± Belle arrived at the KS World Hotel in the morning to finalize the arrangements for Celeste¡¯s birthday banquet. As soon as she entered the reception, Justin called. ¡°Ms. Salvador, is there something you need?¡± Belle¡¯s tone remained as cold and indifferent as ever, as if the tender intimacy fromst night¡¯s kiss had never happened. ¡°Belle...¡± Justin¡¯s voice was gentle. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Belle. To you, I¡¯m Ms. Thompson.¡± Belle¡¯s red lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Did Grandpa Nigel call you?¡± ¡°Grandpa? No, he didn¡¯t. Did something happen to Grandpa Nigel?¡± Belle¡¯s nerves tensed at the mention of Nigel. ¡°It¡¯s not Grandpa who¡¯s in trouble. It¡¯s Carrie.¡± ¡°Carrie?¡± ¡°Last night, she didn¡¯t return to Hideview Manor and spent the night in my private vi. Grandpa just called to ask why Ryan had taken Carrie away. That¡¯s how I found out about the incident at homest night,¡± Justin¡¯s voice revealed a hint of weariness and some anger. ¡°I just tried to contact Ryan, but can¡¯t reach him.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°He¡¯s dead¡­ I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± Belle stood up abruptly, her beautiful eyes wide open with rage. She mmed her palm on the table. ¡°That scoundrel had no good intentions when he took Carrie to the ballst time. You insisted on defending him, saying he wasn¡¯t that kind of person! I can see he¡¯s nothing but a perverted wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing!¡± Chapter 593 Justin exined, ¡°Be, Ryan and I grew up together, so him well enough. He likes women, but not just any woman.¡± Justin was torn between consoling her and defending his best friend. ¡°Besides, Carrie is my sister. He won¡¯ty a hand on her.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about being your sister? Ryan is brazen. Unless it¡¯s his mother, who does he not dare to touch?¡± Be mmed the table again and said, ¡°You¡¯d better pray that Ryan hasn¡¯t done anything to Carrie. If he dares touch her, I swear, I will break his arms!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Justin replied softly. ¡°What?¡± Be suddenly froze. ¡°I said, I agree with your idea. If anything happens, you go for his left hand, and I¡¯ll take care of his right.¡± Be was left utterly speechless. The saying was true after all. Men would betray their brothers for women. Carrie¡¯s surgery was sessful. She was transferred to a regr ward. Lying in bed, Carrie seemed fragile and pale, almost blending in with the white bedsheet¡­ It was truly a heartbreaking sight to behold. ¡°How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?¡± Ryan sat by th voice unexpectedly gentle as he gazed into her clear, Carrie shook her head gently. ¡°Can you hear me now?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She blinked and nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Ryan heaved a sigh of relief, reaching for his phone.¡± I¡¯ll call your brother and sister-inw toe pick you up.¡± Before he could finish, Carrie¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly grabbed his arm. ¡°Ryan, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± ¡°I guessed as much. Yasmin has gone to buy food for you. She should be back soon.¡± At that moment, the door to the ward opened, and Yasmin hurriedly walked in with a tray of hot food. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, the food has arrived. Nutritious and in, as per your instructions.¡± ¡°Bring it over.¡± Yasmin held the tray, and Ryan picked up the bowl of chicken soup. He scooped a spoonful, blew on it gently, and slowly brought it to the edge of Carrie¡¯s lips. ¡°Come on, Carrie, let me feed you¡± 1506 Such tender care and thoughtfulness left Yasminpletely stunned. Sure enough, it was hard to hide one¡¯s feelings. ¡°I¡­ I can manage on my own.¡± Carrie blushed. ¡°You¡¯re still weak, so it¡¯s better if I feed you.¡± Ryan gently brought the spoon close to her soft lips, his tender eyes yful. ¡°Women in Savrow are lining up just for a chance to be fed by me. You¡¯d better seize this opportunity, Carrie.¡± Carrie¡¯s throat tightened, and she nervously adjusted the bedsheet. ¡°You can boast about being fed by Ryan Hoffman for at least three years, I¡¯m sure! Open up, then! Ah-¡± Chapter 594 ? "Haha!" The usually reserved Yasmin could not help butugh, covering her mouth. Ryan had gone to great lengths for Carrie, but his usual tactics for charming women seemed to be useless on her. He had toe up with alternatives, which often yielded amusing results. Carrie had no intention of boasting about being fed by Ryan. But she noticed that Ryan looked tired holding onto the bowl and spoon. Thus, she quietly leaned forward, opened her mouth, and took a bite. When he saw Carrie obediently eating the food, Ryan chuckled softly. His eyes narrowed with affection. "Cough... Cough..." Carrie ate too fast and coughed a few times. "Take it slow, Carrie. Even if you''re hungry, you should eat slowly." Ryan reached out to pat Carrie''s back. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed a trickle of fluid at the corner of her lips. His dark pupils contracted for a moment as his handsome face turned crimson. It was just soup. "Delicious... Ryan, this soup is yummy! I want more," Carrie said softly as she noticed Ryan''s momentary distraction.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Okay." Ryan''s voice was unusually hoarse. At that moment, the door of the ward flung open. "Ryan! How dare you?" Carrie panicked. In her haste, she threw herself into Ryan''s arms. Her delicate arm clung to him tightly, allowing him to feel his importance to her. "Don''t be afraid. It''s just your sister-inw and your second brother. They''re here to pick you up," Ryan whispered in her ears. Meanwhile, the former married couple rushed into the room. Seeing the ambiguous scene, their expressions froze. "Ryan! You-Don''t you darey a hand on Carrie!" Be felt like her heart would leap out of her mouth when she saw Carrie curled up in Ryan''s arms. "What?" Ryan had not actually made a move, but Be''s outcry made him instinctively embrace Carrie. Be let out a long breath. Her thoughts were running wild. ''An entire night! Did Ryan take advantage of Carrie? Could he resist not touching her?'' It was easier to believe that pigs could fly than to believe in Ryan Hoffman''s ability to abstain from women. Justin''s face remained calm. He asked in a cold tone, "What''s going on? Why is Carrie hospitalized?" "Carrie, what happened to your ear?" Be''s sharp eyes were the first to notice the bandage on Carrie''s left ear. She hurried to the bedside and questioned Ryan, "Mr. Hoffman, what''s going on? What happened to Carrie?" Justin felt a sudden tightening in his heart. He also hurried over and stood side-by-side with Be. Ryan could not help but feel how biased this couple was against him. ''Carrie is just their sister, but their reaction makes it seem like she''s their daughter...'' He gently stroked Carrie''s trembling back and lowered his voice. "Carrie just had surgery. I''ll exin what happened in a while." Be felt that there was more to the story, but she refrained from asking. She said sternly, " Grandpa Nigel wants to take Carrie back to the vi in Crescent Bay. From now on, she will live with Grandpa Nigel." "Really? That''s great! Carrie can finally escape the tiger''s den." Carrie had not said anything, but the news made Ryan ecstatic. Justin did not say much, as he was observing Carrie''s flustered expression. Realization struck him, and his thin lips pressed together tightly. "I won''t go! I won''t go! I want to be with Ryan!" Carrie suddenly shouted. All three of them were taken aback. Chapter 595 Ryan was especially stunned. He stared nkly at the teary-eyed girl in his arms. He gulped, and a thought shed through his mind. ¡®I want to take her home. I really want to bring her back with me.¡¯ ¡°Carrie, d-do you want to follow him?¡± Be stammered in astonishment. ¡°Ryan¡­¡± Carrie buried her little head in the warmth of the man¡¯s chest. Her trembling breath passed through his crisp ck shirt and prated straight into his heart. ¡°I want to go home with you.¡± With Carrie¡¯s insistence, Be and Justin had no choice but to agree. Justin called Ryan out for a smoke. Thus, the two men went to the hospital¡¯s smoking area. ¡°Ryan, what happened to Carrie¡¯s ear?¡± Justin pulled out two cigarettes, took one for himself, and handed the other to his best friend. ¡°What happened?¡± Ryan¡¯s hawk-like eyes shed with a fierce glint. ¡® It¡¯s because you spoiled your sister, Bethany.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my sister. I only recognize Carrie as my sister.¡± Justin could not help but feel repulsed by Bethany¡¯s name. He asked in a deep, chilly voice, ¡°Did Bethany hurt Carrie?¡± Ryan was so angry that he gritted his teeth and nearly crushed the cigarette in his hand. ¡°Justin, if I take action against Bethany, would you stand with the Salvador family and stop me?¡± Justin lit his cigarette and took a deep drag. He replied without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ll pretend not to know about the matter.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights. His stance could not be clearer. ¡°Hehe. Thanks, bro.¡± Ryan smirked with a touch of wickedness and patted Justin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But a lesson is enough. Don¡¯t cause any harm to her, for your sake.¡± Justin cast a thought-provoking nce. ¡°If you really fall for Carrie and intend to have a future with her, you have to cut off all your affairs with other women and cleanse your body and mind. Also, you shouldn¡¯t shed blood anymore. You¡¯re the heir of the Hoffman Group, not a mafia boss. I¡¯m worried about Carrie being with you with your current lifestyle.¡± ¡°Justin, I only thought of Carrie as a sister. It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Ryan hurriedly exined, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. However, his flickering gaze and trembling fingers betrayed his true feelings. Justin looked at him deeply and calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind the grudges between me and Shannon. Although Carrie is Shannon¡¯s daughter, I¡¯ve never had any prejudice against her. Carrie is a good girl, and I hope she finds happiness.¡± ¡°Justin¡­ I¡­¡± Ryan¡¯s throat tightened as a hint ofplex emotions welled up in his heart. ¡°Even though you¡¯re no saint and you have a whole bunch of bad habits, I think you genuinely care for Carrie.¡± Justin gently blew out a smoke ring. He spoke like an elderly sage. ¡°So, I¡¯m willing to give you a chance to pursue her.¡± Ryan thought, ¡®What the hell? Why does this sound like a pep talk from my future father-inw?¡¯ ¡°Are you going to smoke that damn thing or not?¡± Justin reached out to grab Ryan¡¯s cigarette. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to smoke, give it back. That¡¯s myst one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± Ryan quickly ced it between his lips and twisted his thick eyebrows. ¡°When did you be such a miser? Your worth is almost a trillion dors, but you can¡¯t even spare a cigarette? No-wonder I¡¯m your only friend after all these years!¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to quit smoking, so I¡¯m limiting myself to only half a pack a day.¡± ¡°Why? Are you starting to focus on your health now that you¡¯re 30 years old? Then, you should probably swap out alcohol for detox juices.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of Be.¡± Justin thought of his crush, his eyes filled with warm ripples. ¡°She dislikes it when I smoke. I know quitting is hard, but I want to give it a try.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ Back then, Be disliked Rosalind, too. Why didn¡¯t you kick Rosalind out?¡± Ryan found his friend¡¯s attempt to quit smoking for a woman particrly cheesy and could not help but tease him. Chapter 596 I I know I¡¯m not a good man. You don¡¯t need to remind me again and gain of how terrible I used to be.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes darkened, and he rushed his half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray. But my heart is like a pawn on a chessboard. It can only move orward and never retreat. In this lifetime, I only want Be, and I will ever give up on her. I¡¯m fated to be with her.¡± Carrie slept until the evening. When she woke up, Ryan had already prepared dinner for her. Ryan sat by the bedside and asked with a yful tone, ¡°Carrie, you aid during the day that you wanted to go home with me. Were you serious?¡± Carrie pursed her lips and nodded. Then, she shook her head. She curled up in the oversized hospital gown, her arms hugging her egs. Her toes curled up shyly. Ryan¡¯s gaze inadvertently fell on her small feet. His eyes narrowed, and his breath quickened. I want to live with Grandpa. But I¡¯ll wait until I¡¯m well before going o see him, I¡¯m afraid Grandpa will worry¡­¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes were teary.¡± m afraid he will worry about me.¡± understand.¡± Ryan gently ced his farge hand on her head, rubbing. her soft hair. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes with a mischievous grin. ¡°Barrie, why do you trust me so much? Do you know me well? Do how notorious I am? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you jumped out of frying pan into the fire? Hmm?¡± Carrie slowly lifted her gaze. Her eyes sparkled with a clear light. don¡¯t care about what others say. In my eyes, Ryan is a good person, just like Justin.¡± Ryan¡¯s heart received a strong jolt, beating intensely. His breath. trembled, and his fingers kneaded through her hair. His big hands. gradually traveled downward, resting on the back of her neck. Seeing that he was silent, Carrie felt uneasy and timidly asked, ¡°Ryan ¡­ Did I trouble you? Do you not want to bring me home with you?¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes were filled with innocence. She only used the simplestnguage to express the simplest N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. thoughts. She had no idea of the underlying implications of voluntarily going home with a man in the adult world. ¡°L¡­¡± Suddenly, a warm and sweet fragrance enveloped him. Ryan¡¯s breath hitched, and his mind went nk. Carrie¡¯s fair and slender arms suddenly wound around the man¡¯s neck. In the next moment, Carrie¡¯s exquisite and pretty face filled his vision. Her lips, as soft as cotton candy, abruptly sealed his astonished lips. Ryan¡¯s whole body stiffened. Except for his violently poundi he could hardly move at all. Carrie closed her beautiful eyes slightly, recalling the feeling of their first kiss. Electric currents surged through every inch of Ryan¡¯s body, sending shivers down his spine. He abruptly pulled away from the kiss, breathing heavily. His reddened eyes were fixed on her. ¡°Carrie, what are you doing?!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Carrie looked at him sincerely. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you like? I want to repay you¡­ ¡°Repay?¡± Ryan waspletely disoriented. ¡°I won¡¯t take your kindness for nothing. Do you like this? I may not do it well, but I can learn.¡± Ryan was thoroughly bewildered. Blood rushed to his head, and hist Adam¡¯s apple rolled incessantly. ¡°Carrie, do you know how dangerous you look right now to a normal man?¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± Carrie looked confused, meeting his lust-filled eyes. ¡°You¡¯re practically testing my willpower¡­¡¯ Ryan thought. He leaned in slowly, his eyes red, as he passionately kissed her soft lips Carrie¡¯s shoulders trembled as she felt the man¡¯s warm hands gripping her delicate waist. Then she watched as his tall and sturdy figure pressed her down onto the white bedding. Chapter 597 When Be left the hospital, she did not even bother to say goodbye to Justin. Although Be was intrigued by Justin¡¯s unfinished story, she was proud and unwilling to bow her head to him. She was curious about what happened to Justin, but she would rather investigate on her own than ask him about it. Three years of humility were enough. From now on, Be swore that she would hold her head high and proud. As Be drove back to the vi, she received a call from Steven. ¡°Ms. Be, I started investigating Justin but found nothing. But when I looked into the Salvador family, I discovered something fishy.¡± ¡°Justin is now the president of the Salvador Corporation. Hist information is highly ssified and not easily essible by anyone. Steve, you were smart to take an indirect approach. Well done!¡± Be praised him with a smile. Steven smiled contentedly, then said seriously, ¡°The Salvador family¡¯s heir was kidnapped when he was eleven years old.¡± ¡°A kidnapping case?¡± Be¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Yes, but that kidnapping case didn¡¯t show up on any national news tforms. It seems that the Salvador family kept a tight lid on the information back then. Without checking the police records, it would be challenging to learn the truth behind the kidnapping Ms Be, if you really want to know the details, can go home and ask my father, Back then, he was a judge at the Savrow People¡¯s Court. He couldn¡¯t have beenpletely in the dark about a major case like the kidnapping of the Salvador family¡¯s heir.¡± ¡°No need, Steve. Thank you for your hard work. You have already done well. You don¡¯t need to bother anymore.¡± Be hung up the phone, sinking into deep thought. Be was well aware of the strained rtionship between Steven and his family. It would not be right to trouble Neil Lovett because of her matters. At least now, with a general direction in mind, she knew what to do.. As the car stopped in front of the vi in the night, Be¡¯s headlights illuminated the tall, handsome figure of a man. She squinted her almond-shaped eyes, and her heart suddenly raced. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡®Justin?¡¯ Justin turned around and faced the bright headlights. His eyes sparkled. He stood even straighter as he shed a gentle smile at Be, who was inside the car. Be pursed her red lips, feelingplex emotions surging in her heart. She had to admit that Justin looked dashing when he smiled. That was the face she had once fantasized about and craved for. In the past three years, she foolishly lingered by his side, showering him with gifts and offering him all her heart. She even studied culinary arts seriously just to bring a smile to his face. But it was all in vain. Yet now, he was smiling at her willingly. He even said that he liked her. However, she only felt emptiness in her broken heart. Could her crushed heart be mended with this bted love? Be took a deep breath and got out of the car. She walked expressionlessly toward him. ¡°Be¡­¡± Chapter 598 ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to carjack me?¡± Be nced at Justin. Her razor-sharp mouth showed him no mercy. ¡°When you left the hospital in such a hurry, I didn¡¯t even have a chance to say a word to you,¡± Justin said gently, ignoring Be¡¯s indifference. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Carrie, I wouldn¡¯t have met you. There is nothing much to say either.¡± Be showed no hesitation and turned to walk toward the vi¡¯s gate. ¡°I will have someone send over the medicine for the second course of your treatment. If you want to live for a few more years, you must take the medicine on time.¡± ¡°Be, wait!¡± Justin felt anxious and reached out to grab her. At that moment, Be suddenly stopped and turned around. ¡°By the way, please tell Ryan that I know he likes Carrie, but I don¡¯t agree with them being together.¡± Justin¡¯s dark eyes constricted, and his brows furrowed. ¡°I know that I¡¯m just an outsider to Carrie since I¡¯m no longer her sister inw. I had no right to interfere in her affairs back then, let alone now. But sorry, I¡¯m going to intervene in Carrie¡¯s matters.¡± Be¡¯s eyes were filled with visible anger, and her voice was cold. Now, looking at the entire Salvador family, the only person who can manage Carrie is Grandpa Nigel. But we both know Grandpa Nigel¡¯s health condition. I hope he lives a long life, but he¡¯s getting old. His heart is willing, but he doesn¡¯t have the strength to care. He can¡¯t handle much of Carrie¡¯s affairs. Carrie¡¯s parents donough about her, and you are utterly useless as a brother. Eve something happened to Carrie, were you there to help he protect her at all. You don¡¯t think of her as your sister, do you Each word from Be felt like arrows piercing his heart, making his eyes turn red as he clenched his fists slowly. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to take care of Carrie. From now on, Carrie is my family.¡± Be¡¯s attitude was resolute and cold. ¡°I absolutely won¡¯t agree to Carrie getting too close to Ryan, and I won¡¯t allow Ryan to pursue Carrie!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Justin took a step forward, his gaze intensely fixed on hers. Be interpreted his strong gaze as opposition and provocation. Her lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Why not? Justin, do you have a heart? Or do you not regard Carrie as your sister? Are you willing to push Shannon¡¯s daughter into the fire just to satisfy your best friend¡¯s desires?¡± Justin was finally angered by her. His lips turned white, and he trembled slightly. He was not mad at Be. Hepletely understood her kindness and her desire to protect Carrie. He simply did not want her to misunderstand him, and he certainly did not want her to belittle his only friend and closest brother. ¡°Ryan genuinely cares about Carrie Be, you saw it yourself today. Carrie relies on Ryan and wants to be with him.¡± ¡°Reliance and affection are two different things! Besides, Carrie has autism. Since her limited days of going to school, she has hardly had any exposure to society. How could she understand what goes on between a man and a woman?!¡± Be was also agitated. Her voice, full of resentment, echoed through the night. ¡°If Ryan sincerely wants to treat Carrie well, can you give them a chance?¡± Justin asked in an almost pleading tone. Given Be¡¯s temper, Justin dared not confront her with a strong attitude. ¡°Firstly, it¡¯s impossible to count the number of women that Ryan has been with, given his history of romantic affairs over the years. I know that he¡¯ll settle down eventually, but Carrie isn¡¯t suitable for him. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She¡¯s not the kind of woman who can capture his heart and control him. 1 can¡¯t gamble away Carrie¡¯s youth for an uncertain future. Secondly, do you really think that the Hoffman family is suitable for Carrie?¡± Be questioned him seriously. Justin was stunned. Ryan and Justin rarely talked about the Hoffman family. It was a topic Ryan deliberately avoided and never mentioned. Chapter 599 Justin knew that Ryan¡¯s family matters were his sensitive spot. Though Justin cared, he rarely inquired about it. Be said, ¡°Mrs. Hoffman is a very conservative person. Her husband passed away early, and Ryan is her only son. She ced almost all her hopes on him. She can¡¯t even stand Bethany, so how can she possibly favor Carrie?¡± She continued, ¡°Ryan is a devoted son and has always respected and loved his mother deeply. Do you think he will go against his mother for Carrie? And what about that scheming Zoe? She has always treated Bethany as a puppet, pulling strings from behind the scenes. She inherently looks down on Shannon¡¯s daughters. Do you think she will treat Carrie well? If Carrie ends up with Ryan in the future, there will be turmoil and endless struggles. It¡¯ll only mean suffering and hardship for Carrie. Do you think Carrie can be happy like this? Even if Ryan loves her, that love will be gradually exhausted by all the conflicts and schemes. Moreover, Carrie is so innocent and naive¡­ How can she possiblypete with them?¡± As Be spoke, her eyes teared up and reddened. Her exquisitely fair face made her look like a fairy, breathtakingly beautiful. ¡°Was she judging Carrie¡¯s situation based on her experiences?¡¯ Justin thought. Essentially, she was recounting the hardships and grievances she endured during their three years of marriage. There was no freedom or relief, just bitter tears and broken hearts. Be had nothing more to say to this man. She had said what n to be said. If he insisted on having his own way, she would have to use her o iron fist to solve the problem and protect the people that mattered to her. Watching Be decisively turn to leave, Justin was unable to restrain his intense emotions any longer. He embraced her cool and delicate body tightly from behind. ¡°You¡­¡± Be instantly forgot to breathe. Her heart was pounding hard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t think it through. If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t bring it up again. I¡¯ll never bring it up again.¡± Justin wrapped his left arm around her soft waist, and his right hand held her slender shoulders. His arm encircled her corbone. All the strength in his body seemed to gather in those arms as he hugged her tightly. He wished that he could merge her into his body. Be¡¯s body was tense. Justin¡¯s sultry voice flowed into her ears, captivating her. ¡°Justin, let go¡­¡± She was rejecting him, but her voice was gentle, making her rejection seem contradictory ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Justin¡¯s sharp jaw rested against the hollow of her neck. rubbing against it. ¡°Be, I have never been a greedy person. But when ites to you I can never seem to get enough it¡¯s never enough, even when I hug or kiss you.¡± He was a man of few words and was not good at expressing himself, so even his sweet talk was sinct. Yet, they caused ripples in Be¡¯s heart. This striking couple were like mas, irresistibly drawn to each other under the streetlight. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Be.¡± Suddenly, a gentle yet icy voice rang out from behind them. Chapter 600 The voice was very familiar. It was like a sharp de p Justin¡¯s chest. Be¡¯s wandering thoughts snapped back as she returned to he senses. Her heart tightened as she became aware of her situation. She felt as if she had been caught doing something wrong, so she tried her best to break free from Justin¡¯s tight grip. She turned around and forcefully pushed him away. Justin¡¯s heart sank, and he stumbled a step back. The space between his arms felt cold and deste. ¡°Mr. Iverson, why are you here?¡± Be forcefully calmed her erratic breath but was unable to hide the panic in her eyes. Hidden underneath the gray suit, Christopher¡¯s muscles were trembling with indignation. His slender fingers lightly pushed his gold-rimmed sses as he nced at Justin with a gaze full of Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! murderous intent. Even though it was only a fleeting moment, Justin noticed it His starry eyes narrowed slightly His Destake fighting spirit was ignited Justin was never at a disadvantage when it came to intimidation tactics Moreover, he was in the presence of the woman he loved. Be noticed the fierce look in Justin¡¯s eyes at this moment. She felt like Justin was about to tear Christopher apart. Considering that Justin was the one who acted shame what did Christopher do wrong? Did Justin hate Christop ruining his opportune moment? ¡®How shameless! Justin is truly a despicable man!¡¯ Be thought. ¡°Be! Are you okay?¡± Christopher hurried to Be¡¯s side. His warm, clear eyes were filled with concern, and he lowered his voice to ask, Are you alright? Do you need any help?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Be smiled at him. Beads of sweat covered her forehead. Justin felt jealous. He furrowed his brows, and his eyes ignited with mes of envy. It had been a long time since Be smiled at him like that. Now, it was effortlessly given to Christopher. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like nothing happened.¡± Although Christopher did not extend his arm to embrace Be, he stood beside her. He exuded a strong sense of protectiveness and possessiveness for Be. Then he casually nced at Justin. ¡°Do you want me to drive him away? Christopher said it so naturally, as if he was asserting his dominance. Justin¡¯s eyes reddened as he clenched his fists tightly. If Be were not present, he would have already thrown a punch at Christopher. ¡°No need. He has legs, so he can walk himself out.¡± Be answered calmly, no longer sparing Justin a nce. ¡°Well then¡­ Be, will youe with me?¡± Be widened her beautiful eyes in surprise. Justin could no longer contain the anger in his heart. He gritted his teeth, and his voice turned chilly. ¡°Mr. Iverson, do you even know what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯m afraid some people don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing.¡± Christopher swiftly positioned himself in front of Be and sneered. Can¡¯t you see that Be hates you? You two are no longer married. With such inappropriate behavior, I can call the police and have your arrested, Mr. Salvador.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Be did not want to escte the situation any further. She lowered her longshes and indifferently addressed Justin. ¡°Justin, leave now.¡± ¡°Be!¡± ¡°I said, leave!¡± Be was furious and embarrassed. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to see you, Justin.¡± Justin felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His handsome face turned deathly pale. His sharp jawline was tightly clenched. He felt a surge of blood in his chest, which almost made him cough. The corners of Christopher¡¯s lips lifted with amusement. Chapter 601 Christopher was insatiable by nature, rarely feeling gratified by anything in the world. Making Justin pay was one of the unlikely things that pleased him. ¡°Mr. Iverson, what brings you here?¡± Snapping out of her thoughts, Be asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve moved here. I¡¯m living in the vi behind yours.¡± Christopher stared at her affectionately. ¡°What?¡± Be was shocked. Justin¡¯s heart dropped as he had a bad feeling. ¡°We¡¯re neighbors now, Be.¡± While talking, Christopher tilted his head and smiled in a youthful and gentle manner. He extended his right hand to her. ¡°Hello, neighbor. I hope we can get along.¡± Though baffled, Be remained unruffled and politely shook Christopher¡¯s hand. Christopher managed to mercilessly and cleanly cut off Justin, the ex- husband who once was most intimate with Be. ¡°Be, do you want to visit my new home?¡± Like Be, Christopher was an opportunist. He extended an invitation to her. ¡°I bought a lot of groceries, including some fresh salmon and crayfish. They¡¯re all your favorites. I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± His words were filled with love. Christopher was considerate, attentive, and a gentleman. He was the boyfriend of every woman¡¯s dreams. ¡°I¡¯ll need to take a rain check. We live in the same neighborhood, so we¡¯ll run into each other more frequently. We have plenty of time in the future. Thank you for the offer, though, Mr. Iverson.¡± Be was flustered and not in the right mind for a housewarming session. ¡°My mother will be at my ce tonight.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes fixated on Be as he invited her earnestly once. more. ¡°I told her that I¡¯d invite you over to the house for dinner. She was excited and said that it had been years since shest saw you. She wanted to meet Chairman Thompson¡¯s favorite daughter.¡± Be was taken aback. ¡°Is Mrs. Iverson back from Sentania?¡± ¡°Yeah. I brought my mother back.¡± Christopher grinned with relief. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Justin was rmed. However, he could not add a word to their conversation. All he could do was stand there and do nothing. Justin, who sat on top of the business world, had such moments of desperation too. He had be a fool for his littledy. ¡°You know my mother, Be. She rarely has moments when she¡¯s conscious and herself.¡± The sadness in Christopher¡¯s eyes tugged on Be¡¯s heartstrings. ¡°I hope you can meet her when she¡¯s of sound mind. It makes the encounter meaningful. Can I be abrupt and ask you for this small favor?¡± The Iversons and the Thompsons went way back. Plus, Be did not really have anything nned tonight anyway. She did not have a Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! reason to refuse. ¡°Alright then. Sorry to trouble you for dinner, Mr. Iverson.¡± Fueled with rage, Justin clenched his fists. ¡°Not at all. I want to thank you for epting my invitation, Be.¡± With joy apparent on his face, Christopher gestured for Be toe along with him. They then walked right past Justin. However, Justin was not one to give up or back down so easily, especially when it came topeting with Christopher. He did not want to let the love of his life walk away with another man. What should he do? He contemted his options. His inner voice was telling him to leave his ego out the door and stop Be from leaving. Nothing was more important than his wife. He had to keep her. ¡°Be!¡± As his heart pounded out of his chest, Justin took strides to keep up with the pair. Before Justin could get close to Be, Christopher sensed Justin. He turned around and aggressively pulled a punch, aiming straight for Justin¡¯s face. Chapter 602 Swoosh! A violent breeze brushed past the tip of Justin¡¯s nose. There was sure power, ruthlessness, and speed in the punch. If Justin was not a skilled fighter, he would not have been able to dodge the unsuspecting attack. Justin was able to gather a lot of information from the missed. assault. Underneath Christopher¡¯s polished appearance was a vicious beast. Justin could not possibly let Be go with him. No way! Everything happened too fast. Be walked ahead, oblivious to the men fighting over her in the back. Christopher pulled another punch, and Justin ducked in tim retaliated with a high kick. However, the counterattack mer past Christopher¡¯s chest. Christopher backed away to regain his bnce. His seemingly arms under his silver cuffs tensed as he clenched his fists. His ve bulged. Justin, who was ambushed, stood there, rooted to the ground. Christopher pushed his sses up his nose, hiding the bloodthirst behind the lens. For over a decade, Christopher had been learning to fight from the best fighters in Sentania, perfecting his skills to be stronger so that he could protect his mother and recruit elites. Christopher dabbled in closebat, shooting, and knives. He was gifted in that respect. Although he was not blessed with the best of health, he was able to make up for his deficiencies by putting in the hard work. Hence, Christopher was confident he could take Justin on. Nevertheless, after the brief sh with Justin, Christopher realized he had underestimated his opponent. Justin was stronger than most men. Even if Christopher were to give everything he had, he might not be able to defeat Justin. Christopher furrowed his brows grimacingly. Suddenly, he curled his lips slyly, sending shivers down Justin¡¯s spine. Something did not sit right with Justin. Christopher¡¯s eyes, always tender in Be¡¯s presence, were savage and rampant, challenging Justin¡¯s patience. Upon narrowing his eyes, Christopher threw himself forward. Letting his muscle memory and the urge to beat up the man take control, Justin reacted with a right hook to Christopher¡¯s left cheek. Be happened to turn around and witness this scene. Justin was shocked to catch Christopher, bleeding in the mouth, smiling wickedly instead of getting angry. Shit! He fell right into Christopher¡¯s trap! Christopher was not trying to hit him. He was trying to lure him to draw blood. Justin cursed himself for being a fool to fall for it. ¡°Chris!¡± Be widened her eyes and ran to help Christopher. She blurted out his nickname in a panic. Christopher¡¯s eyes bulge in surprise. Disregarding the burning pain on his cheek, he clutched Be¡¯s wrist and asked in a trembling voice, Be¡­ What did you call me?¡± It then hit Be. She took a bit of time to process what she just said. It was just a N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. form of address, and she used to call him that name when they were kids. Hence, she cried, ¡°Chris.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes welled up in excitement, his facial muscles twitching. Only God knew how long he had been waiting for her to use the term of endearment. It had been too long-15 years too long. Could Justin understand 15 years of yearning and lovesickness? No, the heartless man could never understand this. Justin froze as the color drained from his face. He could hear something breaking as his body slowly gave out. Be had once again broken his heart to pieces. It appeared Be and Christopher were close, and it all started when they were kids. Justin questioned what he meant to Be. ¡°Have you gone mad, Justin? Mr. Iverson was just inviting me to meet his mother at his ce. What did he ever do to you? Why must you injure him?¡± Be helped Christopher up and snapped an angry look at Justin. There were a lot of emotions in her gaze. She was angry, helpless, and, more so, disappointed. For the past 13 years, Justin had been an unattainable presence for her. Now, she could feel the untouchable shine of him fading as he drifted further from the man she remembered him to be. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Be. Don¡¯t be mad.¡± The murderous intent in Christopher¡¯s eyes was no longer present. He looked tenderly at her and said nicely, ¡°I can understand why Mr. Salvador attacked me.¡± Chapter 603 Christopher continued, ¡°Everything he does is for you.¡± ¡°For me? Including hurting someone?¡± Unable to put up with Justin¡¯s behavior, Be scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s just covering up his misdeed in the name of justice. Don¡¯t say that it¡¯s for me. I won¡¯t stand for this.¡± ¡°Be!¡± Justin felt suffocated, and his misery showed in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to exin or justify my behavior. I just have one thing to ask you. What am I to you?¡± As her breath hitched, Be felt her heart drop. Despite the dimly lit surroundings, she could see the shattered and anguished look on Justin¡¯s face. Christopher stared intently at Justin¡¯s pale face like a hawk on its prey. ¡°If you stop pestering me and being a nuisance in my life, we might have a chance of bing business partners. But if you persist in your ways, our only possible rtionship is that of enemies.¡± Without taking another look at Justin, Be held onto Christopher and left. Justin stood there in a daze, as if the whole world had left him behind. Before he knew it, the chilly breeze pierced through him, drying the tears in his eyes before they could pool again. He would never love another the way he loved her. Even the strongest love could fade with time. Christopher¡¯s vi was the secondrgest in the upscale area. The biggest belonged to Be. Since the Iversons owned the neighborhood, Christopher could just pick any vi he wanted. As they entered thepound, Be felt bad that Christopher was badly bruised in the face. She asked cautiously, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Christopher curled his lips, grinning brightly and warmly. However, the smile was stiff because of the bruise. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt that bad.¡± ¡°The bastard didn¡¯t hold back.¡± Furious, Be wanted to punish Justin. ¡°Mr. Salvador was in the army, and he went to military school. It doesn¡¯t surprise me that he was heavy with the beating.¡± Be scowled. ¡°How did you know that he was in the army? Did you run a background check on him?¡± Unflustered, Christopher said with a faint smile, ¡°Mr. Salvador and I are rivals, whether in business or love. If I want to win, I should know my enemy well.¡± Reading between the lines, Be pursed her luscious lips. It was a shame that she did not see Christopher the same way. In fact, she yed dumb to his feelings for her. ¡°Please cover for meter when my mother asks about this, Be.¡± Christopher looked over and nervously gave her the heads-up. ¡°How should I cover for you? It¡¯s not like you can fall and hit one side. of your face.¡± Be furrowed her brows, finding the excuse hard to believe. Christopher let out a wry smile, but the joy in his eyes was clear. His affection was reserved only for her. ¡°I got an idea!¡± Struck by a thought, Be pulled out apact powder from her purse and handed it to him. ¡°Cover up your bruise with this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Do you know how to use it?¡± Christopher looked at her with clear eyes and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Be opened thepact and dabbed the powder puff on the pressed powder before drawing close to Christopher¡¯s face. She proceeded to dab the puff on his swollen cheek. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± The man grimaced in pain. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Be asked. Christopher narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to Be. He was just inches away from her baby-smooth and beautiful face. He could not love her more than he already had. Their breaths mingled as the tips of their noses nearly touched. Be could even smell his minty breath mixed with his violet cologne, which made her feel lightheaded. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°It hurt a little just now, but it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Christopher looked deep into her eyes with a grin. Be stepped back a little, nearly dropping herpact powder. Although she cried out his nickname in a moment of panic, that did not mean that they had be closer. ¡°Come on, Be. Anyter, and I might not get dinner ready in time.¡± Christopher stopped teasing her. He had to take things slow, as slow and steady would win him the race. The pair walked through the gates of the vi and disappeared out of sight. On the other side of the metal gates, Justin stood alone on the opposite road. His bloodshot eyes were drawn to the vi¡¯s distant glow. Chapter 604 Everything in Christopher¡¯s home looked new. It was clear that he had moved in not too long ago. The vi¡¯s interior was decorated in minimalistic colors of ck, white, and gray. Be could tell right away that the furniture and appliances were top-of-the-line brands that exuded a subtle luxury. Be shuddered a little when she walked into the house. The reason was not because of the heating. The empty space, paired with the monotonous colors, gave off a sense of oppression and chill. ¡°Do you feel cold, Be?¡± Christopher took out a pair of white slippers from the shoe cab and got down on one knee to ce them by Be¡¯s feet. ¡°Put them on. I¡¯ll turn up the heating.¡± As hershes fluttered, Be slipped her dainty feet into slippers. The fluffy slippers werefortable. They were new, and the size seemed to fit her just right, as if they were made for her. m ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Iverson.¡± Zelda, a housekeeper to Christopher and his mother, Sophie, approached to wee them. ¡°Be, this is Zelda.¡± Christopher introduced them with a smile, ¡°Zelda, this is-¡± ¡°I know! She¡¯s Ms. Thompson, the one you always talk about! Hello there, Ms. Thompson.¡± Zelda checked Be out with enthusiasm. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, Ms. Thompson. Oh, my goodness. You¡¯re prettier than the winner of Miss Sentania.¡± Be blushed and smiled with embarrassment. ¡°Thank you for the ¡°Come in. Come in! It must be cold outside. Mr. Iverson, your mother has been waiting for you.¡± Zelda led them to the living room, turning back to check on them from time to time. With each nce, she found them a perfect match for each other. Be felt anxious. She could barely remember what Sophie looked like. Be often visited the Iversons¡¯ residence in her younger days, and Lance was usually the one to greet her. Sophie rarely made an appearance. She had encountered Sophie maybe once or twice, but she remembered the woman to be kind and gentle. ¡°Mom!¡± Hearing Christopher¡¯s greeting, the middle-aged woman in a wheelchair with a beige nket over her Feeling a catch in her throat, Be felt upset. Sophie was around M¡¯s age, but she was silver-haired and a shadow of her former beauty. ¡°Son, you¡¯re back.¡± Sophie smiled. Although she aged significantly, her smile was beautiful as always. It was clear that she was a stunner back in the day. Christopher went up and gave her a hug. ¡°Mom, Ms. Thompson is here to see you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Be? Is it Be?¡± Sophie was perky, like a child, her eyes reflecting her tenderness for Be. ¡°Zelda! Zelda!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, Mrs. Iverson,¡± Zelda responded. ¡°Hurry up and get Be some juice and candy.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zelda grabbed a handful of candy from the coffee table and presented it to Be. ¡°Here you go, Ms. Thompson.¡± Though surprised, Be took the candy. It never urred to her that Sophie had such a different approach to hosting guests. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Chris, you must bring your friends to the house. Don¡¯t worry about disrupting my rest. I don¡¯t want you to be alone and have no one to y with.¡± Sophie looked worriedly at her son. Be looked at Christopher in shock, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I don¡¯t feel lonely with Be by my side.¡± As sadness fleeted across his eyes, Christopher patted Sophie¡¯s back. ¡°Even if all the kids won¡¯t y with me, Be won¡¯t ignore me.¡± ¡°Alright. Be, you must visit us often.¡± Sophie looked at Be as if she were still the little girl from 15 years ago. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Iverson.¡± Chapter 605 Swayed by emotions, Be approached Sophie and got down on one knee. She looked up with a bright smile and said, ¡°Chris has a friend in me, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Christopher took off his jacket, his slender build drawn out by his white shirt and gray vest. He went to the kitchen, looking rather chic. Although Be was a guest, she felt bad letting him cook for her. Thus, she followed him to the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll help you. You don¡¯t have a chef. It will take you forever to cook dinner.¡± Be looked at the table of ingredients and rolled up her sleeves to get to work. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have everything ready. It should be quick and easy to make dinner.¡± While talking, Christopher looked at her with concern and murmure Be, I remember that you¡¯re allergic to smoke. It can get greasy an smoky in the kitchen. You should head to the living room and chat with my mother.¡± Be paused, her eyes twinkling in surprise. ¡°H-How did you know I¡¯m allergic to smoke?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? Your dad would take you to my home when you were a kid, and my brother would demand a cookout, ordering the household help to start the grill in the backyard. When it started to get smoky, your dad carried you away nervously, saying that you were allergic to smoke. I still remember your dad getting worked up and yelling at my dad.¡± Christopher chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the apple of your dad¡¯s eye.¡± Be stared at him in a daze and felt a lump in her throat. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Despite her best efforts, she could not stop her eyes from tearing up. During the three years she had been with Justin and cooked for him, the man had no idea that she had an allergic reaction to smoke. However, Christopher did not forget the trivial matter that happened over a decade ago. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Be stood alongside Christopher in front of the sink, preparing the fresh ingredients skillfully. Christopher swallowed hard and quietly stepped closer to her. ¡°Thank you, Be.¡± ¡°I should thank you for treating me to dinner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice was raspy as he smiled wryly. ¡°You¡¯ve seen my mother. Her memory is regressing badly. Sometimes, she doesn¡¯t even recognize me. There are times that she thinks I¡¯m still 7 years old.¡± ¡°I understand. It¡¯s one of the symptoms of Alzheimer¡¯s.¡± Be sighed. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you are willing to make her happy with me.¡± Their eyes met, and their foreheads bumped into each other. They chuckled, taken aback. It was a happy and tender moment at the vi. Beyond the walls of the residence, it was cold and windy. Justin stood rooted to the ground outside the vi, staring intently at the warm light. He had no idea how long he had been there or how much longer he would stand there. There was only one thing on his mind. He was waiting for Be. He was waiting for her toe out and see him. She had to leave one way or another, right? Suddenly, Justin felt something cold on his face. The biting co spread throughout his body. He lifted his chin as the tiny snowkes fell on his pale face and melted into his bloodshot eyes. It was snowing. Savrow weed its first snow in the winter. The first snow was a nk canvas. It signified a fresh chapter, full of potential and the promise of something special. He thought to himself, ¡®Be, I want to experience the first snow with you.¡¯ Justin breathed out a puff of cold air and pulled out his phone shakily to dial Be¡¯s number. Chapter 606 Dinner was pleasant and full ofughter. Christopher had nned to bring out a bottle of well-aged red wine, but Sophie kept serving Be juices. Be had drank orange juice, grape juice, pineapple juice, and other varieties of squashed fruits. After dinner, Zelda took Sophie elsewhere for other activities to give Christopher and his beloved a moment alone. Christopher gave Be a tour of his vi, showing her his art collection of paintings and artwork. These babies could fetch an astronomical price at an auction. S Standing before a desk, Be leaned forward with a magnifying ss. toto appreciate a painting. Her bright eyes reflected her joy. ¡°D¡¯Do you like it? If you do, I¡¯ll wrap it up for you to take home CChristopher propped his arm against the bed, staring at wwith a tilted head. SIShe admired the painting, while he admired her. ¡°Wrap it up for me? You know better than anyone that anythin cosists at least seven figures. These are authentic works. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re offering the painting to me for free.¡± fully Belials totood up straight and cheekily looked at Christopher through the magnifyiving ss. She blinked. ¡°Are you an antique collector? Or are you juststabllecting for fun? If you¡¯re a real collector, you should act like Wyatart leler freaks out when anyone tries to touch his collection. I can¡¯t imagine him giving his stuff away.¡± Christopher smiled and spoke in a soft and alluring tone. ¡°I¡¯m only generous to two people. That¡¯s you and Chairman Thompson.¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she pursed her lips. Christopher and Justin were two extremes. The former was a sweet talker, while thetter would not have anything nice to say even with a gun to his head. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Wyatt is a greedy man. If he knows you own such treasures, he¡¯ll certainly take your generosity for granted.¡± ¡°Chairman Thompson is wee to take anything he likes. I don¡¯t have much to offer, but if there¡¯s anything that catches his eye, I won¡¯t be stingy with him.¡± Christopher¡¯s tone could not be more sincere. ¡°What about you? Do you have anything you want apart from getting a slice of your family assets?¡± Be asked subtly. With tender eyes, Christopher answered in his mind, ¡®I want y It¡±it¡¯s snowing, Be,¡± he said something else out loud instead. R¡±Really?¡± BeBe bearned with excitement. ShShe loved the snow. When she was a little girl, her mother would hold heher as they admired the snow in the backyard. Her mother would take heher hand and guide her to draw on the snowy surface. ¡°COCommon. Let¡¯s check out the snow. Christopher led Be to the balcony and opened the door. Be was mesmerized by the nket of snow. The fluttering snow fell like feathers. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Be looked up at the night sky and expressed her thrill. Standing behind her, Christopher took off his jacket and draped it over The her shoulders. He wrapped her up tightly and murmured sweetly, snow is beautiful, but I don¡¯t want you to catch a cold.¡± The lingering warmth from the man¡¯s jacket cast away the chill that Be felt. She turned over to meet his burning gaze. Be murmured, ¡°You¡­¡± The man¡¯s heart raced, and his breathing turned heavy. ¡°Your sses are foggy. Can you even see the snow?¡± Be asked in a serious tone. Christopher was taken aback, but he smiled faintly, not hiding the affection in his eyes. ¡®Be, do you know? There¡¯s a saying in Sentania that couples who experience the first snow together will eventually marry each other.''¡± Christopher thought to himself. Not minding her frozen, stiff cheeks, Be reached out to capture the snowkes. Her face was alight with joy. Christopher, stirring with feelings, was tempted to grab her hand and never let her go. A disruptive phone call shattered this joyful moment. Be nced at her phone screen and frowned. Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Justin¡¯s name haunted Be. Seeing that it was his love rival calling, Christopher hid the chilling glint behind his gold-rimmed sses and said, ¡°Be.¡± Despite her stirring emotions, Be decided to take the call. ¡°Hello?¡± Disappointment was written all over Christopher¡¯s eyes. He hated Justin¡¯s guts. Justin looked at the lit window, not knowing if Be was behind the window or if she could see him. His voice was hoarse. ¡°It¡¯s snowing, Be. This is Savrow¡¯s first snowfall for the winter.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Be kept an emotionless face. ¡°Why are you calling?¡± Justin was stumped for words. It took a moment before he mustered up the courage to ask, "Can I invite you to see the snow together tonight?¡± ¡°Do you have a goldfish memory, Mr. Salvador?¡± Be frowned in surprise. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Knowing our rtionship, do you think it¡¯s appropriate?¡± ¡°Either way, it beats your rtionship with Christopher.¡± Justin had a case of sour grapes. Be was furious and amused. ¡°Ha. Well, I don¡¯t share your sentiment." "I won¡¯t leave until I see you tonight, Be.¡± The man was stubborn, and there was no talking sense to him.N?velDrama.Org content rights. "I won¡¯t leave this ce until you go.¡± Be could be more headstrong than him. "Are you trying to piss me off, Be?¡± Justin narrowed his eyes dangerously and clutched his chest, barely catching his breath. "Are you really going to spend the night at Christopher¡¯s? Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Rage consumed Be. With her back facing Christopher, she walked to a corner, took a deep breath, and said huskily, ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯m grateful that you saved my life, but that doesn¡¯t mean you get to use it against me, forcing me to do things I don¡¯t want to.¡± "I just wanted to see the first snowfall with you. That¡¯s all!¡± "But I don¡¯t want to! Justin, I¡¯m not interested in the slightest!¡± Be yelled into the phone, her dramatic reaction startling Justin. Christopher swiftly walked up to Be and held her trembling shoulders. "What¡¯s wrong, Be?¡± Christopher drew close to her and whispered in her ear. Justin caught Christopher¡¯s murmurs. Be closed her tearful eyes and shook uncontrobly. The scene from Christmas Eve two years ago came to mind. Savrow weed a bted snowfall on Christmas Eve. However, that scene was painted with a bloody car ident. She had only been carrying Justin¡¯s child for less than two months. The pain nearly tore her apart. She had to bid a gory goodbye to her unborn child. What was Justin doing at the time? He flew to Meridan to spend Christmas with his beloved Rosaline. Before Be passed out from admitting Nigel to the hospital, she had given Justin a call. However, all she received was a cold, busy tone. Be gasped for air as despair washed over her. Her consciousness faded out, and her body gave way. Chapter 608 ?Chapter 608 Christopher held Be in his arms before she sank to the ground. The resentment in his eyes went rampant. Justin stood outside in the snow, his head and shoulders covered in a sheet of white. He waited hopefully, ready to stay there the whole night. Suddenly, the metal gate of the vi opened.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Justin perked up. However, his heart soon sank to the pit of his stomach. Christopher headed his way with a pale, grimacing look. "Where''s Be?" Clenching his fists, Justin looked Christopher dead in the eye. Christopher pushed his sses up and let out a sinister smile. He carried himself like a proud winner. "She will be staying the night at my ce. She won''t be going home or enjoying the snow with you. She''s resting now. If you have any shred of dignity left, you should leave now and save yourself the humiliation. I need to get back to her." The strain showed in Justin''s voice. "You must be delighted with yourself, Christopher. You are only together with Be through maniption!" "So what?" The aggression was visible in Christopher''s eyes. He was a different person in front of Be. "I''m willing to do anything to win the love of my life, and I make no apologies. I''m unlike someone who acts like he only has eyes for Be but ys the field instead." "Christopher!" Justin shouted angrily, his voice trembling. The blood in his throat was getting thicker. "During your three-year marriage with Be, you never once celebrated any holidays with her. You were with Ms. Gold during Valentine''s Day, Christmas, and Be''s birthday, am I right?" Christopher mocked with a smile, "You should go to Ms. Gold for a romantic night like today. Are you trying to insult Be now?" Color washed off Justin''s face as agony overtook every fiber of his being. "You''re my rival, Justin. I only looked into your past because I felt bad for Be. I will protect her, and I won''t let the same thing happen again." Christopher''s eyes were cold. "Get lost. A filthy man on the inside and out like you does not deserve to be around Be." With Christopher gone, silence filled the air once again. Justin froze in the snowstorm for a long time. Suddenly, he lunged forward and covered his mouth. "Ugh!" His eyes bulged, and he felt wetness on his palm. Blood dripped to the ground, tainting the snow. When Christopher returned to the vi, he was not in a hurry to check on Be, who was unconscious. He tiptoed upstairs and entered his study to check the surveince outside the vi''s perimeters on hisputer. Sinking his back into his leather chair, Christopher wanted to admire Justin''s defeat, but to his surprise, he found something else to his delight. The strong and handsome man kneeled on one leg in the snow, breathingboriously with a bloodied mouth. Did Justin cough out blood? "Hahahaha! Justin, what a wonderful surprise." Christopher took out his phone to call his secretary, his eyes never leaving the screen. "What can I do for you, Mr. Iverson?" "Investigate Justin''s recent health records. Is he ill or injured? Which hospital was he at? I want to know everything," Chapter 609 Chaapter 609 Beli¡¯s dread was still fuzzy the next morning. She was a little. N?velDrama.Org content rights. discrterected. She bniptly opened her eyes and jolted up from bed. The monotonous colors of ck, white, and gray and the calming incense in in ee room rxed her. ¡°This is a man¡¯s room. Christopher?¡± Belia had a aciole teadache, as if someone had just hit her head with a club.b. Thest thing she remembered fromst night was arguing with Justin, and evergruining sise after was a blur. With her heart pounding.c. Be got up and left the room. Downstairs in the kitctuerenc Christopher wore a white shirt olled his sleeves to his elbows/sele was at the kitchen counter, m breakfast for Bela, The warm morning sun ousidiaid the window shone on the man, softening his facial lines. Helwembandsome and poised like a gentiernan in a painting.. He often cooked but never worerama Horon. Christopher never wore the same garntiment twice anyway. ¡°Mr. Iverson.¡± Christopher looked up tenderly at the sound of Be¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Be. How do you feel?¡± ¡°Mr. Iverson,st night-¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree on it, Be? Just call me Chris.¡± Christopher pouted a little. Still, he did not stop the task at hand, like a dutiful wife. ¡°You weren¡¯t feeling wellst night, and you passed out. I guess you could be low on blood sugar or overwhelmed. Don¡¯t worry. You slept in my room, but I didn¡¯t touch you.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Be rested her head in her palm exhaustedly. She was not na?ve. She had no idea whether she was hypoglycemic, but she was not in a good moodst night. The past trauma still haunted her, and it still hurt. It never crossed her mind that she would react strongly and be knocked unconscious by the pain. That bastard, Justin, was the bane of her. ¡°Breakfast is ready, Be. Come and eat,¡± Christopher urged her gently as he put the tes down. It was as if they were newlyweds, and Christopher, the husband, made breakfast for his wife since she slept in. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating. Thank you, though.¡± Be believed it was inappropriate enough that she stayed the night at the home of a guy she barely knew. She could not possibly stay for breakfast too. That was suggestive, and she was not that type of woman. ¡°Thank you for having me. I should go now.¡± While talking, Be pressed her lips together awkwardly and walked toward the door. Feeling crushed, Christopher caught up to her. ¡°Be, did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just not used to spending the night and having breakfast at a man¡¯s ce, especially one I¡¯m not close with. It¡¯s just not me,¡± Be expressed indifferently with a distant smile. Feeling hurt, Christopher clutched his fingers. Justin could get close to her and hold her, but Christopher could not make her stay for breakfast. If he had not shown up on timest night, Christopher wondered what Justin and Be would have done. They could have kissed, and Justin. could have stayed the night at her ce. Be¡¯s phone rang. Asher was calling. ¡°Hey, Ash.¡± Chapter 610 ¡°Be¡­ Axel, Ralph, Steve, and I are outside Christopher¡¯s vi.¡± Asher¡¯s voice rolled like thunder. He kept things short. However, assurance and intimidation were present in his tone of voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ash. You¡¯re all being dramatic.¡± Be rubbed her temples, already imagining themotion going on out there. ¡°Dramatic? Be, you spent the night at another man¡¯s home. You were out all night! We nearly wept in panic,¡± Axel cried out loud. ¡°Did that Iverson boy touch you, Be? Were you there of your own free will, or did he set you up? I¡¯ve got the cuffs ready for him.¡± Ralph was a police officer through and through. One word from Be, and he would rush in to arrest Christopher. ¡°Calm down! Chill the heck out!¡± Be put on her heels in a panic and walked out the door. Outside, fancy cars surrounded Christopher¡¯s vi. ¡°Ms. Be!¡± Teary-eyed, Steven went up and held her shoulders. ¡°Are you alright D Did Christophery a finger on you?¡± ¡°No one wouldy a finger on me unless they wanted the Thompsons oron their tail.¡± Be found them overstraining themselves with anxiety. ¡°Be!¡± Her three brothers gathered around. They were relieved that Be looked fine and her clothes were intact. ¡°Good morning, Asher, Axel.¡± Christopher approached with a smile and turned to Ralph. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here too, Ralph. I guess it¡¯s not busy at the station this morning.¡± Ralph gritted his teeth, tempted to just cuff the gu guy. Axel was not having it. ¡°We¡¯re not on a first-name basis. That¡¯s Mr. Axel Thompson to you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I have not been back for a long time. We have grown apart, I suppose.¡± Christopher did not mind them. Instead, he took a lingering look at Be. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think of me, but my feelings for Be have never changed.¡± This was the second time Christopher hid their princess. Although Christopher did nothing, his behavior constantly tested the Thompson brothers¡¯ patience. ¡°Come on, guys. We should head home.¡± Sensing the tension in the air, Be tugged on Asher¡¯s and Axel¡¯s sleeves while giving them a look. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Take Be home.¡± With furrowed brows, Asher grabbed Be¡¯s hand and gave her a little squeeze. ¡°Mr. Iverson, a word, please.¡± Christopher kept a friendly smile. ¡°Sure.¡± Seeing that there was no talking sense into Asher, Be was escorted into the car by her brothers and Steven. As the car drove away, Be looked out the window, and her heart dropped. The dried pool of blood on a nket of snow by the road was rming. Tension was thick in the living room. Asher sat sternly on the sofa with his legs crossed. His gaze on Christopher was not as kind as before. ¡°Here, have some tea.¡± Christopher served him a drink. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I¡¯ll make this quick.¡± Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out! Chapter 611 With downcast eyes, Asher nced at his watch emotionlessly. ¡°Mr. Iverson, I know my sister. She would never spend the night at a man¡¯s house. She never once did. Yet,st night, she stayed at yours. You owe me an exnation.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t let her spend the night out, but you supported her secret marriage. You let her marry a jerk without being acknowledged and let her go through hell at her inws¡¯ home for three years behind your father¡¯s back.¡± Christopher sat across from Asher with a smile. Asher¡¯s breath hitched as he pursed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing. Don¡¯t try to turn it against us. Be married Justin because she once loved him so much. She made that choice herself. As her brother, I respect her wishes, even though I disapprove of them. But you¡¯re different, Mr. Iverson.¡± Christopher tensed his jawline, and his expression was no longer calm. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°I know Be doesn¡¯t feel the same way about you. Your pushiness on the matter will only annoy Be and make me see you in a different light.¡± Aggression was reflected in Asher¡¯s eyes. Christopher pushed his gold-rimmed sses up and smiled faintly. He swallowed hard to fight back the fury. ¡°I only invited Be herest night. My mother and I wanted to see her, and we had a pleasant dinner together. Justinter called Be, and God knows what he said, because Be passed out from rage.¡± Christopher was livid just thinking ofst night¡¯s incident. Asher scowled. He could tell the man was not lying, but Asher would not put all his faith in Christopher¡¯s words. ¡°Even so, it is not right for you to keep Be at your ce for the night without informing us. Be is the apple of my father¡¯s eye, and she is precious to me too. Be might not mind what happenedst night, but I won¡¯t let it slide.¡± Asher slowly rose to his feet and walked along the hallway to the entrance, looking intimidating. ¡°Mr. Iverson, our parents are close, and you may have feelings for Be, but I should make things clear for you on behalf of my father. You can be friends with Be, but I am against you getting involved with her romantically. My father won¡¯t approve of it either. You¡¯ll never be associated with my family.¡± The words, though not hurtful, were humiliating. In other words, Christopher could forget ever marrying or dating Be. As Asher made his way out, Christopher said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Thompson, Be will marry me one day, and I look forward to the day you attend our wedding.¡± ¡°You must be dreaming to think Be will marry you.¡± Asher scoffed and waltzed out the door. The moment the door was closed, Christopher¡¯s smile froze. ¡°When have I ever needed your approval to do anything? What a joke.¡± Just then, Christopher¡¯s phone rang. It was his secretary calling. ¡°Mr. Iverson, I have two things to report to you. First, Ms. Zoe Hoffman just returned from abroad.¡± Christopher curled his lips. ¡°And the other thing?¡± ¡°You asked me to investigate Justin¡¯s medical history. I have not gotten the specifics, but Justin was badly injuredst month and was treated at Deux Hospital. He was discharged two dayster.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to know the specifics. It¡¯s enough for me to know that he was badly injured.¡± The man raised his brow with intrigue. ¡°What do you n to do now, Mr. Iverson?¡± His secretary asked cautiously. ¡°I want him dead,¡± Christopher said menacingly. The secretary sighed andmented, ¡°We are not in our territory. Otherwise, you would have killed Justin a long time ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll die in my hands sooner orter. I have patience.¡± Chapter 612 Ryan¡¯s private jet descended at Savrow Airport in the middle of the night. Zoe, with her vibrant brown curls cascading down her back and a luxurious fur coat draped around her, stepped down from the staircase and entered a fancy car. Since the knockoff incident with Bethany, Ryan banned Zoe from leaving the house and confiscated her phone. That way, Zoe could not contact her friends who might lead her astray. Later, she made a huge fuss and starved herself. Feeling bad for Zoe, ire persuaded her son to lift the ban and send Zoe to Inalia instead for some soul-searching. Now that it was winter, Ryan begrudgingly let Zoe return to Savrow Zoe had spent way too much time in Inalia, but Ryan never once visited her. That was cruel of him. ¡°Where¡¯s Ryan? Why didn¡¯t he pick me up from the airport?¡± Zoe threw a tantrum in front of Ryan¡¯s bodyguard, Adam. She k kicking the back of the front passenger seat, where Adam sat. Adam had watched Zoe grow up. Although he was Ryan¡¯s confidante, he had also worked for Zoe for a long time. Adam looked at Zoe tenderly and was coy about Ryan¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Mr. Hoffman has been busytely.¡± ¡°He¡¯s changed. I don¡¯t mean anything to him anymore.¡± Zoe pounded the back of the seat in tears. ¡°He would always pick me up, no matter how busy he was before. This time around, he didn¡¯t even call me once. He doesn¡¯t care about me anymore!¡± She screamed and fussed until she choked out sobs. Adam felt bad for her. In the end, Adam mustered the courage and murmured, ¡°I have news, Ms. Hoffman, but you must keep your cool.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Zoe took the tissue from the bodyguard to wipe her tears. ¡°Mr. Hoffman hasn¡¯t been in touch with you recently because he has been busy with Ms. Carrie Salvador.¡± Adam was secretive about it. ¡°What did you say?¡± Zoe was baffled. ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing.¡± Adam drew closer to her and cut to the chase. ¡°Mr. Hoffman is living with Ms. Carrie now.¡± ¡°No way! No way!¡± Seeing red, Zoe yelled, ¡°How could that fool live in my family home? My brother has never brought a woman home before.¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman didn¡¯t bring her back to the Hoffmans¡¯ residence. He kept her in one of his many properties.¡± Zoe felt her world crumbling. ¡°Where exactly? Take me there now. yersspprivate residence was nestled amid the affluence of Savrow¡¯s filssidel its white walls and green top a testament to wealth. Mihouobinthe house was not as grand as the Hoffmans residence, the area s mouet and serene with stunning views. It was a perfect ce QUAMMORx. van had stayed with Carme during her recovery in the past few days. roppang hits work and social engagements to keep herpany for Corne¡¯s sake. he retired from ying the field and changed aspain¡¯s oporo of Ryan, I made you agit Come and take a look.¡± Carrie, dressed in a reef boodle with a white fluffy lining, smiled jleefully as she tookRwards hand and dragged him to the backyard (asmin stared at the bees molt face, finding that Carrie resembled the ittle red riding hood. iven a wornan like her was taskendo dente, much less Ryan. Slow down. We have not cheerce the snow from the path. I don vant you to fall.¡± The man¡¯s we were filled with tenderness. tyan cared for Carrie so much during the past few days that he ha ot let her feet touch the ground. Het onted her around the vi, except when she had to use the bathropom He realized what it meant to spoil someone t was a nket of white in the backyard: Tash greenery covered in snow was a beautiful sight. Carrie was like a blossoming flower in the winter wondend, capturing Ryan¡¯s entire attention and pulling his heartstrings. ¡°Look, Ryan!¡± Ryan held Carrie¡¯s frozen hand tight in his grasp as she pointed at the plump snowman in the middle of the yard. Her eyes were smiley. ¡°I made you a snowman. It¡¯s pretty, right?¡± He was filled with glee until he got a good look at the snowman. His headshot was stuck to the face of the plump snowman, and it was creepy. That was not the only thing. The picture Carrie chose did not capture his good looks. Besides, the headshot was ck and white, the type used on gravestones. ¡°I have a lot of nice photos, Carrie. Why did you pick this one?¡± Ry was speechless. ¡°Uh¡­ I took this picture in secret. I wanted to give you a surprise.¡± Carrie looked up at him, wide-eyed and rosy-cheeked. ¡°Why did you get the photo in ck and white?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ The printer ran out of colored ink.¡± Ryan sighed wryly and ran his fingers down her red hoodie. All was fine with him. He S not have asked for more when Carrie made him a gift. ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± Suddenly, Ryan¡¯s pet Doberman sprung out of nowhere and pounced on the snowman. ¡°Hey, Millionaire! Get back here!¡± Ryan shouted anxiously, but it was toote. Millionaire knocked his head off. ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± Millionaire wagged its tail and barked excitedly. Carrie blinked. ¡°Erm¡­ Ryan, your head fell¡­¡± Ryan clenched his fists. In the mood for ytime, Millionaire kicked the snowball back and forth. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Carrie eximed, ¡°Wow! Millionaire is kicking your head like a ball.¡± Ryan clenched his teeth and yelled, shaking the snow off the branches. ¡°Millionaire, how dare you kick your dad¡¯s head! I¡¯m to disown you!¡± Millionaire must have gotten the message because it turned to Carm with pleading eyes and whimpered. ¡°No! Don¡¯t punish Millionaire!¡± Carrie nestled up to Ryan for once, dangling his arm. ¡°I¡¯ll make you another one. Hang on.¡± Overwhelmed by a tingling sensation, the man stared at her with affection. ¡°Millionaire, if your mom didn¡¯t plead your case, you would be done for tonight.¡± Ryan¡¯s heart raced. However, Carrie had run off to make another snowman. It was a good thing Carrie did not hear what he just said. Yet, somehow, he wished she had. Chapter 613 Carrie hopped to the snowman, and Millionaire rolled the snowman¡¯s head back. She carried the snowball and got on her tiptoes to put the head back. 1. Millionaire wagged its tail and circled the beautiful girl while rolling by her feet. ¡°Hahaha. Aren¡¯t you cold, Millionaire? I¡¯ll knit you a sweater.¡± ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± Millionaire wagged its tail, seemingly to acknowledge Carrie. He jumped on Carrie excitedly and licked N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. her cheeks. ¡°Hahaha, that tickles! Stop it, Millionaire.¡± Carrie fell to the ground, and they started rolling around in the snow. Ryan watched the heartwarming scene and stared at Carrie lovingly. He thought he could never have such a mundane yet happy life It never urred to him that Carrie would be the one to give it He had what other men had, too. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, Millionaire is a biter and only listens to you. I didn¡¯t expect Millionaire to get along well with Ms. Carrie,¡± Yasmin approached and said with a gratifying smile. ¡°Millionaire¡¯s a perv.¡± Yasmin thought to herself, ¡®Well, the pet takes after the owner.¡¯ Ryan was jealous of Millionaire pouncing on Carrie and was tempted to disown the dog. Damn it. He had stooped so low to be jealous of a dog. ¡°Millionaire, leave her alone!¡± Ryan shouted angrily. He went over and helped Carrie up. Thetter was covered in snow. ¡°There¡¯s too much snow. I don¡¯t want you to catch a cold.¡± He leaned forward and brushed the snow off her. ¡°Thank you, Ryan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me.¡± Ryan fixated on her pretty eyes, his breath sweeping against her rosy cheeks. ¡°Carrie, you are important to me. It makes me happy to be with you. I should be the one to thank you.¡± ¡°But I have done nothing.¡± Carrie looked confused. ¡°You have done a lot.¡± Ryan gripped her frozen hands and rubbed them against his her hands to his lips and breathed out warm air. ¡°Come to my arms.¡± The man unbuttoned his ck coat, and she nestled into his embrac She nuzzled up against him and closed her eyes infort, enveloped in his scorching testosterone. Ryan felt a fiery sensation creeping up his loins. ¡°Carrie.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Carrie¡¯s soft voice sounded muffled. ¡°You can only behave like this with me.¡± Ryan lowered his gaze at her, his eyes fervent in the snowstorm. He wished he could hold her forever. His voice was raspy. ¡°I will be angry. if you behave like this with someone else. I can be scary when I¡¯m mad.¡± ¡°H-How scary?¡± Carrie was timid, and it showed in her eyes.. The affectionate look on Ryan¡¯s face was bewitching as he drew close to her face, his lips nearly touching hers. ¡°Very scary. Do you want to test me? Hm?¡± Chapter 614 Carrie shook her head, her heart beating out of her chest. ¡°I-I got it. I¡¯ll only be like this with you. Don¡¯t be mad, okay?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Ryan had been nothing but nice to her for the past few days. He bought her lots of pretty clothes, which Bethany normally wore. Carrie did not own nice clothes before. The food there was delicious. Although Be¡¯s cooking was better, the food was still delicious. Ryan would also blow her hair dry, feed her, and sleep in the same bed as her. They were just sharing a bed. Ryan pampered and doted on her. She would be so ungrateful if she made him angry. ¡°Good girl.¡± Her bright, dewy eyes tempted Ryan to kiss her. Struck by a thought, he wanted to p himself in remorse. He wondered if he was grooming her. However, Ryan really hoped Carrie could stay by his side. His heart dropped when he imagined her marrying someone else and being in someone else¡¯s arms. He could not bear the thought of her kissing another man and bearing his child. ¡°I need you here, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Yasmin took a call and called him over. ¡°Alright.¡± Ryan went to Yasmin. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yasmin nced at Carrie before speaking in hushed tones, ¡°I got a call fromn, Mr. Salvador¡¯s secretary. He said Mr. Salvador¡¯s injury has gotten worse.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Dismayed, Ryan did not watch his tone. Carrie looked at them with a confused look. n did not give me the specifics. He said that Mr. Salvador is focused on his recovery at his private vi, and no one knows about it.n couldn¡¯t stand it and contacted me in secret. He hopes you can visit him.¡± ¡°I got it. Bring the car around, Yasmin. We¡¯ll leave now.¡± Not wanting Carrie to worry, Ryan did not say a word about Justin¡¯s injury to her. He simply told her that he had business to take care of and might not be home tonight. Carrie should go ahead and go to bed. at the usual time. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you toe home. I¡¯ll sleep when you¡¯re back.¡± Carrie walked him to the door. Though she did not make her feelings known, her reluctance was written all over her face. Chapte Feeling warm and cozy inside, Ryan smiled at her and instructed the helper, Fiona. ¡°Take good care of Ms. Salvador.¡± Minutes after Ryan¡¯s ride left, the three fancy cars that were supposed to escort Zoe back to the Hoffmans¡¯ residence showed up at the gates. ¡°This is the ce, Ms. Hoffman,¡± Adam muttered. ¡°My brother sure is generous to the dimwit bitch. Is that house supposed to be their marital home?¡± Zoe stared at the beautiful white walls and green roof while shaking in rage. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Ms. Hoffman. It¡¯s known across Savrow what type of man Mr. Hoffman is.¡± Adam consoled Zoe, ¡°Mr. Hoffman will never be sincere with any woman. I have observed him in the ¡°What do you know? It¡¯s different this time. He¡¯s my brother. I can tell it¡¯s different.¡± Zoe¡¯s face was flushed. ¡°Carrie has my brother wrapped around her finger. He had been with too many pretty girls, and now he finds the idiot refreshing. It¡¯s like he¡¯s been hexed. Isn¡¯t he afraid that his child. with the dimwit will be handicapped too? It will ruin the Hoffmans¡¯ great genes.¡± Adam dared not say a word. Chapter 615 ¡°I will never allow the idiot to be my sister-inw. Either she goes, or I¡¯ll go!¡± Zoe opened the car door angrily. With Adam staying put, she asked in surprise, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing along?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Hoffman. I work for Mr. Hoffman, so I¡¯m not in a position to intervene.¡± Adam was caught between a rock and a hard ce. ¡°Alright. I get it. I won¡¯t let anybody know that you helped me, but you must keep an eye on my brother for me.¡± Zoe¡¯s creepy eyes were out of ce with her appearance. ¡°You have done well. Your work won¡¯t go unrewarded.¡± Adam shook his head and expressed his loyalty. ¡°I¡¯m happy to do anything for you, Ms. Hoffman.¡± Zoe got out of the car and mmed the door. She uttered in disdain, Tsk. I¡¯m way out of his league. If it isn¡¯t because I have use for him, it makes me sick to breathe the same air as him.¡± With her entourage of bodyguards and a secretary, the group banged violently on the vi door. Fiona ran out, her expression stiffening at the sight of Zoe. She sounded flustered. ¡°M-Ms. Hoffman, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Is Ryan in?¡± Seeing that Fiona had been reassigned to serve Carrie, Zoe grew livid. ¡°M-Mr. Hoffman isn¡¯t around.¡± Fiona panicked. ¡°Where is Carrie? The bitch must be in there.¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman has said that no one is allowed into the vi without his permission, Ms. Hoffman.¡± Though flustered, Fiona remained loyal and refused Zoe and her group entry. ¡°Fiona, you have been working for my family for more than a decade. I won¡¯t care that you¡¯re family at this point if you don¡¯t give way,¡± Zoe threatened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Hoffman. I only take orders from Mr. Hoffman. Please leave.¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Zoe kicked the door, infuriated. ¡°Smash the door open!¡± In the end, her security detail rammed the door through and apprehended Fiona. Zoe led her secretary to barge into the living room. ¡°Carrie! You bitch!¡± Carrie sat on the sofa, watching cartoons while ying with Millionaire. She froze. Color drained from her face when Zoe entered the room. She cowered in the corner of the sofa with her hands over her head. ¡°Don¡¯t hit me! Don¡¯t hit me!¡± ¡°You deserve a beating! You¡¯re a disgusting idiot to seduce my brother! Die, bitch!¡± Zoe ran her mouth. Zoe sprinted over and grabbed Carrie by the hair before hitting her in the face. Zoe would not have the guts to hit anyone on Ryan¡¯s watch. With Ryan gone, nothing was stopping her from letting off steam with violence. ¡°Ugh!¡± Carrie¡¯s ear injury had just healed. She felt a sharp pain and broke out in a cold sweat after taking another hard hit. ¡°Get that disgusting bitch out of here! My brother owns this ce, so it belongs to me too. I will not let her stay here,¡± Zoemanded. The secretary went straight to work, grabbing Carrie by the arm and dragging her out. ¡°Grrrr!¡± The abuse of Carrie infuriated Millionaire. The loyal dog charged at the secretary and bit her arm. ¡°Ah! Let me go! Let me go!¡± Zoe¡¯s secretary screamed in pain from the bite as she let go of Carrie. Zoe was shocked by this as well, so she backed away. The secretary kicked Millionaire again and again, but Millionaire kept biting her, refusing to let her go. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Millionaire¡­ Stop!¡± Carrie hugged the Doberman, protecting it with her weak body. Zoe¡¯s eyes reddened. She took advantage of the chaos to kick Carrie. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Zoe Hoffman!¡± The sharp, chilling roar of her name pierced through Zoe¡¯s ears before she could retract her leg. She was caught red-handed for bullying Carrie. Zoe looked back stiffly. Her trembling heart almost leaped out of her chest, and she nearly choked in shock. ¡°R-Ryan¡­¡± She saw Ryan standing there, ring at her with rage. His handso face was shrouded in gloom and fury. His chest was heaving as anger surged in his eyes. Carrie did not know Ryan had arrived. She was still hugging Millionaire tightly with her eyes closed. Her trembling body curled up pitifully. Chapter 616 Chapp:616 The secretary¡¯s vision went ck for a moment. She forgot about the pain in her arm due to the shock and fear. Who could have foreseen Ryan would return so soon? ¡°Zoe Hoffman, did you hit Carrie?¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Carrie¡¯s red and swollen cheek as he advanced closer to the poor girl. Zoe shuddered fiercely. She had never seen her brother look like that before. It was extremely terrifying. Since things had gotten to this point, there was nothing Zoe could say to defend herself. Besides, Ryan had doted on Zoe so much since she was young. No matter how much Ryan liked Carrie, he would not do anything drastic to Zoe because of Carrie, right? His family had alwayse first. ¡°Yeah, I hit her! You¡¯re too much, Ryan! You¡¯ve disappointed and hurt me so much!¡± Zoe yelled back at Ryan. Zoe¡¯s tears streamed down her face as she cried and continued sent me to Inalia and left me alone for so long. You didn¡¯t even me once! It turns out that you were spending time with this bitch he You abandoned your sister because of her! Ryan Hoffman! Do you st Smack-! Before Zoe even finished speaking, the crisp sound of a p resounded through the living room. Ryan pped Zoe with an expressionless face. He had never done this before. Zoe¡¯s face was turned to the side from the force of the p. Her fair and tender cheek immediately N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. swelled, leaving a humiliating red mark on her face. Ryan did not hold back his strength for this p. It really hurt¡­ With that p, Zoe¡¯s cheek swelled, and her heart shattered into pieces. Yasmin happened to walk in right then. She was extremely shocked to see this scene too. Who in Savrow did not know that Ryan was famous in Savrow for being extremely doting on his sister? Thus, Yasmin never expected to see this shocking scene in her lifetime. ¡°Zoe Hoffman, I¡¯m truly wondering if you¡¯re my sister or just a coldhearted and cruel woman who looks like her.¡± Ryan did not nce at Zoe again. He helped Carrie up and gath her into his arms, his heart aching as he hugged her tightly. ¡°Ha spoiled you so much? Is that why you¡¯re no longer the simple and innocent little girl you once were? In that case, you¡¯re no longer my little sister.¡± Chapter 617 Zoe waspletely stunned, and her pale face slowly darkened, as if she were possessed. ¡°Ryan¡­ What are you saying? Are you disowning me as your sister? Ryan!¡± Ryan ignored Zoe and focused on Carrie, rubbing her trembling back over and over. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m back. No one will dare to hurt you again. No one.¡± But this time, Carrie was not as obedient as she once was. Her breathing became heavier as she resisted Ryan¡¯s touch. She was like a prickly little hedgehog. ¡°No¡­ You¡¯re not my brother. You¡¯re Zoe Hoffman¡¯s brother¡­¡± Her soft and powerless little hands kept pushing against Ryan¡¯s solid chest. With every push, Carrie wished she had a knife she could use to stab into his chest and hurt him. ¡°Let me go! I want to go home¡­ I want Grandpa. I want to go home!¡± ¡°Carrie, be good, please¡­¡± Ryan tried to coax her, eyes red. ¡°Let go¡­ Let me go!¡± But no matter how Carrie cried and screamed, Ryan refused to let go, not even for a second. On the contrary, he held her tighter. Hisrge, rough palm wrapped around her slender waist. His grip was so tight that her fair skin had turned red through her white dress. Then he narrowed his eyes slightly and pressed his thin lips to her ear, his voice hoarse as he said softly, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not your brother¡­ I¡¯m your man, Carrie.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes widened with shock as she watched her brother give all his love to the girl she had bullied since her school days. Zoe thought she could bully Carrie forever. She felt like her heart had been dug out and her soul was going to be ripped in half. The pain was crippling. It hurt a hundred times more than when she found out Justin loved Be Thompson! Ryan was the most important man in Zoe¡¯s life. She always thought that she would be able to live her whole life capriciously as his younger sister. But no, she could feel herself losing the protection that was once solely hers. He was going to give it all to Carrie Salvador! ¡°My¡­ Man?¡± Carrie looked up, her teary eyes filled with heart- wrenching confusion. ¡°Yes, yours.¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was husky, and his eyes smoldered with passion. Zoe¡¯s sparkling crystal pce life was about to fall to pieces. Yasmin smiled in relief from a hidden corner as she watched Ryan confess his feelings to Carrie passionately. Carrie had taken a beating, and her trauma had been triggered by Zoe¡¯s appearance. She had been through a lot and ended up crying herself to sleep in Ryan¡¯s arms. Ryan carried her back to her room and used a clean towel to wipe her sweat and tears away before tucking her under the covers. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Carrie rolled over. Her brows were scrunched deeply, which showed her difort. Ryan¡¯s heart clenched with sadness, anger, and self-reproach. His handsome face was serious and pale. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carrie. It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t protect you well¡­¡± Yasmin pushed open the door and walked in gingerly. She stood there, hesitant to speak for fear of disturbing her boss¡¯ tender moment. ¡°Say what you want to say.¡± Ryan gently caressed Carrie¡¯s cheek, but his expression was cold. ¡°I have the footage you asked for.¡± Yasmin walked over to Ryan and respectfully handed the phone to him. Ryan managed to rush back so quickly because he knew what was happening at home through the dozens of surveince cameras he installed. There were practically no blind spots. With his phone, Ryan could monitor the situation at home remotely, in real-time. He stared at the phone with a glum face. Ryan watched from the moment Zoe entered and ordered her people to restrain Fiona, up to the point she burst into the house to hit and kick Carrie. He remained silent for a moment. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, what do you think¡­?¡± Chapter 618 Before Yasmin could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her wrist. Ryan¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to spit mes as he raised his hand and sent Yasmin¡¯s phone flying. ¡°Please calm down, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Yasmin hurriedly drew back and bowed deeply. But Ryan, filled with rage, had already stood up and strode out the door. Downstairs, Zoe¡¯s forehead was covered with sweat as she sat uneasily on the sofa. She was surrounded by four of Ryan¡¯s bodyguards, unable to leave. ¡°M-Ms. Zoe¡­ Mr. Ryan is angry¡­ What should we do?¡± Zoe¡¯s secretary kneeled at Zoe¡¯s feet and hugged Zoe¡¯s leg in fear. ¡°You¡¯re asking me? How should I know?!¡± Heavy footsteps interrupted them. Ryan walked over with Yasmin trailing behind him. Instantly, a freezing chill swept through the living room. ¡°Ryan¡­¡± Zoe called his name weakly. She realized that losing her temper was pointless at that moment, so she could only pretend to be innocent and pitiful. ¡°You hit Carrie and even kicked her. I saw everything clearly on the camera.¡± Ryan took a deep breath, trying to forcibly suppress his wrath. If she were not his biological sister, it was truly unimaginable what would have happened. ¡°Ryan¡­ I-I was just ovee by anger in the heat of the moment. You watched me grow up. I¡¯ve never hit anyone before this! Even fuzzy caterpirs scare me¡­ I¡¯ve never done this before!¡± Zoe defended herself with a red face. But Ryan remained expressionless, and his face waspletely unreadable. ¡°It was her! She instigated me!¡± Zoe turned slightly and kicked her secretary. ¡°It was all her! She¡¯s been fanning the mes ever since I got off the ne. She instigated me to hit Carrie! I¡¯ve always hated her, so how could I put up with it?! It¡¯s all because of her that I¡¯m like this!¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± The secretary was so frightened that she kneeled and cowered. She wanted to refute it but did not dare to. ¡°Why do you hate Carrie? What has she ever done to you?¡± Ryan asked with a grim gaze. ¡°She-¡± Zoe spluttered and found a random excuse. ¡°She¡¯s a retard, but she still dared to seduce you! How could I allow a woman like that to be my future sister-inw?!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t she be your sister-inw? Do I need your approval to choose a girlfriend?¡± Ryan narrowed his eyes slightly andughed, but this was a more terrifying sight than his anger. ¡°I-1-¡± Zoe wanted to cry from anger,pletely disheartened by his behavior. ¡°And there¡¯s one thing you¡¯ve gotten wrong.¡± Ryan recalled the woman who yed happily in the snow and her soft lips. His body was ignited with desire. ¡°She didn¡¯t seduce me. I seduced her. I¡¯m the one who wants to be with her.¡± Zoe¡¯s vision flickered out, feeling like her world had caved in. The trash that she had been trampling all over this whole time was about to rise above her! ¡°Yasmin.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Yasmin stepped forward. ¡°Break this woman¡¯s arms and legs and send her off to Angress.¡± Ryan¡¯s voice was cold as he casually gave Zoe¡¯s secretary a death N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. sentence. Angress¡­ ¡°Mr. Hoffman! It wasn¡¯t me¡­ Ms. Zoe told me to do all of it! Mr. Hoffman!¡± No matter how the secretary cried, it was of no use. Yasmin waved her hand indifferently, and two tall, burly bodyguards came forward to drag Zoe¡¯s secretary out like a sack. Zoe was petrified, not daring to move a muscle. This was the first time in her life that she saw her handsome brother live up to his ¡± nickname. ¡°This is my private vi. Apart from myself, Yasmin, and a few other of my most trusted men, no one else knows about this ce, including you and Mom.¡± Ryan looked down and took out an exquisite cigarette case before taking a cigarette out and cing it between his lips. ¡°So, who exactly tipped you off?¡± Zoe was trembling under her gorgeous fur coat. Her cold sweat soaked through the thick coat. Chapter 619 ¡°Those around me are all well aware of my temper. What I hate the most are traitors.¡± Ryan lit his cigarette with his gloved hand and tilted his head up slightly to exhale the smoke. Then he asked calmly, ¡°Who told you. that Carrie and I were staying here, Zoe?¡± It was like a thorn was lodged in Zoe¡¯s throat. Her face turned pale, and she hadpletely lost the N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ability to speak. This was her brother Ryan, who doted on her and loved her the most. But at this moment, she was terrified of him. ¡°You don¡¯t know? That¡¯s fine. I do.¡± As he finished his sentence, another two bodyguards dragged Adam inside. He had already been beaten half to death. Zoe covered her mouth in shock. There was a bright red trail of blood that followed Adam the wh way he had been dragged into the living room. I ¡°Adam, you¡¯ve been with me for a decade, and I normally treat your well. If it weren¡¯t for me back then, you would have been beaten to death on the streets long ago.¡± Ryan sat down leisurely on the chair that Yasmin had brought over. Is this how you repay me? By pretending to be loyal in front of me but fawning all over my sister behind my back? You¡¯re pretty good at ying the double agent, I see.¡± ¡°M-Ms. Zoe¡­ Help me¡­ Now that things hade to this point, Adam had no choice but to beg Zoe for help. Zoe hurriedly turned away. She nearly wanted to puke at the sight of his face, which had been beaten beyond recognition. ¡°Yasmin, you know the rules.¡± Ryan narrowed his eyes slightly before slowly taking a puff of his cigarette. ¡°Yes, Mr. Hoffman.¡± Yasmin walked up to Adam with an indifferent expression and leaned down to grip his jaw with her left hand. Zoe covered her face with her hands and screamed in shock before fainting. After that night, there was no more news about Justin. Three nights in a row, Be had nightmares, and every single them had to do with Justin. Although they said that dreams were often the opposite of reality, those dreams were too realistic. No matter how she thought about the pool of blood at Christopher Iverson¡¯s doorstep, she felt like something was off. ¡°Be, these are the meds for the second course of treatment.¡± Chopp! M knocked on the door and entered the room to ce the medication in front of Be. Be was packing her things in preparation to go back to Savrow. She hurriedly put down what she was holding and picked up the bottle of medicine happily. ¡°Thank you, Aunt M.¡± ¡°What are you thanking me for? As long as it¡¯s something our dear Be wants, I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you.¡± M lovingly stroked Be¡¯s beautiful hair before suddenly asking, ¡± Oh, right. How¡¯s Justin¡¯s wound?¡± ¡°You¡¯re concerned about him?¡± Be was slightly surprised. ¡°How is that possible?!¡± M hurriedly exined, as if afraid of being tied to that man. ¡°The medication he¡¯s been taking was developed by my family¡¯s pharmaceuticalpany. Of course, I have to ask how our test subject is doing. I¡¯m concerned about the side effects of ourpany¡¯s medication.¡± When Be heard this, she pursed her lips. A gloom overwhelmed her. The drug that the Larsons had developed to treat internal organ injuries was actually still in its clinical trial stage and had not been officiallyunched yet. But for the sake of treating Justin¡¯s injuries, Be could only take the risk and use it on Justin.. Otherwise, Justin¡¯s condition would have continued to deteriorate, which would have left permanent after-effects. ¡°He seemed fine, like he didn¡¯t have any problems. But Aunt M, wwhat are the drug¡¯s side effects?¡± M shook her head and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I asked h how he was doing. But there are two things he has to pay extra a attention to while on the drug.¡± B Be hurriedly asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The first is to not get injured again because the body needs to rest. AAnother thing is to avoid getting angry and overly emotional. That wwould be harmful to his body and would even cause his health to dedeteriorate further.¡± BBe¡¯s breath hitched, and she frowned slightly. AAt the thought of that pool of blood, her heart began to twinge with parain. Chapter 620 ar Be and Steven were all packed up they praepmed to head back Savrow with the medication M gave Ben. 1. are you in a rush? Aren¡¯t you going to eat first ?inefood¡¯s lbst Rendy.¡± Celeste rushed over, still wearing an apron. Lomay Aunt Celeste. I¡¯m in a rush to get back ernativer halfway and held Celeste¡¯s small face ahhhenbands, bond to one side and then the other to look at it.¡±Aunnit celeste, ay infusay ising soon. You should rest well for the nect wo toptt stoc doing any housework. You should be going tochne spa beauty treauty treatments, okay? You need to be the mpson rthday dimony dirt on earn this weekend!¡± ver. bactuallyatturally don¡¯t even want to celebrate it. I feel so tiredd ght of having teaving to socialize with so many people this Celeste sighet beghed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m just doing this to make your making my dad mapdad happy. My dad is making you happy. of us want to cto celebrate your birthday for you.¡± arning appeared in Beth in Be¡¯s eyes. ¡°Listen to me. You¡¯re not strain yourself anybranymore. it have many eyes and ears at bu don¡¯t listen to me they¡¯ibrehey¡¯ll report it back to me. Then, I¡¯ll If that happens, I¡¯ll just enjoys enjoy the free food at your birthday won¡¯t give you a birthday only present. Hmph!¡± stood beside her, could nachat not help but smile fondly. Be could not be cuter than when she pretended to be angry, because she would stick her nose in the air and pout. Celeste smiled gently and lightly pinched Be¡¯s cheek. ¡°What other birthday gift will be better than having my family together?¡± Celeste grew up in an orphanage. While singing in a drama troupe, she was discovered by a talent scout and signed on to a talent agency. That was how she stumbled her way into the entertainment industry and became an actress. She came from a poor background and had a rough life. Compared to Wyatt Thompson¡¯s other wives, Celeste was not of noble birth, like M Larson. Neither was she like Sasha Jenkins, who had a terrifying mob boss father to back her up. Celeste always felt very insecure and unworthy of Wyatt, feeling even more undeserving of this family. She only wanted to live quietly, humbly, and in a low-profile manner. She did not wish for anything but to keep the simple and happy life she had now. She did not want to trouble anyone. Be choked up a little when she heard this. Sigh, how she admired Wyatt. Be suddenly wanted to follow in her father¡¯s footsteps and have multiple partners. It was just a shame that there were lots of good women, but good men were few and far between. She was afraid that her partners would turn out to be trash. ¡°Be.¡± A somewhat stern, baritone voice spoke. Be quickly looked back, only to see Asher walk down the white marble stairs, wearing a ck pastor¡¯s robe and holding a Bible in his leeft hand. ¡°Wasiber.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Be don¡¯t be in a rush to leave just yet. I have something I want to taktovou about in private.¡± In the tea room, Asher personally made a good cup of tea for his sister. The fragrance of the tea drifted into the air and invigorated the spirit Be propped leer chin on her hands as she watched her brother demonstratechist tea-making skills with fascination. He was as elegant and charming as a prince. It was hard to linaggine the kind of woman who could be wort eldest brothers ¡°Be, are you readyinterested in Christopher Iverson?¡± Asher g pushed the cup of teal towards Be and asked calmly. ¡°Huh?!¡± Be was stunned by this sudden question and nearly dropped the cup of tea that istine had just picked up. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a serious question.¡± ¡°No! No way in hell¡± Be was resolute as she shook her head repeatedly. ¡°Then don¡¯t get too close to him from now on.¡± Asher picked up his cup of tea and sipped on it gracefully. ¡°Uh, he came looking for me first. I never approached him.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not epting him, but you¡¯re not rejecting him either? Are you a yer?¡± Asher mocked in a warm tone. ¡°What do you mean, Asher? How am I being a yer? And who says that about their own sister?!¡± Be flushed angrily. ¡°Be, if you don¡¯t like him, you have to draw a clear line with him. The way you¡¯re acting is giving Christopher Iverson the wrong impression that he has a chance with you.¡± Chapter 621 Asher paused, then lowered his voice. ¡°Also, Christopher Iverson is much more cunning and devious than you or I can tell. Like an iceberg, you can only see the fraction that¡¯s on the surface. He left the country for 15 years and suddenly returned from Sentania to approach you. Be, you¡¯re the heiress of KS Group. You have a higher worth than any princess or queen. You¡¯re just a very low- key person. You¡¯re definitely the woman of every man¡¯s dreams. I don¡¯t believe that Christopher Iverson ispletely sincere about you. I¡¯m sure he has ulterior motives toward you.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! As he said this, he scowled. ¡°To be honest, Justin Salvador is somehow better than Christopher Iverson.¡± ¡°Asher!¡± Be¡¯s heart trembled as she clutched her cup tightly. ¡°At the very least, he gives his all for the woman he loves and doesn¡¯t have any ulterior motives about it.¡± ¡°Ha! That¡¯s true. He really gave his all and more for Rosalind Gold.¡± Be mmed her teacup on the table, and her eyes reddened. ¡°He even enlisted in the army and tried to die on the battlefield because he thought she dumped him!¡± ¡°But hasn¡¯t he risked his life for you too? He even got injured because of it and still hasn¡¯t recovered yet. We don¡¯t even know if it¡¯ll leave any permanent after-effects.¡± Be¡¯s heart began beating even harder as her expression faltered.¡± That¡¯s not the same.¡± ¡°Be, I don¡¯t think you fell for the wrong person or that you were blind for loving Justin deeply. He has disyed all of his faults, including the fact that he didn¡¯t love you, from the start. It was cruel, but at least he was straightforward.¡± slightly Asher sighed deeply and leaned forward to gently take her si cold hand. ¡°At the very least, Justin has never lied to you. A man who loves you can have many faults, but they absolutely cannot be dishonest to you.¡± Be¡¯s eyes flickered, and she hung her head, dispirited. After bidding her family goodbye, Be and Steven headed back to Savrow. They were about to pass the highway exit when Be suddenly said, though in a calm tone, ¡°Head to Tideview Manor.¡± Steven frowned slightly but still answered, ¡°Alright.¡± When they reached Tideview Manor, Be did not contact Justin directly but called Wilma instead. ¡°Young Madam, to tell you the truth, the young master hasn¡¯t been back for three or four days.¡± Wilma was extremely worried. ¡°I called him a few times, but he hardly picked up. When he did, he sounded weak. But when I asked him how he was doing, he said he was fine.¡± Be¡¯s heart clenched tightly, like someone was squeezing it. Wilma sighed. ¡°I raised Young Master Justin, so I know he¡¯s very considerate and only likes to tell me the good things, not the bad things. Ever since he was young, he would grit his teeth and endure everything alone whenever he got sick or encountered troubles. No matter how much I asked, he just would not tell me. Young Madam, can you contact him? I¡¯m so scared something¡¯s happened to him!¡± Wilma¡¯s voice was tinged with tears. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Wilma. I¡¯ll find him.¡± Beforted her gently. Justin might refuse to see anyone else, but he would not refuse to see Be. After Be finished talking to Wilma, she pondered for a moment before callingn. ¡°Mr. Harris.¡± ¡°M-Ms. Thompson! Good evening!¡± call from her, but this time, he sounded a bit flustered. Be would not believe him if he said everything was fine. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Salvador? He¡¯s not at home, so where has he hidden. himself?¡± Be frowned slightly, a little unhappy. ¡°M-Mr. Salvador is on a business trip overseas.¡± ¡°Ian Harris, let me remind you that lying to me has serious. consequences.¡± Be¡¯s tone was dark and very threatening. ¡°Um¡­ Young Madam, I¡¯ll tell you the truth! Even if I get fired by Mr. Salvador tomorrow, I have to tell you the truth!¡± condition. I¡¯m afraid things will get serious if this continues!¡± Chapter 622 Elsewhere, Justin was recuperating alone in one of his private vis in the suburbs. Today was thest day for the first course of treatment, so Justin knew that Be would send someone over with more medication. He did not think that she still felt something for him. But rather, he knew that she did not want to owe him anything. During the day, Justin felt fine, apart from the pain in his chest. But unexpectedly, he began to have a high fever once night fell. n¡­n?¡± Justin¡¯s throat was hoarse and dry. He would suddenly feel cold, and/ momentster, he would burn up. It was hard for him to keep his eyes open. He calledn¡¯s name a few more times before remembering that he had sentn to the office to get some important documents. That fellow was probably still on the road right now. Justin struggled to get up and only noticed then that his bedsheets and nkets were soaked through with sweat. His hair was sticking to his forehead, and his pajamas were drenched, as if he had gone for a swim. He changed into a fresh set of pajamas before heading downstairs to get some water. Right then, the doorbell rang. Confused, Justin walked over slowly to the disy linked to hist doorbell camera and tapped on the ¡°camera¡± option to view who was at the door. When Be¡¯s beautiful face entered his vision, his dull eyes immediately lit up, and his heart started beating uncontrobly fast. ¡°Justin Salvador, I know you¡¯re in there. Open up!¡± Be¡¯s expression was as cold as ice as she stared straight at the camera. Justin pursed his lips silently. ¡°Are you really dead, or just pretending to be dead? Open the door!¡± Be put a hand on her hip as she red at the camera. ¡°I hope you have a will done. I¡¯ming in to collect your corpse!¡± Justin could not help but cough at her razor-sharp words. ¡°Don¡¯t assume that you¡¯re the only one who knows how to use that move. I know how to use it too!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Be was a little anxious now, and her temper red as she pounded the door with her fist. ¡°If you don¡¯te out, I¡¯m not leaving-¡± Unexpectedly, before she could finish speaking, the door opened. Wearing dark blue pajamas, Justin stood tall before her. He was pale and smiling weakly, yet strikingly. ¡°Ms. Thompson, it¡¯s very cold outside. Pleasee in.¡± How could he let her suffer in the cold outside? His heart would ache. Be¡¯s heart sank when she noticed that Justin had lost a lot of weight. He was visibly pallid. Had he not been taking his medication on time? Not long ago, he looked like he had obviously gotten a lot better, so how did he get like this again? Be bit her lower lip and walked inside. Justin mustered his energy and led her to the living room. ¡°How did you get here, Ms. Thompson? Didn tell you about this ce?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me Mr. Harris. He was looking out for you.¡± Be sat down on the sofa and looked straight at him with a stern gaze. Her voice was calm and cold, so he could not tell if she was concerned. ¡°You don¡¯t have many reliable people by your side. You¡¯re really foolish if you really fire him because of this. There¡¯s working for a foolish boss like you, either. I¡¯ll offer Mr. Har at KS Group. You¡¯d better not cry when that happens.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, Ms. Thompson.¡± Justin gazed deeply in eyes. int in e Because of the joy in his heart, even if he pretended to be calm, he could not stop his dry lips from curling upward. n¡¯s been working with me for so many years. How could I let him go? I just¡­¡± ¡®I just didn¡¯t want you to worry¡­¡¯ Justin thought to himself. He suddenly recalled how Be determinedly distanced herself from him and how she stood with Christopher Iverson that night. Her entire being screamed rejection and annoyance at Justin. That was why Justin no longer had the courage to say that he did not want her to worry. ¡°You keep calling me Ms. Thompson and being weirdly polite. Why aren¡¯t you calling me by my name anymore?¡± Be narrowed her eyes slightly and asked indifferently. ¡°Because I know you don¡¯t like it.¡± Be was slightly stunned by this, and an inexplicable sour feeling arose in her heart. Chapter 623 ¡°It was my fault for pushing you too hard in the past. From now on, I won¡¯t make you do anything that makes you feel ufortable anymore Justin¡¯s shockingly pale face made him look like a swain in distress, which dazed Beedia. She cougned liginti and ced the bottle of pills she was holding on the table berores mancing up. ¡°This is the second course of treatment. Remember to take sheen on time. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need Youcannaake it back.¡± Justin shook his head. ¡°What do you mean byyhha Justin Salvador? You don¡¯t want to live anymore?¡± Be frowned. ¡°You¡¯re sasisising saar in the business world with a worth in the hundreds of billionsYou¡¯re willing to leave all behind?¡± ¡°No. I just don¡¯t think you owe meeAlthough! saved you, repaying you and atoning for my sisis¡± Justin shook his head again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to me yourself what happened to me. And besitios, don¡¯t need to keep taking the medicirie¡± Better? Who was he kidding? dooing much better now. I Be was extremely angry and sneered. ¡°Is this a new trick of yours? ere you taking one step back to gain pity? it¡¯s a shhaine because it would have worked on someone morepassionate.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Justin smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have any other intentions. I truly don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Be felt mixed emotions upon hearing this, but she said coldly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I have nothing more to say either. If you won¡¯t appreciate my gratitude, there¡¯s no need for me to cling to you. I won¡¯t stoop so low. Once you¡¯re done with this round of meds, you don¡¯t need to take any more medication. Too much is bad for your health, too. You should pray that things turn out well.¡± She then turned to leave, but Justin reached out and stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to visit me, and it¡¯s cold outside. Why don¡¯t you have a cup of hot tea before leaving? I¡¯ll go make it now. It¡¯ll be quick.¡± Be hesitated for a moment, but she surprisingly did not refuse him/ She sat back down on the sofa and watched as Justin headed toward the kitchen. In her mind, she reyed what Asher said to her. She and Justin were the same kind of people when it came to how sincerely they treated someone. If they had decided that someone was their person, they would dig out their hearts and offer them up on a silver tter. It was just a shame that he had disregarded hers when she loved him This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. so passionately in the past. From then on, it was truly difficult for her to open her heart to him once again. Suddenly, there was a loud sound of a cup shattering on the ground. ¡°Justin!¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she instantly stood up to rush toward the kitchen. A ceramic cup had shattered all over the marble floor. Justin was kneeling on the fragmented pieces, with one hand supporting himself against the floor and the other holding on to the edge of the table for dear life. His whole body was covered in sweat, and his breathing was weak andbored. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± Be¡¯s expression twisted in shock as she hurried over to him, intending to help him up. But Justin was too heavy. She exerted all her strength, but she still could not get him up. Be had no other choice but to squat down and sweep the sharp fragments away with her hands, afraid that he would fall over and cut himself on them. ¡°B-Be¡­¡± Justin used all his strength to raise his head. His cheeks were burning red, and his gaze was dazed and vacant. Be was stunned to see this. She hurriedly felt his forehead. It was as hot as a boiling kettle! ¡°How did this happen? How did you end up having a fever?!¡± Be¡¯s heart was stricken with anxiety, as she was shocked and angry at the same time. With red eyes, she yelled at him, ¡°Did you take your medication on time or not? Bastard!¡± Justin¡¯s breath was hot, and he was delirious with a fever. Subconsciously, he opened his arms to pull the woman in front of him, whom he loved so deeply, into his arms. ¡°Be¡­ Please give me some of your love¡­ I beg you¡­ Please, just a little¡­¡± Be¡¯s emotions surged as her lips parted slightly in astonishment, and her eyes slowly turned red. ¡°Justin, you¡­¡± ¡°I just want¡­ A little bit of your love.¡± A hoarse, garbled moan came from the depths of Justin¡¯s dry throat, which tugged at her heartstrings. ¡°But I¡¯m scared too¡­ Because I know I¡¯m not worthy¡­¡± Chapter 624 Be could feel every single one of Jussin¡¯s shallow but heavy breaths against her neck. It burned like fire against her skin. A blush rose to her cheeks. ¡°Justin Salvador! Are you crazy? What are you saying? Justin!¡± His hot sweat had soaked his thin prnas through and even soaked Be¡¯s clothes too. Justin was dazed, and his mind was muddied. Hisswitcle body was in so much pain that it felt like he was about to disintatee and fall apart. There was only one thought remaining in his mind, which was to hold the person he loved. Even if he was demeaning himself on teento a scoundrel, he really did not want to let go of Be.. ¡°Be¡­ Don¡¯t leave me¡­ Please don¡¯t hate me¡­¡± Justin buried his damp face into her shoulder, obviously chot It was pitiful and heart-wrenching to hear. Be felt a warmth on her shoulder but could not tell if that was h sweat or his tears. A bitter feeling began to spread slowly from the deepest reaches of Be¡¯s trembling heart through her entire body and wrapped around her soul tightly. Be thought to herself, ¡®When have you ever been this humble before me, Justin Salvador? Back when I was crying and putting all my self- respect on the line to beg you not to divorce me or leave me, you threw the divorce papers in my face mercilessly and forced me to cut all ties with you as soon as possible. You were so merciless and heartless.¡¯ Be simply looked at Justin¡¯s wretched state and suddenly scoffed, though her eyes were red. ¡°Justin N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Salvador, are you delirious with a fever? What nonsense are you saying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense. It¡¯s my heartfelt words¡­¡± Justin shook his head stubbornly as sweat continuously dripped down his face. ¡°Be¡­ I love you¡­¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened. She froze. On the surface, she looked calm, but her ears had turned so red that they looked like they were about to drip blood. Justin used hisst ounce of strength to look up and reach out to caress the face he thought about night and day. His eyes were hazy but filled with deep affection. ¡°Be¡­ I know what I¡¯m saying. I love you¡­ And only you¡­ In the next second, Justin lost consciousness and copsed in Be¡¯s arms. ¡°Oof¡­ Bastard! Why did you have to keel over right here?! You¡¯re so damn heavy!¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened in a re, both anxious and angry. She clenched her fist and was about to hit him on the back. But suddenly recalling that he was injured, she unclenched her fist mid -air and gentlyid her hand over his sweat-drenched back, sighing softly. ¡°If we knew that things were going to end up this way earlier, why did we act the way we did back then? Justin¡­ It¡¯s too painful to love you. We should both move on.¡± Ryan andn got to the entrance at the same time. Althoughn was like an impulsive teenager sometimes, he was, after all, the chief secretary to the president of Salvador Corporation and was very observant. With a nce, he could tell that Ryan was in a bad mood-a very bad one at that. ¡°Mr. Harris, how is your boss doing?¡± Ryan asked anxiously. ¡°He vomited blood two more times and even started developing a high fever.¡± was in agonyst night. He hated that he could not take on the pain. for him. ¡°How did it fucking turn out like this?¡­Fuck!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were a little bloodshot, and he clenched his fingers so hard that his knuckles. cracked. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed the young madam. Previously, Mr. Salvador did get a lot better after taking the medicine the young madam gave, so the young madam must know a way of treating him!¡±n did not have any great solutions to offer, so all he could do was ce all his hopes on Be. Right then, Ryan noticed the ck Bugatti parked at the entrance and recognized it as Be¡¯s car. He narrowed his eyes slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Wait. Let¡¯s not be in such a rush to head in.¡± ¡°Huh?¡±n was puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s rare for them to have some time alone, so let them have a moment longer to themselves.¡± Chapter 625 Ryan was a good wingman for Justin. Otherwise, what sort of friend would he be? Trying to move an unconscious Justin, who was 189 cm tall, back to his room was equivalent to trying to move a mountain. Luckily, there was an elevator in this vi. Be dragged the bastard¡¯s body back to his room like she was dragging a corpse. By the time she helped him up onto the bed, her dress had been soaked through by a mixture of both her own sweat and Justin¡¯s sweat. ¡°You¡¯re so damn heavy!¡± Be was exhausted and panting heavily, but she had no time to rest. She hurried into the bathroom and soaked a towel with cold water before wiping Justin¡¯s body to bring his temperature down. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After she was done bustling around, Be sat on the edge o heavily, so tired that she did not want to move anymore. ¡°I¡¯m seriously exasperated with you. Why were you moving abou much when you were having such a fever? You¡¯re really troubleson don¡¯t you know that?¡± Be red at Justin, who was still delirious from the fever. Her tone was cold, but she felt anxious. After all, he only ended up this way because of her. Wait a second! Ryan frowned, observing Carrie¡¯s movements carefully. Why did she look like she was having a PTSD reaction? Could she have been constantly beaten at home in the past? Did Carrie have such a fearful reaction when Zoe raised her hand against her because Bethany used to hit her frequently? Was that the case? ¡°When did you two get here? Why didn¡¯t you guys let me know?¡± Be came downstairs and jumped in fright when she saw the two men sitting quietly in the living room. She hurriedly tried to calm her unsteady breathing. Ryan put his phone away and shed his teeth at Be with a devious smile. ¡°Ah, we just didn¡¯t want to intrude. You two get to meet so rarely that we thought you should have more time to nurture your feelings. We just didn¡¯t want to be there disturbing you.¡± ¡°Nurture our feelings, my ass!¡± Be was so angry that she wished she could use her stiletto heel to stab holes into Ryan¡¯s mischievous, smiling face. Ryan crossed his legs and turned to appraise Be closely, propping his chin on his hand. He noticed that her lips were glossy and her cheeks were red with a flush that had not yet receded, and the ever-so-experienced Mr. Hoffman raised an eyebrow in interest. ¡®My brother has done it, hasn¡¯t he? Wow, Justin looks really serious on the surface, but he¡¯s just as horny as hell. What an asshole!¡¯ ¡°Young Madam! You finally came! There¡¯s hope for Mr. Salvador now!¡±n gazed at Be with stars in his eyes, smiling so widely that he was about to burst into tears. Be had no time to correct his form of address for her right now and said¡¯ seriously, ¡°Mr. Harris, Mr. Salvador¡¯s high fever was caused by the recurrence of his internal injuries. It shouldn¡¯t be neglected. I¡¯ve just contacted one of the hospitals under KS Group that has high security and is better at maintaining patient¡¯s privacy. I¡¯ve also contacted the doctor in charge. You and Mr. Hoffman should get ready to head over there now.¡± have feelings for Mr. Salvador! You wouldn¡¯t have just let him die!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have let him die, but that has nothing to do with whether or not I still have feelings for him. Don¡¯t make such a far-fetched assumption.¡± Be¡¯s tone was icy as she refused to allown¡¯s assumption to stand. She walked down the stairs and walked up to Ryan with a cold gaze. Ryan¡¯s heart trembled when he met her gaze, as he felt a strong chill. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, let¡¯s step aside to talk.¡± Chapter 626 Justin gripped Be¡¯s chin with his fingers and leaned down to kiss. her. Ryan andn waited downstairs, feeling bored. time. Meanwhile, Ryan sat on the sofa, wearing a dark expression, as he watched the security footage over and over again on his phone. He watched the footage of Zoe bullying Carrie again and again with a sick fascination. Ryan got angry every time he watched it. ¡°What are you watching so intently, Mr. Hoffman?¡±n shuffled closer out of curiosity. He had just moved closer when Ryan looked up and said coldly, ¡°Go away. This is my family affairs.¡± Ryan watched the recording one more time. He watched as Zoe approached Carrie in the video, and Carrie reacted by curling up pitifully in fright, covering her head tightly with her arms. Her movements were so practiced that it made his heart ache beyond measure. Wait a second! Ryan frowned, observing Carrie¡¯s movements carefully. Why did she look like she was having a PTSD reaction? Could she have been constantly beaten at home in the past? Did Carrie have such a fearful reaction when Zoe raised her hand against her because Bethany used to hit her frequently? Was that the case? ¡°When did you two get here? Why didn¡¯t you guys let me know?¡± Be came downstairs and jumped in fright when she saw the two men sitting quietly in the living room. She hurriedly tried to calm her unsteady breathing. Ryan put his phone away and shed his teeth at Be with a devious smile. ¡°Ah, we just didn¡¯t want to intrude. You two get to meet so rarely that we thought you should have more time to nurture your Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! feelings. We just didn¡¯t want to be there disturbing you.¡± ¡°Nurture our feelings, my ass!¡± Be was so angry that she wished she could use her stiletto heel to stab holes into Ryan¡¯s mischievous, smiling face. Ryan crossed his legs and turned to appraise Be closely, propping his chin on his hand. He noticed that her lips were glossy and her cheeks were red with a flush that had not yet receded, and the ever-so-experienced Mr. Hoffman raised an eyebrow in interest. ¡®My brother has done it, hasn¡¯t he? Wow, Justin looks really serious on the surface, but he¡¯s just as horny as hell. What an asshole!¡¯ ¡°Young Madam! You finally came! There¡¯s hope for Mr. Salvador now!¡±n gazed at Be with stars in his eyes, smiling so widely that he was about to burst into tears. Be had no time to correct his form of address for her right now and said seriously, ¡°Mr. Harris, Mr. Salvador¡¯s high fever was caused by the recurrence of his internal injuries. It shouldn¡¯t be neglected. I¡¯ve just contacted one of the hospitals under KS Group that has high security and is better at maintaining patient¡¯s privacy. I¡¯ve also. contacted the doctor in charge. You and Mr. Hoffman should get ready to head over there now.¡± wouldn¡¯t have just let him die!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have let him die, but that has nothing to do with whether or not I still have feelings for him. Don¡¯t make such a far-fetched assumption.¡± Be¡¯s tone was icy as she refused to allown¡¯s assumption to stand. She walked down the stairs and walked up to Ryan with a cold gaze. Ryan¡¯s heart trembled when he met her gaze, as he felt a strong chill. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, let¡¯s step aside to talk.¡± Chapter 627 Outside the vi, Be got into Ryan¡¯s luxury car. ¡°Be, it¡¯s rare for you to willingly be alone with me.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes always carried a seductive charm as he looked at the beauty beside him with a smile. ¡°I do feel quite ttered to be in the presence of such beauty, but I fear if Justin, that green-eyed monster, finds out we were chatting alone, he¡¯d explode with anger. And he¡¯s still sick too.¡± ¡°If not for Carrie, do you think I¡¯d be willing to breathe the same air as you?¡± Be crossed her legs and folded her arms as she spoke coldly but calmly. ¡°Is the famous casanova Mr. Hoffman sick of the same old vors? Is that why you¡¯ve set your sights on our dear Carrie?¡± At the mention of Carrie¡¯s name, Ryan¡¯s heart leaped, and a tingling sensation filled his whole body. His voice trembled slightly as he said, ¡°Be, you know about me and Carrie?¡± ¡°You and Carrie? Ha! I don¡¯t understand what you mean by that.¡± Be sneered coldly. ¡°Be, I have nothing to hide at this point.¡± Ryan took a deep breath, his heart beating wildly as he said decisively, ¡°I¡¯ve fallen for Carrie. I want to be with her.¡± ¡°And how many women have you already fallen for so far this year?¡± The mocking smile on Be¡¯s face deepened. She did not hide her disgust toward him at all. ¡°She¡¯s definitely the one I love the most!¡± ¡°Do you mean you love her the most among all thedies you also love?¡± ¡°Be, I¡¯m serious about Carrie!¡± Ryan¡¯s face flushed with anxiousness as he turned to look at Be earnestly. ¡°I admit that I used to be a yer and have dated many women in the past. But with those women, it was always just transactional. We took what we needed from each other, and when our needs were met, we¡¯d part ways amicably. I¡¯ve never actually had any feelings for them, but Carrie¡¯s different. I have real feelings for her. Be, every fiber of my body feels for her!¡± ¡°But you still extended your ws toward your best friend¡¯s younger sister. Do you think it¡¯s thrilling, Mr. Hoffman?¡± Be felt that his words were just ridiculous. ¡°Also, Carrie is the type you¡¯ve never encountered before, so it must be particrly refreshing for you. After all, men love to challenge themselves with the newest and most difficult ones. Then, once you¡¯ve gotten Carrie, you¡¯ll discard her just like you have with the other women you¡¯ve dated. Once the novelty has worn off and she can¡¯t satisfy your vanity like a normal girl, you¡¯ll leave her heartlessly, like she¡¯s a used rag.¡± ¡°A used rag?! I fucking wish I could just keep her in my arms forever and treasure her! Be, don¡¯t you have even a single bit of trust in me?¡± Ryan¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°You want me to trust that a yer will change his ways? I¡¯d sooner believe pigs could fly.¡± Be really wanted to roll her eyes at him. ¡°Fu-Why can¡¯t a yer change his ways? Everyone has to settle down eventually!¡± Ryan wore a serious expression as passion began to burn in his eyes. ¡°Be, I know you¡¯ve always loved Carrie as a sister. But please believe me. I swear on my character-ah, no! I swear on my life! I love! Carrie as sincerely as ever. I want to be with her and spend my future with her!¡± ¡°Fine. Then let me ask you a question.¡± Be suddenly set aside all her mocking and asked in a very serious tone, ¡°What if your mom, your sister, and your grandfather object to you being with Carrie and even go as far as to say that you¡¯ll be disowned by the Hoffman family if you marry her? You can forget about getting a single thing from them, and your family will never have peace because of this. Would you still choose to be with Carrie?¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were red as he clenched his hands into fists tightly. ¡± might not be able to get the entirety of the Hoffman Group righ and perhaps the risk you speak of does exist. But I¡¯ve already de and made up my mind about Carrie. I will do all I can to protect will never let anyone bully her again, Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! including the Salvadors!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡± Be pursed her lips coldly, unable to hide her disappointment.¡± There¡¯s only one way you can protect her, which is to marry her and make her your rightful and legal wife. Otherwise, that so-called protection of yours will, in a way, harm her!¡± Marry?! Chapter 628 Ryan was dumbfounded. He clenched his jaw. Caught off guard, he was unable to react right away due N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. to the sudden shock. Be saw that he did not react and thought that he was a coward. She burst outughing and said, ¡°Back then, you had the guts to say to my face that you wanted to marry me. Now that I¡¯m asking you if you dare to marry Carrie, why have you suddenly be mute? Or is it that, in your eyes, Carrie is the Salvadors¡¯ least significant daughter, so there¡¯s no value for you in marrying Carrie? All she¡¯s worth is to be hidden away as your secret lover, huh?¡± ¡°Be Thompson! You-!¡± Ryan¡¯s blood was boiling. This was the first time he had ever gotten mad at Be. He could finally understand why Justin vomited blood. Justin must have been provoked by her! ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no point in me saying too much. I respect a true love in this world, but I don¡¯t want Carrie to suffer with yo Thinking of Carrie, who had suffered so much in the Salvador f Be teared up a little. ¡°She¡¯s already had a very hard life. I don¡¯t w her to suffer even more. Ryan, the world you live in is too Carrie. Just think about what I said carefully.¡± After sending Justin to the hospital, Ryan dragged his exhausted tbody back home. Chapter 62H Right, home. Now, he referred to the vi he shared with Carrie alone as home. He might have a mother and a sister, but ever since his father passed away, his mother had be depressed, often going abroad to get treatment, while his sister studied overseas. The vast Hoffman. residence was always cold and quiet, never lively. Yet, the past few days he had spent with Carrie had made him feel He even greedily hoped that days like these wouldst forever. ¡°How¡¯s Carrie doing?¡± Ryan asked Yasmin urgently the moment he walked in. Yasmin frowned worriedly and sighed. ¡°Ms. Salvador is in her room. I kept trying to coax her to sleep, but it seemed like she was still in shock. She just wouldn¡¯t close her eyes. It¡¯s quite heartbreaking see.¡± Upon hearing this, Ryan felt his throat choke up with guilt, and he walked upstairs with heavy steps. ¡°I¡¯ll go sit with her.¡± ¡°Ms. Hoffman, what are you nning to do with Ms. Zoe?¡± Yasmin hesitated for a moment but still asked. ¡°Yasmin, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m really useless sometimes?¡± Ryan asked glumly with his back toward her. Yasmin was taken aback. She had been working for Ryan for 10 years now, and he had always been a proud and unyielding man. He had never looked so lonely and unsure of himself before. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, you¡¯ve always been a godlike existence to me. Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t raise my sister properly and even allowed Carrie to get hurt. To be honest, I don¡¯t know what I should do either.¡± When Ryan remembered how Zoe¡¯s face twisted viciously as she abused Carrie, he felt defeated. ¡°At most, all I can do is send her back. to Inalia. But is that going to solve the problem?¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman, let¡¯s go about it slowly. As long as you don¡¯t give up on Ms. Salvador, no matter how much Ms. Zoe dislikes it, she¡¯ll ept this reality.¡± Ryan arrived at the door to Carrie¡¯s room, calmed himself, opened the door. ¡°Carrie? I¡¯m back.¡± ben Only a single light over the bed was turned on in the quiet bedroo Chapter 629 Carrie sat alone at the head of the bed, curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head buried between them, motionless. Ryan took off his ck fur coat and put it over the sofa, afraid of bringing the chill to her. He walked to the bed with light steps and sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Carrie¡­ Does it still hurt?¡± Ryan ced hisrge hand on her head and stroked her soft hair gently. Carrie shook her head slightly.. ¡°Then, shall we go to sleep?¡± Ryan asked thoughtlessly. Right after he said that, he regretted it. Shit¡­ It just made him look like he only wanted to sleep with her, that was not what he meant. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± Carrie finally said weakly, ¡°I just want to sit here quietly for a while.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll sit with you then.¡± Ryan¡¯s hand slid downward to lovingly rub the back of her warm neck, his eyes overflowing with tenderness. ¡°I won¡¯t sleep if you don¡¯t. If you think I¡¯m annoying, I¡¯ll just sit here with you, and I won¡¯t make a sound. If you get thirsty or hungry, you need someone to order around, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What if I stay up all night?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay up all night too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay¡­ You should go to sleep.¡± Carrie urged him softly, never looking up. A bitterness welled up in Ryan¡¯s heart, and his breath hitched. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave if you don¡¯t want me here.¡± As he said this, he moved to leave. Right then, Carrie suddenly reached out to grab his arm, breathing harder as her grip tightened. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Carrie?¡± Ryan was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Ryan¡­ Don¡¯t go!¡± Carrie slowly looked up, her lips trembling. Her pink face was covered in tears. ¡°I lied¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I want you to stay with me. Ryan, I want you here with me!¡± Ryan choked up at this, and he gently wiped her tears away with his finger. ¡°I won¡¯t go. I never intended to. I was just teasing you.¡± Carrie looked at him tearily as she kneeled on the bed, looking like a pitiful yet charming kitten. ¡°Ryan¡­ Please hug me.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes instantly reddened. It was hard for him to suppress his love for her. His heart felt like it was about to explode as he pulled her soft body into his arms. He breathed in deeply as he hugged her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m hugging you now.¡± ¡°Tighter¡­¡± Ryan hummed in acknowledgment as he pressed his chin into the crook of her neck, his thin lips rubbing against her red earlobe. ¡°A little tighter, please?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ryan tightened his arms once more, stroking her trembling back with hisrge palm. ¡°I wish I could bury you in me, Carrie. I really wish I could.¡± Under the light, the pair embraced each other tightly, as if they wished they could be one. Chapter 630 They did not know how long they had been hugging for when Carrie finally felt sleepy. Ryan got onto the bed, and the two of themy there together. They seemed like a loving, newlywed couple. Carrie rested her head on Ryan¡¯s sturdy arm, her small face buried in his chest. She sniffled a little before closing her eyes. was war ¡°Carrie, can I ask you something?¡± One of Ryan¡¯s arms around her shoulders, while the other gently rubbed her forearm. ¡°Mm¡­okay.¡± ¡°Do you like me?¡± Ryan¡¯s heart was beating loudly when he asked his question. ¡°Hmm¡­ Of course I do.¡± ¡°Not like a brother, I mean the romantic sort.¡± Ryan coughed slightly, and his face was flushed. ¡°Like the way your older brother Justin likes Anna.¡± Carrie¡¯s clear eyes flickered, and she clutched Ryan¡¯s ck shirt, fiddling with the delicate buttons. ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know.¡± Ryan sighed and smiled bitterly. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go to sleep now.¡± ¡°But I like being with you. When you go out, I can¡¯t do anything but worry about you and wait for you toe home. When I¡¯m with you, everyday feels so short. When I see you, I feel really happy.¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes were half-closed as she spoke softly. Ryan¡¯s breathing became heavier, and his palms, which were wrapped around her shoulders, were ¡°There was one day you came back reallyte and came to my room to check on me. I pretended to be asleep, but actually, I was awake the whole time.¡± When Ryan heard this, his heart clenched. That night, he had gone out with Yasmin to deal with some people. who had been working against him- his Uncle Liam¡¯s cronies. Ryan had always shown Carrie the cheerful and enthusiastic side of himself. He would never let her see his dark, cruel, and ruthless side. Carrie pursed her lips. ¡°That day, there was a really strong smell of blood on you. And your hand was wounded. When you touched my forehead, I could feel it.¡± As she said this, she took his right hand and took off the ck leather glove covering it. Although the wounds on his knuckles and fingertips had already. scabbed over, the scars remained. ¡°Ryan, I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re doing something dangerous outside. I¡¯m worried something will happen to you. I¡¯m so scared¡­¡± Carrie¡¯s heart twinged, and hershes fluttered as she kissed his scars. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t know. Is this the sort of like you were talking about?¡± Ryan¡¯s heart thumped hard. Finally, unable to hold back the tide of his feelings, he flipped her over and Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! pressed her beneath him. In all her twenty-two years of life, Carrie had never been this close to a man before. Ryan was her first, and she was slowly learning to ept him, though it seemed like he was the only one she could ept. ¡°Carrie, don¡¯t tempt me¡­ I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to hold myself back.¡± ¡°Do you want to kiss me, Ryan?¡± Carrie obediently wrapped her arms around his neck, pouting her pink, glossy lips slightly. ¡°I-I¡¯m ready!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Ryan restrained himself and finally sighed in surrender, returning to his previous position and pulling Carrie close as he murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to ept mepletely, Carrie.¡± Chapter 631 Ryan¡¯s furious outburst left a profound psychological impact on Zoe. Zoe¡¯s secretary and Adam were dealt with severely. Ryan was ready to cut ties with Adam, who had been working for him for so many years. Judging by the situation, it seemed like Adam¡¯s days were numbered. ¡®All this drama is just for the sake of that foolish woman, Carrie. Did his own biological sister notpare to that woman? What a joke!¡¯ Zoe, brimming with resentment, returned to the Hoffman residence after leaving the vi. Her face, as dark as a vengeful spirit, reflected the turmoil within. Along the way, memories of Ryan¡¯s past affection for her kept flooding her mind. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, shedding tears of frustration along the way. In the end, Zoe came to a conclusion. Regardless of the means, she was determined to make Ryan and Carrie break up. She could not allow this fool to be her sister-inw. Back at home, ire weed Zoe warmly. ¡°Zoe! You¡¯re finally back!¡± eximed ire, her eyes welling up with tears of joy as she had not seen her daughter for a long time. ire rushed over to embrace her daughter. ¡°My dear daughter, didn¡¯t your flight arrive earlier? Why did you take so long toe home? I was starting to get worried!¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Chap 631 Zoe¡¯s eyes teared up and turned red upon seeing her mother. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Zoe cried. She could not help but think of the injustice. she had endured. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my darling? You seem unhappy. Did someone bully. you?¡± ire inquired with concern. ¡°And where¡¯s Ryan? Didn¡¯t he go to pick you up? Why isn¡¯t he back with you?¡± Zoe lowered her eyes, a look of grievance on her face, as she shook her head. ¡°Ryan is unbelievable! He used to dote on you so much, but now, because of that Salvador girl, he sends you off to Inalia without a care. After finallying back, he doesn¡¯t even bother to pick up his sister! What on earth is he thinking?¡± ire expressed her frustration. ire gently caressed her daughter¡¯s cheeks. ¡°These days, Ryan hasn¡¯te home at all. I know he¡¯s busy and has his own way of doing things. In the past, no matter how busy he was, he would never disappear like this without a word! He stoppeding home, and now he doesn¡¯t even care about his own younger sister! I really don¡¯t understand what he is thinking!¡± ¡°I know why Ryan isn¡¯ting home,¡± Zoe admitted. ¡°What? You know?¡± ire was taken aback. Zoe clenched her fists, her voice turning grim. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll tell you something, but you must try to stay calm after hearing it.¡± ¡°What happened, Zoe? Don¡¯t scare me!¡± ¡°Ryan is in a rtionship with Shannon¡¯s youngest daughter,¡± Zoe revealed through gritted teeth. ¡°Who? Shannon Quarry? That wicked woman¡¯s youngest daughter?!¡± ire was genuinely shocked and dumbfounded. ¡°Yes, she is Bethany¡¯s younger sister. Shannon¡¯s daughter!¡± Zoe hugged her mother¡¯s arm and shook it. ¡°Mommy! What on earth. is Ryan thinking? Shannon and her daughter had caused us trouble in the past, spewing nonsense and threatening to have me jailed! It hasn¡¯t been long since that incident, and now Ryan is already in a rtionship with Carrie.¡± Zoe continued, her voice filled with a mix of resentment and sadness. ¡°How could he do this? He no longer considers me his sister!¡± ire felt uneasy when she heard this. She could not fathom why her son, who had always been the pride of the family, would entangle himself in such aplicated situation. Although the Salvadors were a wealthy family and Ryan had a close friendship with Justin, ire still did not understand what Ryan was thinking. Despite that, she tried to console her daughter. ¡°Zoe, even not fond of Shannon¡¯s daughter, your brother¡¯s temperam known. He enjoys making friends. Most of the youngdies prominent families in Savrow have some interaction with him. has never brought a girl home, let alone someone who truly captivated him. He¡¯s always hanging out with Justin and freque visiting the Salvadors, so developing an interest in Carrie is somewhat normal. I believe it won¡¯t be long before your brother I¡¯m realizes and moves on from the situation. Hasn¡¯t it been like this a these years?¡± ¡°Mommy, no! This time, it¡¯s different!¡± Chapter 632 Zoe¡¯s eyes burned with hatred, and she trembled with anger. ¡°The reason why Ryan hasn¡¯te home for such a long time is because he¡¯s been living together with Carrie! He even bought her a house!¡± ire felt as if she were struck by lightning-shocked and horrified! ¡°I hate Shannon and her daughter so much. Of course, I don¡¯t want Carrie to be my future sister- inw. But Ryan is obsessed with her, like he¡¯s under a spell! For that woman, he even lost his temper at me! And he even ¡­¡± Zoe intentionally paused, leaving the suspense hanging. ¡°He did what?!¡± ire asked anxiously. ¡°He even hit me!¡± Zoe started crying harder, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Where did he hit you?!¡± ire¡¯s voice was tight with concern This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°My face¡­ He pped me right in front of the servants and tha wretched woman, Carrie! My face hurts so much, Mom!¡± Zoe c her face and rushed into her mother¡¯s arms, crying uncontrobly ire¡¯s heart ached. Her cherished daughter, the apple of her eye, was in pain. Her eldest son, the one she had ced all her hopes of the obedient and filial son, had torn his rtionship apart with his sister for the sake of that woman. What would he do next? Would he cut ties with his biological mother as well? ¡°Mommy! You must not let Ryan be with Carrie! If Ryan really marries that woman, our reputation will bepletely ruined! Ryan will Chappe be aughingstock in the Hoffman Group!¡± Zoe anxiously spoke, her voice hoarse. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ire looked puzzled. ¡°Carrie is mentally disabled! She¡¯s autistic!¡± ire¡¯s eyes darkened. Her exceptionally outstanding son was more than worthy of marrying the Thompson family¡¯s heiress. How could he marry someone with a mental disability?! She absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow it! ¡°Mom! Even if Carrie is a part of the Salvador family, aren¡¯t you afraid that if she marries Ryan, your future grandchildren will also be mentally disabled? Who knows if her condition is hereditary?¡± Every word from Zoe struck ire right in the heart. ¡°Thank you for letting me know, Zoe. I know what to do now!¡± ire, usually gentle and tender, showed a trace of coldness in her eyes. Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you. I will never let my son marry such an unworthy woman and ruin his entire life.¡± Zoe nestled in her mother¡¯s arms and revealed a sinister smile upon hearing what her mother said. * The days passed by. Celeste and Shannon¡¯s birthday banquets were just around the corner. Considering Gregory¡¯s situation these days, Shannon refrained from publicizing her uing birthday. However, she discreetly sent invitations to the prominent figures in Savrow and subtly promoted the event. Although her reputation in Savrow was not as pristine as before, she remained the chairman¡¯s wife of Salvador Corporation. With such a background and status, she refused to believe that her grandeur couldn¡¯t rival that of Celeste, a mere mistress! On the other hand, the Thompsons made no public announcement regarding Celeste¡¯s birthday celebration. Everything was being handled in secrecy. After all, socialites from affluent families were not like celebrities in the entertainment industry. They didn¡¯t need to unt their lives for attention or to gain poprity. On the evening before the birthday banquet, Celeste, with her eyes covered, was led into a room by M, Sasha, and Be. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why all this secrecy?¡± Celeste asked with a smile. ¡°Three! Two! One!¡± As the countdown finished, Be removed the blindfold from Celeste¡¯s eyes. Celeste¡¯s eyes adjusted to the lighting and suddenly widened in astonishment. Under the dazzling spotlight, a mannequin was dressed in a stunning ck and red evening gown. The lights made the dress shimmer. It was incredibly beautiful and captivating. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so beautiful¡­¡± Celeste stood there in awe, letting out a dreamy sigh. ¡°Celeste, this is a masterpiece personally designed for you. It is designed by the internationally renowned designer, Sharon.¡± M affectionately draped her arm around Celeste¡¯s shoulder, her eyes fixated. ¡°Oh my goodness¡­ I consider myself quite knowledgeable, but seeing the gown designed by Sharon up close, I can¡¯t help but almost scream! It¡¯s too gorgeous!¡± Be¡¯s alter ego, Sharon, had grown ustomed to countless praises in the fashion world. Yet, all thosepliments still could not match the joy she felt hearing these praises from her own family. Deep within, Be felt extremely happy and couldn¡¯t help but let out a smirk. ¡°A dress by Sharon?! Oh my goodness¡­ Be, this is such a precious gift!¡± Celeste hastily grabbed Be¡¯s hand, her cheeks blushing with embarrassment. ¡°Be, you must have spent a lot of money and effort to invite her, right? You really didn¡¯t need to go through this trouble! It¡¯s too much!¡± Chapter 633 ¡°Not a problem at all! I¡¯m the heiress of KS Group. With my identity, Sharon wouldn¡¯t dare refuse to make clothes for me. She wouldn¡¯t want to ruin her reputation, right?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Be yfully pinched Celeste¡¯s waist, looking mischievous. ¡°Wow, then ask her to design something for me too! I want a biker suit! A leather jacket!¡± Sasha¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ve recently be obsessed with riding motorcycles. I even joined a Hatchbay motorcycle club. We have activities every month, but I¡¯ve been Be and M were speechless for a moment. Sasha felt the awkward atmosphere andughed. ¡°Uh, well, does Sharon not take on this kind of business? Then ignore what I just said.¡± Everyone was speechless. Sasha was approaching her forties. When will she ever grow up? ¡°Aunt M, Aunt Sasha, you can rest assured. When it¡¯s your birth I¡¯ll have Sharon make clothes for you too. You won¡¯t be left out!¡± Bughed, hugging both of them with a wide grin. She was truly a master of arranging surprises! ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t Sharon supposed to be notoriously aloof, and her creations are hard toe by? How can you repeatedly hire her?¡± M suspiciously nced at Be. ¡°Be, could it be that Sharon is also one of your alter egos?¡± Celeste and Sasha, upon hearing this, also turned their gazes toward Chap 633 to Be. ¡°Oh¡­ How is that possible?¡± Beughed awkwardly, waving her hands repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m already Alexa. How could I also be Sharon? I¡¯m not some mythical figure with three heads, six arms, and magical powers.¡± The threedies chimed in unison, ¡°You¡¯re even more amazing than a mythical creature!¡± Indeed, that was true. In an attempt to divert their attention, Be said, ¡°By the way, there are more surprises!¡± Be ran behind the mannequin, pulled out an exquisite red velvet box from below, and held it in front of Celeste. ¡°Aunt Celeste, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be very busy tomorrow, so I wanted to give you your gift in advance. Happy birthday!¡± Celeste felt a tingling sensation in her nose as she opened the jewelry box. Inside was an exquisitely crafted sapphire ring that once again captivated her heart. Spin to im Your Surprise Reward! y TAL Fresh and elegant, like the clear ocean under the radiant sun, captivating at first sight. Celeste¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. ¡°Be, thank you. I really love it. Thank you.¡± ¡°I purposely chose this gemstone because I didn¡¯t want to steal the limelight from Wyatt. And also, I feel that this serene shade of ocean blue suits you better.¡± Be spoke contentedly and confidently.¡± When I design jewelry, I like to choose the main stone that suits the wearer¡¯s personality and temperament. Because I am Alexa, my design value has surpassed the intrinsic value of the jewelry itself.¡± Afterward, M and Sasha also took Celeste to see the birthday gifts they had prepared. The room was filled with women chattering andughing, creating a lively atmosphere. At this moment, Be¡¯s phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out when she had a moment alone and then left the room, heading to the end of the corridor. ¡°Hello,¡± she answered, her long eyshes fluttering. Her voice was cold. ¡°Be, I¡¯m feeling much better now. I called to report my situation.¡± In the moonlight, Justin¡¯s voice was unusually gentle, exuding a seductive charm. ¡°In the future, if you want to know about my condition, you can call me directly. There¡¯s no need to contactn privately anymore.¡± Be¡¯s heart trembled slightly, and she pursed her red lips. ¡°Or, I can call you too. I¡¯d love to do that.¡± The man¡¯s sultry and mellow voice rang in her ear, actively engaging in a way that waspletely different from his usual demeanor. ¡°No need. I¡¯m not your attending doctor. I don¡¯t have time to monitor your physical condition 24/7.¡± Be frowned and said coldly, ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine now, let¡¯s go our separate ways and wish each other well.¡± ¡°I appreciate your effort in taking care of me. If it weren¡¯t for you, my fever wouldn¡¯t have subsided so quickly.¡± Justin chuckled softly. His voice was low and hoarse, teasing her ear. ¡°You¡¯re more effective than medicine.¡± ¡°Justin! Do you want to die?!¡± Be recalled the day when Justin forcefully kissed her on the bed. Her cheeks flushed. She fiercely punched the ss window with her fists and said, ¡°If you dare to y any silly games again, I¡¯ll make you regret it! I¡¯ll keep my word!¡± ¡°What else is there to regret, Be?¡± Justinughed bitterly and humbly. ¡°Divorcing you is the biggest regret of my life.¡± Be scoffed, ¡°Hmph! Serves you right. Bye, I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Be! Wait!¡± Chapter 634 ¡°What now?¡± Be felt frustrated and had no intention of showing this despicable man any kindness. ¡°Tomorrow, can I attend Aunt Celeste¡¯s birthday banquet?¡± Justin asked cautiously,cking any confidence. But at the same time, he was filled with anticipation. He was hopeful to see her again. Be snorted, pursing her lips. ¡°Mr. Salvador, Aunt Celeste¡¯s birthday banquet will be attended by members of the Thompson family. Won¡¯t you feel embarrassed to face them?¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. But as the saying goes, an ugly son-inw must still meet his inws.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was unusually earnest. ¡°What is wrong with you, Justin?¡± Be pounded the window again. She imagined it as if it were his head. ¡°Is it okay, Be?¡± He persisted. Be recalled the night when Gregory beat Justin mercilessly because of this, leaving Justin¡¯s back covered in bruises. She reluctantly said, ¡°Fine, but remember to bring a gift.¡± Justin¡¯s joy was evident in his clear and bright voice. ¡°Of course! How can I go empty-handed when meeting the parents?¡± Be gritted her teeth and growled, ¡°Fuck off!¡± Chapte 635 The weekend arrived, and the birthday banquet for the two affluent wives was approaching. The night before, Shannon was so excited that she could not fall asleep. She envisioned herself outshining everyone at the banquet, radiating beauty and charm. Lost in her thoughts, she chuckled softly. She had also instructed someone to edit videos of her previous acting career and retouch many morous photos from her debut on the TS Gem Channel. She nned to y them on a loop at the birthday banquet, captivating the attention of all the guests. As a result, the next day, Shannon¡¯splexion was pale, with bloodshot eyes and massive dark circles. Without makeup, she resembled a vengeful ghost from an old horror movie! After all, she was nearing 50 and could not escape the signs of aging. In the past, even after filming for three days and nights, her skin. remained fair and radiant. Now, a single night without sleep was taking its toll on her aging face. ¡°Someone! Hurry, call my beautician toe over for a makeover! Quickly!¡± Shannon was in a frantic state, pacing around her room. She behaved like a manic person and smashed an expensive cup in a fit of rage. However, Gregory did not witness this arrogant and irritable outburst. The servant waiting outside was scared and quickly ran off to fetch the beautician. Shannon looked at herself in the mirror, a simmering rage building inside her. Today, she and Celeste were celebrating their birthdays on the same. day, like rivals in apetition. Shannon had not seen Celeste for many years. She considered herself the legitimate wife of Gregory, but despite her status being far This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. superior to Celeste¡¯s status as Wyatt¡¯s mistress, she could not shake off her anxiety. In the past, Celeste was the leading actress on the TS Gem Channel, the fantasy of men nationwide. Shannon couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious because she was afraid of being overshadowed by Celeste! ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± Bethany rushed in hastily. However, seeing Shannon in this ghostly state, Bethany was left momentarily stunned. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you acting like you¡¯ve seen a ghost?¡± Shannon snapped impatiently. ¡°I just called Grandpa again and confirmed with him. He said he wouldn¡¯t be attending your birthday banquet tonight.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? I never expected that old man to show up from the beginning. Whether hees or not, it does not matter. I¡¯d rather not have him bring his old-fashioned gloominess here!¡± Shannon sneered coldly, making no effort to hide her disdain for Nigel in front of her daughter. Chapter 635 ¡°But Grandpa also asked me to tell you¡­¡± Bethany stammered, trembling as she spoke, ¡°He and Justin are both going to attend the Thompsons¡¯ banquet.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Shannon erupted in anger, her eyes aze. ¡°He said he received a video call from Wyatt and Best night, and they had a pleasant conversation. So, he decided at thest minute to meet Wyatt and have a few drinks to catch up¡­¡¯ ¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Shannon was furious, her eyes spitting mes. She swept the dressing table clean in a fit of rage. ¡°Mommy! What are we going to do? Both Justin and Grandpa are going to the Thompsons¡¯ banquet, ignoring youpletely. Isn¡¯t this deliberate humiliation? How will you face others if they find out?¡± Bethany, who had been harboring resentment toward Shannon for supporting Carrie and Ryan¡¯s rtionship, seized this opportunity to vent her anger. ¡°Deep down, they never truly acknowledge your status as the mistress of the Salvador family. They think attending your birthday party is shameful and embarrassing for them!¡± ¡°Stop talking! Just stop it!¡± Shannon was so enraged that her heart was pounding, and her blood pressure soared. ¡°Mom! What do we do now?¡± Bethany looked anxious, but she was secretly delighted. ¡°Enough! That old geezer is deliberately going against me. If I let this ruin my birthday, I would be falling right into their trap,¡± Shannon said with a grim expression as she sat on the sofa. Chap 635 She crossed her legs and began doing Ptes. ¡°After all, that old man. has retired now. Your father is his only heir to Salvador Corporation. Everything Nigel has will eventually belong to my husband. I won¡¯t care about that senile old man on the brink of death. How much longer can he live anyway?¡± At exactly 6:00 p.m., a row of ck luxury cars lined up neatly outside. the vi. The Salvador couple and their two daughters got into an extended Lincoln, escorted by cars with bodyguards both in the front and rear. The imposing procession headed toward the Salvador Hotel. Inside the car, Gregory stared expressionlessly out the window. His attitude toward Shannon showed no abnormality. After all, today was her birthday. The situation felt calm and not as tense as in the past. The Salvador sisters sat across from their parents. Carrie sat hunched over, tightly embracing the teddy bear that Be had given her. She foundfort in its presence. d in an expensive andtest Chanel suit, Bethany sat next to Carrie, who dressed humbly. ¡°Oh, little sister, today is Mommy¡¯s big day. Why don¡¯t you make an effort to dress up for the asion?¡± Bethany sported a fake smile. She ger gently ran her fingers through her sister¡¯s silky hair as a disy of sisterly affection in front of Gregory. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to doll up? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I could¡¯ve helped you.¡± Carrie kept her back straight and her lips tightly sealed. ¡°Remember how great your hair looked after I permed it for you time? I told you, I can do it again for you today.¡± Bethany said it w wicked smile in her eyes. Suddenly, Carrie raised her hand and forcefully removed Bethany grip. Both Gregory and Shannon were left dumbfounded. They had never seen Carrie lose her temper before. ¡°Carrie! It hurts so much! What are you doing?¡± Bethany pretended to look aggrieved, as if she were the victim. ¡°I¡­ I never wanted you to dress me up. You forced me into it!¡± Carrie hugged the little bear, her eyes reddened. With courage that seemed Chapp toe from nowhere, Carrie dared to speak up against Bethany. Gregory listened and looked at Bethany, puzzled. ¡°What¡­ What did you say?¡± Bethany¡¯s pupils widened, utterly stunned. ¡°Also, I hate that hairstyle¡­ I hate it so much. Don¡¯t ever force me to perm my hair again, okay?¡± Carrie clenched her teeth, each word carrying a deep resentment toward Bethany. ¡°Bethany, what does Carrie mean by this? What¡¯s going on?¡± Gregory asked with a serious expression. ¡°Oh, Dad! Carrie isn¡¯t an ordinary child. She often says things out of the blue. You know that, right? I¡¯m just as confused as you are about why she suddenly said such things. I feel so wronged!¡± Bethany spoke in a sweet voice, feigning innocence. ¡°Greg, is it true that Justin won¡¯t be attending the banquet tonight? Is he attending the Thompsons¡¯ banquet instead?¡± Shannon chand Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! the topic, holding her husband¡¯s arm. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Gregory furrowed his brow. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else. It¡¯s just for the greater good. I still thi Justin should attend our banquet instead,¡± Shannon said, trying steer the conversation in a different direction. Shannon put on an act and spoke with warmth and gentleness, ¡°If it were for M Larson¡¯s birthday, it would be understandable. After all, M is the daughter of the Larson family. Establishing a good rtionship would benefit us in the future and add a touch of decency. But what is the use of going to celebrate Celeste¡¯s birthday? Not to mention, Celeste is just amoner with a notorious past in the entertainment industry. If Justin goes to congratte her, the media will surely write all sorts of nonsense.¡± Shannon¡¯s eyes darkened gradually. ¡°Moreover, Celeste is the least conspicuous of Wyatt Thompson¡¯s wives. To call her a wife is already giving her too much credit. She¡¯s simply Wyatt¡¯s officially recognized mistress. With such an ambiguous status, does it even make sense. for Justin, the president of the Salvador Corporation, to reach out to her? It¡¯s too degrading.¡± For some reason, the term ¡®mistress made Gregory extremely ufortable. It stirred up a trace of memories about Justin¡¯s mother. ¡°In the past, Celeste had no backing. But now, she has Wyatt Thompson¡¯s support, and her situation has changed. If it weren¡¯t for what happened back then, she would have already risen to prominence. She wouldn¡¯t have ended up in a situation where she had no choice but to be Wyatt¡¯s third wife.¡± Shannon was taken aback and cautiously asked, ¡°Greg, did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°I heard that not only Justin but also my father will be attending the banquet to meet Wyatt,¡± Gregory responded. Gregory gazed ahead, his tone calm. ¡°Tonight¡¯s main focus isn¡¯t just on Celeste alone. Have you overlooked the presence of Wyatt Thompson? If both Nigel and Justin are willing to attend, just let them 1. I¡¯m tired, and I really don¡¯t have the mood to get entangled in these social niceties.¡± ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why has his attitude changed?¡¯ Shannon choked back heretren She call only face a onile to semendatio for freetiranito back her frustration. She could only force a smile to amodate him. At this moment, Carrie found afortable position, and her little. head nodded slowly as she dozed off. After all, in the days spent with Ryan, he would cling to her every night, either with kisses or hugs, making it impossible for her to get a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡± Chapter 636 ?Chapter 636 The situation felt calm and not as tense as in the past. The Salvador sisters sat across from their parents. Carrie sat hunched over, tightly embracing the teddy bear that Be had given her. She foundfort in its presence. d in an expensive andtest Chanel suit, Bethany sat next to Carrie, who dressed humbly. "Oh, little sister, today is Mommy''s big day. Why don''t you make an effort to dress up for the asion?" Bethany sported a fake smile. She gently ran her fingers through her sister''s silky hair as a disy of sisterly affection in front of Gregory. "Don''t you know how to doll up? Why didn''t you tell me? I could''ve helped you." Carrie kept her back straight and her lips tightly sealed. "Remember how great your hair looked after I permed it for youst time? I told you, I can do it again for you today." Bethany said it with a wicked smile in her eyes. Suddenly, Carrie raised her hand and forcefully removed Bethany''s grip. Both Gregory and Shannon were left dumbfounded. They had never seen Carrie lose her temper before. "Carrie! It hurts so much! What are you doing?" Bethany pretended to look aggrieved, as if she were the victim. "I... I never wanted you to dress me up. You forced me into it!" Carrie hugged the little bear, her eyes reddened. With courage that seemed toe from nowhere, Carrie dared to speak up against Bethany.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Gregory listened and looked at Bethany, puzzled. "What... What did you say?" Bethany''s pupils widened, utterly stunned. "Also, I hate that hairstyle... I hate it so much. Don''t ever force me to perm my hair again, okay?" Carrie clenched her teeth, each word carrying a deep resentment toward Bethany. "Bethany, what does Carrie mean by this? What''s going on?" Gregory asked with a serious expression. "Oh, Dad! Carrie isn''t an ordinary child. She often says things out of the blue. You know that, right? I''m just as confused as you are about why she suddenly said such things. I feel so wronged!" Bethany spoke in a sweet voice, feigning innocence. "Greg, is it true that Justin won''t be attending the banquet tonight? Is he attending the Thompsons'' banquet instead?" Shannon changed the topic, holding her husband''s arm. "I don''t know." Gregory furrowed his brow. "I don''t mean anything else. It''s just for the greater good. I still think Justin should attend our banquet instead," Shannon said, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. Shannon put on an act and spoke with warmth and gentleness, "If it were for M Larson''s birthday, it would be understandable. After all, M is the daughter of the Larson family. Establishing a good rtionship would benefit us in the future and add a touch of decency. But what is the use of going to celebrate Celeste''s birthday? Not to mention, Celeste is just amoner with a notorious past in the entertainment industry. If Justin goes to congratte her, the media will surely write all sorts of nonsense." Shannon''s eyes darkened gradually. "Moreover, Celeste is the least conspicuous of Wyatt Thompson''s wives. To call her a wife is already giving her too much credit. She''s simply Wyatt''s officially recognized mistress. With such an ambiguous status, does it even make sense for Justin, the president of the Salvador Corporation, to reach out to her? It''s too degrading." For some reason, the term ''mistress'' made Gregory extremely ufortable. It stirred up a trace of memories about Justin''s mother. "In the past, Celeste had no backing. But now, she has Wyatt Thompson''s support, and her situation has changed. If it weren''t for what happened back then, she would have already risen to prominence. She wouldn''t have ended up in a situation where she had no choice but to be Wyatt''s third wife." Shannon was taken aback and cautiously asked, "Greg, did I say something wrong?" "I heard that not only Justin but also my father will be attending the banquet to meet Wyatt," Gregory responded. Gregory gazed ahead, his tone calm. "Tonight''s main focus isn''t just on Celeste alone. Have you overlooked the presence of Wyatt Thompson? If both Nigel and Justin are willing to attend, just let them be. I''m tired, and I really don''t have the mood to get entangled in these social niceties." ''What''s going on? Why has his attitude changed?'' Shannon choked back her frustration. She could only force a smile to amodate him. At this moment, Carrie found afortable position, and her little head nodded slowly as she dozed off. After all, in the days spent with Ryan, he would cling to her every night, either with kisses or hugs, making it impossible for her to get a good night''s sleep. Chapter 637 Bethany trembled with anger next to Carrie. Her lips twitched as if she wished to peel Carrie¡¯s skin off, tear her flesh apart, and drain her blood. ¡®Damn her! Does she think having Ryan to back her up makes her invincible? The happier she is, the faster she¡¯ll meet her demise! I¡¯ll make sure of it!¡¯ Although Shannon¡¯s birthday banquet was held in a low-profile manner, she still leaked information to the media. She believed that she was born to be in the spotlight. So how could she celebrate her birthday without attention? Reporters who caught wind of the news hovered and waited inside the hotel. Escorted by bodyguards, the Salvador family approached the banquet hall. Shannon exuded an air of superiority, adorned with jewels and radiance, embodying the style of an affluent and elegant woman. ¡°Mrs. Salvador!¡± ¡°Ms. Shannon!¡± The reporters swarmed over, snapping photos of the Salvador family. Gregory felt displeased, but he remainedposed and faced the media alongside his wife, Shannon. ¡°Mr. Salvador, tonight is your wife¡¯s birthday banquet. The whole family is here, but where is Mr. Justin?¡± The reporter skillfully touched upon the sensitive topics, showcasing their knack for stirring up trouble. ¡°Justin had some urgent matters and had to leave in a hurry.¡± Gregory smiled faintly, giving a brief and dismissive response. ¡°Today is the birthday of Ms. Celeste, the third wife of Wyatt Thompson, chairman of KS Group. Ms. Shannon, your birthday should be on Wednesday, but you moved it to Sunday. Is it intentional to coincide with Ms. Celeste? Back in the day, you two were once the leading actresses on the same tform. There were rumors of you let go of past grievances after all these years?¡± ¡°Oh my! Is today also Celeste¡¯s birthday? I didn¡¯t know until you mentioned it.¡± Shannon pretended to be surprised. She covered her mouth with a hand adorned with arge diamond ring. ¡°It seems I may have overlooked that. I should wish her a happy birthday. I chose today because our families and guests are all sy and can¡¯t spare the time on Wednesday.¡± Shannon continued with a smug smile, ¡°After all, we invited many guests this time. I also took into consideration the schedules of guests. I made sure everyone had ample time toe and gath with us.¡± ¡°Guests? Have you invited so many guests?¡± The journalists exchanged puzzled nces. ¡°We¡¯ve been here waiting for two hours, and we haven¡¯t seen anyone arriving.¡± Shannon was suddenly rmed. ¡®How could this be?¡¯ She had invited over a hundred guests weeks in advance, and most of Change them had epted the invitations, promising to attend! Why hadn¡¯t anyone shown up?! Shannon forced a cheerful smile, her entire body tense and her heart pounding like a drum. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go inside first,¡± Gregory urged in a low voice. As the group walked to the entrance of the banquet hall, the waiter opened the massive doors. The next moment, the poised smiles on Gregory and Shannon¡¯s faces froze.* Shannon, in particr, turned ashen instantly. She clenched her lower lip tightly, nearly screaming in dismay. There were only a handful of guests in the vast and luxurious banquet Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! hall. The imagined crowd of distinguished guests, dressed in elegance and grace, was nowhere to be found. ¡®Where is everyone? Where did they go?!¡± Shannon thought. Chapter 638 Only a handful of guests were scattered around the banquet hall, making the grand hall seem deste and cold. Most of them were elderly gentlemen who were business associates of Gregory Salvador. Apart from the waitstaff and the pianist, there was not a single female guest in sight. None of those rich housewives, who usually pretended to be friendly with Shannon, showed up. Neither did those who had to butter up to her due to the influence of the Salvador family turn up. They seemed to have coordinated with each other, as not a single. one of them showed up! It was utterly infuriating! If it were not for the presence of a group of media reporters behi her, Shannon might have burst into a rage right there and then. Gregory furrowed his brows. His lips showed a restrained expressi but not much emotion could be discerned. Bethany waspletely bewildered. She knew that her mother did not have the best reputation amongst the social circles, but she did not expect it to be this bad! ¡°Quick! Quick, take pictures! This could be a trending headline!¡± The reporters stuck their heads out, frantically capturing shots of the forlorn ce. (Chapter 630 ¡°How about the headline, ¡®Birthday Banquet of Salvador Corporation Chairman¡¯s Wife Takes an Unexpected Turn-Is the Glitz Fading in Tough Times?¡±¡± ¡°She just imed to have invited many people a moment ago, but now she practically embarrassed herself. How hrious!¡± Shannon was so enraged that her legs beneath her elegant gown trembled uncontrobly. She shot a fierce re at Bethany, signaling for her daughter to speak on her behalf. Facing the reporters, Bethany forced a smile and said, ¡°Dear friends from the media, my mother¡¯s birthday banquet is about to begin. We need to go inside to greet the guests. Please feel free to leave, and we¡¯ll be giving out goody bags at the entranceter. Thank you and have a good day!¡± The bodyguards swiftly ushered the reporters out. Even after receiving the goody bags, some reporters could not but express their discontent. ¡°Huh, they made us rush here in the heavy snow, and now they¡¯re kicking us out. It¡¯s obvious they feel embarrassed and don¡¯t want to be seen!¡± ¡°Greeting guests? Where are the guests? Are they going to greet ghosts, perhaps? Hahaha!¡± The birthday banquet had just begun, yet it felt as deste as if it were about to end. Shannon was seething with anger. Her refined makeup failed to conceal the stiffness and anger on her face. The guests, who were all Gregory¡¯s friends, offered their congrattions to her before engaging in lively conversations with Gregory. Theypletely ignored the supposed female lead on the Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! sidelines. ¡®How could this be happening? How could it be like this?¡¯ Shannon thought. ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± Bethany rushed in, clutching her long dress. She was panting heavily, and her face was drained of color. ¡°I sent someone to check, and guess what? The guests we invited have all gathered at the KS World Hotel. Be stole them!¡±. Shannon had suspected it, but having it confirmed was a heavy blow to her, almost making her faint. ¡°Be Thompson¡­ Why is it that damned wretched girl again?!¡± Seated nearby, Carrie, who was ying with the small teddy bear, overheard her sister-inw¡¯s name and looked at them with a ¡°Tonight, half of the people went for the Thompsons, while the other half went for the Iversons. It is said that those who matter in the Iverson family were all present at Celeste¡¯s birthday party. The Thompsons have joined hands with the Iversons, and those pretentious people are trying to curry favor with both the Thompsons and Iversons!¡± Bethany surprisingly disyed a boost of intelligence at this moment. She took another step closer to Shannon and spoke with an exasperated tone. ¡°Also, I heard that a few people who weren¡¯t initially invited by the Thompsons received invitations from Be yesterday. So, they changed their minds and went to the KS World Hotel. It turns out the mastermind behind all this was Be all along!¡± ¡°This wretched woman causes me trouble all the damn time! Does she think she can ruin my birthday banquet this way? Does she think that I¡¯m a pushover?!¡± Shannon cursed, her features contorting angrily. ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t call Be a wretched woman. She¡¯s not a wretched woman!¡± Unable to endure it any longer, Carrie gathered her courage, her face turning red as she retorted. Shannon red at her in uncontroble anger. ¡°Shut up! She¡¯s not your sister-inw anymore!¡± ¡°Carrie! Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about?!¡± Seizing the opportunity while Shannon was furious, Bethany angr rushed to Carrie. With a fierce jab of her sharp nails, Bethany pinche Carrie¡¯s cheek. Carrie gasped in pain and tried to pull away. Chapter 639 A distinct red mark appeared on Carrie¡¯s cheek instantly. ¡°Because of that despicable Be, Mommy has suffered so much. injustice, almost driven to death by anger! As Mommy¡¯s daughter, it¡¯s bad enough that you act indifferent, but you¡¯re actually speaking up for that despicable Be! Mommy raised you in vain!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not despicable!¡± The more Shannon spoke, the angrier Carrie became, refuting with red eyes. ¡°Then what is she if not despicable? What is she?¡± Bethany stretched her neck and shouted, drawing the attention of some guests. ¡°No!¡± As if a button of rage had been pressed, Carrie suddenly stood up. She red angrily with her round eyes, meeting Bethany¡¯s asto d gaze. Carrie could endure this woman hitting her and cursing at her. Bu couldn¡¯t tolerate her insulting her beloved sister-inw. ¡°You little ingrate! How dare you yell at me! Do you think I¡¯m afraid you just because you have Ryan¡¯s support?!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Bethany felt challenged by Carrie, who had been getting on her nerves all night and had reached her limit. She raised her hand, ready to pinch her arm. At that moment, the grand doors of the banquet hall suddenly swung open. All eyes turned to the man, who strode in with steady steps and grace. ¡°Ryan!¡± Carrie looked at Ryan, and her eyes gradually welled up with joyful tears. At this moment, Ryan¡¯s charming eyes shined brilliantly like a hawk. His gaze locked on her, intense and passionate. Even if Carrie was always dressed so inly, he stared at her and was unwilling to look away. Even if she always kept her head down and hunched her shoulders, almostcking any presence, he could still spot her with just one nce. ¡°Ryan Hoffman?!¡± Shannon and Bethany were both dumbfounded. Gregory was chatting with guests when he saw Ryan walking over, dressed in a luxurious wine-red velvet suit, looking noble like a groom. Gregory was also surprised. Bethany quickly withdrew her hand, her mood in a whirlwind as she stared at Ryan. She waspletely blinded by love.. Even if Ryan had treated her cruelly, she would forget the pain once the scars healed. Upon seeing Ryan¡¯s enchanting face, she was infatuated and fell deeply in love once again. However, she also knew that Ryan simply did not like her. Even if she stood naked in front of him, it would not make him change his mind. ¡°So, why did hee?¡± ¡°Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman, I¡¯m truly delighted that you coulde. We¡¯ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival!¡± Shannon was pleased to see Ryan approaching and promptly greeted him, ¡°Quick! Get champagne for Mr. Hoffman!¡± As long as he was willing to attend, even if it was for Carrie, it would add glory to her birthday banquet. ¡°No need. I did note for the birthday banquet.¡± Ryan¡¯s hands. were casually tucked into his pockets. A sly smile was ying on his lips, exuding a captivating charm. ¡°So, why are you here then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to take my girl away.¡± Everyone was shocked! His voice, resonant and powerful, carried deep affection. In the midst of everyone¡¯s astonishment, Ryan¡¯s lips curled up like a perfect crescent moon. Without hesitation, he walked toward Carrie. Shannon and Bethany were both shocked. Their expressions were unable to convey their surprise and embarrassment. Carrie blushed with embarrassment as she stood there, watching Ryan approach her. Chapter 640 The teddy bear in her hands seemed to have transformed into an N?velDrama.Org content rights. innocent bouquet of flowers. Ryan walked straight ahead. As he passed Bethany, he coldly brushed her aside, showing no regard for her. Spin to im Your Surprise Reward! y ¡°Ouch! That hurts!¡± Bethany felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, causing her to stagger backward. She nearly stumbled to the ground. ¡°Carrie.¡± Ryan stood in front of Carrie and gazed deeply at her flushed face. His voice was low yet alluring. ¡°You look beautiful today.¡± Carrie felt her heart pound even harder upon hearing Ryan¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s so boring here. How about we leave together?¡± Ryan extended his hand toward her, his charming eyes filled with tenderness. ¡°Leave¡­ Where are we going?¡± ¡°Anywhere. I¡¯ll take you wherever you want to go.¡± His gaze was unusually sincere. Inexplicably, Carrie felt like crying. Her eyes turned red. Since she was young, she has always been the silliest and most obedient child in the family. She had never experienced what it felt like to be cherished and amodated by someone. This was her first time. ¡°I¡­ Want to go find Be and Justin.¡± Carrie¡¯s voice choked as she whispered. choppe: 640 ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to them.¡± With those words, Ryan took the initiative to hold her soft hand and turned to leave. The whole room fell silent. When the pair reached the doorway, Ryan remembered something and suddenly halted, causing Carrie to almost bump into his back. He turned slightly and gave a shallow bow in Gregory¡¯s direction, then he left with Carrie. Gregory was taken aback. This man was openly taking away his beloved daughter. Initially, Gregory felt somewhat displeased. But then, before leaving, Ryan did not forget to greet him, showing proper respect for him as an elder. This made it hard for Gregory to harbor any resentment. ¡°Mom! What should we do? What should we do?¡± Bethany¡¯s ch twitched as she urgently pulled on Shannon¡¯s arm. ¡°Ryan just took away like that! What kind of situation is this? Isn¡¯t he intentionally causing trouble? You can¡¯t let Carrie go! You must bring her back!¡± ¡°Bring her back? Why should we bring her back?¡± Shannon forcefully shook off her hand, casting a disdainful look at her. Ironically, this sort of treatment used to be reserved only for Carrie. ¡°My birthday banquet is already ruined. Whether your sisteres. back or not, what¡¯s the point? Besides, why should I bring her back? Can¡¯t you see? Carrie is with Ryan. Haven¡¯t you noticed the way he looks at Carrie? It even surpasses the way your father used to look at Chapt/640 me in the past. Stop being delusional. Stop trying to ruin your sister¡¯s good fortune and be quiet!¡± Bethany¡¯s heart sank. She let go of Shannon¡¯s arm resentfully. ¡®Be, do you think that this means I¡¯ve lost? You ruined my birthday banquet. I won¡¯t let you have your way!¡¯ Shannon picked up a champagne ss, her eyes red as she gulped the champagne down her throat. Outside the hall, Bethany walked to a secluded area. She took out her phone and dialed Zoe¡¯s number with gritted teeth. ¡°Well, well, how do you still have the courage to call me?¡± After numerous rings, Zoe finally answered. Her tone did not hide her annoyance toward Bethany. Although Bethany despised this woman for plotting against her in the past, as the saying goes, the enemy of an enemy is a friend.. Getting back at Carrie wouldn¡¯t be easy without Zoe¡¯s help. Thus, she set aside her emotions and coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to argue with you right now. I assume you probably won¡¯t be in the mood to quarrel with me after knowing what happened either.¡± Chapter 641 Ryan held Carrie¡¯s warm and sweaty hand and walked forward N?velDrama.Org content rights. without looking away. He noticed that Carrie was so nervous that her palms were sweaty. The corner of his lips curled, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle indulgently. ¡°Ryan, why don¡¯t we go to the underground parking lot?¡± Carrie asked in panic when she saw him walking to the hotel lobby. ¡°My car is parked at the main entrance. The basement parking is too troublesome.¡± ¡°But¡­ But there are reporters outside. Paparazzi.¡± Carrie suddenly. stopped. Her delicate shoulders shrank, and her eyes were full of fear. ¡°It¡¯s not good if we go out like this. The paparazzi will write nonsense.¡± ¡°Nonsense? Like what?¡± Ryan saw Carrie walking away in a hurry in thin clothes. He took off his red velvet jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He carefully buttoned it up for her, one button at a time. Was He the definition of an overprotective boyfriend. ¡°I don¡¯t mind them writing anything about us.¡± ¡°Um, they¡¯ll write about our rtionship¡­¡± Carrie blushed and mumbled softly. Her voice became softer as she spoke. 1641 Ryan felt like soft feathers were tickling his heart. His eyes turned red, and his Adam¡¯s apple rolled uncontrobly. His big hand slowlynded on her back, stroking it up and down. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Carrie¡¯s doe-like eyes widened slightly with a look of astonishment. ¡°Carrie, you¡¯re my girl. Do you understand what that means?¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes darkened as he wrapped his He really liked touching the nape of her neck, her soft hair, her warm body, and her delicate skin. For him, every inch was a temptation. Carrie seemed to understand vaguely, but she shook her head. ¡°It means that I don¡¯t care what others say. I just want to be with you. I just want to be with you wholeheartedly.¡± Carrie¡¯s breath was stuck in her throat. She felt the scorching heat. from his overly passionate and seductive eyes. She also really liked being with Ryan, but¡­. Ryan gently pinched her cheeks when he saw that she was frozen stiff. He could not help but feel puzzled. He asked, ¡°Carrie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ryan, let¡¯s go through the back door.¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes were filled with anxious tears. Her tone was soft, almost pleading. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ I¡¯m afraid they willugh at you!¡± 1645 ¡°Carrie?¡± Ryan was stunned, and his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°We can stay in ces where no one can see us. Let¡¯s keep it a secret and not let anyone find out. Please!¡± Carrie sped her hands together and kept rubbing them. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of gettingughed at. But I¡¯m afraid that they¡¯llugh at you. Since I was young, people who were close to me have been mocked. I don¡¯t want them to mock you!¡± Ryan¡¯s pupils trembled fiercely. Staring at her pale little face, he felt his breath hitch. His heart. seemed to be gripped by a tremendous force. An infinite sense of heartache and anguish pierced him. He felt intense hatred for all those who once bullied her. He hated himself even more for not being by her side and not being there to protect her earlier. ¡°Ah! Let go¡­ Let go.¡± Carrie¡¯s gaze suddenly swirled. In the next moment, he carrie in bridal style. ¡°No.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were filled with a sharp light. He strode out the door, holding Carrie in his arms. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I want to see who dares tough at m woman. Whoever dares to do so, I¡¯ll make sure they can only cry in their next life!¡± It was rowdy outside the hotel. Many reporters were still lingering and did not leave. They noticed Ryan walking out with a beautiful youngdy in his arms. Everyone was shocked and swarmed around them. ¡°Who is this girl with Mr. Hoffman? Is she a new girlfriend? I haven¡¯t seen her before.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ You¡¯re blind! That¡¯s Ms. Carrie Salvador, the youngest daughter of Chairman Gregory Salvador.¡± Chapter 642 ¡°Damn! Is that true? I heard that there is a youngdy in the Salvador family who is very low-key and almost never shows up in public. So, that¡¯s her? Wow! She looks as beautiful as a movie star!¡± ¡°Bethany Salvador used to buy media coverage all the time. She unted herself as the most beautiful heiress in Savrow. I think she¡¯s far inferior to her younger sister.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk. That¡¯s right. Mr. Hoffman always has exceptional taste in women.¡± Seeing that the scene was bing chaotic, Yasmin immediately rushed forward with two bodyguards. They formed a human shield to help Ryan through the crowd. Countless cameras shed wildly at them. Carrie buried her blushing face in Ryan¡¯s ck shirt, resisting the invasion of the ring light. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here,¡± Ryan whispered in her ears. ¡°Mm.¡± This response made Ryan ecstatic, more than words could express. ¡°Mr. Hoffman! Is Ms. Carrie Salvador your new girlfriend?¡± ¡°Mr. Hoffman! Have you already confirmed your rtionship? Are you two currently dating?¡± The reporters bombarded them with questions, incredibly excited. All of Savrow knew that Ryan Hoffman was a charming and wealthy. yboy. He had wandered among a sea of women, but for so many years, he had never introduced any woman to the public. However, Carrie was different. It was obvious how much Ryan valued her. even more.. Ryan paused and turned to look at the camera intently, hugging Carrie in his arms. ¡°Ms. Salvador will have the final say whether we¡¯re dating or not. She can choose not to be with me, but I¡¯ve already decided to give my heart to her.¡± Everyone looked at each other in shock! Ryan, the heir to the Hoffman Group, had always been domineering. Whatever he set his sights on became his, regardless of others¡¯ approval. However, this time, he unexpectedly showed enough respect to Carrie. He even put himself in an unprecedentedly humble position and gave herplete authority to decide. No, it was even more indulgent. Originally, the situation was under control, but with that explosive statement, the situation almost spiraled out of control! Yasmin had to exert considerable effort to escort Ryan and Carrie to the car. Soon, the luxury car left the crowd behind and headed toward the KS World Hotel. ¡°Mr. Hoffman.¡± Yasmin hesitated for a moment and spoke with concern. ¡°There might be some fluctuations in online public opinion. ¡°Why should you handle it? Did I do something shameful?¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes darkened, and his voice turned cold. ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I care what those keyboard warriors online will say? They love digging up old graves, kicking theme, and insulting the mute. Is it wrong that I want to be with the person I like?¡± ¡°No problem! There is no problem at all!¡± Yasmin dared not speak further and turned back to focus on driving. Carrie¡¯s shoulders trembled slightly. She lifted her gaze and looked into Ryan¡¯s gentle eyes, ¡°Ryan, I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s my own choice and has nothing to do with you.¡± Seeing that her hair was soaked in sweat, he lifted her hair carefully and tucked it behind her ears. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he noticed the red marks on her cheeks. ¡°Carrie, what happened to your cheek? Who did it? ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I identally bumped into something.¡± Carried tried to cover it with her hair, but Ryan grabbed her hand. Ryan¡¯s eyes were filled with anger, and he asked in a low voice, ¡°Did Bethany do this to you?¡± Carrie bit her lips and remained silent. ¡®Alright, it¡¯s time we settled the score. Both of those incidents will be taken into ount.¡¯ Ryan decided to me everything on that vicious woman, Bethany. ¡°Ryan¡­ Don¡¯t do this again in the future. I don¡¯t want to cause you any trouble. I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Carrie looked gloomy and flustered. yan mild and Hand Hight 9 (overed he head and vicende tyd Your causing any re trouble doing everything willing N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Why love for pole je to have you projey be my woman and stay by my side in thought Chapter 643 At exactly 7:00 p.m., the KS World Hotel was bustling and extraordinarily lively. It was a world of differencepared to the quietness on Shannon¡¯s side. Outside the hotel, luxury cars abound. The guests were all from wealthy families or dignitaries. Each one of them was well-dressed and adorned with exquisite jewelry. They were all wealthy men and women with a worth of billions of dors. At Celeste¡¯s request, Wyatt held the birthday party in a very low-key manner. Despite that, the prestige of the Thompson family was on full disy. They had a growing interest in expanding their business to Savrow. With that in mind, who in the business world would not reach out to Wyatt Thompson? Besides, this tycoon also had an eligible daughter who had been shining brightly recently. M and Sasha chose not to make an appearance downstairs to avoid overshadowing Celeste tonight. Instead, they entertained their long-time friends upstairs. They did not feel neglected, but were rather secretly pleased to have this rare moment of rxation. As Celeste¡¯s only daughter, Amelia naturally could not be idle and helped her sister, Be, greet the guests outside the venue. Amelia wore a pale yellow chiffon evening gown, personally selected by Be. Her slender, fair legs were subtly revealed under the pale yellow skirt. She looked like the female lead in a romance novel. Amelia was grateful to her sister, knowing the amount of effort put into dressing her up. However, she still felt that she could not match up to Be. Be wore a simple and elegant ck floor-length evening dress that modestly revealed her shoulders. Despite not putting in much effort, Be looked stunning in her tastefully chosen dress. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Amelia stole a nce at Be and found herself captivated. Amelia found her sister far more enchanting. ¡°Amelia? Is there something on my face?¡± Be blinked her almond- shaped eyes, looking at her dazed younger sister. ¡°No¡­ Nothing.¡± Amelia blushed inexplicably. ¡°Then, are you tired? The birthday banquet is still a while away. I¡¯ll get you a room upstairs, and you can rest first.¡± ¡°No need, Be. I¡¯m not tired.¡± Amelia quickly shook her head. ¡°Ms. Be, the Iversons are here.¡± Steven, who had been handling the guests outside, hurriedly came in. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Seeing this, Amelia quickly took out a handkerchief from her evening bag. She pursed her lips in hesitation and held the handkerchief tightly in her hands. She did not dare step forward to give it to him. ¡°Steve, look at how busy you are. You¡¯re sweating so much!¡± Be pursed her lips thoughtfully. Her slender, jade-like hand sped Amelia¡¯s slender waist and pushed her forward. ¡°Amelia, you have a handkerchief here. Go ahead and wipe Steve¡¯s sweat.¡± Both Steven and Amelia were taken aback, and both their cheeks were flushed with a hint of embarrassment. Twisting the handkerchief in her hand, Amelia awkwardly shuffled over to Steven. Summoning her courage, Amelia raised her hand and was about to wipe the sweat off for him. However, Steven snatched the handkerchief away and hastily wiped the sweat from his forehead. His heart was racing as he said, ¡°No need, Ms. Amelia. Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Amelia bit her pink lips and felt waves of disappointment in her heart. ¡°Sorry for soiling your handkerchief. I¡¯ll buy you a new er.¡± Steve said, embarrassed, as he tucked her handkerchief away. ¡°No need. You can keep it as a gift.¡± Amelia dryly quipped. Watching their interaction, Be became increasingly sure that something was going on between the two of them. At this moment, the Iversons made their entrance to the venue, looking noble. Of Lance Iverson¡¯s four children, three of them promised they woulde. The only exception was Lance¡¯s daughter, Astrid, who was overseas and had not returned. But there was no sign of Christopher. James Iverson walked in with his wife, Coral, and was followed closely by Charles Iverson. Seeing James, Be¡¯s beautiful eyes could not help but cloud over with gloom. ¡°Be, long time, no see.¡± Charles¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Be. Unlike his usually proud demeanor, he showed abnormal enthusiasm toward the youngdy. Be smiled politely and said, ¡°We met thest time you came to our house. It¡¯s not been long since we She could see that Charles was very attentive to her. This was eptable. After all, who would not like such a perfect woman? But she could not stand the fact that her equally noble sister, Amelia, was being ignored and treated as if she were invisible. Charles was momentarily embarrassed because he did not recognize Amelia. ¡°Hello, Mr. Charles.¡± Amelia did not take it to heart, smiling gently. James¡¯s face remained expressionless. He nced lightly at Amelia and Steven and smiled faintly. ¡°Charles, you are too straightforward. You usually handle things very thoroughly. But as soon as you see Chap 643 Ms. Be, you only have eyes for her. That¡¯s quite rude. Why don¡¯t you quickly apologize to Ms. Amelia?¡± ¡°It was my mistake. Haha. I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Amelia.¡± Charles bowed to Amelia in apology. Amelia smiled faintly, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please enter the venue. Steve, please lead our guests inside.¡± Be instructed with a smile. ¡°Yes, Ms. Be.¡± A short while after the Iversons left, Steven hurried back to Be¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Ms. Be, may have a word with you?¡± Be and Steven went to a quiet corridor. ¡°Ms. Be, James¡¯ mistress, who bullied Ms. Amelia, came to the banquet. She even has an invitation and is already inside the venue!¡± Steven¡¯s brows were furrowed, and he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Should I send someone to kick her out now?¡± ¡°Kick her out? Why bother? She has an invitation. Doing that would make us look bad.¡± Be leaned against the wall. She crossed her beautiful, slender arms, making her look like an exquisitely crafted sculpture. ¡°How strange! I¡¯ve carefully checked every invitation sent out. I made sure everyone received only one invitation, without mistake. How could that woman possibly have an invitation?¡± Steven was full of doubt. ¡°Ah, because her invitation is from me.¡± Steven gasped and said, ¡°Ms. Be, what did you say?¡± ¡°I said, I invited Mandy to the banquet.¡± Be spoke with a sly smile. Her mischievous eyes made her seem. like a cunning fox. ¡°There¡¯s no better time than tonight to stand up for my sister.¡± Chapter 644 Steven was dumbfounded. Be¡¯s actions were always so unexpected, catching him off guard. ¡°But, Ms. Be, James and his wife are here tonight. Wouldn¡¯t Mandy¡¯s sudden appearance cause a disturbance? After all, tonight is Madam Celeste¡¯s birthday celebration. The night should go on smoothly.¡± Steven expressed his concerns. ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t let her into the banquet hall and soil the eyes of my family members.¡± Steven was taken aback and asked, ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Be narrowed her beautiful eyes, and a cold glint shed in them. ¡°I will take care of this woman before the birthday banquet officially begins. Don¡¯t worry.¡± At this moment, Amelia had juste out of the restroom. After a quick touch-up, she hurriedly walked out, ready to continue helping in the front. ¡°You bunch of stupid security guards! Why are you blocking my way? I have an invitation! Are you blind?¡± Amelia suddenly stopped in her tracks when she heard the familiar and unpleasant voice. Her heart sank, and she raised her eyes abruptly. Not far away, Mandy was blocked by two security guards. She kept waving the invitation in her hand, her face and ears crimson. Her voice was sharp and loud, like a shrew arguing in a market. ¡®Why is Mandy here?! She really has an invitation. Did James bring her in?¡¯ Amelia¡¯s face turned pale, and her heart thumped like a drum. ¡°Get out of my way! Do you know who I am? If you keep blocking me, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it!¡± Mandy struggled to break free, but the security guards would not let go, nearly breaking her wrist. The pain made her gasp for breath. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Amidst the argument, Steven, dressed in a suit, walked toward them with an indifferent expression. ¡°Mr. Lovett, this person is trying to use a fake invitation to sneak in. We caught her, but she won¡¯t leave even if we drive her away,¡± one of the bodyguards exined. ¡°Oh?¡± Steven raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is¡­ Is it you?! The one who drives a Porsche!¡± Mandy recognized Steven and pointed at him, shouting, ¡°So, you work in this hotel, huh? Are you the lobby manager? Never mind. I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re doing here. Just let me in. Don¡¯t let these security guards touch me!¡± However, Steven treated Mandy as if he had never seen her before. He looked at her coldly and said, ¡°If the invitation is fake, I¡¯m sorry, N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. but I can only ask you to leave immediately.¡± ¡°Fake? What nonsense are you talking about? My invitation was sent to me by someone from KS World Hotel. How could it be fake?¡± Mandy was furious. She forcefully threw the card in her hand at Steven¡¯s face. ¡°Take a good look! Look!¡± Swish- The invitation hit Steven¡¯s fair cheek, leaving behind an extremely fine trail of blood. Faced with such humiliation, Steven remained unperturbed. He lifted his hand and lightly wiped the wound with his fingertips. His gaze was shrouded in misty darkness. ¡°Steve!¡± Seeing her crush being mistreated, Amelia could not bear it any longer and rushed forward with red eyes. ¡°Oh? So, this little slut is also here.¡± Mandy was surprised to see Amelia hurrying over. Her eyes were full of disdain as she remarked, ¡°Huh, it seems like a wife follows wherever the husband goes, huh?¡± While she mocked, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but appraise the evening gown on her arch-enemy. Mandy thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this dress the uing spring collection from Paris Fashion Week? It¡¯s not avable domestically. Why is this slut wearing it?¡± Chapter 645 ¡°How does a hotel manager have a Porsche? Do you have the capability to support her? Surely, you must have indulged in some shady activities privately. Look at how righteous you are acting while being a gigolo. How disgusting!¡± ¡°Who are you calling a gigolo? Watch your mouth and show some respect!¡± Steven finally erupted in anger, his fists clenching audibly. ¡°Young man, I suggest you not trust this woman too much. She may seem pure and innocent, but in private, she¡¯s quite promiscuous.¡± Mandy flipped her wavy hair, disdainfully ncing at Amelia. ¡°All her filthy deeds have long been rumored in our school. Her reputation at the Savrow Film Academy has long been tarnished. Only someone like you wouldn¡¯t know that you¡¯ve been cuckolded.¡± Steven trembled with anger, his shoulders quivering. An uncontroble rage shed in his eyes. Steven understood the principle that to destroy someone, one must first make them go mad. Although he promised Be to keep hisposure, he could hardly contain himself at this moment. ¡°Mandy, if you have any grievances, let¡¯s discuss them privately. Don¡¯t make a scene here!¡± Amelia anxiously intervened, standing in front of Steven. ¡°I¡¯m going to attend the banquet now. Who wants to talk to you privately? Who do you think you are? Let go of me!¡± Mandy yelled Chap 645 loudly, behaving like an unruly hooligan. Amelia clenched her lips in frustration, really wanting to rush forward N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. and p her. ¡°It¡¯s so noisy. What¡¯s going on?¡± A voice rang out, cold as ice yet still sweet and melodious. There was a touch of effortless grace to the voice. Mandy turned around abruptly. She saw Be, nked by two tall bodyguards, walking toward them swiftly with amanding presence. Mandy couldn¡¯t help but shiver, instantly falling silent like a frightened chick. This was the rumored Ms. Be Thompson, the general manager of KS World Hotel, and the legendary jewelry designer, Alexa! ¡®Heavens! She¡¯s too beautiful. She¡¯s like an angel descending to e Every strand of her hair is sparkling! Mandy thought. ¡°Ms. Thompson!¡± Steven and the other bodyguards bowed in unison to Be. Seeing that she had rmed her sister, Amelia felt guilty. She lowered her head and bit her lip, not daring to make a sound. Like her mother, Amelia was most afraid of causing trouble for her family. It was even more unbearable than death. Be walked over with a calm expression. She ignored Mandy and addressed Steven instead. ¡°What¡¯s going on? This is a banquet Shurgeress hosted by the Thompson family, not a marketce. Making a scene is uneptable.¡± like s ¡°Ms. Be, this woman is holding a fake invitation and insists on sneaking in. We don¡¯t know what her intentions are. She might be a dangerous person,¡± Steven said with a serious expression. He escted the situation directly. ¡°I suggest we call the police and let the authorities handle it.¡± ¡°Call the police?!¡± Mandy, hearing this, turned pale. She urgently eximed, ¡°Why call the police? I have an invitation. Your people were rude to me first. Can¡¯t I seek justice? Can the wealthy just bully ordinary folks like me? I¡¯m recording this and exposing all of you!¡± With that, she pretended to reach for her phone. At this moment, Be had already taken the invitation from Steven¡¯s hand. She opened it and nced at it with a slight sneer. ¡°Mr. Lovett is not wrong at all. Your invitation is indeed fake,¡± Be said, waving the invitation in her hand. ¡°Every invitation bears the emblem of KS Group, and each one is personally stamped by me. Yours clearlycks that, so it¡¯s a fake. At the very least, it didn¡¯te from me.¡± Mandy broke into a cold sweat. She was dumbfounded. She knew she wasn¡¯t qualified to attend the Thompson family, gathering with her status. However, she received the invitation and naturally assumed that James had it arranged for her. Thus, she dressed up and came over, hoping to surprise him. Never did she expect to embarrass herself so much. Chapter 646 ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this invitation?!¡± ¡°It seems that the person forging the invitation is indeed a cause for concern. Steve, take her to the police station, as you suggested,¡± Be ordered nonchntly. ¡°Yes, Ms. Be.¡± Steven¡¯s expression darkened as he instructed the bodyguards, ¡°Take her away!¡± ¡°Why?! I haven¡¯tmitted any crime! Why are you arresting me?¡± Mandy was furious, and her face turned purple from frustration. She quickly turned her wrath toward Amelia. ¡°If you¡¯re going to arrest me, this woman must go with me! With her status, why is she allowed at the Thompson family¡¯s banquet?¡± Amelia furrowed her brows and was about to speak when Be asked with a calm smile, ¡°What an interesting thing to say. Why can¡¯t Amelia be here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my ssmate! I know her background and character better than anyone else.¡± Even in her dire straits, Mandy was nning to drag someone down. with her. She criticized Amelia, saying, ¡°How could she have an invitation to this ce? Impossible! Ms. Thompson, I think your secretary here helped her get in! If I have to leave, so does Amelia!¡± ¡°Amelia, is this woman really your ssmate?¡± Chupp 16 Be walked to Amelia¡¯s side. She sighed lightly and affectionately embraced her sister¡¯s shoulder. Mandy was confused. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why is Ms. Thompson so close to Amelia?!¡¯ ¡°Yes.¡± At this point, Amelia knew she could not hide her identity any longer and apologized with a guilty look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you so much trouble. It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± ¡°Silly girl, I don¡¯t mind the trouble. You¡¯re too trouble-free. As your sister, I feel bored if you don¡¯t get into any trouble.¡± Be gently pinched Amelia¡¯s cheek. Mandy¡¯s scalp tingled, feeling like a statue. She was unwilling to give up and asked frantically, ¡°Amelia¡­ Is Ms. Thompson really your sister?!¡± Be embraced her sister tighter and smiled coldly. ¡°Or else? Why do you think Amelia¡¯sst name is also Thompson?¡± Silence filled the air. Spin to im Your Surprise Reward! y apter 64 in the other side, James and his wife, Coral, were chatting amiably ith Asher inside the banquet hall. ames was the president of the Iverson Group. He took over several ignificant industries and subsidiaries of the group. eing the eldest son, James was the one his father ced the reatest hope on. nless something unexpected happened, James would eventually ake control of the entire Iverson Group s for Asher, being the eldest son of Wyatt Thompson, he was also estined to be the future heir to the KS Group. espite his distaste for polygamous families like the Thompsons, ames was still willing to maintain a superficial rtionship with sher. Mr. Thompson, I heard that KS Group is interested in expanding into avrow. Your group¡¯s recent developments are quite impressive. ou¡¯re advancing with great momentum.¡± James carried the standard mile of a sessful person. ¡°In the future, you and I will surely have nore chances to coborate. Our two families have been friends for enerations, and our fathers are like brothers. I hope that we can. ontinue this friendship.¡± sher smiled lightly and clinked sses with him. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. In the future, Mr. Thompson, if KS Group has any good projects in Savrow, please remember to consider the Iverson Group. If our two Chapter 647 On the other side, James and his wife, Coral, were chatting amiably. with Asher inside the banquet hall. James was the president of the Iverson Group. He took over several significant industries and subsidiaries of the group. Being the eldest son, James was the one his father ced the greatest hope on. Unless something unexpected happened, James would eventually take control of the entire Iverson Group. As for Asher, being the eldest son of Wyatt Thompson, he was also destined to be the future heir to the KS Group. Despite his distaste for polygamous families like the Thompsons, James was still willing to maintain a superficial rtionship with. Asher. I ¡°Mr. Thompson, I heard that KS Group is interested in expanding into Savrow. Your group¡¯s recent developments are quite impressive. You¡¯re advancing with great momentum.¡± James carried the standard smile of a sessful person. ¡°In the future, you and I will surely have more chances to coborate. Our two families have been friends for generations, and our fathers are like brothers. I hope that we can continue this friendship.¡± Asher smiled lightly and clinked sses with him. ¡°In the future, Mr. Thompson, if KS Group has any good projects in Savrow, please remember to consider the Iverson Group. If our two Chopper 647 families can unite, no one in Savrow, or even the whole country, can ¡°Mr. Iverson, you¡¯re quite right. It¡¯s just a pity that I¡¯m standing at this post for thest time. From now on, I¡¯ll have to step back,¡± Asher said calmly, elegantly sipping his wine. James and Coral exchanged puzzled looks. ¡°Mr. Thompson, what do you mean by this?¡± ¡°As you all know, being a CEO was never my aspiration. I took on this responsibility to support my father. I also wanted to free my younger brothers and sisters from the burdens of taking on the family. business. I wanted them to fulfill their dreams and self-worth without being weighed down by family matters.¡± Asher reminisced about Be, his lips gently curling into a smile. ¡°Now that my little sister is back, she¡¯s very interested in doing. business and eager to try her hand at managing the group. She¡¯s also exceptionally talented. So, after this transitional period, I will step back as CEO and pass the position to my dearest sister.¡± James was taken aback. ¡°Mr. Thompson, are you suggesting that if Ms. Thompson has the intention, she will be the CEO of the KS Group?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Asher nodded, speaking frankly. This was not a secret. In the future, Be will undoubtedly be the heir to the KS Group. No one within the entire Thompson family was more suited to this role. ¡°But Ms. Thompson is a girl. She¡¯s only in her early twenties this year, right? At this age, she should be enjoying her youth. She¡¯ll be married in a couple of years. Then she will be focusing on supporting her Chapy G husband and children. That should be the normal life trajectory for a wealthy youngdy, right?¡± Coral expressed her opinion gently. ¡°Moreover, Chairman Thompson has several sons at his side, each outstanding. Any one of them can handle important responsibilities. It¡¯s not necessary for Ms. Thompson to manage the business. It seems quite arduous for a girl.¡± ¡°Mrs. Iverson, I understand where you¡¯reing from, but Be is not an ordinary girl. Be won¡¯t be able to realize her value as a Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! housewife. If we force her to do so, she might be scared off and might even run away. If that¡¯s the case, I might not be able to see her before I die of old age.¡± Asher half-jokingly said, ¡°So, even if it¡¯s just to keep my little sister by my side for a long time, I am willing to step back and give her the position. I have pampered her since she was a baby. I will give her whatever she wants.¡± ¡®How unbelievable !¡¯ Coral was greatly shocked. The Iverson famil had a total of four children, three of whom were born to the same mother, but they fought constantly. Despite Wyatt Thompson having three wives and multiple children, they did not fight each other for benefits. Moreover, Asher even willingly handed over everything he had carefully built. While James praised Asher incessantly, he was secretly sneering in his heart. ¡®Asher was trulycking in ambition, blindly spoiling his younger sister. Instead of securing his own promising future, he allowed this little girl to run amok. Sooner orter, he would regret it.¡¯ Chap 647 ¡°Mr. Iverson!¡± At this moment, James¡¯ secretary hurriedly walked Over Upon seeing Carol, he hesitated to speak. ¡°Apologies for the interruption,¡± James apologized with a smile. Asher nodded. ¡°Please go ahead.¡± As soon as James left, Coral¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What did you say?¡± James¡¯ eyebrows knitted after listening, and his expression turned tense. ¡°Ms. Mandy has arrived, but she couldn¡¯t get in. The Thompson family¡¯s bodyguards stopped her outside, and now she¡¯s causing a ruckus, demanding to see you. Quite a few people have witnessed it!¡± The secretary wiped off some sweat as he reported the situation in a hushed voice. ¡°She thinks she can attend such an asion? Tell her to get lost Chapter 648 ¡°Mr. Iverson, there was amotion outside just now. I heard that Ms. Mandy insulted Ms. Amelia and even disturbed Ms. Be.¡± The secretary nervously gulped. ¡°Considering Ms. Be¡¯s demeanor, if you don¡¯t intervene, it¡¯s going to be difficult to resolve this peacefully. She¡¯s quite troublesome.¡± James wore a stern expression. He tugged at his bowtie and said, ¡°I understand.¡± Originally, Be wanted to deal with Mandy on the spot. However, Amelia was afraid of escting the situation and having too many people witness it. She was afraid it might reach their parents¡¯ ears. So, she earnestly pleaded with her sister todle it privately. In the currently vacant banquet hall, Mandy stood there anx There were two tall and imposing bodyguards standing behin They looked so intimidating that Mandy was no longer so arrog Be sat casually on the sofa with Amelia next to her, her beautiful legs crossed nonchntly. Steve was holding a te of fruit nearby, serving them. Be fed a piece of fruit into her sister¡¯s mouth, and her eyes filled with concern. Chap 610 She asked, ¡°Last time, I heard from Steve that this woman insulted you, quite rudely too.¡± Hearing this, Mandy involuntarily shivered. She felt as if she was plunged into an ice cer. Be gave her an incredibly terrifying sense of pressure. She had a presence that was so strong that it was frightening. ¡°Be, it¡¯s a personal grievance between her and me. Please let me handle it.¡± Amelia took a deep breath, her heart pounding. She didn¡¯t want Be to get involved in this mess. Even a nce at this woman was an insult to her sister. ¡°My dear little sister, I know you don¡¯t want me to worry.¡± Be lovingly touched Amelia¡¯s silky hair. With the gentlest tone, she uttered the coldest words. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to trouble me. I¡¯m trulyforted that you were considerate, but I must sort this m out for you. Don¡¯t feel guilty. Consider it a lesson from your sist the future, when you encounter ignorant people, you¡¯ll know how handle it.¡± Mandy was shocked, trembling even more. mer Now, she had no other option but to wait for James toe and rescue her. At that moment, the door to the banquet hall opened. James walked in with a cold and stern expression, with the secretary trailing behind him. As soon as Steven saw James, he remembered the humiliation he Chanter suffered that night. His gaze could not help but darken a bit. ¡°Mr. Iverson¡­ Mr. Iverson!¡± Mandy cried out with teary eyes, her delicate eye makeup smudged. ¡°Mr. Iverson! You must help me! I¡¯ve been wronged. I¡¯ve been framed!¡± James¡¯s expression stiffened even more at this moment. His lips. pursed. His private life was notoriously improper. Mandy had appeared in one of the high-end clubs under the Iverson Group two months ago, and that was when they got acquainted. In his eyes, this woman was like nutritionless junk food. Once he was full, they would no longer have any connection. Unexpectedly, she had followed him here, not only embarrassing herself, but also dragging him into the mess! James¡¯s cold gaze made Mandy¡¯s legs go weak, and she nervous took a step back. ¡°Ms. Be, what brings about such a grand asion?¡± James calmly asked with a sly smile. ¡°Mr. Iverson, your girlfriend, Ms. Mandy, came here and disrupted the Thompson family¡¯s event. She injured my secretary and insulted my sister.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Be remainedposed, but her smile did not reach her eyes. ¡°After giving it some thought, I realized that to settle the matter, we not only need to settle ounts with Ms. Mandy but also with you, Mr. Iverson. After all, I can tolerate anything, but I cannot tolerate anyone harming my family. I¡¯m like a mother bear, overly protective of my Chap 648 family.¡± The hypocritical smile on James¡¯ face froze as he clenched his jaw. He never expected Be topletely disregard the friendship between their families. For this problematic woman, Be was willing to challenge James¡¯ dignity. ¡°Be¡­¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes flickered as she tugged at her sister¡¯s dress, expressing her concern. ¡°Ms. Be, I find your words a bit difficult toprehend.¡± Chapter 649 James¡¯ smile gradually turned cold. I¡¯ve only met her once by chance. What reason do I have to defend her? Ms. Be, what reason. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. do you have to settle scores with me?¡± ¡°Mr. Iverson¡­¡± Mandy looked at this heartless man with a deathly pale face. ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes curved as she smiled mischievously, resembling a beautiful little fox. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take Ms. Mandy for a stroll in the banquet hall. Let¡¯s introduce this bold and talented Ms. Mandy to everyone, especially Ms. Carol.¡± Mandy was on the verge of tears from fright! At these words, James¡¯ face instantly turned pale. His gaze, now hostile, was fixed on Be. ¡°Ms. Be, what exactly do you wa do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything.¡± Be leaned on the armrest of the sofa, propping up her chin with her hand, her eyes cold and piercing. ¡°As the saying goes, when you beat a dog, you need to consider its owner. I just hope that whoever owns. this bitch will clean up after it. After all, someone of my status shouldn¡¯t be dealing with someone like her, don¡¯t you think?¡± James finally understood. Chap 649 Be was not only seeking revenge against Mandy but also challenging him! They had no disputes, nor have they crossed paths in over a decade. Why now¡­? Suddenly, James¡¯ gaze casuallynded on Steven. ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s it. Be probably already knew about what happened that night. Truly, a dog that can bite doesn¡¯t waste time barking!¡¯ ¡°Mr. Iverson, please, I beg you! Please help me! Save me!¡± Mandy stumbled toward James, only to be stopped by his secretary. ¡°Apologize to Ms. Be and Ms. Amelia.¡± James coldly instructed, ring at Mandy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was blind and ignorant! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Mandy bowed apologetically to them with red eyes Amelia looked at Be with sparkling eyes. Her admiration for her sister flowed endlessly. This man was the president of the Iverson Group, a prominent figure in Savrow¡¯s business scene. Only Justin Salvador couldpare to him. However, in Be¡¯s eyes, it did not matter if he was an Iverson or a Salvador. She could crush them without effort. She was utterly straightforward! ¡°Is saying sorry enough?¡± Be¡¯s morous charm turned frosty in an instant. Chap 649 James rubbed his cheekbone and said, ¡°Zane.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Iverson.¡± Zane understood what his boss meant immediately. He raised his arm without a word and delivered a resounding p to Mandy¡¯s face. p, p, p, p-! ¡°Ah!¡± Four consecutive ps knocked the woman down, her mouth filled with blood. Amelia¡¯s heart shuddered, and she quickly turned away. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m right here. It¡¯s just a small scene.¡± Be embraced her sister while gently caressing her neck. She nced at Steven with a hint ofint. ¡°Steve, why don¡¯t youe over and Hearing this, Amelia¡¯s little face suddenly turned red, blushing. ¡°Ms. Be, I¡­¡± Steven¡¯s expression became embarrassed, and his heart pounded. ¡°Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough. Go outside andfort her.¡± Saying this, Be stood up, holding Amelia¡¯s arm, and walked directly toward the door. As Be was about to leave, she made a yful remark. ¡°This banquet hall is quite secluded. No onees over here usually, so I¡¯ll leave it to you to clean up the mess, Mr. Iverson. But be quick. The banquet is about to start.¡± Chapter 650 With a loud bang, the main door mmed shut. After about 15 minutes, James and his secretary walked out. James had a fierce look in his eyes, and there were bloodstains on the steel strap of his Patek Philippe. Meanwhile, the intermittent cries of pain and pleas from a woman still emanated from the room. ¡°Stay back to clean up.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Iverson!¡± ¡®Be Thompson¡­ This girl is indeed interesting.¡¯ James had a sinister look on his face as he clenched his fingers. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time since I encountered someone who dares challenge me face-to- face, let alone a woman. Well, since she wants to y, I¡¯ll y with her. Let¡¯s have some fun!¡¯ With this outburst, Be vented Amelia¡¯s grievances and did so with immense satisfaction. However, Amelia could not shake off the sense of difort lingering within her. Perceptive as always, Be left first, leaving Steven alone with Amelia. The two headed to an open-air balcony to catch some fresh air, trying to calm their turbulent thoughts. Seeing that Amelia was shivering, Steven quickly took off his suit and draped it over her shoulders. ¡°Ms. Amelia, it¡¯s windy here. Put this on.¡± ¡°Did you tell my sister about what happened with Mandy that night?¡± Chap 1650 Amelia turned slowly, her gazeplex as she stared into his eyes. Steven hesitated for a moment before answering softly, ¡°Yes. I told Ms. Be.¡± ¡°Why did you do that? My affairs with Mandy are my business. Why did you involve my sister?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes were full of anxiety, and her beautiful eyebrows were tightly knitted. ¡°My sister is already busy and tired enough. How can you let her worry about such trivial matters? Moreover, it almost caused friction with Mr. Iverson. Do you think Mr. Iverson will let this go so easily? Have you considered the serious consequences for my sister?!¡± ¡°Ms. Amelia¡­¡± ¡°Steve, you are my sister¡¯s secretary You also care for her. Why didn¡¯t you consider her feelings at this moment?¡± Amelia¡¯s tone grew heavier, sounding urgent. ¡°What if Mr. Iverson takes offense and causes trouble for my sister in business? Have you thought about how serious the consequences of this could be?!¡± Faced with her questioning, Steven felt a deep sense of pain in his heart. He was momentarily flustered, and his hands abruptly gripped Amelia¡¯s shoulders. His eyes were burning red. ¡°Ms. Amelia, but I was so angry! I wanted to help you vent your anger. I was afraid that the wretched woman Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. would bully you at school again! Just thinking about her insults toward you that night, I couldn¡¯t take it any longer. I just wanted to Chap 450 rush to your side to protect you.¡± ¡°Steve¡­¡± Amelia was momentarily stunned, gazing deeply into his fervent eyes. The scorching heat from his damp palms flowed down her shoulders and into her body. It made her heart pound intensely. ¡°I know that I used Ms. Be this time, and I will apologize to her. But, Ms. Amelia, I can¡¯t control it anymore.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes met her gaze. His breathing became rapid, and his cheeks flushed with heat. ¡°I hate myself for not being capable enough. I hate that I¡¯m so useless. But as long as I can protect you, I¡¯m willing to do anything.¡± Amelia¡¯s cheeks turned rosy as tears welled up in her eyes. She suddenly leaned forward and gently rested her forehead against his broad shoulder. There was a passage she once read. [What is love? [It¡¯s the courage of the weak and the generosity of the poor; [The persistence of those who weigh the pros and cons, the gamble of the prudent; [The efforts of the people incapable of expressing themselves; [And the determination and unwaveringmitment to do what one knows is impossible, without a single trace of regret.] Chapter 651 Humming a tune, Be made her way to the event hall on her own. She knew that Mandy was done for. Woohoo! That was a reason to celebrate. Knowing James-as a matter of fact, knowing men-they were egoistic and shallow. James would probably make Mandy pay for embarrassing him. Well, that was what Mandy got for bullying Be¡¯s sister. In fact, Mandy got off easy, as she only took a beating. ¡°Be.¡± A deep, husky voice filled with affection came from behind Be. As her heart skipped a beat, Be clutched her fingers. No other voice in the world could make her heart race. That man was the exception. It was the man she once loved so much and suffered so much for. Be drew a deep breath to pull herself together before turning to him with a stoic face. Justin stood a few feet away by himself with a beautifully wrapped box in hand. He took strides toward her with grace. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± His voice and gaze spoke of tenderness. Chap 65 Be kept a nk face. ¡°Oh.¡± The man pursed his lips and looked at her apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wanted to arrive earlier to see if there was anything I could help you. with, but I guess I came toote.¡± The callous man behaved humbly, like a footman before the heiress. ¡°It¡¯s my family¡¯s celebration. Why should I expect help from someone who isn¡¯t part of the family?¡± Be scoffed and looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa Nigel? Didn¡¯t he ¡°He¡¯s here and chatting away with Chairman Thompson in the reception,¡± Justin answered softly. ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯ll go see him then. Have fun at the party.¡± Without hesitation, Be turned to leave. ¡°Be!¡± Anxious, Justin grabbed her arm and held it tightly in grasp. ¡°Keep your hands to yourself. I don¡¯t want others to get the wron idea. Let go of me.¡± Be put up a fight, her ears flushing red. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here. It¡¯s just the two of us.¡± Justin took a long breath and narrowed his eyes as he pulled the woman closer to him. ¡°I¡¯m an opportunist. I won¡¯t turn my back on any opportunity, and if there¡¯s none, I will make one.¡± Amid the tussle, Be cried upon losing her footing due to her thin stilettos. Sshe crashed into the man¡¯s wide chest. Asduustin had one arm holding the present, he caught her fall with hist other free hand. ¡°Ugh Be¡¯s well-endowed chest fell along the curves of his toned aran. His terveth bitched as he fell into shock. Justin Goodld feel the warm sensation along his muscles. His mind want nk, his breathing turned ragged, and his eyes were bloodshoor ¡°Be, you have a great¡­ Body.¡± He shifted his head to the side, his lips drawing close to her blushing ear. ¡°You! You!¡± Reflecting fury in here evas, Be put her hands on his chand pushed him away before e ensuing with a p. ¡°You perv for it!¡± The attack meant nothing to dustin. Instead of feeling angry, Justin felt a burning desire in his le throat going dry, and his head pipinning! It was as if he was intoxicated asked ¡°Even if you hit me, I want to be honest You look amazing.¡± Justin eyes demonstrated appreciation Justin was a real creep, and he behaved diso righteously. Chappali Kha ¡°Shut up! Knock it off!¡± Flushed in the face, Be snapped an angry look at Justin. ¡°Stay away, or I¡¯ll make sure you never get it up again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not interested in that since I have nothing to pass down to my heir.¡± Justin stared nkly at her and took a step closer to her against her will, their breaths mingling. ¡°I¡¯m only interested in you, Be. I¡¯d rather die than stay away from you.¡± ¡°Die then! Good luck with that.¡± Be, red-faced, resentfully turned around and stamped her foot. She knew that it was only an ident, and the man was not to be med. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. However, he was a creep to pass judgment about her figure. It was no wonder he was buddies with Ryan. Birds of a feather flocked together. Ryan held Carrie in his arms and sneezed, wondering if someone had badmouthed him behind his back. Justin looked at the woman¡¯s slender back while imagining her pouty look. His lips curled into a doting smile. Be?¡± clear and trembling voice came from behind, bearing longingness. e froze for a moment before turning a reroond. ler eyes welled up as she brushed past Jars and sprinted toward he person who had called out to her. Dam!¡± Be!¡± he person¡¯s voice was as enthusiastic as ever and choloket with sobs. hocked. Justin looked back. totoo aftan away, Be embraced an elegant, sweet-loolong wwaamin dara-blue office wear. felong.clsleek eyebrows framed her delicate face. Her make pittelgetepperfect, mirrored the pride in her determined gaze abore n uncanny resemnce to M Larson. stini heara & Be calling her name. Cam must be Be¡¯s omariedados Sentania. held Camifiwwith joy. Her tears, reflecting her longing for h ter, rolled dowwhter checks and fell on Cami¡¯s shoulder. hen did youe back, Cami? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I could¡¯ve ked you up at the a apport ust arrived over an houraggo thought I wouldn¡¯t make it to the rty, so I didn¡¯t let you knowwishead of time.¡± Chapter 652 Cami tearfully stroked Be¡¯s back. ¡°I wanted to give you all a N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. surprise.¡± ¡°A big surprise indeed!¡± Be choked up, overwhelmed with feelings. ¡°I nearly couldn¡¯t recognize you when I saw your back, Be.¡± Cami checked Be out with glee and heartache. ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of weight. You had such cute chubby cheeks back then, and now they are sunken. Who tortured you and let you starve?¡± Justin felt ufortable because of thement. It struck him that Be had dimpled cheeks when she married him. Somehow, the woman who smothered him with attention and catered to his every need started to lose the sparkle in her eyes. Her round face also grew haggard. Be had suffered a lot by his side. His three years of neglect had taken a toll on her. He deserved to die. ¡°Axel used to call me chubby, but now that I have slimmed down, he has nothing to say anymore. Haha!¡± Not taking the remark seriously, Be leaned against Cami¡¯s shoulder and whimpered softly, ¡°Besides, what¡¯s wrong with losing a few pounds? Aren¡¯t I beautiful? Am I not the most beautiful woman in the world anymore?¡± ¡°You¡¯re always the prettiest.¡± Although Cami was only three years older than Be, she had always fussed over her little sister. ¡°Cami.¡± Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Justin unabashedly came up and acted friendly with Cami. Dumbstruck at first, Cami sized up the handsome man. ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Justin Salvador, president of Salvador Corporation.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger, Cami. Just call me Justin.¡± Justin extended his right hand courteously, his foxy eyes glistening. He looked like an honest and reliable person. Justin did not seem to resemble the decisive and maniptive man in the rumors. Bound by etiquette, Cami reached out to shake his hand, but Be held her arm back and shot an angry look at the man. ¡°Don¡¯t try to be friendly with my sister. You can forget about leaving a good impression, Justin. I can see through your intentions.¡± Justin let out a wry smile and recoiled his arm, embarrassed. ¡°Be, what¡¯s going on between you and Mr. Salvador?¡± Cami was confused by Be¡¯s offhanded attitude toward the man. She had no idea that Be had been married to the man for three years. Put on the spot, Be pressed her lips together. ¡°Cami, he and I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m Be¡¯s man.¡± Be and Cami were shocked. ¡°It¡¯s one-sided, but I want to make it known that I am Ms. Be Thompson¡¯s admirer.¡± Justin stared intently at her with lingering affection. ¡°I may not be the only man for her, but she¡¯s the only one for me.¡± Fuck! He was putting himself out there. Cami gasped sharply. Be clenched her teeth, her face blushing. His words threw her off. The man was unscrupulous. He had no shame. The nerve of him! Tsk! ¡°So, can I take it that you¡¯re pursuing Be, Mr. Salvador?¡± Cami probed. The man¡¯s eyes burned with determination. ¡°Yes, I am pursuing her.¡± He was wooing her aggressively. ¡°Ignore him, Cami. He¡¯s whacked. Come on. Let¡¯s go to Dad and Aunt M.¡± Be dragged Cami along. Justin stood there and gazed at Be¡¯s receding figure with an idiotic smile. He was hopelessly in love with her. ¡°Are you back on your own, Cami? Why aren¡¯t you with your husband?¡± Be took Cami¡¯s hand and asked with concern. ¡°He¡¯s too busy with work and the next few days are critical. The election results are going to be out soon,¡± Cami said firmly, her eyes gleaming. ¡°Cami, I¡¯m sure all will turn out well. He cares about his people, and you have been actively involved in charity. That puts the poll in his favor. He will be the next President of Solstada.¡± ¡°I hope so, Be.¡± Cami looked back and murmured, ¡°What is going on between you and Mr. Salvador, Be?¡± ¡°Hmmph! We are sworn enemies.¡± Be narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. ¡°Just ignore him. He annoys me to no end with his nonsense. He¡¯s unhinged.¡± ¡°No way, Be. As far as I¡¯m concerned, Mr. Salvador is a noble person and the heir of Salvador Corporation.¡± Cami wanted to scream, harking back to when the man had broken her heart. ¡°An eligible bachelor? More like a sleazeball.¡± Chapter 654 Cami¡¯s sudden return gave every member of the Thompson family a nice surprise. M, Cami¡¯s birth mother, was the least emotional and most reserved of the three wives. No one had really seen M shed a tear in decades. While thrilled to see her daughter, M merely teared up a little. Celeste and Sasha let their emotions run free as they hugged Cami and cried. Others could mistake them for Cami¡¯s birth mothers instead. ¡°Enough. Haven¡¯t you hugged enough?¡± Wyatt stood next to them, looking rather sulky. ¡°It¡¯s my turn!¡± Everybody was speechless. Celeste and Sasha reluctantly released Cami. Seizing his chance, Wyatt gave Cami a big bear hug and w loud, ¡°My dear Cami, I¡¯ve missed you so much! I thought you heartless brat who forgot about your father now that you have a husband! Why didn¡¯t you ever visit us? I raised you for nothing. I c believe you picked your husband over your old man!¡± The group was lost for words. Be froze as Wyatt unabashedly clung to Cami. It was a good thing only the immediate family was in the reception. Chap 662 hall. At least, Wyatt did not embarrass himself in public. ¡°I will never forget you, Dad. Aren¡¯t I home now?¡± Cami patted Wyatt¡¯s back and consoled him softly. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy. Edward is down to a time crunch, and I have been swamped with campaigning for him. I only sent him a text when I hopped on a ne to Sentania, and you¡¯ll love it.¡± Everybody only wanted the best for Cami. Back then, Cami married Edward Yale, a Sentanian senator who was ten years older than her, against her father¡¯s wishes. She married off to a foreignnd for love, spending less time with her family. To everybody¡¯s surprise, Cami made something of herself in another country by being the inspiring and charming woman she wa She was second to the queen of Sentania in public poprity. Even Be found Cami¡¯s social status beyond reach. She was proud to have such an amazing sister. ¡°Where¡¯s the gift?¡± Wyatt finally ceased the tears and asked curiously. He looked like a kid who stopped crying after being given a lollipop. ¡°I gave the gift to Quentin when I ran into him just now. I bought Aunt Celeste some jewelry too.¡± While talking, Cam looked tenderly at Celeste. ¡°Happy birthday, Aunt Celeste.¡± ¡°The best gift you can ever give me is you being home. I¡¯m serious, Cami.¡± Celeste teared up. She tended to cry a lot because she was sentimental. ¡°Where¡¯s your husband? Did he prepare anything at all?¡± Wyatt raised a brow. He always had a problem with his only son-inw. ¡°Give it a rest, Wyatt.¡± Cupping her cheek, Be looked at her insatiable father in disdain. You have enough junk. You won¡¯t auction the stuff off or donate it to the museum. It¡¯s not like you can bring your collection to the grave. What¡¯s the point of asking for more?¡± ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re too young to understand!¡± Wyatt argued. Be clicked her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re just greedy. Back in the olden days, you would be considered a corrupt official.¡± ¡°What do you know, brat?¡± Be raised her chin. ¡°Well, I know I would arrest you and im y rust bucket as my own.¡± The family burst intoughter. ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t Axel say he would be joining us after? Why isn¡¯t he here N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. at this hour?¡± Be asked. Cami looked at the time. ¡°I¡¯ll give him a call.¡± Chapter 655 Roza waited at the traffic junction several hundred meters away from KS World in her rose-pink Ferrari. She was on a call connected to her Bluetooth earpiece. ¡°Send me the design print for the showcase during Paris Fashion. Week. If the representative there gives me another issue, I will end our partnership permanently. I will not make things easy for them either if they intend to hold a fashion show in Savrow.¡± As the red light turned green, Roza frustratedly floored the gas pedal. The Ferrari darted like a pink sh of lightning. Just then, a discreet Mercedes-Benz E-ss sped from the opposite N?velDrama.Org ? content. direction and turned at the intersection while Roza was making a right turn. ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Roza was too focused on the call to notice the ck sedan. As the two cars were about to collide, Roza mmed on the brakes. Her tires screeched across the tarmac. The driver of the Mercedes-Benz recognized the potential danger and hit the brakes, screeching his tires as well. Bang! ¡°Ugh!¡± Roza jolted violently, and the airbag deployed right in her face. Chappe While her windshield cracked, the ss did not rupture. Otherwise, she might have cuts on her face. ¡°This is not my lucky day, for sure.¡± Roza opened the car door and got out of the car angrily, clutching the nape of her neck. The front hood of her limited-edition pink Ferrari was destroyed. ¡°OMG! Pinkie! Damn it!¡± Roza¡¯s meticulous princess hairdo was ruined too, but that was the least of her problems. She was heartbroken by the state of her Ferrari. The Mercedes-Benz involved in the ident was wrecked too. The front hood was bent, and the engine belched out smoke. ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Axel stepped out of the car and coughed because of the smoke. ¡°Hey! Do you even know how to drive? Why did you ram into my Huh?¡± Roza was about to blow up because she waste for Celeste¡¯s birthday celebration, and her ride was totaled. Axel¡¯s good looks and slender cut in his ck suit enchanted Roza. Starstruck, she drooled at him. The man had thick brows, a high nose bridge, wide shoulders, a defining waistline, and a perky bottom. He was a total knockout. Roza ogled at the approaching man, her heart racing. Hang on. He looked awfully familiar. She must have seen him somewhere before. ¡°I know how to drive,dy.¡± Axel moved around his sore neck, his brows locking in a frown. ¡°Even so, I can¡¯t protect myself against someone who tries to run me over. What were you doing anyway? You shouldn¡¯t speed at an intersection.¡± ¡°What do you mean by running you over? You were the oneing at me!¡± Roza widened her eyes in fury and stomped her stilettos. ¡°Plus, why are you driving a ck sedan in the middle of the night? You came out of nowhere and scared the shit out of me.¡± Axel furrowed his brows tighter as his eyes glinted with n Show me whatw states that we can¡¯t drive a ck car a ¡°Ha! Chapter 656 ¡°But thew does dictate that you can¡¯t be on the phone or wear heels while driving,¡± Axel stated. Roza curled her toes under her heels, feeling that she was in the wrong. ¡°But you crossed the line when you turned, so you are the one at fault!¡± ¡°We can leave it to the traffic police to decide that, but I have no time to wait. You can go ahead and report the case if you''re pressed for time.¡± While talking, Axel pulled out his wallet and took out a business card to give to her. ¡°The card has my number and the address of my workce. Let me know once you file a case with the police. We can discuss what to do next.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude? Are you trying to leave after causing a crash? I¡¯m rushing somewhere too, you know.¡± Displeased with the man¡¯s aggressive and irresponsible behavior, Roza threw the business card back at him. ¡°Take your business card and shove it where the sun doesn¡¯t shine. For all I know, you could be a scammer. I don¡¯t see through your fancy clothes.¡± ¡°A scammer? Ha!¡± Axel smirked, regarding the woman with a strange hairdo. ¡°A scammer, huh? If I¡¯m a scammer, I doubt there are any good people in the world. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Roza¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as she grabbed ahold of the man¡¯s arm. ¡°I don¡¯t care! You crashed into Pinkie, and I just bought her this month. You need to answer for it!¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re after. You could¡¯ve said so earlier.¡± Eager to get to the party, Axel was not in the mood to dwell on the matter. From his wallet, he pulled out a debit card and slipped it between his fingers, offering it to her. ¡°Take it for your car repair. It doesn¡¯t have a passcode.¡± Roza stared at the debit card as rage boiled over. She had never felt more insulted. ¡°Pinkie is a one-of-a-kind Ferrari, and you totaled it. How do you expect me to get it repaired? What the hell are you thinking?¡± ¡°Oh, you can use the money to get another one. The money in the card should be enough.¡± Axel was a punctual man. Nothing and no one could dy his itinerary, especially when the event was a get-together with his friends. Hence, he narrowed his eyes dangerously and pried open Roza¡¯s fingers before withdrawing his arm from her grasp. Axel was about to turn around when he felt suffocated. Roza grabbed his dark blue tie, curled it around her fingers, and yanked it with gritted teeth. The distance between them abruptly cut short, and their nose tips met. Axel¡¯s breathing turned ragged. Roza¡¯s breath brushed against his face and mingled with his.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. This fine gentleman had been single for thirty years and had never been physically close to a woman who was not family before. Her chest underneath the red dress pressed against his suit. He locked his gaze with her, fearing he might lose control of himself for the first time if he were to look down another inch. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Axel¡¯s voice was hoarse. Roza smirked and pulled out the debit card out of nowhere. She held it between her fingers and smacked it on the man¡¯s rosy cheek. ¡°I have money. In fact, I have enough to be your sugar mommy until your retirement, boy.¡± Axel¡¯s heart skipped a beat as his mind went nk. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re all that because you have money. Ie from a wealthy family and a globally renowned business. I have more wealth than you can imagine. Yet, I don¡¯t boast about it!¡± Axel was baffled. Somehow, what she said sounded oddly familiar. Roza threw the debit card at his leather shoes and strutted away to her car with her chin held high. She drove her wrecked and squeaky Ferrari off. Axel watched in amazement as the pink Ferrari disappeared into the night. Suddenly, he curled his lips. ¡°Pink? What horrible taste!¡± Chapter 657 The birthday celebration was about to begin. Be let out aforted smile at the full house, and Wyatt was chatting away in the front row with Nigel. ¡°Oh, my. Did my eyes deceive me? That¡¯s Nigel Salvador.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Nigel¡¯s looking hale and hearty.¡± ¡°Nigel and Wyatt are close. It¡¯s not every day that you get to see such a long-standing friendship. Others could even mistake Wyatt for Nigel¡¯s son. Hahaha.¡± ¡°I think Gregory¡¯s wife is celebrating her birthday at the Salvador Hotel tonight too. Nigel is here to attend the birthday of Wyatt¡¯s wife instead of attending his own family¡¯s. Tsk, tsk. That leaves us something to wonder, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The guests snickered. ¡°It¡¯s clear that Nigel doesn¡¯t see Shannon as his daughter-inw. She was involved in bribing and auctioning off a knockoff jewelry piece in thest few months. Her niece even cheated on Justin. Of course, Nigel has a problem with her.¡± ¡°The way I see it, Justin and Wyatt¡¯s daughter make a good match. I¡¯ve seen the news about the auction. Justin seemed to have her back. Do you think there were any sparks between them?¡± Be furrowed her brows upon eavesdropping on that part of the chatter. Muhd doubt it.¡± Vhiry do you say so?¡± Usistin has be aughingstock after that raracterdronible and mistic creakup with Rosalind. A graceful and ordefel wwoman like la won¡¯t want to be caught in that dumpster ime. acitated. Thementer had a point. ot: cacanoveve on as it notning happened if you¡¯re unaware of an ex¡¯s isterThe worst part is when you find on aboin your papanther¡¯s ist rtionships. That¡¯s hard to stomach. Even if you tell yourself ot to N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. care, et fereels like the ex will always be hanging over you read. though Juststin is an amazing man, Be has other options too. She esn¡¯t have toto mit herself to a man with an ex.¡± elia nodded agaiain. She could not agree more. ou seem happeravesdronning.¡± e was stu.d te locked up with widerenteo eyes. istin had crept up nexa totheter with a smile. He looked tender I¡¯m not eavesdropping. Beliai a rumed her face away and bit her i nbarrassment. he was caught red-handedi. They are night, but they have got a thing wrung. ustin took a seat beside her waith gradir a undi totated on ner blushing face. ¡°I have an ex-girlfriend and an ex-wife.¡± ¡°You seem ro of yourself.¡± Folding her arms, Be pouted. With Be getting angry, Justin choked and smiled wryly. ¡°I have nothing to be proud of when ites to you, Be.¡± Be looked surprised. ¡°All I have is regret.¡± Looking dejected, the man rasped, ¡°I regret my past behavior toward you and not letting anybody know you were once my wife.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you have no reason to be regretful.¡± Be turned away from his perturbed face and looked ahead, her voice aloof. ¡°I am relieved that I was a wife in the shadows for three years. I am grateful that you never made our horrendous marriage public.¡± Horrendous. The words cut through Justin like a knife. They had been through a lot together. Yet, he was still a humilia past to her. ¡°It helps me move on from the failed marriage. I can just pretend tha we have never been together.¡± Be blinked and chuckled. ¡°Ha. We weren¡¯t really ever together, to begin with.¡± Chapter 658 ?Chapter 658 "Be, I-" Before Justin could finish, a coy voice was heard in the back. "Master, sorry for showing upte!" Be turned back and saw her apprentice, Roza. Feeling a lift in her mood, Be beamed.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. "Roza, you''re notte at all! I was concerned you might not make it because you''re busy with your show in Paris." Roza came over and embraced Be. "I will never miss any party you invite me to. You can bet I''ll always be there." It was then that Roza took notice of Justin, whose presence was hard to ignore beside Be. Her face fell. "Are you going to enjoy the feast with him, master? Won''t you lose your appetite?" Be nced indifferently at the man. "You took the words right out of my mouth." Though hurt, Justin said shamelessly, "You don''t have to look at me if I''m affecting your appetite, Be." However, Justin would never move to another table. Roza rolled her eyes. The bastard knew no shame. "You''re taking up a lot of space. Am I blind to just not see you?" Be smirked in rage. "You can close your eyes." Since Justin enjoyed her little pouty tantrums, he could not resist teasing her. "How am I supposed to eat then?" Be, despite her high IQ, fell for it. "I''ll feed you." Justin leaned closer to her, his husky voice lingering in her ear. Feeling a tingling sensation coursing through her nerves, she tried to move her chair further away from the man in a fluster. To her dismay, Justin read her mind and reached his arm behind her back to hold her still in ce. "You!" As rosiness crept onto her cheeks, Be stared angrily into the man''s tender eyes. "We are just sitting together for dinner, Be. Please, don''t go." Justin furrowed his brows, his eyes reflecting his yearning for her. "Justin." Be extended her hand to grip the man''s wrist with force in retaliation and revenge. Her hand was not big enough to hold his wristpletely. Despite her best efforts to give him physical pain, Justin was instead hurt on the inside. "I once sat with you to enjoy food together as your wife. It was all I ever wanted to do. But now, it makes me sick to eat with you." Crestfallen, Justin withdrew his arm around her waist in resignation, as if his soul had left him. "I''m sorry, Be." "It''s Aunt Celeste''s birthday. Don''t say anything that will dampen the mood." While Be was filled with a mix of emotions, she wanted to put things behind her. "Never mind. You can sit wherever." She acted like she was doing him a favor. Even so, Justin did not want to let the opportunity slip. "Ugh, have I got a story for you, Master! I ran into a well-dressed moron on my way here. Tsk! Talk about bad luck." Sensing tension between the former couple, Roza changed the topic to distract Be. Justin took the ss and sipped on water. Roza, a top-notch designer, was aloof in public, but she was a crude brute when talking to her master. "Oh? Tell me what kind of moron he is." Be blinked with interest. "Cough, cough, cough..." Justin put his hand over his chest and coughed. He was too quick to judge. "I got into an ident on my way here." Be and Justin were shocked. For someone who had just been in a car ident, Roza sure appeared rather indifferent about it. Chapter 659 ¡°Jesus! Are you hurt? Why didn¡¯t you call me? I could¡¯ve taken you to the hospital.¡± Be held Roza by the shoulders nervously. ¡°I feel a little achy on the neck. Otherwise, I¡¯m fine.¡± Be¡¯s concern gave Roza warm tingles. ¡°You should still get yourself checked out. You might have internal bleeding. You might look fine now, but you could feel itter.¡± Justin interrupted, ¡°I can make arrangements for you to see a doctor after the party. It won¡¯t matter howte it is.¡± Roza was taken aback by the bastard¡¯s unexpected helpfulness. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Be held Roza and said sulkily, ¡°I am a doctor. I can take care of r apprentice. Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Salvador.¡± Justin curled his lips sadly. His kindness was met with indifference once more. ¡°The idiot wrecked Pinkie! Not only did he not apologize, but he was mean about it too. He tried to brush me off with a debit card and leave. He told me to use the money to buy a new one.¡± Roza grew furious just thinking about it. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just insulting me? As if I can¡¯t afford another ride! Who is he trying to act high and mighty with?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ What happened next?¡± Be could not get enough of the interesting story. ¡°I threw the debit card back at his face and told him I had enough money to be his sugar mommy.¡± Listening in the corner, Justin narrowed his eyes with intrigue. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Be burst outughing. ¡°For some reason, I think you¡¯re made for each other. You seem to be on the same wavelength. Your approaches are logical without considering the emotional aspect of situations.¡± Roza¡¯s mind wandered back to Axel¡¯s slender build, handsome face, sharp eyes, wless skin, and youthful demeanor. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She took a long, hard gulp. ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t want to be with him,¡± Roza whined. She thought to herself, ¡®He¡¯s an eye candy from afar and handful at a closer look.¡¯ ably Roza looked around nonchntly. Suddenly, she jolted to her feet in shock and pointed at the approaching man. ¡°W-W-Why won¡¯t you leave me alone? How did you find me here?!¡± Be and Justin looked back in surprise. Under the intery of light, Axel calmly drew close. He was taken aback to see Roza. ¡°I could say the same thing about you,dy. What are you doing here?¡± Be tugged on Roza¡¯s sleeve and asked quietly, ¡°Do you know each other, Roza?¡± ¡°Master, he¡¯s the moron who totaled Pinkie!¡± Infuriated, Roza ground her teeth. ¡°Oh.¡± Be¡¯s jaw dropped as realization dawned on her. She then got up and walked to Axel. Getting on her tiptoes, she hooked her arm around the man¡¯s neck. Be¡¯s intimate behavior with the man startled Roza. Justin hid his emotions behind his eyes. Although he knew that Be and Axel were siblings, he did not feel/ ¡°Come here, Roza. Let me introduce you two.¡± Be smiled at Roza. ¡°This is Axel, my second brother and the h ranking prosecutor in Savrow.¡± Chapter 660 Roza turned as white as a sheet as her mind went nk. That was unexpected. She was flustered as panic struck her. The moron she had beenining to Be about turned out to be her mentor¡¯s brother. Shocker! Sitting there, Justin looked left and right. He pursed his lips to fight back the urge tough. Nevertheless, he could sympathize with the situation Roza was in. Be had a lot of siblings, and it was only a matter of time before anybody would run into them. Justin had limited knowledge about Thompsons before, and he had paid dearly for it, courtesy of his woman¡¯s brothers. Axel watched as Roza¡¯s face turned from white to a glowing red. Truth be told, he was still bothered by the sugar mommyment. However, he simply could not get angry at her when she looked so embarrassed and adorable. ¡°M-Master¡­¡± Roza made a crying face at Be, who was all smiles. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t disown me over this.¡± Channe brow Roll ced her index finger on her chin and furrowed her Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. in contemtion. ¡°Master¡­¡± Roza¡¯s lips quivered, threatening to cry. Be approached her with a serious face before breaking out in a bright smile. ¡°What the hell are you thinking, silly goose? Don¡¯t get worked up over such a minor thing. If I disown you, who am I going to pass down my knowledge to?¡± Roza was relieved, but distressed. ¡°Besides, I know what an amazing woman you are, Roza. I bet it¡¯s Axel¡¯s fault.¡± Be snapped an angry look at Axel while consoling Roza. Axel raised his brow. Although he felt wronged, he dared not breath a word. He did not expect the woman who had crashed into his car and made wild ims to be so close to his sister. Sigh. He had to take one for the team. With another group joining them, the area became rather lively. M, Sasha, Asher, and Amelia were joined by Ralph, whom M had dragged out of his work. Ryan and Carrie, fresh into their rtionship, had finally made it there too. Everybody gave Be hugs and chatted with her. The room was filled withughter and joy. Chap 6D The tender and pleasant moment within the family attracted many eyes. The guests were in awe of the beautiful family. The family was a feast for the eyes. Amid the cheerful and pleasant vibe, Justin sat alone in his seat. His mncholy eyes followed Be as she received love and attention from her friends and family. His eyes reflected yearning and envy, and soon they welled up. Now, this should be Be¡¯s life. For the past twenty years, she has been happily loved and doted on. Her only encounter with pain, suffering, and misery was because of him. Justin, sitting high above Salvador Corporation and the business. world, sat nkly there and faded into the background. No one ev bothered to engage with him. He pressed his lips together embarrassedly and took a deep breath beforeing to a resolution. Even if Be did not end up with him in the end, he would put his life on the line to protect her and shield her from any harm. Chapter 661 ¡°Carrie? What brings you here?¡± Be pinched Carrie¡¯s soft cheek with glee. Carrie pursed her lips shyly and clung to her teddy. ¡°I missed you and Justin, so I came over.¡± Justin curled his lips. He enjoyed being associated with Be. Be did not feelfortable that Carrie saw her and Justin as a pair. Nevertheless, it tugged on Be¡¯s heart to see Carrie holding. onto the teddy she gave her. Be caressed Carrie¡¯s head lovingly. ¡°I missed you too, Carrie.¡± She then turned callously to Ryan and asked, ¡°Did you bring Carrie here from Shannon¡¯s birthday party?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± Ryan admitted with a smile. ¡°Yet, you have the audacity to be proud of yourself.¡± Filled with rage, Be got up in his face and poked his shoulder. ¡°You only care about being together with Carrie and your own happiness. Have you ever considered Carrie¡¯s feelings? You took Carrie away without thinking about the consequences. What happens when Carrie goes home? Gregory and Shannon wille down hard on her.¡± ¡°Home? Why should Carrie go back to a home where her mother and sister don¡¯t treat her like family?¡± Ryan raised his brow, his gaze burning. ¡°Carrie has been living with me.¡± Be¡¯s eyes bulged in shock. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I registered my property on the hilltop under Carrie¡¯s name. That¡¯s her home now. When she doesn¡¯t feel happy or safe with Shannon and Bethany at the Salvadors¡¯ residence, she can just live at the hilltop vi.¡± Ryan cocked his head and looked tenderly at Carrie. Be pinched her nose bridge in fury. ¡°When did this happen?¡± Unable to sit back and do nothing, Justin strolled to his buddy¡¯s side with furious eyes. ¡°How dare you live with my sister, Ryan? The nerve of you.¡± ¡°We have done nothing but live together!¡± Feeling misunderstood, Ryan was eager to exin himself. Many women threw themselves at Ryan, getting naked and slipping under his covers. Ryan had kicked all of them out of his bed. However, his intimacy with Carrie was only limited to hugs and kisses. He had never unbuttoned her clothes or vited her. Ryan considered himself stained. Carrie, on the other hand, was the definition of purity. He was reluctant to touch her, knowing he did not deserve her. Ryan was d enough to just stay by her side. ¡°Do you even believe the words that areing out of your mouth, Ryan?¡± Be ground her teeth, her eyes welling up. ¡°If you expect me to believe that you¡¯ll stay away from women, that is when pigs fly.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ryan furrowed his brows, lost for words. It felt to him as if Carrie was Justin and Be¡¯s daughter, while he was her boyfriend, whom they disapproved of. ¡°Justin, Be!¡± Carrie walked up and stood firmly in front of Ryan, her face flushed with anxiety. ¡°Don¡¯t say that about Ryan. It was me. I wanted to be with Ryan.¡± Justin and Be were shocked. Ryan teared up as his heart pounded out of his chest. He spread his arms apart from behind and held Carrie, resting his chin on top of her head. With the girl clinging to her teddy, th ked like a family of three. ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off at Grandpa Nigel¡¯s ce after the party, okay, Carrie?¡± Be looked into Carrie¡¯s clear eyes and asked softly. Carrie bit her lips and hung her head low. Be was taken aback and sighed. ¡°Do you really want to be with him?¡± Chapter 662 ¡°Carrie slowly looked up, her clear eyes meeting Be¡¯s gaze. She did not say one word. However, Be could read the answer in Carrie¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not every day Carrie falls for a boy and stands her ground for him, Be. Just give her a break. If being with Ryan makes her happy andfortable, let them get along and see where it takes them.¡± Justin looked over and offered words offort with a hint of pleading in her ear. ¡°I can tell that Carrie has feelings for him. I¡¯m not trying to break them 1. I just ¡± Be met his eyes. ¡°I get it. I understand.¡± Justin let out an understanding smile. His usual stoic expression beamed only for her. ¡°But don¡¯t forget that Carrie has you and m His response was brief but strong. Be felt butterflies and looked away. Such was Justin. There was no bullshit with him. He kept his words short but effective. Apart from Wyatt and Celeste-the star of the night-the whole family N?velDrama.Org ? content. sat at Be¡¯s table. Justin stubbornly would not leave the seat beside Be. Despite the angry and contemptuous stares, he remained unfazed and still. He was unashamed and unapologetic. ¡°Your seat isn¡¯t here, Mr. Salvador.¡± Ralph narrowed his eyes at Justin¡¯sposed face and snapped at him as if he were interrogating a suspect. ¡°The table here is for our family and close friends. Who are you to sit here?¡± It was silent at the table as all eyes were on Justin. Faced with scrutiny, the man merely curled his lips and looked deep into the eyes of the woman, who had remained indifferent to the situation. ¡°My seat is next to wherever Be sits.¡± Be nearly choked. She turned her head and snapped an angry look at Justin, who did not seem to think that hisment was inappropriate. ¡°Tsk!¡± Ralph averted his gaze and downed his drink.. ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t know what the house rules are for the Salvadors, but here, we don¡¯t let our dogs near the dinner table.¡± Sasha¡¯s words were biting. Sasha crossed her legs and sank her back against the seat while tapping the table. She sure looked like a mafia boss. Justin tensed his jawline. No one would be happy to be called less than a human. Although he loved Be and wanted to leave a good impression on her family, there was no reason for the Thompsons to trample on his dignity. ¡°Enough. Grandpa Nigel is here tonight. At least show him some respect. Let¡¯s just enjoy dinner.¡± Be stood up for Justin, as her family had gone out of line. ¡°Ms. Be.¡± Steven hurried to Be¡¯s side and leaned into her ear to say, ¡°Mr. Christopher Iverson is here.¡± Justin picked up on the conversation, and his face fell. ¡°Oh? I thought he wouldn¡¯t be here. Just wee him and lead him. to the table for the Iversons,¡± Be instructed indifferently. ¡°The situation is a littleplicated Steven paused and murmured in hushed tones, ¡°Mrs. Sophie Iverson is with Mr. Christopher Iverson.¡± ¡°What? Sophie¡¯s here as well?¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yes. They are outside the venue hall. What-¡± Without another word, Be got up and went outside the hall with Steven. With the warmth of the love of his life gone, Justin felt bitter and clutched the ss in his hand, his veins showing. Chapter 663 he banquet ailel mall. Christopher was not overdressed dikekebis onight, the workle wore a dark gray tailored suit andbad nisis His gole manic rimmed sses added a bookworm took to nisis eves. hy don¡¯t we go hang home? in scared.¡± Timid, Sophie tugged omn er¡¯s sleeve eve plied her up tonight.cich, ting her in a valuable fuchsia dress ¨¤ a touch of ss with esiti: a million- dor hairpiece in her s updo. pre a matching pearl ne and earrings, but the pearl it, more expensive than dianan diamonds, was custom-made for amily of Sentania.anis he only family for Christopher topher. stopher wanted only the best for hin mo this mother. tenderly at his mother and held berhanter hand tight. ¡°Don¡¯t prn. I¡¯m here.¡± ought you here tonight to see Be. Weren¡¯ wotent your just talking yesterday? I thought you missed ner. Well, you¡¯ve to get to see I want to see Be.¡± Chiiret KEL Sophie¡¯s eyes lit up, and she cried, ¡°Be! It¡¯s Be!¡± Christopher turned around as Be approached. Tearing up, he curled his lips. ¡°Be.¡± ¡°Mrs. Iverson.¡± Be went up to hold Sophie¡¯s hand with a bright smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you, but it makes me so happy to see you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you, Be.¡± Fond of Be, Sophie gave her a big hug before grabbing a handful of chocte bonbons from her clutch to give to Be. ¡°Here you go. I remember you love chocte, so I brought you some.¡± ¡°Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts, Mrs. Iverson.¡± Feeling touched, Be cupped the chocte in her hands. That was the type of person Be was. She had seen too much of life, both the good and the bad. Instead of grand gestures, it was the simple things in life that she was grateful for. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful today,¡± Beplimented. ¡°R-Really?¡± Sophie blushed like a teenager. ¡°My son chose the outfit for me. I usually wear something loose at home. I don¡¯t feelfortable wearing such a formal dress.¡± ¡°Yes, you are, Mrs. Iverson.¡±¡± Be smiled and turned to ChristoareChris has good taste.¡± Christopher¡¯s breathing turned paragaced and emotions went through him like a roller coaster when Bel signated at him. ¡°The rest of your family has arrived. irman Lance is sitting with my dad. I¡¯ll take you there now.¡± Be was about to help Sophie there whared Ciststopher stopped her.¡± Wait. Be.¡± She looked back in confusion. ¡°Huh?¡± fog should know our family¡¯s situation. My momo arandit lost our annng and shares to the iverson Group years sa..why father sent sscovere in: Sentania, stopping us from ever returning foror 15 years. I asycoond, and my mother wasn¡¯t in the best of heatdi. Yoou can navane # 7 was tough on us to get by on our own.¡± Christometer¡¯s voice as so good raspy. elia a dicityly distened to his story while imagining a young oo are ofhin sicickmother. The image did not sit well with hare lo i don¡¯t want to sir with the other members of the iverson ran pn¡¯t want my mother to sit with thern either.¡± ith Be fng siselet, Christopher thought she had refused his quest and said whywy smole, ¡°If you don¡¯t feelfortable tting with an ouro teeme, then just forget it We have met you and toss a gut or Mrs. Celeste. We have gotten hat we came here for ¡°We should head back and get out of your hair.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Chris.¡± At that point, Be could not possibly say no. She said tenderly, Come on. We can eat together. It¡¯s just a get-together with my family. Make yourselves at home.¡± Chapter 664 Christopher was filled with joy, and it showed on his face. ¡°Thank you, Be.¡± Be led Christopher and Sophie into the hall. ¡°Look, James. It¡¯s that woman.¡± Charles pointed at the door in surprise. James swirled his wine ss and looked up callously. His brows furrowed when he saw Christopher enjoying a goodugh with Be. ¡°Christopher seems close with Be.¡± ¡°Tsk, I bet he¡¯s all over her.¡± Charles gnashed his teeth and kept a close eye on Christophe gulping down a mouthful of wine. ¡°Christopher is such a bitch.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t stop sucking up to Ms. Be. If they do end up together, would have him wrapped around her little finger.¡± Coral looked at Charles in disdain, finding her brother-inw distasteful. He did not behave like a gentleman at all. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Dad interested in setting you up with Be?¡± James raised his brow in ridicule. ¡°At this rate, your future wife will be your sister-inw.¡± Chappiest ¡°I¡¯m not a whore to bend over backward for Be like Christopher.¡± Charles found the behavior beneath him. ¡°If you hang around her, you can be a billionaire¡¯s son-inw. Why can¡¯t you do it to increase your tone. Taken aback, Charles pursed his lips. ¡°If you don¡¯t work hard at it, all our efforts will be for nothing, Charles.¡± James leaned toward Charles and said grimacingly in his ear, ¡°If Christopher does marry Be, Chairman Thompson¡¯s favorite daughter, he will turn the tables on us and be our biggest rival. Christopher has always been a threat to you. It must kill you to see him make it big.¡± Charles stared at James as menace flickered in his eyes. Be led Christopher and Sophie to her family. ¡°Oh, Mrs. Iverson. You¡¯re back from Sentania. Long time, no s M and Sasha stood up to wee Sophie, extending the etiquette as Wyatt¡¯s wives. ¡°Who are they?¡± Sophie stared nkly at her son. ¡°Mom, they are M and Sasha, Chairman Wyatt¡¯s wives. These fe people here are Be¡¯s siblings. This is Mr. Ryan Hoffman, and the lovelydy next to him is Ms. Carrie Salvador.¡± Christopher patiently introduced the group to his mother. Ryan did not see eye to eye with Christopher, but his kind words for Carrie eased the tension between his brows. Nothing ever pleased him before, but now Ryan was content with the little things. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. With Asher taking the lead, the group rose to their feet in al demonstration of their manners. Even though the Thompson brothers had a problem with Christopher, they would not convey their animosity in a public setting. Only Justin sat there with a long face, his eyes darting a chilling re at Christopher. His body was tense with rage. Christopher left him out of the introductions. It was an act of aggression to dismiss him. ¡°Wow. There are so many of you.¡± Sophie looked worriedly at Christopher. ¡°I can¡¯t remember so many names. What should I do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mrs. Iverson. We are all friends and family here. D nervous. Just sit.¡± Be invited them to sit, only to realize there was an issue. There was only one seat left at the table. ¡°You can sit here with Be, Mom. I¡¯ll sit elsewhere.¡± Not wanting t put Be on the spot, Christopher proposed thoughtfully. ¡°N-No!¡± Chapter 665 Sophie clung to Christopher¡¯s arm nervously. ¡°I want to be with you. Don¡¯t leave me to sit here alone.¡± The group exchanged nces. ¡°Uh, M. Why do I get the feeling that something¡¯s off with Sophie?¡± Sasha nudged M and asked quietly. ¡°Wyatt told me that Sophie has Alzheimer¡¯s. I think her condition took a turn for the worse. She couldn¡¯t even recognize us,¡± M murmured back. ¡°Huh? Jesus. She¡¯s too young to have dementia. Poor woman.¡± Sasha gave Sophie a sympathetic look. With Sophietching on to her son, Christopher looked at Be helplessly. ¡°Mr. Salvador.¡± After much hesitation, Be looked down and tapped on Just shoulder. ¡°Do you mind giving up your seat?¡± The man looked up, the shock evident in his eyes. He met her I with resentment. ¡°Why should I give my seat to him? I arrived be him.¡± Ryan pressed his lips together to hold back theughter. He could smell the bitterness a mile away. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. It¡¯s not on a firste, first-served basis. You saw it. Mrs. Iverson CHEWA doesn¡¯t want to be apart from her son. I hope they can sit with me, so I¡¯m sorry, but you have to sit somewhere else.¡± Be did not want to be next to him anyway, and now she had an -TICALL excuse to shoo him away. ¡°I have given it some thought, and I don¡¯t want anybody else to leave. It¡¯s best for you to give up your seat.¡± Christopher held his mother and pushed his sses up his nose bridge, smiling as he knew he had won. ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± Justin frowned, determined to stick his butt where it should be. ¡°Alright. So you won¡¯t leave, huh? I¡¯ll go to Grandpa Nigel¡¯s table then.¡± Be was tempted to punch the bastard right there and then. Justin panicked. There was no point in resisting if Be was to leave, so he tried to get up. ¡°Be.¡± Asher stood up and said with a faint smile, ¡°Mr. Salvador is a guest Don¡¯t put him through the hassle. I¡¯ll join Dad at his table. Don¡¯t ge worked up over something so small.¡± He then left, and an extra seat became avable. Christopher grimaced. He knew the reason behind Asher¡¯s actions, which was why he was dissatisfied. Justin was relieved that this worked in his favor. Given a chance, Justin would like to thank his future brother-inw. anticipabadicipated birthday celebration began. n a while sincele since Be had seen Cami, so the seat other served formed for her elder sister. er sat next to Garito Cami. He was dejected because he could n his crush. tush Mr. Iverson just ren just returned from Sentania. You should have a about.¡± Beta lockers foored for conversational fillers, not wanting be awkward.vward. you lived in Sentanis antonio for a long time?¡± Cami asked in ¡®Christopher replied with a swith a smile. less that makes you half osentha Sentanian now. You definitely : longer than I have. I got married narried and lived there for three he conversation going, Cami Gstrede asked, ¡°What do you er replied, ¡°I have my own business piness in import and ex t you let us know what type of goods your corvmipany trades n?¡± Justin asked indifferently.itly er clenched his fists under the table.fe ome trade secret, so it shouldn¡¯t be hard for you to an answer Justin narrowed his eyes at Christopher. ¡°Maybe your business doesn¡¯t do what otherpanies do normally, and you can¡¯t be honest about the nature of it.¡±. Chapter 666 Be immediately felt suspicion, ncing at Justin discreetly. She could not understand what this man was up to again! The atmosphere at the table was tense. ¡°It¡¯s just ordinary trade goods. My business is nothing special.¡± Christopher adjusted his sses as he put on a perfunctory smile. Only the slightly stiff corner of his lips exposed the anger hidden in his heart. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you have such a rich imagination. Even if you are prejudiced against me, you shouldn¡¯t simply assume the worst of my character and belittle the value I¡¯ve created.¡± Justin smirked, curling his thin lips. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯m not like you. You had a smooth ride in the Salvador Corporation and became a rising star in the business world at a young age. You are also the heir appointed by Old Master Nigel, Someone like you, born privileged, could never understand the hardships of a self-made entrepreneur.¡± Listening to Christopher¡¯s words, Be sipped her champagne. of the memories buried deep in her heart for a long time surfac her mind. In fact, no one understood Justin¡¯s situation in the Salvador Corporation better than her. His journey was a far cry from how easy Christopher made it sound. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my casual question to trigger so many remarks from you, Mr. Iverson. It seems I¡¯ve made you nervous. I apologize. Consider it mere gossip that I¡¯ve heard in Sentania.¡± Justin smiled faintly, his handsome face intimidating. A spark. shed across his eyes. ¡°Also, there¡¯s something you got wrong. I don¡¯t have any prejudice against you, but as long as you get close to Be, I will dislike you from head to toe.¡± Christopher gritted his teeth, his jaw tense. Caught in the middle, Cami listened to both men going at each. other as she felt a gradual surge of shock and excitement. However, due to her identity as Be¡¯s older sister and having held a high social status, she did not dare to show it on the surface. She pressed her lips, suppressing her amusement. Cami thought, ¡®All this drama makes it more worth it toe back home!¡¯ ¡°Justin, have you said enough?¡± Be could not bear it any longer. She red fiercely at the man beside her and growled, ¡°If you continue with the nonsense, I you out with a golf club!¡± Justin¡¯s breath hitched, and his hand tightened into a grip on the ta Then he slowly rxed and moved his hand closer to her, touching her wrist gently with his fingertips. His calloused finger rubbed against her delicate skin. ¡°Be, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Don¡¯t get mad at me, okay?¡± He was handsome, clingy, and coaxing. Who could possibly resist this man? The warm feeling around her wrist was like vines entwining her, carrying a tingling sensation straight into her chest, circling and winding around her throbbing heart. Seeing that she did not speak, Justin panicked and leaned toward her. He coaxed with a hoarse voice, ¡°You can vent your anger on me, but can we wait until we get back? I may not be much in your eyes, but I am still the president of Salvador Corporation. So many people are watching, so please save me some dignity.¡± Cami remainedposed, but she was on the verge of bursting intoughter. Both sisters had a habit of eavesdropping on others. ¡°Just shut up! I can¡¯t be bothered to hit you. You¡¯re made out of muscles!¡± Be snorted, then turned around and ignored him. Justin¡¯s affectionate gaze fixed on her pouting and rosy lips, feeling a fire burning in his heart. He was already thirty years old, yet his emotions would still be swayed by this woman¡¯s smile and words, as if he were a teen who had just experienced his first love. The lights dimmed in the room. A beam of bright light descended from above, shining on the stage. At this moment, the emcee¡¯s clear voice boomed from the Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. microphone. Chapter 667 ¡°Thanks for the wait,dies and gentlemen! Let us wee the main character tonight, Ms. Celeste!¡± As the emcee¡¯s voice fell, the hall erupted into cheers and apuse. ¡°Aunt Celeste! Aunt Celeste!¡± Overjoyed, Be called out Celeste¡¯s name, pping until her hands were red. At this moment, from the depths of the stage, Wyatt, dressed in a ck tuxedo, gracefully walked into the spotlight while holding. Celeste¡¯s hand. ¡°Damn! My father is so fucking handsome!¡± Ralph eximed as he watched his father, who had a betterplexion than most young people. ¡°Jesus! He¡¯s dressed too grandly. People might think he¡¯s getting married a second time tonight!¡± Axel nced at the stage excit ¡°A second time? If your dad marries again, it would be the fifth ti Ryan fiddled with Carrie¡¯s hand under the table as he teased with smile, ¡°Still not too bad. I can count it with a hand.¡± Suddenly, two sharp gazes cut through the air andnded on him. It was M and Sasha, both staring at him coldly. Ryan stuck out his tongue, not daring to speak rashly again. As he was too hungry, Axel quietly grabbed a small cake and stuffed it into his mouth. This scene was caught by Roza at the next tables Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Hey, aren¡¯t you the dignified second son of the Titonusson family? Why are you stealing food?¡± Cough, cough, cough¡­ Axel was caught off quad and immediately choked on the cake. Prm Poza saw his handsome face turn red from all the coughing. Axel pamed his chest and drank water frantically, watch vas pretty funny. She could not help butugh out loud. Axel was speechless. This woman crashed into his car and almos made him chove to death, but Be has got her back. This woman must be sent by the heavens to mess with him! This is my family¡¯s banquet and my family¡¯s hotel. How is it stealing?¡± Axel held back his anger, ncing at Roza irritably. Even so, there are elders present at the table. How can you eat before they do? Where are your table manners?¡± Roza rested her chin on the back of the chair, smiling yfully. t was as if she and Be were carved from the same mold. Axel felt a little annoyed, but amer seeing her smile, his minor rritation became negligible.. Wow! Look! The ck and red dress Celeste is wearing is too beautiful!¡± For real! I noticed it when she came out stole my breath away!¡± Almost every guest focused on Celeste, their gaze attracted by the dress she wore, causing sighs of admiration everywhere. Justin also nced at Celeste, and his pupils shrank in surprise. Wasn¡¯t the dress she wore the one designed by Be in Roza¡¯s studio that day? ¡°OMG¡­ Did my eyes deceive me?¡± Someone suddenly stood up from their seat and eximed, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a masterpiece from Sharon?¡± ¡°What?! It¡¯s Sharon?!¡± ¡°Holy shit! I can¡¯t believe I get to see a dress designed by Sharon in real life! I can die with no regrets now.¡± Chapter 668 ¡°I really want to touch it!¡± ¡°As expected of the prestigious Thompson family! Sharon hasn¡¯t made an appearance for years, but she designed this birthday dress for Celeste! This shows the status of Chairman Thompson. Look at that woman from the Salvador family, who is also celebrating her birthday tonight. I reckon that even if she kneels before Sharon, Sharon would probably still refuse to design for her!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He turned his head and looked at Be, who was smiling faintly. His eyes carried sparks of shock and admiration! It turned out that Be was Sharon. Not only was she Alexa, but she was also Sharon! Justin¡¯s breath became hotter, and his chest rose. His nerves were paralyzed, as if struck by lightning. How could one person have so many skills at the same time and excel in every single one of them to the point that they could amaze the world? His wife was not human. She was a goddess! Be felt Justin¡¯s scorching gaze and turned towards him, only to be taken aback by his red eyes. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Are your rabies breaking out?¡± She mocked. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be Sharon.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse as he was unable to pull his gaze away Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. from her. ¡°Why are you so surprised? It¡¯s not like you know Sharon for the first time.¡± Beughed it off and shifted her gaze away from Justin¡¯s stiff face. ¡°Alexa once crafted a custom cor pin for you, and Sharon personally tailored a three-piece suit for you.¡± Justin¡¯s heart tightened, and his eyes dimmed. Yes, at that time, she had worked alone in a tailor shop until night fell every day to prepare a birthday gift for him. He wore the corpin almost every day. Every night, he sat alone at the bedside, carefully wiping it with a clean silk cloth and cherishing it like a precious treasure. Her feelings while preparing these gifts for him in the past feelings while preserving them carefully now were the same. his It was a pity that he had not realized sooner¡­ ¡°Forget it. You never cared about who I was in the past, and you d care about my talents either. The gifts that I gave you, just like n were umting dust.¡± Be watched the show on the stage, feeling an indescribable sorrow in her heart. ¡°Be, I wronged you back then and let you go. But now, I swear, I¡¯ll do everything to make it up to you and never wrong you again.¡± Justin took a deep breath and spoke sincerely, even wishing to offer up his heart on a silver tter. ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult for you to give me a second chance, and you probably don¡¯t even want to. But I won¡¯t give up. I will keep persisting until my heart stops beating.¡± ¡°Justin, there are words and phrases in the world used to express regret and sorrow, which I think could describe the rtionship between us.¡± Be finally turned her gaze back to him, but it was filled with indifference and coldness. ¡°What¡¯s done cannot be undone.¡± ¡°Be¡­¡± ¡°I believe in miracles, but I don¡¯t believe in reversals and repairs. Even if it could happen, it would be full of scars. We can¡¯t go back in time.¡± Due to Celeste¡¯s dress, the birthday banquet reached its first climax. Many guests secretly took photos of Celeste¡¯s stunning appearance and posted them online. The reporters caught wind of the news like sharks smelling blood. Soon, they hyped up the news of Celeste wearing a dress designed by Sharon. In 15 minutes, the hashtag ¡°#Sharon Designs GownForCeleste¡± quickly. climbed to the first spot in the trending topics! Chapter 669 Theizens engaged in a passionate discussion online. [Do you mean Celeste-Wyatt Thompson¡¯s third wife and the actress that fell off?! How could Sharon design a dress for her?] [Amazing! This ck and red dress is so beautiful! It took my breath away!] [Why can¡¯t Sharon design a dress for Celeste? Back then, Celeste was one of the best actresses! My parents are still fans of hers now!] [I stan her too! Oops, kind of revealed my age.] [How many years ago was it? She became Wyatt¡¯s mistress, giving birth to a child without getting married. Does she deserve to have Sharon make an appearance again?] [Stop being a hater! You can get a few billion dors if you give birth to Chairman Thompson¡¯s child! I¡¯m even willing to be his fifth wife. I he wants, I¡¯ll even birth him a ser team!] Surprisingly, there were a thousand likes on thisment. Oh, how messed up the world has be! Love was nothing in the face of money. [She¡¯s leading an impressive life as a mistress! Look at Shannon. Quarry, the wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s chairman, whose birthday is also today. Nobody attended her celebration, and she doesn¡¯t have a stunning dress. How embarrassing! She¡¯s doing worse than Celeste, a mistress!] [I could understand why Sharon designed a dress for Celeste. At the very least, C¨¦leste has works of her own and has kept a low profile. She is also passionate about charity. Shannon is only passionate about dirty tricks. Sharon would be tarnishing her reputation if she designed a dress for Shannon!] Celeste had not appeared in public for many years. With Be¡¯s assistance, she once again blossomed as a renowned actress, showing her dazzling brilliance. Although Be was at the banquet, she kept an eye on the public opinion online. She turned around and sent a voice message to Steven. ¡°Make sure the PR department pays extra attention tonight. Handle any negative news about Aunt Celeste promptly, including thements. Check every five minutes.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Be.¡± ¡°Also, I don¡¯t care what method you use, but don¡¯t let the hype down for now.¡± Steven thought about it. ¡°But Chairman Thompson and Celes to keep a low profile tonight, only celebrating at the banquet don¡¯t want to overdo it.¡± Be sighed. They had underestimated Sharon¡¯s influence. Whenever Sharon designed clothes for someone or when her pieces appeared in a fashion week, it would undoubtedly create tremendous waves. The people in the jewelry industry regarded Alexa as a deity. The same goes for Sharon in the fashion industry! Since the gown Sharon designed for Celeste had appeared in public, it was impossible to suppress the discussions. In that case, it would be better to go with it and let Celeste have a grand birthday celebration, which would make all other women envious. It was because Celeste deserved it. That clown, Shannon, tried to feed off of Celeste but ended up hurting herself. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, Shannon must be losing her temper! ¡°Bastard! That damned bitch, Celeste!¡± In the Salvador Hotel¡¯s presidential suite, Shannon threw everything she could on the ground, but she was still furious. In the end, she even picked up a crystal ashtray and smashed the huge TV screen into pieces. ¡°Mom! Mom, calm down!¡± Bethany hid far away, trembling from fear with a pale face. ¡°Calm down? How can I calm down?! That bitch is wearing a gown designed by Sharon! Who does she think she is?!¡± Shannon¡¯s anger surged the more she thought about it. She was about to have a mental breakdown. Her eyes shone with a hue of crimson madness. At this moment, she even felt an urge to kill Celeste! Chapter 670 ¡°Mom, calm down! Chill.¡± Bethany cautiously approached Shannon and sat beside her, your anger?¡± ¡°Anger? I want Celeste dead. Can you do it?¡± Shannon gritted her teeth vindictively. ¡°I¡­¡± Bethany was rendered speechless. ¡°That Celeste¡­ I thought she belittled herself to be with Wyatt, willing to be an unofficial mistress. And she only gave birth to a weak daughter!¡± Upon hearing that, Bethany¡¯s mouth twitched, and she thought, ¡®You only gave birth to two daughters as well. Aren¡¯t you insulting yourself too?¡¯ ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Wyatt to dote on her so much! He made a big deal out of her birthday celebration and even got Sharon to design a dress for her. How could she be so lucky? How could she take the spotlight from me?!¡± Shannon¡¯s face was red with anger, almost on the verge of tears! The better Celeste¡¯s life was, the more it made Shannon-Gregory¡¯s legal wife-seem like a joke! ¡°Mom, staying mad here isn¡¯t going to help you. We need to think of a way to undermine Celeste and destroy her birthday banquet!¡± Bethany shook Shannon¡¯s arm anxiously. Shannon bit her lips viciously and dialed a number, then walked to the window. ¡°Ms. Quarry, it¡¯s been ages since you contacted me. How have you been?¡± A hoarse male voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding like a middle-aged man. ¡°Terrible. My situation now¡­ I¡¯d rather die!¡± Shannon choked as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Is it because of Celeste?¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡± ¡°Ms. Quarry, you helped me in the past, and I will never forget your kindness. Tell me, how can I repay you?¡± Shannon sobbed lightly, but there was a sinister smile in her eyes. The dress designed by Sharon elevated Celeste¡¯s birthday banquet. But tonight, Celeste¡¯s glory did not stop there. It was time to present all her gifts. Everyone eagerly anticipated what sort of property or jewelry Wyatt would give his wife, but the result was beyond their imagination. Wyatt had given Celeste a charity foundation named after her, dedicated to caring for disabled children. Furthermore, Celeste was named the president of this charity foundation. Be could not help but reveal a contented smile. She knew that the women of the Thompson family were different from typicaldies of wealthy families. In the Thompson family, no one was interested in money or jewelry except for Be and Wyatt. Compared to a stunning diamond, Wyatt¡¯s charity foundation was a gift that touched Celeste¡¯s heart. Throughout the years, she had been making time to volunteer at orphanages and had been secretly using ¨C her savings to help children in need. She did these privately, thinking that Wyatt was unaware of them. Surprisingly, Wyatt knew and had prepared everything for her, merely waiting for this day to reveal the big surprise. ¡°Celeste, I know that you have always been passionate about charity and have anonymously helped countless children in orphanages. After thinking about it, I thought this gift would be the best for you Wyatt held Celeste¡¯s hand, looking at her with a doting gaze. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wyatt¡­ You already knew.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes were teary. ¡°It¡¯s your big day. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Wyatt smiled softly, wiping her tears away. At this moment, he looked at Celeste with such an indulging gaze that would make any woman in the world jealous. ¡°Since the charity foundation has been established, I¡¯ll set a good example and donate $5 billion for charity work. I hope everyone will support the Celeste Charity Foundation! As the representative of KS Group, I¡¯ll thank everyone in advance!¡± Wyatt¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd below the stage, his presence making it impossible for anyone to disregard him. His lean figure and resounding voice made him seem like a man in his forties. It was unbelievable how he had aged backward. ¡°Wow!¡± Chapter 671 In an instant, apuse thundered! ¡°Although Chairman Thompson didn¡¯t give Celeste any houses or jewelry, he injected $5 billion into the foundation! It is already a grand gesture!¡± ¡°A typical wealthydy¡¯s birthday banquet would usually consist of gifts like jewelry, but Chairman Thompson is so creative. This meant something important to Celeste! When word gets out, it will boost Celeste¡¯s image and increase the poprity of the Thompson family. It¡¯s a win-win situation!¡± Under the stage, Nigel, Lance, and Asher sat at the same table. ¡°Ahem¡­ What kind of technology and anti-aging methods did this old geezer use behind my back? Why isn¡¯t he showing signs of aging?¡± Lance muttered with jealousy and asked Asher, who was sitting beside him. ¡°Asher, what¡¯s your father¡¯s skincare routine? How does he manage to look so young? Come on, tell me the secret.¡± ¡°He must have put on a little makeup,¡± Asher smiled humbly. These two friends had beenpeting about their appearance for decades! ¡°Oh! I knew it!¡± Lance suddenly inched closer, winking. ¡°Which makeup artist did your father hire? The result is quite natural. Can you introduce them to me?¡± Asher was speechless. Listening on the side, Nigel could not help but feel amused. The Thompson family sat at one table, happily pping at this moment. Amelia watched as her mother held back tears of joy on the stage. Suddenly, she could not hold back and cried silently. ¡°Amelia?¡± M sat beside Amelia and noticed that thetter was crying. Panicking, M hurriedly took some tissues and passed them to her under the table, asking softly, ¡°Why are you crying, darling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ It¡¯s nothing, Aunt M.¡± Amelia took the tissues and wiped her tears, saying in a trembling voice, ¡°I¡¯m just so happy for Mom.¡± M¡¯s heart warmed, and she gently stroked Amelia¡¯s silky hair. In theirplex family, the other kids, including Be, still kept a distance. Only this youngest child treated her like a real mother. Although M did not mind the others, it still warmed her heart. ¡°Yeah, you should be happy.¡± ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯ve always thought that Dad didn¡¯t care much about Mom.¡± Amelia wondered what had gotten into her tonight, with many emotions flooding her mind. ¡°I¡¯m also the most useless daughter. Your daughter is the future First Lady of Sentania, and Be was not only a goddess in the jewelry industry, but she could also manage the hotel for Dad. But I don¡¯t know anything. I could only drag all of you down.¡± ¡°Amelia, don¡¯t think like that.¡± M felt upset and hugged Amelia. ¡°Your father had told us many times in private that he hoped you, the youngest daughter of the Thompson family, could be a carefree and pampereddy at home. To him, his children¡¯s aplishments are not important. What matters is that you all have a happy and smooth life. Also, your father loves you and your mother. Although he doesn¡¯t say it, it doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t love you. We need to judge by his actions, right?¡± Listening to M¡¯s words, Amelia leaned on her shoulder, nodding with tears in her eyes. Soon, several prominent guests presented their gifts, all valued at millions of dors. In front of the richest family in Hatchbay, anything less than that would make them look like fools. ¡°The next gift is from Christopher Iverson, the fourth son of Group¡¯s Chairman!¡± Just as the emcee¡¯s voice fell, a spotlight shone on Christopher. Everyone subconsciously nced at the Thompson family¡¯s tabl including Be. She slightly turned her head, curiously looking at Christopher, who remained calm andposed. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°He prepared a gift privately?!¡± Charles¡¯ gaze darkened as he gritted his teeth. ¡°He¡¯s so calctive. He¡¯s always thinking about pleasing the Thompson family and showing off!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of it?¡± Chapter 672 James casually sipped his wine, disdain underlying his eyes. Christopher always loved to be a Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. smartass, but he doesn¡¯t understand that he can¡¯t do things in excess. Yes, he could please Be, but he didn¡¯t know he had offended Dad. In the Iverson Group, Dad still has the final say.¡± Charles sneered. ¡°Hmph, let him continue simping! He will eventually end up with nothing!¡± Indeed, Lance¡¯s expression darkened at this moment. His jaw was tense as he nced toward Christopher. When he saw Sophie, his eyes widened, and his mouth twitched! The emcee pushed Christopher¡¯s gift onto the stage with a cart, carrying with it everyone¡¯s attention. Celeste looked at Wyatt hesitantly. ¡°Should we uncover it? It¡¯s a little token from Christopher.¡± Wyatt had his arm around Celeste¡¯s thin waist as they unveiled the red cloth covering the gift. Instantly, Wyatt¡¯s expression changed. He raised his eyes and discreetly nced in Christopher¡¯s direction. The guests also gasped in admiration when they saw the gift, almostparable to the shock they felt when they saw the dress Sharon designed. Be¡¯s brows furrowed, feeling surprised. She thought, ¡®This is a 17th-century porcin vase made by the Royal Pottery. This antique could easily be treasured in the national museum, and it would start at a minimum of $30 million at an auction!¡¯ Christopher presented such an extravagant gift to Celeste on her birthday, and its value was even higher than Lance¡¯s gift. Thus, he was embarrassing his father on purpose. Christopher had no deep connection with Celeste. They had merely met a few times. There was no need to go to such lengths. Instead of being Celeste¡¯s gift, it was more like an attempt to please Wyatt with this opportunity. As she thought about this, Be pursed her lips and shook her head lightly. When her gaze swept to the right, she was suddenly stunned. At some point, Justin disappeared. Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She immediately looked around esearching for that lean and strong figure. M¡¯Madam Celeste.¡± At At this moment, Christopher walked to the stage and bowed po Ththen he said gently, with a humble smile, ¡°This is a gift from 17th-century porcin vase carefully crafted by the Royal Pottery wishish longsting joy andughter upon you and Chairman Thehompson.¡± Csies we was stunned for a moment. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Iverson. This gift s tooqu prenious. I appreciate your thought.¡± ¡°It is indeed too precious. I would have thought it was my birthday instead!¡± Wyatt teased half-jokingly. Christopher adjusted his sses as a glint of darkness shed across his eyes. ¡°17th century!¡± ¡°This is a priceless antique!¡± ¡°Christopher never showed himself in public at the Iverson family¡¯s events before, but he made his first appearance tonight with such a grand gesture. How impressive!¡± ¡°But his gift was $1 million more expensive than Chairman Iverson. Is this appropriate?¡± It was not! Lance Iverson¡¯s face had turned green. However, they did not know that this seemingly inappropriate gesture was actually intentional. This was just the beginning. The Iverson family members had more ufortable days toe. At this moment, the emcee shouted, ¡°The next gift is from Mr. Justin Salvador, the president of the Salvador Corporation!¡± Chapter 673 Be uncontrobly sat up straight. Her heartbeat quickened, and she stared at the stage attentively. Cami was the closest to Be, immediately noticing the fluctuation in her emotions. She narrowed her eyes. The crowd¡¯s attention shifted from Christopher to the stage. ¡°Haha! It¡¯s my grandson. It¡¯s my grandson¡¯s gift!¡± Nigel patted Asher on his left and Lance on his right excitedly. Nigel knew his grandson would make a move. How could Justin let that scheming punk from the Iverson family steal the spotlight? ¡°Lance, looking at your son¡¯s actions, does he fancy Anna too?¡± Nigel asked, raising his eyebrows. ¡°Anna?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ It¡¯s Be¡¯s nickname. It¡¯s an old habit of mine.¡± Nigel blurted it out habitually. Lance pursed his lips, revealing nothing on his face. ¡°My fourth son was used to fooling around outside. I really don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Nigel chuckled teasingly. ¡°On Celeste¡¯s birthday, your youngest son presents a 17th-century antique worth over $30 million. Isn¡¯t he trying to earn Wyatt¡¯s favor? It seems your son really likes Be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the affairs between these youngsters.¡± Lance¡¯s smile was a bit stiff. ¡°Although you say so, let me still give you a word of advice.¡± Nigel casually leaned backward, raising his brows smugly. ¡°Be will definitely end up with my grandson. I suggest youfort your son. There are plenty of women in the world, and with his good looks, he could find someone more suitable. Don¡¯t waste his precious time on a woman out of his reach.¡± Lance was stunned. He could only smile dryly. On the side, even Asher¡¯s expression changed, curling his lips discreetly. Old Master Nigel was truly unpredictable. He must have been a man of character and charisma in his youth. In the shadows, Christopher¡¯s handsome face darkened. He had expected Justin to give something, but not with such a high profile! It was beyond his expectations. At this moment, the emcee carried another tray covered with a red cloth to the stage and ced it on the disy table. Christopher heard sturdy footstepsing up from behind him. He turned around with a cold gaze, only to see Justin calmly stepping into the spotlight in front of everyone. ¡°Madam Celeste, this is my gift to you.¡± Justin stood still beside Christopher, looking as beautiful as a sculpture. ¡°Happy birthday. May your day be filled with joy, surrounded by loved ones and precious moments.¡± He carried himself in a dignified and courteous manner, presenting the image of an exceptional young man. Nigel beamed brightly. No matter how he saw it, his grandson was much better than Christopher Iverson! Be nced at Justin withplicated feelings. Right now, she was more curious about the gift he had chosen for Celeste. Christopher stood out with an expensive and unique antique. His gift would be the best of all if there were no surprises. What treasure could Justin present to surpass Christopher¡¯s? ¡°Mr. Salvador, thank you for your wishes. We¡¯re honored that you and Old Master Nigel could make it to my birthday celebration.¡± Celeste responded gracefully. Wyatt smirked as he looked at Justin. Although he did not show anything on the surface, he felt quite dissatisfied deep down. This rascal once hurt his precious Be! With that history, how could Justin have the audacity to show face at the Thompson family¡¯s event? Chapter 674 Justin must be so thick-skinned to show up here. ¡°What I prepared is not anything expensive, but I prioritize sincerity over its worth. My gift represents my sincerity. Madam Celeste, I hope you will like it.¡± Justin had a humble attitude. Be propped her chin up, staring at Justin as she raised an eyebrow. He was usually cold and distant, almost never showing such an approachable side. What a good actor! ¡°Since you say so, let¡¯s take a look.¡± Wyatt acted as if he was doing. Justin a favor. Celeste smiled bitterly. Wyatt had carved his hatred for Justin into his bones. Secretly observing Wyatt¡¯s expression, Christopher only felt likeughing. It was futile, despite how hard Justin tried to butter up Wyatt. Since Justin had deeply hurt Be before, it meant making the whole. Thompson family his enemy. That mistake was as severe as the sky crashing down. It was irreversible. Celeste and Wyatt uncovered the red cloth together. Lying silently in a transparent ss box was a golden crown embedded with pearls. Instantly, Celeste¡¯s eyes widened. Her heart raced rapidly, and her eyes reddened. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Celeste? Celeste? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Noticing her abnormal behavior, Wyatt held her warm hand and asked gently. Celeste returned to her senses. Tears shone in her bright eyes. She calmed herself down and revealed the happiest smile ever seen on her face tonight. ¡°Wyatt¡­ I really like Mr. Salvador¡¯s gift¡­ I really like it.¡± Her soft voice reached every corner of the hall through the microphone. Everyone heard her sincere exmation. The Thompson family members were shocked, including Be! Be did not understand. The crown only had good craftsmanship. It did not use rare materials and looked like a prop in a film set. How did it manage to win Aunt Celeste¡¯s heart? ¡°Celeste, I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Wyatt was confused. Celeste was not in a hurry to exin. Her eyes shone as she suppressed her excitement and looked at Justin. ¡°Mr. Salvador, where did you find this crown?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I found it from a retired prop maker.¡± Justin answered with a serious expression. ¡°He had been keeping this crown in his collection. I offered a high price to buy it from him, but he refused. Then, I expressed my intention to make it your birthday gift. He was touched and gave it to me for free. I was lucky to get it.¡± s his words feft.Il Celeste was so excited that tears shone in hererveyes. he asked schlyl/Was it Mr. White who worked on the set offhee r¨®wn?¡± ustin nodded. ¡®Yes.¡± eleste covered her mouth, almost unable to suppress her urge to crgry. elle was taken aback Stae quickly took out her phone and googled ¡± he Crown.¡± It turned outta be a TV series twenty years ago, whichth ad a burst of poprity onoce premiered on the TS Channel. he actress who acted as the queen in the series was Celeste. She Iso made a name for herself thoroughinis series and became amous. TS Channel even designed stage for Celeste to dance in he Queen¡¯s costume, eaming ber famiae and praise. 1 that ssic image of the enchanting queen Celeste portrayed in e series, she wore this very crown.ochenhead! Dh¡­ I understand now¡­¡± Belle¡¯s gazeolooking at Justin, turned soft. his rascal had won this round. It was a totaled sad clown. lo matter how much Be disliked Justin, shhaddio admit ift he prepared was sincere and thoughtful.. le wrote it off in a casual tone, but Be understood how much nd-energy he had spent to obtain this crown,which reveant a lot leleste it was a heartfelt gift. Chapter 675 To say that she was not moved at all would be a lie. Wyatt quietly listened on the side, deeply touched. The way he looked at Justin was no longer as hostile as before. ¡°Justin, thank you. Your gift was well-prepared, and I could feel your dedication. Good work.¡± ¡°Chairman Thompson, you tter me.¡± Justin¡­ Wyatt had called him Justin! Oh, this exhrating feeling Justin felt! It was as if he had finally gained approval from his wealthy father-inw after enduring years of disdain in his pursuit of Be¡¯s hand! Justin might even have trouble sleeping tonight. Seeing Justin turn the tables and even receive Wyatt¡¯s praise, a surge of anger rose in Christopher¡¯s heart. He was always calcu excelled at winning people¡¯s hearts, but he unexpectedly los on a mere gift. It was unbearable! ¡°Also, I have another gift, a token of goodwill from my grandfath and me.¡± Justin smiled. ¡°Representing the Salvador Corporation, we will donate $3 billion to the Celeste Charity Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Foundation for charity work.¡± The crowd was stunned! $3 billion! The Salvador Corporation donated such a generous amount! Wyatt¡¯s sharp eyes brightened, and he nodded his head in approval. Although Justin was a scum, he certainly knew how to handle things properly. Compared to the $5 billion Wyatt injected, Justin only donated $3 billion, which showed his courtesy of not stealing the host¡¯s spotlight. Immediately, Justin overtook Christopher. Listening to his grandson¡¯s words, Nigel revealed an approving smile -and gave Justin a thumbs up. Nigel had nned to donateter, but now his grandson has saved him the trouble. Seeing an opportunity, Lance raised his hand and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯l donate too! It¡¯ll be lower than Wyatt. $4 billion, how about that?¡± The crowd apuded. ¡°How generous!¡± Since the Salvador family made a donation, the Iverson family, holding the same social status and wealth, could not stay silent. Otherwise, they would be embarrassing themselves. ¡°Thanks, bro!¡± Wyatt smiled and waved at Lance. A few billion dors was nothing in the eyes of these behemoths. They threw it around like throwing a ball! ¡°Did Dad donate $4 billion to the Thompson family¡¯s foundation? What a loss!¡± Charles mumbled in dissatisfaction. ¡°In Dad¡¯s eyes, if the $4 billion could restore the image that Christopher lost, then the money was well spent.¡± James looked at Christopher¡¯s pale face and let out a mocking smile. After presenting the gifts, Christopher and Justin both walked down the stage. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so cunning and strategic. It must have been hard work.¡± Christopher adjusted his gold-rimmed sses as a sinister glint appeared in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you this time, but only this time.¡± ¡°Be mindful of the words you choose, Mr. Iverson.¡± Justin slightly raised his chin, appearing handsome and arrogant. You did not give it to me. You lost to me.¡± ¡°Justin Salvador.¡± Christopher gritted his teeth, and his eyes turned red. He could not bear to hear the word ¡°lost.¡± Chapter 676 ¡°But have you considered why you still lost against me despite being well prepared?¡± Justin¡¯s eyes remainedposed, and he gave a beautiful yet cynical smile. ¡°Even if I resorted to ying mind games, it¡¯s all to win Be¡¯s favor. On the other hand, your intentions seem far from innocent. Despite knowing that Mrs. Iverson was feeling unwell, you insisted on bringing her to the banquet tonight. Just by doing that, you¡¯ve set yourself up for failure.¡± With those words, Justin walked away. Christopher¡¯s breath was ragged as he gazed hatefully at Justin. The banquet unfolded in a lively and joyful atmosphere. Justin felt extremely happy to have achieved an initial victory. He decided to step outside for a smoke to reward himself. He did not walk far from the banquet hall when a delicate call reached his ears, tugging at his heartstrings. ¡°Justin!¡± His chest tightened, and he swiftly turned around. Be was swiftly approaching him. Her clear, bright eyes sparkled with hope. Her silky hair was swaying lightly with the wind, and her red lips exuded a seductive charm. Justin felt an impulse surge within him to pull her tightly into ant embrace and kiss her. In they could hear each other¡¯s erratic breathing. There were no words exchanged, just silence. The tension in the air was almost palpable. link of an eye, Be stood before him. Their gazes met, and Be was the first to break the silence. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to prepare such an unexpected gift for Aunt Celeste tonight.¡± She lightly coughed. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and she continued. ¡°I could tell that among all the birthday gifts, the one she liked most was the crown prop you gave her. It even overshadowed all the gifts I gave her.¡± Justin¡¯splexion suddenly turned pale, and he quickly exined, ¡± I¡¯m sorry, Be. I just thought that Madam Celeste would like the gift very much. I didn¡¯t think it through.¡± He continued to apologize, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I never had the intention of stealing the limelight. You¡¯re Madam Celeste¡¯s precious family, and the gift you gave her must be her favorite.¡± ¡°Hey, can you stop apologizing to me for no reason? How ma imes do I have to say it? I hate it when you keep saying sorry to m makes me feel like I bully you all the time!¡± Be frowned impatiently and pursed her red lips. ¡°I just want thank you for your gift.¡± Justin was shocked. He could handle it when she scolded him, hi him, and threw tantrums at him. But Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. when she unexpectedly said ¡± thank you¡±, he found himself at a loss. ¡°It¡¯s been a long, long time since I felt this happy, especially about Aunt Celeste.¡± Be smiled contentedly. ¡°So, no matter what, I have to express my gratitude.¡± ¡°In your heart, family will always be the most important. That¡¯s great.¡± Justin gazed affectionately. ¡°You used to be important to me too.¡± Be¡¯s heart trembled at the thought. A myriad of emotions surged in her chest. ¡°By the way, Be,e with me.¡± Justin grabbed her hand. ¡°I also have a gift for you.¡± Chapter 677 ? Justin led Be through the deserted corridor with hurried steps, like two lovebirds trying to elope together. Be gazed deeply at Justin''s broad back, which gave her a sense of security. Her breath got heavier, and she could feel her palms sweating. At this moment, there was an undeniable slight flutter in her heart. At the same time, she could not help but resent herself for liking him. Not only for all the past incidents but also now, simply from holding his hand. It was infuriating! He seemed to be getting off too easy! Ignorant of Be''s internal turmoil, Justin remained delighted as he led her to the entrance of a luxurious suite. Flustered and embarrassed, Be forcefully pulled her hand away. Her face turned aze, and she angrily said, "Justin! What is the meaning of this?! How dare you treat me like some easy girl? Do you think I wouldn''t dare call my brothers here to chop you into pieces right now?" Justin was taken aback by her sudden outburst. But, seeing that she had misunderstood, he shed a wry smile. "Where''s thising from? The gift I wanted to give you is stored inside." Be''s eyes widened, and she pursed her lips tightly. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. "While I can handle your brothers teaming up against me, I would like to leave them with a better impression." Justin''s eyes darkened slightly. He leaned closer and teased her. "Hypothetically, even if I wanted to be naughty, you''re the only person I would take home." "I would never go back to that ''home'' of yours, not even if you beat me to death! Enough is enough!" Be became increasingly embarrassed as she listened. She turned her head away to avoid looking at him. "Tideview Manor has never been my home. Be, I never had a home." Justin''s voice shook, and his gaze instantly became dim. A pang of pain struck Be''s heart. "In the future, wherever you are will be home to me. But if that''s not possible, I would rather wander through life endlessly." Justin choked on his bitter words. Be slowly shifted her gaze to his eyes. Her gaze resembled that of a sick person, exhausted and numb from the torment of a painful illness.N?velDrama.Org ? content. With just one look, Justin felt a stab in his heart. He was overwhelmed with regret. He was too impatient and acted hastily. Even if he genuinely felt this way, he should not have expressed it like that. He knew all too well that she despised hearing those words the most. Be suddenly asked, "You were once in the military, right? A soldier in the peacekeeping force." Justin sensed something ominous and was about to respond when Be interrupted him. "During those years, you had indeed experienced a hard journey. But you did it for someone else. You know deep down in your heart that it certainly wasn''t for me." ''Oh no... It''s over...'' Justin felt both anxious and flustered. His thin lips trembled, he felt his throat tighten, and he struggled to speak. Just then, the door clicked open. Both of them were caught off guard. It significantly alleviated the awkwardness and embarrassment. "Mr. Salvador! Young Madam! It''s really you!" Ian stood at the doorway, smiling. "I vaguely heard the two of you talking. I didn''t see youe in after a while, so I opened the door to check." Be and Justin stood there and stared at him. Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Ian broke into a cold sweat. "I didn''t disturb you, did I?" "Not at all," Be said coldly. She lowered her gaze and swiftly entered the room. Justin pursed his pale lips and followed behind her. Ian was about to enter the room when Justin shut the door right in his face. With a cold toneing through the crack of the door, he uttered two words, "Stay here." Ian quickly stood at attention and said, "Yes, Mr. Salvador!" Chapter 678 As soon as Be entered the room, she noticed an antique collection box. It was crafted from high- quality ebony and was sitting elegantly on the coffee table. With her discerning eyes, she could tell from the box alone that it contained something extraordinary inside. ¡°What a beautiful box.¡± Be sighed, her gaze fixed on it. ¡°Don¡¯t just look at the box. Open it and see what¡¯s inside.¡± Justin walked slowly to her side. His attention waspletely focused on her captivating beauty. Carrying a mix of confusion and anticipation, Be wiped her slightly moist hands on her skirt. Justin noticed this adorable gesture of hers, which made him flutter with delight. It warmed his heart. Be opened the box cautiously. The scene of a stunning fusion of delicate pink and ethereal azure unfolded before her eyes. The col on the me-zed porcin were so beautiful that it was unreal. ¡°Wow!¡± Be eximed, covering her red lips with both hands. In Wyatt¡¯s private collection, there were countless pieces of jewelry and antiques from around the world. But there were no antiques from the 13th century. The appearance of this porcin seemed to fill that void. Be was overwhelmed with excitement and joy. Justin said with a faint smile, ¡°I came across this three months ago from a collector in Ennd. I thought you would love it. After some negotiation and a bit of persuasion, he agreed to sell it to me.¡± ¡®It was worth it.¡± Justin thought. The moment she revealed her joyful smile, all the weariness from the effort and challenges he faced to acquire it dissipated. ¡°Beautiful¡­ It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± Be murmured softly, her almond eyes. shimmering with delight. As she was not wearing gloves, her hands could only encircle the cup, not daring to touch it. ¡°It¡¯s yours now. Feel free to touch it as you like.¡± Justin¡¯s gaze radiated a gentle and tender warmth as he moved behind her. Slowly and cautiously, he lifted his arms and grabbed her hands, pulling her close against his warm chest. With aposed breath, he firmly but gently took hold of her hand from behind. Be sensed his warm breath flowing through her hair and into her ear. A wave of warmth from the depths of her heart made her entire body and ears turn red. As their hearts raced, their shadows melded together. The air s to carry a subtly intoxicating, sweet Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. scent. ¡°Justin, you¡­¡± Be¡¯s rosy lips parted slightly when she felt a subtle pressure on her back. Justin leaned forward and pressed against her. His muscr arms tightly embraced her slender waist, drawing her close to his chest. ¡°Be, you can scold and hit meter,¡± he said, holding her in his embrace without uttering another word. The birthday banquet had reached its climax, and it was time for the dance. As the main character of the night, Celeste danced with Wyatt amidst the melodious music. It was a scene that evoked admiring smiles. from the surrounding guests. As Wyatt was born into a prestigious family, he had mandatory lessons in social dancing. Despite his age, he gracefully outshone the younger gentlemen on the dance floor. With Celeste¡¯s background in singing, dancing, and acting, she showcased her exceptional talent too. The duo¡¯s performance was a magnificent disy, captivating everyone¡¯s attention. Some guests brought dance partners, while others soughtpanions out on the spot. Laughter and joy filled the dance floor, creating a delightful atmosphere. James naturally danced with his wife, Coral. As for Ryan¡¯s dance partner, there was no one else aside from Carrie. Chapter 679 Carried stuttered, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to dance.¡± Initially, Carrie satfortably on the sofa in the corner. She was sipping juice and enjoying a slice of cake. Little did she know that Ryan would insist on dragging her onto the dance floor! Carrie had seen her parents and Bethany dance, but she felt it was not for her. Besides, she never expected to be the center of attention in such a setting. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll teach you slowly, Carrie.¡± Ryan bent down, cing his hands gently on her shoulders, patiently coaxing her. ¡°Ryan, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Carrie lowered her head, looking pitiful. There was a little smear of cream still on her lips. ¡°Everyone here can dance so well, but I can¡¯t, and I¡¯ll embarrass you. Besides, I don¡¯t like crowded ces. It makes me anxious.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes narrowed, feeling an indescribable difort. The second statement was what truly hit his heart. He genuinely cared for her. However, his excitement often led him to get carried away, causing him to overlook her social anxiety and autism. ¡°Ryan, are you mad at me?¡± Carrie felt anxious as she observed his silence. She shuffled her feet awkwardly. Ryan quickly kneeled in front of her, revealing a devilishly charming face that could enchant the world. Using his fingertip, he wiped away the cream from the corner of her lips and licked his fingers. ¡°Mmm! So sweet!¡± Carrie¡¯s rosy cheeks instantly turned red, and she shyly clenched her delicate fists. ¡°Why did you do that? It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s so dirty.¡± ¡°Why would it be dirty? You¡¯re sweet and fragrant all over, Carrie.¡± Ryan¡¯s charming eyes sparkled sincerely. He firmly held her cold. hand, covering it. Carrie¡¯s heart raced like a startled rabbit. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, when have I ever lied to you?¡± When Ryan locked eyes with Carrie, a mischievous thought crossed his mind. He smirked and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been sitting quietly all night. How about letting me teach you to dance?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really clumsy.¡± Carrie confessed,cking confidence. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll teach you slowly.¡± Ryan leaned in close to her ear warm breath teasing her earlobe. ¡°Just like when I taught you to k ¡°Ah!¡± Carrie turned crimson, letting out a surprised exmation at t unexpected analogy. Ryan yfully gave himself a light smack on the mouth. ¡°Stay focused! Be serious, you pervert!¡± On the other side, the Thompson family¡¯s gathering was equally lively. Sasha was in high spirits, holding a ss of red wine and dancing with Amelia. Surprisingly, M was dancing with Asher, leaving Ralph dumbfounded! ¡°Mom! If you want to dance, you could either ask Dad or me. Why are you dancing with Asher?¡± Ralph looked at his mother helplessly as she gracefully danced with Asher. However, it had to be acknowledged that when his mother danced, she not only looked youthful but also radiated elegance. One could imagine how remarkably beautiful she must have been twenty years ago. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to dance with you. You¡¯re so clumsy and awkward. Catching criminals suits you better. Dancing isn¡¯t your thing!¡± M teased as she twirled with Asher. Ralph shrugged indifferently. ¡°Even if I dance well, what¡¯s the use? It won¡¯t help me catch criminals. Do you think dancing for them will make them surrender on the spot?¡± M countered with a smirk, ¡°If you could really do that, it would great. It would save us from using knives and guns. Just scare th to death on the dance floor!¡± The mother and son bantered, bringing continuousughter to the crowd. Meanwhile, Roza sat alone in the corner, sipping her drink. She watched the joyful and warm family, and her eyes gradually reddened with tears. ¡°Ms. Walker.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Lost in thought, Roza quickly lifted her gaze. Axel appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of her. He wore a sunny smile and extended his right hand like a fine gentleman. Chapter 680 ¡°May I have this dance?¡± Axel asked as Roza stood up gracefully. She ced her slender hand in his palm. ¡°Of course,¡± she replied. Under the soft glow of the lights, Axel furrowed his brows. The glint of tears in Roza¡¯s eyes caught his attention. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip on her hand, causing her heart to skip a beat. Instinctively, she tried to pull her hand away. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you having second thoughts?¡± Axel raised an eyebrow, his tone growing more serious. ¡°No¡­ But why are you grabbing my hand?¡± Roza expressed her discontent. ¡°If I don¡¯t grab your hand, then should I grab your foot instead?¡± Axel found her question amusing and yfully teased her. ¡°You¡­!¡± Roza intended to retort, but to her surprise, Axe her slender waist and smoothly spun her around. Her vision spun, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself with Axel to the rhythm of the music. ¡°Were you crying earlier?¡± Axel asked in a hushed tone as he wrapp his hand around her waist. He gazed into her slightly reddened eye ¡°Who was crying? I was just tired, yawned a couple of times, and tears came out.¡± Roza dismissed his question, trying to appear tough as she tried to cover up the truth. ¡°Oh. I might have misunderstood.¡± ¡°What do you mean you might have? You definitely misunderstood!¡± Roza responded with frustration, clenching her teeth. ¡°Your eyesight isn¡¯t even that great! Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have crashed into my car.¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you something,¡± Axel said casually. ¡°What is it?¡± Axel turned gracefully as he spun her around. ¡°After you left, I reported the incident to the traffic police. They have confirmed that the ident was entirely your fault, Ms. Walker.¡± Furious, Roza red at him while nervously biting her lips. ¡°By the way, the insurancepany will reach out to you tomorrow. You don¡¯t have topensate me for mental stress. Just fix my car.¡± With a yful grin, Axel moved closer to her, his face near her blushing cheeks. ¡°Save yourself the money.¡± ¡®Ugh! How could such a shameless man exist in this world?¡¯ Roza roared in her heart, wanting to crush his feet with her high heels! Since the beginning of the dance, Christopher remained by his mother¡¯s side without stepping away. However, his eyes continuously scanned the entire venue in search of Be¡¯s presence. Yet, Be was nowhere to be found. Justin was also missing! Christophe couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. There was a feeling of pressuresmis chest that made it difficult to breathe.e. "Christopher, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. Go quicickly and find Be.¡± Sophie wassimaclear state of mind and looked at her son within quilt ¡°T know that you have liked Be for a long time. Go and dance with her. t¡¯s a great opportumiw.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t linger around anoto tady like me. Go on.¡± ¡®Mom, you¡¯re avethiming it. I¡¯m more than happy to stay here withth you. Christopher kneeled tofort his mother, smiling gently. ¡°There¡¯s¡¯s plenty of time for me and Balta.¡± ¡®Christopher!¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Christopher abruptly looked up. nis gaze turning icy. Sophie recognized the familianwatce, and it sent shivers dow spine. Trembling, she quickly moves mco her son¡¯sforting embrace. ¡°Christopher! Come out! I need to talk to you¡±Lance demanded a stern and angry gaze. Christopher confronted his father with acuit and sinister tone. ¡°Dad, are you getting so old that you have lest your eyesight? Your wife is Fight here. Are you ring at me because youcam see?¡± Chapter 681 ¡°You brat! How dare you speak to your own father like that?¡± Lance was furious. If it were not for the crowd of guests, he would have pped some sense into Christopher by now! Aside from Wyatt Thompson, most of the older folks at the party believed in a strict approach to teaching. Top-notch people did not need much guidance, but average folks needed some rules. Meanwhile, troublemakers need to be seriously disciplined. Dealing with his son required even more than that. Christopher needed to be taught a lesson he would never forget! ¡°If you showed some respect for my mother, maybe we can still salvage what¡¯s left of our rtionship. But if you keep this up, I¡¯ve got harsher words for you,¡± Christopher said with a smirk. His smile seemed mocking, yet his gaze was dead serious. The fake smile made Lance feel uneasy. At the end of the hallway, the two Iverson men confronted each other on the terrace. £„ The temperature outside couldn¡¯t match the heated tension between them. ¡°What do you want?¡± Lance questioned him, his face as cold as frost. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the true value of the gift I gave to Madam Celeste. If you think my gift outshone yours and hurt your pride, then I apologize,¡± Christopher said dismissively. ¡°After all, ignorance is bliss, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue!¡± Lance stepped forward, his eyes filled with anger. ¡°Why did you bring her to such an asion? Are you trying to embarrass me or provoke me intentionally?¡± Christopher burst intoughter. ¡°I thought it was something important, but it turns out to be just this.¡± ¡°Christopher!¡± Lance clenched his fists, his eyes turning red. ¡°Do you now find my mother repulsive? She¡¯s the one you promised to grow old with, through good times and tough times.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°You ignored her for fifteen years in Sentania. Now that I¡¯m taking care of her, who are you to call her disgusting? I haven¡¯t disrespected you, and that¡¯s just me fulfilling my duty as a son.¡± £„ ¡°You animal!¡± Lance finally became furious and pped Christopher. Christopher¡¯s cheek instantly swelled with his father¡¯s handprint. Yet he still smiled, his eyes almost bloodthirsty. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve gotten weak help you stay strong?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shut up, you animal!¡± Lance pointed angrily at his defiant son. ¡°Take your mother and leave now! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll send someone to take her away and send her back to Sentania!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Christopher clenched his fists with veins bulging on his forehead. His fierce side sharply contrasted with his usual calmness in front of Be. ¡°Tonight, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill anyone who dares to touch my mother!¡± ¡°You!¡± Lance¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply. He truly felt a chilling, murderous intenting from his son¡¯s intense, bloodshot eyes. £„ ¡°As long as the Iversons are allowed to be here, my mother has the right to stay too. And tonight, you saw that both my mother and I are guests of Ms. Be. If you kick my mother out, it¡¯s disrespectful to Ms. Be. Whatever ns you have won¡¯t work if you offend her.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t want more words with this scheming old man and turned to leave. ¡°I never betrayed your mother. It was she who destroyed our marriage, making me look like a bad guy! And because of that, I lost a daughter!¡± Lance couldn¡¯t hold back and yelled, ¡°If she didn¡¯t have an affair with some random guy, she wouldn¡¯t have had a miscarriage! She could have been the respected Mrs. Iverson, not aughingstock!¡± ¡°I believe in my mother¡¯s character. She loved you deeply and would never want another man.¡± Christopher was on the verge of losing control. His shoulders shook, and his hoarse voice expressed deep anguish and resentment. ¡°I¡¯ve said it many times before. James, Charles, and Astrid-your most trusted children-conspired against my mother! Without investigating the truth or listening to my mother¡¯s exnation, you just sent her away to that dreadful ce. Marrying you was the worst £„ thing that happened to my mother!¡± ¡°Sparing her and keeping her as Mrs. Iverson was already showing enough respect! I caught them red- handed with my own eyes! What more does she need to exin?¡± Lance could not reel back his anger, and his face turned red. Recalling the awful incident from years ago, Lance wished he could strangle Sophie then and there. Now, he still had to deal with this little troublemaker right in front of him! ¡°Idiot.¡± Christopher sneered, muttering under his breath, then turned away again. In truth, he had no intention of bringing up this painful matter. Each recount of his mother¡¯s humiliation reopened old wounds. This time, it was just an impulsive response. He had long given up on expecting Lance to realize the truth about his three scheming children. It didn¡¯t matter to him anymore because all of them would soon face their downfall. £„ Chapter 682 In the beautiful suite, there was a slightly awkward yet exciting vibe. Soft light filled the room, highlighting the closely intertwined figures of Be and Justin. Justin held Be so tightly that she could hardly breathe. With a gasp, she wriggled in his arms, her cheeks blushing with warmth. ¡°If you don¡¯t let go, I might actually hit you!¡± Even in her anger, Be¡¯s voice sounded like she was ying around. ¡°Be, would you really hit me?¡± Justin¡¯s jaw lightly brushed against her shoulder, his eyes narrowing. Her blush added to the charm. ¡°What¡¯s there to hesitate about? You¡¯re not that important to me,¡± Be said coldly, but a tingling feeling ran through her body. ¡± Justin¡¯s eyes brimmed with affection, and his voice was hoarse. ¡° After all, I kind of saved your life.¡± Be slightly closed her eyes. The warmth in her chest made it difficult for her to breathe. Justin had indeed saved her life. However, what he didn¡¯t realize was that she had once been his savior too. Justin felt anxious when Be was silent. He thought he might have said something wrong, so he quickly added, ¡°Be, I wasn¡¯t thinking when I said that. I¡¯m nothing but your pet, your personal dog.¡± Upon hearing this, Be bit her lip tightly, nearly bursting intoughter! The prideful Justin was willing to be her pet?! Just picture the envy of all the women in Savrow when they find out! Chapte ¡°How about you bark a couple of times for me?¡± Be yed along, making a somewhat cheeky request. She said it as a joke. At this point, she had no intention of getting involved with Justin any further. So she might as well y the viin and tease him a bit to vent her frustrations. ¡°Woof, woof!¡± Be was shocked. ¡°Woof, woof!¡± Worried that she might not have heard clearly, Justin barked a couple more times. Honestly, the initial barks left his cheeks burning with embarrassment. But as he barked a couple more times, somehow he started to ept this strange turn of events. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chauwr 623 As long as Be was happy, Justin did not care if he had to bark all night. ¡°Justin, seriously. Are you crazy?¡± Be could not stand it any longer. She felt extremely embarrassed. ¡°If I told you to bark, you¡¯d bark. What if I asked you to die? Would you actually do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. If I die, I won¡¯t be able to see you again.¡± Justin gently turned Be around, and their eyes met. In his gaze, she felt a wave of intense emotions, vulnerable and exposed. ¡°Justin,¡± Be said. Before she could finish her sentence, Justin interrupted by removing his tie. He handed it to her. ¡°Lead me home, Be.¡± Be stared nkly at the tie, feeling confused. Justin gulped, his eyes fixed on her seductive red lips, leaning in closer. His vision blurred, and his heart raced uncontrobly. Suddenly, the phone rang! As if waking from a dream, Be pushed Justin away and turned to answer the phone. ¡°Steve? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Ms. Be! Where are you?¡± Steven¡¯s voice anxiously rang out. ¡°I¡¯m at the hotel, dealing with some matters. Did something happen?¡± Chapter 683 Be asked nervously. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about Madam Celeste! Something happened to Madam Celeste!¡± ¡°Hurry, tell me! What happened to Aunt Celeste?¡± Be was extremely anxious. Justin moved close behind her, also bing nervous. ¡°Just 10 minutes ago, a bunch of old scandals about Madam Celeste¡¯s past surfaced online! There are news articles, photos, and even videos!¡± Be¡¯s heart sank. ¡°How are the people reacting to this?¡± ¡°More and more people are tuning in! The photos and videos have already gone viral!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°What about Aunt Celeste? Is she aware?¡± ¡°Of course she¡¯s aware! Not only that, the media in the entire city i swarming to the KS World Hotel!¡± Steven, in his urgency, felt as if his throat was on fire. ¡°Madam Celeste can¡¯t stay here any longer. Chairman Thompson has asked her and Ms. Amelia to head home first. He wants you to escort £„ them back to Hatchbay.¡±. ¡°The banquet here will be managed by Chairman Thompson and Mr. Asher. If everyone leaves together, it¡¯ll seem like we¡¯re hiding something, and things will spiral out of control.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll find Aunt Celeste and Amelia right away! Send me those photos and videos, and quickly find out where these photos and videos surfaced from!¡± Be was furious and bit her red lips fiercely. ¡°If I catch the person behind this, I¡¯ll make sure they regret it!¡± Be¡¯s phone vibrated. Steve had sent the videos and photos over She immediately opened up the chat and took a closer look. Instantly, her entire body shook with anger, her eyes aze. ¡°Be, are you alright?¡± Justin was about to approach Be when she suddenly screamed,¡± It¡¯s none of your business!¡± £„ Chapter 684 Justin was shocked. His hands paused abruptly in midair. He initially reached out tofort Be. ¡°I can see that you¡¯re in a hurry. I only wanted to¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Be was not in the mood to entertain him any further. She quickly moved away from him, ncing at her phone while sprinting out of the room. -Bang! The door was mmed shut behind her. In an instant, the warmth that Justin felt had vanished. Everything that had just happened felt like a dream. Even the priceless antique he had gifted her was left behind. To Be her family was the most important. Nothing else mattered. Justin felt an overwhelming sadness in his heart. However, he knew it wasn¡¯t the time to wallow in sadness. He opened the door and left the room. ¡°Mr. Salvador! I just saw Ms. Thompson storm out. Did you upset her?¡±n asked with genuine concern, giving him a somewhat disapproving look. After all, Justin was known for being cruel with his words. ¡°Be is facing some trouble,¡± Justin responded, his gaze intense. ¡°Oh? That exins themotion downstairs earlier.¡±n quickly pulled out his phone, swiping his thumbs across the screen. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. ¡°Mr. Salvador, take a look at this!¡± Justin¡¯s dark eyes focused on the video ying on the phone screen. His handsome brows furrowed, and he snatched the phone. The footage was from years ago. The blurry pixels made it unclear, yet it was undoubtedly a video of Celeste on stage. She appeared embarrassed, covering her lower body with her hands as fluid streamed down her slender legs. The audience below stared fixedly at her, letting out shocked gasps. Several cameras were shing continuously, capturing the moment. ¡°My mother was a big fan of Madam Celeste back then. She mentioned how Madam Celeste¡¯s career took a hit due to a drug abuse scandal. When she was performing at TS Gem Channel, she even had an incident where she lost control and peed herself.¡± wasn¡¯t as advanced and most phones couldn¡¯t record videos, so news didn¡¯t spread so quickly. Being a hardcore fan of Madam Celeste, my mother was camped out at the TS Gem station and saw it with her own eyes.¡± Justin listened, feeling uneasy. He could empathize with her pain. Celeste was a morous celebrity Falling from such heights must have destroyed her dignity. The embarrassment must have been worse than death for her. ¡°I heard from my mom that all the newspapers and magazines had headlines about Madam Celeste¡¯s disgrace, covering everything. It was everywhere, like you could find one just by going downstairs to throw out the trash. However, within a few hours, all those newspapers and magazines disappeared! No one knew who took them away, and they were never found again.¡± Justin squinted his eyes,prehending the gravity of the situation. It was undoubtedly Chairman Thompson pulling the strings. Only someone as powerful as Chairman Thompson could quickly erase all the negative coverage about Celeste from national newspapers and magazines. ¡°Only today, the scandal went viral. It seems the mastermind behind this has been plotting for a long time. They are even quite skilled to have obtained the video that Chairman Thompson had erased years ago.¡± Justin was calm andposed despite his earlier rejection by Be. He analyzed the situation calmly. ¡°The person who released this video is either an insider from the TS Gem Channel or someone connected to Madam Celeste¡¯s past.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, you¡¯re really sharp!¡±n continued to tter Justin. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Find out where this video originated from immediately. Check who released this video-an influencer or a journalist. Anyone even remotely connected to this matter should be identified and detained.¡± Justin instructed, his expression determined. ¡°Yes, Mr. Salvador!¡± With the instructions given, Justin swiftly walked away, sweeping pastn. Chapter 685 ¡°Mr. Salvador! Where are you going?¡±n hurriedly asked. Justin halted his steps. He said without turning back, ¡°Be went to help her family. I need to go and protect her.¡± It did not matter whether she loved him or not. Regardless of whether he held a ce in her heart, Justin wanted her to be a part of his life. That was enough for him. When Celeste¡¯s past scandals suddenly resurfaced, it stirred up a storm. Someone was manipting the media behind the scenes to publicize her embarrassing past. Reporters swarmed to the KS World Hotel like flies. The public opinion took a clear shift. [Unbelievable! You can actually watch the ugly side of a o popr female celebrity for free?] ly [Seriously! What¡¯s this? People usually shed tears during their farewell performances, but she peed?] [You youngsters might not have heard, but I¡¯ve got some inside information. Celeste was suspected of drug abuse, which led to he downfall in the entertainment industry!] [It¡¯s unbelievable! Is it true?!] [Does Chairman Thompson still want a woman like her? The Thompson family is a top-notch elite family. Why are they putting up with all sorts of dirty things?] [Sigh, they even threw a birthday banquet for such a woman. I bet the Thompsons are regretting it!] As Be ran toward the banquet hall, she read through the rumors Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. online. The more she read, the more infuriated she became. Her beautiful eyes turned red from anger. Outside the banquet hall, Asher, Axel, and Ralph stood at the door while intensely discussing something. ¡°Ash, Ax, Ralph!¡± Be urgently called. ¡°Be!¡± they responded in unison. ¡°Where¡¯s Aunt Celeste? Where is she now? What¡¯s the situation?¡± Be was breathing heavily, and her forehead was covered sweat, ¡°Dad has already sent a group of bodyguards to escort Asher hurriedly approached Be. He pulled out a handkerc his pocket to wipe his sister¡¯s sweat. ¡°They should be in the underground parking lot by now. We need to stay here to handle things.¡± ¡°What about Aunt Celeste? How is she?¡± Be brushed aside Ashe hand. She was solely focused on Celeste. The three brothers exchanged nces and shook their heads. ¡°When Aunt Celeste left, her face was pale, and she was trembling . She must have been severely shocked.¡± Axel sighed with frustration.¡± After all, that incident has always traumatized her. It must have been twice as traumatizing for it to be brought up on such an important day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this!¡± Ralph was so enraged that he pulled his hair. ¡°I¡¯m calling the police station now. I¡¯m going to ask the senior officials from the Cyber Security department to help me find out which damn son of a gun is behind this.¡± ¡°Ralph, calm down.¡± Asher firmly intervened. ¡°You¡¯re a public servant. Even if this matter bes a big deal, it¡¯s still a family matter. You can¡¯t abuse your power. Otherwise, you¡¯re making a serious mistake.¡± Ralph was taken aback for a moment, snapping out of his anger. He was a rash young man. Sometimes he struggled to control his impulsiveness. Had Asher not reminded him in time, he might have taken the wrong path. In their moment of frustration, there was suddenly a loud shatter. Be punched the ss door of a fire hydrant. It shattered to p and the ss fell all over the floor. ¡°Be! You can¡¯t do that!¡± They hurried over to check on Be. T three brothers were usually calm and collected in their own areas d expertise, but in front of their little sister, they were like a bunch of headless chickens. Chapter 686 ¡°Be, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± Axel saw blood dripping from Be¡¯s fingers. He eximed, almost on the verge of tears, ¡°Call an ambnce! Hurry, call an ambnce!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. What¡¯s the fuss about? You really haven¡¯t seen anything.¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes flickered with a chilling light, and her hand shed in front of Axel. Swish- In that instance, Be pulled off Axel¡¯s tie and skillfully wrapped it around her injured right hand. ¡°Damn! That¡¯s so cool!¡± Ralph mumbled,pletely mesmerized by Be. ¡°Be, calm down.¡± Asher looked heartbroken. He gently cradled Be¡¯s hand wrapped in the tie. His eyes were filled with reproa Are you silly? No matter how angry or anxious you are, you can¡¯t ha yourself. Our family is here together. Is there any problem that can be solved?¡± ¡°You guys, stay here and find out who is behind this as soon as possible! Leave Aunt Celeste and Amelia to me. I will bring them home safely!¡± Be shouted as she sprinted away. ¡°Hey! Be! Your hand is injured!¡± Axel could not stop her. She had long disappeared from their sight. Ralph shook his head helplessly. ¡°She¡¯s even more impulsive than me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not hold Be back. She has skills, intelligence, and medical knowledge. The three of usbined are not even a tenth of her.¡± Asher patted Axel¡¯s and Ralph¡¯s shoulders with a soft sigh. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t personally handle this matter, she won¡¯t be able to sit still. Just let her handle it. As her brothers, we will secretly protect her.¡± Be did not have time to see Wyatt. She sprinted to the underground parking lot. ¡°Ms. Thompson! You can¡¯t go over there!¡± Unexpectedly, the Thompson family¡¯s bodyguards intercepted her halfway. Be said sharply, ¡°Get out of my way!¡± ¡°Chairman Thompson said the parking lot is chaotic right now, s shouldn¡¯t get too close. Our security team will escort Madam Cel and Ms. Amelia out safely.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust you!¡± With her remarkable agility, Be avoided the two bodyguards and continued running forward. A few minutester, she found her family surrounded by reporters. ¡°Ms. Celeste! What are your thoughts on tonight¡¯s events?!¡± ¡°Are the videos and photos true?! Is the scandal from back then true?!¡± ¡°Can you rify?!¡± The crowd was chaotic, with people pushing and shoving. The reporters seemed determined to hound Celeste until they had torn her apart! Amelia held onto her mother tightly, while Sasha and M stood in front. They acted as a barrier against the surging crowd. ¡°Don¡¯t spread baseless rumors! I¡¯m warning you. If you spread false information, we will sue you!¡± Sasha yelled at the questioning reporters, wishing she could knock some sense into each one of Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. them! ¡°All of you, please leave! There won¡¯t be any answers, and there won¡¯t be any rification ! Because Celeste has a clear conscience!¡± M, though moreposed than Sasha, was also on the verge of exploding. ¡°Clear conscience? Madam M, even though the incident from years ago is long past, it doesn¡¯t mean everyone who knew the truth bas died!¡± Suddenly, a middle-aged male reporter with a lecherous smile sa was present during the TS anniversary celebration. I personally witnessed Madam Celeste¡¯s incontinence on stage.¡± The reporters burst intoughter. Who would have connected the once dazzling actress with the word ¡°incontinence¡±? Chapter 687 The reporters chuckled. Their gaze was full of malicious intentions, mockery, disdain, and loathing. Celeste could feel every mocking gaze that was directed at her like a stab to her heart. She felt as if her heart were crushed. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll protect you!¡± Amelia tightly hugged her mother, shielding her from their sinister gazes. The normally shy and cautious Amelia now had a resolute gaze. She whispered in Celeste¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯ll never let anyone harm you.¡± ¡°Amelia, I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Celeste shook her head with a vacant expression. Her once-clear eyes are now muddled and chaotic. Seeing this, Amelia felt her heart ache. Tears involuntarily streamed down her face, freezing in her mother¡¯s hair. ¡°What did you say? I dare you to say it again?!¡± Sasha pointed di at the journalist¡¯s face. Her face turned red with anger! Another journalist mocked. ¡°Madam Sasha, this matter has nothi to do with you. Why are you so angry?¡± ¡®These journalists were likely sent to cause trouble!¡¯ Sasha¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, instantly seeing through the situation. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be angry?! Celeste is family to me. Insulting her is equivalent to insulting me!¡± Sasha said indignantly, wishing she could break his ribs! The journalist sneered. ¡°Family? In front of the media, you might appear to be a loving family, but who N?velDrama.Org ? content. knows what¡¯s going on behind the cameras?¡± ¡°Madam Sasha, when ites to affluent families, as journalists, we have seen it all. Which woman doesn¡¯t feel jealous orpete for attention? If it weren¡¯t for necessity, who would willingly share a husband with other women?¡± ¡°I¡­!¡± Sasha almost cursed out loud, but M signaled her to keep quiet. They represented the Thompson family when out in public. They had to keep in mind the consequences of their every action, as it could cause trouble for Wyatt and Asher. ¡°Sasha, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t stoop to their level,¡± M turned around, pulling Sasha toward the car. The middle-aged journalist started to sneer. ¡°After all, Madam Celeste was once the leading actress in the entertainment industry. She st be ashamed of herself for quitting due to drug-rtedplica Before he finished speaking, he saw a blur in front of him! Everyone was shocked! No one saw how Be appeared out of nowhere. She arrived like lightning bolt and stood in front of her family. The male journalist got a clear view of Be¡¯s stunning face and was deeply stunned. ¡®She¡¯s so beautiful. How could there be such a beautiful woman in the world?¡¯ He had seen many charming actresses and celebrities in his career in the entertainment industry. But he had never seen a woman as beautiful as Be. She was the definition of a femme fatale. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one insulting Aunt Celeste. Your mouth is full of shit.¡± Be smiled coldly. Not waiting for him to reply, she grabbed his cor and raised her other hand high. In front of all the reporters, she ruthlessly delivered a resounding p across the man¡¯s face. Everyone was stunned, including the Thompsons. ¡°Be¡­¡± Amelia froze. At this moment, her admiration for Be skyrocketed. ¡°Damn! You¡¯re awesome, Be!¡± Sasha apuded fervently. She wanted to rush over and give him a piece of her mind too, but M quickly hugged her tightly. ¡°You¡­ How dare you hit me? How dare you publicly assault someone!¡± The man held his stinging face and stared at Be in panic. Chapter 688 ¡°Just hitting you isn¡¯t enough. I¡¯m going to sue you and take legal action against you. I¡¯ll make you pay for your despicable actions.¡± Be showed no hint of fear. Her voice was icy and cold. ¡°You are spreading false rumors and causing trouble unnecessarily. Without knowing the truth, you fabricated stories and defamed my family. You even ndered Aunt Celeste¡¯s reputation. Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re a journalist, you can say whatever you want. Just because the people you¡¯ve harmed before chose not to make a fuss, do you believe you¡¯re untouchable? Tonight, I will thoroughly change your mindset. I¡¯ll let everyone with malicious intentions know what the consequences should be.¡± Everyone was awed by Be¡¯s imposing attitude. Clearly, she was the one in the wrong for striking him. But she was so beautiful and valiant, it made it hard for others to hate her even if shem crime. ¡°Fabricated stories?¡± The enraged journalist burst into mockingughter. ¡°Only the younger journalists don¡¯t know what happened the TS Gem Channel anniversary celebration. The rest know exactly what happened. Even if the inte wasn¡¯t as advanced at that time, we all still have our memories.¡± ¡°Is that so? You may have your memories, but do you have evidence?¡± Be¡¯s tone remained calm, and her gaze was cold and intimidating. The man¡¯s confidence wavered as he visibly softened under the direct scrutiny. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You were quite articte when asking questions just now. What happened? Cat got your tongue?¡± Be nced at his press pass. ¡°Alright, adults should be responsible for their words and actions. The legal department of KS Group will be contacting you.¡± The man was visibly shaking in fright. After saying that, she turned and escorted her family toward the car. ¡°Be, you really don¡¯t need to do this for me.¡± Celeste held onto the edge of Be¡¯s clothes. Her eyes were red, and her face was pale. ¡°What are you talking about, Aunt Celeste?¡± Be gazed at her Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. reassuringly. ¡°If a doges to bite you, as your family, I must help you fend it off. It¡¯s too inconvenient for Aunt M and Aunt Sasha to get involved. I¡¯m young and unafraid of stirring up trouble. I have no reservations.¡± At that moment, a series of exmations erupted from the crowd! A man wearing a ck mask and a baseball cap suddenly ch out of the crowd, shouting, ¡°Celeste! You shameless woman! How dare you show your face?! to hell!¡± In the midst of chaos, the man wielded an iron rod, swinging it directly at Celeste¡¯s head. ¡°Watch out!¡± Amelia¡¯s heart stopped in fear as she shouted. Although the bodyguards were well-trained, this man was no pushover. With swift and precise movements, he caught them off guard. However, Be reacted instantly. In the split second before the menacing man closed in, she turned and tightly hugged Celeste, shielding her from the attack. ¡°Be!¡± Both M and Sasha eximed in shock. Be¡¯s heart pounded wildly as she closed her eyes, ready to endure the impending blow. Bang-! ¡°Ugh!¡± The sensation of pain did not follow. Instead, what followed was the familiar sound of a man¡¯sbored breathing. The sound was like an explosion in Be¡¯s ears. She was shocked. ¡°Justin!¡± Justin had taken the blow for her. Be slowly turned to face him, tears pouring out of her reddened eyes. Chapter 689 Justin¡¯s broad and tall figure shielded her. His breath gradually weakened, bing morebored. ¡°Be¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°Are you a fool?! At a time like this, I should be asking you that.¡± Be growled at him, her voice low as tears welled in her eyes. Justin¡¯s head throbbed, his vision bing increasingly blurry. Despite that, he still smiled tenderly at her. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about me, then I¡¯ll¡­¡± Suddenly, Justin¡¯s mind went nk, and everything went dark before him. Be¡¯s heart raced. She opened her arms and embraced his faltering figure, hoarsely calling out his name ¡°Justin!¡± 1 * The thug who attempted to harm Celeste was promptly subdued by the Thompson family¡¯s bodyguards and taken to the police station by Ralph. As the man was escorted into the police car, Be unexpectedly dashed over, her eyes red. She was ready to physically confront the man. Ralph promptly held her back, whispering in her ear, both coaxing and advising, ¡°Be! Leave it to me. Let me handle this scum! Don¡¯t dirty your hands with such filth. It¡¯s not worth it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him¡­ I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes teared up, almost hysterically struggling in Ralph¡¯s embrace, still wanting to hit the man. Asher and Axel rushed over, both equally stunned by the scene. They knew that even though their younger sister had a fiery temper, she was a strong-willed person who remained calm even in the face of storms. They had never seen her lose control like this before. The man was handcuffed and seated in the police car. Before the car drove away, he even leaned out, revealing a sinister smirk directed at Be. ¡°Ralph! Make sure not to go easy on him. Absolutely not!¡± Be was consumed by anger. She hated the man to the point that her eyes. turned bloodshot. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Be.¡± Ralph nodded firmly and then boarded the car. Be stood in the cold wind with clenched fists. ¡°Be.¡± Asher walked over, embracing Be¡¯s shoulder and pulling her into aforting hug. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. 7 ¡°Justin has already been taken to the nearest hospital in an ambnce. Dad went there as soon as he heard. He¡¯ll arrange for the best doctors. Justin will be fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, Be.¡± Axel joined in to console, ¡°That guy used to be in the military. He¡¯s tough as nails. It¡¯s probably just a few bruises. He can handle it.¡± ¡°Handle it?¡± Be felt a sharp pain in her chest, nearly biting her teeth to pieces. ¡± That was an iron rod! No matter how tough he is, he¡¯s still a human. It¡¯s fortunate that he didn¡¯t die on the spot from a blow to the head with an iron rod. How can he handle that?!¡± Axel¡¯s eyes narrowed. Realizing it was not a good time for jokes, he felt a twinge of guilt. ¡°I know all the doctors at our hospital. Who among them can be better than me?¡± Be took a deep breath, breaking free from her big brother¡¯s embrace. ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital now. If anything happens to Justin, that thug is done for!¡± Watching the stubborn figure of his younger sister leave, the two brothers sighed. Axel asked anxiously. ¡°Ash, did I say something wrong just now?¡± Asher answered, ¡°Yes. Regardless, Justin also saved Be. Beside he¡¯s in critical condition now. You shouldn¡¯t joke about it.¡± ¡°Sigh, my bad, my bad¡­ I know we owe a lot to Justin. Without him, it would be Be being rushed to the hospital. But my mouth works faster than my brain, and I didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡± Axel regretted it more and more. He was almost on the verge of tears. ¡°Ash, you have to help me¡­ I¡¯m really afraid Be will be mad at me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that won¡¯t happen. Be doesn¡¯t hold grudges against us.¡± Chapter 690 Asher¡¯s expression turned serious as he patted Axel on the shoulder. ¡°However, when you mention Justin¡¯s name in front of Be in the future, don¡¯t overemphasize his nickname, Jerkface Justin. Be mindful of your words.¡± Axel realized what Asher meant, and a mix of emotions stirred within him. He nodded in understanding. On the second floor of the KS World Hotel, Christopher stood at the railing, overlooking the hurried figures of Wyatt and Nigel below. The mirrored gaze in his eyes swept across with a chilling gloom. ¡°Mr. Iverson.¡± His secretary approached from behind, leaning in to speak in a hushed tone. ¡°I¡¯ve found out. Ms. Be almost got attacked by a t in the parking lot while protecting Madam Celeste. But Justin Salvador suddenly appeared and took a blow to his head.¡± Christopher furrowed his brows. ¡°His head¡­ My goodness, he really is daring! Has he been practicing the Iron Head technique ?¡± The secretary shuddered at the thought. ¡°Say what you need to say, and keep quiet about what you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Christopher coldly reprimanded him The secretary was petrified, tightly sealing his lips. ¡°What happened next? Did he copse on the spot?¡± Christopher asked with a dark tone.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No¡­ But he fell into a severea because his head was bleeding heavily.¡± ¡°What about Be?¡± The secretary nervously swallowed. ¡°Ms. Thompson went to the hospital with him¡­¡± ¡°Good¡­ Very good. Hahaha!¡± A cold, eerieughter emerged from Christopher. The corners of his eyes reddened. His smile turned sinister, looking like a wild beast on the verge of losing control. ¡®Justin, I love it when someone ys with me. Are you really willing to go to such lengths for Be and repeatedly y the victim card to gain her sympathy? I¡¯ll let you revel in your triumph for a moment. Soon, I will make all your efforts go down the drain. As long as I liv you will never be able to win back Be¡¯s heart!¡¯ Justin was rushed into the emergency room at the Thompsons¡¯ hospital for treatment. Wyatt and Asher personally assisted Nigel, hastily making their way to the hospital with their entourage. ¡°Justin! Justin! My grandson!¡± Worried for his grandson, the elderly man stumbled along the way. If it weren¡¯t for the support of the Thompson father and son, Nigel probably would not have been able to take a single step. ¡°Old Master Nigel, rest assured! This hospital has the best doctors and the most advanced medical equipment in our group. I¡¯ve also instructed Asher to notify them to get an expert to consult on Justin¡¯s condition. We¡¯lle up with a solution that will work. Your grandson will be fine!¡± Wyatt was anxious too, but he tried his best to reassure Nigel. ¡°How did he end up like this¡­? How did he turn out like this?!¡± Nigel sank into a chair, his heart heavy. Tears of deep sorrow welled up in his ssy eyes. ¡°My dear grandson¡­ You must hold on!¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Hearing the voice, everyone turned around. Be, looking disheveled, rushed over. She walked over to Nigel and kneeled on one knee before him. ¡°Grandpa Nigel¡­¡± Nigel was taken aback by her pale face and red eyes. ¡°Grandpa Nigel, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Be felt like her throat was being strangled. After a moment, she spoke softly, full of guilt. ¡°Justin is only like this because of me.¡± Chapter 691 ¡°Be, what are you saying?¡± Nigel was dumbfounded by Be¡¯s words. He stared nkly at her in disbelief. ¡°The situation was extremely chaotic at that moment. Some thugs suddenly attacked us. I was preupied with protecting Aunt Celeste and was unable to free my hands to defend myself. Those thugs were skilled, and even our bodyguards couldn¡¯t stop them¡­¡± Be recalled the moment when Justin took a blow to the head for her. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her chest felt heavy, making her voice hoarse. ¡°In that critical moment, Justin rushed out to protect me. If it weren¡¯t for him, the one being treated right now would have been me. Grandpa Nigel¡­ It¡¯s all my fault. I reacted too slowly. You can scold me or hit me. This time, I owe it to Justin.¡± Wyatt saw his daughter humble herself like this for Justin, which pained him greatly. ¡°Be¡­¡± ¡°Silly child, why are you so foolish!¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as he quickly helped Be up. £„ Whether it¡¯s you or Justin, Grandpa will feel distressed if either of you gets hurt. If it were you lying inside, Grandpa would cry even more bitterly!¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Be was deeply moved. Her throat tightened, and she could hardly speak. ¡°Be, Justin took this blow for you. You mustn¡¯t feel guilty or me yourself.¡± Nigel gently stroked Be¡¯s soft hair, his aged eyes filled with tenderness for her. ¡°That scoundrel treated you horribly for three whole years, betraying your heart. Now that he¡¯s in this state, he deserves it. It¡¯s his redemption! Don¡¯t feel sorry for him. Let him take the blow so he can clear his head a bit!¡± Be knew Grandpa was putting on a courageous act. After all, Justin was his biological grandson. How could he not feel hurt? ¡°Old Master!¡± Matt hurriedly approached, looking concerned. ¡°Mr. Gregory and Ms. Shannon have arrived.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Nigel¡¯s expression darkened a bit. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say not to inform them for now?¡± ¡°I did follow your instructions not to inform them, but with such a £„ major incident, news spreads fast.¡± Before Matt could finish, a group of people approached them. ¡°Justin! Where¡¯s Justin?!¡± Gregory walked toward them while loudly inquiring. He rarely showed such concern for his second son. However, this time, Gregory was in panic upon hearing that Justin had taken a blow to the head with a metal rod and was bleeding profusely. Justin was hanging between life and death. The worry was etched all over Gregory¡¯s face, and it seemed as if he was growing gray hair on his temples. Watching Gregory suddenly care so much about this illegitimate child, Shannon felt a burning hatred. At the moment, she could only pretend to show concern and joined in crying, ¡°Justin! Justin!¡± Even Bethany couldn¡¯t bear to watch, making a disgusted expression behind her mother, mocking the situation. ¡°Why all the yelling? Are you a bloody banshee?!¡± Nigel, supported by Be and Matt, stood up shakily. His irritation was evident in his voice. ¡°Dad! How is Justin doing?!¡± Gregory anxiously asked. ¡°He¡¯s still getting treated. Getting anxious won¡¯t help anyone. Just sit down and wait!¡± Nigel replied crudely. £„ ¡°Mr. Thompson! I heard my son ended up like this because he was protecting your daughter. How are you going to make it up to me?!¡± Gregory boldly approached Wyatt. If he weren¡¯t a prominent figure in the business world, he might have grabbed Wyatt by his cor already. Seeing this, Asher quickly intervened. ¡°Chairman Salvador, let¡¯s handle this calmly.¡± ¡°Calmly? If it were your son lying inside, would you still stay ca ?!¡± Gregory was thoroughly angered by the Thompson family. Ever his son divorced Be Thompson, the Thompsons have been ca trouble one after another. Now, his son¡¯s life was in jeopardy beca of that girl. How could he calm down? Shannon smirked inwardly, finding the situation amusing. Initially, her goal was to ruin Celeste. But unexpectedly, this illegitimate child willingly stepped forward to protect her. If he wanted to die so badly, she would dly help him! ¡°Chairman Salvador, I understand. But Justin is inside now. Shouting and causing a scene won¡¯t solve any problems. Asher attempted to mediate the situation. £„ Chapter 692 At this point, Wyatt could only offer this constion. ¡°Ever since Thompson Hospital coborated with the Larson family, it has be the top hospital in the country in terms of medical technology. Your son will receive the best treatment here, and he will surely get through this critical period.¡± Nigel pursed his lips and thought, ¡®Best in the country? Salvador Hospital is also quite formidable! This old man is always boasting about being exceptional!¡¯ Just then, the door to the emergency room opened. Two of the nation¡¯s top experts in neurosurgery urgently emerged. Both had less- than-pleasant expressions. Be became nervous and wanted to rush forward at the first opportunity, but a myriad of emotions held her back, preventing her. from taking that step. ¡°Doctor! Doctor! How is my grandson¡¯s condition?!¡± Nigel, supported by Gregory, rushed forward at the first opportunity Be looked at Nigel¡¯s trembling legs, and her heart ached as if it were tearing apart. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. The doctor¡¯s expression was particrly grave. ¡°Mr. Salvador¡¯s current condition is very unfavorable. He has not yet escaped life- threatening danger.¡± It was as if a thunderbolt had struck the Salvador family members, and Nigel was on the verge of copsing on the spot. Gregory¡¯s face turned deathly pale. ¡°How¡­ How could this happen?!¡± ¡°If Mr. Salvador¡¯s head had only suffered a recent impact, it would be rtively easier to handle. However, when we performed a CT scan on Mr. Salvador¡¯s brain, we discovered an old injury. That means he had previously experienced head trauma. The blood clots had formed in his brain, which have not beenpletely cleared until now.¡± ¡°Old¡­ Injury?!¡± Nigel found it hard to believe. ¡°My grandson is raised like a precious gem. How could he have an old injury? Who dares to harm my grandson?!¡± Be¡¯s heart pounded suddenly. Everything seemed as clear as day at that moment. Back when she was Justin¡¯s wife, she had been helping him with acupuncture treatments for his head ailment. But every time she tried to inquire about his condition, he would turn impatient and refuse to discuss it. It turned out that he had suffered severe head trauma back in Kridor. Was that why he developed severe migraines? ¡°Now, this blood clot has shifted and ispressing on his nerves we don¡¯t remove the blood clot, there¡¯s a risk of brain death.¡± The doctor¡¯s words thoroughly frightened Gregory and Nigel. Gregory felt his heart sinking, and Nigel was on the verge of copsing in his son¡¯s arms. ¡°Justin! He¡¯s so young¡­ How did ite to this? Oh, heavens!¡± At this moment, Shannon burst into tears. She wept bitterly, using Be while wiping her tears. ¡°Ms. Thompson, all Justin did was divorce. In the three years of your marriage, has he ever mistreated you? Why won¡¯t you let him go?! Justin did not evene to my birthday, but he went to celebrate Celeste¡¯s birthday with your family. Now, he¡¯s in this life-and- death situation! You¡¯re deliberately making Justin¡¯s life hell!¡± ¡°Mrs. Salvador, what are you saying?¡± Asher, alwaysposed and graceful, could not bear to see her sister wronged. He immediately stepped forward with a serious expression. ¡°This marriage is a debt Justin owes my sister. The way my sister treated him is known to your family. We¡¯re also concerned about Mr. Salvador¡¯s condition, but don¡¯t you dare use this opportunity to nder my sister and paint her as a wicked person. Madam Shannon, if you utter another word, I cannot guarantee what I avor will say or do to you.¡± Wyatt nodded in agreement, silently moving to stand behind Be, providing strong support. Shannon shuddered fiercely in her heart. But sensing that Gregory was still agitated, she bravely spoke. ¡°Am I wrong? Reflect on yourselves! Has anything goode out of the days that Justin has been entangled with your sister? Your sister deliberately targeted Justin!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong! It was my grandson who pursued her. Shut your damn mouth!¡± Nigel was breathless but insisted on defending his beloved granddaughter, Be. Shannon¡¯s face resembled a spilled palette, a mix of red, white, and green. It was not a great colorbination at all. Lore ¡°Doctor, what should we do now? How can my son wake up Gregory, no longer concerned about Bells only cared about Justin¡¯s safety His eldest son was sickly so Gregory could not bear the thought of anything happening to Justin-his only healthy son-leaving him with no her Chap 07 ¡°Doctor, what should we do now? How can my son wake up?¡± Gregory, no longer concerned about Be, only cared about Justin¡¯s safety. His eldest son was sickly, so Gregory could not bear the thought of anything happening to Justin-his only healthy son-leaving him with no heir. Chapter 693 The doctor wiped away his sweat. ¡°Mr. Salvador¡¯s current condition. requires a craniotomy immediately.¡± Everyone was shocked. ¡°Craniotomy?!¡± ¡°Do it! If this can save him, then do the surgery!¡± Nigel decisively away ¡°The problem is that we need to perform the surgery right But our hospital currentlycks a doctor who can confidently perform this operation.¡± Gregory angrily looked at Wyatt and said, ¡°Chairman Thompson! Weren¡¯t you just confidently iming that you could save my son?! . What do we do now?¡± Wyatt frowned, speechless. ¡°Who said we don¡¯t have one?¡± Be, with a calm expression. stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll perform Mr. Salvador¡¯s surgery.¡± Everyone was immensely shocked; even Wyatt and Asher were dumbfounded. They knew Be had medical skills. Otherwise, she would not have joined Doctor Without Borders. But this was not a simple, ordinary surgery. It was a craniotomy! ¡°What are you saying?¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes widened, staring fixedly at Be¡¯s serious and beautiful face. Chopper 1 ¡°Be! Can you perform a craniotomy?¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes sparkled with revived hope. ¡°Yes, Grandpa Nigel.¡± Be forced a reassuring smile, moving forward to tightly grasp the old man¡¯s hand. ¡°Please trust me. I¡¯ve got everything under control. I promise to return a lively and energetic grandson to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking big. What if you can¡¯t save Justin?¡± Bethany took the opportunity to taunt her. After all, such opportunities were rare. Be¡¯s icy, beautiful eyes nted slightly, sweeping across Bethany¡¯s face like a cold breeze. ¡°If I fail, I¡¯ll twist my head off topensate you all.¡± Everyone was stunned. Asher frowned, letting out a bitterugh. ¡®Oh, how gruesome.¡¯ Ryan found out about Justin¡¯s ident after thetter was admitted Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. to the hospital. ¡°Carrie, Justin had a bit of an ident. I¡¯ll take you home first. Rest early, and please don¡¯t wait up for me.¡± Ryan attentively helped Carrie put on the red cotton jacket brought over by Yasmin, wrapping her up tightly. His gentle and charming eyes radiated warmth. To avoid worrying Carrie, Ryan downyed the severity of Justin¡¯s situation. ? Chapter 694 At this moment, Zoe stood beside her mother, dressed extravagantly like a true princess. The pitiful scene of her begging, crying, and apologizing to Ryan was nowhere to be seen. Instead, her gaze toward Carrie was sinister, as if she wished to pounce and bite off Carrie¡¯s throat! ¡°Mom, let me introduce you.¡± Zoe grinned insincerely, ring at Carrie. ¡°This is the one I told you I about, Ms. Carrie Salvador, my middle school ssmate. She¡¯s now my brother¡¯s girlfriend, haha. Isn¡¯t it coincidental?¡± Upon hearing the words ¡°girlfriend¡±, Carrie¡¯s heart felt like it had been pierced by sharp needles. Carrie¡¯s small face blushed, and she shyly lowered her head. Intense self-doubt made her instinctively want to withdraw her hand from Ryan¡¯s warm palm. But Ryan seemed to have read her inner thoughts and adamantly refused to let go. ¡°Zoe, have you said enough?¡± The man¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, a his voice carried a hint of anger. Zoe, backed by her mother, grinned recklessly. ¡°Big brother, did I say £„ something wrong? Why are you so angry? Or perhaps you only dare to keep Ms. Salvador outside as a secret lover, but don¡¯t dare to bring her home for Mom to see? Deep down, you also look down on her because you know she¡¯s not worthy of the Hoffman family, right?¡± ¡°Zoe, shut up!¡± Ryan could not bear hearing someone humiliate his beloved woman in front of his family. His eyes turned red with anger. Yasmin stood behind them, clenching her fists. ¡°Big brother, look at the way you¡¯re getting mad.¡± Zoe chuckled. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t touched on your pain point, would you be this angry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to argue with you.¡± After all, Ryan was a grown man and could not shout at his sister in front of his mother. He suppressed his frustration and said in a deep voice, ¡°Carrie, Yasmin, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± At this moment, the frosty-faced ire suddenly spoke. Ryan halted in his steps, and he gripped Carrie¡¯s hand even tighter, feeling the chill in his palms. £„ ire didn¡¯t say much. She just wore a faint, almost imperceptible smile as she approached the couple who were deeply in love. This smile momentarily eased Ryan¡¯s vignce. Little did he know, as ire reached Carrie, her eyes turned unexpectedly fierce, and she suddenly raised her hand. Smack! ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Carrie¡¯s head turned to the side, her cheeks stinging and throbbing. Tears of injustice filled her eyes. ¡°Mom! What are you doing?!¡± Ryan¡¯s narrow and astonished eyes instantly reddened with anger. Overwhelming fury threatened to engulf his reason. Yasmin clenched her fists, seething with indignation. Yet, as a subordinate of the Hoffman family, she dared not defy orders in front of Ryan¡¯s mother. ¡°Do you think you deserve to be with my son?¡± ire ignored Ryan¡¯s fury, coldly fixating on the silently weeping Carrie. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll tolerate you dating my son just because you are from the Salvador family. I¡¯m not even satisfied with your sister, Bethany. How could I possibly let you, an autistic woman, urs as soon as be my son¡¯s wife? Stop this wishful thinking of £„ possible!¡± ¡°Mom! I won¡¯t allow you to hurt Carrie. I don¡¯t want you to say anything more!¡± Ryan stood in front of the tearful Carrie, his eyes filled with resentment and anger. His iron fists clenched tightly, ready to confront anyone who dared challenge him. ¡°That¡¯s if you still want me to acknowledge you as my mother!¡± Zoe covered her mouth in astonishment. She thought bringing their mother here would be the ultimate move Everyone in Savrow knew her big brother was a devoted son who listened to his mother¡¯s words above all else. Unexpectedly, for Carrie¡¯s sake, Ryan would rather quarrel with his mother. How could this happen?! ¡°Ryan¡­ Are you really going to disown me, your mother, for this mentally challenged girl?!¡± ire¡¯s chest heaved violently, her eyes full of pain ¡°Carrie is not mentally challenged Carrie is the person I love!¡± Ryan took a step closer to ire His restrained tone carried a hint of tremor, unable to conceal the imminent burning passion. ¡°I love £„ Carrie. Besides her, I don¡¯t want anyone else. If you insult her again or hurt her once more, you¡¯ll lose your only son N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Ryan! Have you gone mad?! For this woman, you¡¯re willing to forsake your own mother? £„ Chapter 695 ire was nearly driven to madness. Her mind was in turmoil as she struggled to find the right words. Ryan, who was always an obedient son, became unfilial and rebellious after a few days of absence, all because of this foolish girl. ¡°Ryan! You know Mom¡¯s health is not good. How can you upset her like this?¡± Zoe supported ire Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. and changed her approach. ¡°Ryan, how many women have you fooled around with since you were young? You change women like you change clothes! Your quarrel with Mom over Carrie is just a momentary whim! Once you¡¯ve had your fill of ying and you recall the hurtful words you spoke to Mom today, you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life.¡± Carrie stood quietly behind Ryan, clutching a teddy bear. Hearing these words, a sharp pain struck her heart, and she trembled, taking a step back. Her delicate, longshes fluttered as she gazed at the man¡¯s broad shoulders, sturdy waist, and handsome figure. Although this man provided her with a sense of security, for some unknown reason, she felt uneasy, confused, and fearful. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve never asked you for anything or made any demands since I was young. Whatever you and Zoe wanted me to do or have, I have unconditionally fulfilled them or helped you achieve it.¡± Ryan clenched his hands tightly, his voice strained and hoarse. He said bitterly, ¡°I¡¯ve lived for 28 years. I want nothing but to be with Carrie. Can¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Before Ryan could finish his sentence, ire roared at him, ¡°Unless I¡¯m dead, you can forget about being with her¡­ Forget about letting this mentally challenged woman marry into the Hoffman family!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes turned crimson. ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°You¡¯re my only son and the hope of the entire Hoffman family! If you get involved with such a woman, how can I face your father after I die?¡± ire was fuming. Her carefully maintainedposure was on the verge of breaking. ¡°Shannon and Bethany both plotted against Zoe! The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree! If her mother is like that, this girl is probably no good either. She¡¯s just pretending to be innocent to deceive you!¡± Zoe feigned concern on the surface, but inside, she wasughing maniacally. ¡°Mrs. Hoffman, you said that Ms. Salvador was a fool earlier. How can a fool deceive others? She¡¯s only in a position to be deceived Yasmin could not stand it anymore and retorted with indifference. ¡°Who do you think you are? Shut your mouth!¡± Zoe pointed her sharp finger at Yasmin. Zoe had long found Yasmin annoying, as thetter was always trailing behind her brother. Now was the perfect moment to vent her frustrations. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me what kind of person Carrie is.¡± Ryan took a deep breath, no longer willing to engage with them. ¡°Whatever you say or do won¡¯t change my decision. I only want Carrie.¡± This statement sent ire¡¯s blood pressure skyrocketing again. ¡°Mr. Hoffman! Ms. Salvador has disappeared!¡± Yasmin whispered urgently, scanning the surroundings for any sign of Carrie. ¡°Carrie¡­ Carrie?!¡± Ryan¡¯s face turned ashen. Without looking back, Ryan sprinted away. ¡°He¡¯s gone mad¡­ Ryan is absolutely mad!¡± ire covered her heaving chest, struggling to catch her breath. ¡°Mom, we can¡¯t give up because of this!¡± Zoe watched Ryan¡¯s retreating figure, her teeth biting down with determination. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even care about me, his own mother. What else can we do?¡± ire¡¯s eyes were full of disappointment. ¡°What about Grandpa? Can he ept such a granddaughter-inw?¡± Zoe¡¯s gaze darkened. Her scheming mind had alreadye up with a n for a long time. ¡°As long as we find an opportunity to make Grandpa see that this woman is aplete fool, he will definitely intervene.¡± ¡°Zoe, will it really work like this? Your elder brother is so stubborn, I¡¯m afraid your grandfather¡­¡± ¡°It will work.¡± Zoe spoke with unwavering conviction and a cold, calcting expression on her face. ¡°Ryan hase this far to gain Grandpa¡¯s approval and bring honor to our father. He wished to secure the entire Hoffman Group. If he offends Grandpa, everything Grandpa has given him will be taken back, and the one to control the group in the end will be Uncle Liam. Dad raised Ryan to be better than this and ced high expectations on him. Ryan would be letting Dad down if he gave up control of the Hoffman Group.¡± Ryan notified his bodyguards to search for Carrie¡¯s whereabouts, so everyone scattered in all directions. The pitch-ck night sky was adorned with glistening white snow, falling gracefully like scattered petals. It was a picturesque night, but Ryan was not in the mood to appreciate it. His only concern was Carrie¡¯s safety. Chapter 696 Finally, Ryan finally found Carrie sitting alone on a swing in the middle of a park. She was lost in thought.. ¡°Carrie¡­¡± Ryan gazed at Carrie¡¯s delicate silhouette from a few steps away. Her jet-ck hair was dusted with snow, and ayer of frost stuck to her little red jacket. At a nce, she looked like a little snowman. He thought, ¡®Silly girl, how long have you been sitting in the snow?¡¯ ¡°Carrie, I finally found you.¡± Ryan¡¯s heart ached as he walked toward her. Ryan kneeled in front of the girl, one knee on the ground. Hisrge, warm hands tightly covered hers, which were cold from hugging her teddy bear. ¡°How did you find me?¡± Carrie blinked in surprise. ¡°Carrie, our hearts are connected. No matter where you run off to will find you.¡± Ryan¡¯s heart was overwhelmed with pain. He raised his hand to touch her flushed cheeks gently. His voice cracked as he said, ¡°Silly girl, you can never run away from me in this lifetime.¡± Carrie¡¯s gaze fell, and she remained silent. ¡°It¡¯s quite cold sitting here. Come, let¡¯s go home together.¡± ¡°Ryan, I want to live with Grandpa.¡± Carrie slowly withdrew her hand from his grasp. ¡°I just called Uncle Matt. He¡¯s sending someone to pick me up now.¡± ¡°Carrie, don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡± Ryan widened his eyes and asked meekly. Carrie quickly shook her head, biting her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you. I don¡¯t want you to argue with your mom.¡± She added, ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t be angry with your mom anymore. She¡¯s your mother. You should listen to her.¡± ¡°But I only want to listen to you.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were tender as he brushed off the snow on her shoulders. He cradled her rosy face with his palms. He knew her face must be in pain from the cold, and he was hoping this gesture would bring her some relief. ¡°Ryan, please go home quickly. Uncle Matt wille to pick me soon.¡± Carrie urged him reluctantly. ¡°Carrie, let me ask you something.¡± Ryan gulped. He smiled at her, but his eyes were red. ¡°Do you love me?¡± ¡°Love?¡± Carrie raised her eyes, her pupils slightly trembling. Her pale lips moved slowly, as if she had lost her ability to speak. For a while, she did not utter a single word. Ryan¡¯s heart felt heavy and bitter. What was he thinking? Didn¡¯t he say it was enough that he loved her? ¡®Ryan, you¡¯re in love with an extraordinary girl¡­ You shouldn¡¯t force her like this¡­¡¯ ¡°Ryan.¡± Carrie softly called his name. She slowly lifted her hands and gently ced them on Ryan¡¯s back. ¡°I love you, Ryan. In my heart, I have loved you since a long time ago. Maybe it was the first time you kissed me. Maybe it was when I hid in my room, secretly drawing a portrait of you.¡± Maybe it was every time you stood by my side, despite the looks you got. I don¡¯t understand what love is, but I think that my feelings for you must be love.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Ryan was deeply moved to the verge of tears. He felt his heart pounding intensely. Ryan, who had been a casanova for most of his life, felt a profound emotional awakening. For the first time, it was as though spring had arrived in his heart. In the midst of wind and snow, the two lovers embraced deeply. Th man pulled her trembling body into his coat, but it was not enou He wanted to bring her into his heart. Chapter 697 In the wee hours of the morning, Ryan hurried to the hospital after putting Carrie to sleep. He joined the Thompson and Salvador families in the waiting room. Due to Nigel¡¯s old age, he could not pull an all-nighter. Thus, Gregory helped his father to afortable VIP room to get some rest. Asher walked to the corridor as he answered Ralph¡¯s call. Ralph said, ¡°Ash, I just finished interrogating that bastard. I¡¯ve been a detective for many years. At first nce, I could tell that the man was hiding something. But he¡¯s as stubborn as a bull and refused to talk!¡± ¡°What did that guy say?¡± Asher asked in a low voice. ¡°He imed that he attacked Aunt Celeste because he used to be a fervent fan of hers. After Aunt Celeste left the entertainment industry, he held a grudge and felt that his idol had deceived his feelings.¡± Ralph continued to vent his frustration to his elder brother. ¡°It¡¯s utter nonsense! Aunt Celeste was a famous celebrity back then. He¡¯s just toad dreaming of kissing a princess. How could he me Aunt Celeste for being out of reach?¡± Asher frowned. ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°Right, sorry, Ash. I¡¯m just so angry and went off topic.¡± Ralph collected his thoughts and said in a deep voice, ¡°He said that he attacked Aunt Celeste impulsively after seeing her reappearing in public. Her appearance stirred up memories of the past, and he couldn¡¯t take it. But that¡¯s a load of bullshit. I don¡¯t believe a word of I¡¯m certain someone instigated him to do this!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been investigating all night. This is basically what I thought too,¡± Asher said in a faint tone. ¡°Asher, there¡¯s nothing I can do. Currently, the evidence I have can only reveal this much. Besides, this guy is quite cunning. His phone is clean. There¡¯s no sign of him being influenced or manipted. I suspect he has another phone, and he nned everything out meticulously.¡± ¡°You need to continue probing into this man¡¯s background. If he was bribed, it means that it¡¯s not his first timemitting such a crime. There may be other victims,¡± Asher instructed. ¡°But what if this is the only time he did something like this?¡± Ralph asked. Asher squinted his clear eyes and coldly said, ¡°Then I don¡¯t believe his confession. Everything is too coincidental. It looks like someone set a trap. We must thoroughly investigate the mastermind behind this who is attempting to harm Aunt Celeste.¡± ¡°I understand, Asher. I won¡¯t let our family suffer injustice.¡± Ralph paused and hesitated. ¡°How is Justin doing?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t passed the critical period yet.¡± Asher¡¯s throat tightene ¡°Oh.¡± Ralph was at a loss for words. Asher added. ¡°But I believe the situation will improve because Be is currently performing brain Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. surgery on him. The surgery has been ongoing for five hours.¡± Ralph almost spat out his drink in shock. ¡°B-Brain surgery? Does Be think that people¡¯s heads can be cracked open like watermelon? Sorry, Asher, but I can¡¯t help but find this funny. The way Be is taking revenge on her ex-husband is quite unique.¡± ¡°We have to trust in the miracle doctor, Dr. Brown. For her, a craniotomy shouldn¡¯t be much more challenging than cutting a watermelon.¡± Asher casually boasted about his talented sister. ¡°Dr. Brown, the miracle doctor?!¡± Ralph stared nkly and shouted in realization. ¡°Is Be that amazing doctor who has been featured in newspapers and magazines?¡± Asher proudly nodded. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s our little sister.¡± Ralph¡¯s jaw almost hit the floor. ¡°Damn, she¡¯s awesome!¡± Chapter 698 The following day, at 9:00 a.m., the Salvador family members gathered outside the operating room. Gregory supported Nigel as they both stared anxiously at the door of the operating room. Shannon had already left, iming to feel unwell, and went home with Bethany. Since Nigel had always disliked her and she did not care about Justin¡¯s life or death, Shannon simply could not be bothered to pretend anymore. Instead, she went home to get some beauty sleep. ¡°So much time has passed. Why hasn¡¯t Bee out yet?¡± Wyatt sat in the corridor. He was constantly looking in the direction of the operating room, feeling uneasy. ¡°Craniotomy is not a simple surgery. It can take a while.¡± Asher gently patted his father on the back and reassured him. ¡°Rx, Dad. Be is even stronger and more formidable than you can imagine. She wil perform this surgery sessfully.¡± Wyatt, however, shifted his concern to Be¡¯s well-being. ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about that. I¡¯m worried about my daughter standing for the whole night. Can her body take it? Is she tired? Did she have time to eat and drink?¡± The more Wyatt asked, the more worried he became. If Asher had not been holding him back, he might have rushed in and checked on his daughter. Asher smiled helplessly. ¡°Dad, I thought you were concerned about the patient lying inside.¡±. Wyatt looked at Nigel¡¯s anxious figure and said, ¡°That kid did save my precious daughter this time. I¡¯ll give him some credit. He went from having negative points to zero points now.¡± Asher pursed his lips and remained silent. He did not say anything because he had promised Be to keep the secret. ¡°Dad, I have a question. If¡­¡± Before Asher could finish his sentence, a crying voice interrupted him. ¡°Justin! Justin!¡± The quiet and tense atmosphere in the corridor changed. Gregory and Nigel turned their heads in the direction of the voice. They saw Zoe running toward them in high heels, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Zoe, why are you here?¡± Ryan quickly stepped forward to stop her, sternly instructing, ¡°This is not the ce for you to cause a scene. Ge home immediately!¡± Zoe lifted her face to meet his gaze, her eyes filled with cold mocker was Ryan taken aback. He felt that her gaze was terrifyingly unfamiliar. It was as if she had cut off their twenty years of family ties. From her eyes, he could no longer see any trust or reliance on him. The next moment, Zoe gritted her teeth. She forcefully pushed Ryan aside and ran straight to Gregory and Nigel. ¡°Grandpa Nigel! Uncle Gregory! How is Justin? Has he woken up yet?!¡± Zoe cried. Her round face was pale and haggard, and her eyes were red and swollen. Her gasping sobs made her look extremely pitiful. ¡°Who is this?¡± Nigel looked at the weeping woman in front of him, confused. ¡°Dad, this is Ryan¡¯s younger sister, Ms. Zoe from the Hoffman family.¡± Gregory was moved, seeing how emotionally distressed Zoe was for his son. Gregory spoke with a gentle and amiable tone. ¡°When she was little, Ryan often brought her to our house. Justin has always had a good rtionship with her, treating her like his sister. Later on, Zoe Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. went abroad for studies and hasn¡¯t been around much. She just returned this year.¡± ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s Ryan¡¯s sister.¡± Nigel nodded understandingly without saying much. Chapter 699 ¡°Since I was little, Justin has always been very good to me. He cared for me and looked after me. In my heart, Justin is the most important person.¡± Zoe wiped away her tears. She said in between sobs, ¡°When I heard about his identst night, I couldn¡¯t sleep the whole night. I wanted toe overst night, but Ryan wouldn¡¯t let me, and I was afraid of causing trouble for you all. I should have been more sensible. I should havee earlier. Maybe I could have helped in some way.¡± ¡°Ah, good child, you have a kind heart.¡± Gregory sighed. He looked at Zoe approvingly. ¡°Thank you for your concern for Justin. You two must have been close when you were little.¡± ¡°Not only when we were little. Justin and I are still very close now. Zoe blushed shyly. ¡°As long as Justin needs me, I¡¯ll always be there.¡± Even to someone clueless, they could understand the intention behind her statement. Ryan¡¯s handsome face did not look pleasant. Leaving aside other matters, Zoe revealed her admiration for Justin in front of the Salvador family without restraint. Doing so undermined her status as the youngdy of the Hoffman family. ¡°Ash, does Ms. Hoffman have feelings for Justin as well?¡± Wyatt was also quite a gossip, nudging Asher with his elbow as he watched the scene. Asher bluntly replied, ¡°It seems so.¡± Wyatt squinted his eyes with a suspicious look. ¡°And what about Justin? Does he show any interest in Ms. Hoffman?¡± ¡°As far as I know, no.¡± Asher did not intend to speak positively for Justin. However, after multiple encounters and shes, he had seen through Justin¡¯s character. The man was like a single-celled organism. When he liked Rosalind, she was the center of his attention. Not even the ethereal Be could sway him. Now that Justin hade to his senses and had a newfound rity, he dedicated his life to Be. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what these young girls are thinking. What¡¯s so great about that punk? Why do they all flock to him like bees to honey?¡± Wyatt sneered disapprovingly. He muttered, ¡°Meanwhile, my sons are still single. Take a look. Which one of my sons isn¡¯t as handsome as Justin? Which one of them isn¡¯t as cool as him? The Hoffman family has a good background too. Since they have a daughter, she might as well be with my sons. Asher why don¡¯t you give it a try and win her over?¡± Asher¡¯s heart tightened. His gaze flickered as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t like women.¡± ¡°What? What did you say?¡± Wyatt raised an eyebrow. ¡°I mean, Ms. Hoffman is not my type.¡± Asher cleared his throat, smiling subtly. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Ms. Hoffman already has someone she likes? Don¡¯tplicate things and make it difficult for her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what sins I¡¯vemitted. Not a single one of my sons. is like me. They are all busy with their careers and not interested in finding a wife.¡± Wyatt sighed and shook his head, giving up on the idea. ¡°Ms. Hoffman, I appreciate that you still care about my grandson due to your past connections. I acknowledge your kindness, but please leave.¡± Nigel¡¯s attitude toward Zoe was indifferent. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. There was no smile on his face. After all, Justin had not yet passed the critical period, so Nigel had no energy to deal with outsiders. ¡°I heard¡­ Justin got injured while protecting Ms. Thompson.¡± Zoe finally had the opportunity to gain favor with the elders of the Salvador family. She was unwilling to just leave like this and said tearfully, ¡°I want to do something for Justin. Let me stay here and pray for him. I won¡¯t leave until Justin wakes up.¡± ¡°No need, Ms. Hoffman.¡± Nigel managed a faint smile, still maintaining a gentle tone toward the young human intervention and science.¡± Chapter 700 Zoe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly exined, ¡°Grandpa Nigel, I didn¡¯t mean anything else. I don¡¯t want to cause trouble for everyone. I just want to do what I can! Though my abilities are limited, at least I¡¯ve never harmed Justin. I wasn¡¯t the one who put him in the operating room and made him suffer!¡± ¡°Zoe, please stop talking!¡± Ryan frowned, and he walked over to try to stop her. At this moment, Nigel¡¯s face turned cold. He coldly asked, ¡°Ms. Hoffman, are you using Ms. Thompson with your words? Are you saying that Ms. Thompson is at fault for my grandson¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡®Of course! Of course, it¡¯s all that damned Be¡¯s fault!¡¯ Zoe thought to herself. She could not say that out loud because it was obvious that Nigel was tantly favoring Be! Just then, there was a loudmotion. Everyone spun around and saw the door of the operating room open. Wyatt and Asher stood up from their chairs immediately. Everyone quickly swarmed to the door. Two medical staff members came out first. Behind them, a set of slow, tired footsteps could be heard. Be¡¯s graceful figure walked out. Even though she was wearing al loose surgical gown and a mask, her beauty and elegance were undeniable. She took a deep breath and slowly removed her mask. Seeing Be¡¯s bare yet still stunning face, Zoe was dumbfounded. Zoe¡¯s mouth hung wide open because she could not believe her eyes! She thought, ¡®How could this be? Did this wretched woman perform the surgery on Justin?!¡¯ ¡°Be¡­ Be!¡± Wyatt and Nigel both quickly approached, each holding onto one of Be¡¯s slightly trembling hands. The two elders felt a deep sense of unease as they looked at her. Her eyes were red from exhaustion, and there were deep imprints from the mask on her face. ¡°Be¡­ He¡­ Is he¡­¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. He wanted to ask what happened to Justin, but he hesitated. It was truly a heartbreaking sight. Be took a deep breath and gripped Nigel¡¯s hand tightly. She smile and said, ¡°Grandpa Nigel, Justin must have heard your prayers while he was unconscious. I¡¯ve cleared the blood clots in his brain. The surgery was very sessful.¡± Excited exmations erupted from the crowd! Ryan closed his eyes in relief. The weight on his chest finally lifted. Gregory was so moved that he sped his hands together and shouted. ¡°Thank god! Thank god!¡± ¡°What god? Be performed the surgery. You should be thanking her!¡± Nigel retorted as he cast a Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. disdainful nce at Gregory. Though Gregory still harbored dissatisfaction with Be¡¯s character, he did not want to appear petty. Thus, he approached and said in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Thompson, my son¡¯s life was saved thanks to your timely assistance. Thank you for saving him.¡± ¡°Chairman Salvador, please don¡¯t say that,¡± Be replied humbly. She let out a long sigh. ¡°Justin went to such lengths to help me, so saving him is my duty and obligation.¡± ¡°Be! Thank you. Thank you so much!¡± Nigel happily embraced Be, tears almost streaming down his face. Afterforting Nigel, Be¡¯s gaze suddenly turned icy as it fell upon the stunned Zoe. Chapter 701 Zoe gasped sharply and stepped back.. As everybody watched on, Be narrowed her eyes dangerously and approached her. Despite wearing heels, Zoe was still 8 cm shorter than Be. That was the least of her problems. The sheer force of Be¡¯s inner strength and presence overwhelmed Zoe, reducing her to feeling small and helpless. ¡°W-What do you want?¡± Zoe turned pale. ¡°Nothing. I came to answer your questions.¡± Be let out aposed smile before removing her surgical hat. An air of carefree grace clung to her beauty, echoing in the unrestrained flow of her cascading hair. She drew close to Zoe¡¯s ear. ¡°You¡¯re better off pleading with me than God. Justin was injured because of me, but I have the ability to make him better. I can take responsibility for his life. Save your worries for something else.¡± Zoe shuddered and faced Be¡¯s aggression with a flushed face. The bitch heard everything she said. Just as Zoe ran through her options to refute her, Ryan drew near with sparkling eyes. ¡°Be, can you really perform surgeries?¡± ¡°Duh.¡± Be wiped the sweat off her forehead. Her patience ran thin after a long battle at the operating table. ¡°No, no¡­ I mean to say that you¡¯re so badass!¡± Ryan could not think of a better way to praise her. ¡°If you had spent more time in your studies during college, you would have a wider range of vocabry now.¡± Be looked askance at him and shook her head. Carrie was a lovely girl, and yet of all the guys, she saw something in Ryan instead. To Be, Ryan had nothing going for him except for a few loose change in his pocket. Zoe shivered in rage, tempted to stitch Ryan¡¯s mouth up. A flurry of footsteps came from the other end of the corridor. ¡°Chairman Thompson, Mr. Asher, I apologize for not attending to you sooner, as I have only gotten word of your arrival.¡± Scott Cartman, the medical director, together with his deputy director and two leading experts in the field, greeted Wyatt and Asher from afar in a friendly and respectful manner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Scott. I know you¡¯re busy, so I didn¡¯t inform you.¡± Wyatt was amicable and did not have an attitude. It was possible that people with greater power and responsibility often exhibit increased understanding and patience. ¡°That reminds me, Scott. Come here. This is my precious daughter, whom I often talk about. Be, Wyatt puiled Be to his side. He would brag about his outstanding daughter every chance he got. ¡°Here¡¯s something you¡¯ll find hard to believe. My daughter, Be, is very knowledgeable in the medical field. She has just gotten off a ten-hour surgery as the head surgeon. She nailed it right on the head!¡± Asher and Ryan felt a jolt of fear run through them after the unsettling nailingment. Scott exchanged nces with his deputy and looked at Wyatt in shock. ¡°Chairman Thompson, is she really your daughter?¡± Wyatt frowned. ¡°Are you questioning whether she¡¯s my daughter?¡± ¡°No, no, no. That¡¯s not what I mean. Don¡¯t you know who your daughter is?¡± Wyatt was confused. ¡°Know what?¡± Scott gasped and introduced Be with the utmost respect in front of everybody.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 702 Chapter 702 ¡°Your daughter has saved countless lives. She¡¯s the renowned Dr. Brown.¡± Everybody was shocked. Be was not only thepetent general manager of KS World and the talented designer, Alexa, but she was a doctor with magic hands too. Despite being a jack of many trades, Be was certainly not a master of none.. Nigel and Gregory could not believe what they had just heard. The sess of Dr. Brown had spread throughout theirmunity Dr. Brown was very skilled in medicine, especially in surgery. It was nearly impossible to get an appointment with her. Besides, Dr. Brown kept to herself. Despite her great reputation, she never revealed herself or epted any interviews. Hence, many were unaware of her prowess in medicine, except for those closest to her, like Asher and Scott. Be was Dr. Brown. Gregory¡¯s jaw dropped. The unassuming youngdy, who had been living under his roof for three years, turned out to be so talented. A wave of helplessness, loss, and frustration washed over Gregory He would probably never find an amazing daughter-inw like Beagain.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Seriously, Scott¡­¡± Be sighed and let out a wry smile. ¡°Why did you have to tell my dad? Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep it to yourself?¡± ¡°Sigh. You have undergone many sessful surgeries with us in the past three years. I can¡¯t count the times you have navigated us through difficult times. How could you let Chairman Thompson out of it? I understand your wish not to make things public, but you should at least let your father know.¡± Scott expressed his opinion, his eyes reflecting admiration for Be. ¡°You little brat!¡±. Wyatt was d and angry. Since he could never punish his daughter, he pinched her cheek. ¡°How dare you keep this from your father?! Trust me when I say I¡¯ll give you a spanking.¡± ¡°Wyatt, not in front of these people!¡± Blushing, Be spoke in hushed tones. ¡°Anna¡­¡± Nigel approached with tears of joy and held her by the shoulders, getting a look at the incredible woman. He could not get enough of her greatness. ¡°Anna, I have let you down. The Salvadors have let you down.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Grandpa? Don¡¯t say that-¡± Carpet ¡°No, my family has failed you.¡± Nigel¡¯s heart grew heavy, and he could not bear the thought of letting her go. ¡°What should I do? I don¡¯t want anyone but you to be close to my grandson. I can¡¯t ept anyone but you as my granddaughter-in-w. I¡¯m greedy and shameless. I don¡¯t want anyone else but you, Anna!¡± Wyatt¡¯s eyes widened in disgruntlement. He wanted to say something, but Asher held him back. ¡°Why are you behaving like a child, Grandpa?¡± Distraught, Be blushed. Be was the center of attention, loved and admired by all. Standing outside the crowd, Zoe was dejected and left alone. Even her brother did not give her any attention. She was forgotten. Nigel¡¯s words stabbed at her, pushing her to the dark side. She wished she could kill Be. Chapter 703 Chapter 703 It wasmon for those who had major surgery to remain. unconscious for days. However, Justin was not in that percentage of people. He was in the special forces, so he was in tip-top shapepared to most. Justin woke up four days after the surgery. ¡°Mr. Salvador! Mr. Salvador! Mr. Salvador!¡± It was noisy. A voice kept buzzing in Justin¡¯s ear. Justin struggled to open his heavy eyelids, and his vision gradually became clear. The first thing he saw wasn¡¯s shaggy face with sunken cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Mr. Salvador! You¡¯re awake!¡± Hot with emotions,n pressed the call bell by the bed incessa ¡°That voice of yours can bring me back from the dead.¡± Justin¡¯s ear was buzzing. His head was still fuzzy. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°The hospital, of course. Don¡¯t you know that you have just been through a traumatic experience?¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Oh¡­ Be!¡± Justin was worried about Be¡¯s safety instead of his the moment he woke up. Thest thing he remembered was the offender charging toward Be with a metal rod. He had no idea what happened next. Justin was not sure whether he had managed to protect her. What if he did not? He was better off dead in that case. unharmed. You saved her. Rx.¡± However, Justin could not feel at ease. The medical personnel and attending doctor rushed into the room and helpedn hold Justin down. ¡°Where¡¯s Be? I want to see her now!¡± Justin jolted up from bed, his lips quivering and his eyes red. His feelings got the best of him. ¡°Mr. Salvador, why don¡¯t you take a good rest? Once you are rested, we can meet the young madam. The way you look now-¡± £„ ¡°I want to see Be now! Now!¡± Something was up with Justin. He was agitated. His heart was pounding out of his chest. While everybody was overwhelmed by the situation, a clear voice echoed through the room. ¡°Justin, are you a toddler? Why are you making such a big fuss?¡± The room fell silent. Be stood at the door frame with furrowed brows. Despite her stern face, she still had the grace of a Greek goddess. ¡°Y-Young Madam!¡±n looked at Be with a grin. Here came the savior. ¡®Be!¡± Justin looked at her tenderly, but his hands shook violently. The affectionate man looked ratherical, with a heavily bandaged head.. Be said with a smirk, ¡°The rest of you get out. The patient needs -rest.¡± She carried more authority than Justin¡¯s attending doctor. £„ ¡°We leave him in your care, Ms. Thompson.¡± The attending doctor and nurses nodded at Be with respect before retreating out of the ward. Since word that Be was Dr. Brown went around the hospital, the haughty medical professionals only had respect and admiration for her. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Mr. Salvador to you, Young Madam.¡± Reading the room,n slipped out of there. The door was shut behind him. Be was d to see Justin awake. However, she would never be honest about her feelings for him. She remained indifferent to him. ¡°Justin, you shouldn¡¯t be moving around after brain surgery. For all you know, you might be an idiot.¡± Folding her arms, Be scowled and sneered. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you¡¯re blind and dumb. Don¡¯t say that you know me. I don¡¯t want to be embarrassed.¡± She was not done. Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Justin got out of bed shakily and sprinted toward Be. ¡°You¡­¡± The man swiftly grabbed her wrist and gave her a pull. The next thing Be knew, she fell into his sturdy arms and dove headfirst into his chest. Her head was still spinning. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re okay, Be. All that matters is that you¡¯re okay.¡± Justin rested his chin on her shoulder, his dry lips whispering in her ear. He was the one injured, yet he could not care less about himself. Be dared not touch him for fear of injuring him further. With a blushing face, she protested sternly. ¡°You¡¯re the patient! You shouldn¡¯t move! Get back to bed now!¡± ¡°No.¡± The man was stubborn. With tearful eyes, he pulled Be cle to him. Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Be¡¯s eyes widened in shock. £„ His heartbeat was unusually fast. Justin was hot to the touch as well. His muscles were rock-hard from tension, and the tremors in his body pulled at her heartstrings. All the symptoms pointed to one thing-Justin was unwell. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right with you, Justin. Let go of me-Mgh!¡± Justin¡¯s heart was racing, his eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing was heavy as he took her lips. He inched closer to her while she created distance between them. With her back up against the wall, Be had nowhere to run but face his aggressive and domineering kiss. Justin closed his eyes and lost himself in the moment. He nibbled her lip, pried open her teeth, and engaged in a tongue-lock with her. The overpowering kiss painted Be¡¯s ears, face, and neck rosy. Bit by bit, she could feel his breathing and tremors calming down. His eyes gradually gained lucidity. Nevertheless, his kiss was as deep as ever. Justin would probably keep the kiss going until dark, if not for the loss of oxygen.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. They gasped for air. By then, they had broken out in a sweat. The bastard was drenched all over. The hospital gown clung to his abs. At closer inspection, his discolored lips had be glossy and ruddy. It was as if the kiss revitalized him. ¡°What¡¯s with the assault the moment you regain consciousness, bastard?¡± Thrown off by the kiss, Be had a new word to address him with. ¡°Only to you.¡± Justin felt refreshed and nourished after the tongue-lock. The frustrating restlessness faded away Getting cheeky there, he towered over her and propped her chin up with a finger. ¡°But I hope it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Get off me andy back down in bed!¡± Be turned her face away. It was her turn for heart palpitations. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you not even going to listen to me, Justin?¡± Be said in the heat of the moment. £„ Taken aback, Justin curled his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, but¡­¡± He swallowed hard, his scorching breath brushing against the top of her nose. ¡°Once I get enough of you. Before Be knew it, Justin pinned her wrists against the wall. His burning lips took her to another world. The sun had set by the time Be broke free from him. She walked to the medical director¡¯s office, feeling weak in her knees. She was soaked in sweat, and her eyes were hazy. It was only a kiss. Yet, it felt like they had done more than that. Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Be entered the office after knocking on the door. ¡°Dr. Cartman.¡± ¡°Ms. Thompson, you look flushed. Are you unwell?¡± Noticing her rosy cheeks, Scott asked out of concern. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m fine.¡± Once again, Justin proved a bastard to Be. She took a deep breath and touched her hot cheek. ¡°Do we have the test result of the CT scan on Justin¡¯s brain yet?¡± have it with me.¡± Scott pulled out a scan from his drawer and handed it to Be. Be took the scan and observed it under the light. Suddenly, she furrowed her brow, and her heart sank. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can see it too, Ms. Thompson.¡± Scott looked anxious. ¡°The surgery was a sess. I believe no more than three in the country can pull off the operation.¡± ¡°A sess? Do you think the surgery was a sess?¡± Unable to shake off the frustration, Be put down her trembling arms. The CT scan rustled along with her movements. ¡°The way I see it, it¡¯s a failure on my part because the patient suffersplications.¡± Of all the things she could put up with, she could never tolerate failure. Yet, Justin was once again the reason she tasted failure. Be clutched her blouse, her emotions consuming her. ¡°Theplications are bound to happen with such a risky and difficult surgery. Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it. You did a great job saving Mr. Salvador¡¯s life.¡± Scott persuaded her because he knew what Dr. Brown was capable of. ¡°That exins why he was so emotional when he saw me,¡± Be murmured. She clenched her fists. ¡°Is there any way to treat the side effects?¡± Scott sighed. ¡°For now, the best way forward is to control his symptoms with sedatives. ¡°If the patient is able to keep his cool and a level head, he should be able to stop his own outbursts.¡± Keep his cool? Justin cooled off after kissing her. Be blushed and gritted her teeth. Curing physical illness was simple, but matters of the heart were a different story. It was the middle of the night. In a plush, velvet-lined lounge in Pivotage, two women, dressed rather provocatively, were attending to Christopher. By attending, they were keeping himpany and filling his ss with wine. It was well-known in Pivotage that Christopher was a germaphobe These women would be digging their own graves by getting handsy with the man. Under the dim light, Christopher sank his back against the sofa with his head thrown back. His profile was breathtaking. One of the women was so captivated by his looks that she spilled alcohol over Christopher¡¯s pristineBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. shoe. ¡°Uh! I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Iverson! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Frightened, the woman got up and apologized profusely. Christopher took his time to open his eyes but did not look at her.¡± Clean it.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± The woman immediately got down on her knees and held his le shoes with trembling hands before sticking out her tongue. She licked his shoe clean. ¡°Get lost!¡± Annoyed, Christopher kneaded between his brows. ¡°Of course!¡± The woman crawled out of the lounge. ¡°You too.¡± The other terrified woman scrambled out of there. Once they were gone, the secretary popped his head in and said cautiously, ¡°Mr. Iverson, Ms. Yvonne Smith is here.¡± Chapter 706 The spark finally returned to Christopher¡¯s empty eyes. ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. Iverson.¡± The secretary made himself scarce. Secondster, the clicking of heels broke the silence in the private lounge. ¡°Chris.¡± Following a tender voice, a lithe figure appeared before Christopher. The man narrowed his eyes and curled his lips as he admired the woman named Yvonne. It was as if he was appreciating his work of art. Yvonne, the manager of Pivotage, was a woman who had grown up faster than most. She approached Christopher with a flirtatious demeanor, her manner not tacky but exuding a sultry confidence. However, it was her face thatmanded Christopher¡¯s attention Christopher¡¯s heart raced the moment she strutted into the room. Her hair, luscious lips, confident smile, and face that he spent years tweaking had an uncanny resemnce to Be. The only thing Yvonne could imitate about Be, despite her best efforts, was her bodynguage and poise. ¡°Come to me, Yvonne.¡± Christopher swallowed hard and curled his finger at her. Yvonne drew close to him, and he pulled her into his arms. ¡°Chris¡­¡± With loving eyes, the woman hooked her finger around his Windsor knot and pulled his face closer to hers. She pouted her lips, giving herself to him. ¡°What did I tell you? Have you forgotten?¡± Christopher grimaced, his tone icy. ¡°You look like Be. Don¡¯t think you are her. ¡°Know your ce as a recement. My kisses are only for Be.¡± ¡°Got it¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Chris. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Yvonne recoiled her arm. It was a rude awakening. Out of all Christopher¡¯s subordinates, only she got to call him by his nickname. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Others believed the privilege came from Christopher¡¯s love for her. Only Yvonne knew that she was granted the entitlement because of her resemnce to Be. Yvonne bit her lip as her heart was ripped right out of her. She had been with Christopher since the age of fifteen in Sentania. Be had always been on Christopher¡¯s mind, despite the many years. Yvonne kept by his side. Yvonne wanted to meet Be. The woman must have been exceptional to capture the attention of the man Yvonne loved. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re in a good mood, Chris. Does it have something to do with Ms. Thompson?¡± ¡°Be has gotten closer to Justin.¡± Christopher scowled sinisterly and resentfully. ¡°Although they are divorced, I have the feeling that I can¡¯te between their attraction. for each other.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what I can do to make you happy and help you, Chris?¡± Yvonne stared intently at the man. ¡°I have taken you under my wing for so long. It¡¯s time to make use of that face of yours.¡± Christopher held her face up with a finger. Following a knock on the door, his secretary¡¯s voice came through.¡± It¡¯s me, Mr. Iverson.¡± ¡°Enter.¡± The secretary walked into the private lounge and saw Yvonne snuggling up against Christopher. Although this was not the first tir it had happened, he was still startled. The woman looked too much like Be. ¡°What is it?¡± Christopher took a bite out of the fruit Yvonne fed him. Chapter 707 ¡°We received word from the mole you nted at Thompson Hospital.¡± News of Justin¡¯s emergence from aa reached the Salvadors. Nigel and Gregory rushed to the hospital. Seeing that Justin was awake, Nigel lost it and climbed onto the bed to hug his grandson. He was near tears. ¡°My dear grandson, you scared the hell out of me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make you worry, Grandpa.¡± Justin hugged his grandfather back as guilt consumed him. ¡°How do you feel? Does your head hurt? Does it hurt anywhere?¡± Nigel raised his hand to stroke Justin¡¯s head but froze. It struck Nigel that Justin had just gone through more than ten hours of surgery to glue his head back together. His head should be off- limits for now. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡± Reading Nigel¡¯s mind, Justin gently put the old man¡¯s hand on his head with a smile. ¡°Just feel my head. I have a tough skull.¡± ¡°You are such a silly child!¡± Nigel kept to a light touch. Still, he grinned widely. Gregory came to visit his son, but the rtionship between the father and son was still strained. While Justin was in aa, Gregory could barely sleep or eat due to worry. Now that his son was awake, Gregory pulled a long face and could not say anything nice. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that again, boy. I know you want to protect Anna, but don¡¯t put yourself in danger.¡± Nigel patted Justin¡¯s face. The fear still took hold of him. ¡°I can understand that you want to keep her safe, but you need to be healthy and strong to shield her from harm. ¡°How are you going to protect her when you are a lifeless corpse?¡± Gregory was lost for words. Justin made a face. ¡°Ahem. Grandpa, can¡¯t you say something nice? Why are you talking about death when I just came out of aa?¡± ¡°Geez, you get it. You know what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± Nigel drew close to his ear and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a secret. Your wife is amazing.¡± Wife? Justin turned red in the ears as his heart skipped a beat. ¡°Anna performed the surgery on you. It took her more than ten hours to remove all the blood clots in your head.¡± ¡°Be¡­ She operated on me?¡± Justin was stunned. ¡°A shocker, right? I wasn¡¯t expecting that either. Anna turns out to be the legendary Dr. Brown. Sigh. What should we do now? That child is highlypetent, and I don¡¯t think you are good enough for her.¡± Nigelmented, feeling anxious for his grandson. It took a while for Justin to reel in the shock. He gritted his teeth and stayed firm on that note. ¡°I will work hard to be outstanding. I will shield her from harm and make her the happiest woman.¡± ¡°Ha. You¡¯ll be lucky not to give her any trouble.¡± Gregory sneered at the thought of losing a capable daughter-inw. ¡°I wanted you to stay together and not divorce, but you refused to listen. Your heart was set on being with Rosalind. I think it¡¯s toote to make amends now.¡± Justin frowned, but before he could say anything, Nigel jumped in and snarled, ¡°Tsk. You¡¯re not getting any younger, and yet you have not learned to keep your unhelpful thoughts to yourself. Why do you have to bring up that woman? At least my grandson came back to his senses in time and left that vile woman, unlike a certain somebody who¡¯s still stuck in a rut. The nerve of you to lecture Justin!¡± ¡°Dad-¡± Gregory saw red. He was about to refute him when his phone rang. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He pulled out his phone to take a look. Gregory was happy to find his eldest son calling from abroad. Chapter 708 ¡°Why the sudden call, son?¡± Gregory beamed. His affectionate tone was unlike his usual haughtiness. Justin¡¯sshes fluttered. As far as Justin could remember, Gregory had never once spoken to him like a father would to a son. Gregory had never used the term son¡± on him either. Gregory was only a benevolent father to Grant. Sure enough, Gregory only considered Grant his son because Shannon was the love of his life. Even though Justin found it ironic, there was nothing he could say or do about it. ¡°How have you been doing, Dad?¡± Grant¡¯s husky voice came on the other end of the line. Grant¡¯s voice was deep and highly identifiable, so Justin could hear. the conversation despite the distance. ¡°I¡¯m doing well. What about you, son? How is your treatmenting along in Meridan? Is all going well? Any rpsetely?¡± Gregory had flown to Meridan to visit his eldest sonst year. However, he had been too busy this year to make time. ¡°I¡¯m very well. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Grant paused and asked with concern, ¡°I heard that Justin was injured and admitted to the hospital. How is he doing? Is everything okay?¡± Justin furrowed his brows. He had nothing against Grant¡¯s show of concern. However, he was surprised that Grant caught wind of his recent encounter despite years of being away from Savrow. Gregory answered, ¡°Justin had a major surgery and was in aa for a few days, but he has regained consciousness now.¡± Grant asked, ¡°Are you in the hospital with Justin?¡± ¡°Yes. Your grandfather and I are in his ward as we speak.¡± ¡°Can you hand the phone to Justin? I want to talk to him.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Heeding Grant¡¯s request, Gregory walked over and gave the phone to Justin. ¡°Your brother wants to talk to you.¡± Justin took the phone hesitantly and put it to his ear. ¡°Grant.¡± ¡°I was anxious to hear that you were badly injured, Justin. I wanted to fly back and see you, but-¡± Grant¡¯s voice was filled with worry. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Grant. You¡¯re not in the best of health to take a flight. You don¡¯t need to put yourself through that for me.¡± Justin smiled andforted him. ¡°I¡¯m fine now, really. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Did Ms. Thompson perform the surgery on you?¡± The man hid his shock. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I know Ms. Thompson was my sister-inw and that you divorced this year. Still, she was kind and understanding enough to overlook the past and operate on you. Even though you can¡¯t continue as husband and wife, you should remain cordial with her. Ms. Thompson has a kind heart and has shown herself to be the bigger person.¡± Justin pursed his lips. Grant knew everything about Justin, despite being in Meridan. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that Be and I aren¡¯t together anymore, Grant. I was blind and brought this upon myself. I owe her too much.¡± Justin clenched his fists, his eyes turning bloodshot as he made up his mind. ¡°I have decided to pursue Be. Even if it takes the rest of my life, I will get Be back. ¡°She¡¯s the only wife for me.¡± Gregory was shocked. It appeared Justin was determined to get back together with Be, even at the cost of a lifetime. Although there was no doubt Be outshone most women in the world, Justin was throwing his life away for one woman. It was not worth it. Chapter 709 ¡°Well said! You couldn¡¯t have said it better.¡± Thrilled, Nigel patted Justin¡¯s shoulder a little too hard. It was silent on the other end of the line before a chuckle was heard Grant said encouragingly, ¡°It¡¯s great that you think so. I hope you and Ms. Thompson will get back together soon.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grant,¡± Justin murmured. For some reason, there was something about Grant¡¯s tone that did not sit well with Justin. Nigel took over the call and said affectionately, ¡°Grant, how¡¯s life in Meridan? I heard Golden Bay is breathtaking. When are you taking me there for vacation? I could do a day out in the sun.¡± ¡°Nothing beats home, Grandpa. Home is where the heart is.¡± Grant uttered with a tender smile, ¡°The journey to Meridan is too long for you, Grandpa. You¡¯re not getting any younger. I don¡¯t want to put you through that. Maybe it won¡¯t take long for me to get better and meet you back in Savrow.¡± Justin did not show his uneasiness. ¡°Hahaha! That would be great. It will be best if you cane back, Grant. Our family will be together again.¡± Nigel sighed with concern. ¡°But don¡¯t strain yourself. I understand how you are doing. ¡°I won¡¯t me you if you can¡¯t make it back. I can always visit you. It¡¯s just a 14-hour flight. We have a private jet. It¡¯s no trouble for me at all.¡± The pair chatted for a bit before hanging up. ¡°Dad, did Grant say that he¡¯sing back? Is it true?¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes lit up as he asked frantically. Nigel¡¯s eyes flickered, but before he could answer, Matt knocked on the door and stepped into the ward. ¡°Ms. Thompson, Mr. Hoffman, and Ms. Carrie are here.¡± ¡°Who? Carrie is here too?¡± Amid Gregory¡¯s surprise, Be and Ryan walked into the room. Ryan entered the ward hand-in-hand with Carrie. He held her hand openly, with nothing to hide. Carrie hid behind the man shyly, her face blushing with embarrassment. Be was with them all the way. Despite her strong feelings about their rtionship, she could say nothing at all. She could not stop Carrie from seeing Ryan when they were in love with each other. ¡°Ryan, you-¡± Gregory stared at the interlocking fingers of the young, beautiful couple in shock. ¡°Uncle Greg.¡± Ryan smiled brightly. Everybody was baffled. Be clutched her chest and red at Ryan. Ryan would often address Gregory formally, so it was unlike him to address Gregory as such. Gregory tensed up. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Ryan?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ryan took a deep breath and raised his hand with Carrie¡¯s before speaking the words he had rehearsed all night. ¡°Uncle Greg, Carrie and I are madly and passionately in love. I have fallen head over heels for your daughter. My love for her is undying, unfathomable, and unstoppable¡­¡± Be and Justin had a facepalm moment. Ryan¡¯s speech was something else. ¡°S-Stop it, Ryan. I feel so embarrassed.¡± Unable to take it anymore, Carrie gave his hand a squeeze. Her face went red. Chapter 710 ¡°I implore that you entrust Carrie to me Despite my past, I will work to be a good man and the only man for Carrie. I will treat her right, even better than Justin toward Ms. Thompson, and I swear on my life to make her the happiest woman. I love Carrie. I hope you will give me your blessing to date Carrie with the intention of marrying her.¡± Nervous, Ryan gripped Carrie a little too tightly, and his voice trembled. Be looked askance at Ryan. Her expectations for Ryan were low since Justin served as the benchmark for rtionships. Justin stared at Ryan peevishly, doubting thetter could do better than him. Ryan¡¯s expression hardened, and his prepared speech tumbled out in a rush. Yet, his eyes held an undeniable sincerity. The words must have been weighing on him for a long time. Nigel let out a wry smile. Ryan reminded him too much of Justin. ¡°Ahem. I¡¯m not suspecting you of anything. I just-¡± Even though Gregory had been in the business world for over three decades, he was overwhelmed by the young man for a change. He quickly pulled himself together and looked Ryan in the eye. ¡°As at father, I hope my daughters will find the right men and start a family. together. But I need to make a few things clear-¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re about to say.¡± Ryan could not look any more serious. ¡°Say no more. I get it. I know everything about Carrie. She¡¯s the only woman for me. We have kept it real, sharing everything, including a bed-¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell y-y-you slept with my precious¡­.¡± Nigel pointed at Ryan, shuddering with fear. Ryan waved his arm in a panic. ¡°You got the wrong idea, Grandpa Nigel! I neverid a finger on Carrie. Don¡¯t take things the wrong way.¡± Carrie did not get it at first. At that point, she blushed hard and buried her head in the man¡¯s arms. Be curled her lips as Carrie relied on Ryan. It was a much-needed assurance for Be. If Ryan were the man destined for Carrie, she would still pick him even when the world stood against her. The situation was just like back when Be put everything on the line and chose Justin. Ryan¡¯s out-of-the-blue confession was a heavy blow-to Gregory. However, now was not the time to talk about it, so Gregory put the matter aside. ¡°Justin!¡± Carrie paced toward the bed, her eyes reflecting worry. ¡°Ryan said you injured your head. How do you feel? Does it hurt?¡± Justin caressed his sister¡¯s face and replied tenderly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. Your sister-inw saved me. She took great care of me.¡± Ryan was jealous of the bond between Justin and Carrie, even thought they were siblings. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear.¡± Carrie suddenly grabbed Be¡¯s hand and dangled it. She asked eagerly, ¡°Can you stay with Justin, Be? Can you take care of him. until his release from the hospital? He¡¯ll be happy and get better soon if you stay by his side.¡± As her heart skipped a beat, Be pressed her lips together. Justin gazed at her with anticipation. He looked like a lonely, stray puppy with tears in his eyes. The siblings knew exactly how to manipte her emotions. ¡°I won¡¯t shy away from my responsibility because your brother was injured because of me.¡± Be curled her lips. ¡°I will nurse him back to health.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Carrie pped her hands excitedly.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Chapter 711 Justin¡¯s worries just melted away. ¡°Thank you, Be.¡± He expressed his gratitude, his voice whimpering. Although Be appeared unfazed, a wave of emotions stirred within her. As an important meeting was happening at Salvador Corporation, Gregory left ahead of the rest. Since Be was revealed to be the miracle doctor, Dr. Brown, she became Justin¡¯s attending doctor. Justin¡¯s follow-up treatment rested on her shoulders. She asked Justin a few questions about his well-being before wheeling him off with Ryan and Scott for further checkups. Be, Nigel, and Matt stayed behind in the ward. ¡°You look like you have a lot on your mind, Anna. Is there something bothering you?¡± While no one was around, Nigel asked with concern. Snapping out of her thoughts, Be replied in a vague manner, ¡°No. Nothing, Grandpa Nigel.¡± ¡°You can fool others, but you can¡¯t fool me, Anna.¡± Nigel looked troubled. ¡°Is there something more to Justin¡¯s injury?¡± ¡°Grandpa Nigel¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t keep it from me. You know me. Just tell me the truth. I can handle it. ¡°If you can¡¯t be honest with me, I won¡¯t be able to sleep or eat well because I¡¯ll obsess over it.¡± Be felt torn. After much hesitation, she turned to Matt. ¡°Please give us a moment, Matt.¡± Taking the hint, Matt walked out of the ward and closed the door behind him. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Did you say Justin has surgeryplications, child?¡± Nigel asked in a trembling voice, his heart sinking. ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s all my fault, Grandpa Nigel.¡± Be hung her head low in shame and clutched her fingers tight. ¡°| expect better from myself, but I have a lot more to learn.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, Anna. Without you, Justin and I probably would have to say goodbye forever.¡± Nigel put his coarse hand over hers and looked at her seriously. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing you must promise me. Keep Justin¡¯s surgery ¡°Scott and I are the only ones aware of Justin¡¯s medical condition. Scott and I are close. He can be trusted not to breathe a word to anyone.¡± With furrowed brows, Be asked, ¡°Justin needs sedatives when he acts up. We don¡¯t have any other treatment ns for him. Besides, I have no idea when and where he would have his outbursts. We can only keep it a secret for so long. What if-¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll hide the truth for as long as we can. At the very least, this has to wait until it¡¯s decided that Justin bes the heir of the family business and inherits most of the shares and assets.¡± Nigel clenched his fists, his gaze deep. ¡°The sessor to Salvador Corporation can only be Justin and no one else. If someone holds his illness against him, he won¡¯t be the sessor and will possibly lose his position as president.¡± Confused, Be fell into contemtion before probing. ¡°By right, the firstborn son would take over the farmily business, Grandpa Nigel. Justin¡¯s eldest brother, Grant, should inherit Salvador Corporation. But I heard that Grant is in poor health and recuperating abroad. I thought you had chosen Justin as the sessor because his brother wasn¡¯t in the best of health. That doesn¡¯t seem to be the case now. What¡¯s the reason you want Justin to take over the family business instead?¡± Nigel swallowed hard and mmed up. Chapter 712 By the secretive look on Nigel¡¯s face, Be suspected the matter was tied to his family secret. It would be rude of her to probe further. She always knew when to stop, but anything concerning Justin would get to her head. She blurted, ¡°Is there angst between Justin and his brother, Grandpa Nigel? Is it rted to their abduction as kids?¡± Nigel widened his eyes at her in shock. ¡°So you know about the N?velDrama.Org ? content. abduction?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa Nigel. I didn¡¯t get to know about it on purpose. Her throat went dry. Be fell into contemtion for a moment and murmured, ¡°Justin had mentioned his brother to me before. He said he would tell me everything, but I was picking a fight with him then. I didn¡¯t want to hear anything got the better of me, and I¡­¡± Nigel noticed Be turning red in embarrassment, reminding him of the once shy girl from back then. The grimace faded away from his face. That was a good thing. At least she was no longer as resistant to Justin as before. She had started to be curious about him too. There was less tension between them. ¡°You¡¯re close to Justin because he wants to talk to you about his past, Anna. He wants toy bare and confide in you.¡± Nigel sighed. He was still in distress, thinking about the past. ¡°My two grandsons were kidnapped together when they were kids. The kidnappers had a long history of breaking thew. They had been involved in selling drugs, murder, and bank robberies. It¡¯s not their first rodeo taking children from wealthy families for hefty ransoms.¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re talking about the mafia leader known as Jer or Jeremy Mateo, right?¡± Be had heard about Jeremy¡¯s gang. Sasha had told her. Jeremy had worked for Sasha¡¯s father, but driven by greed and ambition, he left the organization and made it out on his own. Back then, Jeremy was rather cocky and rampant. He made it clear to the cops that he would only retire from crime after making $10 billion in ransom. Jeremy was arrested 18 years ago, and the media covered the story in celebration. However, Jeremy faced the camera with a smile, and the public was infuriated. Sasha once mentioned that her father¡¯s biggest regret was not purging Jeremy when he could. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the guy.¡± Nigel held his head in anguish. ¡°Gregory and I did everything we could to take precautions, but Jeremy somehow managed to slide through security and abduct my grandsons.¡± Feeling a clutch to her chest, Be asked, ¡°What happened after that?¡± Chapple 712 ¡°Jeremy¡¯s gang demanded $2 billion for the safe return of Grant and Justin. It¡¯s $1 billion for each child. $2 billion then is equivalent to $ billion now, but I didn¡¯t hesitate to get the money ready. Nothin more important than my grandchildren. But Jeremy was so sneak He changed the location for the exchange multiple times to toy with us. They held Grant and Justin for two weeks, and we didn¡¯t dare to call the cops.¡± Nigel lowered his gaze and shook his head in despair. ¡°Later, Justin managed to escape from their clutches, but he was bruised and beaten. I didn¡¯t expect him to escape. He was only 11 years old then.¡± ¡°Did he manage to get out alone?¡± Be was shocked, and it reflected in her eyes. ¡°He was too young to face off with his abductors. How could he escape? Someone must have helped him.¡± ¡°Yes. It was Grant.¡± Be gasped sharply. Chapter 713 ¡°Grant was 15 years old that year, so he was only slightly taller stronger than Justin. He was just a young and defenseless boy. I don¡¯t know what gave him the strength to restrain the kidnappers and let his brother escape.¡± Be had questions, but she kept them to herself. Instead, she asked, ¡°What happened after that, Grandpa Nigel? How did Grant escape? We gave Jeremy $2 billion, and Grant was dumped outside Tideview Manor without any clothes on.¡± Nigel¡¯splexion was discolored, and his lips quivered. ¡°The child came back covered in blood. He was tortured and barely breathing. It took a month in the hospital and six months of therapy for him to get better. But all that took a toll on his body.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Be asked in shock. ¡°Weter found out from Grant that Jeremy and his gang were so furious about him helping Justin escape. But they couldn¡¯t kill Grant before getting the money. Hence, they took their anger out on him. They denied him food and beat him up. They even locked him in a sealed container. The long-term beating andck of oxygen caused his lungs, kidneys, heart, and other organs to shut down. He nearly didn¡¯t survive. It took quite a lot to save Grant. To this day, Grant remains frail, and his immune system ispromised. Most of the time, he has to rely on a wheelchair to leave home. At the end of the day, we could¡¯ve done better for him!¡± Be has a general idea of the incident now. This source of Justin¡¯s guilt toward his brother and the WES reason why Gregory was so strict and unhappy with Justin. Justin managed to escape with his brother¡¯s help, but his brother became a shell of his former self as a result. Be could only imagine the heavy burden and guilt riding on Justin¡¯s back for him to get so far. Justin could have fought back when Gregory hit him, but he put up with it anyway. Justin felt like he owed it to Grant. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Justin what I told you, Anna. If he doesn¡¯t bring it up to you, just y dumb,¡± Nigel urged. Be let out a thoughtful smile and said tenderly, ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Anna, are you going to look down on Justin? Do you think he¡¯s a coward who cares only about himself without any regard for his brother?¡± Nigel¡¯s strained voice was filled with concern. Be felt distraught. She took a seat next to Nigel and put her warm hand over the old man¡¯s cold hand. ¡°I have never looked down on Justin, Grandpa Nigel. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have married him in the first ce. Like Grant, he¡¯s the victim of a kidnapping. Justin got a little lucky because he had a brother who was willing to do anything to keep him safe. Thank God he made it safely back to you. I feel bad for Grant, but this is no reason to condemn and criticize Justin. I believe he wished he could N?velDrama.Org ? content. save his brother too, but he was too young to do anything. He must have med himself for a long time¡± Feeling moved, Nigel gave Be a bear hug. ¡°Anna, I feel better knowing you¡¯re with Justin. Should one day I¡¯m no longer alive and kicking, I can rest easy knowing you¡¯re by his side.¡± Be was speechless. As rosiness crept onto her cheeks, she wanted to say something but simply patted the old man on the back in the end. By the time Justin had gone through his physical examination and infusion therapy, it was dark outside Picking up on Carrie¡¯s rumbling belly, Ryan knew the girl was too shy to admit she was hungry. He got up and said goodbye to Justin and Be. ¡°My girl is hungry. I need to go home and cook for her.¡± Ryan wrapped his arm around Carrie¡¯s waist, bringing her closer to him. He could not get his hands off her. Chapter 714 Justin was drinking a ss of water when Ryan talked about rushing home to cook. Justin choked on water and coughed. ¡°Are you sure you are in your right mind, Ryan? If there¡¯s something wrong with you, you should get Be to check you out. I don¡¯t want you to get in my sister¡¯s way of finding happiness.¡± Be crossed her legs on the sofa and clicked her tongue while staring at Ryan. ¡°Other yers would just retire from the ying field, nat but you take it one step further by cooking for your woman. That¡¯s good. At least you¡¯re domesticated now. That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°Ahem. It will be my first time tonight. I feel nervous.¡± For the 28 years Ryan had lived, he had never been in the kitchen, much less cooked. ¡°D-Don¡¯t push yourself, Ryan.¡± Carrie tugged on his sleeve worriedly Be looked skeptical and contemptuous. ¡°Yeah. You can set fire in the kitchen for all I care, but don¡¯t involve Carrie.¡± Justin pursed his lips. ¡°If your pan catches fire, turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid to stop the burning. Don¡¯t pour water on it.¡± ¡°I-I got it.¡± Carrie blinked and raised her handpliantly. Ryan scowled in rage. ¡°Tsk. I havemon knowledge. I know you¡¯re the perfect couple, but don¡¯t treat me like a dummy.¡± Be was not happy to be lumped together with Justin. Before she could refute him, Ryan carried Carrie and slipped out of the ward. With the pair gone, the ward resumed its silence. The air was filled with awkwardness, romantic tension, and sour It smelled sour, all right. Justin had not taken a shower since the da he was injured. The bastard had turned into a stinking man. Still, Justin was blessed with good looks. Despite his knotted locks, he was infuriatingly handsome. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Be cleared her throat and eased the awkward tension. Her expression was indifferent. ¡°While no one¡¯s around, we should get down to it.¡± ¡°How should we get down to it?¡± Justin¡¯s voice rasped as he looked deep into her eyes. He had done nothing, but the yearning in his eyes had crossed the line. ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t forget that your life is in my hands, Justin.¡± Feeling a burn in her cheeks, Be gritted her teeth and sneered.¡± Watch your mouth. I can stitch your head up, but I can slice it back open too.¡± Justin narrowed his eyes and stopped fooling around. ¡°I know what you want to talk about, Be. You want to investigate the man who tried to attack Celeste. You want to know the reason behind his actions, right?¡± A shimmer flickered in Be¡¯s eyes, and she nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I will sort this out for you, Be. Once I get out-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait a second longer. Do you know the grueling damage and devastating blow this can cause to Aunt Celeste?¡± Be interrupted him, her knuckles popping. ¡°I had to put the investigation on hold to perform surgery Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. on you. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve caught the perpetrator by now.¡± Justin showed no expression. All he did was look at her with a tender smile. Chapter 715 Be was highly capable of carrying out her promises. Justin did not mind it at all. Regardless of what she would do, he had her back all the way. ¡°I know you want to get your vengeance, but it can wait. The perpetrator isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡± Be pressed her lips tightly together. His eyes were reflecting her emotional turmoil. There was one more reason she could not possibly say it to his face. The offender nearly got away with killing Justin. If Be were not the miracle doctor, Dr. Brown, Justin¡¯s body would be cold by now. The grudge festered within her for days, gnawing at her sleep and appetite. If left unchecked, the rage would consume her before she could get her revenge. N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Although you took the hit for me and Aunt Celeste, ultimately, the matter concerns my family. Just focus on your recovery and stay out of it.¡± ¡°It might concern your family, but I¡¯m yours, Be,¡± Justin said in a hoarse voice. It was brazen of him to make such a statement. Be widened her eyes. ¡°Your business is my business.¡± ¡°Get some rest. I got to go.¡± Be could not take it anymore. The bastard was getting out of ¡°Don¡¯t go, Be!¡± Anxious, Justin jolted up and tried to get out of bed. As he got up too suddenly, his head spun, and he cked out momentarily. A nauseating feeling overwhelmed him. Just as Justin was about to fall out of bed, he caught a whiff of a rose fragrance. A pair of slender but powerful arms stopped him from falling. ¡°Be¡­¡± The man teared up at the thrill of her return. He spread his arms apart to hug her back, burying his nose in her hair to breathe in her scent. She was once within his reach. Now, he had lost her, and he wished he could turn back time. Be could barely breathe in his tight arms. She could not understand how a man, who had been through brain surgery and was in aa for days, would have such a tight grip. It did not make sense. ¡°Justin.¡± Be put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away. s, the man clung to her without moving an inch. ¡°Get away from me. You stink!¡± Chapter 716 Justin gradually understood something since he fell in love with Be. Be was like a porcupine. She always wore a frowning face to him. and acted tough, with spikes, but in reality, she had a soft heart that was sincere and kind. He no longer had anything that could attract her. He could only shamelessly pester her to drag it out, cherishing every moment. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. In the past, she was the one who suffered grievances and seized every second to be by his side. Now, it was his turn. In the end, Be could not leave the ward and decided to stay. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. I didn¡¯t stay because of you. It¡¯s because I¡¯ve promised Grandpa Nigel and Carrie.¡± Be steadied her mind and sat up beside the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll rest next door tonight. Call me if you need anything.¡± Justin quickly grabbed her hand. ¡°Be, sleep here tonight.¡± ¡°The couch is ufortable. I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Be wanted to pull her hand away, but he held it firmly. ¡°We will sleep in the bed.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was low, as if he were coaxing her. ¡°Justin, do you have no shame?¡± Be regretted not bringing a tape measure along in her pocket. She would like to see how thick this. man¡¯s skin was! ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Be. If you¡¯re unwilling, I won¡¯t force you, though I really want you¡­¡± Amidst his words, Justin could not help but lean towards her, fire burning in his body. Want her? In his dreams! ¡°You stink! Don¡¯te near me!¡± Be moved backward to hide from Justin, pinching her nose in disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep in the same room with you. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll faint in the middle of the night due to the stench.¡± ¡°Do I stink? It¡¯s not that bad.¡± Justin picked up the hem of his sleeves and sniffed. ¡°When I was in the army, the conditions were terrible at the camp, and I could barely shower once a week. It was much worse than this. After I returned to the Salvador Corporation, I could bathe every day. I wasn¡¯t used to it at first.¡± Be¡¯s eyshes fluttered. His past, the hardships he endured¡­ Aside from himself, Be was probably the one who understood it the best. Be did not look down on Justin, but the knot in her heart was hard to unravel. Even though he held sincere feelings for her now, she could not persuade herself to take a step toward him. She once admired him, throwing herself at him like a moth to a me. When he destroyed all of her love and passion, it was truly difficult to reignite her heart. ¡°Be, I¡¯ll wipe my body quickly. Wait for me. Justin was afraid that Be would find it uneptable to share room with him, so he wanted to get out of bed to clean himself ¡°You can¡¯t touch water now. Don¡¯t bother about it. You can continue to stink.¡± Be pried Jsutin¡¯s fingers off her hand one by one. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up.¡± In fact, Justin was still weak, but he refused to show his fragile side in front of the woman he loved. He might be traditional in this aspect, but as a man, he wanted to protect and support his woman. Taking a blow to the head should not be affecting him much. In the past, he was shot by a machine gun. How could he be weak and unable to take care of himself now? In front of Be too! How embarrassing! At this moment, Justin leaned against the headboard, listening to the running water in the bathroom. It had been a long time since he felt so peaceful and quiet in his mind and experienced this simple happiness. Suddenly, he felt the urge to cry, so he gripped the bedsheets tightly. Chapter 717 When they were still married, Justin was never patient with Be. He thought she always took slow baths, and he thought her skincare routine was a hassle. He thought she was wasting time whenever she prepared a table of delicious dishes. Those little moments they had together shed across Justin¡¯s eyes, and every scene caused a sharp pain in his heart. Creak- The bathroom door opened. Be wrapped her long hair with a towel and walked out gracefully. Her bare face was moistened by the steam, looking rosy and charming. Justin¡¯s pupils shrank instantly. He looked at her young and beautiful face, feeling a heartthrob he was unable to control. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°You look better without makeup.¡± ¡°Alright, you said that before. Stop talking nonsense.¡± Be grabbed the towel on her head and walked to the couch to sit down. She said with a sullen expression, ¡°Also, shut up if you don¡¯t know how topliment others. What do you mean that I look better without makeup? I look beautiful all the time, like a goddess.¡± ¡°Yes, you are a goddess.¡± Justin stared at her fanatically. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that you¡¯re beautiful.¡± ¡°Always? For how long?¡± ¡°When we were married, I already thought that you were beauti Justin¡¯s tone sounded sincere. ¡°Haha. Justin, do you even believe your own words?¡± Be curled her lips in disdain. ¡°If you really think I¡¯m pretty, would you have ignored me for three years?¡± Justin shut himself up. The more he spoke, the more mistakes he might make. He would beg for her forgiveness slowly. Anyway, Justin knew that Be¡¯s heart was not made of stone. Everything would be better, and they would eventually get back together. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. You should go to sleep too.¡± Be stretched like a cat and wanted to lie down on the couch when someone knocked on the door. Be frowned and wanted to speak, but Justin interrupted, ¡°No. Come in.¡± The door opened. Jan, with two other bodyguards, brought in a king- sized bed while sweating profusely. The bed was so big that it could not fit through the door after several tries It took a lot of effort to finally enter. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ve bought the bed you prepared for Young Ma ¡°Good work. ce it properly.¡± Justin nodded. Be was raised in luxury. She could immediately recognize that the bed was the same as the one in her house, which was worth $2 million! ¡°Justin, what are you doing?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t sleep on the couch, and you don¡¯t want to sleep on my bed either. I had to get you a new one,¡± Justin said calmly. He would feel bad if she could not get a good night¡¯s sleep. Be was mad at how he took the liberty to buy a new bed. She walked to the bed and punched it. Oh, it¡¯s so soft. Chapter 718 Outside the window, the cold breeze of the winter night howled. However, it was quiet, warm, andfortable in the ward. The two beds were ced side by side. Although there was a gap between them, Justin felt that they were still sleeping on the same bed. Besides,n was smart enough to ce the two beds as close as possible. It was toote when Be noticed it.n and the bodyguards had left quickly, and she could not move the bed herself. Justin was still weak and could not be of any help. Bey on the bed, closed her eyes, and breathed evenly. Justin alsoy down, smelling the pleasant scent emanating from her hair. His heart thumped, and the boring ceiling before his eyes seemed to transform into a romantic, starry sky. His palm felt warm and wet. His fingers trembled as he slowly moved them toward Be. ¡°You¡¯d better stay put.¡± Be¡¯s clear voice suddenly sounded in the night. Justin¡¯s fingers stiffened. ¡°If not, this will be thest night you have a right hand.¡± Sweat beaded Justin¡¯s forehead as he smiled bitterly without a word. Hey still like a corpse for God knows how long. Finally, Be¡¯s breathing became steady, and she fell asleep. Justin gulped and took a deep breath. He made a big decision to slowly but firmly hold Be¡¯s warm hand. He gripped her hand tightly as their fingers interlocked. ¡°Be, I love you. Goodnight.¡± Justin closed his eyes in satisfaction, soon falling asleep. After a while, apanied by a shallow snore, Be discreetly opened her eyes and squeezed her fingers. Her heart raced violently. ¡°Rascal. Good night.¡± After taking care of Justin for two days, Be made time to return to her home in Hatchbay. She had note home for several days and was worried about Celeste. She needed to check on Celeste. On the other hand, she wanted to ask M if there was any method that could eliminate or effectively control Justin¡¯s after- N?velDrama.Org ? content. effects. Even though she was an outstanding doctor, she could not cure every illness. ¡°Amelia, how is Aunt Celeste doing?¡± Be hugged Amelia, who was teary-eyed, and asked with concern. ¡°Mom kept hiding inside her room and refused to see anyone. She didn¡¯t eat anything yesterday, and the lights in her room never went off. I think she didn¡¯t sleep at all.¡± Amelia choked as she spoke, tears flowing from the corners eyes. ¡°I¡¯m scared it was too much for her, and she might do something stupid. Be, what should I do?¡± ¡°No, she won¡¯t. Although your mother looks fragile, she¡¯s a strong person deep down. She won¡¯t be defeated so easily. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Be patted Amelia¡¯s back and could feel that she had lost weight. Even hugging her was ufortable. It was needless to say how mad and upset she felt. Her family was kind and had been low-profile enough. Why should they be harmed and schemed against by those despicable people? Why? ¡°Ms. Be, you¡¯re finally back.¡± Steven rushed over with heavy, dark circles under his eyes. ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯ve been rotating with two other bodyguards to keep an eye on Madam Celeste 24/7. She won¡¯t be in any danger. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Aunt Celeste has bodyguards, servants, Aunt M, and Aunt Sasha. Even my dad is watching over her. I left you here with one mission, which is to take care of Amelia. How did you do that? She¡¯s lost so much weight!¡± Unable to suppress her anger anymore, Be vented it at Steven. Chapter 719 Steven felt guilty and kept apologizing, ¡°Sorry, Ms. Be. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t take good care of Ms. Amelia. Please punish me.¡± ¡°Be, don¡¯t punish Steven! He was already extremely busy and tired. He did his best to take care of me. Don¡¯t me him, okay?¡± Amelia¡¯s face turned pale with fright as she begged, afraid of implicating Steven. ¡°Well, he did make a mistake. Steven, your punishment is to take Amelia out for a day. Go to the best restaurant in Hatchbay and bring her to her favorite dessert ce. Don¡¯te back before the sun sets. Do you hear me?¡± Be had an iron face. Amelia was stunned. ¡°B-Be¡­¡¯ Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Steven was relieved. He looked at Amelia with a gentle smile in his eyes. ¡°Ms. Amelia, you¡¯ll have to make do with me today.¡± Make do? Being able to go on a date with Steven alone was something Amelia would not even dare to dream of! But¡­ ¡°Amelia, don¡¯t worry.¡± Be knew what Amelia was thinking and caressed her hair lovingly.¡± I¡¯ll be in charge at home. Nothing will go wrong. You¡¯ve been tense for many days and need to rx. It¡¯s not good for your body to be stressed for too long. Go out and have some fun with Steven.¡± After sending Amelia and Steven away, Be did not rush to see Celeste. Instead, she found M. ¡°Don¡¯t try to meet her now. She refused to see even your father. must have been a severe blow to her. She needs some time alon M looked down, feeling upset when she recalled what happened that day. ¡°I¡¯ll try to talk to Aunt Celesteter.¡± Be pursed her lips and stayed silent for quite some time with her head hung low. Then, she spoke softly, ¡°Aunt M, I have an unreasonable request.¡± ¡°Child, what are you talking about? What unreasonable request?¡± M red at Be and poked her soft face. ¡°If you keep acting politely with me, don¡¯t look for me when you need something in the future!¡± Be giggled and leaned her head on M¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I was wrong. Then I¡¯ll just say it. Aunt M, I heard you have a nephew in Meridan who is an excellent neurosurgeon. He is also the youngest Ph.D. in the history of the National Academy of Medicine in Meridan.¡± ¡°Do you mean Arnold?¡± M frowned slightly. ¡°Yes. Arnold Larson.¡± Be blushed in embarrassment. ¡°Can you please ask him toe to Savrow? I have a request.¡± M blinked and scrutinized her. ¡°What happened? Did you two start dating online?¡± Be was speechless. ¡°Did you want him toe back to meet him in person?¡± M made herself excited as she spoke. She pped her hands and eximed, ¡°This is great! He¡¯s a doctor from a schrly family, and you¡¯re ady from a wealthy household. What a perfect match! Arnold is also my nephew, so I know him well. I am in favor of this marriage!¡± Be frowned and smiled in exasperation. ¡°Aunt M! Where are you getting these ideas? I need Dr. Larson for something urgent! Last time in the car park, Justin suffered a grave head injury to save me. Although he had surgery, it left some after-effects. I can¡¯t help him, so I wonder if Dr. Larson would have a way to treat him.¡± Looking at how anxious Be was, M felt a mix of emotions. M still hated Justin, but she had to admit that he had contributed greatly. ¡°Aunt M, what is it? Are you unwilling?¡± Be sighed and med herself. ¡°I was rash. I forgot that you¡¯ve almost cut off all ties with the Larson family to be with my dad. It¡¯s unreasonable of me to ask this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. Although I don¡¯t interact with the Larson family anymore, I¡¯ve had a great rtionship with Arnold. He respects me. But Arnold has an unconventional character, and even I can¡¯t figure out what he¡¯s thinking at times. I will try to persuade him, but if he¡¯s unwilling, there¡¯s nothing much I can do.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s unwilling, I have my ways.¡± Be gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. ¡°At worst, I¡¯ll call Drew He has many methods to bring Arnold back, even if he¡¯s overseas Chapter 720 M did not dare disturb Drew. She knew that Drew harbored a resentment toward her and this family. Although she poured her heart out for this family and sincerely loved Wyatt and his children, in Drew¡¯s eyes, she would always be the woman who broke his father¡¯s monogamous marriage. Celeste and Sasha came after her. If M had not intruded into their family, perhaps Wyatt would not have had so many women. Being the first ¡°mistress¡± to appear, M bore the most criticism and pressure, always carrying immense guilt with her. ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. I¡¯ll call Arnold now.¡± As long as it was something Be asked for, M had to solve it for her immediately. She picked up her phone and dialed her nephew¡¯s number. After a few rings, a young and clear voice came from the other end of the phone. It sounded unexpectedly youthful. ¡°Aunt M, I miss you so much!¡± ¡°Arnold, are you busytely? You did not even call me. Are you having so much fun outside that you have forgotten your aunt?¡± M deliberately teased. ¡°How could it be? You¡¯re thest person I will ever forget. Beautiful women have a significant ce in my heart, especially a beauty like you, Aunt M.¡± Arnold¡¯s ttering words came effortlessly. Be discreetly raised her brows. The way Arnold talked to M reminded Be of the charming seducer, George Wickham from Jane Austen¡¯s novel. It was not what she had imagined. ¡°Arnold, you¡¯re not young anymore. I could praise you for being charming if you said this when you were younger, but it¡¯s corny now,¡± M chuckled as she teased. ¡°Corny? I¡¯m only 27. Men only start to seem corny when they¡¯re thirty.¡± Arnold smirk. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, quite a few of my cousins have reached thirty. You must have seen too many corny men. You should Be heard everything and gritted her teeth. She thought, ¡®Why does this man have such a foul mouth?¡¯ ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore.¡± M cleared her throat and hesitated before saying, ¡°Arnold, I actually called you because I need a favor.¡± ¡°Just tell me directly. Don¡¯t use the word ¡®favor¡±.¡± M paused for a moment and said softly, ¡°Can you make time toe back to Savrow? I have an acquaintance who was struck in the head a few days ago and nearly lost his life. After undergoing surgery, his condition stabilized, but it left him with serious after-effects. Arnold, you are a genius in this field. Can you try to treat him for my sake?¡± ¡°An acquaintance? Who is it?¡± Arnold asked. M nced at Be, who had a nervous look. ¡°Come back first. bring you to meet him.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Aunt M, you know my rules. The first thing I need to know is a patient¡¯s identity and background. If not, I won¡¯t do anything.¡± Arnold did not fall for it. This man was much harder to deal with than Be had thought. M had no choice but to be honest. ¡°He¡¯s Justin Salvador, an important friend of Be¡¯s.¡± ¡°Justin Salvador? The president of the Salvador Corporation in Savrow?¡± Arnold¡¯s tone immediately changed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Aunt M, I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Arnold! Listen to me first!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be said, Aunt M. You know my rules. I went to Meridan alone, developing my career without anyone to rely on, because I couldn¡¯t stand how the hospitals in Savrow worshiped private corporations and the rich. When I worked at a hospital in Savrow, I witnessed a poor couple kneel in front of the director¡¯s office, begging for a heart transnt that should have belonged to their daughter!¡± Chapter 721 Arnold continued, ¡°But do you know who the heart that was originally meant for the poor couple¡¯s daughter went to? It went to Mayor Solloway¡¯s son! That poor girl left this world in pain because she couldn¡¯t wait for another donor!¡± The anger expressed by Arnold was like knives cutting through Be¡¯s heart. As a doctor herself, she could sympathize with his pain. ¡°Arnold, I can understand your feelings, but¡­¡± ¡°Aunt M, I¡¯ve set rules for myself. I will never treat politicians, the powerful, or the wealthy. They are dripping with wealth. What doctor couldn¡¯t they hire? I have a bad temper, and I¡¯m not easy to mess with. If I step in, I might make things worse instead. Please find someone else.¡± M opened her mouth, but before she could say something, Arnold hung up. ¡°Be, I¡¯m sorry. That brat¡­ Even his parents couldn¡¯t control him, let alone me.¡± M let out a worried sigh. Be¡¯s heart tightened. She pursed her lips butforted M with a slight smile. ¡°Aunt M, don¡¯t feel bad about it. This has nothing to do with you. You¡¯ve already tried your best to convince him. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± Be returned to her room with a heavy heart. After thinking about it, she called Drew. ¡°Be, do you miss me?¡± Drew sounded like he was panting, but his tone was still gentle and doting. ¡°Drew, are you busy?¡± Be asked. ¡°I just finished my daily routine training. Don¡¯t worry about it. Why did you call me?¡± ¡°Drew, aren¡¯t you working at Meridan¡¯s special agent headquarters? Would it be easy for you to investigate someone living in Meridan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just easy. In fact, it¡¯s super easy.¡± Drew¡¯s bragging skills wereparable to Axel¡¯s. ¡°Great. That¡¯s great!¡± Be said with a straight face, ¡°Help me to investigate someone. He¡¯s Aunt M¡¯s nephew, Arnold Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Larson. He¡¯s an outstanding and talented neurosurgeon.¡± ¡°I know him,¡± Drew casually replied. ¡°What?!¡± Be was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s ssified information. I can¡¯t reveal much. Tell me, wha want?¡± Drewughed heartily. ¡°I want to know whether Arnold has any interests, weaknesses, o leverage I can use against him.¡± A sharp glint appeared in Be¡¯s eyes as she gritted her teeth. ¡°I thi that guy is quite lecherous. Do you think I can send someone to seduce him? If necessary, I can take action myself!¡± ¡°OMG! Be, are you serious? What are you aiming for?¡± Drew was stunned, his voice raised to an octave higher. ¡°I need Arnold to do me a big favor. I need him toe to Savrow!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather cross-dress and sacrifice myself than let you endure this humiliation! Wait. What are you trying to do?¡± Be pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Drew sighed and thought, ¡®Be has grown up, with heavy concerns on her mind.¡± ¡°Do you think this idea will work?¡± Be sounded quite anxious. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will work if we send you as bait. If it was me, we might have a chance.¡± Drew pondered. Be furrowed her brows in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chapter 722 Drew suddenly chuckled. ¡°Arnold sig gay he¡¯s not interested in women.¡± Be¡¯s hair instantly stood on endid. ¡°Even if you want to seduce him, you¡¯d chave do use a man. He can¡¯t get it up with a woman.¡± As he spoke, Drew grinned wickedly. Hey, wwhy don¡¯t you ask Axel to seduce him? He has a broad shoulder, a thin waisista and a perky butt¡ª top per traits in their circle. If the Larson guy sawhinimh he wouldn¡¯t be unable to resist and might take the bait!¡± leeaa¡¯s lips twitched. Vasstiss the first time Drew praised Axel? Mittlecorget wwo weekster, Justin was officially discharged the ospijahl. ligel personally care to pick him up on that day, keeping a lo rofile throughout the whole process to try to keep the media the car, Nigebbgrabboed Justin¡¯s hand tightly and kept staring a ead, causing goosebburnos to spread on Justin¡¯s body. Grandpa, is there anything weird on my head?¡± Justin could not help jut ask. Justin, you look good withthaabbuzz cut.¡± Nigel touched his hair and eximed. ¡°I had this hairstyle when I was in the military academy. At that time, people said I was the campus heartthrob.¡± Justin curled his lips. His confidence returned. ¡°Anna¡¯s skills are really something! Your head injury was sewn in a way that I couldn¡¯t tell you had surgery. The stitches are so delicate¡­¡± Nigel eximed again. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Thinking about Be, Justin¡¯s heart warmed, and he felt a sweet sensation. ¡°Are you returning to Tideview Manor oring home with me for lunch?¡± Nigel asked. ¡°Grandpa, I miss Be. I want to see her.¡± Justin¡¯s body leaned forward as his eyes gleamed with anticipation. Although he was still in the car, his passionate heart had already flown toward Be. ¡°Good! It¡¯s good that you know to look for your wife!¡± Nige and patted his grandson¡¯s broad shoulder, happy that Justin finally caught on. ¡°I will send you to Anna now! Haha, after surviving great danger, you¡¯re sure to have amazing luck. I hope you cane back with your beautiful wife soon!¡± On the passenger seat, Matt listened to their conversation and purse his lips, trying to suppress his Justin¡¯s cheeks felt a bit warm. He licked his dry lips, smiling like a teenager immersed in the sweetness of his first love. ¡°Grandpa, thank you for your blessings.¡± Half an hourter, their car stopped at the underground parking lot of the KS World Hotel. When Justin appeared in the lobby with his neat buzz cut, he immediately attracted the surprised gazes of the hotel staff. Now, he was smarter and more aloof. Be did not like people who did not make reservations and tried to barge in. Thus, Justin found the administrative secretary who had shut him out before. Despite looking calm, Justin was actually nervous. His heart was pounding. ¡°Hello, I¡¯d like to meet Ms. Be Thompson. Please inform her of my arrival. If she¡¯s busy, I could wait as long as needed.¡± The secretary was stunned and asked in surprise, ¡°Mr. Salvador, didn¡¯t Ms. Thompson tell you? She¡¯s not here anymore.¡± Chapter 723 Justin¡¯s eyesswiddened, and he was dumbfounded. ¡°Not here anymore? What/ddoyyou mean?¡± ¡°Just two days owwe received ourtest appointment notice internally. Ms. Thompsonhhas been transferred back to the KS Group headquarters, officiallylysstepping down from the position of KS World Hotel¡¯s general Imanageer Heerpposition will be arranged separately in the headquarters.¡± ¡°What about the hotel?¡± ¡°A high-level executive from nouuooverseas branch will be transferred back to take charge in Savrow!¡± The administrative secretary recalled BBe¡¯s bbusy figure every day and the unforgettable time they worked together, revealing a contented smile. ¡°In less than a year Mss Beded the gradually declining hotel back on track. Now theestaaffiss motivated and has even achieved performance targets that haveah¡¯tbbeen reach the past decade. Chairman Thompson was very satisfed with Ms Thompson¡¯s results, so he transferred her backkoot the head With Ms. Thompson¡¯s ability, she should spreadcheemwings on greater tform instead of being confined to this shootel it¡¯s a ofabient.¡± Joanimnodded as he listened. idceed his wife was brilliant and capable. Being a mere hotel anageerwas simply wasting her talents. Wait! This was not the problem! He thought, ¡®This is a big deal. Why didn¡¯t Be tell me about this?!¡¯ ¡°Then where can I find Ms. Be?¡± Justin panicked a little and asked anxiously. The secretary was exasperated. ¡°How would I know about Ms. Thompson¡¯s whereabouts? I don¡¯t have such capabilities. Mr. Salvador, you are the president of the Salvador Corporation. Are you worried you can¡¯t find Ms. Be?¡± Justin felt disappointed. He was so worried that he felt his hair would turn white. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. KS Group¡¯s headquarters were located in the most prosperous and expensive business district in Hatchbay. Its office building soared into the clouds and was one of the most iconic buildings in Hatchbay. At 3:00 p.m., employees from all departments craned their ne looking at the spacious and bright corridor, where a group of hi level executives in suits hurried toward the first floor. The news of Be¡¯s arrival spread throughout the wholepany morning. Every department, even the janitors, had heard about it. ¡°Wow! Such a grand scene! Are all these people here to wee Ms Be Thompson?¡± ¡°Although she is Chairman Thompson¡¯s daughter, she isn¡¯t on our management team. Do we need to give her such a grand reception?¡± ¡°I heard that since Ms. Thompson took over the KS World Hotel in Savrow a year ago, the business has thrived and gained a reputation. Their performance increased tenfold! Chairman Thompson saw how capable she is, so she may work in the headquarters in the future!¡± ¡°Tsk, who knows if it¡¯s really her achievements? Chairman Thompson might have helped her behind the scenes. She¡¯s merely a woman in her twenties. ying with jewelry and design might be fine, but leading apany? Is she capable?¡± ¡°Alright, stop talking. She¡¯s here!¡± In the lobby on the first floor, all the high-level executives held their breaths and stayed focused. They wore a standard ck suit and stood in two rows. It was a rule in the KS Group. On important days, or when weing a big shot like Chairman Thompson, all the participating executives had to wear the business suits distributed by the group with a badge on their chest. It was neat and professional. A Rolls-Royce stopped in front of the entrance. Steven got car first and opened the door respectfully. The man who then stepped out of the car was Asher, the CEO Group. ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Asher!¡± Two executives who came out to g them bowed deeply. Chapter 724 ? Asher nodded slightly and turned around, extending his hand, a fond smile ying on his lips.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Be." "I''ming," With a crisp and pleasant response, a pair of slender legs leisurely stepped out of the car, wearing ck and gold ultra-high heels. Her ck skirt swayed, and her skin was as fair as the snow. Any man would feel their blood surge when they saw these legs. Be put her hand on Asher''s extended palm and stepped down. "Ms. Be, good afternoon!" Be nodded slightly. "Sorry to keep you waiting. It''s cold outside. Let''s go in." When the siblings entered the crowd''s field of vision, everyone sighed in amazement at their beauty. "She''s too beautiful. Ms. Be is much more beautiful in person than on TV!" "Indeed. A handsome man like Mr. Asher is standing beside her, but I can''t tear my eyes away from Ms. Be! She''s so beautiful that even a woman would fall in love with her!" Before Be revealed her face, some people were skeptical of her. But once she showed herself, she had won over a wave of fans without doing anything. She was like a must of Chanel, ying and capturing every man''s heart! "Wee, Ms. Be!" The two rows of executives bowed in unison. Be and Asher looked straight ahead as they walked side by side. "Should I give you a tour around the group to get familiar with the environment?" Asher turned his handsome face and asked with a gentle smile. "That could wait. I want to see the office you prepared for me first." Be narrowed her eyes and yfully poked Asher''s arm, catching him off guard. Asher turned his gaze towards her dotingly. "Okay." Asher led Be toward her office. Only Steven trailed behind. "Oh! Asher! Be!" The siblings halted their footsteps and both turned around. They saw a well-dressed, middle-aged man walking briskly towards them, his face beaming. Behind him were his secretary and a few subordinates. "Hi, Uncle Cameron." Be greeted him with a grin. The man walking toward them had a harmonious smile and a graceful demeanor. He was Wyatt''s only brother, the vice chairman of KS Group, Cameron Thompson. Although Cameron was not as stunningly handsome as his brother, he still looked dignified. Compared to Wyatt, who was stern-faced and intimidating in front of others, Cameron was clearly much more approachable, always wearing a smile on his face. "Be, it''s been years since I saw you. You have grown to be even more beautiful!" Cameron looked at Be and was pleasantly surprised. "Yeah, it''s been many years, and you seem to be getting younger and healthier, Uncle Cameron." Be still maintained a polite tone. "Be, you''re still as sweet as when you were a child!" Cameron smiled and looked at Asher. "Asher, judging from the direction you''re heading, are you bringing Be to see her new office?" Chapter 725 ¡°Be, I heard from your father that you will start working in the group. Which department are you going to? What position? I¡¯m not very busy today, so why don¡¯t I bring you around to get familiar with the environment?¡± Facing their uncle¡¯s passionate attitude, Be and Asher exchanged a nce. Asher said indifferently, ¡°We will wait for Dad¡¯s arrangement. believe you will give Be a suitable position that could let her showcase her talents. We will inform you immediately once we get the news.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great! Then I¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡± Cameron suddenly thought of something and looked at Be with a smile. ¡°Be, upon hearing that you¡¯re going to start working here, Cecily prepared a special gift for you. She had it sent to your office. Let¡¯s take a look at it!¡± Cecily Thompson was Cameron¡¯s only daughter and Be¡¯s cousin Although they had not seen each other for years, their rtionship was still as hostile as ever. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll have to thank Cecily.¡± Be curled her lips. They walked towards her new office ¡°Ms. Be, look, what is that?¡± Steven¡¯s eyes widened as he pointed at the office door. Be¡¯s delicate brows furrowed. She also saw the two eye-catching here, with a difficulty level ten times that of KS World Hotel. You must be careful before doing anything, especially toward Uncle Cameron. He has people on his side in the group, and Dad has been indulging him because he is Dad¡¯s only brother. When you go up against Uncle Cameron, you need to be cautious and always have a backup n.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Be¡¯s gaze deepened. ¡°If they know their ce and behave themselves, I won¡¯t mistreat them. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Everyone will be happy. But if they have ulterior motives, they should not me me for being ruthless and destroying decades of their reputation.¡± Asher narrowed his eyes. ¡°Be, you¡¯re quite confident. Don¡¯t forget that Uncle Cameron is the vice chairman.¡± Be arrogantly raised her chin. ¡°So what? My dad is the chairman. I¡¯m not afraid of him!¡± ¡°Oh, right. Have you told Justin about you leaving the KS World Hotel?¡± Asher suddenly asked. Be blinked and pursed her lips. ¡°Why should I tell him? anybody to me?¡± Asher was stunned for a moment. He smiled bitterly. At this moment, Be¡¯s phone vibrated. Her heart tightened. the devil! Could it be that rascal? She took out her phone and found Christopher¡¯s name on the so instead. Asher discreetly looked at her phone screen and frowned. He wo rather it be Justin than Christopher. ¡°Chris?¡± Be took the call with a calm voice. ¡°Be, I¡¯m in Hatchbay now.¡± Over the phone, Christopher¡¯s voice sounded gentle and affectionate. Be could faintly hear the unique sound of the sea breeze in the background. ¡°You must be in Hatchbay too. Are you free? I¡¯d like to meet you.¡± Be looked at her watch and was a little surprised. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s not convenient. I can wait for you, no matter how long.¡± Chapter 726 The smile on Cameron¡¯s face stiffened, on the verge of cracking. The siblings entered her office. As soon as the door closed, Be sneered, crossing her arms as she sat down on the couch.. ¡°Cecily, that damned brat. I haven¡¯t even officially joined the group and she already can¡¯t wait to cause trouble for me. She¡¯s restless but stupid.¡± Asher poured a ss of water and handed it to Be. He sighed helplessly. ¡°In kindergarten, you proimed herself your rival, but she has never won against you. If I were her, I¡¯d give up long ago, but her fighting spirit increases the more she loses.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been better than her since we were kids. Does she think she could beat me now that we¡¯ve grown up?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Be drank some water as her gaze darkened. ¡°Times are different now. If she dares to hurt my interests, I will not care about any blood or family ties.¡± ¡°Of course you won¡¯t. You always refuse to suffer any losses.¡± Asher sat beside Be and held her shoulder, muttering, ¡°When you officially start working, you will realize that it¡¯s another battlefield here, with a difficulty level ten times that of KS World Hotel. You must be careful before doing anything, especially toward Uncle Cameron. He has people on his side in the group, and Dad has been indulging him because he is Dad¡¯s only brother. When you go up against Uncle Cameron, you need to be cautious and always have a backup n.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Be¡¯s gaze deepened. ¡°If they know their ce and behave themselves, I won¡¯t mistreat them. Everyone will be happy. But if they have ulterior motives, they should not me me for being ruthless and destroying decades of their reputation.¡± Asher narrowed his eyes. ¡°Be, you¡¯re quite confident. Don¡¯t forget that Uncle Cameron is the vice chairman.¡± Be arrogantly raised her chin. ¡°So what? My dad is the chairman. I¡¯m not afraid of him!¡± ¡°Oh, right. Have you told Justin about you leaving the KS World Hotel?¡± Asher suddenly asked. Be blinked and pursed her lips. ¡°Why should I tell him? Is he anybody to me?¡± Asher was stunned for a moment. He smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± At this moment, Be¡¯s phone vibrated. Her heart tightened. Speak of the devil! Could it be that rascal? She took out her phone and found Christopher¡¯s name on the screen instead. Asher discreetly looked at her phone screen and frowned. He would rather it be Justin than Christopher. 726. ¡°Chris?¡± Be took the call with a calm voice. ¡°Be, I¡¯m in Hatchbay now.¡± Over the phone, Christopher¡¯s voice sounded gentle and affectionate. Be could faintly hear the unique sound of the sea breeze in the background. ¡°You must be in Hatchbay too. Are you free? I¡¯d like to meet you.¡± Be looked at her watch and was a little surprised. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s not convenient. I can wait for you, no matter how long.¡± Chapter 727 On the roadside opposite the KS Group, Christopher leaned against his car and stood under the golden sunset with his hands in his pockets. He stared at the entrance to the KS Group with a deep gaze. He had been waiting the past few days for Be to contact him, even if it was just a message. However, his hopes were in vain, indirectly confirming one thing. The woman he loved did not have a ce for him in her heart. But he knew for sure that Be still reserved a ce for Justin in her heart. It was just that the shadow of divorce loomed between them, and Be was unwilling to admit she still harbored feelings for Justin. Thinking about this, Christopher adjusted his golden-rimmed sses with a sinister gaze, emanating a chill that even the radiant sunlight could not prate. ¡°Chris.¡± Upon hearing the crisp voice calling out to him, a warm smi returned to Christopher¡¯s gloomy face. ¡°Be, you finally came.¡± Be walked briskly toward him, with her hands behind her back. tilted her head and asked, ¡°Finally? Did you wait for long? Didn¡¯t y just arrive a while ago?¡± She was like a bright and cheerful young woman, identical to the gir who saved him from the abyss 15 years ago. Whenever he saw her, he could not move his burning gaze away from her face, even though he was not a man who coveted beauty. ¡°It¡¯s been quite long. Ever since west met at Madam Celeste¡¯s birthday banquet, I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you again.¡± Christopher¡¯s smile could not hide his sorrow. Coupled with his pale Be was stunned for a moment. Only then did she recall that she had not greeted him and Sophie properly, as she had left in a hurry that day. It was impolite of her. ¡°Sorry. That day¡­ You knew what happened. It was a mess. I was worried about my family, so¡­¡± ¡°Be, you really should apologize to me.¡± Christopher¡¯s expression suddenly became stern. Be was stunned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask for my help? It¡¯s not a small matter.¡± Christopher took a step closer andined in a low voice, ¡°Be don¡¯t you trust me? Do you think I can¡¯t help you?¡± ¡°Chris, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°I only hate the fact that I arrived toote that day. I¡¯m not as fast as Justin, or I would immediately rush to protect you too.¡± Christopher¡¯s breathing became heavy, andplicated emotions surged in his eyes. Chap 727 ¡°Don¡¯t. If you get hit by the metal bat, your head will split into two.¡± Be quickly waved her hands, feeling suffocated when she looked into Christopher¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s enough for Justin to take the hit. Chris, you don¡¯t need to join in the mess.¡± ¡°Why could he take the hit for you, but I can¡¯t? Do you think only Justin could protect you?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes reddened, and his voice was tense. Be slightly leaned backward. She was a little surprised by his reaction. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it that way. I don¡¯t hope for you to get hurt. Why do you want to get hurt? It¡¯s not allowed, even for my sake.¡± A rare warmth surged in Christopher¡¯s heart as he nced at her affectionately. ¡°Be, do you care about me?¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Do you care about me?¡± After they divorced, Justin would always ask brainless questions like this. Every time, she would shoot Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. him down with harsh words, I g him in tatters. However, in the depths of her heart, she still felt a tingling pain. But when Christopher asked this question, her heart was calm. S felt too calm. There was nothing wrong with it; it just proved that Justin was more important to her. Chapter 728 ¡°I just thought I might not be able to save you. Then, you wouldn¡¯t be a hero saving a beauty but would cause trouble for me instead.¡± Be simply found an excuse. ¡°Justin has a better physical condition than the average man. The chances of the surgery seeding on him were higher than others. If it were you, I might fail to save you. Do you want me to carry the guilt forever?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Christopher¡¯s lips curled downward as his heart fell. ¡°Oh, right. Wee to Hatchbay! Let me treat you to dinner tonight?¡± Be smiled and invited him. She could not let hime for nothing. ¡°Be,e back to Savrow with me. We¡¯ll eat there.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes suddenly lightened. ¡°Also, I want to bring you somewhere. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡± Be considered it and then nodded slightly. She was not too interested in the ce Christopher mentioned, but she had to go to Savrow anyway to meet Ralph and investigate the person scheming against Celeste. Be insisted on treating Christopher, so he let her. He chose the restaurant they went to the first time they had dinner together. They had a pleasant dinner, but as Be had worries in her heart, she was still frowning with worry. 213 ¡°Is Madam Celeste¡¯s matter not resolved yet?¡± Christopher sipped a mouthful of wine and asked. ¡°That criminal is still in custody. He admitted to all the charges,¡± Be said in a low voice, gripping her ss tightly. ¡°Have you found any leads?¡± Christopher suddenly asked. Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why are you asking this? Do you have any ideas?¡± Christopher curled his lips. He unlocked his phone and quickly pressed on something, showing it to her. Be took his phone in confusion and opened a series of pictures. It was that criminal¡¯s information! ¡°Twenty years ago, this man worked for TS Channel and changed his career path to be a stunt double. A few yearster, he had an ident and fractured his left leg, eventually leaving TS Channel.¡± Although he had undergone treatment, he could only walk to meet his daily needs and couldn¡¯t perform action scenes anymore. He lived in poverty all these years,¡± Christopher said casually as he poured another ss of wine for her. Be suddenly recalled that the man indeed walked in a strange posture when the police took him into custody. ¡°At that time, Madam Celeste and Shannon Quarry werepetitors and were both the face of TS Channel. Rumors of their fiercepetition were rampant. On Madam Celeste¡¯s birthday, Shannon even postponed her own birthday celebration to Sunday to steal the spotlight from Madam Celeste. Unexpectedly, the guests she invited all went to Madam Celeste¡¯s birthday banquet, and even Old Master Nigel disregarded Shannon.¡± Christopher raised his brows and smiled yfully. ¡°Do you think Shannon would hold a grudge and target Madam Celeste?¡± Be pursed her lips and took a deep breath. ¡°In fact, I suspected Shannon since the incident happened, but I don¡¯t have evidence.¡± Christopher narrowed his eyes and sent her a few more photos. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°That man¡¯s apartment,¡± Christopher replied casually. The photos portrayed a dim and cramped space with dirty and. disordered surroundings. The walls of the apartment were covered with pictures and posters of Shannon when she was a celebrity. It was like a creepy crime scene in the movies! ¡°This man is obsessed with Shannon. It means he has a motive. Be, could this be considered indirect evidence?¡± Be¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You sent someone to his apartment?!¡± Christopher wiped his mouth gracefully with a table napkin. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. No need to thank me, Be. Be was a little moved. ¡°Trespassing is a crime. You could be jailed.¡± Christopher¡¯s handsome face had a faint smile. ¡°He almost hurt you and caused harm to your family. Is that a crime? I¡¯m merely doing God¡¯s work.¡± Chapter 729 Be thought, ¡®Well, it makes sense!¡¯ After paying the bill, Be got up and went to the washroom. Right after she left, her phone started vibrating on the table. Christopher leaned forward and lowered his eyes. He pressed on the screen with a finger and dragged the phone to him. Then, his gaze turned cold, and he picked up the phone, putting it against his ear. ¡°Be, can you talk now? Be?¡± On the other end of the phone, Justin called out affectionately. Christopher did not speak. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Seeing that there was no response, Justin¡¯s voice became hoarse ¡± Be, where are you now? Can I meet you?¡± Christopher pulled his lips into a sneer and hung up. Two secondster, Justin called again. Christopher snorted and added Justin¡¯s number to the cklist, ther returned the phone to its ce. ¡°Sorry for the wait. Let¡¯s go.¡± At this moment, Be returned. She touched up her lipstick, and her fair skin was delicate and wless. Christopher¡¯s throat bobbed as he looked at her with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Be sat in the passenger seat of Christopher¡¯s sports car as they drove toward the east side of the city. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Be asked. ¡°We¡¯ll be reaching soon.¡± Twenty minutester, the car entered East Meadows, a newly built racecourse for horses. ¡°A racecourse?!¡± Be rolled down the window, her eyes shining. ¡°Do you remember when we were young and I still lived in Hatchbay? You always sneaked me into your family¡¯s racecourse and let me feed the horses with you.¡± Christopher turned sideways to look at her and smiled warmly. ¡°I remember! You were a scaredy-cat and didn¡¯t even dare to touch the horses.¡± Be¡¯s tone lightened up when she spoke of the past Christopher smiled wryly, somewhat exasperated. In fact, he was scared of the horse, but he was afraid of getting his hands dirty. ¡°This racecourse belongs to the Iverson family. It was justplet this autumn and not yet opened to the public.¡± After parking the car, Christopher led Be and walked into the racecourse. ¡°Both of you, stop!¡± Unexpectedly, they were stopped by two bodyguards at the entrance.¡± We are not open to the public yet. Tourists are not allowed!¡± Be could not help feeling stunned, casting aplex gaze at Christopher, who was expressionless. Lance Iverson¡¯s sons, James and Charles, were well-known throughout the Iverson Group, but Christopher was denied entry by two bodyguards. The difference in treatment made even an outsider like Be feel infuriated. ¡°Be, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Christopher frowned slightly with a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you toe out with me, but I let you witness such an awkward situation.¡± Chapter 730 Be did not feel awkward. If she did, she would be looking down on Christopher. She could distinguish love from hate, but she would never look down on or scorn anyone. It was not how she was raised. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Since they refused to let us in, we cane here when it¡¯s open to the public. Let¡¯s go.¡± Be did not want to cause Christopher any trouble. She said calmly,¡± If you want to ride a horse, we can go to my family¡¯s racecourse. It¡¯s the same thing.¡± Just as she prepared to leave, Christopher grabbed her hand, tightening his grip. ¡°Be, don¡¯t go. We must get in tonight.¡± Be¡¯s fingertips trembled, and she instinctively wanted to pull her hand away but failed. Christopher¡¯s tone was dominating. Since they reunited, this w first time Be saw his assertive side. The bodyguards exchanged a nce and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯d leave soon. If not, we won¡¯t be so polite anymore. Mr. Charles is receiving guests inside, and unauthorized personnel are not allow to disturb him!¡± Be rolled her eyes. Unauthorized personnel? How could they have such audacity? ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Christopher regained hisposure instead and casually walked to the bodyguards. ¡°What if I had to go in?¡± ¡°Are you looking for trouble?¡± A bodyguard red at Christopher fiercely and acted as if he were about to push him. Unexpectedly, before his hand even touched Christopher¡¯s shirt, he felt the world spin around him. His arm made a cracking sound, then he screamed in pain. Be¡¯s eyes widened. She watched as the bodyguard was thrown to the ground with a suplex. The bodyguard could not get up again. The other bodyguard was enraged and rushed forward, but the same thing happened. ¡°Be, let¡¯s go.¡± Christopher pulled a white napkin from his pocket and wiped his hands, saying gently to Be. He gave off a schrly demeanor, looking graceful as if he had nothing to do with the man who threw hands just now. Be was speechless. Christopher pursed his lips. He grabbed her hand again, walking forward while looking straight. ¡°Wait! Who are you?¡± The bodyguards on the ground asked with a grimace. Christopher¡¯s footsteps halted. ¡°I¡¯m an Iverson.¡± The two bodyguards copsed, their faces pale with fright. On the other side, Justin, who could not contact Be, sat anxiously in his car. ¡°Mr. Salvador, are you unable to contact Young Madam?¡±n looked worried. ¡°Yeah. Although Be hates me, she would never ignore my calls.¡± Justin gripped his phone, sweat forming on his palm. His brows furrowed. n, did I do something wrong to piss her off again? Since I hurt my head, my memory has been a bit off. Help me recall. What did I say or do wrong?¡± Seeing the usually confident man in such a worried state,n felt that he was a different man from the boss who held his ground in business affairs. ¡°Well¡­ You¡¯ve not seen Young Madam recently, so you don¡¯t have the chance to make her angry.¡± night? She dreamed about how you treated her before and woke up mad, so she ignored you.¡± Justin was speechless. ¡°A dream?¡± something to fight about. One day, she dreamed about me cheating on her, and she quarreled with me all day! We broke up not long after.¡± Justin¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Do you think my Be is like the kind of ridiculous woman you know?¡± sorry!¡± Justin had a gloomy expression, sighing while rubbing his temples. Chapter 731 How could Justin control someone else¡¯s dreams? However, he was indeed an asshole in the past, probably leaving quite a shadow in Be¡¯s heart. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to contact Mr. Asher? We know that Young Madam has returned to Hatchbay, and Mr. Asher will definitely know Young Madam¡¯s whereabouts!¡±n racked his brains and thought of an idea. Justin nced at him coldly. ¡°I am the president of the Salvador Corporation. How could I fail to find one person and even have to call her family? What if Asher doesn¡¯t know where she is? Do I have to call all her brothers? Get lost! You¡¯re an eyesore.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll take my leave now!¡± After he closed the car door, Justin immediately took his p and dialed Asher¡¯s number. ¡°Mr. Salvador, are you feeling better?¡± Asher¡¯s tone was calm revealing no other emotions. ¡°Is Be with you?¡± Justin sounded a little anxious. ¡°Be is not with me. Why? Are you unable to contact my sister?¡± Justin heaved a sigh. ¡°She didn¡¯t pick up my calls. I called her seve times.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s expected.¡± Justin was rendered speechless. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where Be went. She¡¯s not a kid anymore. She doesn¡¯t need to report her whereabouts to me. In the past, she even lost contact with us for a few years to be with you.¡± ¡°For me? She didn¡¯t contact her family for years? Why?¡± Justin was surprised and questioned sensitively. Noticing that he had slipped up, Asher quickly changed the topic. ¡°Mr. Salvador, is there anything urgent you need Be for? Does your head hurt?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just worried about her.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Be always knew how to avoid danger and protect herself. When she wants to meet you, she will naturally appear. If you can¡¯t reach her, it means she doesn¡¯t want to see you for the time being.¡± Listening to Asher¡¯s words, Justin felt as if his heart was pricked by needles. Although it was not fatal, the tingling pain spread throughout his body. After hanging up, he fell into a daze and despair. His phone was drenched with sweat from his palms. However, Asher¡¯s words caused a ripple in his heart. Be did not contact her family for a few years. Coincidentally, he had the same experience. During those years when she left home, what did she do? Where did she go? Why had he never heard of her mentioning it? After entering the racecourse, Christopher still grabbed Be¡¯s hand tightly without letting go. ¡°Chris? Chris? Christopher!¡± Christopher returned to his senses after Be called him three times.¡± What?¡± Be pursed her lips, ring at him. She lowered her gaze and looked at their sped hands. ¡°Sorry, Be. I was too fired up just now. I apologize.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes flickered as he slowly released her hand. The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. They were both unmarried adults, and Be had been divorced once. She was not a teenage girl who Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. knew nothing. If she fixated on holding hands with a man, it might seem pretentious. Be took a deep breath and said seriously, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you them who you were earlier? If you make it clear, there will be no misunderstanding, and you don¡¯t need to resort to violence.¡± ¡°Be, do you think they¡¯d let me in if I told them my identity?¡± Christopher smiled mockingly. ¡°They would only inform my broth and I would be denied entry anyway. The results would be the same Be did not press further. She had no intention of meddling in the Iverson brothers¡¯ fight. It was not something an outsider like her could manage. # ¡°Chris, why did you bring me to a racecourse? To ride a horse?¡± ¡°I want you to see a horse. I guarantee you¡¯ll love it.¡± Chapter 732 As he spoke, Christopher could not help but want to hold Be¡¯s hand again. Suddenly recalling her difort, his hand paused mid-air, his fingers trembling and curling slightly. Be¡¯s heart tightened along with his trembling fingers. At this moment, Christopher¡¯s secretary ran over, panting with sweat on his forehead. ¡°Mr. Christopher! Things are bad!¡± Christopher frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mr. Charles has taken the horse you wanted to give Ms. Be to the racecourse.¡± Upon hearing it, Christopher adjusted his sses, his eyes burning with rage. His expression turned frosty. On the other side, Charles had his horse trainer lead a well- proportioned and majestic Akhal-Teke with a shiny coat for disy to the guests he invited. ¡°Mr. Charles, this horse is a rare treasure! I¡¯ve only heard of it before. It¡¯s my first time seeing it!¡± ¡°This horse must cost at least ten million!¡± ¡°Thirty thousand? You¡¯ve underestimated it.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Charles could not hide his smile as he gently stroked the Akhal-Teke¡¯s silky ky coat. ¡°This Akhal-Teke is a rare breed from overseas. There are not many of them. This horse is worth at least $15 million.¡± The guests eximed and took out their phones to take pictures. They could afford it, but they would much rather use the money to buy sports cars, vis, or yachts. If they bought a horse, the maintenance fees would be extravagant. Only extremely wealthy families like the Iversons, Thompsons, and Salvadors would own such an expensive pet.. ¡°Come. Give me a hand. I want to see if this horse runs well.¡± Charles rubbed his palms and grabbed the saddle, about to climb onto the horse. ¡°Who allowed you to touch my belongings?¡± Suddenly, a cold voice sounded, taking everyone present by surprise! ¡°Fuck!¡± Charles was also frightened. He missed a step and fell off the horse. Luckily, the horse trainer quickly caught him, but he still looked embarrassed. ¡°Oh! Mr. Charles, be careful!¡± The guests acted concerned, but they were suppressing theirughter. Charles gritted his teeth and pushed the horse trainer away. He turned around and red fiercely at the two figures that approached. It was Be and Christopher. A handsome couple like them was a feast for the eyes! ¡°Look! Who is that woman? She¡¯s so pretty. She looks familiar!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter, Be Thompson!¡± ¡°The man beside Ms. Be is¡­ Oh God! They look perfect together!¡± ¡°I remember now! He¡¯s Lance Iverson¡¯s fourth son, who just returned to the country! I didn¡¯t know he was so close to Ms. Be. He must be an extraordinary man!¡± Seeing that Christopher stole his spotlight in a scene he set up, Charles was so furious that his eyes turned red. Be did not pay attention to Charles¡¯ ever-changing expression. Her lips parted as she stared at the shiny Akhal-Teke, letting out a sigh of admiration. ¡°Beautiful¡­ It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± Christopher turned around and looked at the radiant woman beside him. His gaze turned gentle as he smiled softly. ¡°Christopher, why did youe over?¡± Charles straightened his back and patted the dust off his body with a stered smile. ¡°Charles, how¡¯s my horse? Does it really make you so proud to unt someone else¡¯s belongings everywhere?¡± Christopher tilted his head and nced at Charles disdainfully. ¡°If you really want it, you could just ask to borrow it from me. What¡¯s the point of secretly taking possession of it?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Charles turned green from the embarrassment. ¡°But even if you ask, I won¡¯t lend it to you.¡± Chapter 733 Upon hearing these words, Charles¡¯ expression fell. The crowd was stunned. Christopher Iverson spoke so arrogantly, and his attitude was provocative. They started whispering to each other. ¡°These two Iverson brothers don¡¯t seem to get along well, huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get along well? They look like enemies!¡± ¡°Did Mr. Christopher say the horse belongs to him? Does it mean Mr. Charles touched his stuff without telling him?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this inappropriate?¡± The murmurs reached Charles¡¯ ears, and he could not bear it anymore. He gritted his teeth and said coldly, ¡°Christopher, it¡¯s just a horse. Do you need to say such words in front of so many people?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Christopher¡¯s delicate brows furrowed as he said aggressivel were an ordinary horse, I would be generous enough to let you h But this is a gift I intended for Be. She hasn¡¯t even seen it, yet you¡¯ve already touched it. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate?¡± Be¡¯s excited gaze still lingered on the Akhal-Teke. When she hea Christopher¡¯s words, her eyes widened! ¡°Charles, how did you be more disgraceful over the years?¡± Christopher did not conceal his mockery, not even with his brother. ¡± Didn¡¯t Dad tell you that touching someone else¡¯s belongings without permission is rude?¡± Charles felt as if Christopher¡¯s words were a p in the face. Hisposure cracked. He did not care about the guests he invited. However, the humiliation. multiplied a hundredfold with Be¡¯s presence. Anger surged in his veins. ¡°Since you wanted to give this horse to Ms. Be, why did you tie it up here? If you tie it here, I¡¯ll assume it¡¯s a horse from our family¡¯s racecourse. I am an Iverson. Can¡¯t I take it out for a walk?¡± Christopher pushed his sses. His lips curled into a sneer. ¡°If you¡¯re tied up here, does it mean I could take you out for a walk too?¡± ¡°You!¡± Someone in the crowd could not suppress theirughter. Charles¡¯ face flushed with anger, and he took a step forward, clenching fists. If his secretary had not stopped him, Charles would have rushed and grabbed Christopher¡¯s cor! ¡°Chris, it¡¯s not a big deal. Don¡¯t ruin the mood.¡± Be lightly touched Christopher¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Let us not disturb Mr. Charles and his guests. We can walk around somewhere else.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± Christopher went forward to take the horse¡¯s leash and left with Be under everyone¡¯s watchful gaze. At this moment, he was like Prince Charming, strolling under the starry sky with his beloved princess. Charles gritted his teeth in hatred. He hated how Christopher humiliated him in public. Even more so, he hated how Christopher brought Be around the racecourse as if they were on a date, treating him like he was invisible! In the lounge, Charles angrily downed a ss of whiskey, then smashed the ss on the floor. ¡°Bastard¡­ He¡¯s just a stupid mutt. Why is he acting all arrogant?¡± ¡°Mr. Charles, he¡¯s not arrogant because he has an Akhal-Teke. He¡¯s arrogant because he has a reason to humiliate you in front of the guests,¡± Charles¡¯ secretary huffed. Chapter 734 Charles red at him. ¡°Do you mean that I gave him the chance to humiliate me?¡± ¡°No! Please don¡¯t take my words wrongly. I¡¯m just feeling indignant for you! After all, you¡¯re the one appointed by Chairman Iverson to marry Ms. Be!¡± Cold beads formed on the secretary¡¯s forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to feel indignant on my behalf. I need ideas!¡± Charles was so agitated that he started breathing irregrly, and his hand trembled. Seeing this, the secretary hastily brought a new ss and filled it with whiskey. Charles drank it in one gulp, slowly calming down. Who would have thought that the graceful and well-mannered man was actually a manic man who needed alcohol to numb his nerves and could not control his emotions? ¡°If that guy made you mad, you should return the favor. At least, you shouldn¡¯t let him have a smooth and happy date with Ms. Be,¡± the secretary said in a low voice. Charles¡¯ eyes lit up as if he were inspired. After pondering for a moment, he hooked his fingers at the secretary. ¡°I have an idea. Go and handle it for me now.¡± Unable to contact Be or get information from Asher, Justin was on pins and needles. He even began to have heart palpitations and hallucinations. There a buzzing sound in his ears. was ¡°Mr. Salvador, the chairman has an important social event ongoing now. He wants you to be there immediately. Since you¡¯ve just recovered and have not appeared in public for a long time, tonight is crucial as it marks your first appearance.¡± As the president¡¯s secretary,n was always reliable on important matters. ¡°You are the president and the heir appointed by Chairman Salvador. You need to attend such events to show that you are well and stable.¡± Justin frowned and said nothing, merely staring nkly at the dark screen of his phone. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you can be in love, but it shouldn¡¯t be your whole world.¡± status. She has many brothers protecting her, and she¡¯s more than capable of protecting hers What could possibly happen to her? You¡¯ve never been such an irrational person. A man needs to prioritize his career.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s wrong for me to care about her?¡± Justin¡¯s brows scrunched together. ¡°In the past, I worked like a tireless and rigid robot. I had a wife, but never took her seriously. At that time, nothing was more important than work to me. I felt that if I lost my status, I would¡¯ve lost everything.¡± Justin closed his eyes slowly. ¡°After Be left, I finally realized that I was nothing without her by my side¡­ Everything I possessed had be meaningless.¡± So what if he stood at the top of the social pyramid? He still felt the pain of losing the woman he loved the most. ¡°Mr. Salvador, how can you say this? You¡¯ve always told me that you strive to stand at the top even if there¡¯s no one up there with you because you need the power to protect the people around you. You wanted fame and sess to fulfill your responsibility to your deceased mother!¡±n spoke anxiously. Justin¡¯s eyshes fluttered. Thinking of his mother¡¯s tragic death, he felt suffocated, the pain in his heart overwhelmingly clear. ¡°Moreover, you should not choose between love and career. If you only knew to please Young Madam and neglected your work, what would happen when you ended up worse off than Young Mad Justin narrowed his eyes, his chest filled with annoyance. Althoughn¡¯s words were unpleasant, they were not without reaso ¡°Prepare the car. We¡¯re leaving now. Chapter 735 ¡°The Akhal-Teke was known as the Ferrari of horses and a national treasure. I used to pester Wyatt to give me one, but he was afraid of a horse-riding ident and didn¡¯t allow me to get too close to a horse.¡± Under the lights, Be excitedly caressed the horse¡¯s shiny gold coat. The feeling made her heart race. Suddenly, her throat dried. An image shed in her mind. It was Justin¡¯s naked, muscled, and well- defined chest. Be felt a tingling sensation at her fingertips. Her cheeks burned, and a blush appeared. When that man pressed down on her andpletely unleashed himself, he was like a wild and untamed horse as well. ¡°Be, do you like it? Be?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Be snapped out of her daze and quickly touched her burning cheeks, her eyes watery. ¡°Yes. Horses are my favorite animal.¡± Damn it. How could seeing a fine horse make her think of that of a man? Christopher silently walked behind her, his tall figure casting a silhouette that covered her. He stared at her beautiful side profile with a gentle gaze. ¡°I remember. When we were young, you told me you loved horses. Bing an equestrian athlete has always been your dream.¡± ¡°It was indeed my dream at that time.¡± Be¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°But it¡¯s no longer my dream now. I know I am unsuitable to be an athlete in various aspects.¡± She did not mind Christopher frequently bringing up memories of when they were young, even if she could not remember some. However, she felt that the biggest difference between them was that she always looked forward, while Christopher seemed to be living in the past. ¡°Be, what is your dream now?¡± Christopher¡¯s fist tightened. He wanted to hug her. His chest surged as he breathed heavily. ¡°For a long time, I wanted to be an outstanding doctor.¡± She could not fight with Justin, but she could be his best support. She prayed for Justin to return from the battlefield safely, but if he was hurt, she wanted to be the one to bandage his wounds. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Now¡­ I don¡¯t have a dream anymore.¡± Be felt numb and in pain. Only a faint smile remained on her lips. Now, I just want to reap the benefits without sowing the seeds, enjoy the results without effort, and achieve sess through a shortcut.¡± ¡°Oh? Be, can you read my mind?¡± Christopher chuckled softly in her ear. ¡°We have the same thought.¡± Be raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re not even thirty yet, but you want to spend your life doing nothing? That¡¯s too unambitious!¡± ¡°You misunderstood. I merely hope that my future wife will have no worries for the rest of her life.¡± Be felt Christopher¡¯s warm breath on her earlobe. His eyes turned red with desire as he said, ¡°It¡¯s only right for my woman to enjoy all the pleasures in life without having to work for them. Only a useless man would let his partner suffer.¡± Be¡¯s breath hitched. She wondered if she was overthinking it. Christopher¡¯s words were gentle on the surface, but they seemed to conceal a hint of derision directed at a certain someone. Suddenly, there was a deafening neigh in the empty and silent racecourse. ¡°Mr. Christopher! Ms. Be! Look out!¡± A sudden gust of wind kicked up yellow sand and dust. Be turned back and widened her eyes in shock. A ck horse broke through the fence and charged toward them! Chapter 736 Be¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and her body tensed up as her red lips. trembled. Despite her usual quick-witted nature, the sudden situation caught her off guard. After all, dealing with a purebred racehorse was like facing a powerful sports car. If every human could react this quickly, perhaps the world would be free of idents. ¡°Mr. Iverson!¡± The secretary screamed at the top of his lungs. He rushed over desperately to protect his boss, but it was already too The ck horse went out of control, charging onto the racing track with red eyes and erratic breath. Be panicked, and though she wanted to escape, her legs felt glued to the ground. Frozen in ce, Be closed her eyes. ¡°Be!¡± Just then, Christopher swooped in with his arms outstretched. He Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. tightly embraced her, and in a mid-air flip, they crashed heavily to the ground on the other side. ¡°Thud!¡± Dust swirled around as the two of them fell to the ground together. Christopher¡¯s back hit the ground first, with Be protected in his embrace. Despite some minor scrapes, she was virtually unscathed. Chanth Me Despite that, the force of impact on her body was so strong that it created intense difort throughout her body. One could only envision the pain Christopher must have endured when his body. collided with the ground. ¡°Chris! Are you alright?!¡± Be panicked, her eyes turning red. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine! Be careful!¡± Christopher¡¯s face turned ashen, momentarily forgetting his own pain. He tightened his hold on Be and rolled to the side with all his might! ¡°Neigh-!¡± The ck horse suddenly turned around and raised its front hooves! ¡°Ah-!¡± Christopher felt a sharp pain in his back, and he broke out in a cold sweat. His suit was almost soaked through with sweat. ¡°Chris!¡± Be felt suffocated. The secretary and two horse trainers rushed over and worked together to subdue the rampaging horse by. administering a powerful sedative. Under the effects of the sedative, the horse gradually calmed down. Its bloodshot eyes also cleared up. ¡°Mr. Iverson! Mr. Iverson!¡± The secretary ran over in tears, only to see Christopher lying on the ground, pale and unable to stand. He was at a loss for what to do. ¡°How do you handle these beasts?¡± The secretary berated the two horse trainers. ¡°If anything happens to my boss, the two of you won¡¯t be able to shirk responsibility!¡± The two horse trainers trembled in fear, their legs shaking uncontrobly¡­ ¡°Forget about that for now. Saving Chris is the priority!¡± Be¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat as she gentlyid Christopher down on the ground. She instructed the secretary to call for an ambnce immediately. Then she began to feel his body for injuries. ¡°Where does it hurt? How are you feeling? While you¡¯re still conscious, tell me everything!¡± Be adopted a doctor¡¯s tone. Seeing the concern in Be¡¯s expression, Christopher couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly. He was delighted. ¡°Be, seeing how much you care about me, I don¡¯t feel any pain at all. Chapter 737 ¡°Christopher! Seriously, now is not the time for jokes!¡± Be eximed anxiously. Her voice was several octaves higher than normal. Christopher dared not tease her further. Enduring the intense pain, he softly said, ¡°My arm and my back are both hurting a bit.¡± Before he could finish speaking, Be¡¯s movements froze as she palpated his broken arm. The feeling of the protruding bone sent a Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. shiver through her.. ¡°Be, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Christopher gently said as he gazed deeply at her. ¡°Okay? Dude, your arm is broken!¡± Be yelled at him, her eyes reddening. Despite being the one injured, Christopher wasforting her instead. It made her feel even more guilty. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll mend any bone you break. Even if you shattered every bone in your body, I¡¯d piece them back together. I¡¯ll take full responsibility for you!¡± Be vowed. Full responsibility. Christopher felt a warmth spreading in his heart. No woman had ever boldly offered to take responsibility for him in all his life. Be dared to do what others wouldn¡¯t, and that was one of the reasons he was deeply infatuated with her. ¡°This is really strange!¡± One of the horse trainers scratched his head thes in confusion. ¡°This ck horse is usually the gentlest, most obedient one in our stable. It¡¯s usually extremely timid. Why did it suddenly lose control today?¡± The secretary red at him irritably. ¡°Who the hell are you asking?! Don¡¯t you have any idea what¡¯s going on? Useless!¡± ¡°Usually, horses exhibit such abnormal behavior when they are severely frightened.¡± Be pondered seriously. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Another horse trainer added, ¡°This little ck one has been staying in the stable all along. No one touched it or let it out. How could it suddenly be frightened and lose control?¡± Upon hearing this, both Be and Christopher¡¯s faces darkened. The Savrow International Convention Center was hosting a high- profile gathering of business tycoons. Gregory was engaged in lively conversations and toasts with familiar business tycoons. ¡°Chairman Salvador! Long time no see!¡± Gregory turned in surprise as Cameron approached with a champagne ss in hand and a sly smile on his face. ¡°Oh, Vice Chairman Thompson, what a pleasant surprise.¡± Gregory nodded lightly. Compared to Cameron¡¯s warmth, Gregory¡¯s attitude was notably distant. Despite Cameron being Wyatt Thompson¡¯s only brother and holding the title of vice chairman at the KS Group, it was a well-kept secret that the majority of KS Group shares and industries were still controlled by Wyatt Thompson and his children. Even within the the KS Group. Asher, being the legitimate son and eldest of Wyatt¡¯s children, was destined to inherit thepany. In a few years, Cameron¡¯s role as second-inmand would diminish and be renderedpletely powerless. He would soon be overshadowed by his own nephew. The business world has always been this ruthless. Although Gregory disliked Wyatt, at least Wyatt¡¯s status warranted a conversation with . him. Cameron, on the other hand, was a different story. ¡°Vice Chairman Thompson, isn¡¯t Chairman Thompson joining us today? Are you here alone?¡± Another mogul inquired curiously. ¡°My elder brother has been busy dealing with family matterstely, so he couldn¡¯t make it,¡± Cameron replied, feigning concern with a sigh. My brother¡¯s third wife had some trouble recently. You must have heard about it, right? They say she¡¯s been bedridden these days, barely clinging to life. My brother is worried and has been by her side day and night. How could he have the heart to attend any events?¡± Chapter 738 Gregory remainedposed upon hearing the remarks, though his eyes hinted at a mix of emotions. ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯ve heard about that incident before. It¡¯s been so many years, yet someone still brings it up. They really have nothing better to do!¡± Gregory spoke with a hint of disdain. ¡°Jealousy, that¡¯s what it is! Seeing someone receive endless congrattions on their birthday, marry into wealth, and be as beautiful as a flower can make others green with envy. It¡¯smon for people to resort to backstabbing and spreading rumors behind the scenes. Even the artists in my entertainmentpany engage in such petty squabbles all the time. It¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Gregory tightened his lips, furrowing his brow. Though thements weren¡¯t directed at anyone specific, they still stung nheless. ¡°Chairman Thompson is truly a person of integrity and loyalty,¡± someone chimed in. ¡°Despite Madam Celeste being a former actre and only giving birth to a daughter for Chairman Thompson, he h not once mistreated her. It speaks volumes about his character!¡± The guests nodded in agreement, prompting Cameron to smile awkwardly, feeling disgruntled inside. Cameron had thought bringing up this matter would make others poke fun at Wyatt¡¯s expense, but it backfired, earning his elder brother a wave of praise instead. Chapjes 245 ¡®Were these people so blind to power and influence that they¡¯d even fawn over Wyatt if he messed up?¡¯ Cameron thought. Gregory nced at his watch and scanned the room, but Justin was nowhere in sight. ¡°Chairman Salvador, on such an important asion tonight, why hasn¡¯t Mr. Salvador arrived yet?¡± Cameron asked tentatively. Gregory replied, ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll be here shortly.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Cameron¡¯s eyes lit up, his tone bing more enthusiastic.¡± Actually, our group has a great project underway, focusing on environmental protection, which is currently receiving strong support from the government. My elder brother has entrusted it to me, and I¡¯m looking for potential partners.¡± He briefly exined the project, and Gregory nodded, showing a hint of interest. ¡°My daughter, Cecily, has proposed two excellent coboration proposals recently. She¡¯ll be joining uster. After the party, a meeting where you and your son can join us for a deeper discussion if you¡¯re interested,¡± Cameron said, seizing the oppo ¡°Your daughter?¡± Gregory furrowed his brow. P ¡°Yes, I only have one daughter, Cecily Thompson. She¡¯s the same ag as my brother¡¯s daughter, Be, just four months younger. She studied at the top university in Helionis, receiving a full schrship every year. She even served as a trantor for the President of Helionis. After returning to Savrow, she joined KS Group based on her own merit and is currently serving as the Director of the Product Design Department,¡± Cameron proudly introduced his daughter, as if he were promoting a high-end product he had personally crafted. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The guests nearby couldn¡¯t help but think to themselves, ¡®We all know your daughter doesn¡¯t need merit to enter KS Group¡­¡¯ ¡°Ah, truly an outstanding woman,¡± Gregory praised with forced enthusiasm. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll arrange it after the party!¡± Cameron dered. Gregory was slightly taken aback. ¡®Settled? Who said it¡¯s settled?¡¯ Though Gregory wasn¡¯t young anymore, he wasn¡¯t naive. Could he not see that Cameron¡¯s intention to discuss business with him was just an excuse? The real goal was to introduce his daughter, creating an opportunity for their children to meet. ¡°Vice Chairman Thompson, my father hasn¡¯t agreed yet. How could you say it¡¯s settled?¡± Justin¡¯s cold and direct voice interrupted their conversation. All eyes turned as Justin approached, exuding a cool elegan dark, aloof eyes. ¡°Justin, why did youe sote?¡± Gregoryined but sec felt relieved. The smile on Cameron¡¯s face froze for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, Justin coolly interrupted, ¡°If this is a genuine. business discussion, Vice Chairman Thompson, you could have chosen a more appropriate time instead of rushing into things. At the very least, we should follow the proper procedures for scheduling a thing we went dose rugh for impromptu meetings ne then try t Chapter 739 The crowd was stunned by Justin¡¯s extremely blunt and straightforward words. Although these business tycoons maintained a stoic expression, there was a subtle sense of disdain toward Cameron. While it was eptable for businessmen to discuss business, Cameron¡¯s intentions were too apparent. His sudden invitation, along with the idea of bringing along his daughter, didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Cameron probably didn¡¯t expect Justin to be so straightforward. His blunt response immediately ended his schemes. The usually stoic Cameron struggled to maintain his smile. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re right, Mr. Salvador. I admit I acted impulsively. I should have scheduled a proper appointment. But I was too excited to see Chairman Salvador tonight, so¡­¡± Justin interrupted coldly, ¡°If seeing my father makes you happy, then you should invite him to dinner. My father is the Chairman of the Salvador Corporation. You can just discuss business with him directly.¡± Justin cast Cameron a disdainful nce before shifting his gaze away. ¡°But I¡¯m curious. Does Chairman Thompson know about you representing the KS Group in negotiations with Salvador Corporation?¡± Cameron was taken aback. He then smiled. ¡°My elder brother entrusted the project to me and gave me full responsibility. Naturally, I must prioritize cooperation with powerful organizations. If my brother knew we could coborate with the Salvador Group, he would 1275 be delighted and would fully support it.¡± Justin smiled and replied, ¡°Would Chairman Thompson still be delighted and give his full support if he knew you met with his ex-son- inw?¡± The crowd was left in shock. Gregory¡¯s brows furrowed as he sternly rebuked, ¡°Justin, why bring this up here?!¡± Cameron suddenly widened his eyes. His mouth was hanging wide. open as his mind struggled to process what he just heard. Wyatt¡¯s ex-son-inw?! Justin, the president of the Salvador Corporation, turns out to be the ex-husband of that devilish brat, Be. When did they get married? When did they get divorced? The Thompson family seemed. ridiculously secretive about it, as if everyone had been sworn to silence. ¡°If things aren¡¯tid out clearly, it could stir up unnecessary trole,¡± Justin said coldly. ¡°Apart from Chairman Thompson and Be coborate with anyone else from the KS Group. I also don¡¯t upset Be over unnecessary matters such as meeting women privately behind her back, even if it¡¯s her cousin.¡± The crowd was shocked by Justin¡¯s public deration of love. Gregory cleared his throat and shot his son a meaningful nce.¡± Alright, Justin, there¡¯s no need to be so explicit about certain matters ¡°Haha¡­ I really didn¡¯t know about your rtionship with Be. My apologies for being so abrupt.¡± Cameronughed awkwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯ Change: 729 expect you two to be divorced, yet you still defend Be so passionately. Mr. Salvador, you are truly a sentimental and loyal person.¡± ¡°The marriage may be over, but my love remains,¡± Justin said. His eyes softened at the thought of Be¡¯s captivating smile. ¡°I love Be. Even though we¡¯re divorced now, I will still win her back in the future.¡± Cameron¡¯s mind went nk, his face turning pale with embarrassment. As the reception continued, Cameron stepped into the corridor to take a call from Cecily. ¡°Hey, Dad, have you arrived at the reception?¡± Cameron was still upset from his encounter with Justin and wasn¡¯t in the best mood. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while. Where are you? Why haven¡¯t you shown up yet?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Oh, I need to get dressed properly before heading out to such an important event tonight.¡± Chapter 740 Cecily asked with enthusiasm, ¡°Dad, has Mr. Salvador arrived?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Have you talked to him about the new project? You must tell him that the n was my idea.¡± Cecily said proudly, ¡°A man like Mr. Salvador was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He has seen countless charming women and is surely not easily impressed. Only someone as intelligent and beautiful as me can catch Mr. Salvador¡¯s attention. Once he notices me, he¡¯ll be attracted by my talent and eventually fall for me because of my charm.¡± Her lively and excited tone made it sound like she had already won over Justin. The dream of stepping into the Salvadors¡¯ grand mansion was just a step away! ¡°Hmph, I advise you not to be too happy too soon,¡± Cameron wa d in a hushed tone, his gaze dark. ¡°Dad, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Justin has been divorced once.¡± ¡°What? Divorced¡­ Once? He¡¯s been married before? When did th happen?¡± Cecily was extremely shocked. ¡°How would I know? But that¡¯s not the point. Do you know who his ex- wife is?¡± Cecily had no clue. As she had been studying and focusing on herself in this year, she paid little attention to family matters. ¡°It¡¯s your cousin, Be!¡± Cameron gritted out the name through his teeth. There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone, only the sound of breathing. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After a moment, Cecily burst intoughter, almost choking on her breath. ¡°Haha¡­ Dad, are you kidding me? Uncle Wyatt practically worships Be! If Be got married, he would have sent invitations to everyone in the Hatchbay! How could he possibly marry off his daughter without making any president of the Salvador Corporation. It would have been the wedding of the century! That¡¯s just not possible!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specific details, but Justin is a divorced man.¡± ¡°So what if he¡¯s been through a divorce? Even if he¡¯s been divorced multiple times, he¡¯s still a desirable man. I doubt it is Justin¡¯s fault for the divorce. Be probably couldn¡¯t keep her husband¡¯s heart.¡± Cecily sneered, ¡°Honestly, I think it¡¯s a good thing that they got divorced. Be has be a discarded woman. No one else want her. She definitely won¡¯t be able to meddle with me anymore. When see her, I¡¯ll have even more things to mock her with.¡± ¡°Earlier, Justin openly admitted in front of everyone that he still has feelings for Be. He dered that he still loved her! It¡¯s obvious he wants to remarry her! I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that easy for you to be with Mr. Salvador.¡± Chang1740 ¡°Men are all creatures who care about their reputation. When you divorced my mom back then and had two mistresses, didn¡¯t you still pretend to be deeply in love with Mom around Uncle Wyatt? Being a man of high status, Mr. Salvador naturally needs to maintain a good image outside. After all, divorce isn¡¯t something to be proud of.¡± Cecily dismissed his previous divorce. Cameron was furious. ¡°You brat! In what aspect have I mistreated you? You¡¯ve spent $3 million to $4 million a year just to be a minor celebrity in Helionis. Also, don¡¯t get me started on cosmetic procedures! Who do you think is paying for that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how to appreciate anything. Nevermind. If you spout such heartless words again, I might just cancel your card!¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m just joking with you. Although you divorced my mom, my heart is forever with you.¡± Cecily grinned. ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you ask me to repay you? Just watch! Watch me. Once I have the chance to get close to Mr. Salvador, it won¡¯t be long before I be the future wife of the Salvador Corporation¡¯s president.¡± The event transitioned to the next phase, with everyone eagerly anticipating speeches from the prominent figures in Savrow¡¯s business scene. Originally, Gregory was supposed to deliver a speech. But with Justin¡¯s sudden arrival, he decided to pass the opportunity to his son instead. Justin was still recuperating from severe injuries, so it was crucial for him to make public appearances at this time to dispel some of the Chap 740 rumors circting about his health. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not sporting designer clothes for the event tonight, but could you at least tidy up your hair?¡± Chapter 741 Gregory was seated in the front row of the audience. He cast a somewhat disappointed nce at Justin. ¡°Which CEO sports a crew cut? Do you think you¡¯re still serving in the military? You should pay more attention to your image.¡± He continued grumbling. ¡°Also, you had surgery before, and there are still scars on your scalp. Why don¡¯t you wear a wig to cover it up?¡± ¡°My injury is known throughout Savrow now. Concealing it would be futile. Besides, what¡¯s wrong with a crew cut? Even if I shaved my head bald, it wouldn¡¯t affect my looks.¡± Justin looked at his father confidently. Gregory pursed his lips. Although he found many aspects of this son unimpressive, he couldn¡¯t deny that Justin looked good. Justin had inherited all the good traits from his parents. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone make a realistic wig for you and send it over tomorrow.¡± Gregory insisted It was not really about Justin¡¯s hairstyle. Gregory just didn¡¯t like Justin defied him, and he always wanted to control Justin whene he got the chance. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I won¡¯t wear it even if you bring it. Be said she likes my current hairstyle. As long as she likes it, I won¡¯t change it.¡± Justin mentioned Be¡¯s name affectionately. ¡°You!¡± Gregory began to retort when the emcee suddenly announced. Now, let¡¯s wee Mr. Justin Salvador, President of Salvador (Chapter 24) Corporation!¡± Apuse roared through the audience. Disregarding Gregory¡¯s displeasure, Justin stood up and gracefully made his way to the stage. Standing in front of the microphone, Justin appeared calm and Despite undergoing major surgery just a few days ago, his handsome face showed no signs of it. He was about to speak when his phone vibrated in his hand. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have paid much attention to his phone, but tonight was different. Unable to reach Be, he kept his phone with him all night, fearing he might miss any of her calls or messages. So, when his phone vibrated, his heart skipped a beat. Without showing any signs, Justin lowered his gaze and unlocked the screen. In an instant, his eyes narrowed as he looked through the photos sent to him. His heart was pounding wildly, almost bursting out of his chest! The next moment, he dashed off the stage like a shooting star, ignoring the confusion of the crowd. The audience, including a bewildered Gregory, watched in astonishment. Gregory leaned forward and shouted, ¡°Justin! What are you doing?¡± chased after Justin.. Outside the banquet hall, Justin¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. His handsome face turned pale as his steps quickened. Just then, a beautiful woman approached Justin from the opposite direction. She was dressed in a white Chanel jumpsuit, and her long hair was draped over her shoulders. She was Cameron¡¯s daughter, Cecily. Spotting Justin heading straight toward her without a nce, Cecily felt delighted. With flirtatious eyes, she raised her hand to greet him,¡± Mr. Salvador¡­¡± ¡°Get out of the way.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Justin pushed her aside and rushed past her, which made her stagger to the side. Chapter 742 Thud! Cecily¡¯s ankle twisted, and she fell awkwardly on her back. Her arms were iling in the air as her Hermes bag flew out. ¡°Ouch! It hurts!¡± She sat on the ground, unable to move, as tears started to stream down her face. Her lips trembled uncontrobly. Normally, a gentleman would lend a helping hand when he saw such a beautiful woman fall to the ground, especially if he was the reason, she fell. However, Justin acted as if nothing had happened. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from her sight. At this moment,n also hurried over. He nced at Cecily, who was lying miserably on the ground, but he left to follow Justin anywa In just a few seconds, Cecily began to doubt her usually unwa confidence in her appearance. Why did no one lend a hand to a beautifuldy like her? ¡°Cecily? Why are you sitting on the ground like this? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Cameron happened toe out for a smoke. He frowne upon seeing his daughter¡¯s embarrassing state. ¡°Dad! Why aren¡¯t you helping me up and scolding me instead?!¡± Cecily struggled to stand up. Chap Her ankle was swollen, and the heel of her Chanel stilettos was broken. She kicked the broken shoe away in frustration. ¡°I just ran into Mr. Salvador. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have made a fool of myself. I wonder why he was in such a hurry.¡± Cecily sat on the sofa, gasping in pain. She had thought she would leave a memorable impression on Justin tonight. Instead, it turned into a chaotic mess, leaving her regretful to the point of tears. Cameron¡¯s expression darkened as he recalled Justin¡¯s hasty exit from the crowd. ¡°Mr. Salvador! Where are you going? What¡¯s happening?¡±n trailed anxiously behind Justin, sweating profusely, his voice quivering with, nervousness. ¡°Be is in trouble. I have to go find her right away!¡± Justin¡¯s face wa icy cold. The vein on his arm bulged as he pulled open the door of hi sports car. Even though he hadn¡¯t erupted in anger yet, his eyes revealed his inner turmoil. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you! It¡¯s better to have someone watch out for you.¡±n stuttered. Justin firmly said, ¡°No need. You drive too slowly! Besides, you should stay behind to handle the mess.¡± With that, the sports car¡¯s engine roared deafeningly, cutting through Chap 4 the air like an arrow released from a bow. Ian watched the car vanish into the distance and sighed deeply. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Young Madam, please be alright. Mr. Salvador, you must bring Young Madam back safely!¡± The ck Lamborghini shed through the streets of Savrow. ¡°Be¡­ I¡¯m on my way. Please don¡¯t be in trouble. You have to be okay!¡± The vein on Justin¡¯s temples pulsed visibly. His heart pounded wildly as he mmed his foot on the elerator. Justin¡¯s phone was in the passenger seat. There was a blurry photo that looked like a sneak shot on the phone screen. In the photo, Be appeared to be entangled with a well-dressed stranger, sparking a flurry of questions in Justin¡¯s mind. ¡®Who is that man holding her? Was she drunk? No, Be would never drink with strangers. The only two times she got drunk were wit brothers. Could she have been drugged?¡¯ Chapter 743 As those thoughts crossed Justin¡¯s mind, a sharp pain pierced his chest, and his eyes turned bloodshot. His grip on the steering wheel tightened until it creaked. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. At a certain hotel in the west district, Justin¡¯s suit was drenched in sweat as he entered the hotel lobby. His palms were sweaty, and his phone kept vibrating incessantly. He nced down at the screen. It was an anonymous call. ¡°Hello.¡± Justin¡¯s voice was heavy, and his throat felt dry. ¡°Mr. Salvador, room 2051 on the 20th floor.¡± A foreign voice on the other end spoke. ¡°The key card to the room is in the flowerpot at the staircase on the 20th floor. If you want to save Ms. Thompson, you¡¯d better hurry! You can¡¯t imagine what might happen if you¡¯rete. Don¡¯t regret it!¡± Justin was about to step forward when his brows furrowed suddenly ¡°Who are you? Are you the one who sent me the photos?¡± There was a pause on the other end. ¡°Are you a paparazzi? Or is someone instructing you to do this? Why do you have her key card?¡± Justin¡¯s quick thinking allowed him to ask the most crucial questions. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you ask good questions, but I can¡¯t tell you these things. The only thing I can tell you is that I have my reasons for Chary 743 doing this.¡± Justin couldn¡¯t help but sense that something was off about the whole situation. However, he couldn¡¯t afford to dwell on it. He quickly took the elevator to the 20th floor and discovered the key card to room 2051 in the flowerpot. As he approached the door, Justin¡¯s heart was pounding so intensely that it felt like it might burst out of his chest. Throughout the journey, he wrestled with his thoughts, considering countless possibilities. But no matter how he tried to rationalize it, he couldn¡¯t convince himself to let Be be in a hotel room with another man. Beep¡­ With the key card in hand, Justin swiped the key card at the door. He hesitated for a moment before stepping inside the room. The room was dim and quiet, with a faint floral scent. Surprisingly, the dreaded scene that Justin had imagined did not unfold. ¡°Be¡­ Be?¡± Justin¡¯s heart throbbed loudly as he called out her name, his voice hoarse. There was no response. His breath felt stifled as he walked to the bedroom. Just then, he faintly heard rustling noisesing from the room, and countless terrifying thoughts flooded his mind. ¡°Be!¡± Justin couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He forcefully pushed open the Change bedroom door. ¡°Ah!¡± A sharp female voice rang out in the darkness. Her panicked gasp echoed throughout the room. The next moment, Justin was confronted with the sight of a naked. woman. Her skin was delicate and fair, like a porcin doll, with glistening ¨C droplets of water clinging to her. Justin felt dizzy, and his eyes narrowed as the veins at his temples bulged. The naked woman standing in front of him was Zoe Hoffman. She looked so vulnerable and naive. However, a sly smile lurked. beneath her seemingly calm demeanor, exposing her cunning schemes. Justin¡¯s mind spun with a deafening roar. He immediately turned. back and gritted his teeth.. Waves of anger and humiliation surged through him. ¡°Justin¡­ How did you get in?¡± Zoe¡¯s voice trembled softly. Her arm were crossed protectively over her chest. ¡°Justin, my body¡­ Did you.. Did you see everything?¡± Chapter 744 ¡°Put on some clothes.¡± Justin¡¯s hands were clenched into fists, and the veins on his arms bulged to the verge of exploding. His broad shoulders trembled with anger. At this point, he had no way to exin himself. He could only leave immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll call Ryan toe and pick you up right away.¡± Justin immediately left without looking back. ¡°Justin! Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t go!¡± Zoe threw herself at him, embracing him tightly from behind. Her naked body shamelessly pressed against him. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m so scared. Please don¡¯t leave, ok?¡± With disgust in his eyes, Justinmanded coldly, ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°No¡­ I won¡¯t!¡± Zoe refused to let go, pressing her bare body against his back. ¡°Since I was young, I¡¯ve never had a boyfriend. I¡¯ve stayed pure and untouched for you. Now that you¡¯ve seen me like this, you have to take responsibility for me!¡± ¡°Responsibility?¡± Justin sneered coldly. ¡°I will only be responsible fo one woman in my entire life, and that¡¯s Be.¡± He forcefully pried away Zoe¡¯s arms and easily broke free from her grasp. Zoe couldn¡¯t resist his strength and was knocked down from the bed. In the blink of an eye, Justin had already stormed out of the room. ¡®Justin! I stripped myself naked and threw myself at you, yet you didn¡¯t even spare me a nce. Why¡­ Why?!¡¯ Zoe pounded the bed with clenched fists¡­ In the dim light, her disheveled hair made her look like a madwoman. filled with resentment. Breathing heavily, Justin walked to the door and yanked it open. ¡°Mr. Salvador! Mr. Salvador ising out!¡± In an instant, Justin waspletely surrounded by the blinding shes of cameras. A group of reporters had gathered at the doorway of the room. They were blocking the exit with their cameras and snapping away furiously at Justin. Justin¡¯s breath caught in-his throat, and his handsome face suddenly turned cold. It felt as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on his chest, making it almost impossible to breathe. The realization struck him in that instant. Ever since he received those photos, he has unwittingly fallen into a Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. meticulously nned trap. Despite its apparent detail, this trap had numerous ws. The mastermind, however, had honed in on Justin¡¯s emotions for Be They urately predicted that Justin would not be able to maintain hisposure for Be, ensuring any mistake would cascade into a series of mistakes. At this moment, Zoe walked out of the bedroom, d only in a white towel. Her bare shoulders were exposed. She pretended to be confused and asked, ¡°Justin¡­ Ah! Why are there so many reporters?!¡± Zoe looked like a frightened bird. ¡°Is that Zoe Hoffman, heiress of the Hoffman Group?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Hoffman! It¡¯s really her! Hurry, take pictures! This will make the front-page headlines!¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador and Ms. Hoffman are caught together in ate-night hotel rendezvous, sharing a room. Ms. Hoffman wasn¡¯t even dressed! It¡¯s truly breaking news!¡± Zoe shyly hid behind Justin, giving off the impression that he was protecting her. Justin¡¯s face was deathly pale. Sweat trickled down his chiseled face. ¡°Mr. Salvador! Are you and Ms. Hoffman in a rtionship? Otherwise, why would the two of you be in a hotel room together?¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador! Just admit it, we¡¯re all adults here. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about!¡± ¡°Ms. Hoffman! Why don¡¯t you speak up? What exactly is the rtionship between the two of you?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were icy cold. His voice was filled with menace, an expression was dark and ominous. ¡°All of you, get the hell out of here!¡± Chapter 745 In the VIP ward of the hospital, Christopher donned a hospital gown andy on the bed. His usually handsome face was now as pale as a sheet of paper. ¡°Mr. Iverson, why were you so foolish?¡± His secretary stood by the bed, still trembling with fear. ¡°You could have been trampled to death by the horse! You might have been fatally injured right then and there. All your efforts and ns in Sentania would have been in vain.¡± Christopher gently opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his lips. ¡°Taylor, it seems that you¡¯re really worried about my well-being.¡± Taylor was startled, tears welling up in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Iverson¡­¡± He had been working for Christopher for the past 8 years, starting out as an errand boy and slowly climbing his way to being his secretar Despite the change in status, Taylor¡¯smitment remained unwavering. He was still at Christopher¡¯s beck and call. Christopher was an extremely guarded man. He maintained a cold and guarded attitude toward everyone and drew a clear line with everyone he encountered. Over the years, apart from Be, no one could get close to him, alone touch his heart. He had no confidants. let The first time Christopher called Taylor by his first name, Taylor finally felt that Christopher truly regarded him as his own. A feeling of closeness brought tears of excitement to his eyes. ¡°Mr. Iverson, health is the foundation of everything. You must take care of yourself!¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to do anything for Be.¡± Christopher took a deep breath, his eyes softening at the mention of Be. ¡°And I also want to prove. to Be that Justin is not the only one who is willing to risk his life for her. I am also willing to do so. In the future, when she needs help, I . want her to think of me first, not Justin.¡± The second sentence carried profound significance. Taylor understood the underlying meaning and nodded solemnly.¡± Indeed. How can a man who engages in promiscuous rtionships and has a shady private life like Justin be worthy of Ms. Thompson? Ms. Thompson is a smart woman. She won¡¯t fall into the same trap twice, right?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened with coldness, neither confirming nor denying it. At this moment, his phone beside the pillow vibrated. He picked it up and nced at the screen. Before he could reply t the message, the door to the ward opened. ¡°Chris, are you asleep?¡± Upon hearing Be¡¯s voice, Christopher quickly tucked the phone back under his pillow. His lips curled up in a gentle smile. ¡°Be, I¡¯ve told you not to worry about me. I¡¯m fine.¡± Be entered the ward and saw Christopher¡¯s pale, fragile appearance. He looked as if he would break at the slightest touch, and she felt a twinge of difort in her heart. After all, he had ended up like this because he had saved her. ¡°I¡¯ve also told you that I¡¯ll take responsibility for your injuries.¡± Be approached him, her tone very gentle. Christopher felt a warmth in his chest, his eyes slightly reddening. ¡°Ms. Thompson, are you also injured?¡± Taylor asked with concern. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. The main concern is for your boss here. A fractured arm, cracked ribs, and five external wounds. He needs to stay in the hospital to recuperate.¡± Be also had some minor scratches on her body, but she didn¡¯t care. Christopher chuckled lightly. ¡°Be, I don¡¯t need to stay in the hospital. I know my body¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you men? Even Justin didn¡¯t want to stay in the hospital after such a major brain surgery. Is the hospital toxic? Or can yo not afford the medical fees?¡± Be¡¯s mouth fired offint machine gun. Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly froze and clenche fingers. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Somehow, she inexplicably thought of Justin. Justin would often pop up in her consciousness like a tide, and sh couldn¡¯t resist it at all. Christopher¡¯s heart clenched. He quickly suppressed the rising jealousy and said, ¡°Be, it seems that you really care about Mr. Salvador. You can think of him anytime, anywhere. He must hold a significant ce in your heart.¡± Be¡¯s tone grew cold as her sharp gaze locked on him. ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡± Christopher¡¯s chest felt tight, and he pursed his lips. ¡°You¡¯re right. It is indeed significant.¡± Chapter 746 Faced with Be¡¯s honesty, Christopher felt his heart ache. His hands. were tightly clenched under the bedsheets. ¡°Justin and I were married for three years, but I¡¯ve known him for even longer than that, much longer than you can imagine,¡± Be spoke calmly. She could not deny that those memories still caused a slight heartache. ¡°He was once my entire world. Butter, he tore my heart apart when he divorced me. If it were you, could you turn a blind eye to someone like that? Could you truly expect me to forget everything that happened?¡± ¡°Be, I¡­¡± Christopher began, but Be interrupted him. ¡°But don¡¯t think that my life revolves solely around Justin. It¡¯s not that extreme.¡± Be waved her hand casually, masking the sadness in her eyes. ¡°Life must go on. I just need some time.¡± ¡°Be, no matter how long it takes, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Christopher¡¯s pale face showed the anguish he felt. He struggled to sit up, but Be stopped him. ¡°Chris! You¡¯re still injured! Don¡¯t move recklessly!¡± ¡°Even if it takes 10 years, 20 years, or a lifetime, I¡¯m willing to wait for you to heal. I¡¯ll wait for you to notice me.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice quivered as he held Be¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Let go of me first. Stop behaving like this.¡± Be widened her eyes, quickly pulling her hand away. As Christopher was still weak, his body swayed, and he nearly fell off the bed. ¡°Mr. Iverson, be careful!¡± Taylor rushed to support him and pleaded with Be. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I beg you. Can you look after Mr. Iverson, considering he suffered a serious injury for your sake? Even a small gesture would suffice.¡± ¡°Taylor, forget it. Don¡¯t trouble Ms. Thompson. Cough, cough¡­¡± Christopher held his chest and coughed a few times. His forehead was drenched in sweat. ¡°She¡¯s not at fault. It¡¯s me¡­ I was too stubborn.¡± Be furrowed her brows lightly, remaining silent. At that moment, a series of ¡°dings¡± echoed in the room as multiple phones rang simultaneously. Be felt a wave of confusion wash over her. While two phones ringing might be dismissed as a coincidence, the simultaneous ringing of three phones raised suspicions. She took out her phone and looked at the screen. It was a Twitter notification. [Justin Salvador¡¯s Love Affair with Zoe Hoffman Exposed] [Justin Salvador and Zoe Hoffman Caught in Hotel Room Together, Includes Video + Photos!] Be stared at the screen, her eyes turning crimson red. Her heart sank like a stone into an icyke. ¡°Oh my! Ms. Thompson, Mr. Iverson, what¡¯s this trending news?¡± Taylor eximed as he scrolled through the screen. ¡°President Salvador and the Hoffman heiress in a hotel room? Wow, this is a huge scandal for sure!¡± Christopher remainedposed. His eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Chris, I have something to attend to. I¡¯ll be out for a while. I¡¯lle back to see youter,¡± Be said Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. stiffly and turned around. Her steps. were heavy as she walked toward the door. Her shoulders were trembling faintly. ¡°Be!¡± Christopher called out urgently. Be paused, taking a deep breath. He said, ¡°No matter what happens, I¡¯ll be on your side. Anyone in this world might betray you, but I will never do so.¡± Chapter 747 With a loud bang, Be mmed the door to the bathroom. She stormed in and plopped down on the toilet seat. She bit her lip as she scrolled through Twitter, sweating bullets as she read thements. [LOL! I knew it! Men are such lying and cheating bastards! Rumor has it that Justin Salvador is having a hot affair with Be Thompson. He has repeatedly stepped up to defend her, but now he¡¯s sleeping with Zoe Hoffman. What a jerk!] [Justin Salvador is truly the scumbag of the century!] [What total bullshit! Justin is trying to marry into Be¡¯s rich family. He¡¯s aiming to be the son-inw of a trillion-dor family! If he ends up with Be, that would mean the merger of the Salvador and Thompson empires. With Wyatt Thompson as his father-inw, Justin would be untouchable in the country!] [Huh? Why would Justin be so desperate to chase after Be? He¡¯s worth billions himself¡­] [Well, you sound pretty naive. Who wouldn¡¯t want more money?] Be¡¯s heart sank as she covered her chest, unable to contain the pain of her broken heart. [But seriously, Zoe¡¯s like a twig. How can shepete with Ms. Thompson? Zoe is not even as pretty as Rosalind Gold. Why is Justin so hung up on her?] [Zoe¡¯s a musical prodigy! Maybe Justin just likes that artistic touch. Didn¡¯t Rosalinde off as fake anyway?] At that moment, Asher¡¯s call came through. After several rings, Be managed to gather her scattered thoughts and answer the call. ¡°Be? Be? Are you there?¡± Asher¡¯s voice was filled with concern. ¡°Hey, Ash,¡± Be replied softly. ¡°Be, where are you right now?¡± ¡°In Savrow,¡± Be replied weakly,cking the strength to say more. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Be, you must have heard about Justin¡¯s scandal, right?¡± Asher asked cautiously. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Feeling down about it?¡± Asher probed. ¡°No. He¡¯s moved on. Why should I feel down?¡± Be chuckled lightly, her eyes red with tears. ¡°Zoe is Ryan¡¯s sister. If they get together, that¡¯s even better. With the support of the Hoffman family, Justin¡¯s future path will be smooth.¡± Asher¡¯s voice grew heavy. ¡°Be, I want to hear what¡¯s really on your mind.¡± ¡°This is what¡¯s on my mind.¡± Be clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles hurt. ¡°You¡¯ve been married to Justin for three years. Based on your understanding of this man, do you think he would do something like this? Is he the kind of man who can¡¯t control his urges?¡± Asher brought up a valid point. ¡°If he were a lustful man, he would likely have a child with Rosalind by now. Isn¡¯t it strange that he never made advances toward anyone during your three years of marriage? Something doesn¡¯t add up. Also, I found out that there were quite a few reporters stationed outside the hotel room at the time. It¡¯s as if they knew in advance what would happen and were waiting there. It feels like a setup, doesn¡¯t it, Be?¡± Be¡¯s dark eyes trembled slightly, but she remained coldlyposed. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a setup, it¡¯s his decision whether he falls for it. Zoe wouldn¡¯t be able to drag him into the hotel room if he turned a -blind eye to whatever trap Zoe set up for him. Then those reporters wouldn¡¯t have captured anything.¡± Asher fell silent. ¡°Justin gave them the opportunity to capture this scene. Otherwise, none of this would have happened.¡± Be¡¯s expression turned solemn, and her lips curled in a cold smirk. ¡± Well, it seems like Zoe¡¯s efforts weren¡¯t in vain.¡± ¡°Be, I think you should listen to Justin¡¯s side of the story,¡± Asher suggested. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that anymore, Ash.¡± Be¡¯s throat tightened. Her gaze was distant and deste. ¡°Justin and I have long been divorced. Whoever he chooses to be with is his own business. I have no right to interfere.¡± With that, she ended the call. Not even two seconds passed before another call came in. It was from Justin. Chapter 748 The screen disyed a string of numbers instead of his name. Justin always had two numbers, one for his personal use and the other for work. Be had memorized both numbers by heart. It was unusual for him to call her from his work number. Be¡¯s heart raced as she answered. She slowly raised the phone to her ear but remained silent. ¡°Be!¡± Justin¡¯s voice sounded hoarse and broken. Be tightly sealed her lips, her eyshes fluttering. ¡°Be, you have to believe me. I¡¯ve been set up!¡± Justin wasted no time defending himself, knowing how difficult it was to get Be to answer the phone. ¡°This is aplex setup. Zoe isn¡¯t so smart to orchestrate something like this on her own. Someone is manipting her, and the bait they used wasn¡¯t Zoe¡­ It was you!¡± ¡°Half an hour from now.¡± Be lowered her gaze sadly. Then she added slowly, ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the park near KS World Hotel.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Asher¡¯s call earlier, Be wouldn¡¯t have picked up Justin¡¯s call. But now, she was eager to hear what exnation Justin could offer. ¡°Mr. Iverson, Ms. Thompson just left the hospital alone in her car.¡± Taylor rushed back to report to Christopher. ¡°She spent quite some time in the bathroom. When she left, she looked furious. Her face was paler than yours!¡± Christopher leaned against the headboard with a gentle smile on hist face. ¡®I hope she¡¯s angry. The angrier she is, the better. Only intense. pain wouldpletely eradicate Justin from her heart!¡¯ ¡°Have someone follow Ms. Thompson closely now and prepare a car for me. I¡¯ll look for herter,¡± Christopher instructed. Taylor wanted to advise against it, but he knew he couldn¡¯t. He could onlyply. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the car immediately and get you a new suit¡­¡± ¡°No need for a suit. A patient should look the part,¡± Christopher said, attempting to move, but the pain made him sweat profusely. Taylor felt extremely ufortable seeing this. He felt that Christopher was trulymitted to Be, but he couldn¡¯t understand why someone as shrewd as Christopher would appear so desperate for love. How could he allow himself to be at a disadvantage, given hispetitive nature? But only Christopher knew what he was nning. In love, having the upper hand might not be a good thing at times. Sometimes, showing vulnerability and taking a step back could lead to unexpected results. Moreover, Be was such a strong-willed woman. She had suffered enough from Justin. He would never let her be wronged again and ensure she got the pride and dignity she deserved. At that moment, the phone under his pillow vibrated. Taylor quickly picked it up and handed it to Christopher. ¡°Mr. Iverson, it¡¯s Ms. Smith.¡± Christopher¡¯s expression darkened as he answered the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Iverson, how did my task go?¡± Yvonne¡¯s voice was cheerful, with a hint of charm. ¡°I sent those photos to Justin. He actually believed N?velDrama.Org owns all content. them and rushed to the hotel immediately. He was so eager to jump into the trap! Haha! In the end, all his brilliance in the business world is wasted. He is nothing but a fool for women. This kind of scoundrel doesn¡¯t deserve to be your opponent.¡± ¡°Did you send the photos to his phone via text message?¡± Christopher asked calmly. ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 749 ¡°Alright, that makes things easier.¡± Christopher smiled mockingly. ¡± Tonight, you¡¯ve done me a big favor. Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Mr. Iverson, please don¡¯t say that. My life belongs to you. I¡¯m willing to do anything for you!¡± Yvonne¡¯s soft voice was filled with affection. Christopher¡¯s expression remained cold and indifferent. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Later, I¡¯ll have someone send you a ne ticket and deposit some money into your ount. It should be enough for you to go abroad and enjoy yourself for a year or so. If you need more money, just let Taylor know, and he¡¯ll transfer it to you.¡± Yvonne gasped and panicked. ¡°Mr. Iverson, are you sending me away?¡± ¡°Justin has fallen into our trap. He won¡¯t just let this slide and will immediately start an investigation. He¡¯s not stupid, but this time, he¡¯s, thrown off bnce because of Be. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it¡¯s best for you toy low for a while. Taylor will handle things temporarily on the other side.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°Behave,¡± Christophermanded coldly. Yvonne¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°Yes, Mr. Iverson.¡± Be was the first to arrive at the park, as she was nearby. The temperature at night suddenly dropped, and it started snowing heavily. The usually bustling park was practically deserted. Be sat alone on a bench, watching the lonely night unfold before her. She remembered when she would oftene here during her free time in the past three years. She would watch couples feed each other and exchange kisses. She would watch young families bring their children to y. It filled her with warmth and happiness. At that time, she often wondered if she would ever experience such moments herself. Could she ever take a stroll with Justin in the park? Would they be holding hands and exchanging affectionate nces like ordinary couples? Be¡¯s heart throbbed. She let out a sigh, her breath forming a puff of white mist. Tiny ice crystals gathered on her eyshes. At that moment, an ice cream truck passed by her, and she gged down, buying a vani ice cream cone. Before she could take a bite, a series of hurried footsteps approache her through the snow. ¡°Be.¡± Be gripped the ice cream tightly. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she slowly raised her gaze. Justin stood before her with snow covering his thin suit, and his face was flushed from the cold. But what stood out the most were his beautiful eyes, reddened by the cold. Despite the snow covering him, Justin looked impable. Be¡¯s throat felt constricted. She had imagined this scene countless times, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to unfold like this. ¡°Be¡­ Don¡¯t sit here. It¡¯s too cold. You¡¯ll get sick.¡± Justin was filled with heartache, reaching out to her without hesitation. p! Be pped away his outstretched hand, her attitude colder than the weather. ¡°I know it¡¯s cold, so just say what you want to say quickly.¡± ¡°It was a setup. Someone is scheming against me. They are trying to create rumors to drive us apart!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Justin was frantically trying to exin himself. ¡°Us?¡± Be chuckled out loud. ¡°Do you and I have anything left between us?¡± Justin felt a knife twisting in his heart. Be continued coldly, ¡°Besides, we are divorced and can¡¯t stan sight of each other. What is there to drive us apart?¡± ¡°Be, is this what you truly think? Do you really feel this way abo me?¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse. Be slowly stood up, ring at him coldly. ¡°Justin, even if this is a setup, you still went to the hotel to meet Zoe. It seems that Ms. Hoffman holds quite a significant ce in your heart.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t go there to meet Zoe! I went to find you!¡± Chapter 750 Justin took a step forward and reached out to embrace Be. His eyes were red, and his hot and trembling breath enveloped Be. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Be eximed, taking a step back. Her guard was up like a porcupine with all its spikes raised. In desperation, she threw the ice cream in her hand at Justin¡¯s shirt. ¡°Be! I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Justin¡¯s arms froze in mid-air. He was torn between wanting to be close to her and fearing her rejection. He was almost on the verge of losing his sanity. ¡°I called you many times tonight, but you didn¡¯t answer! I thought something had happened to you. I was worried about you all night!¡± Be was stunned. ¡®Many missed calls? When did that happen?¡¯ She wondered. ¡®Is he making it up? I didn¡¯t receive a single call from him! What a lying scoundrel! He couldn¡¯t evene up with a decent lie?¡¯ ¡°Later, I received several photos from an anonymous number. In those photos, you were hugging a stranger and walking into a hote with him! I was afraid you were in danger, so I went to the hotel to find you. That was when I was surrounded by the reporters.¡± Justin exined desperately. Be looked at him with a mocking gaze. ¡°Justin, if you¡¯re going to make up an excuse, at least make it somewhat believable. If I had known you were going to spew such nonsense, I wouldn¡¯t have bothereding to see you at all.¡± ¡°I have evidence!¡± Justin insisted. Justin gritted his teeth and pulled out his phone from his pocket with trembling hands. Be¡¯s heart raced as she pursed her lips in silence, feeling hopeful and willing to give him a chance. ¡°These are the photos I received. Look, isn¡¯t the person in this photo ¡­¡± Justin continued to exin. Suddenly, he stared nkly at the phone screen. He repeatedly checked his message inbox, but the photos sent to him were all gone! His trembling fingers frantically swiped the screen. His bewildered gaze almost bore a hole through his phone. In the end, he couldn¡¯t find any trace of the photos he intended to use as evidence. ¡°Gone!¡± Justin eximed, his voice filled with frustration. ¡°They¡¯re all gone!¡± Be smiled, but there was not a hint of warmth in her eyes, icing Justin to the core. ¡°Justin, if you haven¡¯t found a good excuse, yo don¡¯t need to rush to see me. I don¡¯t want to see you, not now, a not in the future.¡± Watching her brush past him, Justin felt a chill run through his body. Be¡­ Be, don¡¯t go!¡± He called out, reaching out to stop her, when another voice interrupted, ¡°Be.¡± Be suddenly looked up and saw Christopher standing a few steps away. He was wearing a patient¡¯s gown, with only a cashmere coat draped over his shoulders. His face was paler than the snow. Popol 750 ¡°Chris! How did you get out of the hospital? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re still injured?¡± Be ran to Christopher, her tone filled with reproach. ¡°Why did youe here? How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°After you left the hospital, I couldn¡¯t rest well, so I had someone follow you. But please don¡¯t misunderstand my intentions. I¡¯m not stalking you. I just want to protect you.¡± Christopher exined weakly, his voice filled with concern. ¡°How could I let a girl like you go out ale at night? I¡¯m not that heartless.¡± Justin¡¯s handsome face turned cold, and his eyes were filled with killing intent. He wanted to tear Christopher apart. ¡°It¡¯s too cold out here. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Be said, lowering her gaze and helping Christopher. ¡°Was it your doing, Christopher?¡± Justin¡¯s voice cut like a sharp de, hoarse with underlying anger. ¡°Mr. Salvador, you and Ms. Hoffman were caught having a secret rendezvous in the hotel. How is that my doing? Are you using me?¡± Christopher couldn¡¯t help butugh, his eyes full of derision. ¡°Wasn¡¯ it just you two having some fun together?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 751 ¡°Christopher!¡± ¡°Instead of dwelling on your suspicions, Mr. Salvador, have you considered how you¡¯ll exin this to the Hoffman family and your good friend, Ryan? Ms. Hoffman is an innocent youngdy. If such an incident happened, wouldn¡¯t it be difficult for the both of you to move on without getting married?¡± Christopher squinted his eyes and had a sly smile on his face. ¡°Chris, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go.¡± Be felt a sharp pain piercing through her heart. She felt a strong urge to run away. The farther away she was from Justin, the better. As they turned around, Justin asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Did you spend the entire evening with him? Were you together all along?¡± ¡°Yes, all night long,¡± Be replied in an indifferent tone, turning her back to him. ¡°Be¡­ is he really that important to you? Is he more important tha me?¡± Justin asked shakingly. ¡°Justin, what¡¯s the point of asking such questions now?¡± Be chuckled softly, her gaze dimming. ¡°To be frank, you¡¯re making a fool of yourself. Let¡¯s end our rtionship here. I¡¯m begging you.¡± With those words, Be and Christopher vanished from Justin¡¯s tearful gaze. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Be never looked back. Justin stood alone in the snow, losing all sense of time as the snow gradually covered him. He copsed to the ground. madam? Did she leave?¡± Justin lowered his head like a defeated soldier. He picked up the ice cream she had thrown at him with tears rolling down his cheek, one drop at a time. ¡®Be has never trusted me. She can choose not to love me, but how could she not trust me? Do I still need to prove myself to her? Is it really necessary? A luxury car raced toward the hospital. Inside, Be sat side by side. with Christopher in the back seat.. The air in the car was dense. ¡°Be, are you upset with me?¡± Christopher turned toward her. His, gaze filled with deep concern as he observed her from the side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just so worried about you, and¡­¡± ¡°I was the one who wanted to meet Justin, and no matter what happened, it wasn¡¯t your fault. You don¡¯t need to me yourself.¡± Christopher¡¯s breath hitched, clearly sensing some resistance towar him. In frustration, he clenched his fist. Be was devoid of expression. She lowered her eyelids and took out her phone, checking her call history. However, no record. of Justin¡¯s name appeared. She recalled what Justin had said earlier. ¡®I called you multiple times Chap 751 tonight, and you didn¡¯t answer! I thought something happened to you, and I was worried all night!¡¯ Be contemted the sincerity of his concerns. Even if it were a lie, would he go through the trouble of calling her with a different number? Suddenly, a realization struck Be. Holding her breath, she checked the list of blocked numbers on her phone. When she saw Justin¡¯s name in it, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. Chapter 752 ¡°Be, is there something wrong?¡± Christopher asked with genuine concern as he noticed the change in Be¡¯s expression. ¡°I distinctly remember that I have never blocked Justin¡¯s number. Why is he on my blocked list? Be¡¯s sharp gaze slowly shifted to Christopher¡¯s innocent face. ¡°Be..¡± ¡°Did you do it?¡± Be asked bluntly. ¡°Aside from you, I haven¡¯t had any private contact with anyone tonight. Justin told me he couldn¡¯t reach me all night.¡± Christopher clenched his fingers on his knee, a cold gleam shing through his gold-rimmed sses. ¡°I recalled that my phone only left my side when I went to the restroom at the restaurant earlier. So, did you block him?¡± Be squinted her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°Be, are you doubting me?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes remained innoce and clear. ¡°I¡¯m only stating facts, not doubting you,¡± Be replied bluntly. Christopher felt a heavy weight on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe. ¡°Be, I admit it was wrong of me to mess with your phone. I only did it to avoid Justin ruining our date. I¡¯ve been looking forward to today for so long. It was selfish of me. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He added, ¡°This is thest time. It will never happen again.¡± Ckapid75? Be was mentally drained from everything that happened tonight andcked the energy to argue further. ¡°My issues with Justin are my personal matters, and I prefer to keep them private. Even after our divorce, I haven¡¯tpletely cut ties with him. After all, there might be future business coborations. As long as I¡¯m emotionally detached, that¡¯s what matters. Unnecessary actions only prove that I haven¡¯t moved on from him entirely.¡± Christopher, who had been anxious, found a glimmer of hope in her words, ¡°Be, have you truly moved on from him?¡± Be nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s great, Be.¡± Christopher¡¯s excitement surged through hisText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. body, and his hands trembled with excitement. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve let go of Justin, can you give me a chance to be with you? I want to stand by your side, supporting you through thick and thin. I wasn¡¯t there in your past, but I want to be part of your future.¡± ¡°Chris, I¡¯m not ready for a rtionship right now,¡± Be said in an exhausted voice. ¡°I¡¯m too tired, and I¡¯m not ready to open myself up to love again. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°With me, you just need to allow yourself to be loved.¡± Christopher gaze intensified as he leaned closer, his breath growing heavier.¡± Be, can we give it a go? Give me a chance to love you.¡± Be hesitated, struggling for words. ¡°Dating isn¡¯t like online shopping, where you can return something within a week.¡±. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. Just let me love and protect you.¡± Christopher spoke, bracing himself against the car window. His eyes were filled with affection that almost overwhelmed Be. ¡°I¡¯ll always be there for you, no matter what. If you think I¡¯m worth it, I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± ¡°Chris, thank you for saving me tonight. But please don¡¯t take such risks in the future.¡± Chapter 753 Be frowned, unable to express the strange feeling in her heart. ¡°I¡¯m not worth risking your life for. It¡¯s not toote to stop now.¡± ¡®Stop now?¡¯ Christopher¡¯s hand slowly curled into a fist. His eyes gradually turned red. Those words struck him harder than ¡°I don¡¯t love you¡±. It filled him with shame. ¡°Everyone¡¯s love is valuable, and I don¡¯t want you to end up like me. All my love was wasted on Justin.¡± When Justin returned to the car, it waste at night. hands werepletely frozen, unable to even hold the cup.n promptly turned up the heater in the car, took off his coat, and wrapped it around Justin. ¡°Mr. Salvador, there¡¯s a hospital nearby. Let¡¯s go and get your hands checked.¡± ¡°How did it happen?¡± Justin stared at his phone, his tone cold an mechanical. ¡°The photos were on my phone. No one touched it, not even myself. How were the photos deleted?¡± Justin spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°Could it be a virus on the phone?¡± Chap 753 Justin. ¡°I remember learning that advanced hackers can hack your phone with just your number and phone model. They could delete the content that isn¡¯t stored in an encrypted mailbox. So, usually, you¡¯d use self-destructing messages or store important documents in encrypted mailboxes, never on your phone. Could someone have hacked into your phone?¡± Justin gasped heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Indeed, he had learned about hacking techniques in military school. How could he forget? Although the content in the text message could not be tampered with, it could be deleted! The content in the text message, while not secure from tampering, could have been deleted. ¡°Go and investigate.¡± Justin¡¯s face was drained of color, and his jaw was clenched. His voice was solemn. ¡°Go to the hotel where Zoe was Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. tonight and check the surveince footage. You have to find that woman who looks identical to Be.¡± ¡°Identical? How is that possible?¡± Who couldpare to her alone be identical? It¡¯s simply not possible!¡± ¡°Stop questioning and start investigating,¡± Justin ordered. He recalle the unsettling resemnce in the photo, sending shivers down his spine. That woman was definitely not Be. But if sorneone with such a striking resemnce to Be was out there, he feared she might cause Be harm. Finding that woman was no longer just about unraveling a conspiracy. ¡°As for how the message disappeared, I¡¯ll trace it back myself.¡± Chapter 754 ?Chapter 754 The scandal between Zoe and Justin continued to stir up a storm on the inte. Both the Hoffman and Salvador families sent their PR teams to manage the scandal, but it had escted beyond control. Although the trending topics were removed, the rumors couldn''t be silenced. When ire saw the news, she dropped her phone in shock, lost her footing, and tumbled down the stairs. Luckily, the carpet softened the fall, but she was still injured. Horrified, Ryan immediately rushed his mother to the hospital. In the hospital room, irey on the bed with an IV drip. She held Ryan''s hand tightly, with tears in her eyes. "Ryan, what should we do? Zoe is only 22 years old. How will she face the world in the future? How will I face your grandfather and father?" ire said, unable to hold back her tears. Ryan sat next to the bed. He tried bitterly tofort her. "Mom, I will handle this."Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "How will you handle it?! There are photos and even videos of them! Your sister is not married yet. Now that this scandal has blown up, will any man from a decent family still want to marry her?" "Zoe is my sister. If anyone dares to speak ill of her, I''ll make them regret it." Ryan clenched his teeth, his eyes burning with anger. "Public opinion can destroy one''s reputation! Twenty years ago, our family could do as we pleased in Savrow, and not even the police would intervene. Now, we live in a society governed byw. How can you actually handle this?" ire cried out, mming her fists on the bed with all her strength. Ryan''s expression turned cold. The Hoffman family started off in the underworld. Ryan''s grandfather, Logan Hoffman, had amassed his initial wealth through fights and schemes with his brothers. But as the times changed, Logan cleaned up the family''s image, steering them away from their criminal past. When Ryan''s father took over as the CEO of the Hoffman Group, thepany had mostly shed its shady reputation and focused on legitimate business. However, traces of the family''s old ways remained. This was a source of conflict between Ryan''s father and uncle. Ryan felt that his father was too lenient and somewhat self-righteous. He believed that if his father had been more assertive, the family''s power would have long been in his hands. His cunning and ruthless uncle wouldn''t have been able to be in control for so long. "And what about your so-called good friend? The whole thing started because of him, yet he hasn''te forward to say a word! Does he think he can just act like nothing happened?!" ire cried harder, almost fainting. "Mom, please don''t speak of Justin like that. He''s not that type of guy!" Ryan fervently defended his good friend. "So many reporters captured this scene. How can he still deny it?!" "There must be a reason for this. Justin has never shown any interest in Zoe, and he loves someone else. He would never hurt Zoe like that." Ryan insisted. With tears in her eyes, ire bitterly eximed, "Zoe is your sister! She''s been wronged, but you''re defending an outsider!" "Mom! I..." "Now, there''s only one way to solve this. We have to make Justin take responsibility for Zoe!" Ryan''s expression darkened. "Take responsibility? What do you mean by that?" "I''ll get discharged from the hospital as soon as possible. I''m going to propose an arranged marriage for Zoe and Justin!" "You can''t be serious! Even if you forced him, Justin wouldn''t marry Zoe!" Ryan shot up from his seat, shouting in anger. "It''s not up to him to decide." ire''s eyes turned cold, instantly transforming from her usual frail appearance. "A man must take responsibility for his actions! If he refuses to marry Zoe, he''ll be going against our entire family. Even if I don''t take any action, do you think your grandfather will ignore this? Don''t think the Hoffman family won''t intervene just because he''s Gregory Salvador''s son!" Chapter 755 Simr to Nigel Salvador, Logan Hoffman did not live with his sons. Instead, Logan lived in his own manor. Although it was slightly smallerpared to the Salvadors Tideview Manor, it could still be considered one of the top ten estates in the country. By now, the entire Hoffman family was aware of the scandal. Even the servants gossiped about Zoe¡¯s scandal during their tea breaks. With Justin and the Salvador family keeping quiet, it made Zoe seem like a cheap product discarded after use. She was stripped of her dignity as the Hoffman family¡¯s cherished heiress. ¡°Hey, has Ms. Zoe arrived?¡± The maids whispered among themselves. ¡°She¡¯s here in Old Master Logan¡¯s study, crying her eyes out.¡± ¡°What good will crying do? As the heiress of the Hoffman family, she should understand the importance of upholding her reputation. A woman¡¯s reputation is very important. It seems that she has an illicit rtionship with Mr. Salvador. She was even photographed nake the reporters! Who would risk marrying a woman with such a Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. tarnished reputation in the future?¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador will surely take responsibility. After all, they even booked a room together. Now that it¡¯s out, he¡¯ll have to step up.¡± ¡°Hmph! I doubt he¡¯ll take responsibility. He hasn¡¯t shown any sign of it yet. It seems like he¡¯s trying to avoid the problem.¡± ¡°Mr. Ryan and Mr. Salvador are still good friends, right? It¡¯s going to be awkward when they meet.¡± ¡°Shh! Stop talking. Mr. Liam ising!¡± The servants quickly backed away, bowing respectfully. ¡°Good day, Mr. Liam!¡± He had neatly groomed hair and was dressed in a stylish navy- colored designer suit. His eyes gleamed with intelligence. This was Liam Hoffman, Logan¡¯s second son and Ryan¡¯s uncle. As Liam walked past them, he shed a smile and left them with al yful warning. ¡°I can ignore your gossip, but if my nephew catches wind of it, you might lose your tongues.¡± The maids fell silent, trembling. ¡°Grandpa¡­ Grandpa! You must stand up for me! I can¡¯t show my face in public now!¡± Zoe cried, throwing herself into Logan¡¯s embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t cry too much, dear. It will only make your eyes swollen.¡± Logan Don¡¯t worry. If your mother and Ryan can¡¯t handle this matter, Grandpa will speak up for you! Our family has always been respec We will not tolerate such injustice!¡± ¡°Dad, you¡¯re absolutely right,¡± Liam affirmed as he entered the roo with a serious expression. ¡°Zoe is my brother¡¯s precious daughter You¡¯ve always favored Zoe the most. We can¡¯t just let it slide with the Salvador boy. ¡°Uncle Liam..¡± Zoe sobbed even harder. Chap 365 From a young age, Zoe had always seen her uncle as kind and generous. Unlike her father, who was strict and limited her spending, her uncle was different. He often spoiled her with gifts and a generous allowance, which boosted her self-esteem. This positive impression of him remained unchanged over the years. Logan¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡°Liam, you¡¯re aware of the situation too?¡± Liam sighed heavily. ¡°Dad, you know the extent of our family¡¯s influence in Savrow. Even minor issues will stir up the entire city.¡± Chapter 756 ¡°In my opinion, we should let Justin marry Zoe.¡± Liamzily sat on the sofa, casually picked up an orange from the tray, and began to peel it. Logan¡¯s thick, gray eyebrows shot up suddenly. Zoe, who was still hiding in her grandfather¡¯s embrace, smiled slyly when she heard Liam¡¯s suggestion. ¡°The eldest son of the Salvador family is sickly. He is hardly suited to inherit the family business. Although Justin is an illegitimate child with a somewhat questionable background, sooner orter, the Salvador family will fall into Justin¡¯s hands. If Zoe marries him, she¡¯ll be the young madam of the Salvador family, which isn¡¯t such a bad arrangement after all.¡± Liam crossed his legs and casually popped a slice of orange into his mouth. ¡°Uncle! What are you talking about¡­?¡± Zoe asked nervously, her cheeks flushing. ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought. We could say that Zoe and Justin have been in a rtionship for some time, but both families kept it private to avoid public attention. Since both of them are unmarried, it¡¯s perfectly normal for them to spend some private time together in a hotel room. There¡¯s no need for the public to overreact. Look at how scared Zoe is!¡± Liam, who owned an entertainmentpany and a public rtions firm, was highly skilled at managing public image and reputation. ¡°Uncle Liam, your ability to improvise and spin stories is very impressive. As your nephew, I aspire to learn from you.¡± Ryan remarked sarcastically as he entered the study. His imposing presence filled the room with an intimidating aura. ¡°Ryan¡­¡± Zoe¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly soughtfort in Logan¡¯s embrace. The smile on Liam¡¯s face froze for a moment. He identally crushed the orange in his hand into a pulp. ¡°My dear nephew, are you in a bad mood? You always seem to find joy in teasing your uncle whenever you see me.¡± ¡°Ryan, mind your manners when speaking to your elders,¡± Logan scolded, his tone tinged with irritation. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Ryan¡¯s handsome face was cold as he faced Liam. His smile was both mocking and dangerously attractive. He sneered. ¡°Since you became the CEO, you have expanded the business widely. Now you¡¯re even interfering in the affairs of the household. Uncle Liam, are you trying to act as a father figure because you don¡¯t have children of your own?¡± Liam seethed with anger, and his eyes reddened. He had been haunted by the curse of being childless. Although he med his wif for being barren, the reality was that he was infertile. Despite his anger, he could only suppress his rage in front of Logan. ¡°Ryan! How dare you speak to your uncle like that? You¡¯re being too disrespectful!¡± Logan pped the armrest of the sofa. ¡°Grandpa, I was just teasing Uncle Liam. He¡¯s always cherished me the most since I was little. How could he bear to be angry with me?¡± Ryan immediately put on a childish look, smiling yfully at Liam. Liam still wore a smile on his face, but in his mind, he had already cursed his nephew to death. ¡°As for Zoe¡¯s marriage, you don¡¯t need to worry about it, Uncle Liam. I will find her a suitable husband, but one thing is for certain-it will never be Justin.¡± Ryan¡¯s words hung heavily, and the atmosphere in the room became tense. Zoe¡¯s smug expression faded into gloom. ¡°Ryan, your words baffle me. If Zoe doesn¡¯t marry Mr. Salvador, then who will she marry?¡± Liam¡¯s expression turned serious, saying, ¡°Things have escted to this point. If the Salvador family rejects Zoe, it will tarnish our family¡¯s reputation. Are you saying that your sister is merely cheap entertainment for Mr. Salvador? Does he think that we are chumps?¡± Chapter 757 Before Liam could finish speaking, Zoe burst into tears again and cried out. ¡°Grandpa¡­ Uncle Liam¡­ I can¡¯t bear to show my face in public anymore! I¡¯d rather die!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, my dear! Grandpa will definitely stand up for you!¡± Logan, known for being an authoritarian, couldn¡¯t contain his anger and smashed a nearby teacup. ¡°Justin wants to fool around and then shirk responsibility, huh? He must be tired of living!¡± ¡°Ryan, is your mother also injured because of this? Is she in the hospital right now?¡± Ryan¡¯s throat tightened, rendering him speechless. ¡°Once your mother is discharged, the two of you are to go to the Salvador family to propose marriage. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll take matters into my own hands!¡± ¡°Grandpa! Calm down!¡± Ryan¡¯s frustration boiled over. His eyes wer aze with anger at the thought of Logan causing trouble with th Salvador family. ¡°Ryan, if I recall correctly, you and Mr. Salvador are like brothers, right?¡± Liam spoke casually, crossing his legs. ¡°If Zoe marries Mr. Salvador, it¡¯ll bring both our families closer. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so against it.¡± ¡°1 ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of my close rtionship with Justin that I understand him.¡± Ryan retorted coldly, his desperation evident. Justin is in love with someone else-Be Thompson, Wyatt Thompson¡¯s daughter.¡± At the mention of Be, the air in the room turned dense. Even Logan, the ruthless patriarch, showed a hint of fear in his eyes. ¡°Zoe, haven¡¯t you confessed to Justin multiple times before? Haven¡¯t you tried every means possible? Has it made a difference? Has Justin ever shown any interest in you?¡± Ryan confronted Zoe. His gaze was icy, and his voice was low and menacing. Zoe shuddered. ¡°Ryan¡­ What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve tried every trick in the book, yet Justin has never given you a second thought. How could he possibly agree to meet you in a hotel room? Zoe, do I need to spell it out for you like this? When will you ever learn?!¡± Ryan grew angrier as he spoke, the veins on his forehead throbbing with anger. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He could tolerate Zoe¡¯s arrogance and stubbornness, but not her deceit and maniption. ¡°Grandpa¡­ Grandpa, look at what Ryan is using me of!¡± Zoe went all out, determined to y the victim. ¡°I¡¯m his biological sister look at how he speaks of me. He thinks I¡¯m just some slut who seduces men! Yes, I do have feelings for Justin, but it takes tw tango. If he really didn¡¯t want me, then what happened that night wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, and her cheeks flushed as tea welled up in her eyes. The implications of her unfinished sentence were clear. ¡°Even if, as you im, Justin has feelings for Be, I doubt their rtionship will end well.¡± Logan lightly patted Zoe¡¯s head and gritted his teeth. ¡°Since Zoe admires that Salvador boy, there¡¯s nothing more to discuss. She¡¯s my only granddaughter, and I will make sure she gets whatever she wants!¡± Zoe was in tears, but inside, she was thrilled. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Ryan clenched his fists with rage. Liam chuckled. ¡°If our family could form an alliance with the Salvador family, that would be great!¡± Liam stood up nonchntly and bowed to Zoe. ¡°Congrattions in advance, Zoe! I will present you with a generous gift when the timees.¡± Chapter 758 As soon as Liam left Logan¡¯s mansion, his expression darkened. His secretary followed closely behind him and asked in surprise, ¡°Mr. Liam, I overheard your conversation with Mr. Ryan in the study. Why would you support Ms. Zoe¡¯s marriage with Mr. Salvador when you clearly know¡­¡± ¡°Do you really think that Justin will marry Zoe?¡± Liam asked with a yful smirk. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Justin has caused so much trouble for Ms. Thompson. Just recently, he almost sacrificed his life for her. They have a lot of history, and it¡¯s clear to anyone withmon sense that my niece is overestimating herself by trying to win over someone who has rejected her.¡± He continued, ¡°Justin will never marry her. I¡¯m backing Zoe¡¯s marriage to Justin because I know he won¡¯t fall easily for her tactics. This is the only way we can create chaos and put a strain on Ryan and Justin¡¯s rtionship. The more chaotic the situation, the bette for us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so wise!¡± Liam¡¯s secretary eximed in admiration. Liam¡¯s eyes shed with a cunning glint. ¡°Since ancient times, t best way to turn brothers against each other is through women. Eve legendary figures like Mark Antony and Julius Caesar fell victim to it Brotherhood? What a joke!¡± As he was about to descend the stairs, he suddenly remembered something and asked in a hushed tone, ¡°By the way, what was the Chap 758 name of the Salvador girl that Zoe mentioned earlier? The one Ryan is dating?¡± ¡°Carrie Salvador!¡± ¡°Yes. Keep an eye on her. When the timees, she could prove to be a valuable card for us to y.¡± ¡°Ryan! Let go of me! It hurts!¡± Zoe screamed in pain. Ryan¡¯s face was as cold as ice, and his eyes were raging with anger. He dragged Zoe by her arm to an empty room. Once inside, Ryan swung his arm forcefully, throwing Zoe to the floor. ¡°Ah!¡± Zoe fell awkwardly and cried out in pain. She felt the pain from the impact and had a noticeable bruise forming on her arm. ¡°Zoe, tell me the truth. What happened at the hotel the other day?!¡± Ryan suppressed his anger with all his might. If it were someone else, he might have snapped her neck. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Zoe remained stubborn, despite the pain she felt. ¡°Someone must have helped you n this. With your brains, you couldn¡¯t have done it all alone!¡± Ryan leaned in closer and stared int her red eyes. ¡°Tell me! Who set you up? Who nned all this behind the scenes?!¡± Zoe¡¯s heart raced, and cold sweat dripped down her face. How could she possibly tell Ryan? Besides, she was only following someone else¡¯s instructions. She didn¡¯t even know who that person was! She gritted her teeth and lied, ¡°Nobody helped me. It was all my idea!¡± ¡°Zoe! Why are you still lying to me?¡± Ryan shouted, his voice filled with anger. Zoe smirked mockingly, provoking him further. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not satisfied? Are you going to hit me? Or are you going to kill me?¡± Chapter 759 Zoe¡¯s brazen and maliciousughter, coupled with her unscrupulous actions, have repeatedly challenged Ryan¡¯s bottom line. Ryan never fathomed that he would see his sister behave in such a manner. When did his beloved sister be such a degenerate? ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Who is behind all of this? Who is pulling the strings?!¡± Ryan roared hysterically at Zoe. ¡°Nobody is manipting me. You can ask me a million times, and my answer will remain the same.¡± Zoe asserted herself as she slowly stood up. She straightened her designer dress and casually flipped her brown, wavy hair. ¡°Ryan, I¡¯ll marry your best friend soon and be the young madam of the Salvador family. I will be the wife of Salvador Corporation¡¯s president. You know Justin¡¯s character better than anyone. Despite your ns to introduce me to a wealthy suitor, I¡¯ve been in love with Justin for as long as I can remember. I won¡¯t settle for anyone Shouldn¡¯t you be happy for me if I marry into such a prestigious family? Aren¡¯t you the one who doted on me the most? Was your affection for me not genuine?¡± ¡°Zoe, what nonsense are you spouting?¡± Ryan felt like every word s uttered was stabbing his heart, fueling his already raging emotion ¡°Oh, right. You no longer care about me. You¡¯ve found someone new to rece me. What am I to you now? Probably less important than Carrie, right?¡± Zoeughed hysterically and burst into tears. ¡°Let me make it clear. Justin will never marry you. Stop being delusional!¡± Ryan was furious. ¡°Also, Carrie has never been your enemy. She is¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°My future sister-inw? How can a retarded person be my sister-in- Zoe sneered disdainfully, ¡°Even if I ept it, Mom and Grandpa will never ept Carrie as your wife. Face it, Ryan. No matter how much you love her, she¡¯ll always be a mistress, hidden away without any status or recognition. Do you really think Chairman Salvador would ever allow you to marry Carrie? I think you might be better off marrying Bethany.¡± Ryan¡¯s heart ached, and his breath was heavy. ¡°My marriage and love life are my own decisions. There¡¯s no need for your concern or anyone else¡¯s!¡± ¡°The same goes for you. My marriage is none of your business,¡± Zoe replied, rubbing her bruised arms before heading toward the door. ¡°Zoe, you¡¯re taking the flight back to Inalia tonight. Without my consent, you¡¯re not allowed back to Savrow!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were fill with anger and disappointment. He slowly turned to look at her. you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll make you leave.¡± ¡°Haha! Ryan, do you really think you can control me at this point? Zoe leaned against the doorframe, raising her chin arrogantly.¡± Grandpa wants me to stay here until I¡¯m married off to Justin. Do you really think you can control me before that happens? Don¡¯t even think of sending me away.¡± ¡°Zoe.¡± Ryan took a deep breath. His face turned solemn. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re not my sister anymore.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes turned cold, devoid of any emotions. ¡°If you can¡¯t stand by me as my brother, then I¡¯m better off without you!¡± * Savrow was buzzing with another scandal that was spreading like wildfire across the city. The scandal involving a wealthy family was far more interesting than any minor celebrity gossip. However, Be paid no attention to such matters, as she had far more important issues to attend to. Chapter 760 ¡°Be, you¡¯re incredible!¡± Ralph eximed. In the cafe within the KS World Hotel, Ralph was sitting in a corner with Be. Heid out several photos in front of her. ¡°Just as you suspected, that thug had a secret room in his house, filled with photos of Shannon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s not just a casual fan of Aunt Celeste, as he imed. I think his obsession with her has taken a twist.¡± Be pressed her crimson lips together and spoke in a hushed tone. Ralph, have you uncovered any other significant clues?¡± Ralph hesitated briefly before pulling out a stic bag from his pocket. Inside the bag was a ne made of white gold and adorned with diamonds. The design appeared outdated, and the quality seemed less than ster. ¡°I found this in his house. It was carefully stored in a box, so it must be important to him.¡± Be had an excellent memory and never forgot anything she s She recognized the ne immediately and quickly searched through the photos. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the ne Shannon used to we The resemnce in the photos is striking,¡± Be said as she pulle out a picture. Her keen eyes left Ralph-an experienced detective-feeling inadequate. ¡°Be, you¡¯re wasting your talent by not being in my line. of work!¡± Be smirked. ¡°I can¡¯t handle it. I have a bad temper and might just Chap 760 Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. take matters into my own hands with the suspect.¡± Ralph remained silent and listened to Be. ¡°It seems that Shannon has a close rtionship with this man. If she¡¯s giving him her signature ne, do you think there¡¯s something suspicious going on between them?¡± Be¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Even if there is, it¡¯s all in the past. This only suggests that they knew each other, but it¡¯s not evidence that Shannon conspired with this man to harm Aunt Celeste,¡± Ralph said solemnly. ¡°I understand. But with the current evidence, it¡¯s enough to put Shannon in a tight spot,¡± Be replied. She picked up the ne and examined it under the light. Her eyes shimmered with determination. ¡°Ralph, you¡¯ve interrogated him, but he won¡¯t talk. If he¡¯s truly working for Shannon, there won¡¯t be any suspicious transaction records between them. We can¡¯t solidify the charges of her attempted murder.¡± Be continued. ¡°So, what I need to do now is leverage this information to gather more evidence and strike Shannon where it hurts the most.¡± Ralph widened his eyes in anticipation. ¡°Be, what do you have mind?¡± Be leaned back. Her slender figure radiated both grace and authority as she tapped her fingertips slowly on the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to pay a visit to Tideview Manor and have a chat with Shannon.¡± * After parting ways with Ralph, Be received a call from her older sister, Cami. Cami informed Be that she would be flying back to Sentania the next morning. With that, Be and Steven immediately hurried back to Yara Park. M held Cami¡¯s hand in the living room. Both mother and daughter were on the verge of tears as they spoke intimately. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re being dramatic,¡± Cami said cheerfully, though her eyes were red. ¡°Sentania isn¡¯t that far. We¡¯re still on the same continent! You can visit me anytime.¡± ¡°Thest time I visited, I stayed for three days, but I didn¡¯t even get to see you once! You¡¯re always busy with your husband.¡± M tightly gripped her daughter¡¯s hand, her voice choked with emotion. ¡°I deeply regret it. You¡¯ve be so estranged after marriage!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. Edward had a sudden work arrangement, and a wife, I had to apany him.¡± Cami admitted her fault, feeling guilty and uneasy. ¡°Cami!¡± Be rushed in, her eyes brimming with reluctance. ¡°Cal you stay a little longer? I barely got to spend any quality time with you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time in the future, Be,¡± Cami reassured her, getting up quickly. The sisters held hands. ¡°After the election, I¡¯ll bring your brother-inw back to Hatchbay. We¡¯ll stay for a few more days and have a joyful reunion.¡± Chapter 761 ¡°Well, I suppose I should trust you.¡± ¡°Ms. Be, you¡¯re back!¡± Steven walked in hurriedly, still dressed in a suit, but with quite an amount of flour on the front. ¡°Oh? Steve, you¡¯re cooking?¡± Be asked curiously. ¡°Yes. Madam Celeste and Ms. Amelia are in the kitchen, so I thought I¡¯d help out.¡± Steven seemed somewhat embarrassed and worried. ¡°What? Celeste is cooking in the kitchen?¡± M stood up in shock. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop her? She just fainted in the morning!¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Aunt Celeste fainted? I¡¯ll look for her!¡± Amelia stayed by her mother¡¯s side in the kitchen. They were cookin together. ¡°Mom, are you alright?¡± Amelia worriedly looked at Celeste¡¯s pale fa ¡°I¡¯m fine. We need to hurry up. It¡¯s almost dinner time. It would be ba for everyone to starve¡­¡± Celeste muttered in a daze while quickly chopping vegetables. Suddenly, she cried out. ¡°Mom! Your hand is bleeding!¡± Amelia was frightened and at a loss. She was on the verge of tears. ¡°Aunt Celeste!¡± Be and Steven arrived in time to see this scene. Seeing Celeste¡¯s deep wound, Be decisively said, ¡°Steven, get the first aid kit from my room. Aunt Celeste has a deep cut on her finger. She needs stitches!¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Be!¡± Steven quickly returned with the first aid kit, and Be skillfully stitched and bandaged Celeste¡¯s finger. Looking at Be¡¯s proficient stitching skills, Amelia was speechless with amazement. Her sister was like an invincible goddess. There was nothing Be could not do. Amelia felt weak and useless when shepared herself to Be. Her mother was bullied and almost gravely hurt, but there was nothing she could do about it. Amelia had to hold back her tears in desperation. ¡°Ms. Amelia, please rest assured with Ms. Be here.¡± Steven leaned down, putting his warm hands on Amelia¡¯s tremblin shoulders. He felt her heartache. ¡°Madam Celeste prepared a few dishes. Let¡¯s set the table.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Amelia sensed that Be wanted to talk to Celeste, so she wiped off her tears and obediently followed Steven out of the kitchen. ¡°Aunt Celeste, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve suffered so many grievances. We won¡¯t let this slide.¡± Be lowered her gaze as she bandaged Celeste¡¯s finger with gauze. ¡°Be, thanks for the thought, but don¡¯t do anything for me. I¡¯m fine!¡± Celeste panicked, her gaze bing unfocused and messy. ¡°Perhaps someone dared to target you twenty years ago, and now she wants to repeat the same trick. She just has a death wish!¡± Be took a deep breath and suppressed the rising anger in her chest. ¡°Since she wants to die so badly, I¡¯ll make sure to fulfill her wish.¡± Celeste suddenly returned to her senses and grabbed Be¡¯s hand, panting. ¡°Be¡­ Do you know who did it?!¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure you can guess who it is too.¡± Be¡¯s eyes shed with pain. ¡°You should have told Wyatt. How can he sit idly by when his wife is being bullied?!¡± ¡°Be, I don¡¯t want any revenge¡­ I only want our family to live in peace.¡± A tear fell from Celeste¡¯s eyes. Chapter 762 Be sighed softly. They understood Wyatt well. If Wyatt knew that Shannon was the mastermind, he might have sent someone to assassinate her. Be thought it was not an elegant solution. Killing someone meant you had to pay the price for it, so they could get into trouble. She could fight fairly and y dirty tricks, but dealing with a vicious woman like Shannon would require her to pull out all the stops. ¡°Aunt Celeste, look at this person. Do you recognize him?¡± Be held her phone and showed Celeste the culprit¡¯s photo. Since the culprit was masked during the attack, Celeste did not see his face. ¡°This man¡­ He¡­¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes gradually widened. ¡°His name is Adrian Sterling, an assistant at TS Channel. He often ran errands around the TV stati like serving drinks to the actors.¡± ¡°That means he¡¯s free to enter the TS headquarters, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. He also did some odd jobs on the set. When we don have enough actors, he would jump in to be an extra.¡± Celeste asked in confusion, ¡°Be, what happened? Why are you suddenly asking about this man?¡± Be furrowed her brows. A chilling thought suddenly emerged in her mind. Be walked out of Celeste¡¯s room with a gloomy and worried face. ¡°Ms. Be.¡± A servant came up and said respectfully, ¡°A young man is waiting for you at the door for quite some time.¡± Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat as her palms started to sweat. She could not help thinking about how Justin had looked when he stood facing the wind and snow, patiently waiting for her. ¡°Did you tell anyone else?¡± Be asked, her voice hoarse. The servant answered, ¡°No. He asked me to only inform you privately instead of disturbing others,¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Be adjusted her breath and walked across the spacious courtyard, arriving at the door with a throbbing heart. Thump¡­ Thump¡­ For some reason, although they had parted ways unpleasantly th day, she did not harbor much resentment toward him. Instead, h heart was beating so fast that it was almost out of control. Be could not understand her own heart. She pushed the door open and raised her gaze, her longshes fluttering. ¡°Be.¡± A gentle voice rang out with affection, sounding clear and pleasant. However, Be¡¯s hopeful heart was disappointed. The man in front of her was holding an Akhal-Teke and staring at her with a passionate gaze and warm smile. It was not Justin. It was Christopher. How could it not be Justin?Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 763 ¡°Why did youe?¡± Be thought, ¡®Why is it him, not Justin?¡¯ Christopher wore a ck suit and held a magnificent horse that sparkled in the midst of the night. He looked elegant and noble, like a prince walking out of a pce. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°I came to see you.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your injury? You broke your ribs, so you need to rest for at least two months. What about the cast on your arm?¡± Be recalled the horrible ident that night and asked about his injuries. ¡°I¡¯m not even scared of shattering my bones because of your concern for me.¡± Christopher stared at her with an affectionate gaze. Be¡¯s breath hitched. She was unsure how to respond. ¡°Aside from visiting you, I also wanted to bring this horse to you. Y left in a hurryst time and couldn¡¯t take it with you.¡± ¡°Chris, this horse is beautiful. Thank you, but it¡¯s too precious. I ca ept it.¡± Be gently declined. ¡°Be, did I make you angry? Are you still upset about that day¡­¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s in the past now. Even if I didn¡¯t block Justin, the rtionship between me and him is not much different from that.¡± Be smiled bitterly. Christopher¡¯s fingers tightened around the reins in his hand. Suddenly, he smiled. ¡°I picked this horse for you and shipped it from overseas, which took over a month. I kept it at the Iverson family¡¯s racecourse without their knowledge. You saw what happened at the racecourse that day. Charles is managing the racecourse, so I can¡¯t keep the horse there anymore, but my house doesn¡¯t have enough space. So¡­ Can you help me out as a friend?¡± At this point, Be could not refuse anymore. She had always fulfilled requests from her friends. ¡°Then I will take care of the horse in your stead temporarily. When you have a ce for it, let me know immediately, and I¡¯ll send it to you.¡± Be stared at the horse, unable to hide the joy beneath her gaze. But there was no gain without effort. Be¡¯s upbringing taught her that no matter how good someone else¡¯s belongings might be, she must not im them for herself without a solid reason. ¡°Okay. When I have a ce for it, I¡¯ll take it back.¡± Christopher looked up at the starry night sky. Crystal-clear snowkes fell as he asked, ¡°Be, the night wind at Hatchbay is quite cold. Could Ie in for a drink?¡± Be then realized they had been standing outside in the cold win while talking. It was indeed a little impolite. She said embarrassedly Sorry, Chris, Pleasee in.¡± Christopher¡¯s lips curled up as he walked to her. Just as he stood in front of Be, he suddenly frowned and stared at her face. ¡°What is it? Do I have something on my head?¡± Be blinked in surprise. Christopher slowly raised his hand, reaching toward her hair. Be¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She wanted to dodge him, but a red rose suddenly appeared before her eyes. As if he plucked it from her head, it was dark red and stunningly beautiful. ¡°Where¡¯d you get this from?¡± ¡°I practiced a magic trick for you.¡± Christopher adjusted his golden-rimmed sses shyly. He was a refined man, but he acted like a teenager at that moment. ¡°A rose for a beauty like you. Forgive me for my crude technique. You canugh if you want.¡± Be was shocked, feeling a mix of emotions. The more Christopher tried to please her, the guiltier she felt. The butler led the horse inside, astounded and gaping, while Be guided Christopher into Yara Park. Chapter 764 Just as the gate was about to close, Christopher suddenly halted and looked back coldly. His lips curled up into a mocking smile. ¡°Ha. Coward.¡± At this moment, Justin stood alone by the window, staring outside in a daze. He smoked cigarette after cigarette, creating a pile of ash in the crystal ashtray. Smoke filled the room, blurring his handsome but lonely face. Justin coughed a few times, feeling like his chest was hollowed out. He recalled the day he threw the divorce papers in front of Be, forcing her to sign them. He was standing in the same ce as when Be left Tideview Manor in Asher¡¯s car. She did not take a penny with her. At that time, Justin was furious, but he did not understand where the anger came from. Now, he finally understood it. He was reluctant to let Be leave. For a long time after that, he and Be hurt each other with words and confronted each other, only to prove a ridiculous point-that he did not love her. His love was not a bted affection that was cheaper than dirt. He only realized who his heart belonged to after Be left. His love did not show because it was already engraved in his bones. At this time, his phone rang. Seeingn¡¯s name on the screen, Justin felt his heart skip a beat. He quickly picked it up after stubbing out the cigarette. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ve been waiting outside Young Madam¡¯s house the whole night as per your orders and finally saw her!¡±n should have sounded relieved toplete his task, but his tone was heavy. ¡°How is she?¡± Justin held his breath and asked with a heavy expression. Thinking about how Be left him with Christopher that night in the garden, he still felt a piercing pain in his heart. Justin stopped himself from calling Be¡¯s name. He was still sulking about the situation. He loved her, but that did not mean he would give up on his pride. ¡°Mr. Salvador, I¡¯ll send some photos to you. Please be mentally prepared.¡± Justin¡¯s phone rang with notifications.n sent the photos through WhatsApp to Justin. Justin lowered his gaze and loaded the photos. In the photo, Christopher leaned against Be¡¯s neck. From this angle, it looked as if Christopher was kissing her smooth cheek. The two stood close together, and their intimacy was undeniable! Chap 264 Be only ever showed her resistance and repulsion toward Justin. Each time, Justin shamelessly approached her, despite her cold N?velDrama.Org owns all content. treatment, and every time, Be crushed his pride. Justin got angrier the more he thought about it. His eyes reddened. Shatter! He punched the ss window. The deafening sound frightenedn on the other end of the phone. ¡°Calm down, Mr. Salvador. If you can¡¯t endure this, pleasee over to meet her. Mr. Iverson is at Young Madam¡¯s house now. You can¡¯t just stand by and watch! Isn¡¯t that equivalent to admitting defeat?¡± ¡°Meet her? What¡¯s the point?¡± Justin trembled with anger as his chest heaved. His eyes were moist, and he looked disappointed and dejected. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say that she doesn¡¯t want to see me anymore? I¡¯ll fulfill her wish.¡± He thought, ¡®Be, you should have a limit on torturing me.¡¯ Chapter 765 Be¡¯s brothers and Wyatt were not home tonight. They went on a business trip, so it was mostly the women at home. Strictly speaking, Christopher was not a stranger. At thiste hour, everyone was watching Celeste due to her incident. Be did not want to disturb her family, so she brought Christopher to the guest hall. Unexpectedly, Cami was drinking coffee in the guest hall. ¡°Cami, you haven¡¯t rested yet?¡± Be was a little surprised. Then, she introduced Christopher. ¡°Oh, this is my friend, Chris-¡± ¡°Christopher Iverson, the fourth son of the Iverson family. I met him at Aunt Celeste¡¯s birthday banquet, and he left an impression.¡± Cami gracefully put down her coffee cup and smiled faintly at Christopher. ¡°Apart from Be¡¯s brothers, I¡¯ve never seen any mal friends around her. You are the first.¡± ¡°It is my honor that Be chose me as her friend.¡± Christopher smiled sincerely. ¡°It is also my honor to meet the future First Lady of Sentania in private.¡± Be was taken aback. She did not expect him to say so. Cami remained calm. ¡°I¡¯m just Be¡¯s sister, and my husband is an ordinary senator in Sentania. You¡¯re ttering me.¡± Christopher curled his lips and said nothing. ¡°Be, entertain your guest. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Cami slowly stood 1. Although Be maintained a smile, she could sense that something was off between her sister and Christopher, but she did not know what it was. Cami left the guest hall, and her expression fell once she closed the door. She took out her phone from her pocket and called her assistant. ¡°Is there any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam. The background check on Christopher Iverson has been sent to your personal email.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± As it waste, Christopher did not want to impose. He stayed for a short while and then left. In the car, Taylor immediately beamed. ¡°Mr. Christopher, Ms. attitude toward you is getting better. She epted your gift and invited you in for a while.¡± Christopher pushed his sses, and his expression did not show much happiness. ¡°Start the car.¡± Be did not ept his gift, nor did she invite him inside.. It was still the same as before. He took the initiative, as it had always been. Be had never taken a step towards him. ¡°Justin Salvador ispletely out of the picture now that Ms. Be has grown tired of him. There is no other man around Ms. Be whoBelongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. canpare to you. You and Ms. Be will surely be together!¡± Christopher loosened his tie with his slender fingers and asked nonchntly, ¡°Do you mean that I¡¯m not as good as Justin?¡± Taylor shivered in fear. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! Please forgive me!¡± ¡°Be might have let go of Justin, but Justin has not truly given up on her. I can¡¯t let down my guard yet.¡± As he spoke, Christopher nced outside the car window with a dark gaze. ¡°Mr. Christopher, I have some results from the investigation,¡± Taylor said with a gloomy expression. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Someone did something to the horse at the racecourse that day. ran blood tests on the horse and found narcotics.¡± Chapter 766 ¡°Not only that. Our men secretly searched inside and outside the racecourse. In the end, we found this N?velDrama.Org owns all content. in the trash bin.¡± Taylor took out a stic bag that contained a syringe from his bag.¡± After we checked the surveince footage, we found out that the mastermind was indeed Mr. Charles.¡± Christopher narrowed his eyes, full of mockery. ¡°Charles and James are the same. They are born evil. Charles doesn¡¯t even have his brother¡¯s cunning brains. He uses dirty tricks that can¡¯t be taken seriously. This idiot doesn¡¯t deserve my attention.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t just let this slide. We¡¯ll look cowardly!¡± Taylor gritted his teeth. ¡°Of course not.¡± Christopher leaned back leisurely and closed his eyes. ¡°He broke one of my ribs, so I¡¯ll break three of his. He broke my arm, so I¡¯ll break his leg. Fair, isn¡¯t it?¡± Taylor repeatedly said, ¡°Yeah, definitely! You¡¯re already showing mercy to him as his brother by not killing him!¡± Brother? Was Charles worthy of the title? Christopher chuckled and shook his finger. ¡°If it were Be who got injured that day, I wouldn¡¯t have let Charles live until now.¡±, After Be took a shower and did her skincare routine from head to toe, her heavy mood finally eased a bit. ¡°Be, are you asleep?¡± Cami¡¯s voice sounded outside the door. ¡°Not yet! Come in.¡± Cami opened the door and entered. Be patted her face while looking back. Cami wore a light blue silk nightgown. Her eyes arched in a smile. With her fair skin, she looked like an ethereal fairy. ¡°Oh! The most beautiful First Lady is here!¡± ¡°Be, where did you get the horse? It¡¯s so shiny-even brighter than the lights in the yard. It almost blinded me!¡± Cami was curious. ¡°It¡¯s Christopher¡¯s horse.¡± Be continued massaging her face. ¡°Is it his horse, or did he give it to you?¡± ¡°His horse. He wanted to give it to me as a gift, but I didn¡¯t ept.¡± ¡°Horses are your favorite animal. That¡¯s an Akhal-Teke, but you could even resist such a big temptation. It looks like you want to maintain a clear boundary with him.¡± Cami nodded thoughtfully, murmuring, ¡°If so, I can rest assured¡­¡± Unexpectedly, Be had sharp ears and heard it. ¡°Cami, what did you say? Rest assured? Why?¡± ¡°I can see that Christopher likes you. The way he looks at you is so obvious.¡± At the mention of this, Be felt a headache. ¡°I know. He confessed to me. What should I do? Is there a book in the world that could teach me how to stop emitting charisma or stop men from being interested in me? I¡¯m opposed to dating now. If it goes on, I could only be a nun.¡± ¡°Why? Is it because Mr. Salvador broke your heart?¡± Cami teased. ¡°That¡¯s not breaking my heart. At most, it¡¯s like being bitten by a dog! Hmph!¡± Thinking of Justin, Be subconsciously used more force when patting her face. ¡°Aunt Sasha was overjoyed to see the horse. She¡¯s riding it in the yard/ now.¡± Camiughed as she changed the topic. ¡°What?! Aunt Sasha rode the horse?!¡± Chapter 767 Be immediately stood up from her chair and widened her eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t even rode it yet!¡± ¡°Come on, just let her be. You easily give away jewelry worth millions, but you¡¯re reluctant to let people ride your horse?¡± At this moment, the faint sound of Sasha¡¯s voice came from outside the window. ¡°Giddy up! Hahaha!¡± Be rubbed her temples. ¡°Well, as long as she¡¯s happy.¡± Cami slowly sat on the sofa, pursing her lips, looking as if something was on her mind. ¡°Cami, you must have something to tell me if you came over sote.¡± Be walked over and sat next to her, holding her arm intimately. S asked in a low voice, ¡°Is it rted to Christopher?¡± ¡°I remember that he used toe over to our house when you wer kids. You seem to be close to him,¡± Cami asked. ¡°Yeah. We were ssmates in elementary school.¡± Be narrowed her eyes and recalled, ¡°At that time, he was bullied in ss, so I helped him. He was grateful and always clung to me like a little follower. Because of my family background, nobody in ss yed with me. They avoided me. I could only pair up with Christopher, so we were ymates. To be honest, I was quite happy during our childhood. Later, he went to Sentania with his mother, and we lost contact for 15 years.¡± ¡°Fifteen years? That means when he reappeared, he was basically a stranger to you.¡± Cami looked deep in thought. ¡°Yeah. When I first saw him, I didn¡¯t even recognize him. He was so small and cute back then, like a little girl. But now, he¡¯s an ideal man- tall and handsome.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯s handsome? Between Christopher and Justin, who do you think is better looking?¡± Cami yfully winked at her. ¡°Cami, did Justin secretly bribe you? Why do you keep mentioning his name? Ugh!¡± Be¡¯s heart twitched, and she pouted. ¡°Be, I am not against you befriending Christopher. Chairman. Iverson is good friends with Dad, so his son won¡¯t mistreat you. But¡­¡± Thinking about the investigation results about Christopher, Cami darkened her expression. ¡°Christopher is not as simple as he looks. I did a background investigation on him in private. He has a wide ra of businesses in Sentania that cover many fields. He has apwork. Sentania¡¯s situation isplicated. Gangs and drugs a everywhere. The politicians and businessmen collude brazenly. Afte my husband takes office, the first thing he needs to tackle is drug trafficking.¡± Be could not help but feel worried for her sister. ¡°Cami, it sounds like you guys will have a tough road ahead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡± Cami¡¯s expression was serious. ¡°In Sentania, the scale of Christopher¡¯s business meant that he could not avoid being in the drug trade. I heard he was even summoned by the police due to his involvement in the drug trade. However, he was released because of insufficient evidence.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Be¡¯s pupils shrank. ¡°Although there¡¯s no evidence, and he went back safely, not being convicted doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s innocent. Since he was investigated, there was a high possibility of him being involved. Furthermore, he was investigated by my husband¡¯s student. That man was righteous and impartial. He wouldn¡¯t be bought off, and he wouldn¡¯t nder someone without a reason.¡± Cami held Be¡¯s hand tightly, concern showing in her eyes. ¡°Be, it¡¯s fine for you to be friends. But don¡¯t get too close to a dangerous man like Christopher.¡± Be¡¯s eyshes fluttered as she pondered. Then, she nodded. ¡° Cami, I¡¯m an adult who has been Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. through many things. I¡¯ve seen t cruelest battlefield and the darkest side of humanity. I¡¯ll keep words in mind.¡± Five dayster, a row of ck luxury cars entered Tideview Manor in the evening, lining up at the entrance. A few bodyguards d in ck suits got off first. The golden badge pinned to their chests indicated that they were from the Hoffman family. Chapter 768 ¡°Wee, Ms. Zoe!¡± ¡°Wee, Mrs. Hoffman!¡± ¡°Wee, Chairman Hoffman!¡± The doors of three cars opened at the same time. Zoe got off with her mother first. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Logan Hoffman wore a luxurious ck suit and held his golden eagle- head cane as he stepped down from the car with a cold face under Zoe¡¯s assistance. ¡°Father, take it slow.¡± ire quickly came over. Logan stared at the Salvador family manor¡¯s door coldly and took a deep breath. ¡°When you came to discuss the marriagest time, that brat from the Salvador family didn¡¯t even show his face, right?¡± ire bit her lip and nodded shamefully. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why are you so useless?¡± Zoe pouted, seemingly expressing her dissatisfaction as well. ¡°Father, you¡¯ve heard about Justin Salvador¡¯s personality. Even Chairman Salvador could not force him to do something he was unwilling to do. Shannon is his stepmother and can¡¯t influence him at all.¡± ire exined with a trembling heart. Since her husband passed away, Ryan has been their family¡¯s sole support. If Ryan was not present, Logan would never take ire seriously. ¡°You are Zoe¡¯s mother. Your daughter was bullied, yet you could not do anything other than be angry and helpless.¡± Logan was furious and tapped his cane on the ground. ¡°The Hoffman family is also an elite family in Savrow. Nobody dares to offend us. Now, because of a young brat, I need to intervene to settle matters. Is this what you mean when you say you guys will take care of me in my old age?¡± ¡°Father, it¡¯s all my fault. I was too useless.¡± ire lowered her head and repeatedly admitted her mistake. ¡°Grandpa, Mom tried her best. Don¡¯t me her.¡± Zoe held Logan¡¯s arm and spoke up for her mother. ¡°That brat, Justin, is too arrogant! He looks down on us!¡± Anger burned in Logan¡¯s eyes. ¡°His recent actions show that he doesn¡¯t take the Hoffman family seriously at all. He¡¯d better his senses and marry Zoe. Otherwise, the Hoffman Group will be Salvador Corporation¡¯s nemesis!¡± It was rowdy in a nightclub¡¯s private room, with debauchery in the air. Bethany was partying with a group of friends. The crowd chanted and roared while Bethanyughed madly and moved her body to the music. After an exciting and promiscuous game, Bethany grabbed a bottle of beer and copsed on the sofa. She downed the beer whileughing uncontrobly. ¡°Ms. Bethany? Ms. Bethany?¡± At this time, her assistant walked to her and got down on one knee. ¡± There¡¯s a situation at Tideview Manor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Bethany askedzily. ¡°The Hoffmans came. I suppose they came to propose marriage.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°Tsk, what situation is this? Didn¡¯t Zoe¡¯s widowed mothere a few days ago? They didn¡¯t even get to meet Justin before they were sent away. How embarrassing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same this time. Chairman Hoffman came as well!¡± Bethany¡¯s eyes flipped open, and she sat up immediately. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Chairman Logan Hoffman! I heard they made a big scene, probably to demand an exnation for Justin¡¯s behavior.¡± ¡°Hahaha! This is interesting!¡± Bethany patted the sofa, her eyes gleaming with excitement. ¡°Prep my car! Let¡¯s go home and watch the show!¡± Chapter 769 Gregory and Shannon were home at the moment. Gregory sat on the sofa, reading the news on his phone with a solemn expression. Although he had hired a top-notch PR team to deal with the scandal regarding Justin and Zoe, the gossip and spection online had never stopped. As the president of the Salvador Corporation, Justin did not show his face or publish a public statement to rify the situation. It would only fuel more spection, causing him to tarnish his image. Shannon sat at her dressing table, meticulously taking care of the hair she had invested over a million dors annually to maintain. In the past, she offered up her own body to Gregory to seduce him. ¡°Greg,e here.¡± Shannon turned around and hooked her fing at Gregory. ¡°What?¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes did not leave his phone screen. ¡°Juste, Greg. Touch my hair. I¡¯ve always taken good care of it you.¡± Shannon¡¯s voice was sweet and coy as she flirted. ¡°Come and feel it. Is it the same as before?¡± ¡°Shannon.¡± Gregory halted. He had been pondering if Celeste¡¯s incident had something to do with Shannon for a long time, but he still did not ask the question in the end. He mentioned something else instead. ¡°Ryan confessed to Carrie in front of me and Dad.¡± ¡°What? When did it happen!?¡± Shannon immediately stood up, unable to control her expression from being overjoyed. ¡°Some time ago, when Justin was hospitalized, he brought Carrie to visit Justin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news! Oh my!¡± Shannon was so happy that she pped her hands. ¡°What¡¯s Dad¡¯s attitude? He watched Ryan grow up, and our families are close to each other with simr backgrounds. He must agree to this marriage, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always tried to match Bethany with Ryan and didn¡¯t give Carrie a thought. Why did you suddenly change your mind now?¡± Gregory asked calmly. Shannon rolled her eyes. ¡°Greg, you make it sound as if I don¡¯t about Carrie. After all, she is also my daughter. How can I not w the best for her? Bethany¡¯s personality doesn¡¯t match Ryan¡¯s. They are just not destined for each other. If Ryan likes Carrie, I¡¯d definitely support this perfect match. As a mother, I want my daughter to marry well.¡± ¡°Although Carrie and Ryan are dating, it hasn¡¯t been made public yet. We can still turn back.¡± Gregory¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Once the rtionship is public, things will not be so easy.¡± ¡°Greg¡­ What do you mean? Don¡¯t you want Carrie to marry Ryan?¡± Shannon questioned him anxiously. ¡°When ire Hoffman came to discuss Justin¡¯s marriage, she left without even seeing Justin¡¯s face. Didn¡¯t you see her expression as she left? It was full of resentment. Ryan is her only son. How could she ept Carrie as her daughter-inw?¡± Gregory frowned, feeling frustrated. Shannon was stunned. Thinking about how ire¡¯s face was red with anger, she thought that her daughter¡¯s path to a wealthy and influential family waspletely blocked. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. No. It was not over yet! That dumbass Ryan was willing to take Carrie off her hands, so she must do everything in her power to marry off Carrie! Shannon sighed with a worried expression and walked over to Gregory, massaging his shoulders as she said gently, ¡°Greg, you seem to be in a bad mood these days. Are you troubled by this matter? There¡¯s a way to resolve everything and solve all our problems.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let Justin marry Zoe. Everyone will be happy. If we take Zoe, Mrs. Hoffman will ept Carrie.¡± Shannon got excited as she spoke, her eyes shining with greed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who Justin likes? He only has eyes for Be. There¡¯s no way he could tolerate any other woman.¡± Gregory¡¯s brows furrowed as he felt more frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s been over 20 years. Don¡¯t you understand his temper by now?¡± ¡°Justin likes Be, but does she reciprocate his feelings?¡± Chapter 770 Shannon sneered. ¡°When Justin divorced Be, he shattered her heart. Now, he¡¯s entangled with Zoe. Be has such a fierce character and doesn¡¯t tolerate ws. Do you think that she will still ept Justin? I doubt it.¡± Gregory looked solemn, but before he could speak, someone knocked on the door. The butler reported nervously, ¡°Chairman Salvador, Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Madam Shannon, the Hoffmans are here.¡± ¡°Tell them that I¡¯m not here.¡± Gregory rubbed his temples and answered without thinking. ¡°Chairman Salvador, the chairman of the Hoffman Group is here as well. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to greet them?¡± Gregory¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Greg, look.¡± Shannon crossed her arms, curling her lips in a smile. ¡°As long a Justin and Zoe¡¯s marriage remains uncertain, our family will not a day of peace. We¡¯ve even rmed Chairman Hoffman. If this continues, it won¡¯t end well.¡± Logan sped his hands on top of his eagle-head cane and sat in the middle of the sofa with a ¡°Old Master Logan, why didn¡¯t you inform me of your visit? I¡¯de out to wee you.¡± Gregory smiled and walked over with Shannon. In the living room, members of the Hoffman family stood behind Logan, looking unfriendly. The air felt dense. Gregory swept his gaze across the crowd, his expression unchanging. ¡°Old Master Logan, you came with such a grand lineup. Are you unhappy because I didn¡¯t greet you properly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m indeed unhappy, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the reason behind it.¡± Logan said in a cold and forceful tone, ¡°Your family is so arrogant. Your son didn¡¯t even show himself when my daughter-inw personally came to visit. Must I pay a visit for your son to show his face?¡± Zoe hid in ire¡¯s arms, sniffling softly. She had an aggrieved and pitiful expression. Gregory was about to speak when Shannon stepped in. ¡°Justin an impolite child. He was away that day. If he had been here, he would certainly greet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking your husband, not you.¡± Logan did not spare Shannon nce, radiating disdain for her from head to toe. Shannon was humiliated, and her face reddened. However, Logan was a man who stood equal to Nigel in Savrow, both legends in the corporate world. How could she afford to provoke him? ire curled her lips, secretly feeling pleased. Shannon was merely a low-born bitch who had no money or influence. She had already lucked out to be able to seduce a man like Gregory, who was in apletely different tax bracket. However, she still did not know her ce. ire thought, ¡®Shannon has a troublemaker and a retard for daughters, yet she still harbors delusions of climbing the social hierarchy by seducing my precious son! Such wishful thinking!¡¯ ¡°Chairman Salvador, you said Justin was not aroundst time to brush us off. Now that I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t leave without seeing him.¡± Logan waved to Zoe, and Zoe ran into his arms while crying. ¡°Your son bullied my daughter. Is he nning to hide like a loser and refuse to take responsibility?¡± A loser?! Although Gregory did not dote on Justin, Justin was still his flesh and blood. Insulting Justin was akin to insulting him! ¡°I¡¯m not hiding. There should be no other person clearer about th situation than Zoe.¡± A cold and calm voice spoke. The crowd was stunned and looked up. Chapter 771 On the white marble spiral staircase, Justin stood with his hand in his pockets, the designer suit outlining his lean and elegant figure as he descended the stairs with graceful steps. Zoe stared at Justin. His handsome face, which radiated superiority, made her gape in awe. She even forgot to cry momentarily. This man was indeed every woman¡¯s dream husband. She was right to cling to him, even if she had to throw away her shame and dignity. She must obtain this man, no matter what! ¡°Justin, what do you mean? You assaulted my granddaughter, but now you¡¯re saying it¡¯s her fault?¡± Logan narrowed his eyes as he asked coldly. Justin curled his lips mockingly. ¡°Why repeat this and embarras granddaughter?¡± The crowd was stunned. What did Justin mean by that? Could be more to that night¡¯s incident? Zoe¡¯s face turned pale. She hid in Logan¡¯s arms and bit her lips, no daring to speak. ¡°You¡­!¡± Logan was not young anymore. The anger got to him, and his face turned red as he almost could not catch his breath. ¡®Justin! What nonsense are you spouting? Don¡¯t act recklessly in front of your elders!¡± ¡°Reckless?¡± Justin chuckled, but his gaze was exceptionally sharp. ¡°I¡¯m only stating the facts. Zoe, are you willing to Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. swear on your life that you weren¡¯t at fault for this?¡± A chill ran down Zoe¡¯s spine, and her heart thumped madly. ¡°Will you swear that you are innocent and knew nothing about the incident that happened at the hotel?¡± Justin¡¯s gaze was as cold as the abyss, staring at her like a police officer scrutinizing a criminal. ¡°I¡­¡± Zoe put on an innocent and naive act. ¡°Justin, why would you say so? Swear on what? That night¡­ Didn¡¯t you ask me to meet at the hotel?¡± Justin¡¯s pupils shrank. He thought Zoe would argue, but he did not expect her to fabri story. ¡°We agreed to meet in Room 2051. I reached first, but you didn¡¯t sh up for a long time, so I wanted to take a shower while waiting for yo ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to arrive as soon as I finished showering. Isn¡¯t this what happened that night?¡± Teardrops hung on Zoe¡¯s eyshes. Her eyes were red and swollen, as if what she said was true. ¡°Justin, I didn¡¯t know why you¡¯re unwilling to admit everything. But no matter what you say, I won¡¯t me you. If you want me to swear, then I will!¡± Zoe gritted her teeth as she raised three fingers. ¡°I, Zoe Hoffman, swear to God that I did not say a single word of falsehood. Otherwise, I¡¯ll die a miserable death!¡± Swear? How ridiculous. Does God really exist? Zoe did not believe in God or karma. She only knew that she must obtain whatever she wanted, no matter how dirty the means. Chapter 772 In that instant, Justin felt that the situation was ridiculous. He thought that even though Zoe had gone down the wrong path, she would still admit her fault when confronted. He thought she would still have a trace of her childhood innocence. After all, she was his best friend¡¯s only sister. But it turned out he had overestimated Zoe¡¯s character. She was only rted to Ryan by blood, but she was nothing like Ryan in other aspects. Zoe was corrupted. Perhaps she had been this way since the start, but Justin had a natural filter for her because she was Ryan¡¯s sister. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to show mercy for the sake of his best friend. ¡°Zoe! What are you saying? Dying a miserable death? If anythin happened to you, how could I live on?¡± ire took out a handke and wiped her tears. ¡°Zoe is my only granddaughter and the apple of my eye! We raised in luxury, and she has never suffered. She was willing to curse herse to prove her innocence because of you. This just proves that she¡¯s speaking the truth!¡± Logan patted Zoe¡¯s head while ring at Justin. ¡°Although Zoe is a little spoiled, she has never lied before! Is Nigel¡¯s grandson a coward who does not dare admit his doings?¡± Justin narrowed his eyes. His fingers tightened into a grip, suppressing his burning anger. ¡°Chairman Hoffman, your words are a little too harsh!¡± In front of so many people, Gregory could not tolerate someone else insulting his son and even involving his father. He had to maintain his pride. ¡°Focus on the matter at hand! Just tell me what you want. Both of our families are famous in Savrow. It¡¯s already unsightly for you to cause a stir at my house tonight. Do you really want to make an enemy out of the Salvador family?¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes shone with a vicious light. She dragged her grandfather along this time to use his influence to force Justin to marry her. She did not want to have a fallout with the Salvador family. That would be a worse situation for her! ¡°Chairman Salvador, I only have two reasonable requests.¡± Logan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°First, I want your son to apolog Zoe! He was the reason Zoe got surrounded by reporters that almost ruining her reputation! I wanted you to hold a press conference, but you are right about how our families are both influential and prominent. If it bes a big deal, Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. your image will b tarnished. So, I¡¯ll make do with a private apology from your son, and I won¡¯t pursue the matter further.¡± The servants surrounding them could not bear to continue listening. All of them looked indignant. ¡®How dare this old geezer dare to bully our young master! We should let the dogs out on this old geezer!¡¯ ¡°Mr. Hoffman! What mistake did our young master make? Why should he apologize to Ms. Zoe? Aren¡¯t you overstepping your boundaries?¡± The crowd turned around, surprised to see Wilma walk out angrily, standing up for Justin. Shannon hid behind Gregory. She was first stunned and then let out a sinister smile. She had long disliked Wilma, that troublesome woman. Wilma had Justin¡¯s support over the years and did not even respect her. Now that Wilma stood up for this bastard, there would be a good show! ¡°Wilma, go back.¡± Justin was stunned and urged her in a low voice. ¡°Young Master, I can¡¯t stand to see them bully you!¡± Wilma¡¯s eyes were teary. She had been watching from the stairs for a long while, holding herself back. When she heard Logan forcing Justin to apolo Zoe, she could not take it anymore. ¡°Chairman Salvador, Mrs. Salvador, how can a servante out speak so arrogantly? Where are her manners?¡± ire sarcastica looked at Wilma. Chapter 773 ¡°Mrs. Hoffman, you may not be aware of the situation in our family. Though Wilma is a maid, she has a high position in our house.¡± Shannon started to mock Wilma again. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even respect us, the masters of the house, not to mention a few guests.¡± ¡°Aunt Shannon, you should know why Wilma holds a high position.¡± Justin walked to Wilma and shielded her behind him. His cold and icy gaze shot toward Shannon like a knife, causing her to tremble in fear. ¡°After my mother passed away, Wilma stayed by my side and took care of me, treating me like her son. She is my family and has apanied me since childhood. In my heart, she is as important as my mother.¡± ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Wilma was so touched that tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve also said that Wilma¡¯s only job in this house is to take She¡¯s not your maid. Isn¡¯t it normal for her not to treat yo respect, Aunt Shannon?¡± The crowd snickered. After all, in the Salvador family, Wilma was much more liked by the servants. ¡°You!¡± Shannon gritted her teeth in resentment, but any furthereback would make her look disgraceful. ¡°Besides the apology, I have another request.¡± Logan ignored the fight between the women and continued coldly, ¡± Chairman Salvador, given the current situation, there¡¯s only one way to resolve this properly. We should enter a marriage alliance and let Justin marry Zoe.¡± Everyone was shocked! ¡°You want me to marry Zoe?¡± Justinughed, but his eyes were cold. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, what kind of person do you think I am? Do you think I¡¯d take any woman to be my wife? Do you think any woman deserves it? I don¡¯t indulge in worldly pleasures, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not picky.¡± His words stunned everyone! N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Justin did not mention Zoe¡¯s name, but every word seemed to strike at her heart! Zoe¡¯s lips trembled. She was so mad that her face turned ashen. ¡°Justin, mind your words!¡± Gregory was displeased with Hoff coercion, but he did not want things to get ugly. ¡°Justin Salvador! How dare you!¡± Logan grabbed his eagle-headed cane and mmed it on the floo He was furious and roared, ¡°Do you think that my granddaughter is not good enough for you? You even dared to humiliate Zoe. You¡­¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive, I will only have one wife.¡± Just as Justin¡¯s voice fell, the butler rushed over. ¡°Chairman, Young Master Justin, Ms. Be Thompson is here!¡± The crisp sound of high heels echoed in the hall. Justin¡¯s breath hitched as he looked at the graceful figure walking toward them, his gaze burning with passion as he stared at Be. Zoe watched as Justin waspletely enchanted by Be. She was mad with jealousy, but there was nothing she could do. That man¡¯s heart and eyes belonged to Be. There was no space for any other woman. If not for that person who provided her with a n and her boldness, Zoe might not even have the chance to be in the same room as Justin. ¡°Oh! Young Madam!¡± Wilma called out delightfully. ¡°Young Madam! It really is the Young Madam!¡± The servants did not dare to speak loudly, but they cast delighted and hopeful nces toward Be. Chapter 774 At this point, everyone knew that Justin¡¯s heart belonged to someone else-his ex-wife. Why did Be suddenly appear now? Did she hear that the Hoffmans wereing to force Justin¡¯s hand in marriage, so she came to save him? Be wore a ck bodycon dress and a ck velvet designer suit jacket. Her shiny hair swayed to her waist, and her red lips were vibrant, making her look bold and beautiful. Be looked effortlessly beautiful and astonishing. One confident nce from Be was enough topletely crush Zoe¡¯s self-esteem. Seeing Be¡¯s sudden appearance, ire immediately patted her chest to calm her nervous heart. ire had heart problems. When she thought about Be¡¯s deeds, ire felt that it would be tough to deal with her. She not bear the stress. ¡°Grandpa! She is the woman I mentioned to you! Be!¡± Zoe anxiously muttered in Logan¡¯s ear, ¡°She always bullies me. Grandpa, you have to stand up for me!¡± Logan gloomily stared at Be¡¯s beautiful face, feeling a littleplicated. Although it was the first time Logan met Be, her father, Wyatt, was his old acquaintance! They could not be considered friends, but Wyatt¡¯s character was among the best in the elite society and was an influential figure. Logan could offend Gregory, but he did not want to offend Wyatt¡¯s daughter. ¡°Chairman Salvador, good evening. Sorry for my unannounced arrival. Oh, Chairman Hoffman, you¡¯re here too.¡± Be smiled and humbly bowed to Logan. ¡°Greetings, Chairman Hoffman.¡± She was elegant and knowledgeable, as expected of Wyatt¡¯s daughter! Zoe anxiously urged, ¡°Grandpa! Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? She¡¯s my bully and my love rival! She wants to snatch Justin away from me!¡± Logan pursed his lips. He could not help his granddaughter. He was a mighty figure who fought his way to the top in his years. How could he argue with a young girl like Be? He w his dignity! Justin¡¯s gaze was passionate as he stared at Be¡¯s stunning b His reason told him that he should be angry with her for hurting deeply, but his heart and body were burning with desire. The ragin hormones told him that he still longed for her. ¡°Ms. Be, it¡¯ste. Why are you here?¡± Gregory smiled faintly, still maintaining a detached attitude toward his former daughter-inw. ¡°Yeah. Ms. Be, as you¡¯ve said, your sudden visit seemed quite presumptuous.¡± Shannon smiled mockingly, ready to watch the show. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that we have distinguished guests? We are talking about important matters, and it¡¯s unsuitable for outsiders to be here. If we have good news, we will inform you.¡± Her words were threatening, holding a deeper meaning. Justin¡¯s face darkened. He was about to speak when Be chuckled.¡± Mrs. Salvador, you¡¯ve got it wrong. I¡¯m not interested in the conversation between your families at all. I came for you.¡± The crowd was taken aback and looked at each other. Shannon was stunned, frowning. ¡°Me? Why?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you want to talk about it alone, or should I discuss it openly here?¡± Be smiled, her eyes shining with a cold light. Chapter 775 The hall fell silent. Be¡¯smanding presence only made everyone feel as if they were in an icy cave. Her intimidating look was not inferior to Logan, who straddled both sides of thew! Shannon wanted to watch the show with a smile, thinking that Be hade because she heard about the Hoffmans trying to force Justin into marriage and wanted to snatch Justin from Zoe. She thought she could enjoy the show, but Be¡¯s unexpected intentions disrupted her ns entirely. ¡°Ms. Be, you¡¯re looking for me? I don¡¯t have anything to do with you. Why are you looking for me?¡± Shannon looked surprised and chuckled dryly. ¡°Whatever ties we had ended the day I divorced Justin.¡± Be¡¯s tone was nonchnt, revealing nothing about her en But your entanglement with one of your old acquaintances from over.¡± Her casual words were like a bomb that took the crowd by surp ¡°Zoe! What is Ms. Be saying? What¡¯s going on?¡± Logan stared Zoe unbelievably. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Grandpa¡­ I told you before. Have you forgotten?¡± Zoe reminded him timidly. ¡°Told me? When did you tell me? I am old, but I¡¯m not senile! You¡¯ve never mentioned that Justin had been divorced once. Logan had been recuperating overseas for the past year, leaving the business to Ryan and his second son, Liam. He was unaware that Justin was married and divorced, and that his ex-wife was Wyatt¡¯s daughter. He felt deceived! ¡°Mr. Hoffman, so what if our Young Master was divorced once?!¡± Wilma could not endure it anymore. She retorted, ¡°Our Young Master is an outstanding man. Even if he was divorced eight times, he would still have a long line of women willing to marry him! Also, didn¡¯t your granddaughter propose marriage to our Young Master? She didn¡¯t mind at all. Why are you making a fuss?¡± ¡°Old hag, who gave you the right to speak here?¡± Logan scolded Wilma in anger and embarrassment. ¡°This is the Salvador family¡¯s manor, not the Hoffmans¡¯. I ca whatever I want. Who do you think you are?¡± Wilma snorted ar turned around, ignoring Logan. ¡°You!¡± Logan¡¯s face reddened in anger, but quarreling with a servant fro another family was truly an act beneath him. Gregory had been holding back the whole night. Now that Wilma stood up against Logan, he could finally release some pent-up frustration. Although he did not like Justin much, he was still his flesh and blood. He could scold and beat Justin, but not anyone else! Justin¡¯s breath hitched, and his heart thumped. He strode toward Be and lowered his voice. ¡°Be, you can tell me. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Why? Are you afraid that I¡¯m interrupting your discussion?¡± Be¡¯s dark eyshes fluttered as she cast an icy nce at Justin, whispering in a voice only they could hear, ¡°Rest assured. I won¡¯t disrupt your family meeting. I¡¯m only here for Shannon, and I will leave after that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said that I will help you if you face any difficulties.¡± Justin¡¯s brows furrowed,plicated emotions surging within his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t resolve it, and I don¡¯t need you to.¡± Be avoided his intense gaze and turned to look at Shannon, her face expressionless. ¡°Ms. Be, since you¡¯vee all this way, I don¡¯t mind treatin a cup of coffee. But I have nothing to say to you.¡± Shannon slightly raised her chin, lifting her eyebrows_in arrogal As for whatever old acquaintances. I don¡¯t understand what you talking about.¡± ¡°Do you also have nothing to say about Celeste?¡± Be¡¯s gaze was as cold as ice, her tone bone- chilling. Upon hearing this, Shannon¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and her shoulders trembled involuntarily. Chapter 776 Why did Be want to talk about Celeste? Could she have discovered something? Did that man betray her? Impossible¡­ It¡¯s impossible! N?velDrama.Org owns all content. This bratty girl was setting her up! ¡°Ms. Thompson, let¡¯s talk about it another day, or perhaps you can Gregory noticed the tension between Be and Shannon, so he stood. out, trying to send Be away first. ¡°As you can see, we have guests here, and it¡¯s not very convenient for us.¡± Be¡¯s smiling face immediately turned cold. She was about to speak when Justin grabbed her thin wrist and dragged her up the stairs with everyone watching. He did not give her a chance to resist! ¡°What are you doing? Justin! Let me go!¡± Be blushed, trying her best to break free, but to no avail. Once this man had set his mind on something, there was no stopping him! ¡°Oh!¡± Wilma covered her mouth as her eyes shone with excitement. Wilma thought, ¡®Young Master is so dominant, and Young Madam looks so shy!¡¯ ¡°Justin! Where are you going? Come back!¡± No matter how Gregory shouted, Justin did not nce back and quickly disappeared from the hall with Be. The Hoffmans were left hanging. With the male lead gone, the well- prepared stage seemed to have lost its direction, making the scene. awkward. Zoe, especially, had eyes red from hatred. Her expression was twisted with jealousy. She thought, ¡®As long as that bitch appears, she immediately bes the spotlight, no matter where or who is around!¡¯ Zoe suddenly understood something at this moment. Her hatred for Be was not entirely because Be was her love rival. Zoe resented Be because she was jealous of thetter¡¯s brilliance and pride. Zoe thought that there could only be one person who stood out in this world, and that was herself. She could not ept being overshadowed by someone else shining brighter than her! ¡°Dad! Mom! I¡¯m back!¡± Bethany rushed in, panting heavily. To greet the guests, she had changed into some decent new clothes, but she still looked haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She reeked of alcohol, and her face was pale with lipstick that was too red for her. She looked terrifying. Seeing her daughter¡¯s ghostly state, Shannon felt so embarrassed that she wanted to press Bethany¡¯s head into a toilet bowl to flush her makeup away. ¡°Bethany, where did you go? Why do you smell like alcohol?¡± Gregory scrutinized her and frowned. ¡°Oh¡­ I was meeting with my friends, so we drank a little.¡± Bethany could not suppress herself and burped loudly. ¡°Quick, take Ms. Bethany to her room to rest!¡± Shannon hurriedly ordered. ¡°Oh, Zoe!¡± Taking advantage of her drunken state, Bethany ran to Zoe and giggled. ¡°Congrattions! You¡¯re about to marry my brother and be my sister-inw! After scheming for so long, you¡¯ve finally gotten Rosalind out of the picture and chased Be away. You¡¯ve finally gotten what you wanted! Haha!¡± Logan frowned deeply. ire¡¯s and Zoe¡¯s faces stiffened. Theirposure was about to shatter. ¡°Bethany, what do you mean? Are you mocking me or just drunk?¡± Zoe was full of anger. After being provoked by Bethany, she blurted out, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. You hold a grudge against me because you wanted to marry my brother and asked me for help, but I refused.¡±. Chapter 777 Logan¡¯s expression changed as he listened to Zoe¡¯s words, ncing at Bethany with disdain. It was fortunate that his grandson had taste in women and did not fancy this impudent and indecent woman in front of him. Otherwise, it would have been an unlucky incident for their family. ¡°You!¡± Bethany¡¯s eyes widened in anger. Zoe sneered, ¡°Even if you¡¯re unwilling, there¡¯s nothing you can do. My brother just doesn¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ Hahaha!¡± Bethany patted her chest and smiled in anger. instead. ¡°We¡¯re the same. My brother doesn¡¯t like you either, right?¡± ¡°You!¡± This time, it was Bethany¡¯s turn to be mad. ¡°When I came home, I saw Be¡¯s limited edition Bugatti Veyron parked at the entrance. It seems she has arrived.¡± Bethany crossed her arms and yawned. ¡°I didn¡¯t see my brother here. Did he go away with Be and leave you behind?¡± ¡°Bethany!¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and she wanted to pounce on Bethany and tear her mouth apart. ¡°Oh, Zoe. That¡¯s just how my brother is. You¡¯ll get used to it after you marry him.¡± Bethany got more excited as she spoke. ¡°When he was married to Be, he kept thinking about Rosalind. That means after you marry into our family, he won¡¯t let go of Be. Men are all like that. They have a good wife at home, but their hearts still long for another woman. Be spent three years adapting little by little. Since you like my brother so much, perhaps you¡¯ll get used to it faster than Be.¡± The crowd was stunned, and their mouths hung open. The twodies were quarreling for real. If not for the elders present, Zoe would have attacked Bethany. ¡°Bethany! Are you so drunk? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Shannon¡¯s blood pressure rose as she yelled with embarrassment,¡± Bring Ms. Bethany away now!¡± ¡°Justin! Let go! Let go of me!¡± Justin walked ahead of her while Be struggled to follow. Her wrists were held painfully tight. He seemed furious, or rather, he had been suppressing his anger for a long time. Now, he finally found a chance to vent at her! ¡°Where are you bringing me?¡± Be asked angrily. ¡°You were my wife, and you lived here for three years. You are more familiar with every room in this house than I am. Where do you think I¡¯m bringing you?¡± Justin did not look back as he forced each word out. ¡°Justin, you think too highly of yourself. Do you think you know me well?¡± Ghop777 Be suddenly raised her wrist and bit hard at Justin¡¯s wrist that was holding her. ¡°Tsk!¡± Justin felt a sting and subconsciously released her hand. Be quickly retreated a few steps and rubbed her reddened wrists. She red at him with hatred. ¡°I¡¯ve never treated this ce as my home. There was not a day that I felt a sense of belonging here. It has always been a cage to me!¡± However, this cage did not trap her body, but her heart. Justin¡¯s heart ached. Although he was mad at her, his heart still felt excruciating pain. He narrowed his eyes and suddenly strode toward Be. Taking advantage of her daze, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. grabbing her soft waist. ¡°Ah!¡± Be yelped. The next second, he swept her off her feet, and she reflexively clutched his shirt. Chapter 778 ¡°Justin, you jerk! Don¡¯t touch me! Put me down!¡± Be immediately blushed. She wiggled around and kicked her legs in a struggle. Her hands, clutching Justin¡¯s shirt, turned into fists that kept punching his muscr chest. Although her hands were sore from the pounding, it was no different than a massage for Justin. He even enjoyed it! ¡°You wouldn¡¯t listen to me, so I had no choice but to carry you up.¡± Justin lowered his gaze. He looked aloof, but his gaze concealed an intense affection for her. He could not control it. If he could, would it still be love? ¡°Why should I listen to you? Who do you think you are? I won¡¯t! I just won¡¯t!¡± Be was so embarrassed that she blushed and struggled harder. ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, I¡¯ll kiss you.¡± Justin¡¯s Adam apple bobbed as his eyes narrowed. ¡°You bastard!¡± Be shivered and bit her lower lip in panic. Justin curled his lips and suddenly let go of her. ¡°Ah!¡± Be¡¯s eyes fluttered shut, and she broke into a thinyer of sweat, her arms immediately wrapping around Justin¡¯s neck. Justin¡¯s expression was still cold, but his dark eyes had a hint of Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. softness. Justin carried Be up the stairs, leaving the group of people behind. The Hoffman family was at a loss for what to do, but since they were already there, they had to settle the marriage. Otherwise, it would hurt their pride. ¡°Father, what should we do now?¡± ire whispered into Logan¡¯s ear with concern, ¡°Look at Justin¡¯s attitude. It¡¯s obvious that he doesn¡¯t want to marry Zoe. He doesn¡¯t even want to talk to us.¡± ¡°Grandpa, are you going to stand by and watch me get bullied? I¡¯m your granddaughter!¡± Zoe sobbed uncontrobly, looking pitiful. After all, Logan was an experienced and powerful figure with a calm attitude. If it were any other ordinary man, they would have started to cuss the Salvador family out with vulgar words. However, Logan could not take the disrespect. ¡°Chairman Salvador, is this how you¡¯re going to handle this matter? My granddaughter¡¯s reputation was ruined by your son, yet he¡¯s still bickering with his ex-wife in front of us. Do you think we¡¯re easy to mess with?¡± Chap In a fit of anger, Logan grabbed a coffee cup on the table and smashed it. The bodyguards from the Hoffman family immediately surrounded them, as if they had gotten the signal. Shannon¡¯s face turned pale from fright, and she hid behind Gregory. In Savrow, everyone knew that the Hoffmans started off in the mafia. The current situation seemed like they were about to fight with the Salvadors. ¡°Chairman Hoffman, what are you doing?¡± Gregory was infuriated as well. ¡°Do you think you can step on our heads like this?¡± ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t worry. We live in awful society, and I¡¯m tired of the violent days.¡± Logan¡¯s eyes were gloomy. ¡°I just want to tell you that Justin¡¯s behavior has made me very mad tonight. When I get angry, nobody can predict what will happen next!¡± Gregory clenched his fists. He almost could not control his anger. Logan¡¯s words were an outright threat! Chapter 779 The Hoffman family was one of the top ten conglomerates in the country, and they had businesses all over the continent. Although they were not as prominent as the Thompson family, not ranking among the highest, they had always maintained a neutral stance. If the Hoffmans decided to work with the Salvadors¡¯ nemesis, the Iverson family, it would be troublesome for the Salvadors. ¡°Grandpa, I only went away for a few days, and you¡¯ve eagerlye. to find trouble with Uncle Greg¡¯s family.¡± The imposing sound of leather shoes against the marble floor rang throughout the hall. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Ryan walked in, his face devilishly handsome. Shannon¡¯s eyes immediately lit up upon seeing him. This man was her future son-inw! Just thinking about how the heir of the Hoffman Group would be her son-inw made her happier than ever. Those noble over her! ¡°Mr. Ryan!¡± The bodyguards bowed in unison. ¡°Ryan, why did youe here?¡± Logan¡¯s expression sank. ¡°What else? I came to find Justin.¡± Ryan¡¯s cold gaze swept across the Hoffmans, and the bodyguards were frightened into silence, all lowering their heads. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I came. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve missed this great show.¡± Actually, he got the news from his girlfriend, Carrie. He was discussing a business project outside while Carrie watched a movie with Yasmin at home. She received a call from Linny, saying that Justin was in trouble. The Hoffmans came to force him into a marriage, making a fuss. She was worried about her brother, so she contacted Ryan to help Justin. Ryan never rejected a request from Carrie, not to mention that Justin was his best friend. He abandoned the business meeting and sped over. ¡°Great. Then ask your good friend toe down now!¡± Logan¡¯s face was twisted with anger. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Ryan also saw Be¡¯s car and knew she must be with Justin at the moment. He smiled in relief and said, ¡°He is enjoying his time with. Be. Why must I interrupt them and be the third wheel? I¡¯m not doing. such an annoying thing.¡± Zoe was so mad that she trembled all over, viciously ring at her own brother.. When Ryan met her eyes, he felt a sting in his heart, feeling painful and bitter. Zoe was his sister, whom he had carried in his arms since she was a baby. He had helped raise her. The way she stared coldly at him now Chap was like looking at her mortal enemy. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. That innocent and pure girl, who used to cling to him, begging him to buy her dolls and ice cream, seemed to be gone. ¡°Enjoying their time together?!¡± ire could not take it anymore. She asked anxiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t Be divorce Justin a long time ago? How is that possible?¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible in matters of the heart.¡± Ryan¡¯s gaze hardened as he said, ¡°Grandpa, in terms of family. background, talent, and appearance, Be is better than Zoe in every aspect.¡± Logan choked, not knowing what to retort. If he had not seen Be before, he could still try to argue. But thinking about the woman with indescribable elegance and unparalleled beauty, Logan could not bring himself to think that his granddaughter was better than Be, ¡°Are you sure you want Zoe topete with Be for a man? Disregarding whether this will offend the Thompsons, I reckon Justin won¡¯t even spare Zoe a nce with a top-tier beauty like Be in front of him.¡± Ryan sat naturally on the sofa, making himself at home. ¡°Ryan, you are Zoe¡¯s brother. How can you say that about your sister?¡± ire was infuriated. ¡°If Justin is not interested in Zoe, why did that night happen? Could someone have pointed a gun at his head to force him to meet Zoe?¡± ¡°Although no one pointed a gun at him, someone was feeding Zoe with ideas behind the scenes,ing up with a seamless n to trick Justin into meeting her at the hotel.¡± Ryan crossed his legs looking at Zoe with a chilling gaze. The crowd was stunned. Chapter 780 Was Zoe manipted by someone to do so? Could there be more the incident? ¡°Mr. Hoffman, is that true?!¡± Wilma patted her thigh indignantly and huffed. ¡°I knew it! Our young master isn¡¯t a lewd man. I watched him grow up. I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s a man who can¡¯t control his desires and would lose his mind when he sees a woman! If he is, our young madam wouldn¡¯t love him so much! There must be something fishy going on!¡± ire shouted, ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying that my daughter has no modesty and used dirty tricks to seduce Justin?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. It was all your words.¡± Wilma rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. Wilma had lived so many years without getting married or having Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. children. Her only weakness was Justin, and she was not afraid of anyone else. ¡°You! You old bitch!¡± ire clutched her hurting chest and red at Shannon. ¡°Mrs. Salvador! Are all your household staff so rude as to speak to guests like this? Shouldn¡¯t you take any action?!¡± ¡°Oh, Mrs. Hoffman, you¡¯ve seen how important Wilma is to Justin.. She even has a higher position than us. How would I dare to scold her?¡± Shannon acted as if she were helpless, but she found joy in watching ire get humiliated. (CHILY (7) ¡°Ryan! You don¡¯t have evidence. How could you me it on me?¡± Zoe trembled, appearing as if she were crying, but it was actually from anger. ¡°Who says I don¡¯t?¡± Ryan narrowed his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to reveal what I found here because it would look ugly. But you dragged Grandpa into this. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± Zoe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The crowd also perked up their ears, listening attentively. ¡°I checked your call records before and after that day, even the call records for this month. If you were secretly dating Justin, how could you not make a single call to him? You didn¡¯t even call him on the day of your so-called hotel date. Are youmunicating telepathically?¡± Zoe blushed. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± Ryan took out his phone as he spoke, his voice turning cold. ¡°I took the driving recorder from your car and found this audio on the storage card. It was recorded the day you waited for Justin at the hotel.¡± He pressed the y button, and Zoe¡¯s smug voice rang out clearly. ¡°I¡¯ve made the arrangements ording to your instructions. I will be waiting in the room you booked when the timees. Justin will your favor and will definitely repay you in the future!¡± The crow was stunned. Was it all a setup by Zoe? Did someone pull strings behind the scenes, leading to their sec meeting in the hotel? Was it a trap? However, who was the mastermind hiding behind Zoe and helping her set up this scheme? After Gregory listened to it, his expression darkened. ¡°Zoe, what is this? Who were you talking to on the phone?¡± ire asked shockingly. ¡°You edited it! This is not what happened!¡± Zoe¡¯s face twisted in anger. She anxiously pointed at Ryan¡¯s indifferent face and snarled, ¡°Did Be bribe you? Did she instruct you to edit this to nder me?!¡± Then she immediately put on an innocent act and sobbed into Logan¡¯s arms. ¡°Grandpa! How could Ryan do this to me? It¡¯s too much!¡± Logan¡¯s brows furrowed deeply as his gaze at Zoe became increasinglyplex. Chapter 781 Be didn¡¯t expect Justin to bring her back to the room where sh lived in solitude for three years. ¡°Uh-!¡± Justin originally intended to put Be down gently on the bed, but she squirmed in his arms like a wild kitten. Somehow, she managed to squirm free, only to crash onto the bed. Luckily, Be had never undergone any cosmetic surgery. Otherwise, she might have ended up with a disfigured nose. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for squirming around. I didn¡¯t mean to drop you,¡± Justin said as he nced down at her. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her awkward expression. ¡°Bastard! You¡¯re always making excuses for yourself!¡± Be grumbled. She tried getting up, but Justin quickly grabbed her ankle. and pinned her down. ¡°Let go of my feet! Are you a pervert?¡± Be protested, her skirt riding up and exposing her legs. Their position made her feel incredibly embarrassed! Justin tightened his grip, his eyes wandering over Be¡¯s flushed face, red lips, neck, and down to her corbones. He felt his breath quicken, and his heart raced. Suddenly, Justin felt a sharp pain in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his temples firmly, hoping to ease the pain. -¡°Justin¡­ It hurts. It hurts so much¡­ Justin¡­¡± Charter S 1 ¨C¡°Rx. It¡¯ll gradually stop hurting.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to be gentle with you, I promise¡­ Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Fragmented memories suddenly popped up in his mind. Memories o events he had never experienced before. But how was that possible? He had never touched a woman, not even once. Seeing Justin momentarily lost in thought, Be reacted instinctively and kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Get away from me!¡± In reality, Be had barely used any force, and with Justin¡¯s tall and muscr build, he should have been able to withstand the kick. Unexpectedly, he stumbled back a couple of steps, barely stopping himself from falling by holding onto the wall. Be noticed his face growing pale, and sweat started to form on his forehead. She paused for a moment. As she started to speak, Justin cut in hoarsely. ¡°What are you doing here looking for Shannon this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. You don¡¯t need to worry about it,¡± Be said, her gaze turning cold. Justin felt like Be¡¯s gaze pierced through him, as if he were a total stranger to her. Clenching his jaw, he said, ¡°If you¡¯re nning to seek revenge for Madam Celeste, I suggest you pick another time. Tonight isn¡¯t the right time.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Be¡¯s lips curled into a charming smile, her posture regal and confident. She sat with poise, radiating elegance like a queen. ¡°Is it because Chairman Hoffman, Mrs. Hoffman, and your beloved Zoe are all here? Are you afraid I¡¯ll ruin your ns?¡± Justin frowned and questioned, ¡°What ns?¡± Be spoke with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. ¡°Your engagement and wedding arrangements. You two are a match made in heaven!¡± ¡°Be! That¡¯s enough!¡± Justin felt like she had stabbed him in the heart, anger zing in his eyes. ¡°Congrattions on your uing marriage, Mr. Salvador,¡± Be continued, unfazed by his anger. Her smile widened as if she were sincerely wishing him well. ¡°Ms. Hoffman is young and beautiful. Her family background is probably much better than Rosalind¡¯s. Plus, being Ryan¡¯s sister helps strengthen the bond further. Chairman Salvador will surely be thrilled to have her as his daughter-inw. It¡¯ll also boost your status in the